Frank L. McKinnon Award

Brent started coaching the Vincent Massey Vikings Varsity hockey program six seasons ago. In his first season with the program, his record was 0-24 in league play. He never gave up and through perseverance, determination, accountability and dedication he made it to the top of the mountain this season and led his team to the Westman High School Hockey League championship.

Hockey is the most involved varsity sport at the school. The Massey hockey program participates in over 50 games, including three tournaments, and pre-season and playoff games. The team is on the ice over 100 times, and the season spans six months. We all know how hard it is to find volunteer coaches, but to have that level of dedication from a non-teacher and volunteer coach over six seasons is outstanding. Brent’s own children are grown, and he coaches because he loves to give back and help mentor the players to become young men who are responsible, mature, polite, and conduct themselves with class. This is evident by the way that so many players come back after graduation to pitch in and help coach, run camps, or attend fundraisers.

So many students are struggling to find an identity, and a place where they are a part of something. Brent provides that place through the team. He runs such a respected program that many players are now choosing to play high school hockey instead of trying out for teams at a higher level. Brent is accepting of all types of players, and some of his favorites are those students who struggle academically or behaviorally. He connects with them, and those players want to perform and produce for him. Not out of fear, but out of respect. Brent is old, but he isn’t old school. He understands that it is about relationships and doing the right thing. Coaching now is so different than it was 20 years ago. Many players have off ice issues, family expectations, politics, pressures, critics are everywhere, and you need to be much more than a person who delivers drills and changes lines. On Brent’s team there is discipline and consequences, but they relate to effort, sportsmanship and respect, not results.