Adam Huxley walked into the Servus Sports Centre with his hockey equipment last week in his role as the new on-ice consultant for the Lloydminster Public School Division Hockey Academy. Huxley is the owner/operator of Huxley Hockey Conditioning in Wainwright. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Puck handling and citizenship go hand in hand at this year’s Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD) hockey academy.
That’s the dual-purpose goal of Adam Huxley, the new on-ice consultant for the LPSD academy, based at the Servus Sports Centre.
“The number-one thing is to be a good person. If you’re a good person, all those attributes and details turn you into a better player,” said Huxley at the rink last week.
“I don’t care how good of a hockey player you are. I care that you listen; I care how you treat the people around you and how you treat the instructors and how you treat yourself.”
Huxley is the owner-operator of Huxley Hockey Conditioning in Wainwright, who has used that philosophy to help a number of players reach their goals of playing Junior A, Major Junior and NCAA hockey.
He started his job with the LPSD academy in mid-September and says it was a little bit of a different adjustment for him and for the kids as well.
“I think we’re on the same page now. I think we’re kind of changing the culture a little bit,” he said, noting he felt the shift recently.
“It’s been awesome and fun to come to the rink,” he said.
Huxley says some LPSD kids just want to get better and have fun and others are elite, looking for extra ice time, but his two-pronged teaching approach applies to everyone.
“I really want these guys to realize what it takes to get to the next level is you have to be a better person, you have to treat your coaches properly, etc,” said Huxley.
He spoke about Lloydminster-born Mason Shaw as an example of a skilled, character kid he worked with who scored his first goal in the NHL on Oct. 30.
“I get calls from the NHL scouts about players I train and they don’t ask one question about hockey,” said Huxley, who played 10 years of pro hockey in the AHL and ECHL.
“They ask, is he on time, how is he with guys in the gym, how’s his work ethic, how’s his focus —basically what kind of kid is he and is he good in school.”
Huxley also works for Power Edge Pro (PEP) and is using the equipment to introduce new on-ice skills development that some academy kids like Graydon Moore seem to like.
“It’s really helpful for our games and stuff to get around guys and protect the puck,” said the Grade 8 student from College Park School.
The youngster is also digging the academy under Huxley’s leadership.
“It helps me with my skills and get better at hockey,” he said.
Huxley is assisted on the ice by Brant Saretsky from Wainwright, with LPSD teachers Jeff Mazzei and Shawn Coulter in attendance.
“I’m sure it’s a much-needed break for them because we’re the ones with the voice when we’re here and they sit back and help and have some fun with the kids,” said Huxley.
“So I think it’s a good dynamic that way.”
Huxley took over his role from Lance Ward, who moved to Red Deer where he’s also running a hockey academy and Huxley knows him well.
“Lance is an amazing guy. I’m more of an on-ice guy. That’s where I live and die. I come here to work with the kids on the ice,” he said.
Karsyn Woytiuk, a Grade 7 student from College Park, is a fan of the academy and Huxley’s PEP drills.
“This year, we just started PEP, so it’s nice to have something else new to practice—something that we’ve never tried before to get better at,” she said.
Woytiuk says it helps with your turns as well as puck placement.