Canada Games Program

The High Performance Program was formally Established in 1996 after the 1995 Canada Winter Games. Although the High Performance Program is an annual program, every fourth year, the Nova Scotia Canada Winter Games Male and Female Hockey Teams are selected through the High Performance Program.

The 2011 Canada Winter Games will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia in from February 11- February 27th 2011. Hockey will be played at the Halifax Metro Centre and Dartmouth Sportsplex with the Athletes Village consisting of the Delta Halifax, Delta Barrington, Marriot and Prince George Hotels in downtown Halifax. The World Trade and Convention Centre will be the centre of the Athletes Village.

In October of 2010 Hockey Nova Scotia proudly announced the staffs for the Male and Female Canada Games programs. The staffs are as follows:



2011 Nova Scotia Canada Games Male Program


Head Coach:  Chris Donnelly (Dartmouth
Chris started his coaching career after his junior career with the Cole Harbour Colts of the MJAHL. Chris has been involved in the High Performance Program in a variety of roles on several different occasions. Chris was an named an Assistant Coach with the 2003 Nova Scotia Canada Games team until work commitments forced him to withdraw from the event. Chris has been an Assitant Coach with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL for the past 10 seasons and was formerly a NCCP Course Facilitator with Hockey Nova Scotia.

Assistant Coach:  Troy Ryan (Spryfield)
Troy , a former University of New Brunswick (AUS)and St. Mary's University (AUS)player, started his coaching career as an Assistant Coach in MJAHL before moving on to become Head Coach of the Antigonish Bulldogs and the Pictou County Crushers of the MJAHL. Currently the Head Coach of the Halifax Lions, Troy has been involved over the past several years in the High Performance Program, including being the Head Coach of the 2007 Nova Scotia Canada games hockey team that competed in Whitehorse in 2007.

Assistant Coach:  Aaron Rice (Sydney)
Aaron has come full circle after playng for Team Nova Scotia at the 1999 Canada Games in Cornerbrook, NFLD. After a junior career with Amherst ( MJAHL) Aaron has been involved with the Cape Breton Tradesman of the Nova Scotia Major Midget League the past number of seasons, having started as an Assistant Coach before taking over as Head Coach a few seasons ago. Aaron has been involved in the High Performance Program for a number of years in a variety of roles.

Director of Operations:  Darren Sutherland (Halifax)
Like Aaron, Darren is a former Canada Games player, having served as Captain of the 1995 Canada Games Team that competed in Grand Prarie , Alberta. A former player with Amherst (MJAHL), Cape Breton(QMJHL) and the UPEI Panthers (AUS), Darren is employed by Hockey Nova Scotia and oversees all of the develoipment and High Performance Programs. Darren also served as an Assistant Coach with the Halifax McDonalds (NSMMHL) for four seasons.



2011 Nova Scotia Canada Games Female Program


Head Coach:  Lesley Jordan (New Glasgow)
Lesley has been involved in the Hockey Nova Scotia High Performance Program for a number of years, having served as an Assistant Coach at the 2007 Canada Games in Whitehorse. Lesely was recently named an Assistant Coach with Hockey Canada National Under 18 which will compete in the World Championship.  Lesley is currently the Head Coach of the Dalhousie Tigers of the AUS.

Assistant Coach:  Ron Watkins (Musquodobit Harbour)
Ron has been heavily involved at all levels of hockey throughout the province of Nova Scotia. Ron has served as coach with the Canada Games team on a few occasions and has served as Head Coach of Hockey Canada Team Atlantic Under 17 Team. Ron won a Royal Bank Cup Championship with Halifax of the MJAHL in 2002.

Assistant Coach:  Chris Larade (Cheticamp)
Chris has been involved in the High Performance Program for the past number of seasons, and served as an Assistant Coach with the St. FX Women Program for a few seasons. After moving to halifax, Chris is currently the Head Coach of the Metro Boston Pizza team in the Nova Scotia Female Midget Hockey League.

Director of Operations:  Terry French (Truro)
Terry has been the Coordinator of the Hockey Nova Scotia Female High Performance Program for the past number of years and is responsible for both the Under 15 and Under 18 program. Terry also served as the Director of Operations for the Female team in the 2007 Winter Games in Whitehorse. Terry's daughter was a member fo the 2003 Nova Scotia Canada Games Team before cracking the Hockey Canada National Under 22 team.



The 2011 Canada Winter Games Male and Female Hockey teams will be announced in late October of 2010 and will come together for a Christmas training camp and exhibtion games in December of 2010 in Halifax.

Notable Alumni from past Nova Scotia Canada Games Hockey teams include:

Joe Dipenta, CWG 1995           - Anaheim Ducks, NHL
Derrick Walser, CWG 1995      - Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL
Aaron Johnson, CWG 1999     - Calgary Flames, NHL
Sidney Crosby, CWG 2003      - Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL

Tara French, CWG 2003           - Team Canada National Under 22 Team
Jessica Wong , CWG 2007      - Team Canada National Under 22 Team


The Canada Winter Games is a major part of the identification process for the Hockey Canada National Under 18 Program and has a long list of notable alumni including Nova Scotia's own Sidney Crosby. Other notables include Bob Gainey, Chris Pronger, Paul Kariya, Mike Peca, Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Michael Del Zotto, Alex Pietrangelo.

Female participants include Hayley Wichenheiser, Cassi Campbell, Sami Jo Small,Danielle Goyette,Jennifer Botterill, Meghan Agosta