Thursday, July 1, 2010

Camrose Kodiaks Announce Darcy Steen as Team’s Assistant GM

Press Release

Camrose, AB. – The Camrose Kodiaks hockey club announced on June 30th that Darcy Steen has been named as the team’s Assistant General Manager effective August 1st, 2010.

“It is a tremendous honor for me to be granted the opportunity to work for the Camrose Kodiaks, one of the most respected and successful junior hockey franchises in the nation,” said Steen. “I am very grateful to the Board of the Kodiaks for allowing me this opportunity and to Boris Rybalka for his sincere interest in my skills and abilities. I am very excited to be able to learn from one of the premier General Managers and Coaches in junior hockey. I look forward to contributing my previous knowledge of hockey events to the 2011 RBC Cup, which will be hosted in Camrose this May.”

“The Camrose Kodiaks are very delighted that Darcy Steen has joined us for the exciting journey that we have ahead for us this hockey season,” said Boris Rybalka, Kodiaks General Manager and Head Coach. “With his tremendous background in hockey administration and event coordination, we feel that Darcy will be a valuable asset to the organization in our quest to host a first class event in the 2011 RBC Cup, and to assist the Kodiaks in their goal to become National Champions this season.”

Recently Steen was employed for the past 4 years with Hockey Canada, based out of their head office in Calgary, Alberta. In his most current role of Coordinator, Women’s High Performance Programs; Steen was the team coordinator for the Canadian National Women’s Under 22 Team. The team captured the 2010 MLP Nations Cup Championship in Ravensburg, Germany in January 2010, defeating two teams which would eventually go on to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the Sweden and Swiss National Teams. Steen was also instrumental in the Game Operations of all home games of the Alberta Lottery Series, a series of games throughout the province featuring the Canadian National Women’s Team against teams in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL), in the lead up to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Prior to working in women’s hockey, Steen spent 2 years working in Junior A hockey with Hockey Canada. Steen served as the event coordinator of the 2008, 2007, and 2006 RBC Cups, and served as a resource person for the site selection committee of the 2010 and 2009 RBC Cups. Steen also served as the event coordinator, as well as the Canada East and Canada West team coordinator during the 2008, 2007, and 2006 World Junior A Challenge events. The Canada West entry, which was coached by Rybalka, captured 2 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal over that 3 year span.

Before joining Hockey Canada, Steen was employed with the Calgary Flames hockey club in the role of Community Ticket Coordinator. Previous to his official employment with the hockey club, he held a variety of student internship roles with the Flames organization, including roles in the customer service department, the ticketing and sales office, the marketing and promotions department, and in the community relations and media relations department. Steen was also involved with the team in the lead up to and during the Calgary Flames well documented playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004.

Steen has also held other notable positions in the hockey and sport administration profession. He has previously worked with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, the renowned sport management and representation agency known as IMG, and Steen was instrumental in the development and execution of a charitable hockey event called Battle of the Border. Serving as a fundraiser for various charitable endeavors and minor hockey associations throughout Western Canada, Battle of the Border featured the Calgary Oval X-Treme women’s hockey team against an All-Star Team of U.S. Selects woman’s hockey players. The event was held for 5 consecutive years throughout towns in Western Canada between 2005 and 2009, and raised several hundred thousand dollars for non-profit organizations in these various communities.

Steen holds a Diploma in Sport Administration, a Diploma in Marketing Management, a Certificate in Business Management, a Certificate in Professional Speaking, and a Certificate in Public Relations, all from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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