The Gretzky Hockey School is back for a second year to remind young St. Albert athletes to have fun while working on their skills over the summer break.
The Gretzky School has descended on St. Albert for two sessions this summer during their seven-week tour of North America. Ty Gretzky, son of Wayne Gretzky, founded the camp in 2014 and works alongside his family to help continue the Gretzky brand of hockey.
“Honestly, my goals and vision is for the players leaving Friday is for the players to say they became a better hockey player and improved on-ice skills but also make sure they have the best week ever and the most fun,” Gretzky said. “It’s a summer camp and it’s for the kids and they’re here to have fun and learn.”
To help achieve this goal Gretzky brings along his family to train and coach the kids.
“I bring in my two uncles, Keith and Glen Gretzky to run the camp as head coaches and I bring four of my cousins along too,” Gretzky said. “The whole Gretzky family is involved.”
Along with the Gretzky family, the kids also get to work with other hockey experts during the weeklong sessions. Mark Ciaccio brings his professional practices and unique drills from the New York Rangers where he is the team’s skill development coach. Youtube sensation and hockey trainer Pavel Barber is an expert in stick handling and shooting and he instructs the daily, hour-long skill development sessions.
And Gretzky’s dad Wayne is never too far away, making sure to call every night to check up on the school. The plan to start a summer hockey school came from Wayne and in 2014 Ty started the Gretzky Hockey School out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
In the two summers since inception, the school has spread to five locations across North America taking place over seven weeks. The idea to come to St. Albert was born when a local, young hockey student attended the first camp in Idaho and his family recommended Servus Place as a great location to hold their Edmonton session.
“St. Albert has been unbelievable,” Gretzky said. “Last year we came and the facility was great and the people were amazing. We had such an incredible time that we had to come back. It will probably be the only city that we do two weeks back-to-back going forward.”
Gretzky’s passion for hockey started when he was just a small child spending time at the rink with his dad. He went to the rink every day with his dad and never missed a practice or game.
“It’s funny, I’m the only one in the family who loves hockey,” Gretzky said about his siblings. “I would skate before practice and after practice and that’s the only training I really got.”
The hockey school is not just fun for the kids, but Gretzky and his cousins have a great time too.
“All my cousins and I are hockey players so it’s fun that we get to be around it and on the ice all day, all summer long,” Gretzky said. “It’s the most fun week and the most fun camp.”
The camp runs two sessions in Servus Place from July 4 to 15. Each day features two hours of on ice training, two hours of off ice training and one hour of skill development. The school already has plans to return to St. Albert for the summer of 2017.
