Photo by Vince Fedoroff
HONOURED 鈥� Sylvia Cook is surrounded by members of the Gleason family as she receives the 鈥楯ean Gleason Memorial Hockey Mom' award during the opening ceremony of the Yukon Native Hockey Tournament. Next year's tournament will be held in honour of Jean's late daughter, Sandi Gleason, who died Christmas Eve.
The 2015 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament will be dedicated to the late Sandi Gleason.
The 2015 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament will be dedicated to the late Sandi Gleason.
Tournament officials announced the move during Friday night's opening ceremonies.
"The Yukon Indian Hockey Association (YIHA) acknowledges the tremendous loss that we had in this past year of our friend, our mentor, our relation ... in the passing of Sandi Gleason,鈥� tournament president Jeanie Dendys told the crowd gathered at Takhini Arena.
"Out of respect for Sandi's family and out of honour for our culture, we are not doing a memorial this year. However, next year we are pleased and so very humbled to announce the special recognition to her for her dedication and very long service to the YIHA,鈥濃�圖endys said.
"The 38th annual Kilrich/Northerm Yukon Native Hockey Tournament will be dedicated in memory of our friend Sandi Gleason. This is the first time in the history of the tournament this is being done, and we feel that it is very fitting.鈥�
The announcement was met with applause by those in attendance.
Gleason, a longtime board member with the YIHA, died Dec. 24, 2013.
At last year's tournament, she had received the inaugural 鈥楯ean Gleason Memorial Hockey Mom' award, a trophy aimed at honouring the sacrifice and contribution hockey mothers make to the game.
This year's award went to 78-year-old Sylvia Cook, who gratefully accepted the trophy in the presence of the Gleason family.
Dendys called the hockey mom award one of the tournament's most-cherished honours.
Peter Jakesta and Rhoda Quock of the Iskut Wolverines won the second of the major awards, taking home the Harry Allen 鈥楽amay Thia' Memorial Leadership Award.
This trophy is given to the coach or coaches who demonstrate leadership qualities by providing guidance, inspiration and sportsmanship, encouraging their players to strive for excellence on and off the ice.
Dendys went on to announce a new four-year deal with Kilrich Industries and Northerm Windows and Doors for continued major sponsorship.
She also said consideration is being levied towards extending next year's tournament by one more day to allow more teams to compete.
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