Notre Dame College Wilcox Saskatchewan
The Notre Dame Hounds are a junior “A” ice hockey team located in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada, in the village of Wilcox, just 41 kilometers (25 miles) south of the Provincial capital of Regina. Wilcox is best known for being home to one of the country’s most prestigious schools for hockey.
The team plays its home games in Duncan McNeil Arena, which has a seating capacity of 1,200. The team logo features a large capital “N” and “D” in red with a greyhound dog overlayed in white across the lettering. The Hounds play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).
History
James Athol Murray was instrumental in building the Notre Dame hockey program. In 1927 he was assigned from Regina to Wilcox, bringing with him fifteen boys to enroll in the residential Notre Dame School, run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. Murray was a pioneer. His efforts are the foundation of what the school has become today. A top-notch hockey school that has produced many talented players that have had successful NHL careers. The Notre Dame Hounds hockey program has had more than 100 players drafted into the NHL, with some of the most recognized names as Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind’Amour, Vincent Lecavalier, and Brad Richards.
The Hounds began to play in the SJHL in 1970 until 1976. After a disappointing season, the team left the SJHL after falling into obscurity between 1976 and 1987. The team did operate as a Midget “AAA” minor team.
In 1987, the Hounds advanced from minor hockey and jumped into Tier II junior “A.” That year the Hounds iced their most successful season in team history. They compiled a (53-5-2-0) record under head coach Barry MacKenzie and won the SJHL Championship. They then took on the Winnipeg South Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), sweeping the Blues in four games to win the Anavet Cup. The team’s next opponent was the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). After trailing 3-1 in the series, the Hounds stormed back to win the best of seven by a score of 3-2 and earning a berth in the Centennial Cup. In the first game of the Round-robin tournament, the Hounds defeated the Halifax Lions of the Metro Junior Hockey League 6-5. In game two, they prevailed 9-7 over the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League. Game three saw the Hounds lose a 4-3 nail-biter in triple overtime to the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Central Junior A Hockey League. In the semi-final, the Hounds found retribution defeating the Lumber Kings 7-3 in the re-match. In the Final, the Hounds played the Halifax Lions. After trailing 2-1 after two periods, the Hounds managed to tie the score at two in the third period before sealing the win on a Dwayne Norris goal, thus capturing the team’s first and only Centennial Cup.
The Notre Dame Hockey Program is recognized as one of Canada’s leading hockey development programs.
HOUNDS HOCKEY (Notre Dame College Wilcox Saskatchewan)
Notre Dame offers an unprecedented opportunity to earn a first-class education while competing in some of the most respected leagues and tournaments for U15, U16, U17, U18, and Junior hockey in North America.
Our campus boasts a full-size Olympic ice surface, a state-of-the-art off-ice skills training facility, a high-performance training facility with a certified strength and conditioning coach, an athletic therapist, a fully equipped gymnasium, and elite coaches with provincial, national, and international experience.
Our Student-Athletes are expected to carry a full academic workload, maintain a high-grade point average, contribute to the school community, and be accountable for their actions on and off the ice.
Coaching, practices, off-ice training, and game schedules, combined with ideal facilities, offer the perfect training environment for players to develop.
Hounds are well-conditioned athletes with a renowned reputation for relentless attacks, tenacious defense, and a “never lose heart” attitude.
19 Hound alumni are playing, coaching, or working in the NHL, such as Jaden Schwartz, Morgan Rielly, Jordan Eberle, Sean Couturier, Tyler Myers, and Hayden Fleury. At the same time, Alumni Barry Trotz, Jon Cooper, and Rod Brind’Amour are head coaches in the NHL.
Of the players from the 1987-88 championship team, 19 players went on to play for the National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey teams. While Rod Brind’Amour, Dwayne Norris, Jason Herter, Curtis Joseph, Scott Pellerin, and Joby Messier all catapulted to the NHL. Perhaps the most well-known Hounds to transition to the NHL were the trio of Wendel Clark, Gary Leeman, and Russ Courtnall. Gary Leeman would eventually win the Stanley Cup in 1993 while a member of the Montreal Canadians.
MEN’S HOCKEY (Notre Dame College Wilcox Saskatchewan)
Our Program The Notre Dame Men’s Hockey program is one of the most prestigious programs in the world. With over 200+ Hounds drafted or signed to the NHL, hockey development is at the forefront of our program. Every year we have representation provincially, nationally, and internationally from our student-athletes. Notre Dame offers men’s hockey starting with our Jr. A Hounds right down to our U15 Program.”Notre Dame is one of the best places to succeed and mature as an athlete and as a person, and it prepares you for your next step in life. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I recommend it to absolutely everybody.” ~ Jaden Schwartz’10, St.Louis Blues.
Women’s Hockey (Notre Dame College Wilcox Saskatchewan)
Notre Dame Hounds Hockey has been producing outstanding female student-athletes for over 28 years. They are high-achieving, successful, and well-rounded, not only as elite athletes but as professionals, business and community leaders, coaches, and reliable young adults.
Every year we have representation provincially, nationally, and internationally from our female student-athletes.
“The opportunities and life skills that I have gained at Notre Dame have been amazing. I truly believe that I would not have had this experience in any other program. ND Develops the whole person, not just the athlete, and encourages you to be your best self.” ~ Karina Lenko’17
Notre Dame has one of the top female hockey programs in the world. Our Notre Dame Female Hockey Teams has produced over 125 NCAA, USport, and ACAC Female Student-Athletes, with a number of those players becoming a part of the Hockey Canada Program.
Over the course of the last ten years, female hockey players at Notre Dame have been awarded in excess of $5 million in athletic/academic scholarships.
Notre Dame has two female hockey teams:
- U18 AAA (Hockey Saskatchewan) During the 2010-2011 season, the U18 AAA Hounds won the National Female Championship, the Esso Cup.
- U18 AA (Hockey Saskatchewan)
Key Offerings From Notre Dame Female Hockey Program:
- Full-Size Olympic Ice Surface
- State-of-the-Art Off-Ice Skills Facility
- Maier Performance Training Centre
- Skill, Tactical & System Development
- Strength & Conditioning Programming
- Mental Training – Competitive Will
- Nutrition & Athletic Performance Education
- The host of the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament – The largest Female Tournament in Western Canada
- Competitive Leagues
- All Home Games Live-streamed
Keep Your Stick on the Ice.
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