Macknee steps down
Assistant coach Mike Cameron to take over Titans Hockey bench
When the final seconds ran off the clock in the Titans 7-4 loss to the University of the Fraser Valley a week and a half ago, so did coach Chuck MacKnee’s tenure as Titans hockey bench boss. MacKnee, who has been with the team for nearly two decades, announced that he will be stepping down as head coach. Assistant coach Mike Cameron will take his place next season.
“Chuck MacKnee has been an amazing leader for Titans hockey,” said defenseman Jonny Woof. “He got the team started, the league started and has given guys an opportunity to play. He will be missed and definitely remembered. However, the team is looking forward to having Mike as head coach, as he has plenty of experience and is a great leader.”
Hockey is the best sport on earth. Real hockey includes speed, agility, power, strength, intelligence, physical contact, teamwork and the skill to engage all of those abilities wearing narrow blades of steel on hard ice.
It has been my privilege to play university hockey and, for the past nine years, to coach university hockey at the intercollegiate level. Helping the TWU hockey team evolve from a lesser skilled, non-contact church league team to a skilled, physical team that competed in real hockey games was a dream realized. Hockey was the original, non-varsity club team and developed the Titans logo.
In 2000, I began my hockey coaching tenure and fondly remember 500 screaming fans attending hotly contested physical games with CBC and AIA. As hockey evolution occurred, TWU was the leader in establishing and organizing the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League with other B.C. universities and competed in the championship game in 2002-2004, finally winning the Championship in 2005 and 2006.
My memories of coaching TWU Intercollegiate (real) hockey include road trips to Spokane, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Castlegar, Seattle and more local arenas. Traveling to Southern California in 2006 to build houses with Habitat for Humanity and defeating USC and UCLA hockey teams was an enriching experience.
Two highlights were the trips to Slovakia in 2003 and 2008. It was amazing to play five or six games of high quality hockey in a week and to use this sport as a forum to testify of God’s grace and mercy toward His people. These were incredibly bonding experiences.
The hockey team also enjoyed acts of service in roofing Professor Vic Cavilli’s home, and are currently aiming to roof another faculty member’s home this month. It is gratifying to see how hockey has been used to help develop guys’ emotional and spiritual maturity. Contacts from guys who have played over the years are affirming and meaningful.
As I retire from coaching TWU Intercollegiate hockey, I am blessed to see what has been accomplished and hope that hockey can one day become a varsity sport at TWU. Thanks guys for all the laughs, successes and times of learning and growing together. I will miss the excitement, energy and competition. Real hockey fans know what I mean.
The All-Star team for the TWU Titans over this decade includes:
Forwards: Mike Steinke, Josh MacKnee (all-time leading scorer), Craig Spence, Clark Moran, Jamey Simpson, Rick Eggleton, Mark Westergard, Jake Morris, Pete Masterton
Defense: R.J. Carr, Jeremy Ruck, Jon Bentall, Aaron McKenzie, Benton Nickel
Goalies: Matt Davies, Kevin Helps
Peace and blessings to you all and keep your blades sharp for the eternal ice in heaven,
– Chuck MacKnee
Cameron’s playing days concluded at the University of Regina in 1995-1996. He has since coached the British Columbia Hockey League’s Quesnel Millionaires and Langley Hornets, as well as the Campbell River Storm of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
“[Cameron’s] years of experience and wisdom coaching Junior A is obvious when he breaks down drills and all the data involved with hockey,” said goalie Evan Menzies. “But his greatest strength is he manages to show his vulnerable side, and display to a bunch of boys what it means to be a man.”
Coach Cameron will have quite the task ahead, as TWU has finished fourth place for three years in a row, after finishing two consecutive championship seasons.
“He brings a passion and a love to the game which inspires a spark from the players,” added Menzies.
Titans fans can only hope this spark turns to fire, as the Titans look to rise back to the top of the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League.
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