There’s nothing quite so inviting as a fresh sheet of ice. Like a blank canvas, the untouched surface seems to offer youthful promise and endless possibilities.

Friday's soft opening of the brand new arena unveiled a new chapter in the School's illustrious history. We watched the first face-off, the first hits and first penalties. Defenceman Tyler K. notched the first goal in team history when he blasted a point shot home just two minutes into the opener.

The first victory was a 5-2 triumph over the squad's biggest rival, the Compete Hockey Academy out of Couer d'Alene, Idaho. After lop-sided wins over Calgary's Edge School for Athletes (9-0) and the Banff Hockey Academy (8-1) on Saturday, the hosts put a ribbon on an undefeated weekend with a thrilling 5-4 triumph over Compete on Sunday. Shawnigan had led that contest 4-2 late in the game, but a gutsy comeback by the visitors was squelched when Gavin Y. buried a powerplay marker early in overtime.

"All the guys are still in shock" Captain Noah C. grinned after the Stags won their home opener. Even though it's still under construction, Noah says the facility is 'beautiful' and believes "it's the start of a legacy here at Shawnigan."

Before Shawnigan’s varsity team even took to the ice, a cast of locals christened the building with a scrimmage featuring a handful of Vancouver Canucks alumni. Headmaster David Robertson gave some invaluable coaching insights to guys like Doug Bodger and Jyrki Lumme (who have more than two thousand NHL games between them), and fans were treated to autographs and pictures with some former stars of the game.

Even the pros were impressed.   “You don’t see this anywhere else” says Doug Bodger. “This is just a fantastic facility and I think everyone is pretty proud today.” A native of nearby Chemainus, Bodger played minor hockey at the Fuller Lake Arena before leaving home at 16 to play junior hockey in Kamloops. “College hockey really wasn’t a thought.” Bodger knows, however, that the route to the big leagues is much different than it used to be. “Even if you get there, the average is three or four years” Bodger flags. “There is life after hockey.”

The importance of education isn't lost on Head Coach Kevin Cooper. All of the academies Shawnigan faces on the ice stress schooling, but Cooper believes that Shawinigan's strong focus on academics "set us apart." At the same time, he insists that hockey isn't going to dwarf any other program at Shawnigan. Cooper points out that he comes from a private school background, and understands how the schools can help young people grow as people. "The two years I did in New Hampshire at private school changed my life - All the different sports, all the different programs, the fine arts. Each one of those plays a part in the development of a young man or woman."

Even Compete Hockey Academy President and varsity Head Coach Cam Severson agrees that education needs to be the cornerstone of any youth program. "You have to be a good student to make it anywhere in hockey" he states. Severson suggests the addition of the new rink could help Shawnigan join the likes of Shattuck-St. Mary's and the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, two of the current gold-standards in hockey development. "We had the luxury of staying on campus" Severson says. "It's a pretty amazing place. With the addition of the ice arena it’s absolutely amazing."

Of course, the opening of the new rink marks the end of a long journey for some of the people behind the scenes. Mark Brown joined a legion of donors who sacrificed time and money to make the concept come to fruition. "I wish my son was still here" Brown smiles. "I've got two grandsons that we're hoping are going to be here - I'm so proud of what has happened in such a short period of time. And when I see everyone in there cheering - it's just a tremendous feeling and I think we're very, very fortunate."

Shawnigan's hockey team wrapped up its inaugural hockey season with a 24-0 record, with the team set to compete in league playoffs and the National Independent School Invitational Championships in March. Success has come quickly to the squad, something Coach Cooper credits to the support he's had from the school and the players' parents. That success could soon be eclipsed, however, with Shawnigan likely to join the CSSHL's top tier (Prep) next year. In the not too distant future, Cooper believes we'll see graduates earning full-ride scholarships to touted NCAA division I schools.

The School plans to officially open the new facility next year.

“I don’t think they even realize what they’re going to do here” Doug Bodger nods. “This is the way hockey is going.”

– Jon Zacks, Communications