A Holiday Message to Our Hockey Community
Dear Friends,
As we close out 2024, I want to take a moment to express my immense pride and gratitude for the remarkable progress we’ve made together this year. It’s been a year of growth within our system as we continue to lay the foundations for a sustainable, successful and accessible future. As we reflect on 2024, there’s a few key moments that stood out in particular. I’m excited to revisit some of our key achievements with you.
Event Hosting and Competitions
In 2024, we were proud to host two major continental championships: the Indoor Pan American Cup, which we hosted in Calgary, Alberta, and the Junior Pan American Championships, hosted in Surrey, BC. Thanks to a collaborative approach with partners from across the community, both events proved hugely successful. The Junior Pan Ams proved a special highlight with both our junior men and junior women qualifying for next year’s Junior World Cup – well done to all involved!
In addition to international events, FHC continued to expand the national hosting portfolio. In total, four national tournaments were held in 2024. Beginning in Summer with the annual youth national championships, where the U18 event was held in Surrey, BC followed immediately by the U16 Championship in Calgary, Alberta. The involvement of all three Atlantic provinces in the U18 event, with PEI on the podium was a particular highlight on field while Field Hockey Alberta’s ‘Hoe Down’ party at the under 16 event was certainly an off-field highlight!
Another off field highlight this year was the Hall of Fame celebration. Held in Richmond BC, we were honored to welcome many of our esteemed community members to the ceremony. It certainly showcased the very best of our sport from coast to coast and the occasion was a wonderful opportunity for friends far and wide, young and old, to reconnect over shared hockey stories. Congratulations to our Classes being celebrated at this event.
Moving into Fall, FHC was excited to lead the inaugural FHC USPORTS National Tournament, hosted in York, Toronto. Congratulations to all four university finalists and to the University of Victoria for getting gold! As FHC takes on leadership of the USports portfolio, we look forward to continued growth in the coming years. Another event which will continue to grow in our national hosting portfolio is the Canadian Masters Cup. This thrilling event took place in Brampton, Ontario and our thanks to the community for supporting!
Throughout 2024, our senior national teams continued to showcase their talents on the international stage. They demonstrated outstanding resolve in the Olympic qualifiers, sadly coming up short for Paris but showing that our young teams are well on course for 2028, with both teams finishing strongly later in the year at the Nations Cup. Meanwhile our youth and development squads also traveled across the globe as we continue to build a strong talent pathway—visiting the Netherlands, Scotland, Wales, Malaysia, and Japan. The talent pipeline also continues to demonstrate incredible growth at master’s level. This year we were delighted to send seven masters teams to Auckland for the WMH Masters World Cup. Well done to all who pulled on our Canada shirt this year!
2024 Highlights
- Men’s National Team: A notable victory over #14 ranked Korea, finishing 5th at the Nations Cup.
- Women’s National Team: A strong 6th place finish at the Nations Cup, with an impressive win over Korea.
- Home Hosting in collaboration with provincial and club partners: Successful delivery of IPAC and JPAC.
- Masters World Cup: Canadian teams excelled, with six of our seven National Teams finishing in the Top 10 in their respective division.
- FHC USports: University of Victoria secured their 6th consecutive national title and first-ever Field Hockey Canada USports university tournament title.
- Junior Teams: Following home performances at JPAC, the men’s and women’s junior teams have qualified for the 2025 Junior World Cups.
In matters of governance, FHC continued to prioritize improved governance of our system. Throughout 2024 we once held monthly PSO member meetings. We engaged the community in updating the risk management registry through a series of workshops and continued to strengthen the board with skills-based Director appointments. The board also began the process of developing the new Strategic Plan which will come into effect in 2026 and involve broader engagement through 2025. We look forward to working with you! Finally, FHC worked with the boarder sport community to contribute positively to the Future of Sport Commission. This commission is charged with reimagining a better quality, safe and well governed sport system to serve everyone and it was an honor to contribute. Let’s see what this holds for 2025 and beyond.
Gratitude and Acknowledgements
Of course, none of these highlights would be possible without our team of teams who contribute tirelessly in so many ways.
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and partners—The Indian Maharadja, OPRO, GTR, The Cove, Coast Physio, Boulevard Travel, and all our sport partners—for their unwavering support. Special thanks to the provincial organizations of British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario for their commitment in hosting events with us. Thanks to the Alberta community as a stand out in their support in delivering a great IPAC home hosting – the first in Alberta! We also deeply appreciate the ongoing support of our club partner West Vancouver, as well as our community club organizations for JPAC: India Club, Panthers and Dashmesh, as well as support clubs Lions, Gobind Sarvar, United Brothers, Sikh Games, West Coast Kings, Elite, and many others. A true community effort made the JPAC event a resounding success. Additionally, we’d like to thank our international partners in Japan, Malaysia, and Europe who we continue to build strong international commitments with for the betterment of our wonderful sport.
Thanks also to our wonderful board of directors, committee members and our small but very mighty staff team. You make life a joy! A special thanks to Olympian Deb Whitten who stepped down from the board after 6 years of service. Fortunately, Deb continues to contribute to governance through her involvement on committees. Thanks to Deb and other outgoing Directors: Nick Sandhu, Derm Coombs Ben Martin and Krissy Wishart.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we look toward the new year, we’re excited about the challenges and opportunities that 2025 will bring. It will be another huge year, including:
- A focus on World Cup qualification for our senior teams.
- Our Junior National Teams will have two top tier international events: with an inaugural Junior Pan Am Games in Summer before the Junior World Cup in December
- Continued expansion of the talent pathway youth and development tours
- A Masters focus on continuing to build success at Pan American competition
- Delivery of a new competition structure and expanded domestic opportunities
- Strategic review of the current Strategic Plan and delivery of a new FHC Strategic Plan to serve 2026 – 2030
We’re committed to building on our successes and pushing for even greater accomplishments in 2025. Since the unification of the men’s and women’s associations in 1991, we have not had both qualify for the World Cup in the same year. That would be a highlight for 2025! Both teams will participate in World Cup Qualifying and have the amazing opportunity to qualify.
On behalf of Field Hockey Canada, I wish you all a joyful holiday season filled with peace and happiness. Thank you for your continued dedication and support of our sport. Together, let’s make 2025 another unforgettable year for Canadian field hockey. The Field Hockey Canada office will be closed from December 21-January 5.
With kindness,
Susan Ahrens (CEO) and the FHC Team
