Seven months ago, Squirt Minor head coach Jamie Lundmark had just retired after playing professional hockey for seventeen seasons. Never in his wildest dreams did the former first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers think that he would be coaching a squirt minor team.

“I wanted to help out, spend time with my boys and have a chance to stay on the ice” stated Lundmark. “Then suddenly the Jr. Flyers asked me to become the head coach. I didn’t want to pass up the offer” concluded Lundmark.

“I realized that I couldn’t coach this team like a junior team” said Lundmark. “My overall coaching philosophy is to really teach these boys the fundamentals of the game – primarily the skills aspect of skating and touching the puck. I want the boys to learn the game and respect it but without placing emphasis on wins. Most importantly, I want them to have fun” Lundmark said.

So far Lundmark has his team on the right track. After twelve games in the Atlantic Youth Hockey League, the ’09’s sit atop the standings with an 11-0-1 record. They have scored 88 goals (most in the league) and only allowed 31 – second least in the league.

“We have a skilled team, but I have to remember that these are nine-year olds” said the Edmonton, AB native. “I always want to keep practices fun and keep the boys moving on the ice. I’m trying to give them an overview of positioning but sometimes it doesn’t always click right away. But, as the season has progressed, you can start to see that they are implementing things during the game. It might not be perfect, but you can see them making progress. It is really an enjoyable feeling to see them learn” stated Lundmark.

“In mid-September I passed out cards to the parents and wanted to find out what they wanted to have their sons accomplish this season. All of them said they wanted their child to learn the game and have fun” said Lundmark.

“At the moment we have a great league record but this past weekend we faced some challenges in non-league games. Part of the learning process is facing adversity. I want the boys to know that it is ok to fail because that is the only way to learn and grow from it” said Lundmark.

“The boys love being together. It is like a big happy family. They all get along. It fits into my philosophy. I want them to have fun now and learn the skills aspect without placing much emphasis on systems and winning. I want them to take what they have learned this season, so they can really excel throughout the rest of their career – wherever that may end up” concluded Lundmark.