NATIONAL BALL HOCKEY
ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

The top 12 teams heading into the 2017/18 campaign and producing excellence in the sport of ball hockey.  The North American Ball Hockey rankings for 5 on 5 indoor version of the sport via reports from the scouting staff and without further ado……  

The Top 12 Women’s North American Ball Hockey rankings (based on club teams and not all star team/pick ups for events): 

2017/18 Rankings

  1) Drummondville Pokas

• Best Players – Catherine Herron, Stéphanie Savoie, Ariane Monast-Audet, Chantal Guèvremont
• X-Factor – this team plays a very offensive style and requires the consistent netminding of Catherine Herron

  2) Montreal Powerball White

• Best Players – Valérie Boutin, Marie-Claude Allard, Francesca Perron, Marie-Pier Cantin-Drouin
• X-Factor – wonderfully gifted forwards carry the team

  3) Toronto Shamrocks

• X-Factor – very good offensive team    

  4) Oshawa Stampede

• Best Players – Michelle Binning, Courtney Birchard, Katherine Sherriff
• X-Factor – players have to come together in short time, but with this much talent they are difficult to play  

  5) Montreal Powerball Black

• Best Players – Mariève Provost , Sophie Lachapelle, Janie-Claude Arpin, Janie Paquette
• X-Factor – the strength of this team is their defence with two of the best in Arpin and Paquette  

  6) Toronto Spartans 

• X-Factor – very structured and plays a tough defensive system

  7) Montreal Warriors

• Best Players – Vanessa Thibault, Maude Blain, Magguy Deslauriers, Stephanie Therrien
• X-Factor – team play is the key for this group

  8) Ottawa Rebels

• Best Players – Erika Pouliot, Fannie Desforges, Jenna Hendrick
• X-Factor – can the goaltending measure up to the offensive skill of this team  

  9) Quebec Bobs

• Best Players – Joannie Ouellette, Stephanie Lambert, Claude Houle-Lavigne, Mylène Courcy
• X-Factor – very good offense with this group of forwards

10) Sherbrooke Deauphinais

• Best Players – Elsa Roy, Stéphanie Grégoire, Catherine Foisy, Amélie Corriveau St-Louis
• X-Factor – how far can the goaltending of Roy carry this group 

11) Newfoundland United

• Best Players – April Drake, Dawn Tulk, Kristen Cooze
• X-Factor – will always be able to play against any team, but need the ‘stopper’ between the pipes

12) Levis Go Hockey

• Best Players –  Myriam Crousette, Emmanuelle Dumont, Julie Fortier, Priscilla Paquin   
• X-Factor – defence and strong goaltending are keys to success 

Please return to the site www.nationalballhockeycanada.com for stories and updates. 

2017 CanAm U19 Junior Ball Hockey Championships

It is a game for the ages, for all ages as a matter of fact that has become a legacy onto it’s own.  It is a game that has become an institution, a way of life for thousands of players, coaches, officials, administrators and fans of an activity that is played with a ball and a stick on neighbourhood streets, schoolyard parking lots, gymnasiums and rinks from coast-to- coast throughout the country.  The game is ball hockey and it is brought to you by the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC).  

There was nineteen teams vying for the coveted Bauer Championship Cup of Ball Hockey in their respective division.

U19 Champions – East York Nationals

The City of Brampton provided the backdrop for the U19 event and most prognosticators predicted the competition would be highly contested with very little separating the teams vying for the tournament title.  

The early favorites, Penetang Blazers and Belleville Predators were both looking for the championship and to preserve their place in the history books.  Nonetheless, the upstart East York Nationals, Oshawa Stampede, Brampton Jr Express and Penn Hills Revolution would have something to say about the outcome before it was all said and done.

In the end it was the East York Nationals that would capture the Bauer Championship Cup.  The team went 3-0-1 in the round robin ensuring a semi final against the Predators and the other semi final would have the Blazers against the jr Express.

The four finalists know each other well as the rosters had numerous Junior Team Canada (JTC) alumni on their teams and it would come down to timely goals that would prove to be the difference on the road to the championship.

In one semi final, the Nationals would blow the game open in the second period with five unanswered goals  en route to a 7-2 victory.   The other game was a back and forth battle that would see the Blazers win 3-0.

The final would see two opposing styles of play between the run and gun offense of the Nationals and the defensively sound Blazers.

The Blazers have been one of the best defensive teams for many years backstopped by strong goaltending and this would be their greatest challenge versus the high flying team from East York.  The Nationals would set the tone by scoring first and first period would end with them holding a 2-1 lead.

The second period would see the teams exchange chances and goals and Nationals would go onto winning the championship with a 4-2 victory adding an empty net goal in the final minute of play.

The Revolution would capture the U19 A championship with a 6-4 victory over the Oshawa Stampede.

For complete game by game results, click here

2017 CanAm U17 Junior Ball Hockey Championships

It is a game for the ages, for all ages as a matter of fact that has become a legacy onto it’s own.  It is a game that has become an institution, a way of life for thousands of players, coaches, officials, administrators and fans of an activity that is played with a ball and a stick on neighbourhood streets, schoolyard parking lots, gymnasiums and rinks from coast-to- coast throughout the country.  The game is ball hockey and it is brought to you by the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC).  

There was nineteen teams vying for the coveted Bauer Championship Cup of Ball Hockey in their respective division.

U17 Champions – Montreal Fire

The Montreal Fire are the 2017 CanAm Junior Ball Hockey Champions.  Our friends from the Belle Province traveled west to Brampton’s Century Garden’s Arena and although struggling to a 1-2-1 preliminary round.  However, don’t let the record deceive you into thinking this team wasn’t going to be a team that would contend for the championship, spectators would be heard in the lobby, “that team keeps getting better and will be difficult to beat in a one game elimination’.  

The team moved onto the semi finals to play the Blazers from Penetang who they had lost to 3-1 in the round robin.    The Blazers would jump out to a 2-0 lead early in the semi final, but penalties would prove to be the equalizer and the Fire from the Montreal Ball Hockey League would storm back and score four goals en route to a 4-3 victory.   The final would see the team face the Brampton Jr Express who defeated the Belleville Predators 1-0 in the other semi final

The Fire and Express battled to a 1-1- tie in their opening game so this would prove again to be a tight game.  In the final the Fire would storm out to a 3-1 in the first period and win the game 4-3 as time would run out on the Express.

For complete game by game results, click here

2017 CanAm Junior Ball Hockey Championships: A Celebration of Excellence in Junior Ball Hockey 

2017 CanAm U15 Junior Ball Hockey Championships

It is a game for the ages, for all ages as a matter of fact that has become a legacy onto it’s own.  It is a game that has become an institution, a way of life for thousands of players, coaches, officials, administrators and fans of an activity that is played with a ball and a stick on neighbourhood streets, schoolyard parking lots, gymnasiums and rinks from coast-to- coast throughout the country.  The game is ball hockey and it is brought to you by the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC).  

There was nineteen teams vying for the coveted Bauer Championship Cup of Ball Hockey in their respective division.

U15 Champions - Penetanguishene Blazers

The Penetang Blazers are the 2017 CanAm Junior Ball Hockey Champions.  The Blazers, whose origin as an organization dates back to the early eighties have persistently worked their way to the top of the ball hockey podium.  They have been the quintessential model for a progressive and developmental approach to constructing a competitive and successful organization/teams that compete in the Ontario Ball Hockey Association (OBHA) that continues to reap the rewards with championships.

The Blazers finished the preliminary round with a 4-0 record scoring an impressive 22 goals for and only allowing 5 against setting them up for a semi final match up versus the Great One’s (Montreal Ball Hockey League) where they would score early leading to a dominating 7-0 victory.   The other semi final would see a rematch of a round robin game in which Brampton Jr Express defeated the Oshawa Stampede 3-1, but in tightly contested game, the Stampede would pull out a 2-0 victory.

The Championship was a rematch of the 2016 Provincial semi final, but this time around the Blazers would come away with the victory 3-2 in an exciting final.

For complete game by game results, click here

The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) is pleased to announce the release of the 2017 CanAm Junior Ball Hockey Tournament schedule which means it’s time to circle your calendars for some can’t-miss matchups.

The NBHAC will provide unmatched opportunities for junior aged players 14-19.  The tournament is aligned with the Long Term Athlete Development and opportunities to showcase player skills and talents.

Age divisions will be reflective of the Long Term Player Development in 2017, further aligning the World Ball Hockey Federation (WBHF) and other international nations.  NBHAC Junior teams will include Boys U14, U16, U18 & U20 and the inaugural Girls U20 division.

“We are so excited for the juniors attending this tournament and the opportunities we present them to showcase their skills in the game of ball hockey,” said Stephen Dockerty, High performance Director for the NBHAC.  “Junior players will have no shortage of opportunity in this tournament which is the main scouting tournament for the Junior Team Canada JTC) program.”

All the action starts up in Brampton on July 28 at Century Gardens, click here for the complete schedule

The 2018 World Ball Hockey Federation Championship dates will be announced in early August as will the host city.

The neighboring cities of Lovosice and Litomerice played host to the 2017 World Ball Hockey Federation World Championship in the Czech Republic.  The two cities are nestled in a valley with beautiful mountains as far as you can see and was unquestionably one of the most picturesque host cities that Team Canada has visited. 

Complete with nightly entertainment and the hospitality was second to none, and would be a memorable experience for many reasons, not the least of which were the games!

We must first start with our appreciation of the tremendous work of Jiri Skrivanek and his staff for the superbly organized hosting at both sites and all the players, team staffs and spectators thank you.  

There were so many highlights throughout which included the enthusiastic showing of the Hungarian women, providing inspiration to aspiring female athletes in other nations with their songs and chants supporting all the teams.  

The arrival of Russia and en route to winning the Men’s B-Pool Gold medal which demonstrated their remarkable progress over the seven day period as they adapted their skills to the sport of ball hockey and we look forward to welcoming the women at the next championships.  

The overall strength of the Czech teams at every level as a corner stone nation of the sport. Capturing silver in Men, Women and Masters, the world renowned Czechs did not disappoint and are certain to challenge for the foreseeable future at WBHF championships. 

Any ball hockey recap must include the high flying United States of America and no matter what the score, they are always in the game led by the sports current greatest player, Bobby Housser who led by playing centre or defence for his team.  What a show the cardiac kids put on and they will be stronger at the next World Championships and in contention for gold.

The three finals were of outstanding caliber, drama and excitement. The Masters champion Czecho-slovakia required a late goal to avert overtime and claim Gold.  

The Canadian women fell behind early and were struggling with the Czech defence and goaltending for a long stretch of the game, however their steady persistence eventually grinded out a 4-1 win, for a third consecutive gold medal.

Men’s Team Canada had used their speed to go undefeated in the round robin portion of the tournament with wins over Slovakia, Russia and Czech Republic.

Canada’s 3-0 round robin record was of little surprise as both Slovakia and Russia were dispatched with little effort. Their most physical contest was against the home favorites, Czech Republic in front of a hostile 2500 fans.  This tough back and forth game took an early third period goal to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish towards the 5-3 victory.

The momentum and confidence they gained from this point on would carry them through the rest of the tournament, as they overpowered Hungary in the quarter finals with a barrage of goals and half way through the game began to set its sights on the winner of the Slovakia/USA winner.

The most challenging game Team Canada would play was the semi-final against the United States of America due to their style of play and if there was a team that could run with Canada, it would be the US.   The team was well aware of the vaunted offence they were facing and a good start and team defense would be crucial in this match up.   The team shocked the US with a goal in the first minute opening up a four goal lead by the twelve minute mark and 8-2 lead after two periods.   If you have ever played against a John Stamas led team, you would know this game was far from over and sure enough the US battled back to within four goals in the first six minutes of the third period.  

Having struggled with this opponent on several occasions, head coach Mauro Cugini, employed a defensive system that would engage a 5on5 system using their team speed and asked the defence to push the ball up the floor in attempts to play the game in the US zone.  The team responded using their speed and tremendous ball sense to take control of the game from the defensive side of the ball.   

The Four Horseman (defenceman) helped to orchestrate a dissection of the trap and opened up Canada’s offense to take command of the game.  The 9-5 final score was certainly not reflective of the scoring chances and goaltender, David Di Gironimo was called on to hold off the US.

The Rematch – Championship Final

Canada v Czech Republic II

The biggest fear in playing a strong European team is the notoriously strong defensive play they employ if they score first and Canada found themselves down 2-0 late in the second period.   

The story was starting to sound the same, Canada dominates throughout the tournament but cannot score in the big game. 

The 2-0 score certainly seemed like history was repeating itself. However, with the confidence the Canadians had in their stalwart goaltender Paul Zarnett, they upped the tempo in the second and third period, lead once again by The Four Horsemen who continued to push the pace.

Until the middle of the second period the Czech Republic was controlling the tempo with their suffocating trap and the brilliant netminding and this approach kept the Canadians close but trailing through the entire match until the final minute in the second period where they would score their first goal of the final on a goal mouth scramble.

All the lines that the coach had been patient with all week finally began meshing nicely together and the zone play changed and goals followed suit. Nicolas Parker would tie the game after a full minute of pressure and forechecking keeping the Czechs hemmed in their zone.

The Goal: JP Harvey and Marcel Lafortune tandem flourished all week with their 200 foot game and would be key in the game winning goal.  With under two minutes to play and score tied Dylan Churchwell took the ball up the right wing and dumped the ball in the rugged wingers corner with Lafortune covering the point.   He charged into the corner and with a defender on his hip, faked sending the ball up the boards to Lafortune and spun towards the net hitting a breaking Jesse Churchwell in the slot who put the ball in the top of the net in one motion. 

The final result… a 3-2 victory of the Czechs and a spectacle that produced standing ovations from the 4,000 strong Czech fans.

The scariest part of Team Canada’s performance at WC’17 was that this team was supposedly in a rebuilding mode after not returning many veterans from the 2015 tournament.  

The Team Canada braintrust was faced with the task of adding several new players to the team for 2017, with many of them in their early twenties. The coaching staff did a great job in having the team peak at the right time, while the support staff, Amanda and Rick Spence were instrumental in keeping the players healthy, cool, and properly hydrated.

The emergence of stronger European nations competing in the WBHF WC are part of the maturation of the association.  The WBHF’s clear path has been defined to lead the way in international competitions. In addition to this 5vs5 WC, the WBHF has also held two 3vs3 and will launch the first ever 4vs4 WC in 2019.

Canada remains the only multiple gold medal winner and looks forward to the next Championship.

Final Thoughts from Jesse Churchwell…..“From watching our women's team start the party, our staff keeping us upright to play the game, the pregame speech from our leader Mauro, the captains in game composure never wavering, believing we had what it took to make this happen, to all the unselfish plays from the boys who left it all on the floor to get the W and a little bit of "ole, ole" to get us going.” 

He continued, “I can say without a doubt that the winning goal was a culmination of everyone's hard work.”

“Last but not least, our national anthem... no words left to express that moment on the blue line hearing us, Women's Team Canada and our die hard fans singing O Canada”

Here’s to the 2017 WBHF champs!

Congratulations go out to all of the teams who participated.

#wbhf2017litomerice #BeTheStandard #WeAreTeamCanada

The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) announced today they are have entered into a partnership with Bauer, the world’s leading manufacturer of hockey equipment has been named the exclusive ball supplier to the NBHAC.

Through this agreement, Bauer will provide all members of the NBHAC the opportunity to purchase the XD Ball for league and provincial championship use.   Further, the members may purchase Bauer ball hockey equipment and sticks, gloves and helmets.  For the NBHAC, this strategic partnership provides its players with the world’s most innovative product to ensure athletes can perform at their best throughout their ball, street and ice hockey years.

Ken Cashman, “Bauer is excited to partner with the NBHAC to showcase our ball hockey products and assist them in their efforts to expand participation and exposure of the sport of ball hockey in Canada.  These organizations have a long and successful history in the sport and this agreement represents another significant step forward in Bauer’s continued commitment and growth in the ball hockey market.”    

The NBHAC enjoys a long association with the sport of ball hockey formed by a relatively small group of ball hockey enthusiasts the NBHAC.  The NBHAC is a registered non-profit organization officially recognized as the governing body of the sport and members of the World Ball hockey Federation.

“We’re excited about this new opportunity that offers growth for our company as well as the chance to showcase our innovative products in Ball and Dek hockey with the National Ball Hockey Association (NBHAC)” said Stephen Dockerty, High Performance Director.  

“This agreement is a significant step forward for our new but growing brand of the Bauer XD Hockey Ball as well as the player and goalie equipment.  The NBHAC has over 90 leagues and our program provides consistent branding to its partners and to both youth programs and the most elite level teams in the NBHAC and around the world."

A few players who are alumni of the sport of ball hockey, Taylor Hall (Kingston and Belleville Minor), Dougie Hamilton (North York Minor), Geraldine Heaney (Toronto Women’s), Angela James (Toronto Women’s), Connor McDavid (Newmarket Minor), Corey Perry (London Mens), Brad Richardson (Belleville Minor), Mark Scheifele (Kitchener-Waterloo Minor), Tyler Seguin (North York Minor), Andrew Shaw (Belleville Minor), Wayne Simmonds (Durham Mens),  Natalie Spooner (Oshawa Minor), Joe Thornton (Lambeth Mens), Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa-Carleton Mens), Jennifer Wakefield (Oshawa Minor), Tara Watchhorn (Oshawa Minor) and Steve Yzerman (Ottawa-Carleton Mens).

TORONTO – April 9 – On behalf of the National Ball Hockey Associa­tion of Canada and the High Performance Committee we are proud to announce the 2017 Men’s Team Canada roster for the World Ball Hockey Federation Championships being hosted in the Czech Republic in late June.  Canada will be attempting to reclaim gold it won in 2013 as they prepare for the competition.

Team Canada staff was very busy scouting various events at the National Canada Cup and Provincial Tournaments.  We have a few players returning from previous Men’s teams, but have added U20 players from previous years and it is these players with international experience that will be a good foundation in preparing for this high level tournament. The players were selected, not just on high calibre skills, but for their personalities and community backgrounds as well. 

The High Performance Program has been established to create continuity consisting of strong individuals across the country with involvement in the various national teams at the adult levels.

Ball Hockey is an amazing sport and these men are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to compete with the best in the world and absorb the culture of Eastern European cities.

On behalf of the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada, we would like to congratu­late the players and staff named today, along with their provincial associations, leagues, club teams, families, coaches and officials who have helped them along the way.  With that said, it is with great pride that we present you the 2017 Men’s Team Canada players & staff:

High Performance Director – Steve Dockerty; General Manager, Mauro Cugini; Head Coach, Nelson Lajeunesse; Assistant Coach, Tyler McClure; RMT, Amanda Spence;  Doctor, Andrea Jones and Trainer, Joey McMillan

Goalies:  David Di Gironimo, Paul Zarnett  

Defensemen:  Dylan Churchwell, Jaisen Gill, Jack Scanlan, PJ Moore, Jonathan O’Hara, Joey Parks, Nick Pope, Dayton Sopha  

Forwards:   Benoit Chin, Jesse Churchwell, Josh Cousineau, Kristopher Dobinson, JP Harvey, Marcel Lafortune, Keegan Leal, Anthony Loveless, Matthew Maggliozzi, Pat Millington, Mike Porter, Jacob Robitaille 

Your Passion…Your Dedication…Play Like A Champion…Play Like Team Canada…Commit To The Culture of Excellence….We Are Canada

In June of 2017, forty-four men, women and staff will depart for the Czech Republic to compete at the World Men's & Women's Ball Hockey Federation Championships.

We are hoping individuals can donate $20.00 between March 1 and April 30 towards our goal of $60,000 for both teams.  

Team Canada Ball Hockey Club travels every two years to compete at an international level in the hopes to bring back a gold medal.  We hope in 2017 to be in the running for the gold medal.  In their journey they will work with teammates, gain new friendships and a lifetime of memories as the Team Canada program has built the best possible team and now look for the support of the wonderful players, families and administrators across the country.

We would be extremely grateful if you could donate to aid us in our quest to win the World Championship. Your contributions in support of this exciting endeavor will help make this once in a lifetime opportunity for these athletes possible. 

Please take the time to donate using the link https://www.gofundme.com/iixezg 

If you wish to make a sponsorship donation to the team, please email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and address Stephen Dockerty.

Any donation helps, but more importantly we are looking for support. Donate, Follow us, Support us.

Facebook – National Ball Hockey of Canada
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#wbhf17czechrepublic #wethegame #weareCANADA

Commit To The Culture of Excellence

The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada would like to announce its roster for the World Ball Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships to be held in Litomerice, Czech Republic, in June 2017.  The players have been selected and into these players’ hands will fall the responsibility of capturing the World Championship. 

General Manager, Cindy Horton, could not have sounded happier with the composition of the club.  “This team is comprised of highly talented, dedicated and diverse players led by an experienced, passionate and motivated coaching staff”.  She continued, ‘each player has been selected for their athleticism, ball hockey skills, but most importantly for their character they display on & off the floor.  When a group of players come together, combining each of these attributes....we have the components for a championship team.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Head Coach Mario Facciuolo during the scouting sessions and camp, “players of this team were brought together because they each bring a unique set of skills and expertise to the team.  We are confident that they will indeed represent Canada well in the Czech Republic.”

Horton, “our plan is for these girls to have an experience of a lifetime and make friends with a very unique bond.  We have a coaching staff that is second to none with a strong team of support staff, ensuring that as a team we are focused on two things.  To be Living the Dream and to Bring home Gold!”

With that being said, we are pleased to announce this year’s Women’s Team Canada Family

Staff: General Manager, Cindy Horton, Head Coach, Mario Facciuolo, Assistant Coach, Terry King, Team Doctor, Andrea Jones

Goalies: Danielle Bailey and Jalene McCulloch  

Defence: Lisa Buratynski, Natasha King, Vikki Ruth, Danielle Sero, Saroya Tinker and Rachael Tricker

Forwards: Brittany Agius, Bobbi-Lee Churly, Shannon Doyle, Hokey Langan, Marissa McMullan, Melissa Miller, Corissa Parker, Brittney Sero and Deanna Stanbury

Please visit the site often as the team will be posting news, updates, player profiles and sponsors on a regular basis.

If you have any inquiries for player interviews, please contact Cindy Horton at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have any ideas or leads for sponsorship, please contact Stephen Dockerty at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GO CANADA GO!