By Jim Lockwood
Staff Writer

The Monarchs’ camp included, from left, Chad L’Heureux, Alec Russell, Doug Nolan, Doug Steere and Goffstown’s Chase Gagne. (Jim Lockwood Photo)

HOOKSETT – The goal for the 63 young athletes who attended the Manchester Monarchs’ hockey school was simple: Skate away from camp with sharper individual skills and increased confidence.

Judging by the responses of several local attendees, the mission of the Monarchs’ camp was met.

The week-long camp was run by players Mathieu Chouinard, Jeff Giuliano, Doug Nolan and George Parros; the team’s director of hockey operations, Hubie McDonough; and trainer Chris Kingsley.

And whether the 60-plus participants received on- or off-ice instruction at Tri-town Ice Arena from Monday, Aug. 15, to Friday, Aug. 19, several said they loved working with professionals and receiving exposure to drills normally absent from regular youth practices.

“At other camps the coaches aren’t that nice,” said Bow 13-year-old Alec Russell. “Usually it’s just skating and doing drills. Here they set apart some time to have some fun.”

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, campers spent time on the ice doing drills and competing in scrimmages.

Russell, who plays for the Concord Capitols, took advantage of shooting drills to improve his game.

Along with learning the art of shooting, these young students engaged in exercises designed to sharpen stick handling and skating skills, plus increase agility.

The remainder of time was spent eating lunch and playing games that appeared to have no relation to hockey, like dodgeball and kickball.

Goffstown’s Chase Gagne, 10, said the games helped him build muscles and improve his speed.

Gagne, a hockey player since he was 6, learned how to make better stops on the ice and turns from his backhand side.

“Normally I could do tight turns facing right,” he said. “Now I can do them well facing left and a lot better facing right.”

Hooksett’s Chad L’Heureux, 8, who’s attended almost every Monarchs game since the club’s inaugural season in 2001, said playing kickball improved his eye-foot coordination.

Amidst the action on the ice, players sometimes temporarily lose control of the puck with the stick. Kickball, L’Heureux said, allowed him to keep the puck nearby until he could reach it with his stick.

L’Heureux said he also learned the valuable hockey skill of skating backwards.

Bedford 14-year-old Doug Steere plays for the New Hampshire Flames. He described himself as a speedy and agile player who can skate around his opponents.

Steere added he prides himself on being a player who can move around and make quality passes. However, he labeled his skating technique as a concern.

The Monarchs taught him to increase his stride, which generated more power from each kick.

The results helped Steere cover more ground even quicker.

And when they weren’t on the ice, the athletes spent plenty of time on the lawns surrounding the arena.

Their off-ice time included agility drills, jumping over small hurdles and doing some stretching exercises.

Whether indoors or outdoors, these locals said they had a blast. And all agreed on the biggest reason the school was so successful.

“The coaches made it a lot of fun,” Steere said. “It gets you going for the year. No one would ever leave the camp. You come here for the week and it makes you want to stay for another.”