A veteran volunteer with Minor Hockey Associations in Thunder Bay, Albina Dagenais has spent more than three decades in rinks around Thunder Bay, working with timekeepers young and old
Albina Dagenais has not been a timekeeper and assignor for all of her 31
years as a volunteer with Thunder Bay Minor.
She’s a past president of the North End Flames Hockey Association, coached,
trained and managed the U15 and U18 Flames in prior years, and also
volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club.
She has, however, put her stamp on the position.
“I love timekeeping, I love doing it, but I think my most enjoyable job was
running tournaments.” Dagenais says. “I did Thunder Bay [Minor Hockey
Association] tournaments for years, and at North End we covered Port Arthur
Arena. I loved just being at the rink and being part of the whole
atmosphere.
“I’m a go-getter. You just put time aside to do the things you love to do.
I wanted my son (then nine, now 40) to have experiences, so my time was put
on the back burner. I wanted to make his experience great and anybody else
around. I just made the time.”
Sad to see the hockey season go, happy to have it back again in the fall,
laughter and sage advice are two hallmarks that shine through for Dagenais.
“Over the years I see kids who either did timekeeping for me or who I saw
in the penalty box who are older now,” she says. “They come up and they
give you a hug and say, ‘Nice to see you. Thanks for everything you did.’
It’s those kind of occasions that make you feel really good about what
you’re doing for hockey.”
Dagenais also volunteers at the breakfast club at St. Anne’s Elementary
School.
“I’ve had kids during hockey season come and give me a gift just to thank
me for how I treated them in the penalty box. Or how I treat them in the
rink.”
For most hockey parents, timekeeping is a task to be avoided – too much
going on to keep track. Dagenais uses a book of her own creation to…