Dear teammates,

Thank you! Thank you for allowing me to function in this ministry to the world of hockey in BC. It takes all of us, which I am keenly aware of. I thank the Lord for everyone on this team.

Here are a few summer highlights…

In July, I was blessed to be able to connect with a number of players that were either at home or in the Okanagan for a summer vacation. It was great to connect with the Victoria Royals Teague Patton, whom I baptized last summer. It is so important to chat, pray and encourage young players like Teague.

I also had a wonderful visit with my good friend and ex-Trail Smoke Eater chaplain Bruce Taylor. Bruce is a real All Star and well loved; he has served with his heart and soul as a chaplain for many years. About the same time I had a chance to visit with an old hockey pal and coach,Troy Mick. Troy and I go waaaay back to my original days with the Vernon Vipers. (2000-2006) It was so good to see Troy, who is now coaching in Wenatchee, Washington.

In early August I attended our Hockey Ministries camp at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. We had a wonderful time there, and 6 young campers prayed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. That was an eternal moment!

A neat camp moment was when the Coach of the Victoria Grizzlies, Rylan Ferster came one morning as a guest coach, assisting our head coach Ben Walter. Rylan has become a good friend of mine and he ended up coming up to see me and helped out on the ice for a session.

Ben’s parents, Ryan and Jennifer Walter were also at the camp, which was a tremendous blessing. One of the days at camp, I took a bit of time to travel down to Victoria to see the chaplain of the Grizzlies, Harlan Enns. Harlan is such a great guy, and I look forward to what the Lord will do through him and the chapel program.

These months have been busy with a variety of things, including officiating weddings, which they take place in the craziest locations! I have included a picture of where one of these happened. I was literally 2 feet from a drop off down to Lake Okanagan in this shot… (I’m glad it wasn’t breezy or I might have gone over…!)

On a very difficult note, in August we had a terrible tragic death in the West Kelowna Warriors family. One of our assistant captains from a few years ago, Parm Dhaliwal passed away suddenly. Parm was the greatest guy, and honestly I still can’t believe that he is gone. Lorraine and I travelled to Delta for his funeral, where we met some Warriors players who had gathered from near and far. It was very difficult for everyone there; for Parm’s family, for the hockey community and for the young men that played on his teams. I pray for God’s peace and for hope for the Dhaliwal family and for those who were touched by Parm’s life.

I would ask you to pray for the new chaplain of the Langley Rivermen, Luke Vanderhoek. I met Luke early in the summer, where we discussed him coming on as the new Rivermen chaplain. Luke is a great young guy, and I pray for a fruitful ministry time for him in Langley.

A much happier time was when Lorraine and I had an opportunity to spend several days with our family, at a beachside house. The memories we made there will last for the rest of our lives. I have included a picture of us as the sun set over the ocean. These were unbelievably special days, and I’m thankful to the Lord for blessings like this along the way.

These are just some of the wild and wonderful things that have been going on around the HMI world in BC. Thank you for reading my ramblings today.

May the Lord bless and keep you,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

• chapel programs in the upcoming season
• meaningful chapel chats regarding real life issues
• for searching players to find Christ
• Parm Dahliwal’s family
• the new chaplain in Langley
• safe travels throughout the province
• open doors for increased chaplaincy

Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for an reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Happy summertime, HMI Pacific teammates!

While it seems as though the hockey world is quiet at this time of year, there is still much going on behind the scenes. And… Hockey Ministries is right there.

Let me fill you in on a few details about the end of the hockey season. I am thankful that I was able to continue chapels with the West Kelowna Warriors into May, as the BCHL playoffs continued. (I’m not sure how I got the chapel picture, but somebody took it at the start of chapel one day. It’s my standard practice to begin chapel with a prayer.) Also, from time to time I am asked to set up a small table or booth at a church on a Sunday morning. This picture was taken on a Missions Sunday, highlighting local mission outreaches.

In late May, I travelled to Estevan, Saskatchewan for the Centennial Cup Canadian Junior A hockey championship tournament. This year was the 11th Jr A championship tournament that I have attended. It was good to catch up with so many people in the greater hockey community.

I was able to have lunch with the Estevan Bruins chaplain Nolan Lacoste and also spend some time with the Bruins head coach Jason Tatarnic. Part of attending tournaments like this and going on the road to different games is because I believe in just showing up: the ‘ministry of presence’ where influence is gained by being seen on a regular basis.

I have a short acronym that I use fairly often in hockey ministries: JSU. (Just Show Up). It was at one of the tournament games that I ran into Kim Barnstable, a good friend from Kelowna who had also travelled to Estevan. It was great to see Kim, who was back in his old stomping grounds in southeast Sask.

I have a wonderful miracle story from my trip. On my way to Estevan, I heard a distinct rattling sound under the front end of my Honda. There are miles of lonely highway in Sask, and I was not really comfortable as to what to do. The rattling continued for a number of hours between Medicine Hat, to Swift Current and eastward. As I approached Moose Jaw, I knew that I had to do something, and I asked the Lord for His help. (That’s always a good thing to do!!) I looked for a Honda dealership but saw nothing. I decided to take a random exit and see what would show up. BAM! There it was, within 300 metres, Knight Honda in Moose Jaw! I pulled in and talked to the service manager. Obviously, I didn’t have an appointment, but that didn’t matter to him. He took my keys and pulled the car into the shop. In 25 minutes he gave me the keys and said, “it’s all fixed up, have a good trip, no charge!” I was blown away by the kindness and help that I received, and was immediately reminded that I had talked with the Lord before getting to Moose Jaw, asking for His help. Amen! Providence over coincidence….

I am thankful for opportunities to connect with people who have been in chapels in the past, or that I have worked with in some capacity. One such meeting was with former Warrior Adam Plant. Adam is a great young man, and it was wonderful to run into him in Peachland.

I also ran into former Warriors Liam Blackburn and Wyatt Head. These are very special meetings, just because I believe that the Lord is always there in the middle of our talks. I was also pleased to have a good chat with former Warrior and Penticton Vees play by play announcer Trevor Miller. (I worked with Trevor as his colour commentary sidekick on many occasions.)

As I look forward to the summer, I ask you to please pray for the hockey camp that I will be helping with at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. As well as the camp, I am scheduled to officiate at a number of weddings, (mostly hockey related) and I am grateful for your prayers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter today, and thank you for your encouraging support in so many, many ways.

Have a wonderful summer!

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

• For the Shawnigan Lake camp
• For chaplains as they take a break
• For new ministry opportunities
• For continued support
• Summer hockey weddings

Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for an reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Hello out there!!

I am glad to type this email newsletter! With Covid restrictions lifted, it is so wonderful to have full access to arenas, for not only chapels, but for games. I am very thankful that things are coming back to normal… it might be a new normal, but at least it still has a ‘normal’ feel to it. Now, let me get right to it….

Two quick stories…. in a recent chapel, I asked if anyone had ever had a big turning point in their lives… One player raised his hand and said, “Last year I got baptized, and I felt that the Lord Jesus washed all my sins away. That’s my turning point.” I nearly did a happy dance right there! How fabulous is that? Also, on a road trip to Wenatchee, Washington, I held a chapel in the hotel. One player stayed to chat, and said that he was looking for God, but didn’t know what question to ask me. I let him know that he needed to know peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5) As we talked, I asked him if he wanted to acknowledge Christ and ask Jesus to be his Saviour. He said, “Yes, that is what I need to do.” Right there, I was honoured to lead that young hockey player to a saving faith in Jesus. I was smiling and jumping for days and days,,! I still meet with this young man, to chat and pray.

Coffee times are a staple of this ministry. These are times when relationships deepen and conversations become very meaningful. Here are a few pictures of coffee times: one with hockey friends, and the other with my good HMI pal, Larry Krause. Larry met me at the pier in West Kelowna for a morning coffee. We had a fabulous time by the lake, sharing Christ and encouraging each other!

We are now into playoff time, and as of this email, the Warriors are one of four BCHL teams still playing. One of the ways I get involved in these games is to sing the National Anthem, which is a joy for me. The other way is to get up in the broadcast booth and assist with colour commentary on the game broadcast. As you can see, these are fun, fun times..! (Even the fun times are ministry times…)

Because the season has been extended through a few playoff series wins, I am pleased to hold extra team chapels. The last time I went to the rink for chapel, the schedule on the electronic sign included a spot for Warriors chapel. It was such an honour to have the chapel listed by the city staff on the arena schedule.

I was asked at the end of the regular season to present the Warriors chaplaincy program award, which I did with joy. It went to our assistant captain, Chase Dafoe.. (His dad Byron was an NHL goaltender for the Boston Bruins.)

This summer I am very busy with weddings, almost all of them hockey related weddings…. I have included a wedding picture; just one of the joys of chaplaincy in the warmer weather….

Last, I wanted to end on a very somber note: a call for prayer for Ukraine. The horrors that are occurring daily are unspeakable, and I ask for prayer for an end to this madness. I have included a picture of the Zamboni in West Kelowna, which has been flying the flag of Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.

Be encouraged, the Lord is our Rock and Strength!

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region
Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Hello there team!!

We can be encouraged to know and be confident in this: that the Lord is Faithful, in every situation. I am confident that He will bring us through, because He that is within us is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Okay everyone, here are a few ministry highlights from the past months. It was an honour to be asked to be a part of the West Kelowna Warriors 21-22 team picture, which I count as very special. I am thankful to the Lord to have been given an open door to every coach and player on the team. I pray that the seeds that are planted result in eternal fruit.

11th Annual Christmas Hamper Drive Christmas was an active time in the HMI Pacific world… Even with Covid restrictions, we were able to assemble 90 Christmas hampers for needy families in West Kelowna. It’s rewarding to lead this effort as a ministry of the team chapel program. I also took a bit of time having some Christmas fun with the Kelowna Chiefs club, and as you can see, we enjoyed ourselves! (I think it helps if chaplains are fun people!)

Chapel sessions have been very well attended, with real good discussion times around biblical topics. Most of the players join in at varying times during the chapels, contributing their ideas and thoughts. We always end with a prayer circle and our chapel motto. I have included a few pictures of chapel prayer circles, with both the Chiefs and the Warriors. My tradition is to stand at the door at the end of chapel and fist bump every player… and give them a ‘God loves you’ or a ‘God bless you’. It’s very common for them to respond as they leave, “Thank you, love you Donnie”. In fact, just recently, I had a player connect with me over a coffee, and pour out his heart about things that were going on in his life. Of course, I directed him to the Lord Jesus by praying with him.

Also, I am already filling up my summer schedule with hockey weddings… it’s become a wonderful summer tradition; with great spiritual opportunities. Speaking of weddings, just before Christmas I was asked to officiate a wedding during the first intermission at a Warriors game. It was such a blessing, that I can hardly express what it was really like. I have included a few pictures of the wedding here for you. To lead the entire arena in prayer to the Lord, in a prayer of blessing and gratitude, was completely overwhelming. May God be praised!

In late January, we held our 12th Annual Warriors Faith Night. Even with Covid restrictions, we had a fabulous night! I have attached the game introductory video that was played on the screen that night. I trust that you will be encouraged by it.

Thank you for your prayers and your tremendous support. Honestly, it is so good to be a bit more free to minister these days. While it still isn’t completely the old ‘normal’, it has improved significantly. And for that, I am thankful. So, thank you again. You are such a faithful team.

Still working hard in the corners,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Prayer Points:

-safety on road trips
-Godly influence at playoff tournaments
-distribution of players New Testaments
-for my many ‘J&J’ coffee meetings
-for the HMI 40 chaplains across BC
-for continued open doors for the Gospel

Hello to the HMI Pacific crew!

I trust that you are enjoying a good fall season. As we have recently come through Thanksgiving, let me tell you, I thank the Lord for you! You are such a faithful blessing to me personally and also to the ministry. Here are a few of the latest ‘goings on’ in the HMI Pacific world.

In early September, I had a pretty cool tour of one of the very best training facilities in the BCHL. Penticton Coach Fred Harbinson showed me around the Vees state of the art training room, video centre and dressing room. Oh man… that was something else! With me that day was the new chaplain of the Vees, Brock Greenhill. I ask you to pray for Brock and the many chaplains who have started brand new this year.

Within a week of touring the Vees facilities, training camps began in most junior leagues around the province. I had two full team introductions, with the Kelowna Chiefs and the West Kelowna Warriors. Other chaplains had their own introductions to their respective teams. And so the season began, with a certain strangeness, as only a limited number of fans were allowed back in arenas. (Wow, real live fans in the arena! What a wonderful atmosphere!) It had been way too long since there was cheering, passion and energy in the rink!

On opening night in Kelowna, the team management decided to honour West Kelowna Fire Rescue for their great work during the recent Mt Law and White Rock Lake forest fires. Yours truly, as chaplain of the Fire Department, sang the Anthem that night. What a wonderful night that was, being back at the rink and doing double chaplain duty!

I had the opportunity to be in Medicine Hat quite recently, where I was pleased to have coffee with young Medicine Hat Tigers forward Teague Patton. In my last newsletter, I believe that I mentioned that I had baptized Teague this past summer. I was able to attend a Tigers game and ended up having coffee with Tigers Head Coach Willie Desjardins, who was the Vancouver Canucks Head Coach from 2014 – 17. It is always an honour to chat and pray with people in the hockey world!

Back at home, what a joy it was to connect with Lee Young, the new chaplain of the Summerland Steam junior club. Lee is the pastor of Summerland Baptist Church. He will do an excellent job serving the hockey club in Summerland. Also, recently I travelled to Revelstoke to meet with the new chaplain of the Revelstoke Grizzlies junior club. Bob Loeppky has been involved with the team for years, and has felt led to serve as their chaplain. I believe that he is the right man for the chaplain’s role there. Please be praying for Lee and Bob as they shine for Jesus in the arena.

Let me tell you a little bit about chaplain Bruce Taylor, of the Trail Smoke Eaters. Bruce has been one of the very finest chaplains that I’ve known in Hockey Ministries. As far as chaplains go, Bruce is a perennial All Star. I was sad when he let me know that he was stepping down from chaplaincy, but in true Bruce Taylor fashion, he mentored a young man to take his place. Josiah Blencowe will be assuming the role of chaplain with the ‘Smokies’, and I want to extend a very warm welcome to him. I have included a picture of Bruce leading the Smoke Eaters in a pre-game prayer, which is an amazing testament to the kind of influence Bruce has and the love that the club has for him. God richly bless you Bruce. You have been and continue to be a blessing to me personally and to all those who know you.

Last, I will include a picture of Lorraine and I. She is the love of my life and I appreciate her more than words can describe. Lorraine is a big thinker with an incredibly sharp mind; she is a tremendous encouragement to me in ministry,

Thank you for taking the time to read about some of what is happening in Hockey Ministries around BC.

Keep your eyes on the goal,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Dear HMI Pacific Partners,

It has been a while since I emailed… just before Christmas to be exact. These days have been certainly difficult for everyone, but we will not give up. Right off the bat, I want to express my gratitude to you for your support of the ministry; for hanging in there with me. During these times, I have had a number of donors drop off, (I really do understand) but I ask for your prayers in the area of financial support. Your help is beyond value, and only the Lord knows the eternal results of an ongoing chaplaincy ministry to the hockey culture.

I won’t spend time here on the pandemic, but rather I’ll let you know what has been happening in the ministry in the last few months. Just before Christmas we had our 10th annual ‘socially distanced’ Warriors Christmas Hamper Drive, organized by the chaplaincy program. We found the community need to be greater than in other years, and with the help of a few sponsors, (like Tim Horton’s in West Kelowna) we were able to fill 120 hampers for needy local families! Thank you to Lord for that!

In BC, Junior hockey clubs are allowed to practise daily, but not to play games right now. The stands in the rinks around the province are empty; I call them Covid arenas. This is very hard on the economics of the teams. I am praying that they will be able to survive, because real lives and real ministry is involved here. (I thought I would include a picture of the team on the bench in West K, all with their masks on.) I was honoured when the team gave me my own personalized Warriors facemask with a cross on it. That meant a lot to me, as their chaplain. I really feel badly for (and pray for) all the 20 year old players in their final year of junior hockey. They haven’t been able to showcase their talent to scouts or to universities and colleges for scholarships, which is so important to the entire junior hockey system.

I have been able to have some hockey Zoom calls in the past while. Recently, it was great to have a group of Kelowna Chiefs meet with me for a chapel. The only thing we didn’t have was pizza and orange pop! We were able to pray together and discuss spiritual things. On that same theme, I was also able to Zoom with some of my Hockey Ministries council. It is so good to connect with these men; men who love the Lord and who have grown up in the hockey culture. I value these strong young councillors; Kolby Barnstable, Jayson Zilke and Brent Beselt.

I am including a Facebook link to an interview that the West Kelowna Warriors broadcaster Chase Johnston did just a few weeks ago. He has a weekly Facebook segment called Warriors Wednesday, which features interviews with players from as far back as the inaugural season in 2006 right up to the present. In this particular segment, he was interviewing Lucas Bahn, a great young man (and a good defenceman) from Hendersonville, Tennessee. About halfway through the interview, the topic turns to faith, and Lucas briefly speaks of the influence of Warriors chapels on his life. I was very honoured to hear him say that; I had absolutely no idea that he would. I thought you might like to hear the interview from that day, although you’ll have to wait through the hockey talk until the faith part comes up.

Finally, I ask you to pray for our summer HMI camps here in BC. We will run camps in Williams Lake in July and Shawnigan Lake in August. Young players are already registering for these camps, so let’s be praying for the wonderful spiritual influence that these camps have on young lives.

God bless you as together we continue to look to the Lord for His leading.
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region