Local youth wins first-ever 'Beauty Award'
By Castlegar Source
The Castlegar Gentleman’s Hockey League is proud to announce Kadrian Klimchuck as the inaugural winner of the CGHL Beauty Award.
The award is given to a SHSS Graduate that has played their final season of Castlegar Minor Hockey, has at least a C+/ B average, plans to attend Selkirk College in the fall and submits a short essay describing why they are a true beauty.
The winner receives a $250 cheque and a free year in the CGHL. Total Value: $600 and a lifetime of lessons.
“Kadrian is a true beauty by every definition of the word,” said CGHL League President Bergen Price. “He is a straight-A student with advanced conditional acceptance into the Rural Pre-Medicine program at Selkirk College. He was a stand-out hockey talent in B.C. and came back to his hockey roots for his last season of minor hockey.”
Bergen said that, for years, Kadrian has been at the top of his class, not only in school, but on the ice.
“I remember coaching against Kadrian when he was 11 and thinking that he could be playing in our Gentleman’s League then. Not too many hockey players can go end-to-end and then go back hand bar down from the slot,” he said, baffling non-hockey fans everywhere. “As years went on, Kadrian moved up the hockey ranks as a high-end scorer while playing a hard brand of hockey. Being a top scorer already brings physical attention, but combining that with a physical brand of hockey has its toll. As Kadrian wrote, ‘Too many concussions for this beauty; it was time to stop contact hockey’. When Kadrian was forced to hang his skates up, he was a top prospect for the Beaver Valley Night Hawks and was an integral part of their playoff run.”
Bergen said the reason Kadrian truly won the beauty award is because he came back and rekindled his love for hockey, explaining that kids at top levels are usually pushed over and above normal players because they actually have a future in hockey.
“As a result, sometimes hockey can become more of a job than a sport.”
With a part time job and a tremendous focus on earning good grades, Kadrian made the “Beauty” call of joining his buddies in Castlegar Minor Hockey.
At the end of his season in Junior, Kadrian was set on giving up the game, but after the season of fun hockey, he has a renewed love for the game.
“I am looking forward to men’s recreational hockey in Castlegar in the fall; no pressure, lots of laughs and with a great group of guys,” he said.
Bergen said the league has no reservations about their winning choice.
“Kadrian is a Beauty in every sense of the word. He has goals, aspirations and shows that he isn’t just a great hockey player, but can adapt to his surroundings and have the intelligence and drive to succeed on many levels. We wish Kadrian all the best in his journey to become a Cardiologist. As a beauty, you know that it’s not a question of if, but rather when.
“Congrats Kadrian Klimchuck, inaugural “Beauty Award” Recipient.”
