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Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
A recognition of hometown support
Two Queenstowners and a beloved local sports team were honoured in Wānaka last week. At the annual Central Otago Sports Awards, presented at the Lake Wānaka Centre, Queenstowner Nils Coberger was named coach of the year, resort ice hockey ref Adam Nagy was awarded official of the year, and the SkyCity Stampede ice hockey team was named team of the year. Coberger — who coaches Queenstown alpine ski racer Alice Robinson — was up against fellow Queenstowners Cam Frear (SkyCity Stampede coach) and Sean Thompson (snowboarding), along with Michael Beable (athletics), Dan Bogue (para skiing), Murray Buchan (skiing) and Alex Dickson (rugby), all of Wānaka, and national freeski coach Hamish McDougall (Scotland/Lake Hawea). Of the recognition, Coberger says it's "just a reflection of a team performance" by his fellow coach Tim Cafe, physio Alex Hull and serviceman Michi Haas, of Austria, who have "focused to give Alice everything she needs to perform at the highest level". "It was amazing to be included in the coaches award selection with coaches of world champions, world cup winners, [Crystal] Globe winners and an X Games medallist. "Team Alice is the reason I won this award, so the credit needs to go to Tim, Alex, Michi and our star, Alice." After undoubtedly one of Robinson's strongest European winters to date, Coberger says the highlight for him was seeing her win New Zealand's first silver medal at the alpine ski racing world champs in Saalbach, Austria, in February, followed by a string of results in her last 15 giant slalom races, in which she had just three DNFs and 12 podiums in a row. Looking ahead to this season, 'Team Alice's' focus is on the Winter Olympics, being held in Cortina, Italy, next February. Nagy, meantime, formerly the Stampede's biggest supporter, made his New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) debut as a linesman two years ago, having reffed social league ice hockey for about six years before that, and is often head ref for NZ Women's Ice Hockey League matches. Taking the official of the year title from Craig Anderson (rugby) and Flick Wallace (snowsports), Nagy tells Mountain Scene it feels "surreal, amazing [and] unexpected" to have been recognised. "I don't think it [the recognition] was for NZIHL, I think it's more for Queenstown Ice Hockey Club and referees in general, just working with the kids, doing the referee stuff that needs to be done ... I don't think Queenstown's ever had a proper official that's taken it so seriously. "I just want to thank the people who have helped me along the way — the referees who have spent the time training me ... the people who have supported me and listened to me on the ice, and the referees who told me, 'If the referee's so bad, why don't you do something about it and become a referee?' "So I did." Stampede coach Cam Frear says the team's "incredibly proud" to have been named team of the year. The nine-time NZIHL champions, who last year stamped their name on the Birgel Cup for the fourth consecutive time, beat the Upper Clutha Rams Central Otago Premier rugby team, the Wānaka Football Club and the Wakatipu under-17 boys double scull, U18 boys double skull and U18 coxed quad in their category. "This recognition is a reflection of the hard work, passion and dedication from every player, coach, staff member and our loyal SkyCity Stampede supporters," Frear says. "It's a privilege to represent Queenstown and Central Otago — thank you to everyone who's supported us on and off the ice."
Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Look who's Jett-ed back
Canadian Jett McCullum in action for the SkyCity Stampede last weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED It's been a whirlwind week or so for Canadian Jett McCullum. The 20-year-old ice hockey player was, till about 12 days ago, ensconced at home, planning to spend his summer training before starting at Alberta's Portage College in September, where he's received a full scholarship. He joined the SkyCity Stampede as an import for the 2024 season, but hopped on a flight almost as soon as the team lifted the Birgel Cup last year, bound for California, in the US. There, he played a full season for the Ventura Vikings in the USPHL — "the biggest junior hockey league in the world". When that team failed to make the play-offs, McCullum was traded to the Vernal Oilers, in Utah, where he finished the season and helped win the national champs, before heading back to Canada. But not long after the final whistle blew on the IIHF Division 2, Group B world champs in Dunedin on May 3, Stampede coach Cam Frear flicked McCullum a text, asking if he'd be keen to come back, and how soon he might be able to get here. His flights were booked last Monday, he flew out on Wednesday (New Zealand time), surprised the team at training on Thursday, and was on the ice last Friday and Saturday against the West Auckland Admirals. "It wasn't easy," he says. "I haven't skated for the past month-and-a-half in Canada, so I was surprised with how well I played, even though I didn't play my best." While the Stampede enjoyed a hard-fought 3-2 win on Friday night, fortunes reversed on Saturday, with a 2-3 loss. Overall though, McCullum says it was a "pretty good first weekend" for him, and he's stoked to be back with the Stampede, whom he describes as "a special group". "It's probably the closest team I've ever been with ... we had the most fun we've ever had playing hockey [last year]. "The culture's quite amazing, the coaching's good and everyone really took me under their wing ... I'm happy to be back here with the guys this season." He's also excited to be back in Queenstown, which "might be my favourite city in the world right now". Frear says the timing's worked out perfectly to secure the defenceman, who'll be with the team till after finals. "It's pretty cool [to have him back]. "He was obviously awesome for us on the ice, but just one of those personalities that all the boys love being around." This weekend the Stampede travel to Dunedin for the southern derby against Phoenix Thunder, whom McCullum suggests "might be the team to beat" this year. "But we're up for it — we're Stampede. "It'll be a fun weekend."
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Stampede ready to charge
PHOTO: ODT FILES From friends to foes in less than a week. For the past couple of weeks, nine SkyCity Stampede ice hockey players were team-mates with four West Auckland Admirals players, representing the New Zealand Ice Blacks — under the guidance of Stampede coach Cam Frear — in the IIHF Division 2, Group B world champs in Dunedin. Come tomorrow night in Queenstown, they'll be arch rivals again, with Frear back on the yellow and blue bench in a rematch of last year's NZ Ice Hockey League final series, which Stampede won. While the Admirals have been able to train throughout the world champs, Stampede took a little break due to the number of players and support staff in Dunedin. That said, "I think we're pretty confident any time we play at home [and] the goal is always to win two games". Frear's looking forward to an almost full-strength team coming in to this weekend — Connor Harrison's still out following an injury during the Trans-Tasman Challenge in March, but will hopefully be back in the next month, "which will be huge for us going in to the crunch part of the season". As to progress on imports this season, Frear's coy. "You'll have to wait and see ... there might be some surprises this weekend."
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Bronze medal ‘bittersweet'
SkyCity Stampede's Colin McIntosh was named player of the tourney for the NZ Ice Blacks following last week's world champs in Dunedin. PHOTO: SUPPLIED While Ice Blacks head coach Queenstowner Cam Frear is stoked his charges secured the bronze medal at last week's IIHF Division 2 Group B champs in Dunedin, he admits it's "a bit bittersweet". "I think all of us went there with the goal of gaining promotion and getting gold, but Georgia and Iceland were both very good teams and they definitely deserved to come away with gold and silver, respectively. "[But] any time you go to worlds and you're able to get a medal, you've got to be pretty happy." The Ice Blacks boasted nine SkyCity Stampede players, including forward Colin McIntosh who was named Ice Blacks' player of the tourney. Across the five games, he scored three goals and assisted in five — overall, he was 12th-equal in goal-scoring leaders, ninth-equal in assists and second in face-off leaders — Stampede's Dylan Devlin was 14th. Frear: "He [McIntosh] was so good for us, in every single game he stepped up and kind of led us, offensively. "He deserved New Zealand player of the tournament." Other Stampede standouts included Lachlan Frear (one goal, one assist), Stefan Amston (one goal, assisted by Jordan Challis), and debutant Axel Ruski-Jones (one assist). As to the atmosphere in Dunedin, Frear says it was "awesome". "Over 1000 people [came for] the last two games that we had, and having big crowds for all of the games isn't something that's normal any other time you go to world champs, anywhere else in the world. "For it to be family and friends and workmates ... was pretty special for the coaches and the players as well."
