For RINK Winnipeg's U17 Prep team, the 2024-25 will be a season of growth. As a newly expanded club team for the year, the U17 Prep squad will look to make an immediate impact within the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. And its first-year head coach is no exception.

Enter Ian Duval — a local product who grew up through Manitoba's minor hockey system, moved on to play Junior for four Western League clubs, before ultimately working his way back home and joining the University of Manitoba Bisons. It was there from 2009-14 that Duval says most of his true hockey development took place.

Roots at the RINK

Interestingly enough, the people he was surrounded with as a member of the Bisons still remain at his side now in his ninth year with the RINK.

"Back when it started, I knew a lot of people that I played with at the U of M with the Bisons, they were a part of the RINK," Duval told Game On. "Mike Hellyer from Testify, I played with him at U of M. And then Brad Purdie, who I've been coaching with the last three seasons, he was my assistant coach at the U of M as well."

"For me and my coaching career, at first it started out with skill development, which I still do in the summers," Duval added. "But that was our inaugural season for our program. I was fortunate enough to get an interview and just see if I wanted to coach. I kind of got into it and from there I just fell in love with the daily grind and the process of coaching. I still do like working with the skill development side, but just having the team aspect of it, I really enjoy it."

Duval has completed eight years with RINK, and has now officially been handed the torch as head coach for Winnipeg's U17 Prep team.

Why the Expansion Made Sense

"So, we had an opportunity as an organization to add two more teams, just because of the growing interest in the league and the program," he said. "Just like other programs in this league, we were given the opportunity to expand with two new teams, and in adding the U15 AAA and the U17 Prep, we did just that. We figured it would be a good time to add those two new teams in for 24-25 to expand and provide more players and families with opportunities for growth. This will allow more elite players to be able to play within our league in the CSSHL, have the opportunity to train at the RINK, and, of course, the biggest thing for us is seeing new players come in, buy-in and begin to develop and get better."

Prior to the 2024-25 season the RINK boasted U15 Prep, U17 and U18 teams within its male classification. Now, with the two added rosters, an additional 42 families will have the resources presented for on/off-ice training at the facilities in Winnipeg's southwest region.

Competing at the Top

"The league has kind of broken itself down into two different divisions or brackets this year," Duval said. "U17 Prep is in one bracket, and then U17 AAA is in the other. Last year with U17 there was like 33 different teams, and they were ranked in three tiers depending on their records through the season. We were in the second tier last year. But with two clubs this season, it will certainly allow us to be more competitive as a whole. Being in that top tier now, and being able to play all those top teams, it's beneficial to our players' growth and development. It opens up that availability for our U17 Prep team to play those top-end 2008 and 2009 born players across the country."

The players aren't the only ones with the added benefit either, as Duval says the two additional teams created two additional head coaching roles, which were filled from within.

"This opportunity with the expansion, I am just super grateful for," he shared. "But, in saying that, being an assistant coach, I did have a big role with Rob Smith and the U18s, and with Brad Purdie and I learned a lot at the U15 level the last three years. But it's obviously exciting to get the opportunity to be in charge at the top, if you want to call it that. I learned a lot of things from those guys, and I'm going to continue to grow and learn as a coach. Now, being in the head coaching position, I'm super grateful for it and looking forward to the challenge and opportunity this season."

Opportunity Is the Name of the Game

And as for his team? Yes, you guessed it. Opportunity is the name of the game.

"This year, it's just another opportunity to get these kids in the league, playing meaningful games and building and developing and getting better each day," Duval said. "It's still early, and there is still a lot of work to do, but the kids here have been showing some good spurts. We have a pretty big team that can play with some pace. We definitely have skill and some guys that can move pucks. It's a competitive league, but I love the way our team is built. I think we have an opportunity here to make some noise this season if we continue to have the mindset of getting better every day."