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SportsRecreationHockey27TuesdayJune32014VisitDiggerzPowersportsonlineatwww.diggerz.ca2AspenRoadHayRiverNTX0E0R6867874-3224FINDYOURsTODAYATHUGEinventoryblow-outAllnon-currentATVssidexsidesonsalewithsavingsupto3000offBRANDNEWATVsaslowas6499www.polaris.comBRANDnewSIDExSIDESaslowas9999ByMARIACHURCHWhenGregHopffoundouthewouldbeco-coachingthenextseasonofthereal-ityTVshowHitTheIcehewasliterallyjumpingupanddownwithexcitement.Itsahugethrillanditsahugehonour.Imsoec-statichesharedwithTheJournallastThursdayjustdaysafterhearingthenews.HopfamemberoftheYellowknivesDeneFirstNationandexecutivedi-rectoroftheAboriginalSportsCircleoftheNWTsaidheisrstandforemostahockeydad.ForsixyearsHopfhasbeencoachinghissonsanddaughtershockeyteamsaswellasterritorialteamsthatattendtheannualNationalAboriginalHockeyCham-pionshipstournament.OvertheyearsHopfscoachingstyledrewatten-tionfromex-NHLerJohnChabotwhohappenstobetheheadcoachfortheAb-originalPeoplesTelevisionNetworksAPTNpopularrealityshowHitTheIce.CurrentlyinitssecondseasontheTVshowfol-lowsAboriginalhockeyhopefulsastheytakeonanNHL-styletrainingcamp.Hockeydadtoco-coachrealityshowHitTheIceGregHopfpromisestobringaNorthernairtotheshowThegoaloftheshowistogroomtheplayersforanalexhibitiongameinfrontofscoutsfromhockeyleaguesandpost-secondaryinstitu-tionsacrossCanada.JohnsnostrangertotheNorthhesbeenuphereafewtimes.HesawmelastyearhesawhowIwaswiththekidsmycoachingandmystyleandhesaidIre-allylikewhatyoudowiththeprogramandIreallylikeyourcoachingstyleIreallywantyoutoapplyfornextseasonscoachingHopfsaid.Notexpectingtobesuc-cessfulbutafanoftheshowHopfappliedinFebruaryandfoundoutlastweekhewasselectedamongapplicantsfromacrossthecountry.HeandoneotherselectedcoachwillbeChabotsassistantsforseasonthreeoftheshowwhichbeginslminginMontrealattheendofJuly.FortheNWTcoachbeinglmedduringicetimewontlikelyaffecthiscoachingbutbeingoncameraoutsideofthearenawillbeanadjust-menthesaid.HopfsaidhesproudtobeapartoftheAPTNshowwhichisgivingyoungAboriginalathletesespeciallythoseintheNorthaghtingchanceintheworldofprofessionalhockey.InseasontwoofHitTheIcetwoofthehockeyplay-ersontherosterJadenBeckandCarterHillarefromtheNorthwestTerritories.IreallythinkourNorth-ernkidscanbenetthemostfromthisshow.IfyoureahockeyplayerintheNorthandyouwanttogettothenextlevelandplayjuniororplaysemi-proyouhavetoleavetheNorthat1314or15yearsoldtogetontheseeliteteamshesaid.Whentheydogetontheseteamstheyhavetoworktwiceashardbecausetheyaretakingspotsawayfromthoseath-letesfromthecommunity.HopfwillbringNorthernstyleAstherstcoachfromtheNorthontheshowHopfsaidhesnotgoingtoshyawayfromsharinghisuniqueNorthernstyleonandofftheice.ImgoingtobringalotofthingsfromtheNorthdowntotheshowmyideasmysystemsmyculturesmytraditionsandmyphiloso-phiesbecausethatswhatIhavetooffer.IreallybelievethatiswhyhepickedmeHopfsaid.TowatchseasononeandseasontwoofHitTheIcewhichiswrappingupitsnalepisodesnowgoon-linetohttpwww.hittheice.tvindex.phportohttpaptn.cahittheiceImgoingtobringalotofthingsfromtheNorthdowntotheshowmyideasmysystemsmyculturesmytraditionsandmyphilosophiesbecausethatswhatIhavetooffer.Ireallybelievethatiswhyhepickedme.GregHopfPhotocourtesyofGregHopfGregHopfrightcoachestheAAANWTNorthStarshockeyteaminKelownain2003.Hopfhasbeenselectedtoco-coachonseason3ofAPTNsHitTheIce.