What do St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott, Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider and Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews have in common with John Hopson?
If you said they play hockey, you'd be right. The big difference, career-wise, is Hopson didn't follow the other three to NHL fame and fortune.
Back in the spring of 2006, all four were picked as NCAA regional MVPs for their respective college teams, all of which advanced to the Frozen Four playoffs. Elliott played for Wisconsin (Midwest champions), Toews was with North Dakota (West champs), Schneider was with Boston College (Northeast winners) and Hopson was the East MVP, playing for the Maine Black Bears.
Hopson, an undrafted right winger, returned to Prince George, where he's latched on to a new job as executive director of PacificSport Northern B.C. The 32-year-old former Spruce King still plays in the Prince George Rec Hockey League but he has to pay to play, and he's OK with that. He's excited about what's ahead of him in his working career as he oversees development of the region's top young amateur athletes.
During his college hockey days, Hopson was tossed into pressure-packed situations playing games in front of 18,000 witnesses and he knows there will be days when he's on the hot seat in his office at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre. Having risen to the top of his class in minor hockey, advancing through the junior A and college ranks, he knows what it takes to excel as an athlete living in relative isolation, away from the province's major population areas and plans to share that knowledge, helping young teenagers achieve their own dreams as athletes.
"I think my experiences going through the hockey system and eventually getting a scholarship gives me a unique insight into what our athletes are going through," Hopson said. "I understand the hurdles they have to overcome. I thought I was on the road a lot, but listening to some of our athletes and the amount of travel they have to do, some of them are gone for months and months. It's incredible what their dedication and commitment to their sport is, while maintaining their academics."
Hopson attended the University of Alaska Anchorage on scholarship and transferred to Maine so he could play one season with his younger brother Keenan. That year, the Black Bears got to within a game of playing for the national championship. John graduated from Maine in 2007 with a business degree and worked several years as a self-employed fee appraiser before joining B.C. Assessment. Dealing with the public and property assessments, his job gave him experience in conflict resolution and meeting time deadlines, which he plans to put to good use managing PacificSport Northern B.C.
Hopson took over the job seven weeks ago from his father Brett, who accepted the position on a temporary basis to fill in when former general manager Kristen Harrott moved to Ontario a few months ago.
"We went through a normal recruitment process and had 25 applicants from across the country and at the end of the day, John came out on top," said PacificSport Northern B.C. president Anne Pousette.
"We're really excited to have someone from northern B.C. who knows Prince George and understands what it's like to be an athlete from the North. He's passionate about growing the development level and also encouraging participation in physical activity and healthy lifestyles."
In February, PacificSport received a provincial grant through the Northern Sport Strategy which will provide funding for the next 18 months to teach physical literacy to coaches and sports administrators living in smaller towns in the region. The program will also pay for sports equipment and fund several sport-specific training camps for young athletes involved in winter sports who will be age-eligible for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
"Our high-performance athletes really need that push because if we don't push that, nobody else will, but we also have our participation piece that's equally as important," said Hopson. "If our young kids don't get into sport early on in life they won't have that ability to be a high-performance athlete later."
Hopson predicts the 2015 Games will leave a legacy of infrastructure, expertise and public pride in athlete development that will significantly improve the local sports scene.
"There are some facilities being developed for our athletes that weren't there and I also believe it's bringing the focus to the North so we can showcase our athletes," said Hopson.
"I believe the Winter Games will allow us to slingshot into the future and we can establish our programs and really solidify them so we can carry them forward. Fifty years down the road, we want to have a healthy community and the Winter Games will help us deliver that."
