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10 // JUNE/JULY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM ADULT k THE HAYNES HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS are three weeks of fun and competition that ever y adult player associated with the Bozeman Amateur Hockey Association looks for ward to ever y year. Like so many things that have been put on hold this year, determining the winner of the five adult leagues took on a different twist. With the help of NHL players Sam Lafferty and Riley Stillman, this year's champions were literally pulled from a hat during a celebration that took place on a Zoom conference call. "What everybody looks forward to is the three weeks of playoffs. It's just super fun. The rink is energized, and the players stick around and watch everybody else play," said BAHA hockey director Dave Weaver. "One of the reasons why we wanted to do this event was to maybe put a smile on everybody's face and have some laughs with everybody together." While most of the youth leagues had wrapped up by the time Haynes Pavilion was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the adult leagues made up of about 44 teams and 800 players were still six weeks away from the conclusion of the season. Weaver and others at BAHA brainstormed the best way to finish the season, and the idea for virtual playoffs was born. "That was the best formula we could come up with," Weaver told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Teams were ranked according to their regular- season record and earned a corresponding number of tickets, which improved the better teams' chances of winning. Then Weaver was joined by Stillman, who plays for the Florida Panthers, and Lafferty of the Pittsburgh Penguins to randomly draw names of teams from a virtual hat to determine the champs. Prizes were also awarded for things like being the first team knocked out of the playoffs, being voted the most respected team and having the best Zoom background. "We just thought it would be a fun way to conclude the season and get all the adults together if they wanted to participate," Weaver said. "I think it's important to have a little closure." Bozeman Adults Get Virtual Lift From NHL Players Bozeman, adults can't wait for the puck to drop next season. s life slowly returns to a new normal during the COVID -19 pandemic, hockey players around the country have stepped up to help young athletes get through these uncertain times. From virtual roundtables to online skills sessions, USA Hockey players and alumni have done their part to engage kids while they're stuck at home. Natick, Mass., native and two-time Olympic silver medalist Molly Schaus is the latest ath- lete to give back during the quarantine. Schaus joined the Doc Wayne Youth Services' "Kids and COVID -19" webinar series to discuss youth sports, manag- ing stress and more. Doc Wayne Youth Services' mission is to fuse sport and thera- py to heal and strengthen at-risk youth. The former goaltender for Team USA, who now works for the Anaheim Ducks, used her experience to give kids advice about how to cope through stay-at-home orders and prepare to get back on the ice. "The most important thing you can do, when all this is over and the return to play starts to happen, is that you're mentally and physically refreshed," said Schaus, who is the Ducks' fan development marketing manager. "Take a break, [and] don't be so hard on yourself. Doing something is always better than doing nothing." Schaus also shared the advice she received from one of her national team strength and conditioning coaches: make the world your gym. She encouraged young athletes to incorporate small changes into their lifestyle that could have a big effect while the hockey world is on hold, like taking the stairs, park- ing farther away and getting creative with what you have in your house. More than anything, Schaus touched on how kids mental health can be affected during these times, and how they can navi- gate those challenges. "Realize that it's OK not to be OK and it's OK to talk about it. It's more than OK; that's what's going to get us through all of this," Schaus said. "Everybody has their story. Everybody—even athletes —is strug- gling with something, and that is OK. "Every day, find something that makes you laugh, makes you smile, no matter what it is. In a time like this when everybody's been a little down, it's so important. And if you can't find it, create it for somebody else." O F F T HE D R AW O F F T HE D R AW SAVE OF THE DAY By Alyssa Hertel WOMEN Olympic Medalist Molly Schaus Helping Kids Cope During Down Times A