Keynote speaker Kevin Chief, Principal of Chief Partnerships Manitoba Incorporated, Community Ambassador for the Southern Chiefs' Organization, and Senior Advisor at True North Sports and Entertainment
The Hockey Conference is only two months away
UM faculty, students collaborate with experts and athletes to organize major annual gathering
Over the last year, University of Manitoba faculty and students from Law, Education, and Kinesiology & Recreation Management have worked with scholars, industry professionals, and athletes from across Canada to organize the twelfth biennial Hockey Conference. The conference will take place at The Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, from June 17-19th, 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is, In the Echoes of Reckonings. In support of this theme, the conference includes multiple keynotes, lunch and learns, as well as plenary and concurrent sessions. Following tradition, the conference will end with a game of hockey.
Keynote Kevin Chief with Niigaan Sinclair
Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, Professor, Department of Indigenous Studies, University of Manitoba
The conference will feature an opening keynote from Kevin Chief, Sharing Stories of Resiliency and Reconciliation. Kevin has continuously championed initiatives for reconciliation and positive change. He currently serves as Principal of Chief Partnerships Manitoba Incorporated, Community Ambassador for the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, and Senior Advisor at True North Sports and Entertainment. Kevin’s keynote will be facilitated by award-winning writer, editor and professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Niigaan Sinclair.
Groundbreaking Research: Neuroscientist Ann McKee
Dr. Ann McKee, acclaimed neuroscientist.
Acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Ann McKee will present a keynote address on her groundbreaking research on concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. McKee, a leading researcher at Boston University, has played a significant role in studying and diagnosing CTE in former National Hockey League (NHL) players. She has used this research to raise urgent questions about player safety, brain health, and the future of contact sports.
Bestselling Author Rick Westhead & Researcher Kristi Allain
Rick Westhead, TSN Senior Correspondent, Award-winning journalist, bestselling author.
Cover of Rick Westhead’s book We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada’s Troubled Hockey Culture.
On Day 2 of the conference, award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Rick Westhead, will deliver a keynote that tackles the sport’s culture of silence and abuse, drawing from his book We Breed Lions. Westhead’s work has ignited national discussions about accountability, justice, and the need for change within the game.
Dr. Kristi Allain, Associate Professor of Sociology, Canada Research Chair in Physical Culture and Social Life at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB
Expert in sport, identity, and culture, Dr. Kristi Allain will offer a keynote on her upcoming book The Don Cherry Divide: White Working-Class Masculinity and Canadian Identity. At a time when populist movements and cultural divides are shaping politics both in Canada and beyond, Dr. Allain’s talk will critically examine how Cherry’s brand of hockey masculinity and working-class pride connects to broader social and political movements.
Hockey Star Alyssa White
Alyssa White, para ice hockey star, Team Canada.
The conference also includes a lunch and learn with para ice hockey star, Alyssa White, who will share her journey of breaking barriers for women and advocating for Paralympic recognition. Alyssa, a Team Canada forward, will share her inspiring journey in her presentation, Skating to Inclusion.
The conference also includes two plenaries and six concurrent sessions that feature a number of familiar names from the hockey community and hockey research. The presentations and panels during these sessions feature various themes surrounding representation in the game, health and wellness, and social change and activism, among others.
Registration for the conference is open until May 15, 2025.
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