Hockey homecoming; Former NHLer Yvon Corriveau returns home to Welland as coach of U.S. team
Hockey has taken Yvon Corriveau to many countries, cities and towns. He's played in Niagara, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Hartford, Conn., San Jose and Berlin, among others.
This weekend, Corriveau is back home. The Wellander and former NHLer is now head coach of the Connecticut Clippers, an atom team which is competing in the Little NHL Tournament. His son Taggart plays on the squad.
The Clippers, a team comprised of youngsters between the ages of eight and 11, won their first game of the three-day tournment yesterday morning by defeating the Windsor Jr. Spitfires 6-2 at Welland Arena.
Corriveau usually comes back to his hometown every summer, but this trip is extra special since the team he coaches is playing in the biggest hockey tournament in the city. It's always a joy to return to Welland and the arena on King Street where it all began, he said. "It brings back a lot of memories," Corriveau said. "Everything seems a little smaller now, the rink looks a little bit smaller."
The decision to participate in the tournment wasn't made by the coach. He said the players and their parents wanted the challenge of competing in the Little NHL.
"It's nice to come back. It's nice that the parents wanted to come here," Corriveau said. "We threw it out there to them and they wanted to come. It's nice for them to see where I grew up playing." The 40-year-old played nearly 300 NHL games for the Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks and Hartford Whalers between 1985 and 1994. He also spent time in the Ontario Hockey League, American Hockey League, the former International Hockey League and a professional league in Germany.
Corriveau remembers playing in this tournment when he was younger and loving every moment of it.
"You come back as a coach, you see a lot of people you haven't seen in 20 years," he said. "It's still the same rink, still the same people. Everybody's a little older, maybe a little bit wiser."
In Connecticut, the state he now calls home, Corriveau is in charge of youth hockey in a town near Hartford, where he looks after hockey camps and schools in the area.
He said he doesn't miss being on the ice as a player now that coaching is his passion.
"I love it, I like teaching and being around kids. It's an easy transition for me."
Corriveau, who played junior B hockey in Welland, said his ultimate goal is to coach in professional ranks or in major junior hockey. He was recently a candidate for a coaching gig in an elite league in London, England, but that didn't materialize.
The Little NHL extravaganza continues today. Championship games will be held tomorrow. This year's tournament features 64 teams, including 22 from the U.S.
For updated results and schedules, visit http://www.wellandlittlenhl.com.
Article & Photo by: JOHN VESSOYAN - Welland Tribune
