The central theme for the coaches and players was to have fun at the CYFN Centre Ice Hockey Camp.

The third annual camp, sponsored by the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN), ran July 25-28 at the Canada Games Centre.

The Star spoke with some of the coaches and players last Thursday.

One of the celebrity coaches was young hockey phenom Gavin McKenna, 15, the first-ever Yukoner chosen first overall in the Western Hockey League draft.

“I came out last year a little bit. I just wanted to come again and help out this year.”

McKenna enjoyed helping out with the event.

“It’s been good. It’s good to see all these kids doing the camps that I used to do when I was a little kid. “Seeing all my buddies help out too … and getting to help these young kids, is pretty cool.”

McKenna also talked about what he’s been up to lately.

“(I) just got back from Michigan, training, and I’m heading out to Kelowna, to train out there.

“I’ve been here for about two weeks, and heading out again this weekend.”

Mckenna added he’s looking forward to playing his first full season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League.

“I’m really excited. We’re gonna have a pretty good team. So I’m looking forward to it. We’re young, we’re fast, we play hard, so it’ll be good.”

Zach Harry, 12, from Whitehorse, was attending his first camp.

“It’s really fun … I really missed hockey, so my parents asked if I wanted to be in it, and I was like, ‘Yeah.’”

Harry said he was looking to improve his skating.

Whitehorse’s Ryker Long, 10, was at his third Centre Ice camp.

He said he was at the camp to “get better”, including improving his skating, and working on a harder shot.

Long plays in a house league and with the Mustangs hockey program.

When asked what he likes about the camp, Long replied, “We get to meet new people that played in higher leagues.”

Regarding McKenna, Long said, “It’s pretty cool that he’s from here.”

Joshua Gleason-Blackjack, 10, taking part in his third camp, was asked what he liked about it.

“Just having practice, having fun. Also talking to people that are from the NHL.”

Gleason-Blackjack was also working on his skating and stick handling.

He said the camp was going “really good.”

Gleason-Blackjack added, “It’s pretty cool that Gavin McKenna is actually from here, and Dylan Cozens.”

John Chabot helped run the camp again this year. His son, Kyle, was running the session last Thursday afternoon.

“We’re just running some drills for the kids, trying to keep them light and fun, but a whole bunch of skills are involved in all the stuff we do. It’s like they do them without even knowing they’re doing them. So in game situations, quick jumps and starts and passes and shots, and it just improves all their skills as much as possible.”

Chabot explained the camp philosophy.

“This camp, I believe, is just improvement and having fun. Growing that love for hockey. A lot of hockey camps that we found that I’ve attended, it’s about skating and power skating.

“We like to incorporate things that are more fun for the kids, that still incorporate everything that they need to do as well.

“We want them going back and telling their friends and their siblings.”

Chabot said the camp has been “great. Great response from the kids … the first year, we had 20, max 30 kids per session. Now, these guys are 50, so it’s awesome.”

Chabot added, “It’s always a wonderful time to come here and John and I – we say it every time we’re up here – it feels like home. We’re very welcomed by the community and all the kids and we’re really blessed to be here.”