SCHOLARSHIPS / APPLICATION

Calgary Royals Scholarship Program

The Calgary Royals are proud to offer several scholarships for our players. We would like all eligible players to apply.  You don't have to be a straight A student to apply, the awards take into consideration leadership and sportsmanship, hockey ability, community involvement, work commitments and scholastic achievement with financial assistance to further education at a recognized post secondary educational institution.  The scholarships are awarded annually to the successful candidates, and deadline for applications for the 2023/2024 scholarships is April 1, 2024.

Click here: craa_scholarship_application_form-updated-2024 (now open for submission Feb 08, 2024)

 

Eligibility

Please note: To be eligible, applicants must be in Grade 11 or higher. Players registered with a Calgary Royals team in the current year and who have previously participated as a player for a minimum of two years with the Calgary Royals; are planning on continuing their education at a recognized post secondary educational institution or are currently enrolled part-time or full-time at a recognized post secondary educational institution are eligible to apply.  Players who have participated for a minimum of three years with the Calgary Royals but are not currently registered with the Calgary Royals are also eligible to apply if such application is made no later than one year following the last year registered with the Calgary Royals Athletic Association.  Calgary Royals Scholarships may be held concurrently with other scholarships from other leagues (example - AEHL).  No individual is eligible for more than one Calgary Royals Scholarship, therefore anyone who has received one in past years will not be considered.

 

Scholarships minimum value $1500

Ed Melville Scholarship - Working quietly in the background, Ed Melville contributed countless hours to benefit CRAA players.  Ed became an honorary lifetime member of the Royals organization in 1995.  His goal was always to ensure that any boy who wanted to play hockey had the opportunity to do so.  Ed worked tirelessly to raise money through many fundraisers and was always adamant that the money be used for the players.  A recipient of a hockey scholarship, Ed always said that this changed his life.  Ed passed away October 18, 2007 at the age of 74 years.

Kyle Blais Scholarship -  Kyle played for the Calgary Royals from 1998 to 2003.  He always played on a “GOLD” team; two of those teams went on to play in provincials.  Kyle was extremely and absolutely dedicated to hockey and had the ability to pull his team together.  He was a leader in the dressing room.  He was a committed goaltender who never stopped wanting to improve.  Sadly, a drunk driver killed Kyle in a car accident on November 28, 2005 at the age of 21.

Jeff Niehaus Scholarship - Jeff was a character hockey player who worked hard and was a total tem player.  He had lots of energy and always brought that energy to the rink.  His love of life was on display at the arena, you would always find him smiling, laughing, and joking around with teammates and coaches.  He had the desire to compete and improve, as evident by his “Most improved Player” award for the 1995/96 season.  Jeff was a joy to be around and from a coach's standpoint Jeff brought everything a coach desires to the arena: a desire to improve, a great work ethic, and a winning attitude, with the team being looked at as the number one priority over individual statistics.  Jeff Niehaus passed away tragically on June 11, 1996 at the age of 18.

Jody Bryan Scholarship -  Jody was a dedicated coach whose enthusiasm and sense of fairplay was unmatched, and his passion was contagious.  He began coaching baseball and then fortunately continued on to coach hockey beginning with the Trails West Association.  He served the association as an age level coordinator and coach of various teams including a lower level midget team for two years when they could not find a team parent to coach.  Jody also answered the call to coach a Canadian Pride spring hockey team of 8 year olds for two seasons.  In 2007, Jody joined the coaching staff of the Calgary Royals, taking the reigns of the Junior B Gold team.  Jody was the eternal optimist on and off the ice and his players remember the laughs as much as the lessons – FUN was always paramount.  Jody was all heart and he wore it on his sleeve, his voice was raised as often for fellow competitors as his own team and he was very highly regarded by the entire hockey community for his honesty.  His players always knew that if they needed help, anytime, anywhere, Jody was there for them.

Joshua Wozny Scholarship -  Josh blessed us with his mischievous smile, his wonderful sense of humor, his intelligence, and his big heart.  He was an accomplished athlete and enjoyed playing hockey with the Calgary Royals. He played four years of AA and AAA hockey with the Calgary Royals, where he began his career on Bantam AA White then played Bantam AAA, Minor Midget AAA Blue, and concluded playing Midget AA Gold.  He was a hard working defenseman with great skating ability and offensive talent. His teammates knew him for being there for them through both hard and good times as his understanding spirit would lift those around him.  Josh was a hard working student who graduated from Western Canada High School.  He was proud to be accepted into the highly acclaimed University of Victoria. Josh passed away on August 28th, 2013 at the age of 18 years.

Royals Gold Standard Scholarship  - Graciously donated by a CRAA alumni family, this scholarship is awarded to an individual who excels in multiple modalities - academics, sport, community involvement and character.

Kris Katsaounis Scholarship - Kris was a devoted, committed, informed, and proud Calgary Royal. She served on the Calgary Royals board in various roles over 10 years including her more recent roles as president, past-president, and administrative assistant.  In addition to her role with the Royals organization she was actively involved in the operations of elite hockey in Calgary through her efforts with and on behalf of the Hockey Calgary Elite Council. She always brought forward her view and was always committed to what was the best for the organization and its members. She is sadly missed by the entire Royals organization; Kris Katsaounis, you are Forever in Blue and Gold. Kris passed away in December 2016.

Application Process:

Applicants must complete and submit the application , reference letters, and transcripts prior to the deadline to be considered for a scholarship for this season.  Any completed applications and supporting documents must be scanned and emailed to  or the administrator at admin@calgaryroyals.ca or the current scholarships director listed under the board.

Scholarship recipients will be announced at the Awards Night in May 2024.

To Claim Your Scholarship:

Once you have enrolled in post secondary education, please send a copy of your tuition receipt, the student's current mailing address and the name and year of the scholarship you are claiming - via email to admin@calgaryroyals.ca and the scholarships director will be notified.  The current Calgary Royals Scholarship Director will arrange for payment to be mailed upon receipt of this information. Scholarships must be claimed before the recipient turns 22 years of age.