Nova Major Hockey Team

🚨 Coaching Staff Announcement 🚨

The Novas are pleased to welcome Aaron Hayne to the coaching staff for the 2026–2027 season.

Aaron joins the Novas coaching staff led by Head Coach Jamie Mattie, bringing a strong background in competitive sport, athlete development, and team culture.

As a player, Aaron competed at the Bantam A, Midget AAA, Junior B, and Junior A levels, gaining valuable experience in high-level competition, discipline, teamwork, and leadership.

Following his playing career, Aaron moved into coaching, working with young athletes at the Atom AAA and Bantam AAA levels before spending several years coaching university soccer. Throughout his coaching career, Aaron has focused on skill development, work ethic, accountability, confidence, and character.

We are excited to have Aaron join The Novas and look forward to the impact he will have on our players and program this season.

Welcome to The Novas, Aaron! 🏒

🚨 Signing Alert 🚨

Congratulations to former Nova Sara Stewart on signing her first professional contract with MoDo Hockey of the SDHL in Sweden. 🇸🇪

Sara, played with The Novas from 2017–2019, spending both of her U15 seasons wearing the N.

She is coming off a strong senior season at Colgate University, where she recorded 16 points with 9 goals and 7 assists in 36 games.

An incredible accomplishment and another proud moment for Nova hockey. Congratulations, Sara — best of luck as you begin your professional career!

Congratulations to Nole, John, Liam, & Lincoln on being selected to attend Hockey Nova Scotia’s U15 High Performance Camp.

This is a well-earned opportunity and a reflection of their hard work, commitment, and dedication to the game.

Enjoy the experience, boys — compete hard, learn lots, and have fun!

🏅💙 Giving Back Through Sport 💙🏅

Today, The Novas' coaches, executive and returning players had the privilege of volunteering at the 2027 Special Olympics Nova Scotia Provincial Summer Games, assisting with the Standing Long Jump and Running Long Jump events.

Although the extreme heat and humidity resulted in the afternoon events being cancelled, we had an incredible morning meeting amazing athletes from across Nova Scotia, reconnecting with many friends we met at last year's Games, and cheering on every competitor who stepped into the pit.

The highlight of the day was seeing our local Special Olympics Eastern Highlands—the same athletes we have the pleasure of playing floorball against each year. The smiles, handshakes, and conversations reminded us that the friendships we've built extend far beyond the rink.

Thank you to Special Olympics Nova Scotia for inviting us to once again be part of such an inspiring event. It is always a privilege to volunteer alongside an organization that celebrates courage, determination, and the joy of sport.

To all of the athletes: thank you for inspiring us. ❤️

We can't wait to see you all again soon!

🏒💙

What an incredible evening at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2027 Special Olympics Nova Scotia Provincial Summer Games! 💙💛

The Novas were honoured to attend tonight's VIP Reception and Opening Ceremonies, and once again we were reminded of what makes these Games so special.

The energy, excitement, sportsmanship, and pure joy displayed by every athlete is truly inspiring. The passion in the venue is something that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

We consider ourselves fortunate to spend our lives around sport, but events like this remind us that the greatest victories aren't always measured on a scoreboard—they're found in courage, perseverance, inclusion, and the friendships that sport creates.

Thank you to Special Olympics Nova Scotia for the invitation and for allowing us to be part of such an amazing celebration. We wish every athlete, coach, volunteer, and official the very best throughout the Games. Enjoy every moment—you've earned it! ❤️🏅

🏒 Congratulations to Our Novas Alumni! 🏒

The Novas would like to congratulate three former members of our team who were selected today in the 2026 Maritime Hockey League Draft in Campbellton, New Brunswick!

🔹 **Lucas Chisholm** (Captain) – Selected in the 4th Round, 45th Overall by The West Kent Steamers

🔹 **Jake MacInnis** – Selected in the 7th Round, 80th Overall by The Pictou County Weeks Crushers

🔹 **Ryan Davidson** – Selected in the 8th Round, 95th Overall by The Chaleur Lightning

These selections are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and character that Lucas, Jake, and Ryan displayed throughout their time with the Novas. We are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished and are excited to watch them continue their hockey journeys at the Junior A level.

Congratulations, gentlemen! Your Novas family is proud of you and wishes you continued success. 👏🏒💙❤️

The Novas 25-Player Protected List

In accordance with the regulations of the Nova Scotia U15 Major Hockey League, twenty-five players from across our region have been identified and placed on The Novas 25-Player Protected List following our 2026 Spring Identification Camp.

We would like to congratulate all players who participated in this year’s process. The level of talent, effort, and competitiveness throughout camp made for an extremely difficult selection process for our staff.

Our official 25-Player Protected List is now available on our website:

https://novas.nsu15major.com/teams/237/novas/

Players not included on The Novas 25-Player Protected List will receive a NSU15MHL Player Release Form in the coming days and will become eligible to attend tryouts with any team in the Nova Scotia U15 Major Hockey League.

More Than Hockey 💙💛

Members of the Nova Hockey family were honoured to recently attend the Special Olympics Bowling Banquet as special guests.

Head Coach Jamie Mattie, Assistant Captain Manton Austen, and President Shane MacIsaac enjoyed a wonderful evening filled with great food, great conversations, and the opportunity to spend time with some incredible Special Olympics athletes and their families.

One of the highlights of the evening was having the privilege of presenting medals to members of the Special Olympics Floor Ball team — a group that has built a special connection with The Novas through our annual games and community events together.

The smiles, friendships, and sense of community shared throughout the evening are what sports are truly all about. We are grateful to have been included in such a special celebration and look forward to continuing the relationship between The Novas and the Special Olympics community for years to come.

A special thank you to Joan Conrad, Marilyn MacLellan, and all involved for their hospitality, kindness, and for making the evening such a memorable experience for everyone involved. 💙💛

🚨 2026 Nova Spring Identification Camp Begins Tomorrow! 🚨

Registration is now officially closed, and we are excited to welcome all players to this year’s Spring ID Camp.

Players have been divided into two teams for the weekend:
🔵 Team Blue
⚪ Team White

The rosters are listed below.

This is the first step in the evaluation process as players compete for an opportunity to earn a spot on the Nova 25-player protected list heading into Fall Camp.

📅 The full camp schedule can be found here: https://novas.nsu15major.com/teams/schedule/237/novas/

We wish all players the best of luck this week — compete hard, support your teammates, and enjoy the experience. 🏒🔥

🚨 2026 Nova Spring Identification Camp 🚨

The Nova U15 Major Hockey Team is excited to announce our Spring Identification Camp – May 2026!

This camp is open to all U15-aged players eligible for the 2026–2027 season who are members of:
🏒 Antigonish Minor Hockey Association
🏒 Strait Area Minor Hockey Association
🏒 Cape Breton West Minor Hockey Association

Following the camp, a 25-player protected list will be selected and invited to our Fall Training Camp.

This is your opportunity to compete, be evaluated, and take the first step toward earning your spot in the Nova program.

🏒 Bring your compete level. Make your mark.

📍 For full details and registration, follow the link below:

https://grayjaypay.ca/programs/details/5072