About Us
The Blazers Varsity Prep Hockey team was founded in 2006 – 2007 with their first victory coming in their first game against the Thunder Bay Queens. The Varsity Prep team has since enjoyed team and individual success with tournament wins being recorded at tournaments such as the Minnesota Thoroughbred, Kyle, Westman, and Saskatoon Tournaments. During the 2008 – 2009 season the Varsity Prep team joined the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) which is comprised of teams from Boston, Washington, Lake Placid, PEI, Stanstead, and Vancouver. In their first season in the league the Blazers won the West Division and finished as league finalists. During this same season the Varsity Prep hockey team recorded their 100th lifetime win in just three seasons.
The Blazers made history during the 2018-2019 season, capturing the JWHL Championship title for the first time in program history. In 21 league games, the Blazers went 14-5-2 finishing second in the league. On March 10th, 2019 the Blazers defeated defending champions, NAHA, 3-2 in OT.
As a competitive, internationally recognized program with 18 years of unsurpassed achievements in Manitoba, The Balmoral Hall Blazers have joined the CSSHL beginning in the 2024-2025 season. The CSSHL is one of the strongest, most competitive leagues in all Western Canada. As a program that takes academics and athletics very seriously; the travel, competition, and pillars of success that the CSSHL is built upon is something that we believe will be beneficial to the continued success of our program at Balmoral Hall.
For more information on the CSSHL, please visit https://www.csshl.ca/.
The Blazers made history during the 2018-2019 season, capturing the JWHL Championship title for the first time in program history. In 21 league games, the Blazers went 14-5-2 finishing second in the league. On March 10th, 2019 the Blazers defeated defending champions, NAHA, 3-2 in OT.
As a competitive, internationally recognized program with 18 years of unsurpassed achievements in Manitoba, The Balmoral Hall Blazers have joined the CSSHL beginning in the 2024-2025 season. The CSSHL is one of the strongest, most competitive leagues in all Western Canada. As a program that takes academics and athletics very seriously; the travel, competition, and pillars of success that the CSSHL is built upon is something that we believe will be beneficial to the continued success of our program at Balmoral Hall.
For more information on the CSSHL, please visit https://www.csshl.ca/.
For more information on the Blazers Varsity Prep Hockey team please contact:
Director of Hockey – Sarah Zacharias '08
email: szacharias@balmoralhall.ca
phone: (204) 784-1600 ext. 630
phone: (204) 784-1600 ext. 630
BLAZERS HOME FACILITY
Hockey For All Centre
Hockey For All Centre is the home of the Balmoral Hall Blazers hockey program. All home games and practices for the Varsity Prep team are hosted at the Hockey For All Centre. Additionally, all spring and summer programming take place at the Hockey For All Centre.*From the facility website:
Opened in August 2010, the Hockey For All Centre is a 177,000 square foot multipurpose, state-of-the-art facility that is open year round. It consists of four rinks, each with NHL regulation size ice surfaces (200′ x 85′). In addition, the facility boasts a dedicated Goalie training centre (45’ x 37’), 22 player dressing rooms, high performance fitness and training facilities, a full service pro shop, licensed restaurant and lounge, concession and vending facilities as well as conference facilities.
The Hockey For All Centre provides between 11,000 and 13,000 hours of ice annually which serves the minor hockey community, adult recreation leagues, tournaments, summer camps and casual rentals.
The Hockey For All Centre has been recognized as a Hockey Canada Centre of Excellence and was one of three venues that hosted the 2011 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge, a major international hockey tournament held by Hockey Canada each year.
The Hockey For All Centre has been recognized as a Hockey Canada Centre of Excellence and was one of three venues that hosted the 2011 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge, a major international hockey tournament held by Hockey Canada each year.
GET TO KNOW THE COACHES
Sarah Zacharias '08
Director of Hockey and Head Coach
Chelsea Dinnin '19
Hockey Operations Coordinator and Assistant Coach
Director of Hockey and Head Coach
Sarah Zacharias is entering her 11th season behind the bench of the Blazers. Sarah is a former member of the Prep Program (2007-2008). After graduating from BH in 2008, Sarah took her academic and athletic abilities to play NCAA Division I hockey for the Niagara University Purple Eagles in the CHA’s. In her four years at school, Sarah completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Minors in Chemistry and French. Sarah earned a spot on the CHA All-Academic Team in all four years. When Sarah wasn’t playing hockey or studying for school, she spent her time helping coach the Jr. Purple Eagles Program as well as working with SABAH (Special Athletes Big at Heart), an organization that teaches developmentally and physically disabled participants the game of hockey.
Sarah has coached the U18 Team Manitoba Program of Excellence on four occasions. As Assistant Coach, Sarah spent two consecutive seasons (2015 and 2016) with Team Manitoba at the National Women’s U18 Championships. In 2015, Sarah guided the team to an impressive showing at the National tournament where they captured a Silver medal in Huntsville, ON. Sarah went on to be Assistant Coach with the team at the 2019 Winter Canada Games in Red Deer, Alberta.
Sarah has her High Performance 1 coaching level and is one of the only females in Manitoba that is a certified NCCP Coaching Clinic Facilitator. Sarah has participated in many coaching seminars and clinics throughout her coaching career, such as; the Gatorade High Performance Camp in 2015, Dave Cameron's Hockey Development seminar in 2016, the ACHA Conferences in 2017/2018/2019 and the Hockey Canada Skills Academy in 2019. Sarah was recently selected by Hockey Canada to be a part of the Women's Master Coach Development Program. This initiative program is designed to assist in the development of women coach leaders and help grow the women's game across the country. Sarah was also selected as 1 of 3 coaches in the province to be a part of Hockey Manitoba’s Female Coach Development Group. The goal is to provide female coaches of all levels with the opportunity to be a part of a group that is focused on supporting female coaches through mentorship from high performance female coaches and ongoing coach development to address different topics and challenges that may come up through the course of a season.
Most notably, in 2021, Sarah was invited to join the NHLCA (National Hockey League Coaches Association) in their Female Coach Development Program. The intention of the program is to support the development women in several areas include networking, skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, and providing career advancement opportunities. In 2022, Sarah was the recipient of Hockey Canada’s BFL Female Coach of the Year Award.
Chelsea Dinnin '19
Hockey Operations Coordinator and Assistant Coach
Chelsea Dinnin, former player for the Blazers (2018-2019) apart of the JWHL Championship team is entering her 1st year as the Blazers Assistant Coach. After graduating from Balmoral Hall, Chelsea went on to Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario to play in the OUA for one season (2019-2020). Chelsea was studying Kinesiology and Physical Education during this time; she then continued her studies at the University of Manitoba perusing the same degree. In 2021, Chelsea joined the Manitoba Woman’s Junior Hockey League playing for the Manitoba Gray Owls where she was awarded Most Points (26G, 20A, 46Pts, 30GP), Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. During this time, she was also the Assistant Coach for the Winnipeg Saints U13 AA female team, following that year in 2023 she became the Head Coach of the Eastman Selects female U13 AA team making it to the semi-finals of playoffs. In the spring of 2023, Chelsea coached the U15 Manitoba Junior Ice female team where they played in Florida, Canmore and Winnipeg for tournaments. During the spring season she was awarded Community Member of the Month by the Manitoba Junior Ice. In the 2024-2025 season she continued to coach the Eastman Selects which was cut short becoming the new Assistant Coach of the Blazers.
On the side Chelsea is perusing a hobby as an influencer on social media where she does hockey trick shots, training videos and overall promoting the women’s game of hockey. Chelsea has worked alongside the NHL, PWHL, IIHF, Winnipeg Jets, TELUS, Jomboy Media, Bauer Hockey, Sherwood Hockey, EA Sports, Hyundai, Sportchek and is currently sponsored by CCM Hockey, Biosteel Sports and HockeyShot Training Products. Along with her social media she has become an off ice 1on1 skills coach, teaching young hockey players essential skills in her training set up. As well as running her own skills summer camp for females aged U11, U13 and U15.
Balmoral Hall School
630 Westminster Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3C 3S1
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Our mission at Balmoral Hall School is to inspire girls’ imagination and the courage to excel, to reach, to lead, to care.
We are a nondenominational independent day and boarding school, educating students from Junior Nursery to Grade 12.
Information on this website can be requested through an accessible format or communication support by contacting us at communications@balmoralhall.ca or (204) 784-1603.
