Hockey Nova Scotia is proud to announce that Dr. Tina Atkinson is the winner of our 2021 Ken Mantin Award.

The Ken Mantin Award is named in honour of former Hockey Nova Scotia president Ken Mantin and is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to amateur hockey development in Nova Scotia.

In the spring of 2020 — and amidst a global pandemic — Dr. Atkinson joined our organization as Hockey Nova Scotia’s first chief medical officer. Almost immediately, she assumed a leadership role on our board of directors.

As the pandemic forced the cancellation of our previous hockey season, Dr. Atkinson’s first major assignment was to lend her expertise to the creation of the Rebound Plan, a comprehensive framework that would provide the protocols needed for our sport’s safe return to the ice. As the various stages of this plan were worked through and developed, we leaned heavily on Dr. Atkinson’s guidance.

Throughout this process, Dr. Atkinson was generous with her time and committed to our mandate, volunteering countless hours to ensuring that all of the necessary precautions were taken so that hockey could rebound properly. This meant not only providing detailed safety guidelines for our membership, but also giving them the tools they needed to succeed.

Relying on Dr. Atkinson’s medical advice and strong communication skills, we built a safety training program for a newly created team position: the safety rep. As recommended by Dr. Atkinson, every team, league and association across the province was required to have a safety rep. This individual was tasked with leading their group’s COVID-19 screening process and contact tracing. Thanks to Dr. Atkinson, more than one thousand safety reps – and our game – were put in a position where their success was guaranteed.

Throughout the year, Dr. Atkinson was always available for those who needed her. From fielding questions on conference calls with our volunteer executive boards and committees to supporting our hockey associations when safety concerns arose, she helped prepare our more than 20,000 members for any situation. With Dr. Atkinson helping to lead our team, our members felt confident and safe when they arrived at the rink.

Over the past 13 months, Dr. Atkinson has not only supported Hockey Nova Scotia but hockey in Nova Scotia. Working closely with the Halifax Mooseheads as their team doctor, she helped to ensure that the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League was permitted to return to play in our province this season. Well-respected by Nova Scotia Public Health officials, Dr. Atkinson, who also serves at the national women’s team physician, was able to establish the groundwork that would allow for Team Canada to safely hold a training camp in Halifax in March.

While the last year has been a challenge for everyone, we feel very fortunate that the pandemic brought Dr. Atkinson to our team. She has been an invaluable resource not only for our board of directors, but for hockey in our province. Professional, knowledgeable, and a leader in her field, Dr. Atkinson has truly made a difference to our sport in Nova Scotia.

Thank you for your leadership and contributions to the game, Dr. Atkinson.