April 26, 2025 • 6 mins
The Ice Blacks are gearing up for their next big event- they're set to play in the men's world hockey championships in the coming days.
Coach Cameron Frear joined Piney to discuss.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Ice Blacks, that's our New Zealand men's ice hockey team,
are about to start the International Ice Hockey Federation twenty
twenty five World Championship Division two Group B tournament in Dunedin.
Ice Black's head coach is Cam Freer. He joins us
ahead of opening game tonight against Chinese Taipei. Cam, thanks
(00:33):
for taking the time for a chat. Tell us about
the schedule for the team this week. After Chinese Taipei
tonight in your opening game, then who do you face?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
So yeah, Chinese Typeay tonight, and then we played Georgia
tomorrow night and then we have a day off and
to kind of recharge the batteries, and then from there
we played Thailand, then Bulgaria, then Iceland.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So yeah, our last game being next Saturday.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
All right, So when you look at those nations, you'll
come up against who is likely to be your toughest opponent, you.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Would you would think Iceland.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Iceland was relegated from the division above last year, so
they'll be very strong. And then Georgia as well. We
beat Georgia managed to beat Georgia last year. But yeah,
they're a very strong ice hockey nation.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And it's just a full round robin, no semis, no final.
You just just whoever finishes top after the round robin.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, So whoever finishes tops you get three points for
a regular time win, two points for an overtime we'll
shootout win, or one point for an overtime will shootout loss,
and it's just whatever team has the most amount of
points after the five game round robin.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Now, of course, our women's team, the ice Ferns, claimed
silver at their recent equivalent, also played in Dunedin. How
motivated were you buy there if it only losing to Australia,
the eventual winners in an overtime shootout in their tournament.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Yeah, it's really motivating.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
That did such a great job of representing ice hockey
New Zealand on the world stage, and yeah, we're.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Hoping to do just as well or hopefully try and
win this thing.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Tell us about the team you've assembled and the mix
of experience and youth that you have at your disposal
this week.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is we looked to
find some experience so we've got you know, players that
have played up to fifty games like Jordan Challis for
the Ice Flax, and then you know other players that
have become naturalized like Colin Macintosh and Justin Diagel who
both playing professional hockey overseas, and so we've got a
lot of experience. But then we really have some strong
(02:36):
young players coming through Jacob Carey and we have four
other New Zealand under twenty players that were in the
team that won gold their respective gold this year as well.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
The young players who take up the sport, I mean
it's not widely available in secondary schools is at all.
How do the young players who find their way to
the top level of the sport find their way into
the sport?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
I think we've got ice hockey. Seon's done a.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Really good job at advertising and getting people into the
learned to play programs all around the country and from
there being able to develop them through that, And yeah,
they're doing a great job managing to we're seeing the
fruits of it now of having you know, five under
twenty players and the national men's team is just almost
unheard of.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
So yeah, we're doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Now, what about your own background, cam, what's your background
in the sport?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
So I played for the Stampede, for the Sky City
Stampede for roughly one hundred and seventy games, and then
I played three seasons with the Dean Thunder as well.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
So my background as a player. I played for the
Ice Blacks.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Back in twenty thirteen, and then I was injured in
twenty eighteen. And I've been coaching the Sky City Stampede
since twenty nineteen. So this would be my seventh year
as the head coach of the Stampede, and then this
is my second year with the Ice Blacks.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Did you always feel like you would move into coaching
while you were playing?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Honestly, no, you know, I ruptured my acellies playing touch
rugby and the summer, so your hot playing hockey for
one season was kind of not going to work out
for me. And we had a professional American coach in
Queenstown and he had to go home, and you know,
the kind of the stars aligned and the senior players
and the Stampede asked me to coach for a few
(04:22):
weeks while we found another coach and I'm still here
seven or eight years later.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Good stuff. Well, it must be. It must be in
the blood. And when you when you look to develop
yourself as a coach and look to do the best
possible job for the Ice Blacks, where where do you
Where do you take your inspiration from?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I think it's, you know, taking a little bit of
you know, what I thought made each coach that I've
had successful throughout and then you know, and then try
and apply there in a in a genuine way that
the players you know, find easy to digest. And then
for me, it's not just you know, coaches, it's it's
meeting people, you know, whether it's in business or whether
(04:59):
it's you know, in.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Life, and taking parts of what people do.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
You know, whether they're a person could, they're personable, they're
a great speaker, You take parts of that and then
and then from there that kind of makes up you coaching.
And it's always moving as well as there's new information
available and different ways to communicate stuff, and you know,
with different generations, the way that you would talk to
people was a little bit different as well.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Love that and have you had any sort of any
sort of decent preparation leading to this week ahead?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, So we've managed to be able to be in
Theodeeden for foremost of the week, so we've had about
six or seven trainings and then we had a an
exhibition match against like a Dunedin Thunder and canterbur Red
Devils combined team on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Fantastic. And the ice how's the ice in to need?
And at the at the facility you'll be using.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, the facility looks amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
They've they've done such a good job of getting it
ready and yeah, we're really excited to be able to
play at home.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Outstanding. Well, all the best for a very exciting week
starting tonight against Chinese Taipei and then right across the
week until you met Iceland on Saturday. That's next Saturday.
That might even come in the form of some sort
of grand Fine arrangement. Hey, Cam, all the best to
you and the team mate. Thanks for taking the time
for a chat today.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Hey, thanks very much. Mate.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talks at b Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Ice Blacks, that's our New Zealand men's ice hockey team,
are about to start the International Ice Hockey Federation twenty
twenty five World Championship Division two Group B tournament in Dunedin.
Ice Black's head coach is Cam Freer. He joins us
ahead of opening game tonight against Chinese Taipei. Cam, thanks
(00:33):
for taking the time for a chat. Tell us about
the schedule for the team this week. After Chinese Taipei
tonight in your opening game, then who do you face?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
So yeah, Chinese Typeay tonight, and then we played Georgia
tomorrow night and then we have a day off and
to kind of recharge the batteries, and then from there
we played Thailand, then Bulgaria, then Iceland.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So yeah, our last game being next Saturday.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
All right, So when you look at those nations, you'll
come up against who is likely to be your toughest opponent, you.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Would you would think Iceland.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Iceland was relegated from the division above last year, so
they'll be very strong. And then Georgia as well. We
beat Georgia managed to beat Georgia last year. But yeah,
they're a very strong ice hockey nation.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And it's just a full round robin, no semis, no final.
You just just whoever finishes top after the round robin.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, So whoever finishes tops you get three points for
a regular time win, two points for an overtime we'll
shootout win, or one point for an overtime will shootout loss,
and it's just whatever team has the most amount of
points after the five game round robin.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Now, of course, our women's team, the ice Ferns, claimed
silver at their recent equivalent, also played in Dunedin. How
motivated were you buy there if it only losing to Australia,
the eventual winners in an overtime shootout in their tournament.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Yeah, it's really motivating.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
That did such a great job of representing ice hockey
New Zealand on the world stage, and yeah, we're.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Hoping to do just as well or hopefully try and
win this thing.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Tell us about the team you've assembled and the mix
of experience and youth that you have at your disposal
this week.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is we looked to
find some experience so we've got you know, players that
have played up to fifty games like Jordan Challis for
the Ice Flax, and then you know other players that
have become naturalized like Colin Macintosh and Justin Diagel who
both playing professional hockey overseas, and so we've got a
lot of experience. But then we really have some strong
(02:36):
young players coming through Jacob Carey and we have four
other New Zealand under twenty players that were in the
team that won gold their respective gold this year as well.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
The young players who take up the sport, I mean
it's not widely available in secondary schools is at all.
How do the young players who find their way to
the top level of the sport find their way into
the sport?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
I think we've got ice hockey. Seon's done a.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Really good job at advertising and getting people into the
learned to play programs all around the country and from
there being able to develop them through that, And yeah,
they're doing a great job managing to we're seeing the
fruits of it now of having you know, five under
twenty players and the national men's team is just almost
unheard of.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
So yeah, we're doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Now, what about your own background, cam, what's your background
in the sport?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
So I played for the Stampede, for the Sky City
Stampede for roughly one hundred and seventy games, and then
I played three seasons with the Dean Thunder as well.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
So my background as a player. I played for the
Ice Blacks.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Back in twenty thirteen, and then I was injured in
twenty eighteen. And I've been coaching the Sky City Stampede
since twenty nineteen. So this would be my seventh year
as the head coach of the Stampede, and then this
is my second year with the Ice Blacks.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Did you always feel like you would move into coaching
while you were playing?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Honestly, no, you know, I ruptured my acellies playing touch
rugby and the summer, so your hot playing hockey for
one season was kind of not going to work out
for me. And we had a professional American coach in
Queenstown and he had to go home, and you know,
the kind of the stars aligned and the senior players
and the Stampede asked me to coach for a few
(04:22):
weeks while we found another coach and I'm still here
seven or eight years later.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Good stuff. Well, it must be. It must be in
the blood. And when you when you look to develop
yourself as a coach and look to do the best
possible job for the Ice Blacks, where where do you
Where do you take your inspiration from?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I think it's, you know, taking a little bit of
you know, what I thought made each coach that I've
had successful throughout and then you know, and then try
and apply there in a in a genuine way that
the players you know, find easy to digest. And then
for me, it's not just you know, coaches, it's it's
meeting people, you know, whether it's in business or whether
(04:59):
it's you know, in.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Life, and taking parts of what people do.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
You know, whether they're a person could, they're personable, they're
a great speaker, You take parts of that and then
and then from there that kind of makes up you coaching.
And it's always moving as well as there's new information
available and different ways to communicate stuff, and you know,
with different generations, the way that you would talk to
people was a little bit different as well.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Love that and have you had any sort of any
sort of decent preparation leading to this week ahead?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, So we've managed to be able to be in
Theodeeden for foremost of the week, so we've had about
six or seven trainings and then we had a an
exhibition match against like a Dunedin Thunder and canterbur Red
Devils combined team on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Fantastic. And the ice how's the ice in to need?
And at the at the facility you'll be using.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, the facility looks amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
They've they've done such a good job of getting it
ready and yeah, we're really excited to be able to
play at home.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Outstanding. Well, all the best for a very exciting week
starting tonight against Chinese Taipei and then right across the
week until you met Iceland on Saturday. That's next Saturday.
That might even come in the form of some sort
of grand Fine arrangement. Hey, Cam, all the best to
you and the team mate. Thanks for taking the time
for a chat today.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Hey, thanks very much. Mate.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talks at b Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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