While the Vancouver Canucks marched into the Western Conference Finals, Kelly Mann hardly raised an eyebrow.

To be fair, no one is more passionate about sports than Mann. As far as he鈥檚 concerned, youth athletics and the surrounding community are where it鈥檚 at.

The president and CEO of B.C. Games has guided the province鈥檚 Summer and Winter Games to great heights through a passion for sports.

Mann was in Vernon last month to help the host city launch the official countdown for the 2012 B.C. Winter Games, set for Feb. 23-26.

In tandem with the launch, Mann announced a four-year partnership between the Games and Black Press, parent company of the 91原创 Times.

鈥淲hile we sponsor literally thousands of events each year, The Games, both winter and summer, are on a scale that is one of the largest opportunities to engage our readers across B.C.,鈥� said Candy Hodson, senior vice-president of national sales and marketing for Black Press.

鈥淚n covering the B.C. Games it allows Black Press to also showcase our best: we bring together 鈥榣ocal鈥� on a provincial scale,鈥� she said.

Mann agreed the shared focus on athletic promotion in the community between the B.C. Games and Black Press is a perfect fit.

鈥淏lack Press papers and the Winter and Summer Games are in virtually every community in B.C.

鈥淏lack Press will provide extensive coverage and advertising to support the B.C. Games and share the story of how the Games impact athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and communities.鈥�

The partnership will coincide with three games: the 2012  Summer Games in Surrey and the 2014 Winter and Summer Games in Mission and Nanaimo, respectively.

From his downtown Victoria office, Mann overlooks the antique section of Fort Street.

It鈥檚 just a few blocks down the road from Oak Bay High, where he graduated in 1976.

It was there that Mann became deeply connected to the values of youth sports, playing and managing school teams.

He鈥檚 been with B.C. Games since 1992 but also co-founded the Kidsport Greater Victoria chapter in 2002, one of the most successful in the country.

When president Randy Blair of Black Press鈥� Lower Mainland division proposed the newspaper chain become one of three corporate sponsors, Mann knew the opportunity at hand.

鈥淲e want people to understand the competitive support system in athletic development in B.C.,鈥� Mann said.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 hear of Ryder Hesjedal as a B.C. Games athlete, you hear of him as a Tour de France competitor.

鈥淲e talk about athletes like they fell out of a tree, but really they鈥檝e had a support network since they were eight,鈥� Mann added.

鈥淭his (partnership) will add greater depth to the role of athletes and the support network of the development stage.鈥�