Blog
St. Mary’s High School gearing up for inaugural season on the ice
September 25th, 2018Derek Eisler has been around the block, so to speak. Having coached at various levels over the past 25-plus years, including with the San Jose Sharks, he’s been part of start-up teams and programs and will bring that knowledge to St. Mary’s High School for the 2018-19 season. Located in Stockton, St. Mary’s is sponsoring…
‘Fierce competitor’ Wolthers decides on NCAA D-I UMass
September 24th, 2018For Ethan Wolthers, the road to playing NCAA Division I hockey began in earnest in the L.A. Kings High School Hockey League (LAKHSHL). The 5-foot-7, 160-pound forward is a high school senior now, but when he first walked into West Ranch High School in Valencia as a freshman, he was even smaller and was overwhelmed…
Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Golden Knights gearing up for start of new NHL season
September 22nd, 2018For the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights, each team believes it has what it takes to still be playing meaningful hockey next spring. All four teams made impact moves this offseason with the intent to pay immediate dividends. The Ducks signed goaltender John Gibson and forward Adam Henrique…
Special needs hockey stars take in Ducks’ Top Flight Program
September 21st, 2018Back on Aug. 2, members of the Anaheim Ducks staff, THE RINKS, Fox Sports and the Albert Pujols Foundation came together to offer Southern California’s special needs community a unique introduction to the Anaheim Ducks’ Top Flight Program at The Rinks-Anaheim ICE. The program which encompasses street hockey, ice hockey and Learn to Skate classes,…
Jr. Sharks alum Cassetti credits association for success
September 20th, 2018Advancing past AAA hockey is no easy task, but Joey Cassetti has succeeded the past number of years with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) and in the USHL. Next season, the Pleasanton native will suit up for Merrimack College, an NCAA Division I school located near Boston that plays in the powerhouse Hockey…
Like father, like son: Jr. Ducks grad Johnson commits to NCAA D-I Minnesota
September 20th, 2018Hockey came full circle for the Johnson family in August. Longtime Anaheim Jr. Ducks defenseman Ryan Johnson committed to the University of Minnesota, the same school his father, Craig, played for in the early 1990s. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE “I went on a couple of visits there and just fell in love with the school,”…
Model Association status a feather in Jr. Kings’ cap
September 19th, 2018Ever since the Los Angeles Kings assumed operations of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings organization back in the summer of 2016, the NHL club has put forth a renewed and noticeable commitment towards nurturing all levels of hockey across Southern California. The fruits of their labors resonated loud and clear again last month when USA…
Heat recognized with ‘beyond huge’ achievement of USA Hockey Model Association status
September 19th, 2018The California Heat has now accomplished something just 23 other youth hockey associations across the country have – attained USA Hockey Model Association status. With this designation, each has committed to fully implement programming dedicated to age-appropriate, age-specific skill development in accordance with USA Hockey’s American Development Model (ADM) throughout the 8U, 10U and 12U…
Gates, Moy, Smigliani helping to grow Jr. Gulls girls hockey
September 18th, 2018Girls hockey is growing at a rapid pace all across the country, and that growth has never been more evident in San Diego and with the Jr. Gulls youth program. Keely Moy, a local product who now plays NCAA Division I hockey at Harvard University, has helped with the boom in San Diego and along…
Manhattan Beach native Brisson commits to NCAA D-I Michigan
September 18th, 2018Brendan Brisson, a former Los Angeles Jr. King, has committed to attend and play his NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Michigan following his junior career. Brisson, a Manhattan Beach native and forward who played the last two seasons at Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota, began his youth hockey career with the…