Blog
Second-year LA Lions solidifying their footing in local girls hockey scene
October 27th, 2016They say timing is everything. When it came to architecting the newly minted LA Lions girls hockey program, that cliché couldn’t ring truer. Bring together a Los Angeles Kings employee who played NCAA Division I girls hockey – Megan Rivera – and a passionate mother of an equally-passionate hockey-playing daughter – Becki Winckler – along…
From the floor to STAPLES Center, Royals find success
October 26th, 2016It was déjà vu for the Santa Barbara Royals on Sept. 24: a shutout win versus the Kern County Knights. While this one was not at the STAPLES Center — the home of the Los Angeles Kings, who administer the 10-team Los Angeles Kings High School Hockey League (LAKHSHL) — Santa Barbara’s 5–0 regular-season home…
Jr. Sharks add NHL vet Zettler to stable of youth coaches
October 25th, 2016The wealth of knowledge the San Jose Jr. Sharks continue to add to their coaching staff just keeps growing. Rob Zettler is the newest Jr. Sharks coach with pro experience to jump into coaching at the youth level, as the ex-NHL defenseman – who was part of the inaugural San Jose Sharks team of 1991-92…
Pacific Palisades’ Rivera named WCHA Rookie of the Week
October 24th, 2016Minnesota State University freshman forward Nicholas Rivera was tabbed WCHA Rookie of the Week on Monday after the Mavericks played to a split on the road in Alaska last weekend. Rivera tied for the NCAA lead among freshmen with four points, scoring a pair of goals with two assists as No. 9 Minnesota State split…
Defending AHL Pacific Division champion Reign back on top
October 24th, 2016Through the opening two weekends of the 2016-17 American Hockey League (AHL) season, the Ontario Reign has assumed a familiar position in the Pacific Division standings. First place. The Reign opened defense of its Pacific Division championship by defeating the host San Diego Gulls 2-0 in its season opener on Oct. 15 and then tipped…
Lady Ducks product Johnson leaves mark on NCAA, NWHL next
October 24th, 2016Much is made, and rightfully so, of players like Auston Matthews and Todd Burgess coming out of Arizona and moving on to the NHL and NCAA ranks. Kaliya Johnson, a native of Chandler, Ariz., is certainly doing her part as a high-end women’s player. In the spring, she graduated from Boston College after four seasons with…
Successful on the ice, Kraus brothers now winning as junior, youth coaches
October 20th, 2016Brotherly competition helped push Tim and Kevin Kraus to the peaks of youth and junior hockey. That and their experiences in the game, which started in California in the 1990s, are helping both now as coaches. Tim (pictured below), 29, who played five seasons of pro hockey – parts of three with the Ontario Reign…
Taking Liberties with… Rhett Rakhshani
October 19th, 2016RHETT RAKHSHANI Position: Forward, Malmo Redhawks (Swedish Hockey League) Hometown: Huntington Beach Last Amateur Team: University of Denver (then of the WCHA) Youth Team: California Wave California Rubber: What is your favorite hockey memory growing up? Rhett Rakhshani: Winning Bantam Nationals in 2003, beating Shattuck (St. Mary’s) in the final. Jeff Turcotte was my coach….
Chalk Talk: The two most important questions a coach should ask
October 19th, 2016“Did you learn anything?” “Did you have fun?” These are the two most important questions coaches should ask their players from Mites to Midgets, house to AAA and beyond. If you aren’t learning and having fun doing it, you’re in the wrong place. Players who skate for me in private and team settings—competitively, recreationally, at…
Going back to school also means going back to The Rinks
October 19th, 2016For many families, August is a month where back to school seems to be all that anyone can talk about. Whether it’s doing back to school shopping, getting new supplies for the upcoming year, or trying to squeeze in every extra second of sleep, most Southern California kids are in some way preparing for that…