Blog
Khodorenko will stay in Michigan, commits to Michigan State
May 12th, 2016Michigan has agreed with Patrick Khodorenko, so much that the forward from Walnut Creek made a verbal commitment to play college hockey at Michigan State University recently. Khodorenko, who has skated for the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Ann Arbor and Plymouth, Mich., the past two seasons after playing Midget 16U AAA for…
California Tier II boys teams solid on national stages
May 12th, 2016Three teams from California represented the Golden State at the USA Hockey Tier II Youth Nationals in late April and early March, and while none brought home national championship trophies, all represented their state well. Tier II Boys – 18U Golden State Elite put on a respectable showing in Amherst, N.Y., with a 2-1 record…
Chalk Talk: Persistence – a useful life skill developed through hockey
May 12th, 2016What are the keys to success in hockey and how do we translate those to essential life skills? The exponentially increasing demands of ice hockey as a player advances through age levels presents new opportunities for growth. When I speak to athletes and parents about what it takes to stay in this game, I feel…
Taking Liberties With… Eric Comrie
May 10th, 2016ERIC COMRIE Position: Goaltender, Manitoba Moose (AHL) Age: 20 Hometown: Newport Beach (Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) Last Amateur Team: Tri-City Americans (WHL) Youth Teams: LA Hockey Club/LA Selects California Rubber: What is your favorite hockey memory growing up? Eric Comrie: Winning two national championships with my (youth) teams. CR: What is your favorite memory…
Vegas youth footprint changes with Storm-Flames merger
May 6th, 2016The term “March Madness” took on a whole new positive meaning in Las Vegas recently. The Las Vegas Flames youth organization is now no more, but no worries as the program has successfully merged with the established Nevada Storm program, which is adding a 16U Tier I component to the organization in 2016-17. Everyone involved…
Industry Profile: A.J. Boldan, PAC-8 Hockey
May 5th, 2016A.J. BOLDAN Hometown: Rochester, Minn. Resides: Salt Lake City, Utah Age: 36 Position/Organization: Executive Director, PAC-8 Hockey; President/GM/Assistant Coach, University of Utah Hockey California Rubber: What’s your background in hockey, and how did you get to where you are today? A.J. Boldan: I went through the youth program in my hometown in Minnesota and graduated…
Jr. Kings alum Sholl making the grade at Bowling Green
May 5th, 2016The Los Angeles Jr. Kings get it. While grooming young men and women to become better hockey players is obviously their core competency, those within the club know full well the odds of reaching the NHL – or making a living playing at any level long term – are slim. L.A. also firmly believes that…
AHL Pacific Division Finals pairs Southern California rivals
May 4th, 2016Though the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings suffered what some might consider unkind early exits from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Southern California arch rivals’ American Hockey League affiliates (Ontario Reign and San Diego Gulls) are ready to duke it out on the ice in the Calder Cup’s Western Conference Pacific Division Finals. The…
Try Hockey For Free Day a rousing success in Anaheim
May 3rd, 2016Give a kid a chance to play hockey just once, and not only will they want to continue playing, but they will also become a fan of the sport for life. That was the premise behind Try Hockey for Free Day, a nationwide initiative backed by USA Hockey. The Rinks and the Anaheim Ducks hosted…
Santa Barbara area sees explosive growth, thanks to Ice in Paradise
May 2nd, 2016Erik Norton was five years old when he attended his first city council meeting, a rabid hockey fan and a budding Mite player who wanted nothing more than a hometown rink. More than 20 years later, with many stops and starts along the way, that vision finally became a reality last fall, and Norton intends…