Blog
AIHL playoffs on horizon for Pacific North, Pacific Southwest teams
April 29th, 2016The American Inline Hockey League (AIHL) features 19 teams on its Elite Division roll call this season – 10 of them based on the West Coast, and seven of them in California. The league’s championship tournament is scheduled for May 20-22 in Bethpage, N.Y. Representatives from the league’s four geographic regions will be vying to…
Jr. Kings grad Souto recognized with NAHL Community Service Award
April 28th, 2016Cole Souto, a former Los Angeles Jr. King, was recognized with this year’s North American Hockey League (NAHL) Community Service Award as a member of the Bismarck Bobcats. As co-captain of the NAHL club, Souto, 20, organized all of the Bobcats’ community service efforts – not only spending his own time in the community, but…
Chalk Talk: Learning to play ‘honest tough’ can make a difference
April 27th, 2016What does it mean to be honest tough? My coach Mark Morris said it the four years I played for the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. Honest tough for hockey is when players finish their checks cleanly every opportunity, keeping your stick to your self, keeping your mouth shut, going to the net to finish…
Santa Barbara Royals capture first LAKHSHL championship
April 27th, 2016March 19 was without a doubt a special day for the L.A. Kings High School Hockey League, as it crowned its first champion, handed out league awards and capped off a stellar inaugural season. The Santa Barbara Royals skated to a 4-0 victory over the Kern County Knights in the league’s first championship game, contested…
Sharks Ice, Jr. Sharks celebrate Gustafson-inspired growth spurt
April 26th, 2016For nearly 20 years, Jon Gustafson has had his finger on the pulse of hockey in Northern California. As the vice-president of Sharks Sports and Entertainment – which includes the American Hockey League’s (AHL) San Jose Barracuda and three arenas (San Jose, Fremont and Oakland) and their programs under the umbrella of Sharks Ice –…
All in the family for Pacific Palisades’ Rivera family
April 24th, 2016It’s a long way from Pacific Palisades to the far northern and western reaches of New York State. Hockey battles that once took place on the Rivera family driveway in Southern California migrated east – far east – this past season when for the first time anyone can remember, brothers opposed each other in NCAA…
Reign’s Budaj piling up AHL awards for net excellence
April 21st, 2016In his 14-year professional career, goaltender Peter Budaj had never experienced such an overwhelmingly successful season as that in 2015-16 for the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate. Budaj, 33, a native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, started 60 of the Reign’s 68 games, posted a 1.75 goals-against average, .932 save percentage…
Jr. Kings, Heat grad Guttman commits to St. Cloud State
April 20th, 2016Cole Guttman, a member of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ Pacific District champion 16U AAA Major team this past season, will attend and play his NCAA Division I hockey at St. Cloud State University following his junior career. A forward from Northridge, the 1999-born Guttman tied for the 16U division lead in Tier I Elite…
Long Beach wins WSHL Western Division, falls in league semifinals
April 19th, 2016It wasn’t the perfect ending, but after the best season in franchise history, there is still much to celebrate for the Long Beach Bombers. After piling up 39 regular season wins – which included a 23-2-1 run from the start of 2016 – the Bombers captured their first Western States Hockey League Western Division championship…
Storm Pee Wees impress at prestigious Quebec tournament
April 12th, 2016For Nevada Storm Pee Wee AA coach Eric Lacroix, it’s always a plus to get to head home to his native Quebec for a visit. Even better when hockey is involved. Last month, from Feb. 10-21, Lacroix and his Storm squad participated in the always-exciting Quebec International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament in Quebec City, going…