Category Archives: Junior
Jr. Ducks alum Urch signs with NOJHL’s Gold Miners
August 8th, 2016The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) have signed forward Taylor Urch for the upcoming 2016-17 season. Urch, an Anaheim native, comes to the Gold Miners from the Anaheim Jr. Ducks 18U AAA team that won a California state championship this past spring. During the last nine years, Urch…
Michigan-bound Slaker finds opportunity, success in USHL
July 26th, 2016When the expansion Bloomington Thunder searched for building blocks, it found an important one in Jake Slaker. The University of Michigan commit emerged as a force up front for the United States Hockey League club, helping it reach the Clark Cup Eastern Conference final in its second season. “We’ve been leaning on Jake to be…
All roads lead west in David’s climb up coaching ladder
July 22nd, 2016A chance meeting at a USA Hockey camp in Colorado Springs three years ago and a few informal dinners later planted seeds for the biggest coaching move yet in Californian Oliver David’s ascending career. It was there that David, who had just taken a job as an assistant coach with Dubuque of the United States…
McManus, Lodnia, Chmelevski named to U.S. Select Team
July 1st, 2016Three players with California youth hockey ties – forwards Brannon McManus, Ivan Lodnia and Sasha Chmelevski – were chosen to play for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will compete in the upcoming Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, which will run from Aug. 8-13 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE McManus, a…
Pair with local ties invited to U.S. Junior Camp
June 21st, 2016Two former Los Angeles Jr. Kings – forward Kailer Yamamoto and goaltender Evan Sarthou – have been invited to participate in the upcoming USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, which will run from July 30-Aug. 7 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The pair will audition for a spot on the U.S. National Junior…
Yorba Linda’s Nieto commits to Lake Superior State
June 11th, 2016Yorba Linda native Garrett Nieto has committed to play Division I college hockey at Lake Superior State University (WCHA) beginning in the fall of 2017. Nieto played the 2015-16 season with the Wenatchee Wild of the British Columbia Hockey League. After two solid seasons with Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ 16U AAA team, he moved on…
Long Beach’s Barahona seeking USPHL success in Atlanta
June 8th, 2016As a player, Ralph Barahona played hockey in non-traditional markets and helped the game make its mark on the West Coast. Now as the head coach of the Atlanta Jr. Knights of the United States Premier Hockey League’s (USPHL) Elite Division, the Long Beach native has aspirations to build a strong, competitive program in the…
Six with California ties taken in annual NAHL Draft
June 7th, 2016A half dozen players with connections to California were selected in the annual North American Hockey League Draft, which was conducted on June 7, including two that were taken in the first round. Devin Cooley (Los Gatos), G – Springfield Jr. Blues (1st round, 12th overall) – Jr. Sharks alum Shane McMahan (Irvine), F –…
San Diego’s Slaker commits to storied Michigan program
May 26th, 2016San Diego native and Bloomington Thunder captain Jake Slaker announced recently that he will play for the University of Michigan (Big Ten) for the 2016-17 season. “The opportunity there is great for me to step in and try to make an impact right away,” said Slaker. “I think overall it is just going to be…
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…