Category Archives: Youth
WHL, USHL teams choose five current, former Jr. Ducks standouts
June 27th, 2019Five players with ties to the Anaheim Jr. Ducks were selected in the recent Western Hockey League (WHL) and United States Hockey League (USHL) junior drafts. Four 2004 birth year players went to WHL teams in that league’s Bantam draft on May 2 – defenseman Josh Niedermayer, center James Hong, goaltender Dylan Silverstein and defenseman…
Jr. Sharks’ WHL picks show staying in San Jose pays off
June 26th, 2019Three players from this past season’s San Jose Jr. Sharks’ 14U AAA team became property of Western Hockey League (WHL) teams during the league’s annual Bantam Draft on May 4. Defenseman Garrett Brown (pictured above) went to the Spokane Chiefs in the fourth round (85th overall), forward Tyler Dysart was taken by the Prince Albert…
All in the family: Jr. Gulls more than a youth hockey organization
June 18th, 2019For Phil and Val Makrogiannis, having their three children in the San Diego Jr. Gulls youth program has been a home away from home, as well as a second family. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE The oldest, Niko, has been playing ice hockey for seven years, starting in the Learn to Skate program and progressing to…
Casey Strale continues to inspire local California hockey community
June 11th, 2019Casey Strale lost his battle with adrenal cortical carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that affects only one or two individuals out of 1.7 million, at the age of 16 in June 2013. An avid ice and roller youth roller hockey player whose incredible work ethic and sportsmanship placed him above his peers, Casey lived…
THE RINKS, Great Park Ice succeeding with adult hockey
May 31st, 2019If you have not noticed, hockey in California is growing. With the addition of the largest facility on the West Coast, Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena, the number of new participants is increasing in all ages. While THE RINKS and Great Park Ice offer programming for youth hockey players to experience the sport, including…
Beat the heat this summer with THE RINKS’ 2019 camps
May 13th, 2019Usually, summer in California means warmer weather to enjoy days at the beach or heading on vacation with schools taking their annual break. For dedicated hockey players, though, summer is a time to prepare for the next season and get ahead of everybody else. With the extra free time, summer provides players the best opportunity…
San Jose’s Lee joins Cape Cod team for deep USA Hockey Nationals run
May 10th, 2019Jeffrey Lee is confident in his Cape Cod Whalers organization that he can once again return and compete for a USA Hockey national championship. The 2002-born defenseman from San Jose, and his Whalers’ 16U Tier I teammates, were just two games away from reaching the game played for all the marbles in Grand Rapids, Mich.,…
Fresh off another grand season, Jr. Ducks announce Tier coaches for ’19-20 season
May 4th, 2019The Anaheim Jr. Ducks have announced their Tier I and Tier II coaching lineups for the 2019-20 season. The Jr. Ducks, under the guidance of director of coaches Craig Johnson, qualified a club-record three Tier I teams for the recent USA Hockey National Championships, and have sent 10 teams to Nationals and won 11 CAHA…
Resilient Jr. Kings’ 12U AAA team reigns supreme in Quebec
April 11th, 2019It’s tough to win them all at the Quebec Pee Wee International Tournament, but that didn’t matter for this year’s Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ 12U AAA team; it just won the five that counted most. After opening the famed event, which regularly attracts the best Pee Wee-aged teams from around the globe, with a 5-2…
Jr. Sharks teams gain valuable experience at Nationals
April 10th, 2019The month of April is always a time to get excited, as the month brings a slew of USA Hockey National Championships. This year, the San Jose Jr. Sharks sent four teams to various locations across the country. And while no Jr. Sharks teams brought home a championship banner, the continued experience of playing at…