Category Archives: Youth
Jr. Kings families bike to fight cancer
May 18th, 2016A selfless group of families within the Los Angeles Jr. Kings program raised over $15,000 at this year’s Tour de Pier – a stationary cycling fundraising event held in Manhattan Beach that supports three cancer charity organizations. An impressive 40 members from the club, including 12 Jr. Kings players, biked at the fourth annual Tour,…
Jr. Sharks glowing after hosting Tier I national tourney
May 18th, 2016For the first time in USA Hockey history, the USA Hockey 16U and 18U Tier I Youth Nationals were held west of the Rockies, from Mar. 31-Apr. 4 at Sharks Ice in San Jose. According to one of the driving forces behind it all, the event couldn’t have gone any better. “I’m very, very pleased,”…
Jr. Ducks bring in alum Aiken to coach 18U AAA squad
May 18th, 2016Few people have the perspective on Tier I hockey in California that August Aiken has. The new coach of the Anaheim Jr. Ducks Midget 18U AAA team was a member of the state’s first team to win a Tier I USA Hockey Youth Nationals championship. The former forward was also a member of the L.A….
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…
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…
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 –…
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…
Quebec tourney a highlight for California Pee Wee quartet
March 30th, 2016To say that the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament is unrivaled anywhere would be a vast understatement. It seems that everyone who has ever attended the event – now in its 57th year – raves about it, some going so far as to call it a life-changing experience. Surely, the recently concluded tournament will be…
Golden State, OC Hockey, Jr. Ducks claim Tier II states
March 29th, 2016Four teams from California took home CAHA Tier II state championship banners in early March, with two going to the Golden State Elite Eagles and one each to the OC Hockey Club and Anaheim Jr. Ducks. The Eagles won the 18U AA division, winning all three tournament games. On March 11, they skated to a…