The Los Angeles Jr. Kings and Driscoll Skating & Skills are forming a partnership this summer that will prove to be a win-win situation for all involved.

Driscoll Skating & Skills will conduct a two-week power skating-centric skills program in July at Toyota Sports Center (El Segundo) and THE RINKS-Lakewood ICE (Lakewood). The power skating program is offered to Jr. Kings players and to players from other programs.

Players can register on a first-come, first-served basis at www.driscollhockey.com.

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Both locations will host a younger group (Mites through Pee Wees) and an older group (Pee Wees and older), and each clinic will feature 10 two-hour skills sessions limited to 30 players with the player-to-coach ratio a maximum of 6-to-1.

“We’re extremely fortunate to welcome Driscoll Skating & Skills to Southern California this summer for what promises to be a rewarding developmental experience,” said Jr. Kings chairman Steve Yovetich. “Their presence marks a unique and valuable opportunity for our players to take advantage of some of the best skating instruction in all of North America right in our own backyard.”

Tim Driscoll, a four-year letter-winner at Princeton University who went on to sign a professional contract with the Boston Bruins, will lead the program. Driscoll, who earned an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, has taught power skating since 1990.

“We are thrilled with the partnership that we have established with the Jr. Kings,” said Driscoll, whose program is based in Boston. “As hockey players and fans of the game, the development of youth hockey in Southern California is one of the single most important events in the game of hockey over the last 30 years and we are excited to be a part of it. Skating is our passion and we’ve designed a curriculum that we deliver in a positive, hockey-rich environment. The expectation should be that every player will be a better skater at the end of the program.

“First and foremost, we share a strong belief that power skating is the most important building block in the development of a hockey player. If you can skate, you can play. What sets us apart from our peers is that we coach and players learn. We deliver a power skating program through a seasoned team of coaches that have all played professional hockey and understand the importance of power skating and how to share our curriculum with the players that we work with.

“Students of all ages and abilities are treated like hockey players and given the proper individualized instruction for every progression in the series of power skating and edge work drills that we teach. Further, our coaches detail a progression of teaching instruction designed to advance the understanding and adoption of the proper skating technique. We have studied and we teach the fundamentals of skating for hockey and the edge work and foot work that’s necessary to compete at the highest levels of hockey.”

In addition to Driscoll, the clinic will be under the instruction of Greg Gallagher (Hobart College All-American), Justin Mansfield (Merrimack College), Brandon McNally (Dartmouth College and current professional hockey player), Yorba Linda native Ryan Santana (Boston University) and Erik Leptorp – all of whom played hockey professionally.

“The coaches joining me on the ice are a remarkable group,” said Driscoll. “We will stop players during our skating drills to deliver individualized instruction. We are deliberate and effective in our coaching style. Greg has coached NHL and NCAA Division I players and helped develop the Defensive Skating System that was implemented by the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs. Justin worked with Glen Tucker, AKA the ‘Shot Doctor,’ who has coached Jack Eichel, Patrice Bergeron and Noah Hanifin on the most modern shooting techniques. Ryan is a product of Southern California hockey and a walk-on player at Boston University, where he earned four varsity letters. Erik played professionally in Sweden and recently joined the Jr. Kings and is developing a following as a skating coach.”

The cost for the clinic is $1,000.

— Matt Mackinder

(June 29, 2018)