California Rubber Magazine - Summer 2016

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VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10 SUMMER 2016

CALIFORNIA’S NHL TRIO FINDS YOUNG TALENT AT 2016 NHL DRAFT

JR. SHARKS’ CAZARES EXCITED FOR NEW ROLE WITH USA HOCKEY

NEW NHL TEAM IN LAS VEGAS A BOON FOR NEVADA YOUTH SCENE

FEDORIN CUP CHARITY FUNDRAISER GIVES BACK TO WORTHY CAUSES

Gardena native Beau Bennett is just 24 years old, but tasted the epitome of NHL success recently, raising the Stanley Cup – in his home state of California no

less – as the Pittsburgh Penguins captured the NHL’s top prize by downing the San Jose Sharks

CARubberHockey.com 3

California Rubber Hockey Magazine4

It’s of no consolation more than a month later, but there is always next year for the San Jose Sharks.

After an amazing run to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Sharks fell in Game 6 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the SAP Center on June 12.

“The end is like hitting a wall,” said San Jose coach Pete DeBoer. “You’ve been going since September, but only one team can win. That doesn’t take anything away from what those guys accom-plished. I don’t think anyone should ever question the leadership or the character or the will of the group of men in there. I think it’s been misplaced for a decade.

“I thought a lot of questions were answered by that group.”

Former Los Angeles Kings goalie Rogie Vachon will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.

Vachon joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1966 and won three Stanley Cups in his first six NHL seasons. After being traded to the Kings in 1971, he continued his stellar career for 11 more seasons before retiring to become an NHL coach and executive.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Monday, Nov. 14 at the Hock-ey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The youth hockey realm is seeing some positive changes this summer.Scott Allegrini, former director of hockey operations at Ice Station Valencia and

general manager with the Western States Hockey League’s (WSHL) Valencia Flyers, is now working with the Las Vegas Ice Center and Nevada Storm youth program.

In his eight-year tenure as GM, Allegrini helped turn the Flyers into a contender every season. With the Ice Station Valencia, Allegrini was involved with the day-to-day running of all hockey programs at the Flyers’ home ice.

The Bakersfield Dragons are now the Bakersfield Jr. Condors and will form an affiliation with the American Hockey League (AHL) club starting with the 2016-17 season.

The AHL Condors will provide jerseys for all players in Year 1 and fund a number of scholarships in future years to families needing financial aid.

Former Condors serve head coaches at all levels of the Jr. Condors program, in-cluding Kevin Barrett, Jamie Cooke, Scott Hay, Mike Hofstrand, Andrew Ian-iero, Glen Mears, Paul Rosebush and Paul Willett.

“Since 1997, the Kern County Hockey Club has always had an unofficial associ-ation with the Bakersfield Condors with our players and families growing up as Con-dors fans,” said KCHC president Emmanuel Strategos to www.Bakersfield.com. “The time has come to make that association official.”

Nolan Stevens, a former Los Angeles Jr. Kings forward, was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round (125th overall) of this year’s NHL Draft, which was conducted June 24-25 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Stevens completed his sophomore season at Northeastern University (Hockey East), where he struck for 20 goals and 42 points in 41 games in 2015-16 for the NCAA tournament-qualifying Huskies.

Another former player for the Jr. Kings, defenseman Cole Souto, has committed to play NCAA Division III hockey for St. John’s University (MIAC).

“It’s exciting to say that I’ll be playing NCAA hockey next year, especially for an up-and-coming program like St. John’s,” said Souto, who had eight goals and 27 assists in two seasons along the Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL) blue line.

Bobcats’ teammate Nick Wallace, a former California Titan and Sun Valley native, will also play D-III hockey for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WIAC).

Three 1999 birth year players with California youth hockey ties – forwards Bran-non McManus (Newport Beach, LA Selects), Ivan Lodnia (Anaheim, Wildcats Hockey Club) and Sasha Chmelevski (Huntington Beach, Wildcats) – were cho-sen to play for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will compete in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, which will run from Aug. 8-13 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia.

Contact Matt Mackinder at [email protected]

Former Los Angeles Jr. Kings standout Beau Bennett, also a Gar-dena native, celebrated a Stanley Cup championship with the Pitts-burgh Penguins on June 12 after the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 at the SAP Center. Photo/Getty Images

publisher: Brian McDonoughsenior editor: Matt Mackinder

inline editor: Phillip Brentssenior designer: Julie Wilson

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BACK TO MICHIGAN

San Diego native Jake Slaker, who captained the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder in 2015-16, played Midget hockey in Michigan in 2013-14 and will head back to the Mitten State next year to play NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Michigan. More on Page 16. Photo/Bloomington Thunder

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE COVER

Matt Mackinder

Sharks’ magical season ends withStanley Cup Finals loss to Pens


By Chris Bayee

One day with the Stanley Cup could tell you all you need to know about Beau Bennett’s priorities.

Bennett became the first California-born and –trained player to be part of a Stanley Cup champion when the Pittsburgh Penguins vanquished the Sharks in Game 6 in San Jose on June 13.

He and Stanley started their day together on July 1 at a gym, continued to the Toyota Sports Center for pictures before heading to the beach for the afternoon. At a party that night at the family’s Gardena home, the first person Bennett intro-duced Stanley to was his 95-year-old grandmother, Ann Bennett.

He put an exclamation point on his statement day came when posing for pic-tures with anyone who wanted one – all while wearing not a Penguins jersey, but one of the Tidal Waves, his first competitive roller hockey team from the late 1990s.

To summarize those priori-ties: Family, friends, hard work and fun.

“Beau is a rare breed – he’s one of those guys who doesn’t make it about him, even on one of the biggest days of his life,” said Brett Beebe, a lifelong friend and former Tidal Wave player himself. “He goes out of his way to make sure everyone his having a good time.

“He has such loyalty to ev-eryone who went through things with him.”

The second oldest of the four hockey playing children of Kirk and Louanna Bennett, Beau enjoyed a day in the sun with Stanley after an injury-chal-lenged season. It was fitting he held the Cup aloft in the state where he and his peers have fiercely promoted the sport.

“It was awesome (to raise it),” Bennett said. “I put in a lot of work over the past four years. I would have liked to be part of it more, not have the injuries, but at the end of the day, we won it as a team, and I’m happy to be a part of that.

“I’m happy to be the first Southern California person to bring it back home.”In the process, he has added another compelling chapter to a growing story

about hockey’s growth in the Golden State.“Honestly, I thought everyone got rejuvenated about hockey here when the

Kings won the Cup in 2012 and again in 2014,” Bennett said. “It showed anyone being from a market where hockey isn’t the No. 1 sport can go on to big things.”

Even though injuries limited him to 33 regular-season games and one playoff appearance, Bennett said the experience taught him a great deal.

“Things might not always go your way, you might not feel your best, but you can still work hard and still be a part of something big,” he said.

That approach comes as no surprise to Beebe, a former Western Michigan University player who will coach the California Titans’ 16U AAA team this season.

“He returned from Pittsburgh the Friday after they won the Cup, and he was up Monday morning and back at the gym,” Beebe said. “He works hard, but doesn’t talk about it. The guy just walks the walk.”

In addition to being a standout roller hockey player, the 24-year-old Bennett played with an elite group on the ice. His L.A. Selects Pee Wee team included four other players who have reached the NHL – former Anaheim Duck Emerson Etem, Matt Nieto with San Jose, Matt Konan with Philadelphia and Jason Zucker with Minnesota. Several more are playing professionally.

“He was a strong player from Day 1,” said Sandy Gasseau, who began coaching in California when Bennett was a Mite. “He was very coachable and

very driven. He loved to compete. Whereas most kids his age would run around the rink before or after practice, he would sit and watch older kids practice to try to learn.”

Bennett said his turning point came in 2008 when he was heading into his second year of 18U AAA hockey with the L.A. Jr. Kings.

“My first year of 18 AAA (2007-08), our team had more than 20 guys on it and I didn’t put up big numbers,” he said. “A lot of other players were at the forefront. That summer, I went to a (USA Hockey) Select Festival in Minnesota and just tore it up. I also grew three or four inches (to 6-foot-2) and felt better about my skating.

“The next season, I went back to (coach) Jack Bowkus’ team, and in those eight months (August to March 2009), things really turned around.”

Another year of experience and maturity helped Bennett, Bowkus said.“He was a go-to guy his first year, but he came in as a 16 playing with 18s,”

Bowkus said. “He figured out the game more and took more responsibility at both ends of the ice. He didn’t focus on his stats. We also had a lot of returning players, and he got to play with his older broth-er, Wade.”

Bennett put up 58 points in 46 games that season and moved onto the radar of college and junior scouts with a per-formance against the Chicago Mission at a Tier 1 Elite Hockey League showcase.

“We were down four or five goals and he just took the game into his own hands and eventu-ally tied it,” Bowkus said. “That was when he turned into a play-er who could control a game.”

Junior teams in three leagues – Penticton (BCHL), Tri-City (USHL) and Calgary (WHL) – were salivating, and Bennett eventually chose Penticton. The move worked as he piled up 120 points in 56 games, including 41 goals, and added 14 more in 15 postseason games.

That season included a com-mitment to the University of Denver and was followed by him becoming the highest-picked California-born and –trained player (20th overall) at the 2010

NHL Draft at the Staples Center on June 25.Bennett’s resilience was tested again six years to the day when on Day 2 of

the draft and 12 days after their Cup triumph, the Penguins traded him to the New Jersey Devils for a third-round draft choice.

“It wasn’t a surprise at all,” Bennett said. “I had a feeling.“I love the Penguins, they treated me well. I just had a hard time staying healthy.

Now I have a new opportunity to thrive.”In New Jersey, he will be reunited with the general manager, Ray Shero, who

drafted him, and a coach, John Hynes, for whom he’s played for in the American Hockey League (AHL).

“(Hynes) helped me a lot,” Bennett said. “He helped me develop more struc-ture to my game and raise my compete level.”

Shero told NHL.com that Bennett’s upside (he has 45 points in 129 NHL games) is appealing.

“I think Beau needs a change,” the GM said. “He’s a young player still. Let’s see if he can take advantage of it. When he has played he’s been a real good player and sometimes the best player on the ice, I’ve seen it.”

Gasseau is another who’s seen it, and he believes Bennett’s drive will help him thrive.

“When you get a player like Beau, you want to coach him forever,” Gasseau said. “He is such a competitor.”

Beau Knows StanleyBennett becomes the first California-born and –trained player to raise the Stanley Cup

Beau Bennett played just 33 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16, but lifted the Stanley Cup in mid-June, took in the victory parade in Pittsburgh days later and then was subsequently dealt to the New Jersey Devils on June 25. Photo/Pittsburgh Penguins


By Greg Ball

Every few weeks, USA Hockey sends out an email newsletter to coaches, hockey directors

and others involved in youth hockey across the country offering news and insights helpful to those who oversee the development of young players.

A recent topic was the importance of using the summer months to get away from hockey and en-joy other sports, and while the concept may seem counterintuitive to those focused on spending as much time as possible improving, the California Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) strongly en-dorses the idea.

Chris Hathaway, a member of the CAHA board, president of the Cupertino-based Califor-nia Cougars and co-founder of the Golden State Elite Tier I program, emphasized that time away from hockey can be beneficial to player devel-opment, especially for younger players not quite ready to begin specializing in one athletic endeav-or.

“We talked about it at one of our recent CAHA board meetings, and looked at the statistics that show how playing multiple sports helps develop hockey players and how it’s advantageous com-pared to playing year-round hockey,” Hathaway said. “Even though we’re a hockey board, we re-alize that it’s important for kids to be getting that cross-training, and we want kids to know they

should be playing multiple sports.”In a video within USA Hockey’s most recent

e-newsletter, women’s U.S. Olympian and three-time silver medalist Julie Chu noted that she played soccer, basketball and other sports as a kid, and takes 2-3 months off from serious hockey development every summer.

“If you get a chance, definitely play other sports,” Chu said. “You get a chance to develop your skills in other ways and meet new people. We want great athletes that can play different po-sitions and in different situations, and I think play-ing other sports gets you there.”

Hathaway cited intensive research undertak-en by USA Hockey and other organizations that helped create the American Development Model (ADM). While the ADM covers all aspects of hock-ey development, in regards to specialization, its recommendations are clear.

In its online manual focusing on long-term ath-lete development, USA Hockey cites the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics in stating that “Young athletes who participate in a vari-ety of sports have fewer injuries and play sports longer than those who specialize before puberty. Well-rounded, multi-sport athletes have the high-est potential to achieve.”

Hathaway noted the contradiction in those who make a living in youth hockey suggesting that players spend less time on the ice. He said

it’s often difficult for coaches to take a step back and realize that young players can benefit from time away to pursue other passions. Ultimately, he said, it’s up to the adults to understand what’s best for players’ long-term development.

“From a rink operator’s standpoint, there’s a sense that if you don’t do spring and summer pro-grams, you lose the kids,” Hathaway said. “But we try to keep it to clinics during the week and en-courage kids to go play other sports. If you want to be an all-around great hockey player, there are advantages to playing other sports.”

Hathaway cited research that shows that base-ball improves hand-eye coordination for hockey players. Soccer can improve footwork, and la-crosse features a lot of the same movements as hockey and can help hockey players improve their awareness of how plays develop around them.

And then there’s the burnout issue. Getting off the ice for a few months can provide a mental break for hockey players and let them re-charge before the next season.

“The research we’ve looked at as a board shows that once an athlete reaches 15 or 16 years old, it may be more advantageous to specialize in one sport,” Hathaway said. “But the science showed that it’s not advantageous to do so at earlier ages. That shows that there’s no proven benefit to play-ing hockey year-round until you reach that age. We really want parents to know that.”

CAHA endorses time off the ice to explore other sportsCALIFORNIA AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

CAHA.com


By Chris Bayee

A chance meeting at a USA Hockey camp in Colora-do Springs three years ago and a few informal din-

ners 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 Hockey League (USHL) met Mike Johnston, the suc-cessful coach of the Portland Winterhawks of the West-ern Hockey League (WHL) and longtime NHL assistant.

David served as Dubuque’s associate head coach and assistant general manager during the next three years, when the Fighting Saints went 108-61-2-9 and reached the 2016 USHL Clark Cup Final.

Johnston guided the Winterhawks to the WHL fi-nals in 2014 before becoming the Pittsburgh Penguins’ head coach for one and a half seasons. He was rehired as Portland’s coach this past spring.

Johnston, in turn, hired David in June.“I left those informal meetings in Colorado Springs

saying to myself if the opportunity arose and I can take care of my family I would probably take any position to be around him and learn and listen,” David said. “I’ve been pretty fortunate to have that come to fruition.”

The pairing makes complete sense to Larry Bruyere, who knows both men well from his role as USA Hockey’s Pacific District coach-in-chief. Bruyere also played an integral role in David staying in hockey as a young player in Burbank.

“(Mike) and Oliver have a lot in common,” Bruyere said. “Mike is well thought of as an educator. To have Oliver working under him is a real feather in his cap.”

There are those who rise up through the hockey ranks by going off the beaten path. David had to figure

out his path, then clear it before he began traveling on it.It began at Water City Roller Hockey, a humble rink

at Fort Ord in Monterey after he returned from playing professional hockey in Europe due to an injury.

“I was trying out for a roller team and afterward, rink operator Mark Tanous came over to me and said, ‘We’re going to turn the keys over to you. Do what-ever you want’,” David said. “I was given an opportunity to learn the craft of coaching with no eyes on me. I started read-ing and studying and learning through trial and error. There was no judgment. I had full au-tonomy to create myself as a coach.”

To this day, David carries a photo of one of his first roller hockey teams to remind him of his start.

After more than five years in Monterey, David landed in Anaheim, coaching some of the top inline teams in the re-gion. In 2005, he got a job as an assistant to Mike Lewis with the California Wave’s 18U AAA team, which went on to win a USA Hockey na-tional championship the following April. Curt Castag-na was president of the Wave at the time, and David coached his son, Justin, in roller hockey as well as with the Wave.

“Curt gave me room to grow; I was allowed to teach and conceptualize,” David said. “That was huge for my development.”

From there, it was four years coaching with Igor Ni-kulin at LA Hockey Club before landing his first head coaching job with Kenai River in the North American Hockey League. The Brown Bears went 87-74-17, and David gained a reputation as an astute coach who could relate well to players and help them advance.

“It’s a work in progress,” said David. “I’m doing what I love and what I’m meant to do – give back to those trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport. I have a real pride in working with young players. I make sure as much as possible I’m giving my all, just as I’d ask of my play-ers.”

David is a frequent speak-er at USA Hockey Pacific Dis-trict coaching symposiums that Bruyere conducts.

“He’s well received, and a lot of that is because of how he carries himself,” Bruyere said. “He’s humble, but when he’s called on, he can back up his points with statistics and trends.

“He’s a self-made student of the game, which gets a lot of respect from other coaches regardless of their pedigrees. They line up to talk to him afterward.”

One of David’s favorite sayings is: “Be true to your-self and be proud of where you come from.”

A passionate advocate for all things California hock-ey, it would be tough to find someone who has taken his own advice so thoroughly.

All roads lead west in David’s climb up coaching ladder

Oliver David

By Chris Bayee

It’s not uncommon for Phil Hulett to get requests to MC charity events, but he soon discovered this

request from the Athletic Sports Fund of America (ASFA) was different.

The veteran Southern California broadcaster wears many hats, including public address announcer for the Anaheim Ducks, so helping out with a hockey game was a natural fit.

Hulett soon discovered the Fedorin Cup, which will face off for the 19th time on Aug. 20 at The Rinks-Ana-heim Ice, was not a typical hockey game, nor was it a typical charity event.

“The first time I did the event it was packed with as many people as the fire marshal would allow,” he said. “What struck me was everyone you met has been im-pacted by cancer.

“So have I, but I hadn’t thought about it in a while.”Yet there was optimism – and a fighting spirit – in

the air, just as there is each year when the non-profit ASFA puts on the event to support the fight against cancer and young athletes in need.

“No one was sad,” Hulett said. “There was a re-silience for a common goal – to beat cancer into the ground.”

Eric Fedorin, an Orange County men’s league player, was diagnosed with brain cancer many years ago and his fight inspired the creation of ASFA and the Fedorin Cup. Its namesake passed away just be-fore the second game was played in 1999.

The event includes current and former NHL play-ers, as well as numerous players from California who have advanced to various higher levels in the game.

ASFA president Rick Hutchinson, who also is The Rinks’ hockey director, never has a problem finding players willing to give their time to the event.

“Guys reach out to me, which is special,” he said. “Anyone who is in town will say yes. They love playing in it, and it’s for a good cause.”

The Fedorin Cup took on added meaning for Hutchinson when his brother, Bob, passed away from cancer two years ago. If anything, that further strengthened Hutchinson’s resolve to get out the mes-sage about defeating cancer.

“It’s all about making it a family event,” he said. “The sooner kids get their arms around that the better. It could affect their mom or their dad.”

As the event has grown, so have the fundraising vehicles. Last year, Mite-aged players could partici-pate in an exhibition game with pros between periods. Stick boy roles are sold, as are a few player spots. Jer-seys and Anaheim Ducks memorabilia are auctioned off. A chuck-a-puck contest is held, as is a wildly pop-ular casino night after the game.

“We want it to be interactive for families,” Hutchin-son said.

An army of volunteers helps stage the event each year.

“Some you know their back story, some you don’t,” Hutchinson said. “They just want to be a part of some-thing, and like the players they are extremely loyal. They are the backbone of what we do.”

Count Hulett, who lost his father to cancer, among that enthusiastic group, and he has put his talents to work to fundraise in a unique way. Last year, the man who popularized the call “Anaheim Ducks goooaaalll scored by …” sold customized goal calls through his

website philhulett.com for a small fee. He raised more than $2500 in a matter of weeks for ASFA.

“I was shocked and overwhelmed,” he said, adding that fans should watch for an announcement on phil-hulett.com in the coming weeks for details about how to get their goal call this year.

For more information on ASFA and the Fedorin Cup as well as roster announcements, visit asfafe-dorincup.com.

Fedorin Cup finds voice, and message is loud and clear

2016 Fedorin CupWhen: Aug. 20 at The Rinks-Anaheim Ice

What: Hockey picks a fight against cancer at the 19th annual charity hockey game and casino night. The Ath-letic Sports Fund of America will donate all proceeds to worthy causes such as the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer, the American Cancer Society and the USC Norris Cancer Center, as well as to support Southern California families in need.

Participants: Numerous current and former profes-sional players with ties to California

Schedule2:30 p.m. – Check-in and pre-game party3:30 p.m. – Event doors open3:45 p.m. – Warmup4 p.m. – Player introductions4:15 p.m. – Drop the puck!6:30 p.m. – Game ends (silent auction ends after sec-ond intermission)6:45 p.m. – Postgame party and VIP casino night


By Matt Mackinder

California’s three NHL teams started to build for the future and beyond June 24-25 at the annual NHL

Draft, held this year in Buffalo, N.Y., at the First Niagara Center.

Just the Anaheim Ducks had a first-round pick (two, actually) and came away with London Knights (Ontar-io Hockey League) forward Max Jones at No. 24 and Regina Pats (Western Hockey League) forward Sam Steel with the 30th overall pick.

“It’s been a speechless last couple of months, win-ning the Memorial Cup and now getting drafted by Ana-heim,” Jones said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to share with my family and friends. It’s awesome.”

The Ducks selected four additional players to con-clude the draft. Beginning in the third round, the Ducks grabbed Red Deer Rebels (WHL) defenseman Joshua Mahura (85th overall), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) forward Jack Kopacka (fourth round, 93rd over-all), Gatineau Olympiques (Quebec Major Junior Hock-ey League) forward Alex Dostie (fourth round, 115th overall) and Victoria Royals (WHL) forward Tyler Soy (seventh round, 205th overall).

“We are pleased with our draft it its entirety, including the addition of some solid prospects in the later rounds,” said Ducks director of professional and amateur scout-ing Martin Madden. “We were able to address some needs with respect to adding prospects at the forward position and look forward to developing all six players toward NHL careers.”

Los Angeles made four total selections, all on the second day, in rounds 2-7.

The Kings opened Day 2 of the draft by selecting de-fenseman Kale Clague from the Brandon Wheat Kings

of the WHL in the second round (51st overall). Clague helped lead the Wheat Kings to the WHL campionship last year, posting 14 points, a plus-5 rating and eight penalty minutes in the playoffs.

Also taken by the Kings were defenseman Jacob Moverare (Sweden, fourth round, 112th overall), forward Mikey Eyssimont (St. Cloud State University, fifth round, 142nd overall) and defense-man Jacob Friend (OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, seventh round, 202nd overall).

This past season, Eyssi-mont posted 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 40 games at St. Cloud State. He also took home MVP honors at the North Star College Cup in January and again during the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in March while helping lead the Huskies to their first-ever NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship.

“Being drafted by an orga-nization like L.A. is just unre-al,” Friend said to the Owen Sound Sun Times. “They’ve won two Cups in the last five years and they’re a great organization. It wouldn’t have mattered to me who picked me, but to get picked by them is a complete honor.”

The Stanley Cup-finalist Sharks picked five players, starting with University of Denver (NCHC) stud fresh-man forward Dylan Gambrell, who went in the second

round (60th overall).Gambrell tallied 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in

41 games with the Pioneers, the 12th-best scoring to-tal by a freshman in DU history. He was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team, was a finalist for NCHC Rookie

of the Year and also earned All-Tournament Honors at the NCAA West Regional.

In the fourth round (111th overall), San Jose selected forward Noah Gregor, who scored 28 goals in his first full season with the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL). Then in the fifth round with the 150th over-all pick, the Sharks snagged German forward and 29-goal scorer Manuel Wiederer from the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL).

San Jose selected defen-seman Mark Shoemaker from the North Bay Battalion (OHL) in the sixth round with pick No. 180. With their final selection of the draft in the seventh round (210th overall), the Sharks chose Swedish for-ward Joachim Blichfeld from

the Malmo Jr. program.In a draft weekend trade on June 25, Gardena native

Beau Bennett was dealt from the Stanley Cup cham-pion Pittsburgh Penguins to the New Jersey Devils for a third-round pick (No. 77) in the draft.

The 2017 NHL Draft will be held in Chicago.

Ducks, Kings, Sharks draft for the future in Buffalo

Sam Steel averaged nearly a point per game in 2015-16 with the WHL’s Regina Pats and wound up a first-round choice of the Anaheim Ducks at the NHL Draft June 24 in Buffalo, N.Y.. PhotoAaron Bell/CHL Images


By Chris Bayee

You’ve got questions? College coaches have an-swers.The College Hockey Experience, a partnership

between Smart Hockey and the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, was held at The Rinks-Anaheim Ice from May 19-22.

“It was a great, well-run camp with some of the top programs in the country represented,” said Jr. Ducks director of coaches Craig Johnson. “It was very informative for kids and their parents.”

The camp included Bantam Night, the three-day main camp and a goaltender camp. The Bantam and main camps included open question-and-answer ses-sions with the nine NCAA Division I college coaches in attendance.

“The best thing for families was the Q & A with the coaches about the process,” said Louis Pacella, a longtime California Tier I coach and the founder of Smart Hockey. “The Bantam kids and parents in par-ticular brought a lot of great questions.”

Educating families about the college hockey expe-rience is the event’s primary goal, and it’s enhanced by the presence of some of the nation’s top Division I programs. This year’s lineup included Arizona State, Colorado College, Dartmouth, Denver, Miami, Minne-sota-Duluth, Michigan, St. Cloud State and Vermont.

The coaches also ran practices and scrimmages all four days.

“What I liked was the kids had the opportunity to practice; it wasn’t just come and have a coach be-hind the bench,” Johnson said. “This camp gives kids the opportunity to interact with coaches on the ice, see what drills they run in practice and get an idea of what to expect.”

Pacella added: “This level of involvement makes all the difference. The players clearly enjoyed that.”

While the camp can serve as a means to familiar-ize players and their families with specific schools, the coaches enjoyed the interactions just as much as the players.

“Louis does a fantastic job with this,” Arizona State assistant coach Alex Hicks said. “It gives Bantam- and Midget-aged players a good idea of how the college game works with the first-hand ex-posure.

“Every one of us likes the hands-on aspect of coach-ing kids on the ice and being able to talk to them on the bench during scrimmages. It’s a great camp.”

The camp’s popularity shouldn’t come as a surprise given how fertile colleges view the California recruiting ground.

“What we like about a lot of California players is you have to have passion to play there,” said St. Cloud State assistant coach Mike Gibbons. “The drives these kids make just to get to practice, you have to have passion to do that day after day. Once these players get to junior or college and have a chance to skate every day, they tend to shoot up and play even bet-ter.”

The Huskies currently have Californians Robby Jackson and Patrick Newell on their roster, and their all-time leading scorer, Ryan Lasch, is from Or-ange County.

“A hockey player like Lasch at St. Cloud is like the quarterback at USC or UCLA,” said Gibbons. “A great thing with college hockey is it is the biggest sport at a lot of mid-sized schools, and those schools can compete with, and often beat, the big schools.”

Hicks said the Golden State is a primary focus for the Sun Devils’ recruiting ef-forts.

“It’s so close, so easy for us to scout and watch these players multiple times,” he said. “In my personal opinion, having coached against kids from California for the past 10 years, they are as good as anywhere in the country.

“We have made that a priority for our program, and we’re going to continue to scout them heavily.”

The camp draws players from all over the West-ern United States and a handful from Canada, and Pacella has been pleased with the partnership with the Jr. Ducks.

“They have the right mindset,” said Pacella. “They want to promote kids to college.”

College Hockey Experience takes players to another level

Orange County product Ryan Lasch is St. Cloud State University’s all-time leading scorer. More and more Cali-fornia natives are seeing themselves on NCAA Division I rosters. Photo/SCSU Athletic Media Relations


By John B. Spigott

The Ontario Avalanche didn’t have to look far to find their next head coach.Rob O’Rourke, who has spent the last three

seasons as the head coach of the 18U AAA Ava-lanche, will make the jump to the junior ranks for the 2016-17 season. O’Rourke inherits a team that finished fourth in the Western Division of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) last year with a 28-23-0-1 record and advanced to the sec-ond round of the playoffs.

“When I found out that the position was open, I was definitely interested,” said O’Rourke. “I was looking for stability and so was (Avalanche owner) Tom (Meyer). I think my track record with the 18U team is pretty good. I think they were happy with what I accomplished at the Midget level.”

In his three years coaching the 18U Avalanche, O’Rourke led the club to both a state and district championship and a trip to the national champion-ships in 2014-15.

“Obviously going from minor hockey – which is all I’ve ever coached – to juniors is a different an-imal,” said O’Rourke. “I understand I have a lot to learn, especially on the recruiting front. Recruiting can be a feeding frenzy – there’s so many teams looking at these kids – but at the end of the day, you’re putting your program up against everybody else’s. You have to have a good product that you feel good about, and I believe in the program that we have here.”

With the season opener less than four months away, the roster is obviously far from a finished product, but O’Rourke has already confirmed some

returning players for the upcoming campaign. De-fenseman Simon Anderberg will be back in the fold along with last year’s Most Improved Player in Tommy Campbell and Sebastian Gruhler.

“We’ll have a clearer pic-ture of what we’ve got return-ing by the end of July,” said O’Rourke. “The advantage I have is that I have a guy in (general manager and direc-tor of player personnel) Rick Roberts that spends a ton of time not only recruiting these kids, but also getting them off to college. We have a great track record here and I hope to continue to improve that.”

So what can the WSHL expect from an O’Ro-urke-coached team?

“I plan on coaching similar to what I did in Midget, which means this will be an ex-tremely hard-working team,” said O’Rourke. “The good news is that now I have four days a week for two hours a day to work on all the things I want to work on and imple-ment the system that I want. I never had that coaching Midget.

“These guys are going to be battling for playing time and if they want the ice time, they’re going to have to earn it.”

Once the puck drops, O’Rourke won’t have the luxury of easing into the schedule with a few easy wins. The Western Division was the most tal-ented in the WSHL last season, and despite fin-

ishing five games over .500, the Avalanche still finished a distant fourth behind Fresno, a 45-win Valencia team, and the eventual division champs from Long Beach, who have the potential to return 18 players from last year’s team.

But don’t expect for a second that an O’Ro-urke-coached team will bow down to anyone.

“I’ll get the best players I can get and go coach, but at the end of the day, I’m com-petitive and I want to beat everyone, especially teams like Fresno, Valencia, and Long Beach,” O’Rourke said. “I’m as competitive a person as you’ll meet, so I’m defi-nitely thinking about playing those teams. My goal already is nothing short of winning this division and doing some damage in the playoffs be-yond that. I’m not coming into

bare cupboards or anything. I have confidence in the guys that we’ll have on the ice, and I have con-fidence in my coaching ability.

“I want to win the whole thing.”

Avalanche stay in-house, tab O’Rourke as new coach

Ontario’s Tommy Campbell is one of several return-ing players new head coach Rob O’Rourke will lean on in his first season behind the Avalanche bench. Photo/Mark Mauno


By Brian McDonough

With the abundance of youth hockey talent being cultivated out west - along with its ever-growing

professional presence - the level of officiating needs to keep pace.

Nobody recognizes that fact better than Michel Voyer.

The director of officiating at El Segundo’s Toy-ota Sports Center, Voyer is also the founder and director of the highly regarded California Referee School, which serves to educate, train and evaluate officials of all levels with a concentrated purpose of growing and improving a capable and reputable stable of zebras on the West Coast.

Now in its 28th year of operation, the school is conducted annually during a weekend over the summer at Toyota Sports Center, and this year will run from Aug. 5-7.

“I want to see more officials and better officials working out here, and that’s been the purpose of the school since its inception,” said Voyer. “And it’s not exclusive; whether you’re a veteran or just getting started, we work hard to ensure we have something for everyone during all of our class and on-ice sessions.”

That includes learning the psychology of the game, how to communicate effectively with players and coaches and teamwork amongst the entire officiating crew. The school also puts an emphasis on analyzing games situations through video sessions.

In addition to on-ice instruction and seminars, scrim-mage games are showcased during which officials are evaluated and recruited by supervisors from the Amer-ican Hockey League (AHL), ECHL, NCAA and USA

Hockey Junior Officiating Development Program, as well as the California and Southern California Amateur Hockey Associations.

“We teach them how to handle themselves, on and off the ice, and also want them to understand the im-portance of fitness and nutrition,” said Voyer. “All of it makes for becoming a better official.”

This year’s school will also include USA Hockey

Level 3 and 4 certification seminars led by Pacific Dis-trict referee-in-chief Steve Stevens and California ref-eree-in-chief Dan Ellison.

Stevens, for one, is bullish on Voyer’s school and what it provides in terms of improving and raising the awareness of officiating at all levels.

“What’s amazing is how many of these young offi-cials who’ve come through the school I meet down the

road at high-level tournaments,” said Stevens. “I will say that, if someone’s serious about becoming an official or improving as one, it’s a great investment in their future.”

There’s no question the school gets results; its alumni include NHL officials Brandon Gawryletz, Mark Lemelin and Lyle Seitz.

Not to mention California-bred graduates Tanner Nua, Steve Walsh, J-M McNulty, Brent Tubbs,

Brett Martin, James Parker, Greg McAlpine, Anthony Falette, Mike McBain, Alexander Le-dovskiy and Andrew Norris - all of whom work in the AHL - and ECHL officials Neil Campbell and Andrew Wilk (Campbell also works in the AHL).

Nua, Tubbs, Walsh, Martin and Wilk will serve as instructors at this year’s school, along with NHL officials Mike Leggo, Shane Heyer and Jake Brenk and AHL official Steve Berry.

In addition to Stevens, NHL supervisors Rob Shick and Bob Hall, along with Jonathan Mor-rison (supervisor coordinator of transportation and logistics for USA Hockey’s Junior Officiating De-velopment Program), Don Adam (director of offi-ciating of the NCAA Division I National Collegiate Hockey Conference) and Kevin Muench (director of officiating of the Western Hockey League), will serve as supervisors.

Other representatives from the AHL and ECHL will also be in attendance, said Voyer.

“It’s no secret the game has gotten bigger and bet-ter out here at all levels, and we, as officials, have a re-sponsibility to do the same,” Voyer added. “Collectively, we need to be best we can be for the betterment of the sport and its future out west.”

For more information on the California Referee School and to register, visit CARefSchool.com.

Voyer’s California Referee School gets maximum results

California Referee School founder and director Michel Voyer, pictured third from left with, from left, Don Adam (NCHC director of officiating), Mike Leggo (NHL official), Rob Shick (NHL officiating supervisor) and Shane Heyer (NHL official), wants nothing more that to see the level of officiating continue to evolve on the West Coast.

Jr. Kings’ St. Ivany decides to take Ivy route with YaleJack St. Ivany, a member of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ Pacific Dis-

trict-champion 16U AAA Major team last season, has committed to at-tend and play his NCAA Division I hockey at Yale University following his junior career.

St. Ivany, a 1999-born defenseman, connected for three goals for 13 points in 31 Tier I Elite League games in 2015-16.

“I’m very excited,” said St. Iva-ny. “I spent a lot of time the past few seasons checking out different schools, and I just felt that Yale was the best fit for me. My family and I have always valued educa-tion, so that played a big factor into what school I was eventually going to choose.”

This season, St. Ivany will play for the Sioux Falls Stampede - the team that selected the Manhat-tan Beach native in Phase II of this year’s United States Hock-ey League Draft (fifth round, 73rd overall).

“This is a well-deserved oppor-tunity for Jack, and I couldn’t be happier for him and his family,” said Jr. Kings 16U AAA head coach Jack Bowkus. “On top of being an exem-plary student, he’s dedicated himself to improving all facets of his game and I have no doubt he’ll stay the course as he continues to prepare for what should be a promising career at Yale.”

“The Jr. Kings have helped a lot with my development, and playing in the Tier I Elite League helped expose me to so many D-I coaches,” St. Ivany added.

Jack St. Ivany


Registration . 9:00 AMContinental Breakfast

Shotgun Start . 11:00 AMLunch . 12:00 PM

Hosted Reception . 4 PMAppetizers . Raffle

Evening Program . 5 PMAwards

JRKINGSHOCKEY.COMFor more info and to register, visit

Ticket Holder . $35The Player . $175The Assist . $350

Hat Trick Sponsor . $1,500Player of the Game Sponsor . $2,500

Hall of Fame Sponsor . $5,000


By John B. Spigott

There’s no offseason for San Jose Jr. Sharks goaltending director Rick Cazares, and that’s just the way he likes

it.Already a mainstay at Sharks Ice working with

goaltenders of all ages within the Jr. Sharks organization, Cazares recently took on an additional position with USA Hockey where he will serve as regional development coordinator working with goaltenders and coaches throughout Northern California.

In his new role, Cazares reports directly to USA Hockey on his day-to-day work with, in addition to setting up coaching clinics to better help coaches understand how best to work with their goalies.

“A big part of this is helping teach coaches,” said Cazares. “Coaching goaltenders is often an overlooked aspect of hockey, and it’s not anyone’s fault because there just isn’t that many goalie guys out there, but if we can start teaching coaches within the organization, we can better develop goalies along the West Coast.”

For Cazares, the offer to work with USA Hockey sounded almost too good to be true.

“When Phil Osaer (the American Development Model manager of youth goaltending at USA Hockey) reached out and asked if I’d be interested in the project, that’s an easy question – of course I’m going to jump on that,” said Cazares. “Someone from USA Hockey comes and asks me if I want to be a part of something that I believe in – it’s the second best thing to playing for USA Hockey.”

The coordinator position is part of a larger goal within USA Hockey that Cazares describes as the 51-30 model. By better developing young goaltenders, the hope is that by

2030, USA-born goaltenders can account for 51 percent of the minutes played in the NHL.

“Right now, we’re at something like 23.8 percent, so we’ve got a ways to go,” said Cazares. “With this program, we’re exposing more kids and sharing more ideas among the coaches. We’re all on the same page now, and instead of wondering how they are doing it in different parts of the country, now we do it the same everywhere.”

As part of his new position, Cazares attended the Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp in Plymouth, Mich., in May to work with some of the top goaltending prospects in the nation and brainstormed with minds like USA National Team goaltending coach Kevin Reiter and ex-NHL netminders John Vanbiesbrouck and Ty Conklin.

“It’s like Disneyland for goaltenders,” said Cazares. “It’s pretty much the greatest place in the world. All the big dogs were there, and I really felt like I was part of something special. You get to bounce ideas off of all these guys and get their input, and then you take those ideas and apply them on the ice to all these talented goaltenders.

“We shared so much. I’ve already implemented a bunch of different drills from other coaches in my day-to-day work with the Jr. Sharks. The biggest thing for me is to talk about all of this stuff so I can reaffirm the things I’m doing right

and fix the things I’m doing wrong.”

While the workload is significant, Cazares has a difficult time suppressing his enthusiasm for the work he’s doing, both with the Jr. Sharks and with USA Hockey.

“I don’t think I could have come into this at a better time,” said Cazares. “I’m so grateful that the organization has helped me so much, anything I ask for from the Jr. Sharks they have given me, and now being able to work with USA Hockey. This past year has affirmed my love of coaching, and now I’m able to translate that to these young goalies and teach them with the help of the backing and support of an organization like USA Hockey.

“We can make a difference – that’s what I’m most excited about. There’s so much opportunity for our kids to get better now, and we have a community that we believe in and we are going to work together to achieve our goal.”

Jr. Sharks goalie coach Cazares answers USA Hockey’s callSAN JOSE JR. SHARKS

SJJrSharks.com

San Jose Jr. Sharks goaltending director Rick Cazares is all smiles about his new role with USA Hockey, where he serves as a regional development coordinator working with goalten-ders and coaches throughout Northern California.


TahoeHockeyAcademy.com

TAHOE HOCKEY ACADEMYTahoe Hockey Academy gaining steam toward grand openingBy Greg Ball

It’s been years in the making, and now it’s down to the final weeks.

Next month, the Tahoe Hockey Academy will offi-cially open its doors for the first time, and the group of men behind organizing California’s first hockey board-ing school couldn’t be more ready.

The excitement is palpable in Tahoe, and the mo-mentum is contagious.

“This started out as an idea, but we’ve learned that this boarding school model resonates with so many different families,” said Leo Fenn, the academy’s pres-ident. “To hear story after story about the sacrifices families make to keep their children in hockey and school only reinforces our belief that this is a sound solution. After only a few conversations, we’ve realized this isn’t a localized problem. We’ve heard from par-ents from the East Coast, Midwest and even Canada about the concern for juggling high-end athletics and academics, and doing so all at an affordable price. We’re proud to have that philosophy be the founda-tion behind Tahoe Hockey Academy.”

Fenn, athletic director Mike Lewis, head coach J.J. James and the rest of the Tahoe Hockey Acad-emy team have been working tirelessly to get all the elements in place for the academy not only to be suc-cessful in its first year, but to build the foundation to do so many years into the future. Countless hours have been spent designing the academic and housing fa-

cilities, planning the team’s on-ice and off-ice training schedule, developing relationships with the local com-munity and more.

Lewis, a veteran Orange County youth hockey coach, said the approach is to find those families who believe that there’s a ben-efit for what the academy has to of-fer.

“We’re extremely blessed to have the support of our board of directors, which can offer financial support to so many of our families,” Lewis said. “Hockey can be extremely restrictive financially, and to know that a player can now achieve the academic and athletic development necessary to achieve their goals is life changing. This offers a viable way for so many families to break the cycle of paying money to sit in traffic or be out of the classroom.”

The task of starting an academy from the ground up has seemed overwhelming at times, but the team behind the effort has continued pushing forward and has methodically taken each step as it has come. Because the group spent so much time conceptualizing and planning the academy, it was in

good position to act on its plans when the time came. It has also helped that the team assembled to lead the effort has a wide variety of experience not only in the hockey and academic worlds, but the financial and

business spaces as well.As the excitement grows, so does the anticipation for the players al-

ready selected to be a part of the unique opportunity to study

and play at the Tahoe Hockey Academy.

“Our players are chomp-ing at the bit to get start-ed,” James said. “It obvi-ously takes a lot of effort and energy to get all those things done, but we want to do this right from Day 1.

From the locker rooms to our team bus to our on-ice

learning and our approach, we want this to be a world-class ex-

perience for our players.”It won’t be long before Tahoe

Hockey Academy makes its way to Southern California to compete in its first game

in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League. If the team on the ice is anything like those behind this endeavor, the future would seem bright for the players who call the academy home.


By Chris Bayee

When the expansion Bloomington Thunder searched for building blocks it found an import-

ant 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 our cap-tain and the face of our team,” said Thunder coach-GM Dennis Williams. “He has a great sense of leadership and pride.”

Slaker’s path has featured many twists and turns, ones he said made him the person and the player he is today.

“I try to look at everything in the most posi-tive way,” he said. “A lot of kids don’t have the opportunities and resources to play I did. I didn’t want to leave anything behind. I realize nothing is promised to us in life, so we have to adapt and not worry about what we can’t control.”

His father Dirk’s family moved to San Di-ego from Michigan in 1960, and Dirk became hooked on hockey in 1966 when the San Diego Gulls of the old Western Hockey League de-buted. He learned to play and made the Univer-sity of San Diego’s club team.

After medical school in Georgia, he later became the team physician for the Atlanta Knights of the Amer-ican Hockey League. He also was part owner of an in-line hockey rink, a perk all of his five children, of which Jake is the youngest, took advantage of.

“My older brothers (Kurt and Zach) were very good roller players, and I really looked up to them,” Jake

said. “Both my sisters (Kristin and Lauren) played. We were a hockey family through and through.”

The family moved back to San Diego when Jake was seven, and that was the first time he went on the ice.

“I’d never been on the ice, but I knew I needed to

because like every little kid, I grew up wanting to be a pro,” he said.

Slaker played for the UTC Jaguars, San Diego Saints, SDIA and LA Hockey Club before playing for the Lemieux Hockey Academy in Arizona and the Chi-cago Fury. He finished his Midget career with Detroit Belle Tire. Slaker’s favorite memory from California is

one of his first.“I played in a house league out of the UTC mall,

and I played on both the Mite and Squirt teams,” he recalled. “I’d have games on the same night, and my dad would put me on his back with my skates and helmet on and carry me to the car. Then he’d carry me

into the other rink so I could play both games.“That shows the commitment he and my

mom (Lori) had, and it meant a lot. We had such a love for the game.”

That love drives Slaker, who put up 42 points (including 21 goals) in 57 games, then added 12 more in Bloomington’s 10 playoff games.

“Jake did whatever it took for the team to win,” Williams said. “He loves the game and it shows in how hard he works.”

“I knew I was never going to be the biggest guy,” the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Slaker added. “A lot of people told me I would never be good enough to play AA, then AAA, then junior.

“I wanted to prove people wrong.”That Slaker landed in Bloomington for the

Thunder’s launch is a testament to the close-ness of the hockey world.

“I can’t take credit for trading for him,” Wil-liams said. “Our former director of scouting, Jesse Davis, who had a history with Jake at Belle Tire, insisted we get him. It didn’t take

Jake long to find his spot.”Williams would not be surprised to see his second

Bloomington captain succeed with the Wolverines.“He could eventually be a captain for Michigan,”

he said. “He doesn’t get too high or too low. Once people see his work ethic, they will gravitate toward him.”

San Diego’s Slaker finds success, NCAA chance in USHL

Jake Slaker skated two seasons with the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder and will stay in the Midwest next season as he begins his college career at the University of Michigan of the Big Ten. Photo/Bloomington Thunder

By Steve Stein

Sled hockey is much more than a game for San Diego resident Sarah Bettencourt.“There are many stories of how playing sled hockey

changed lives,” she said. “I found sled hockey at a very crucial time of my life and it did more than change my life. It saved it.”

A rare neurological disorder that first afflicted her in 2008 while she was in the U.S. Marine Corps forced Bet-tencourt to medically retire from the Marines as a captain in 2012 with 100 percent disability.

“I went from serving our country and making a differ-ence in the world to nothing,” the Maryland native said. “I lost my independence, mobility, place in society, passion and Marine Corps family and I had no idea how to get back in the world.”

Then she played sled hockey in early 2014 at an adap-tive sports winter camp. She discovered the full-contact sport satisfied her physical, social and competitive needs.

“While I was on the ice, I was no longer disabled – I was a hockey player,” she said.

But not just a hockey player. She was a hockey play-er with a mission. There was no local sled hockey team in her area so she founded the San Diego Ducks sled hockey club, supported by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, and later became a member of the U.S. women’s sled hockey team.

She serves as the Ducks’ director, manager and team captain, drawing on the leadership, communication and perseverance she learned in the Marines to guide the team with high standards and a long-term vision for both the club and disabled hockey.

“I’m once again able to serve our society through the

San Diego Ducks and represent our country through the U.S. team,” she said.

She’s also helped organize the Pacific Sled Hockey League and created a sled hockey division within the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League. She’s hosted numerous sled hock-ey clinics and speaks to or-ganizations about disabled hockey.

“My perspective chang-es as I look back and see things I wasn’t able to see a year or two ago,” Betten-court said. “Now I’m able to find humor in the events that caused me the most pain, lessons in the circumstanc-es I thought were meaning-less, and relationships in the experiences I thought were individual.”

Bettencourt wants to establish standing/amputee and blind/visually impaired hockey programs and high school and collegiate dis-abled hockey leagues.

Her tireless efforts on behalf of disabled hockey hav-en’t gone unnoticed. Bettencourt was named USA Hock-ey’s 2016 Disabled Athlete of the Year and was honored last month at the organization’s Night of Tribute Awards Dinner, a highlight of the organization’s Annual Congress in Colorado Springs, Colo.

It was quite a night for the new mother. She and her

husband, Matt Bettencourt, her high school sweetheart who is now a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Re-serves, have a son Tyler who turned one on July 12.

Sarah Bettencourt’s neurological disorder hasn’t been diagnosed. The current working diagnosis, she

said, is cerebral inflammato-ry disorder.

“Essentially, I have le-sions of inflammation in my brain,” she explained. “They cause the part of my body that part of the brain controls to stop working properly.”

Her permanent symp-toms are sensation loss and weakness in her hands and feet, loss of balance and constant vertigo, and coor-dination loss. Her transient symptoms can affect any part of her body and range from vision loss to partial pa-ralysis to loss of conscien-tious or seizures.

Dealing with all these symptoms has a silver lining,

believe it or not.“I have a unique perspective because I’ve experienced

several types of disabilities, even if only for a short period of time,” she said. “That has allowed me to connect with a lot of people.”

There’s one another dose of good medical news.“Thankfully, my transient symptoms have been in re-

mission since I became pregnant and now breastfeeding

Sled star Bettencourt honored with USA Hockey award

San Diego Ducks sled hockey club founder Sarah Bettencourt was recently honored as USA Hockey’s 2016 Disabled Athlete of the Year and was formally honored in Colorado Springs in June.


By Matt Mackinder

With the recent announcement that the NHL will have a team in Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season, it’s

expected that the youth hockey scene will take off, much like what happened when teams landed in places such as Phoenix, Anaheim, San Jose and even Colorado.

The Nevada Storm, a growing youth program with AA and AAA teams for the 2016-17 season, has seen its or-ganization explode organically, but adding an NHL team to town can only be a benefit.

“This means a lot for the growth of hockey,” said Storm hockey director Gabe Gauthier. “There will be new fami-lies and kids that will be getting involved with the sport with the addition of having more learn to play hockey events here at the Las Vegas Ice Center.”

(See more on the NHL team on Page 20.)A Southern California native (Torrance), Gauthier saw

first-hand during his youth days the impact the NHL can have on the younger generation.

“When I was a kid, the Los Angeles Kings were heroes and role models for me and other young hockey players in SoCal,” Gauthier said. “This will be the same case with the Vegas players in the NHL and on the youth side, there will be role models and heroes to our youth. You will see the NHL players interacting with the young kids on and off the ice and will be educating the kids on how great this game is.”

Sounds like a win-win situation for sure.Gauthier added that even with the inaugural season

more than a year away, his players can’t wait to see what shakes out.

“The Storm kids are already very excited to go to games and are very anxious to see who will be on the team,” said Gauthier. “There will be more and more kids wanting to join hockey and pursue the game in hopes to be on the same stage as the players they once watched.”

Like in California with the Jr. Kings, Jr. Ducks and Jr. Sharks programs, the NHL club could very well have a youth affiliation in Las Vegas.

“Obviously, the NHL team has a lot of things they have to take care of from an organizational standpoint,” Gauthier

said. “We have had talks with them about a Jr. name-of-Vegas-team program, but we plan on being the Storm for the 2016-17 hockey season.”

The Storm program has shown that high-level youth hockey can be sustainable in a market like Las

Vegas, so can the NHL work in Vegas as well?

“Our motto of ‘Building Champions On and Off the Ice’ has been the reason for the success, along with the owners (John and Kirk Brooks), the coaches from house league to Junior A and families that we have

in the organization,” explained Gauthier. “Hockey can be sustainable in areas where the owners, coaches and managers are putting in the effort and have the ability to communicate with the kids and

families. In my mind, there is no doubt that the NHL will work here in Vegas. The ownership group is driven and ready to make this work. It will be a group effort from the NHL team and from the youth organization to educate and have an exciting product on and off the ice. Being involved with the schools and community service will be a big part of the education and growth to build a fan base.”

As a former pro player who saw time with the Kings, Gauthier knows what’s in store with the NHL.

“It’s the greatest game on Earth,” said Gauthier. “Watching a live NHL game is so much different than watching on television. As a fan, you will have a true ap-preciation for how talented these players are and being able to make the plays they make at high speed.”

NEVADA STORMLas Vegas’ NHL team will positively impact Storm youth

NVStorm.com

With an NHL team soon to call the T-Mobile Arena home for the 2017-18 season, the local youth hockey scene will reap the nu-merous benefits.


By Jonathan Watanabe

It’s hard for many to imagine a time when “hockey” and “California” were never used in the same sentence.

The quality and quantity of talent coming out of California continues to increase at a rapid pace. This seemingly sudden explosion in popularity of the sport may be attributed to initiatives such as the Anaheim Ducks Learn to Play program, which gives children and adults the opportunity to try the sport for free. It could also be due to superstars like Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry bringing their talent to the state, or the fact that between the three NHL clubs that call the Golden State home, there are now three Stanley Cups.

As the sport of hockey has grown and gained more popularity here in California, The Rinks created a tour-nament which is unlike any other, combining both the ice and inline side of the sport.

The King of The Rinks tournament is back for its third straight year at The Rinks-Anaheim ICE and The Rinks-Irvine Inline. Over the July 23-24 weekend, play-ers from all over the state will hit both the ice rink and inline rink to show that their team has what it takes to be crowned King of The Rinks. This hybrid ice and inline tournament allows players to see how their skills stack up against the rest of the California hockey communi-ty. However, unlike most tournaments, participants will need to prepare for both ice and inline games.

Here in California, the hockey community rallies be-

hind both forms of this great game and The Rinks want to see which teams truly are the most well-rounded. The tournament features youth and adult divisions, and a four-game guarantee (two ice, two inline) with the championship game being played as an inline game.

When asked about last year’s tournament experi-ence, The Rinks marketing associate Craig Appleby

said, “King of The Rinks is a great tournament and The Rinks does a great job hosting it. When I first heard about the idea of an ice and inline hybrid tournament, I was extremely excited because I had played inline when I was younger and transitioned to ice later on.

“I was really surprised with how many players en-joyed the crossover. Traditionally, you think of hock-ey players as either ice guys or inline guys, but this tournament allows participants to simply be hockey players. I think that’s the biggest draw – there really isn’t anything else like it out there and with so many players in California having experience with both ice and inline, it really is the perfect tournament.”

The third annual tournament will feature three new divisions. Adding to the three youth divisions already in place, this year will introduce a High School divi-sion for birth years 1999-2003. With the explosion in popularity of the Anaheim Ducks High School Hock-ey League, now in its eighth season and consisting of 48 teams, this is a great opportunity for high school players to get on the rink with their teammates and have fun before their season gets underway.

On the adult side, The Rinks is opening up both a Rookie and an Over 40 division. Grass roots ini-tiatives like the Anaheim Ducks Adult Learn to Play program have enabled adults to experience hockey for the first time and get into the game. The Rinks runs Over 40 leagues and wants to give players the opportunity to compete in a tournament atmosphere without having to worry about those young ringers buzzing around.

Participants may register as individuals (free agents) or as a team. For more information and to register for King of The Rinks, visit the tournament website at www.the-rinks.com/kingoftherinks.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

AnaheimDucks.com

Summer King of The Rinks event the ‘perfect tournament’

The annual King of The Rinks event runs July 23-24 on the ice and on the floor at two separate rinks. Three new divisions will join the three youth divisions already part of the event. Photo/Anaheim Ducks


ANAHEIM JR. DUCKSJr. Ducks continue trend ofadvancing players to juniorsBy Chris Bayee

At least seven players who played this past season with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks will join five former players who were in the club during the 2014-15 season in junior

hockey this fall.Three Midget 18U AAA players – defenseman Julian Timba (Salmon Arm) and

forwards Andre Ghantous (Trail) and Jack Sitzman (Trail) – made teams in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

Four members of the Midget 16U AAA team - defenseman Slava Demin (Wenatchee/BCHL), forwards Cooper Haar (Bismarck/NAHL) and Rory Herrman (Green Bay/USHL) and goaltender Carl Stankowski (Seattle/WHL) – also earned roster spots.

“We’re proud of them as an organization,” Jr. Ducks director of player personnel Alex Kim said. “There’s a process and they’re going through it. These young men made it happen. They never expected it. They just kept working hard to move one step closer to their goal of playing college hockey. (New 18U AAA coach) August Aiken is a BCHL alumni and helped several of the players get opportunities. It expands our network as an organization, plus it’s a West Coast league closer to home. It’s a big step for our club.”

Five of their former teammates are entering their second season of juniors: forward Patrick Choi (Syracuse/USPHL Premier), forward Justin Dixson (Tri-City/USHL), forward Jack Gates (Janesville/NAHL), goaltender Timothy Huxen (New Jersey/EHL Premier) and defenseman Chad Sasaki (Wenatchee).

Herrman sealed his spot with a strong week at the USA Hockey Select 17 Festival in early July.

“There were four of (Green Bay’s) ‘99s there, and they were only going to take three,” the Arizona State commit said. “It was a great honor that I was one of them.”

Dixson (Massachusetts), Gates (Colorado College) and Sasaki (Colorado College) also have made college commitments.

JrDucks.com

CHALK TALK

California girls hockey is

growing like nev-er before and in places you wouldn’t believe.

After 15-plus years searching out young female players and grow-ing this sport for girls at the grass-roots level, the Lady Ducks have hit a new thresh-old of 14 girls

teams for the coming season. This lead to recognition at last month’s USA Hockey Annual Congress receiving the Pacif-ic District’s Female Honors Award as a leader in growth, development and promotion of ice hockey for females.

Veteran programs like Lady Ducks or Sharks girls are far reaching as these teams compete around California rinks. Learn to Play-Hockey, Girls Try Hockey Days and USA Hockey American Development Model programs have expanded many existing programs and have helped to spawn new teams at 8U through 14U for the first time. The San Diego Lady Gulls and Santa Barbara Monarchs are just two examples of brand-new teams for 2016-17.

Why play girls hockey?The distance to the nearest girls hockey team/program

may be daunting, but we have all seen families bypass their local rink for a “best fit” for their son on a youth team. So maybe girls deserve that same experience.

Having fun, providing challenging development among peers, confidence, team building, locker room experiences and lifelong friendships are all reasons to play sports. A fu-ture college experience, the Olympics or National Women’s Hockey League are the stuff of which dreams are made. So why not give your daughter the BEST opportunity to grow her game? Here are a few statistics to help understand the benefits of a female team experience.

On a girls team:A female aged 6-12 is significantly (three times) more

likely to touch the puck every shift.Girls are 4-8 times more likely to receive a pass (de-

pending on age).Power play and penalty kill time is increased.Girls are far more likely to get a shot on net.Parents often fear that a serious athlete needs to play

with boys to get better. One could argue that maybe train-ing with some boys in clinics or lesson formats help “push” a player, but statistically, many more girls today are head-ing to the NCAA from female programs compared to 10 years ago (when skilled girls teams were harder to find). Much like the “player-up” myth in youth hockey, playing on

a youth/boys team often reduces puck touches, ice time, and positive, engaged shift experiences while learning the game.

Almost all of the last dozen or so Lady Ducks who went on to play Division I hockey did not roster on a youth/boys team after Squirt, and some never played boys hockey. For example, U.S. Women’s National Team and Wisconsin ju-nior, Annie Pankowski, St. Lawrence graduate, Jessica Hon, Princeton graduate Alison Pankowski, Yale junior Kara Drexler, Penn State graduate Celine Whitlinger, St. Lawrence sophomores Justine Reyes and Kayla Neilsen and Lindenwood freshman Lilli Marchant, as well as more than two dozen Division III student-athletes currently on women’s college hockey rosters, were on all-girls teams at 10U and beyond.

Forming a girls programSo you want to start a girls team. Keep in mind, it’s not

about AAA. If you build it, they will come. It is about grow-ing the game. The Lady Ducks started in 1999 with 28 girls who were looking to join a girls team as college-hock-ey hopefuls. But that isn’t why we are alive and well today. We took a handful of girls to form Mite, Squirt and Pee Wee house teams. Sometimes, we had a brother or two until the rosters grew into pure girls teams after a season or so. Since 2003, we have added almost a team every year, proving it can be done with a long-term vision and a little patience.

Light on California girls hockey has never been brighter

Kathy McGarrigle

Kathy McGarrigle is a 26-year veteran middle school teacher, former Division I tennis player, and coach, director and head of coaches for the Anaheim Lady Ducks.

Interested in being a Chalk Talk columnist? E-mail Matt Mackinder at [email protected].


NEVADA REPORTNew Las Vegas team the NHL’s first expansion since ‘00-01By Matt Mackinder

On the eve of the NHL Awards, NHL Draft and July 1 start of free agency, perhaps no news was bigger than the league awarding an expansion fran-

chise to Las Vegas.The yet-to-be-named team will begin play in the NHL for the 2017-18 sea-

son at T-Mobile Arena, a new arena that will have a capacity north of 17,000 for hockey, and named former Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee its first GM on July 13.

The Las Vegas franchise will pay a $500 million expansion fee. The expansion marks the first NHL expansion since 1997, when the NHL added four franchises – Nashville (1998-99), Atlanta (1999-00), Columbus and Minnesota (2000-01).

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was all smiles in announcing the addition of Las Vegas.

“In the fall of 2017, when we celebrate the 100th birthday of the NHL, we will do so as a league of 31 teams,” Bettman said. “We are pleased to welcome Bill Foley and the city of Las Vegas to the league and are truly excited that an NHL franchise will be the first major professional sports team in this vibrant, growing, global destination city.”

“On behalf of the Las Vegas Founding 75, our 14,000 season-ticket holders and the entire Las Vegas community, I would like to thank Commissioner Bet-tman, the NHL staff and the team owners for their support during this process and the confidence they have placed in Las Vegas by awarding this franchise,” added Foley. “I also would like to thank everyone who supported us through this incredible journey. As I’ve said many times over the past year, Las Vegas is a hockey town and we look forward to cheering on our home team.”

The last pro hockey team to call Las Vegas home was the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers, a franchise that folded after the 2013-14 season.

The Las Vegas franchise will play in the Pacific Division of the Western Con-ference. An expansion draft will be held in June 2017.

By Matt Mackinder

Dom Garcia calls it a blessing to make an NCAA Division I commitment.Even better when the school is somewhat close to home.

A Las Vegas native, Garcia played for the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Aston Rebels last year and recently gave the nod to the United States Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey). Garcia’s commitment begins in the fall of 2017.

The 19-year-old Garcia had three points (goal, two assists) in eight NAHL playoff games for Aston. He led the team with a plus-10 rating. In 49 games during the regular season, Garcia posted 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) and at the end of Aston’s season, Garcia was named the team’s Most Improved Player and Hardest Working Player.

He was named Honorable Mention for NAHL Forward of the Month for March, and he also was named the East Division Star of the Week for the week ending March 20 after he scored three goals in two games.

Prior to Aston, Garcia skated three seasons at Culver Military Academy in Indiana.

“I am blessed to soon be able to attend a school like the Air Force Academy,” said Garcia. “I cannot thank my coaches, teammates and family enough for their continued support.”

Back in May, Garcia was taken by the Sioux City Musketeers in the 16th round (247th overall) of Phase II of the United States Hockey League Draft.

“I could not be happier or more proud of Dom,” added Rebels coach Joe Coombs. “He had a terrific year and just got better and better. With the dis-cipline that Dom lives his life, he is a great fit for the Air force. I could not be happier to coach him and have him in my life. He makes my life easier with his leadership skills.”

The Falcons finished with an overall record of 18-12-5 record in 2015-16 and finished second in the AHC.

Las Vegas’ Garcia makes NCAA commitment to D-I Air Force


By Greg Ball

The L.A. Kings High School Hockey League (LAKHSHL) may have just finished its inaugural

season, but that doesn’t mean the league isn’t already looking forward.

The Kings league will expand for the 2016-17 sea-son, as it plans to add six new teams to the eight it had in its inaugural season - two varsity squads and four junior varsity teams.

All eight varsity teams from the first season will return - the champion Santa Barbara Royals, the Kern County Knights, the West Ranch Wildcats, the South County Aviators, the East County Outlaws, the El Segundo Strikers, the Burbank Cougars (formerly the San Gabriel Valley Cougars) and the Santa Clarita Cobras. Joining them in the varsity division will be the Tor-rance Destroyers and Valencia High School.

The new junior varsity division will be made up of the East County Outlaws, Santa Barbara Royals, Kern County Knights and Torrance Destroyers.

“Adding more teams is definitely a positive, but we are very careful to make sure that we are growing at a rate that everyone can handle,” said Kings alumni, TV analyst and league commissioner Jim Fox.

“I think the JV programs are a very important part of our growth. We must make sure that the foundation is

strong before we add teams just for the sake of adding teams. We have to make sure that the proper struc-ture is in place as far as coaching, skill development and continuing to build the team pride that we feel is very important or our plan.

“Our first goal is to make sure that hockey is an op-tion for anyone who wants to continue playing, but we must stress the necessary skills and game knowledge, as well as making sure we have the necessary ice time to ensure our growth. If we operate quality programs, we will grow. But the quality has to be there first.”

Brandon Convery will take over as the head coach of the Destroyers as they move from the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League to the LAKHSHL - a move that makes sense for the team geographically. A 14-year pro who suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Kings in the NHL, he coached for six seasons at the AAA level with the L.A. Jr. Kings and started a hockey school after his play-ing career. He now runs a company that specializes in motivation and leadership, and was eager to get back

into the hockey world when the opportunity came up with the Destroyers.

“This allows me to give back to the local commu-nities and help out with what the Kings are trying to develop,” Convery said. “I’ll bring along the assistant coach (Jeff Bain) that I worked with at the Jr. Kings. We had a lot of success developing players and pro-viding a great experience for players and families, and that’s what we’ll continue to focus on.”

Fox said he’s proud of the effort that the Kings staff has put behind efforts to make their high school hock-

ey league successful. That’s already bearing fruit, though he knows there is still plenty of work to be done.

“Our staff commits endless hours to ensure that we are operating as efficiently as possible, and it goes beyond that,” Fox said. “The rela-tionships that have been built and nurtured during our first year will last a lifetime and beyond, and our staff

understands the importance of building relationships and working with people.

“We feel that our goals and the steps that need to be taken to accomplish these goals are in place and we have a long-term plan to reach these goals, but we also realize that not everyone is in agreement with us or on the same timeline. We ask those people for their patience as we strive to make our high school pro-gram a positive, well-rounded experience for everyone involved.”

LAKHSHL growing, expanding for ‘16-17 high school seasonL.A. KINGS HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY LEAGUE

LAKLeague.com


AAU West Coast Nationals kick off summer tourney seasonBy Phillip Brents

A total of 67 teams gathered over Memorial Day Weekend at The Rinks-Corona Inline to help start the summer inline hockey travel team championship season

as part of the 2016 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) West Coast Nationals.Teams from throughout California and Arizona competed for awards in 18 sub-di-

visions, ranging from 6U through adult men’s and women’s divisions.The CCM Corona Bulldogs program paced the field with three first-place finish-

es (6U, 12U-A, Men’s), three second-place finishes (8U-AA, 16U-AAA, Midget AA) and one third-place finish (10U-Tier 1).

Corona Inline general manager Ken Murchison said he was “very proud” of the way the entire Bulldogs program represented itself at this year’s AAU West Coast Nationals, which as a qualifier for the AAU Junior Olympic Games inline hockey championships in Kapolei, Hawaii (July 6-18).

“The growth of each team from the start of the season to now has exceeded our expectations and we can’t wait to see how things finish this year and lead into the 2016-17 season,” he explained. “It was a great way to head into the WIHA (West-ern Inline Hockey Association) Finals, NARCh Finals and Junior Olympic Games.”

The Pama Cyclones (8U-AA, Midget-AA), San Jose Inline Sharks (10U-Tier 1, 16U-A), Delta River Rats (10U-Tier 2, 12U-AA), HB Militia (14U-AA, Midget-AAA), Raiders HC Yellow (16U-AA, Midget-A) and Revision Vanquish (Women’s, Junior Men’s) each skated home with two division championships from the West Coast Nationals.

Division champions also included the Alkali High Rollers (8U-A), Temecula War-riors (14U-A) and Cowboys (16U-AAA).

Rocket Welsh of the Bulldogs (6U) led all division high scorers with 15 goals and 26 points.

Leah Erkle and Taylor Huynh recorded a perfect 1.000 save percentage for the Revision Vanquish’s Women’s team, while Aaron Gittings captured top goal-tender honors in two divisions. Gittings recorded a .911 save percentage for the HB Militia (Midget AAA) and a .900 save percentage for the CAZ Stars (Junior Men’s).

FIRS event in Italy sees solid California talent on displayBy Phillip Brents

California had significant representation on the three Team USA squads that competed at the 2016 Federation of International Roller Sports (FIRS) inline

hockey world championship tournament June 12-25 in Asiago and Roana, Italy.The Team USA senior women’s team came home with a silver medal, while

the U.S. senior men’s team placed fourth and the U.S. junior men’s team finished eighth.

A total of 27 countries and 55 teams competed at this year’s event.La Verne’s Laura Veharanta, one of five Californians on the U.S. senior

women’s squad and a six-year veteran, she said she and her teammates were “looking forward to the opportunity for some redemption” after placing runner-up to the Czech Republic at last year’s tournament. However, the Americans fell one step short again this year by dropping a 3-1 decision to Team Canada in the championship game.

Veharanta finished second on the team in scoring with five goals and two assists in six games. Other Californians included Lyndi Bell (Long Beach), Ce-leste Loyatho (San Juan Capistrano), Elisa Pogu (Corona) and Ariane Yo-koyama (Van Nuys).

The U.S. senior men’s team featured four Californians on its roster: Charles Baldwin (Santee), Brian Ganz (Sunnyvale), Cody Page (Dana Point) and goal-tender Blake Ducker (Orange). Baldwin led the team in scoring with five goals and two assists. The Americans lost, 5-2, to France in the bronze medal game.

Team USA junior men’s squad boasted eight Californians, but a low playoff seed was difficult to overcome as the Americans won their opening two games in the tournament but dropped their final four contests. Team USA lost 11-2 to Team Canada in the seventh-place game.

Californians on the U.S. roster included Joe Blakewell (Davis), Joseph Cascarano (San Jose), Joey Chimienti (San Jose), Zachary Claunch (San Jose), Caleb Hermle (Yolo), Brayden Kohler (Corona) and goaltenders Na-than Fein (Los Gatos) and Nichola Leacox (Woodland).

Blakewell tied for the team scoring lead with 10 points (five goals, five assists).

Gold MedalsCub Gold: HB MilitiaCub Silver: Labeda JetsAtom Platinum: Pama CyclonesAtom Gold: Bulldogs BlackAtom Silver: Temecula Valley WarriorsMite Platinum: Pama Cyclones 05Mite Gold: HB Militia GreyMite Silver: Konixx OutcastsMite Club: Pama CyclonesSquirt Platinum: LA WinterhawksSquirt Gold: San Jose Inline SharksSquirt Silver: Avalanche Roller Hockey ClubSquirt Club: Bulldogs BlackPee Wee Platinum: HB Militia BlackPee Wee Gold: San Jose Inline SharksPee Wee Silver: Pama Cyclones 01/02Pee Wee Club: Nor Cal WildBantam Platinum: HB Militia BlackBantam Gold: HB Militia Black 01Bantam Silver: Huntington Beach HurricanesBantam Club: Konixx OutcastsMidget Platinum: Pama ProspectsMidget Gold: NorCal ExtremeMidget Silver: Delta Force EliteJunior Platinum: Pama ProspectsJunior Gold: Verbero VoltageDivision 1: Labeda Pama CyclonesMen’s Platinum: Labeda Pama Cyclones BlueMen’s Gold: NorCal ExtremeMen’s Silver: The Militia30 & Over: Pama Labeda Legends40 & Over: HB CrewWomen’s Platinum: Labeda Pama CyclonesWomen’s Gold: Revision Revolution

Silver MedalsCub Gold: Pama CyclonesCub Silver: Revision RevolutionAtom Platinum: Revision RevolutionAtom Gold: Pama Cyclones 08Atom Silver: Arizona OutlawsMite Platinum: San Diego Rockets 05Mite Gold: High RollersMite Silver: Bulldogs BlackMite Club: Bend Bullets

Squirt Platinum: Delta River RatsSquirt Gold: TerminatorsSquirt Silver: San Diego Rockets 04Squirt Club: Bend BulletsPee Wee Platinum: Revision Revolution 01Pee Wee Gold: NCR Tour ElitePee Wee Silver: Labeda JetsPee Wee Club: HB Militia WhiteBantam Platinum: Revision VanquishBantam Gold: Konixx Outcasts BlueBantam Silver: HB Militia WhiteBantam Club: Raiders GreenMidget Platinum: HB GrooveMidget Gold: San Diego HosersMidget Silver: Pama Cyclones BlackJunior Platinum: Kamagraf KnightsJunior Gold: Raw SteelDivision 1: Revision VanquishMen’s Platinum: Soul SkatersMen’s Gold: Team XDHMen’s Silver: New England Insanity30 & Over: NCR Elite40 & Over: Labeda Pama CyclonesWomen’s Platinum: OC BladesWomen’s Gold: Labeda Jets

Bronze MedalsCub Gold: BulldogsAtom Platinum: San Jose Inline SharksAtom Gold: High RollersAtom Silver: San Diego RocketsMite Gold: NotionMite Silver: San Diego Rockets 06Mite Club: Verbero VoodooSquirt Platinum: Pama Cyclones BlackSquirt Gold: Pama Cyclones RedSquirt Silver: San Diego SelectsSquirt Club: Yuma BlazePee Wee Platinum: North Shore ZuluPee Wee Gold: Revision VanquishPee Wee Silver: Chico FirebirdsPee Wee Club: Revision Revolution RedBantam Platinum: San Jose Inline SharksBantam Gold: Bulldogs BlueBantam Silver: Revision Revolution 00sBantam Club: Avalanche Roller Hockey Club

Midget Platinum: Revision VanquishMidget Gold: Pama Cyclones GoldMidget Silver: San Jose Inline SharksJunior Platinum: Supa HotJunior Gold: San Diego SelectsDivision 1: Konixx OutcastsMen’s Platinum: South Coast SavingsMen’s Gold: Rink Rat Grimreefers IHCMen’s Silver: Verbero Lynx Silver30 & Over: Paul Newell Home Loans Killers40 & Over: RocketsWomen’s Platinum: RepublicWomen’s Gold: Revision Vanquish

TOP INDIVIDUALSHigh Scorer AwardsCub Division: Grady Schaefer (Pama Cyclones)Atom Division: Aidan Yu (Pama Cyclones 08)Mite Platinum: Christian Kim (Pama Cyclones 05)Mite Gold: Dillan Rud (Notion)Mite Silver: Domonic Barber (Konixx Outcasts)Mite Club: Michael O’Neil (Verbero Voodoo)Squirt Platinum: Ean Somoza (LA Winterhawks)Squirt Gold: Aihden Martinez (San Jose Inline Sharks)Squirt Silver: Bryan Jimenez (Avalanche RHC)Squirt Club: Liam Culligan (Bulldogs Black)Pee Wee Platinum: Jason Chu (North Shore Zulu)Pee Wee Gold: Dominic Hofferber (San Jose Inline Sharks)Pee Wee Silver: Anthony Yu (Pama Cyclones 01/02)Pee Wee Club: Tommy Lang (HB Militia)Bantam Platinum: Casey Rhodes (Revision Vanquish)Bantam Gold: Dylan Reightley (Puckhog 99s)Bantam Silver: Evan Stapleton (HB Hurricanes)Bantam Club: Marco Rodriguez (Avalanche RHC)Midget Platinum: Evan Somoza (Revision Vanquish)Midget Gold: Nolan Fitch (San Diego Hosers)Midget Silver: Alex Grace (Delta Force Elite)Junior Platinum: Evan Somoza (Revision Vanquish)Junior Gold: Paul Hermle (Verbero Voltage)Division 1: Parker Moskal (San Diego Sprung Hosers)Men’s Platinum: Shawn Gawrys (Pama Labeda Cyclones Blue)Men’s Gold: Marvin Simmons (Oxy-Pow Youngbloods)Men’s Silver: Matt Maricic (Riskvision Red Army)30 & Over: Vinny Free (Pama Labeda Legends)40 & Over: Dylan Brunton (HB Crew)Women’s Platinum: Kourtney Kunichika

Women’s Gold: Tia Stoddard (Revision Vanquish)

Top Goaltender AwardsCub Division: Kaeden Tate (HB Militia)Atom Division: Max Castagnoli/Sage Legaspi (Pama Cyclones)Mite Platinum: Sky Willer (Pama Cyclones 05)Mite Gold: Jolee Savoy (High Rollers)Mite Silver: Ella Park (San Diego Rockets 06)Mite Club: Santiago Bohorquez (High School Hockey H2S)Squirt Platinum: Lucas Massie (L.A. Winterhawks)Squirt Gold: Evan Haley (San Jose Inline Sharks)Squirt Silver: Seth Miskiewicz (San Diego Selects)Squirt Club: Darrian Deshong (Bulldogs Black)Pee Wee Platinum: Marissa Trevino (Revision Revolution 01)Pee Wee Gold: Jaisal Patel (San Jose Inline Sharks)Pee Wee Silver: Evan Pawluk (Bulldogs Black)Pee Wee Club: Luke Yubeta (Konixx Outcasts)Bantam Platinum: Kavan Johnson/Tyler Kitchen (HB Militia Black)Bantam Gold: Maxwell Muller (San Jose Inline Sharks)Bantam Silver: Alan Maupas-Reigel (Revision Revolution 00)Bantam Club: Jacob Craig (AKS)Midget Platinum: Connor Duffy (Pama Prospects)Midget Gold: Nicholas Leacox (NorCal Extreme)Midget Silver: Matt Dunton (Raiders Yellow)Junior Platinum: Connor Duffy (Pama Prospects)Junior Gold: Kasey Kunichika (Raw Steel)Division 1: Leksie Zendejas (Revision Vanquish)Men’s Platinum: P.J. Musico (Pama Labeda Cyclones Blue)Men’s Gold: Chris McWhorter (Team XDH)Men’s Silver: Michael Wood (Marina Serpents)30 & Over: Marcus Vertin (Pama Labeda Legends)40 & Over: Tim Tobin (Labeda Pama Cyclones)Women’s Platinum: Danielle Stanard (Labeda Pama Cyclones)Women’s Gold: Leah Erkle (Revision Vanquish) Skills Competition WinnersCub DivisionFastest skater: Grady Schaefer (Pama Cyclones)Sniper: Jackson Schaefer (Pama Cyclones)Top goaltender: Kaeden Tate (HB Militia)

Atom DivisionFastest skater: Daniel Xiao (Revision Revolution)Sniper: Aidan Yu (Pama Cyclones 08)Top goaltender: Bennett Law (Revision Revolution)

Mite Platinum/Gold DivisionFastest skater: Christian Kim (Pama Cyclones 05)Sniper: Talen Garcia (San Diego Rockets 05)Top goaltender: Owen Crudale (San Diego Rockets 05)

Mite Silver/Club DivisionFastest skater: Chase Franks (Revision Revolution 05)Sniper: Domonic Barber (Konixx Outcasts)Top goaltender: Santiago Bohorquez (Hockey High School)

Squirt Platinum/Club DivisionFastest skater: Phillipe Lalonde (AKS 04)Sniper: Michael Schwartz (Pama Cyclones Black)Top goaltender: James Roberts (Revision Vanquish)

Squirt Silver/Club DivisionFastest skater: Pasha Bocharov (San Diego Rockets)Sniper: Talen Garcia (San Diego Rockets)Top goaltender: Amber McQuarry (Albuquerque Coyotes)

Pee Wee Silver/Club DivisionFastest skater: Max Pollock (Chico Firebirds)Sniper: Allen Yu (Pama Cyclones Red 01/02)Top goaltender: Anamary Pulgar (Labeda Jets)

Bantam Platinum/Gold DivisionFastest skater: Christian Acosta (HB Militia Black)Sniper: Jeffery Payne (San Jose Inline Sharks)Top goaltender: Austin Bogdanovich (Puckhogs 99’s)

Bantam Silver/Club DivisionFastest skater: Cory Mater (HB Militia White)Sniper: Joe Fordyce (Revision Revolution 2000)Top goaltender: Alan Maupas (Revision Revolution 2000)

Midget Platinum/Gold DivisionFastest skater: Parker Moskal (San Diego Hosers)Sniper: Christian Sy (NCR Elite)Top goaltender: Cameron Houde (NCR Elite)

Midget Silver DivisionFastest skater/sniper: Ian Beermann (Norcal Wild)Top goaltender: Dexter Hamilton (San Jose Inline Sharks)

2016 NARCh West Coast Finals Honor Roll


FROM THE TRAINER’S ROOM

Off-ice training plays a vital role in the development of hockey players.

USA Hockey follows the Long Term Athletic Development principles as the basis of their program. These principles will assist in creating a more consistent training regimen. Today’s training programs should not be based on how hard the pro-gram is, but what goals are in mind and are you progressing.

When training for a sport, the program should be devised with the following in mind:

• Is the program age specific?• Is the program based on meeting the demands of the sport which the athlete

plays?• Are proper techniques being used?• Does the program include fundamental movements that progress to more

complex ones?• Does the program address injury prevention exercises that relate to the sport?

There is an unlimited amount of exercises that can be used with goalies that will improve performance on the ice. Some key exercises that can be implement-ed into your goalie training program include lateral lunges, lateral bounds, resist-ed shuffles, mini band exercises for hip strength, rear foot elevated split squats, medicine ball Russian twists, dumbbell forward, diagonal and lateral shoulder raises, dumbbell rows and alternate ball toss with a partner.

The way you train off the ice directly affects the way you perform on the ice. Take a step-by-step approach with long-term athletic development in mind. Have goals in mind with proper technique and progression as the basis of your pro-gram to maximize performance and limit injuries.

Chris Phillips

Off-ice training for goalies should be relevant, challenging

Chris Phillips is a certified athletic trainer and strength andconditioning specialist and a former NHL athletic trainer.

Tommy Tartaglione, a coach within the Los Angeles Jr. Kings organization, was re-cently appointed Southern California’s goaltending development coordinator by USA

Hockey.Tartaglione’s multifaceted duties in the newly-created position include mentoring young

goaltenders across the region, educating local goalie coaches, meeting with clubs and associations to implement goalie training curriculum and leading USA Hockey’s student goaltending coach programs.

“Twenty years ago in California, the only way to learn about goaltending was by watching a rare game on television,” said Tartaglione, a Torrance native. “Now, with the American Goal-tending Development Program, every goalie from California will have the chance to learn the position the right way.”

Rick Cazares, a coach in the San Jose Jr. Sharks orga-nization, was named Northern California’s coordinator (see more on Cazares on Page 14).

“Adding more resources and support for goaltenders, both on the national level and the local level, is a priority for USA Hockey and our American Development Model (ADM),” said Phil Osaer, USA Hockey’s ADM manager for goaltending. “The goaltending development coordinators will play an important role in that process, giving young goal-tenders support and guidance from experienced coaches with a wealth of goaltending experience.

“(The California Amateur Hockey Association) has really prioritized goalie development, which is important.”

A former Jr. Kings goaltender who also excelled locally playing high-level inline hockey, Tartaglione is entering his third season coaching in the club.

“Tommy brings something unique, too, with his roller and ice hockey backgrounds,” Osaer added. “I think that could be vital for goalie identification in Southern California.”

“There’s so many promising young goaltenders in our state, and I’m looking forward to not only being a part of their continued development, but other goaltenders and coaches around the country as well,” Tartaglione said.

Tommy Tartaglione

12 champions crowned at Carmen Starr ClassicA record-high 79 teams from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas,

Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, as well as Russia, converged on three Southern California rinks recently to compete in the seventh annual Los Ange-les Jr. Kings-hosted Carmen Starr Memorial Day Classic, which ran from May 27-30.

Champions were crowned in 12 divisions: 2002 Elite (AK Blast); 2003 Elite (Langley Jr. Rivermen); 2003 AAA (Canwest Knights); 2004 Elite (Jr. Kings); 2004 AAA (Jr. Kings); 2005 Elite (Vancouver Warriors); 2006 Elite (California Patriots); 2006 AAA (Anaheim Jr. Ducks); 2007 Elite (Jr. Kings); 2007 AAA (Jr. Ducks); 2008 Elite (Jr. Rivermen); and 2009 Elite (Jr. Ducks).

“It hasn’t taken long for this event to solidify itself as the premier spring show-case on the West Coast, and we expect it to become even bigger and better in the coming years,” said tournament director Brian McDonough. “There was plenty of great competition in every division this year, and that speaks volumes about the effort each player, coach, team manager and family put forth to make the weekend such a success.”

Most Valuable Player awards were recognized in the 2002 through 08 divisions with each receiving a gift card, compliments of HockeyMonkey: 2002 Elite (Hunter Strand, AK Blast); 2003 Elite (Adam Grenier, Jr. Rivermen); 2003 AAA (Jacob Klassen, Canwest Knights); 2004 Elite (Jaden Lipinski, Jr. Kings); 2004 AAA (Dylan Cornforth, Jr. Kings); 2005 Elite (Jamison Sluys, Vancouver Warriors); 2006 Elite (Patrick Fortune, California Patriots); 2006 AAA (Oliver Clarke, Ana-heim Jr. Ducks); 2007 Elite (Mason Fleece, Jr. Kings); 2007 AAA (Ethan Barela, Jr. Ducks) and 2008 Elite (Nate Ramos, Jr. Rivermen).

All division champions were also awarded a banner and trophy, and all players on the championship teams received medals. Players on the runner-up teams in each division also received medals.

This year’s Carmen Starr games were contested at Toyota Sports Center (El Segundo), The Rinks-Lakewood Ice (Lakewood) and KHS Ice Arena (Anaheim).

“We can’t thank enough the staffs at our satellite facilities, as well as all of our volunteers, for making this tournament the most successful in its short history,” Mc-Donough added. “We’re lucky to have so many great, selfless people on our team to help make events of this scope hit on all cylinders.”

Jr. Kings coach Tartaglioneassumes role with USA Hockey


By Phillip Brents

The 2016 NARCh Finals are halfway to the finish line and when the final horn sounds, some 413 teams

will have participated in more 1,130 games from coast to coast.

The NARCh West Coast Finals wrapped up June 26 with 214 teams competing over an 11-day stretch that featured 576 games at Huntington Beach Inline; the NARCh East Coast Finals are scheduled to wrap up July 24 at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. A total of 199 teams are scheduled to compete there to finally put an exclamation mark on 23 days of competition in two states in what remains the world’s largest amateur inline hockey championship tournament.

“The West Coast Finals were fantastic,” NARCh president Daryn Goodwin enthusiastically explained. “It was great having teams that have some new programs from out-of-state that have never played NARCh before, as well as those that play every year. You really can’t go wrong with an event in Huntington Beach since there’s so much to do away from the rink when teams aren’t playing.

“I’m very happy that 413 total teams are competing in NARCh this summer.”

Best in the WestTeams from California, Arizona,

Nevada, Oregon, New Mexico, British Columbia, Japan, Brazil and Colombia attended the NARCh West Coast Finals, which faced off June 16. Teams received awards in a whopping 34 sub-divisions from 6U through adult divisions. California teams dominated, winning 31 division titles.

The Pama Cyclones program led the way with 10 division championships (in 14 finals appearances) while the HB Militia program was not far behind with five division titles and two second-place finishes.

While Southern California teams continued to make a statement, equally impressive were the showing turned in by teams from Northern California. Teams from the state’s northern region continued their upward development by collecting eight division championships and six additional runner-up medals.

The NorCal Extreme won titles in Midget Gold and Men’s Gold, while the San Jose Inline Sharks scored

division championships in Squirt Gold and Pee Wee Gold.

The Nor Cal Wild (Pee Wee Club), Delta Force Elite (Midget Silver), Verbero Voltage (Junior Gold) and Revision Revolution (Women’s Gold) also excelled by winning NARCh gold medals.

The Cyclones left their mark with division titles in Atom Platinum, Mite Platinum, Mite Club, Pee Wee Silver, Division 1, Men’s Platinum, 30 & Over and Women’s Platinum. Add to that two more titles by the Pama Prospects in the Midget Platinum and Junior Platinum divisions.

The HB Militia mined championships in the Cub Gold, Mite Gold, Pee Wee Platinum,

Bantam Platinum and Bantam Gold divisions while the CCM Corona Bulldogs scored division championships in Atom Gold and Squirt Club.

The Labeda Jets (Cub Silver), Temecula Valley Warriors (Atom Silver), LA Winterhawks (Squirt Platinum), Huntington Beach Hurricanes (Bantam Silver), Militia (Men’s Silver) and HB Crew (40 & Over) also won coveted NARCh division championships.

The Konixx Outcasts from Arizona won two titles (Mite Silver and Bantam Club).

Top individualsAnthony Yu of the Pee Wee Silver champion Pama

Cyclones 01/02 team topped all division high scorers at this year’s NARCh West Coast Finals with 25 points

on 16 goals and nine assists.However, he wasn’t the only player wielding a magic

stick.Christian Kim of the Mite Platinum champion

Pama Cyclones 05 team racked up 18 goals and 23 points, while Aidan Yu of the Atom Gold runner-up Pama Cyclones 08 team recorded 18 goals and 22 points. Grady Schaefer of the Cub Gold runner-up Pama Cyclones collected 16 goals and 20 points.

Evan Pawluk of the Pee Wee Silver Division Bulldogs Black team posted

the top save percentage of .925 to lead all division top goaltender award-winners at this year’s NARCh West Coast Finals.

There seemed to be a definite emphasis on top-level goaltending at this year’s finals.

Evan Haley of the Squirt Gold champion San Jose Inline

Sharks posted a .917 save percentage, while Alan Maupas-Reigel of the Bantam Silver Division Revision Revolution 00 squad and Michael Wood of the Men’s Silver Division Marina Serpents both posted .916 save percentages.

Nicholas Leacox of the Midget Gold champion NorCal Extreme and Chris McWhorter of the Men’s Gold runner-up Team XDH both recorded .915 save percentages, while Connor Duffy of the Junior Platinum champion Pama Prospects posted a .914 save percentage.

Danielle Stanard of the Women’s Platinum champion Labeda Pama Cyclones recorded a .913 save percentage, while P.J. Musico of the Men’s Platinum champion Pama Labeda Cyclones Blue registered a .903 save percentage and Tim Tobin of the 40 & Over runner-up Labeda Pama Cyclones had a .902 save percentage.

Beast in the EastCalifornia teams will have a definite presence at the

NARCh East Coast Finals with representation in eight divisions in an international field comprising the United States, Canada, France, Colombia and the Cayman Islands.

For updates, visit www.narch.com.

The Revision Revolution captured the Women’s Gold Division championship at June’s NARCh West Coast Finals. Photo/NARCh

Hot In The CityNARCh West Coast Finals set the pace for intense championship summer

Give Blood Play Hockey event celebrates 10th anniversaryThis year’s Give Blood Play Hockey inline hockey

charity tournament, scheduled Oct. 20-23 at The Rinks-Irvine Inline, is special in that it marks the tenth anniversary of the event, which owns distinction as the largest inline hockey charity tournament in the world.

“This year we hope to hit the $750,000 mark on the way to our goal of $1 million donated to Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) for research into clinical trials and the genomics of diseases like cancer and blood disorders,” GBPH tournament co-founder Mary Quayle explained.

“As it is our 10th year, we are going to be really stepping up the fundraising. We are launching a “$10 for 10” campaign – if everyone can get 10 people to donate $10 for our tenth annual event, we would be able to meet our goals.”

Quayle noted that 100 percent of all proceeds go directly to CHOC. She encourages everyone to participate. The easiest way to do that, she said, is through www.giveblooodplayhockey.org.

Tournament organizers expect to surpass the 2,500th pint of donated blood at the 2016 event. Quayle noted that each pint of blood can save up to three lives. She remains amazed at the life-saving potential the tournament has provided to the community.

“Do the math,” she said. “GBPH has given enough blood to potentially save 7,500 lives. We have first-

time donors to donors who have given all 10 years.”Bloodmobiles will be on site Oct. 21-23.Quayle said more than 100 teams will be

participating in this year’s tournament. The early registration team fee (prior to Sept. 16) is $500 and increases to $550 after Sept. 16. There is a $25 team discount for two blood donors.

Divisions range from 6U through 18U, plus high school varsity and junior varsity teams, college, women’s, men’s and

coed divisions. Skill levels are beginner to advanced.For more information, email [email protected].


By Phillip Brents

While a national championship eluded participating teams from Pacific-North and Pacific-South

divisions at the American Inline Hockey League (AIHL) finals played May 20-22 at the Skate Safe America rink in Old Bethpage, N.Y., players admitted it was a definite thrill to be part of the event.

“Playing at nationals was so much fun,” San Diego Tron Hosers Black defenseman George Godinez explained. “The facility was great, the competition was very competitive. The only thing that hurt us was our roster. We went in with eight skaters and a goalie and the other teams had about 12-13 on their roster and two goalies.

“We played very well. If we had our whole squad, I’m sure we could’ve had a better chance to win it, although we came very close with just eight guys.”

Four teams from California and one each from Arizona and Nevada participated in this year’s tournament on Long Island.

The East Bay Jawz and Arizona Outcasts competed in the top-tier Elite Division, while the Marina Mantas and Las Vegas Aces participated in the Minor Tier 1 Division and the Oakland Dragons and Hosers competed in the Minor Tier 2 Division.

Pacific-South region champion Arizona paced the western complement of teams with a runner-up finish in the Champions Cup Finals to the Mid-Atlantic Division’s Revision Delco Demons from Springfield, Pa., while the Mantas and Hosers both pushed their semifinal series to the limit before bowing out of the tournament.

The Hosers were eliminated on a dramatic turn-of-fortune goal scored by the Atlantic zone’s New Jersey Alliance with just 14 seconds left in the teams’ deciding playoff game after the San Diego team had powered to an early 3-0 lead.

“It was a very exciting game,” Godinez recalled. “Both teams were taking great chances and the goalies were solid. We were exhausted but not giving up. It was a very heartbreaking loss to end the playoffs.”

The Mantas also lost a narrow deciding playoff game 3-2 to the Atlantic zone’s Philadelphia Liberty, while the Jawz, Aces and Dragons all were swept by their semifinal opponents.

Eastern horizonsThis year’s national championship tournament

featured a user-friendly format. Teams from the four geographic zone qualifiers – Pacific-South, Pacific-North, Mid-Atlantic and New England – played a four-team round-robin format on the opening day of competition. Teams then were seeded first through fourth by order of finish for the next day’s best-of-three semifinals.

Semifinal winners then advanced to the final

day of competition in best-of-three championship series.

The Outcasts made a statement by winning their opening five games before dropping both matchups in the finals to the Demons. The Hosers finished tournament play with a record of two wins, three losses and one shootout loss while the Mantas finished with a 2-4 record. The Jawz, Aces and Dragons all finished 0-5.

The Hosers faced off round-robin play with a 7-0 win over Pacific-North champion Oakland, then lost to the New Jersey Alliance 4-3 in a shootout before closing out the round-robin with a 3-2 loss to the Hartford Fire Ants from the New England Division.

The Hosers drew New Jersey in the semifinals, losing two games to one. The Hosers won the first game 2-1 in overtime, but dropped the second game by a score of 6-3 to set up the deciding third game.

Hartford defeated New Jersey by scores of 6-2 and 3-2 to claim the AIHL Minor Tier 2 national championship.

“Overall, it was a great experience,” explained Godinez, who collected four goals and two assists in the team’s six games in New York. “It was a great time playing, a good little mini-vacation for us -- definitely need to go back to see more of New York City.”

Dylan Davidson led the Hosers in scoring at the AIHL nationals with 10 points (five goals, five assists), while goaltender Doug Irwin turned in a very respectable 2.89 goals-against average and a .830 save percentage in playing all the minutes between the pipes.

Pacific-North champion Marina faced off play with a 5-1 victory against Pacific-South champion Las Vegas. However, the Mantas could not maintain their momentum with consecutive losses to the Long Island 495ers Blue (5-3) and the Philadelphia Liberty Blue (7-1) to close out round-robin play.

The Mantas bounced back with a 3-2 overtime win over the Liberty to start the semifinals. However, the Philadelphia team rallied with 5-0 and 3-2 victories to advance to the division finals.

Danny Salazar racked up nine points (four goals, five assists) to lead the Mantas in tournament scoring, while Thomas Hartshorn led the team with six goals, including the OT winner over the Liberty in the semifinals.

Long Island went on to defeat Philadelphia two games to one to win the AIHL Minor Tier 1 Division championship.

The Demons swept the Outcasts by scores of 7-3 and 5-0 to win the Elite Division.

George Godinez was among the players on the San Diego Tron Hosers Black team who competed at May’s American Inline Hockey League national championship tournament on Long Is-land. Photo/NARCh

Leaving Their MarkCalifornia teams make noise at AIHL national championship tournament

West Valley College players double up at NCRHA, AIHL A trio of players from the Marina Mantas –

Danny Salazar , Thomas Hartshorn and Tyler Gulan – along with Kyle Aldrich from the Arizona Outcasts had the honor of playing in two inline hockey national championship tournaments in the span of a month when they suited up for their respective teams at May’s American Inline Hockey League (AIHL) national finals on Long Island.

Prior to that, the talented quartet led California’s West Valley College to a runner-up finish (to Missouri’s St. Charles Community College) in the Junior College Division at April’s National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) national finals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Hartshorn (eight goals, four assists), Salazar (six goals, six assists) and Gulan (five goals, four assists) led the Mantas in scoring during the team’s eight AIHL playoff games. Aldrich tallied four goals and two assists in the

Outcasts’ 12 playoff games, including two goals in a 5-1 semifinal series-clinching victory against the Pacific-North regional champion East Bay Jawz at the AIHL nationals.

The Outcasts finished 5-2 at the AIHL nationals and 9-3 overall in the playoffs, including regional wins over the San Diego Tron Hosers and Las Vegas Aces. San Clemente’s Will Heinze led the Outcasts with four goals and six assists in three round-robin games at the AIHL nationals.

While the Jawz failed to win a game at the AIHL nationals, the scores did not tell the whole story. After dropping a 5-2 round-robin

opener to the Outcasts, the Jawz came up on the short end of a 3-2 shootout loss to the New England Division’s Empire State Legends and lost 5-1 to the eventual national champion Revision Delco Demons.

Ryan Daubenmire paced the Jawz in overall playoff scoring with seven goals and nine points.

Darren Corsatea of regular season Pacific-South Division champion Las Vegas led the AIHL’s Elite Division in scoring with 72 points (34 goals, 38 assists) in 24 regular-season games.

- Phillip Brents

Kyle Aldrich had the honor of playing in two national championship tournaments in the span of a month when he suited up for the Arizona Outcasts at May’s American Inline Hockey League national championship tournament on Long Island. Photo/NARCh


2015-16 CALIFORNIA/NEVADA ALUMNIE-mail all additions, deletions and corrections to [email protected]

CALIFORNIAPROFESSIONAL HOCKEY NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEBeau Bennett (Gardena) – New Jersey DevilsEmerson Etem (Long Beach) – Vancouver CanucksAlec Martinez (Santa Clara) – Los Angeles KingsStefan Matteau – New Jersey Devils !Kevan Miller (Los Angeles) – Boston BruinsMatt Nieto (Long Beach) – San Jose SharksBobby Ryan (El Segundo) – Ottawa SenatorsMatt Tennyson (Pleasanton) – San Jose SharksJason Zucker – Minnesota Wild *

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUESena Acolatse (Hayward) – Portland PiratesTaylor Aronson (Placentia) – Milwaukee AdmiralsChase Balisy (Rancho Santa Margarita) – Portland PiratesMitch Callahan (Whittier) – Grand Rapids GriffinsEric Comrie (Newport Beach) – Manitoba MoosePheonix Copley – Chicago Wolves +Chase De Leo (La Mirada) – Manitoba MooseShane Harper (Valencia) – Portland PiratesMatthew Ford (West Hills) – Bakersfield CondorsRocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor) – Portland PiratesCory Kane (Irvine) – Texas StarsNic Kerdiles (Irvine) – San Diego GullsKyle MacKinnon (Walnut) – San Diego GullsCorbin McPherson (Folsom) – Albany DevilsGustav Olofsson – Iowa Wild !Chad Ruhwedel (San Diego) – Rochester AmericansScooter Vaughan (Placentia) – Chicago Wolves

ECHLAustin Block (Northridge) – Manchester MonarchsDennis Brown (Cypress) – Tulsa OilersChase Golightly (Temecula) – Florida EverbladeGarrett Haar (Huntington Beach) – Alaska AcesMatt Konan (Tustin) – Tulsa OilersMiles Koules (Los Angeles) – Quad City MallardsJoe Marciano (Alta Loma) – Norfolk AdmiralsBrandon Marino (Riverside) – Brampton BeastTyler Maxwell (Manhattan Beach) – Alaska AcesMax Nicastro (Thousand Oaks) – Orlando Solar BearsJ.T. Osborn (Alpine) – Quad City MallardsJonathan Parker (Solana Beach) – Allen AmericansZach Pochiro – Quad City Mallards %Troy Power (Camarillo) – Manchester MonarchsTroy Redmann (Brea) – Alaska AcesAdam Reid (Chino Hills) – Orlando Solar BearsLiam Stewart (Hermosa Beach) – Alaska AcesSteve Weinstein (Los Angeles) – Cincinnati CyclonesMatt White (Whittier) – Manchester Monarchs

SOUTHERN PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEDaniel Gentzler (Hermosa Beach) – Macon MayhemJosh Harris (Torrance) – Peoria RivermenSteven Hoshaw (Vista) – Fayetteville FireAntzAlex Hudson (Corona) – Louisiana IceGatorsMark Pustin (Northridge) – Mississippi RiverKingsJeff Sanders (San Jose) – Macon MayhemMatt Zenzola (San Diego) – Pensacola Ice Flyers

FEDERAL HOCKEY LEAGUEAugust Aiken (Whittier) – Berlin River DriversJustin Alonzo (San Jose) – Port Huron ProwlersLester Brown (Citrus Heights) – Dayton Demolition

EUROPECharles Baldwin (Santee) – Czech RepublicBrett Beebe (Redondo Beach) - GermanyKyle Bigos (Upland) – EnglandJonathon Blum (Rancho Santa Margarita) – RussiaRobbie Earl (Los Angeles) – SwedenRyan Hollweg (Downey) – Czech RepublicBrandon Kozun (Los Angeles) – FinlandRyan Lasch (Lake Forest) – SwedenColin Long (Santa Ana) – SwedenShane Madolora (Salinas) – ItalyRhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach) – SwedenBrett Sterling (Los Angeles) – AustriaC.J. Stretch (Irvine) – GermanyMitch Wahl (Seal Beach) – SwedenCasey Wellman (Brentwood) – Russia

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUEJessica Koizumi (Simi Valley) – Connecticut WhaleKourtney Kunichika (Fullerton) – Buffalo BeautsRachel Llanes (San Jose) – Boston PrideElena Orlando (San Jose) – New York Riveters

Jenny Scrivens (Camarillo) – New York RivetersCherie Stewart (Lake Forest) – New York RivetersAlyssa Wohlfeiler (Saugus) – Connecticut Whale

COLLEGE HOCKEY

NCAA DIVISION I – MEN

ATLANTIC HOCKEYChris Buchanan (San Jose) – Bentley UniversityRyan Doucet (San Jose) – U.S. Air Force AcademyDavid Gandara (Canyon Lake) – American International CollegeTaylor Maruya (Westchester) – U.S. Military AcademyMitch Mueller (Bakersfield) – American International College

BIG TENWill Johnson (Santa Barbara) – University of Wisconsin

ECACMax Becker (Orange) – Princeton UniversityArthur Brey (Yorba Linda) – St. Lawrence UniversityLonnie Clary (Riverside) – Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBrett Gervais (Corona) – Clarkson UniversitySoren Jonzzon (Mountain View) – Quinnipiac UniversityBrandon Kirk (La Verne) – Dartmouth CollegeSean Lawrence (Granite Bay) – Quinnipiac UniversityJonathan Liau (Burbank) – Princeton UniversityMerrick Madsen (Acton) – Harvard UniversityAlec McCrea (El Cajon) – Cornell UniversityAlex Miner-Barron (Glendora) – Quinnipiac UniversityTyler Moy (San Diego) – Harvard University

HOCKEY EASTCollin Delia (Rancho Cucamonga) – Merrimack CollegeThatcher Demko (San Diego) – Boston CollegeRobert Francis (San Diego) – University of Massachusetts-LowellGarrett Gamez (Chino Hills) – Providence CollegeDennis Kravchenko (Laguna Niguel) – Univ. of MassachusettsMichael McNicholas (Manhattan Beach) – Univ. of New HampshireAndrew Oglevie (Fullerton) – University of Notre DameNikolas Olsson (Escondido) – Boston UniversityRyan Ruck (Coto de Caza) – Northeastern UniversityScott Savage (San Clemente) – Boston CollegeDan Senkbeil (Fremont) – University of VermontNolan Stevens – Northeastern University %Ryan Tait (Santa Clarita) – Providence College

NCHCMatthew Caito (Coto de Caza) – Miami UniversityGrant Gallo (San Diego) – University of Nebraska-OmahaRobby Jackson (Alameda) – St. Cloud State UniversityGabe Levin (Marina del Rey) – University of DenverTrevor Moore (Thousand Oaks) – University of DenverPatrick Newell (Thousand Oaks) – St. Cloud State UniversityAustin Ortega (Escondido) – University of Nebraska-OmahaDavid Radke (Orinda) – Colorado CollegeRyan Siroky (Manhattan Beach) – Miami University

WCHABrandon Carlson (Huntington Beach) – Univ. of Alabama-HuntsvilleBen Greiner (Newport Beach) – Bowling Green State UniversityJohn Keeney (Twin Peaks) – University of Alaska-FairbanksTroy Loggins (Huntington Beach) – Northern Michigan Univ.Chandler Madry (Bakersfield) – Minnesota State UniversityLuke McColgan (Manhattan Beach) – Univ. of Alaska-AnchorageDarren Nowick (Long Beach) – Northern Michigan UniversitySean O’Rourke (Alta Loma) – Ferris State UniversityJ.D. Peterson (Orange) – University of Alaska-FairbanksMatt Robertson (Rohnert Park) – Ferris State UniversityTomas Sholl (Hermosa Beach) – Bowling Green State UniversityJohn Siemer (Baldwin Park) – Northern Michigan UniversityShane Sooth (Canyon Country) – Northern Michigan UniversityMax Vallis (Santa Clara) – Michigan Tech University

INDEPENDENTMichael Cummings (San Bernardino) – Arizona State UniversityDavid Jacobson (Calabasas) – Arizona State University

NCAA DIVISION III – MEN

ECAC NORTHEASTMatt Audet (Campbell) – Western New England UniversityStefan Brucato (Lake Elsinore) – Johnson & Wales UniversityKevin Chilton (Oak Park) – Nichols CollegeCarter Horwitz (Tustin) – Endicott CollegeDavid Kann (Lafayette) – Becker CollegeDevin Linker (Fresno) – Becker CollegeNicholas McKee (Bakersfield) – Becker CollegeLuke Miller (Lancaster) – Suffolk UniversityNick Newman (Saugus) – Wentworth Institute of TechnologyAdam Plonski (San Bernardino) – Becker College

Cameron Randles (Santa Clarita) – Endicott CollegeBasil Reynolds (Covina) – Becker CollegeHaroutiun Sarkisian (Encino) – Nichols CollegeEvan Schmidbauer (San Diego) – Salve Regina UniversityCole Semchak (Bakersfield) – Western New England UniversityStanton Turner (San Francisco) – Suffolk UniversityBrian White (Santa Ana) – Curry College

ECAC WESTCory Anderson (Bakersfield) – ManhattanvilleJon Neal (Encinitas) – Hobart CollegeBrad Robbins (Murrieta) – Hobart CollegeCasey Rogers (Moreno Valley) – Neumann UniversityJordan Watt (Corona) – Neumann UniversityMitch Wiebe (McGregor) – Neumann UniversityMatt Zendejas (Upland) – Neumann University

MASCACKyle Baker (Fresno) – Worcester State UniversityJake Carter (El Segundo) – Westfield State UniversityGordon Ceasar (Oak Park) – Plymouth State UniversityCameron Coburn (Fresno) – Framingham State UniversityConnor Cooley (Simi Valley) – Univ. of Massachusetts-DartmouthSean Haltam (Medina) – Worcester State UniversityConnor McPherson (Lancaster) – Fitchburg State UniversityCody Slocum (Temecula) – Worcester State UniversityCrissostomos Villareal (Corona) – Worcester State University

MIACPeter Barral (Berkeley) – Bethel UniversityTyler Gonzales (West Covina) – Hamline UniversityMitch Hughes (Laguna Niguel) – Bethel UniversityDallas Marvin (Newbury Park) – Bethel UniversityJohnny Morales (Torrance) – St. Mary’s UniversityKevin Novakovich (Saratoga) – Hamline UniversityChris Nuth (Trabuco Canyon) – Augsburg CollegeJ.T. Paine (Rancho Santa Margarita) – St. Olaf CollegeJustin Plate (Rancho Santa Margarita) – St. Olaf CollegeSteven Sherman (San Diego) – St. Olaf CollegeJ.T. Walters (San Diego) – Bethel University

NCHAAnthony Annunziato (Alta Loma) – Lake Forest CollegeMatt Bartels (Sun City) – Aurora UniversityHenry Berger (Claremont) – Northland CollegeDarius Cole (Aurora) – Northland CollegeKyle Gonzalez (Chino Hills) – Northland CollegeJames Mathias (Ontario) – Marian UniversityPeter Megariotis (Anaheim) – Adrian CollegeTravis Meyer (Corona) – Marian UniversitySean Reynolds (Anaheim) – Lawrence UniversityAlec Rounds (Laguna Beach) – Finlandia UniversityNick Trefry (Upland) – Northland CollegeStorm Wahlrab (Laguna Nigiel) – St. Norbert CollegeQuinton Wunder (Simi Valley) – Lake Forest College

NEHCCassidy April (San Diego) – University of New EnglandSam Bloom (Davis) – Skidmore CollegeScott Cornfield (Brea) – New England CollegeBilly Faust (Alta Loma) – University of Massachusetts-BostonConnor Ferrera (Trabuco Canyon) – Univ. of Southern MaineBryan Hodges (La Palma) – University of Southern MaineBrett Kilar (Coto de Caza) – New England CollegeDavid MacGregor (Azusa) – Univ. of Massachusetts-BostonAaron Madsen (Trabuco Canyon) – New England CollegeJon Manlow (Murrieta) – New England CollegeKyle Manlow (Murrieta) – New England CollegeChristian Merritt (Thousand Oaks) – University of New EnglandEaston Miller (Mission Viejo) – St. Anselm CollegeBryce Nielsen (Laguna Hills) – New England CollegeWill Platt (San Francisco) – New England CollegeCorey Sikich (Hermosa Beach) – Castleton State UniversityTanner Tinoco (La Puente) – University of Southern Maine

NESCACKendall Culbertson (Laguna Niguel) – Bowdoin CollegeKai Frankville (La Jolla) – Colby CollegeRyan Glantz (Tarzana) – Connecticut CollegeChad Goldberg (Agoura Hills) – Tufts UniversityAustin Ho (Chino Hills) – Amherst CollegeMarcus Mollica (Dove Canyon) – Williams CollegeRyan Mowery (Rancho Santa Fe) – Connecticut CollegeXavier Louis Reed (Oakland) – Amherst CollegeWyatt Rees (Los Angeles) – Wesleyan UniversityJaren Taenaka (Rosemead) – Wesleyan UniversityOliver Takacsi-Nagy (Los Gatos) – Tufts UniversityTheo Tydingco (Newark) – Wesleyan University

SUNYACEddie Cordero (Saugus) – Fredonia State University

Michael Freeman (Rancho Cucamonga) – Fredonia State Univ.Paul Fregeau (Sylmar) – Plattsburgh State UniversityKyle Herring (Valencia) – Cortland State UniversityTom Plese (Orange County) – Potsdam State UniversityJake Rivera (Pacific Palisades) – Potsdam State UniversityLuke Rivera (Pacific Palisades) – Fredonia State UniversityZac Sikich (Oak Park) – Brockport State UniversityT.J. Sneath (Chino) – Oswego State UniversityDylan Vander Esch (San Jose) – Potsdam State University

WIACBrandon Brossoit (Seal Beach) – Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireJono Davis (La Verne) – University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointZach Dixon (Huntington Beach) – Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens PointDavid Henry (Foster City) – University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireChristian Salvato (La Verne) – University of Wisconsin-StoutEric Shand (San Dimas) – University of Wisconsin-Superior

INDEPENDENTKyle Matsumoto (Walnut) – Canton State University

NCAA DIVISION I – WOMEN

CHAMicayla Catanzariti (Rancho Santa Margarita) – Penn State Univ.Hannah England (Simi Valley) – Penn State UniversityLauren Kilroy (Cypress) – Mercyhurst UniversityJetta Rackleff – Rochester Institute of Technology $Sarah Robello – Rochester Institute of Technology $Megan Whiddon (Redondo Beach) – Mercyhurst UniversityCeline Whitlinger (Garden Grove) – Penn State University

ECACDylanne Crugnale (Laguna Niguel) – Harvard UniversityKeiko DeClerk (San Jose) – Princeton UniversityKara Drexler (Manhattan Beach) – Yale UniversityMonica Elvin (Penryn) – Brown UniversityLydia Grauer – St. Lawrence University $Kayla Nielsen (Laguna Hills) – St. Lawrence UniversityErin Ozturk (Huntington Beach) – Harvard UniversityJustine Reyes (Chino Hills) – St. Lawrence University

HOCKEY EASTBridget Baker (Los Gatos) – University of VermontAlice Hughes (La Canada) – University of ConnecticutKaliya Johnson – Boston College $Alenandra Lersch (Manhattan Beach) – Univ. of ConnecticutLexi Romanchuk (San Jose) – Providence College

WCHALeila Kilduff (San Jose) – Minnesota State UniversityAnnie Pankowski (Laguna Hills) – University of WisconsinNina Rodgers – University of Minnesota $

NCAA DIVISION III – WOMEN

CHCMegan Alexander (Redondo Beach) – Stevenson UniversityAlexandra Bloom – Canton State University $Danielle Comorre (Tujunga) – Endicott CollegeSavannah Sommers (Corona) – Stevenson UniversityAnastasia Thompson (Riverside) – Becker College

ECAC WESTRachel Carranza (San Ramon) – William Smith CollegeBri Carroll – Buffalo State University $McKenna Farole (Irvine) – Elmira CollegeJenny Jones – Chatham College $Eva Kristof (Pleasanton) – Cortland State UniversityNicole Langley (Huntington Beach) – Utica CollegeJordan Lipson (Davis) – Plattsburgh State University

NESCACEmma Tani (Orange) – Trinity College

JUNIOR HOCKEY

BRITISH COLUMBIA HOCKEY LEAGUEElijiah Barriga (West Covina) - Salmon Arm SilverbacksAustin Chavez (Corona) - Wenatchee WildAaron Murray (Chino) - Wenatchee WildGarrett Nieto (Yorba Linda) - Wenatchee WildDakota Raabe (Dana Point) - Wenatchee WildTyler Rockwell (San Jose) - Wenatchee WildAlex Stoley (Manteca) - Prince George Spruce KingsJared Turcotte (Moorpark) - Salmon Arm Silverbacks

CENTRAL CANADA HOCKEY LEAGUEJaylon Gorman (San Jose) – Smiths Falls Bears


Kyle Orgel (Los Angeles) – Brockville BravesRyan Orgel (Los Angeles) – Brockville BravesEASTERN HOCKEY LEAGUEMax Blitz (Chino Hills) - Hartford Jr. Wolfpack (Premier)Paul Boutoussov (Dana Point) – Valley Jr. Warriors Chandler Cole (Laguna Hills) - Vermont Lumberjacks (Premier)Jared Day (Orange) - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (Elite)Dakota Delbridge (Tracy) - East Coast Wizards (Premier)Zach Feldman (San Diego) - Walpole Express (Premier)Garrett Geane (Fullerton) - Walpole Express (Premier)Doc Gentzler (Manhattan Beach) - Hartford Jr. Wolfpack (Premier)Brendan Gilligan (San Jose) - Northern Cyclones (Elite)Brian Hodges (Yorba Linda) - East Coast Wizards (Premier)Timothy Huxen (Bakersfield) - New Jersey Rockets (Premier)Riley Kraemer (Villa Park) - Boston Bandits (Elite)Hunter Laslo (Irvine) - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (Premier)Daylan Lipanovich (Dana Point) - New Jersey Rockets (Premier)Drake Longaker (San Jose) - Northern Cyclones (Premier)Cameron Mack (Long Beach) - Connecticut Nighthawks (Premier)Matthew Maple (Fullerton) - New England Wolves (Elite)Garrett Mello (Agoura Hills) - New England Wolves (Premier)Shane Noviello (Mission Viejo) - Northern Cyclones (Premier)Evan Nyhus (Los Angeles) - Valley Jr. Warriors (Premier)Kris Onizuka (Mission Viejo) - Northern Cyclones (Elite)Ricky Pacciorini (Winters) - Boston Bandits (Elite)Justin Pierce (San Diego) - Boston Jr. Rangers (Elite)Josh Racataian (San Diego) - Walpole Express (Elite)Josh Reinstein (Los Angeles) - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (Premier)Devin Sadovnick (Studio City) - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (Elite)Jordan Smith (Palo Alto) - Walpole Express (Elite)Felix Takacsi-Nagy (Los Gatos) - Hartford Jr. Wolfpack (Premier)Matthew Donald Toombs (Pleasanton) - New England Wolves (Premier)Chad Watt (Riverside) - Philadelphia Little Flyers (Premier)Matt Wiesner (Newport Beach) - Valley Jr. Warriors (Premier)Eric Wright (San Diego) - Walpole Express (Elite)

GREATER METRO HOCKEY LEAGUERyan Cortez (Corona) – Bobcaygeon StormNoah Griffith (Bakersfield) – Komoka DragonsJames Kilgore (La Verne) – Haliburton WolvesHolden Melgoza (Torrance) – Parry Sound IslandersLuis Mendoza (Newark) – Parry Sound IslandersNick Spindola (Menlo Park) – Seguin HuskiesJohn Tomlinson (San Jose) – Norfolk VikingsJoshua Vaughan (San Jose) – Parry Sound Islanders

KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE Cleary Ambrose (San Diego) – Kamloops StormAaron Aragon (Whittier) – Revelstoke GrizzliesTrevor Dilauro (Huntington Beach) – Spokane BravesKeenan Haase (Mission Viejo) – Kimberley DynamitersBlake Norman (Redondo Beach) – Spokane BravesDanny O’Donnell (Ventura) – Sicamous Eagles

NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUEBen Baker (Rancho Santa Margarita) - Minnesota MagiciansAdam Canepa (Santa Cruz) - Corpus Christi IceRaysAlex Cathcart (Northridge) - Amarillo BullsNiko Della Maggorie (Gilroy) - Springfield Jr. BluesDylan Dix (Scotts Valley) - Corpus Christi IceRaysEzekiel Estrada (Newport Beach) – Kenai River Brown BearsZak Galambos (Walnut Creek) - Johnstown TomahawksJack Gates (Oceanside) - Janesville JetsJacob Hamacher (Corona) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton KnightsNick Klishko (San Diego) - Kenai River Brown BearsBen Lown (Newport Coast) - Wichita Falls WildcatsDavid Marabella (Clovis) - Lone Star BrahmasNick Nast (Oxnard) - Kenai River Brown BearsGavin Nieto (Yorba Linda) - Fairbanks Ice DogsJake Rosenbaum (Irvine) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton KnightsRussell Rourke (Long Beach) - Wichita Falls WildcatsChad Sasaki (Cypress) - Coulee Region ChillEvan Somoza (Simi Valley) - Fairbanks Ice DogsCole Souto (Yorba Linda) - Bismarck BobcatsLiam Stirtzinger (Moorpark) - Fairbanks Ice DogsNick Wallace (Sun Valley) - Bismarck BobcatsBlake Weyrick (Malibu) - Janesville Jets

NORTH AMERICAN 3 EASTERN HOCKEY LEAGUENolan Bivolcic (Los Gatos) - Wilkes-Barre MinersMichael Fary (Lake Forest) - Jersey Shore WildcatsAugie Onorato (San Pedro) - New York Aviators

NORTH AMERICAN 3 HOCKEY LEAGUEJosh Allan (Los Angeles) - Glacier NationalsEvan Camba (Orange County) - Atlanta CapitalsJack Cleaver (San Jose) - Atlanta CapitalsChase Di Bari (Ladera Ranch) - Granite City LumberjacksBradley Estrada (Chino Hills) - Helena BighornsJay Forbes (San Diego) - Helena BighornsStephen Frank (Pleasant Hill) - Bozeman IcedogsWilliam Garrity (Dublin) - Nashville Jr. PredatorsAlec Hooper (San Jose) - Breezy Point North StarsRiley Hummitsch (Chino Hills) - Atlanta Capitals

Connor Melton (Chico) - Billings BullsBrandon Mills (San Dimas) - Helena BighornsArshia Mitchell (Aliso Viejo) - St. Louis Jr. BluesNick Nisbet (Scotts Valley) - La Crosse FreezeKyle Rimbach (San Diego) - Atlanta CapitalsHayden Smer (Mission Viejo) - St. Louis Jr. BluesNicholas Stellmack (San Jose) - Billings BullsColin Tripp (Prunedale) - Billings BullsDylan Wattles (Burbank) - Atlanta CapitalsAlex Werdmuller (Laguna Hills) - St. Louis Jr. BluesAleksandr Zendejas (Mission Viejo) - Atlanta Capitals

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUEParker Moskal (San Diego) – Cochrane CrunchJoseph Thielen (Huntington Beach) – Cochrane Crunch

NORTHERN PACIFIC HOCKEY LEAGUENash Berkowitz (San Jose) - Eugene GeneralsKarson DeRego (Huntington Beach) - Bellingham BlazersKevin Duncan (Los Angeles) - Bellingham BlazersRaymond Fleming (Palo Alto) - Wenatchee WolvesMark Klasen (Poway) - Bellingham BlazersJohnny Schacher (Bakersfield) - Wenatchee WolvesChristopher Sohl (Riverside) - West Sound WarriorsSam Vizenor (Anaheim) - Bellingham Blazers

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUESasha Chmelevski (Huntington Beach) – Sarnia StingVanya Lodnia (Anaheim) – Erie Otters

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUEMatthew Boucher (Los Angeles) – Quebec Remparts

SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUECoby Downs (Montclair) - Battlefords North Stars Jacob Fricks (Laguna Niguel) - Weyburn Red WingsIgor Leonenko (Santa Cruz) - Battlefords North StarsRobby McClellan (Palos Verdes) - Estevan BruinsEvan Plotnik (Capistrano Beach) - Melfort MustangsOwen Sikich (Hermosa Beach) - Notre Dame Hounds

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUEJoey Cassetti (Pleasanton) – U.S. NTDP Under-17 TeamDevin Cooley (Los Gatos) – Muskegon LumberjacksLawton Courtnall (Westlake Village) – Sioux Falls StampedeJustin Dixson (Sunnyville) – Tri-City StormJake Durflinger (Walnut Creek) – Bloomington ThunderNiko Hildenbrand (Vacaville) – Fargo ForceNathaniel Kallen (San Diego) – Muskegon LumberjacksPatrick Khodorenko (Walnut Creek) – U.S. NTDP Under-18 TeamTyson McLellan (San Jose) – Madison CapitolsShane McMahan (Irvine) – Fargo ForceBrannon McManus (Newport Beach) – Omaha LancersAlec Mehr (Irvine) – Bloomington ThunderNick Rivera (Pacific Palisades) – Omaha LancersJakob Romo (Fullerton) – Dubuque Fighting SaintsEetu Selanne (Coto de Caza) – Madison CapitolsEthan Somoza (Simi Valley) – Bloomington ThunderJosh Wilkins (Laguna Hills) – Sioux City MusketeersBrian Williams (San Diego) – Omaha Lancers

UNITED STATES PREMIER HOCKEY LEAGUEDavid Adams (San Ramon) - Boston Jr. Bruins (Elite)Eric Anderson (Riverside) - Potomac Patriots (Elite)Justin Apodaca (Valencia) - Carolina Eagles (Elite)Eric Bampenchow (Laguna Hills) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3) Pierce Bartolo (Belmont) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (USP3)O’Had Beck (Cupertino) - Boston Jr. Bruins (USP3)Brady Boudreau (Anaheim) - Potomac Patriots (USP3)Rock Boynton (Lomita) - Richmond Generals (Elite)Jordan Carrasco (San Jose) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3)Kevin Cole (San Jose) - Traverse City Hounds (Midwest)Braxton Davis (Hermosa Beach) - Forest Lake Lakers (Midwest)Devin Day (Fontana) - Charlotte Rush (Elite)Jayson Dimizio (Goleta) - Hampton Roads Whalers (Elite)Kohl Donovan (Sacramento) - Boston Jr. Bruins (Elite)Khalil East (Inglewood) - Islanders Hockey Club (Elite)Jason Footlick (Redondo Beach) - St. Croix Valley Magicians (Midwest)Andrew Frojelin (San Marcos) - Charlotte Rush (Elite)Cody Fulkerson (Long Beach) - Forest Lake Lakers (Midwest)Johnny Garrity (Dublin) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3)John Grealish (Bakersfield) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (Elite)Brooks Hatfield (San Jose) - Islanders Hockey Club (Elite)Samuel Hernandez (Fontana) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3) Bryan Hochberg (Woodland Hills) - Boston Jr. Bruins (USP3)Frank Horowitz (Los Angeles) - Springfield Pics (Premier)D.J. Howell (Saratoga) - Islanders Hockey Club (Elite)Adam Hulsey (Bakersfield) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (USP3)Shane Johnson (Bakersfield) - Decatur Blaze (Midwest)Jasper Korican-Barlay (Oakland) - South Shore Kings (Elite)Brad Lemelin (Rancho Cucamonga) - Florida Eels (USP3)Zach Lemelin (Rancho Cucamonga) - Florida Eels (USP3)Alex Lofink (San Jose) - Boston Jr. Bruins (Elite)Daniel Luyten (Chino Hills) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (Elite)

Adrian Maass (Long Beach) - Forest Lake Lakers (Midwest)Manny Mancha (Rosemead) - Potomac Patriots (Elite)Jordan Manning (San Jose) - Islanders Hockey Club (Elite)Avery McDonnell (Chino Hills) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (Elite)Harrison Mills (Redwood City) - Islanders Hockey Club (Elite)Kyle Mugica (West Covina) - Marquette Royales (Midwest)Cole Nelson (Pasadena) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3)Adam Papayoanou (Valencia) - Carolina Eagles (Elite)Cameron Platzman (Huntington Beach) - Bay State Breakers (Elite)Tristen Poliseno (Stevenson Ranch) - Forest Lake Lakers (Midwest)Sean Tannenbaum (San Jose) - Hampton Roads Whalers (Elite)Nick Tolin (Torrance) - Blaine Energy (Midwest)Nick Wardstrom (Discovery Bay) - Islanders Hockey Club (USP3)Daniel Wesolek (Seal Beach) - Forest Lake Lakers (Midwest)Michael Wiggins (Temecula) - Atlanta Jr. Knights (Elite)

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUEBlake Bargar (Torrance) – Moose Jaw WarriorsTy Comrie (Newport Beach) – Vancouver GiantsTaylor Crunk (San Jacinto) – Vancouver GiantsIgor Larionov II (San Jose) – Portland WinterhawksSteven Owre (Rocklin) – Medicine Hat TigersEvan Sarthou – Tri-City Americans %Keoni Texeira (Fontana) – Portland WinterhawksBrayden Watts (Bakersfield) – Moose Jaw WarriorsEvan Weinger (El Segundo) – Portland WinterhawksBrian Williams (Claremont) – Regina PatsKailer Yamamoto – Spokane Chiefs %Keanu Yamamoto – Spokane Chiefs %

WESTERN STATES HOCKEY LEAGUEBasel Assaf (Rancho Cucamonga) - Valencia FlyersWolfgang Boehringer (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersDominic Bosetti (Long Beach) - Long Beach BombersSean Buffardi (Huntington Beach) - Long Beach BombersMichael Caruso (Rancho Cucamonga) - San Diego SabersBrody Cavataio (San Diego) - San Diego SabersTerrence Cheeseboro (Sacramento) - Southern Oregon SpartansNathan Churchill (Lafayette) - Fresno MonstersSteve Columbo (San Jose) - Arizona HawksCarter Dahl (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersMichael Dwyer (Clovis) - Casper CoyotesNathan Fournier (Rancho Cucamonga) - Las Vegas StormLiam Gallant (Santa Barbara) - San Diego SabersNicholas Gary (Palo Alto) - Fresno MonstersNiklas Giers (Simi Valley) - Valencia FlyersDaniel Goodwin (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersDoug Gutierrez (San Jose) - Southern Oregon SpartansTaylor Hickman (Saugus) - Valencia FlyersMitchell Hodges (La Palma) - Idaho Jr. Steelheads Kody Holmes (San Diego) - Las Vegas StormJack Kelly (Redondo Beach) - Long Beach BombersCody Key (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersGarrett Kingsbury (Bakersfield) - Valencia Flyers Austin Lechtanski (Rancho Cucamonga) - San Diego SabersKyle Ljunggren (Castaic) - Valencia FlyersNathan Lloyd (Irvine) - Long Beach BombersBrian Martinez (Bakersfield) - Valencia FlyersTereck Morales (Filmore) - Valencia Flyers Conner Osborne (Temecula) - Fresno MonstersAndrew Pellegrino (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersJoe Pichedwatana (Lakewood) - Long Beach BombersLuke Richesin (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersChase Roques (Menifee) - San Diego SabersNick Short (Los Angeles) - Long Beach BombersMark Shroyer (Fresno) - Fresno MonstersEric Siegel (Valencia) - Valencia Flyers Bailey Simpson (Placentia) - Salt Lake City MooseChris Sudnicki (Bellflower) - Long Beach BombersSamuel Taferner (Canyon Country) - Valencia FlyersChase Thesman (Pacific Palisades) - Valencia Flyers Wes Varrasso (San Diego) - San Diego SabersJared Waldman (Los Angeles) - Valencia FlyersCody West (Valencia) - Valencia FlyersLuc Whyte (Saugus) - Valencia FlyersNicholas Wilton (Redondo Beach) - Valencia Flyers

PREP SCHOOLCayla Barnes (Corona) – New Hampton PrepBailey Bennett (Gardena) – North American Hockey AcademyBrad Budman (Foothill Ranch) – Williston NorthamptonVincent de Mey (Los Angeles) – Shattuck-St. Mary’s Drew Douglas (Huntington Beach) – Pomfret SchoolChristian Figliola (San Diego) – Pomfret SchoolEvan Gray (Huntington Beach) – Kent SchoolBlake Howard (Coto de Caza) – New Hampton PrepEvan Johnson (Huntington Beach) – The GunneryTrevin Kozlowski (Valencia) – The GunneryCalifornia Kromelow (Burlingame) – Hotchkiss SchoolKeely Moy (San Diego) – Kent SchoolKyle Penn (Mission Viejo) – Pomfret SchoolDavid Quast (Long Beach) – Proctor AcademyBrandon Schellin (Las Flores) – Avon Old FarmsMax Torrez (Anaheim Hills) – Westminster School

Keelan Ulnick (Laguna Niguel) – The GunneryBilly Zegras (San Diego) – The Berkshire School

NEVADAPROFESSIONAL HOCKEY NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEJason Zucker (Las Vegas) – Minnesota Wild

ECHLJacob MacDonald (Fernley) – Elmira JackalsZach Pochiro (Las Vegas) – Quad City Mallards

SOUTHERN PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEChris Rial (Las Vegas) – Columbus Cottonmouths

FEDERAL HOCKEY LEAGUECody Milligan (Las Vegas) – Dayton Demolition

COLLEGE HOCKEY

NCAA DIVISION I – MEN

BIG TENKenny Brooks (Las Vegas) – Penn State University

ECACRoss McMullen (Las Vegas) – St. Lawrence UniversityJoe Sullivan (Las Vegas) – St. Lawrence

WCHACory Ward (Las Vegas) – Bemidji State University

INDEPENDENTJoey Raats (Las Vegas) – Arizona State University

NCAA DIVISION III – MEN

ECAC NORTHEASTTyler Auricchio (Henderson) – Becker CollegeJoseph Kaszupski (Henderson) – Endicott College

MASCACNick Govig (Las Vegas) – Fitchburg State University

NCHADerek Sutliffe (Las Vegas) – College of St. Scholastica

SUNYACRyan Chiasson (Henderson) – Plattsburgh State University

NCAA DIVISION I – WOMEN

CHASarah Robello (Las Vegas) – Mercyhurst University

NCAA DIVISION III – WOMEN

JUNIOR HOCKEY

BRITISH COLUMBIA HOCKEY LEAGUEBrendan Harris (Las Vegas) - Wenatchee Wild

EASTERN HOCKEY LEAGUEAlec Mono (Las Vegas) - New Jersey Rockets (Premier)

GREATER METRO HOCKEY LEAGUEZane Branson (Las Vegas) – Orangeville Ice Crushers

NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUEBrennan Blaszczak (Las Vegas) - Springfield Jr. BluesDom Garcia (Las Vegas) - Aston Rebels

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUEDaniel Nicholas (Las Vegas) – Espanola Express

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUERiley Jones (Las Vegas) – Colorado RampageBrenden Russ (Las Vegas) – Breckenridge Bucks

SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUEEric Williams (Henderson) - Melville Millionaires

UNITED STATES PREMIER HOCKEY LEAGUEMichael Cichy (Las Vegas) - Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings (Midwest)

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUEGage Quinney (Las Vegas) – Kamloops BlazersLandon Quinney (Las Vegas) – Moose Jaw Warriors

WESTERN STATES HOCKEY LEAGUEJake McKenna (Las Vegas) – Las Vegas Storm

* Former L.A. Select! Former San Jose Jr. Shark% Former L.A. Jr. King

$ Former Anaheim Lady Duck+ Former California Titan


PICTURE PERFECT

The Los Angeles Jr. Kings celebrated the 2004 AAA division championship at this year’s Jr. Kings-hosted Carmen Starr Memorial Day Classic, which was showcased from May 27-30 at three Southern California ice rinks.

Max Jones of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round (24th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 24. Photo/Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Fairbanks Ice Dogs goaltender and Yorba Linda native Gavin Nieto lifts the Robertson Cup after the Ice Dogs won their third NAHL championship in team history on May 15 as they defeated the Wichita Falls Wildcats 2-0 at the Braemar Ice Arena in Edina, Minn. Nieto made 31 saves in the shutout and was named to the All-Tourna-ment Team. Photo/Fairbanks Ice Dogs

Submit your favorite hockey photos to [email protected]!

The Anaheim Jr. Ducks celebrated the 2009 Elite AAA divi-sion championship at this year’s Los Angeles Jr. Kings-host-ed Carmen Starr Classic, which was showcased from May 27-30 at three Southern California ice rinks.

Noah Gregor of the Moose Jaw Warriors meets the media throng June 25 at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, N.Y., af-ter the Western Hockey League forward was chosen in the fourth round (111th overall) by the Stanley Cup finalist San Jose Sharks. Photo/Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The California Patriots staked claim to the top prize in the 2006 Elite AAA division at this year’s Los Angeles Jr. Kings-hosted Carmen Starr Memorial Day Classic, which was contested from May 27-30 at three Southern California ice rinks.

The Anaheim Jr. Ducks’ 2005 team brought home the championship goodies at the Montreal Meltdown event held the first weekend in June. The Jr. Ducks blanked the Arsenal Roussillion 4-0 in the title game.

Moorpark native and California Titans graduate Liam Stirtzinger hoists the Robertson Cup as part of the NAHL champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Ice Dogs upended the Wichita Falls Wildcats 2-0 in Edina, Minn., back on May 15 to claim the league’s top prize. Photo/Fairbanks Ice Dogs

Kale Clague from the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (51st overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buf-falo, N.Y., on June 25. Photo/Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The Los Angeles Jr. Kings took home the top prize in the 2007 Elite AAA division at this year’s Jr. Kings-hosted Car-men Starr Memorial Day Classic, which was showcased from May 27-30 at three Southern California ice rinks.


By Chris Bayee

What’s almost 12 and a half feet tall, weighs more than 400 pounds and stops nearly ev-

erything shot its way?If you guessed an imposing creature in a sum-

mer blockbuster monster movie, try again.If you guessed the goaltending Nieto brothers

of Yorba Linda, give yourself a gold star.Lest you think we’re exaggerating, realize Gavin

(1996 birth year) goes 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds while younger brother Garrett (a ’98) is 6-3 and 235.

That part about stopping just about everything? No exaggeration either. Gavin went 33-5-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average and a .929 save per-centage in the regular season, then upped that pace (1.37 GAA and .945) in helping Fairbanks win the North Ameri-can Hockey League’s Robertson Cup. Fittingly, Gavin ended it with a shutout – his third of the playoffs and ninth over-all this past season.

Garrett, meanwhile, played for Wenatchee of the British Columbia Hockey League and had a 2.09 GAA and .911 save percentage while making the BCHL All-Rookie Team.

Colleges took note. In late Decem-ber, Gavin committed to Brown Uni-versity (ECAC), and Garrett followed by committing to Lake Superior State (WCHA) in mid-April.

The sigh of relief you heard was from Tom and Jen Nieto, who not only no longer will have to purchase two sets of goalie gear for growing boys, but might actually be able to take trips together. Such is the life for parents of multiple travel hockey players.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever been on a trip together,” Tom said. “The years they both played AAA were tough.”

The rewards are more obvious now.“No. 1, this is an all-around great fam-

ily,” said Louis Pacella, who coached both boys with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. “Tom and Jen did everything you could ask for as hockey parents. Tom coached at the Wave, Jen managed teams for me for two years, and they billeted kids. They support-ed their kids and others’.”

The Nietos did get to see their sons play at the USA Hockey Youth Nationals together in 2013 in Anchorage, Alaska, when Gavin was with the Jr. Kings Midget 16U AAA team and Garrett was on the Anaheim Jr. Ducks Bantam AAA team.

That Nationals run was particularly memorable for Garrett, who bounced back from a loss to the Jr. Kings at Pacific Districts to make 56 saves in a 4-3 triple-overtime win to clinch the Nationals berth.

Gavin made his Nationals debut the season be-fore with the Jr. Kings 16U AAA team.

“That was the first time I noticed all the scouts in the stands,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy how many guys from our team are playing Division I hockey or will be soon.”

The brothers’ path to college included a lot of road work.

Gavin started playing with the Jr. Ducks as a Mite and for Squirts, he joined a strong group of 96s with the West Valley Wolves in Panorama City, more than 60 miles away from home.

Garrett, meanwhile, started and stayed with the Jr. Ducks for Mites and Squirts, while Gavin shift-ed to the Wave in Artesia – a mere 22 miles away – for Pee Wees and Bantams. Garrett joined him there for Pee Wees, giving the Nietos a bit of a break, and Tom helped coach Gavin’s teams.

Gavin’s move to the Jr. Kings coincided with Garrett’s back to the Jr. Ducks, setting the table

for Gavin’s first Nationals experience. But Gavin’s 2011-12 season wasn’t without a hitch.

“Gavin tried out for my Jr. Kings team in 2011, but we were committed to Thatcher Demko, and I told Gavin he wouldn’t play much,” Pacella said. “He should focus on going somewhere he could play all the time and get in better shape. He re-turned to the Wave, where he played 16AA. When Thatcher went to the USHL, Gavin was the first goalie I called.

“I didn’t recognize him when I saw him – he’d grown and thinned out. I could not believe the transformation. He shut out Shattuck-St. Mary’s at Nationals, which put him on the radar. I couldn’t be happier for that guy, to go from 16U AA to NCAA Division I in just a few years – a total late bloomer. He was really dedicated to his training.”

Gavin moved on to Kimball Union prep school and spent time with Dubuque of the United States Hockey League before landing in Fairbanks.

“I think we knew we had a good team early in

the year,” Gavin said. “We played Lone Star, con-sidered a favorite to win it all, to a 0-0 tie and won in a shootout. The way we handled ourselves told me we knew what we were capable of.”

Gavin’s play sparked the Ice Dogs’ special sea-son, one of his closest observers said.

“I’ve watched him play goal for 12 years,” Gar-rett said. “He was very good. We watch each oth-er’s games and give feedback. He helped make my adjustment to junior easier.”

Garrett landed in Wenatchee after playing 16U for the Jr. Kings. But he stepped in as a No. 2 to

RPI commit Chase Perry.“This was his first year of juniors,

and he understood the role he was in,” Wenatchee goaltending coach Chris Clark said. “His teammates love him. You have to be a good person to han-dle being the second guy in a tandem as well as he did.

“He is the last one on the ice on nights he isn’t playing because he will work with his teammates as long as they want. Guys see that and when he does play they’re willing to do anything for him.”

Garrett’s positive attitude was one attribute that set him apart. Another was his size, which says middle linebacker, not hockey player. But looks can be de-ceiving.

“For a kid to be that big to have that amount of athleticism is unbelievable – his lateral mobility is unbelievable,” Clark said. “He’s aggressive, too. When you’re 6-3 and come out of the net to cut down an angle, there isn’t much to see.

“His athletic ability combined with his gift of size and his competitiveness – all three are off the charts. His com-petitiveness separates him.”

But he kept news of college decision on the down low.

“I had the impression schools were looking at him, but I had no idea about any offers,” Gavin said. “Then one day he tells me, ‘Oh yeah, I committed to Lake State this morning.’ I had to ask him for more details.”

The sons of Tom and Jen could also be called sons of Wayne or Luc or Marty, or any other Kings of the early 1990s.

“The Cup run in ’93 hooked me,” Tom said. “I’d never played until I joined an adult league. I fell in love with the game.”

The boys learned to skate early and found the net not long after that. The net result is furthering their hockey careers.

“Our parents were always there for us,” Garrett said. “They both drove us everywhere. Now they’re able to watch.”

Added Gavin: “This past year has been pretty surreal – a year ago you’d never thought we’d both commit to D-I schools. It has come out of nowhere for both of us, and I can’t thank my parents enough for all they did. They sacrificed a lot – financially and their time – to support us.”

Tom and Jen’s work isn’t quite finished. Their daughter Megan is a standout basketball player en-tering her sophomore year in high school.

Brothers In ArmsYorba Linda’s Nieto tandem compiles 2015-16 seasons to remember

Garrett Nieto (left) and Gavin Nieto (right) take a moment to share the Robertson Cup, won by Gavin this past May in Edina, Minn., with the NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs.


Photo/Miami University

MATTHEW CAITOPosition: Defenseman, Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)Hometown: Coto de CazaLast Amateur Team: Miami University (NCHC)Youth Teams: Costa Mesa Comets, Anaheim Jr. Ducks, L.A. SelectsCalifornia Rubber: What is your favorite hockey memory growing up?Matthew Caito: One of my favorite memories was during Bantam AAA. In the state cham-pionship game, we were up 3-1 against a team we beat the night before. With about 1:30 left, they came back. Everyone was nervous, then there was the excitement of us winning in overtime. People crying. I was so excited. I could still tell you exactly what happened on the good plays and the goals.

CR: What is your favorite memory in the game since leaving California?MC: My junior year at Miami, winning our playoff championship (NCHC). That was one of the best feelings I’ve had in college hockey. Another one my freshman year was when we won the last CCHA regular-season championship.

CR: You played for your father, Paul, growing up. How was that experience?MC: It was a lot of fun. Your father puts a lot more pressure on you to do certain things. It helped me down the road. He was doing it out of love. He pushed me to succeed. He’s a great coach who really loves the game and knows a lot about it. He played in high school in the Massachusetts area and still plays hockey today. He was coaching ’98s with Igor (Nikulin) for a while.

CR: What was your first taste of pro hockey like?MC: I got the opportunity to play for Toledo (ECHL) after (Miami’s) season. Unfortunately, we lost in Game 7 of the quarterfinals. It was good to see the lifestyle, and to be living on your own. It wasn’t like being in college where you see your buddies every minute of every day. I got to see the pro vibe and what it takes.

CR: What advice would you give young hockey players?MC: I had that opportunity being around my dad’s second group of kids, and it was keep working hard. Listen to your coach. Doing things to the fullest. Be a great teammate. All you can do is care about that, and you’ll succeed individually.

CR: Who has been the biggest influence on you on and off the ice?MC: My grandfather (Thomas Caito) is still a big influence to me. He was a high school football coach in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and is in all the halls of fame. He was one of my role models, along with my dad; someone who works hard and loves the game. He shares a passion in similar things. He loves hockey.

CR: Other than hockey, do you have a favorite sport to play?MC: I played baseball in high school at Tesoro. Those were all my buddies in high school. I kept with it in boarding school. I was a catcher because I loved being part of every play and being the vocal leader.

CR: What is your game-day routine like?MC: I always put my gear on left side first. I jump rope before games and like to play a little soccer so I get certain amount of touches. I always eat chicken and pasta.

CR: Are there are any pieces of gear you’re particular about?MC: My skates, which are Grafs. It’s gotta be a half inch (hollow) and sharp all the time. I’m a little prima donna with my edges.

CR: When you’re back in California, do you have a favorite meal or restaurant?MC: I love when my mom (Julie) cooks. My favorite dish is a shrimp, broccoli and ziti one.

CR: Did you have a favorite player growing up?MC: My favorite player was Scott Niedermayer. Watching him when the Ducks got him was the best gift I’ve ever received.

CR: If you weren’t playing hockey, what do you think you’d be doing?MC: I’d probably be doing something with baseball or working with a sports team in some way.

- Compiled by Chris Bayee

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November 24 - 27, 2016

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California Rubber Magazine - Summer 2016

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Transcript of California Rubber Magazine - Summer 2016