November, 2006 - Rubber Hockey Magazine

Tempe’s Strathman
barking in Boston
Coyotes keep busy
in the community
Arizonans star at
USA Hockey Inline Cup
Chandler lax standout
readies for Navy
HOME COOKIN’
P.F. Chang’s elite program has top players staying local
VOLUME 2
ISSUE 3
November 2006
From Kids to Coyotes, the Desert’s Authoritative Voice of Ice and Inline Hockey
4
6
10
13
15
23
30
THE LINEUP:
...................Editorial
5
8
12
14
16
26
34
Rubber Interview...............
...................Cover Story
Inline Hockey....................
..............Coyotes
Sundogs.......................
...............RoadRunners
College Hockey.............
...............Junior Hockey
Associations.................
...............Feature: Strathman
Inline Hockey...............
...............Lacrosse
Taking Liberties..........
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On The Cover
publisher: Brian McDonough
editor: Cameron Eickmeyer
design: Jayson and Jennifer Hron
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From left to right, P.F. Chang’s Midget
AAA Major team members Brett Prechel
(Phoenix), Matt Federico (Scottsdale),
Mychal Moore (San Angelo, Texas), Matt
Novak (Tempe) and Adam Kostis
(Scottsdale) - Photo / Sean Gulley
3
Anthony Bona❂
corso was named
to the U.S. World Uni-
versity Games squad.
A junior at Arizona
State, Bonacorso is one
of the Ice Devils’ leaders and
will join college players from across
the country for the upcoming Winter
World University Games in Italy in
January.
Daniel Pavich, a second-year
❂
Bantam with the Flagstaff Youth
Hockey Association, has impressed
his coaches with his work on the blue
line this season as a defenseman. His
coaches praise Pavich for waking up
every morning to run before school,
proving his dedication to the team
and the sport.
Allie Era scored a hat trick for
❂
the Arizona Girls Youth Hockey
Association in a game last month and
is establishing herself a dominant
force every time she’s on the ice. Era
plays on a local inline team as well
and will be a captain on her U-14
AGYHA squad. (See more on Era on
Page 9 and 21.)
Glendale ’s Danny Heath and
❂
Phoenix ’s Andrew Hamburg
were selected in last month’s USHL
Futures Draft of 1989- and ‘90-born
players. The USHL is considered
the top developmental league in the
country for college and professional
prospects (see more on Heath and
Hamburg on Page 16.)
Editor’s Column:
There’s a superstar here somewhere
S
ometimes it’s the offhand comour first superstar.
ment that has the most impact
Until that yet-to-be-known
in an interview.
all-star waves into the camera, the
While working on a story about
state’s hockey programs should
ex-Corona del Sol hockey player
focus on developing the kinds of
and current Northeastern Univerplayers to fit that role at each level.
sity freshman David Strathman,
Inline, high school, junior and colI heard a comment that caught me
lege teams need to be encouraging
off-guard.
local players to stay close to their
Strathman started off his colroots. It’s important for developlege career with a bang
ment.
(see story on Page 23) and
With the P.F. Chang’s
one of the people I spoke
teams in place, the elite
to about him said, “I think
players have a reason to
he’s going to be a star.”
stay in the Grand Canyon
What was so odd about
State. That means more
the comment was that
recognition for the sport
Arizona has yet to develop
in the state and more
a player whom the narespect nationally.
tion identifies as a “star.”
As I found out this
Eickmeyer
Strathman may or may
month, the P.F. Chang’s
not be that player, but I
program is already atthink it’s interesting to note that
tracting players from other states.
there will be a day when an NHL
Suddenly, Arizona is a hockey
All-Star waves into the camera
destination.
to his friends at Alltel Ice Den or
If this program can take off,
Polar Ice.
watch out. We may have an entire
Perhaps that player is skating
team of all-stars fighting for top
this season with one of the newly
billing at an NHL Entry Draft in
formed P.F. Chang’s squads. That
the not-too-distant future. ❂
kind of sponsorship and recognition already has the state buzzing,
Reach Cameron Eickmeyer at
along with the rest of the country,
[email protected]
and it may be the key to developing
❂ Team of the Month
T
he Arizona West Fury dominated the
40-and-over division at last month’s USA
Hockey Inline Cup in Las Vegas. The Fury
finished undefeated and allowed only three
goals en route to the championship.
Goaltender Mike Tozzi was joined by
Donny Holstrom and Lee Brewer on the
All-Tournament Team (see more on Arizona ’s
success at the Inline Cup on Page 9).
Pictured: Back Row (left to right): Rick
Watkins, Greg Mooney, Donny Holstrom,
Curtis Labeda, Mark Takacs, Lee Brewer,
Dan Corsatea; Front Row: Mike Tozzi
Arizona West Fury
4
Letters to Rubber Interview: Sarah Finecey
the Editor: L
What’s on your mind?
W
e still need your input on
the topics that are important to you! If you want to sound
off about the Coyotes, RoadRunners, Sundogs or send congratulations to a team, drop us a note
at [email protected] (title
subject line: Letters to the Editor) or
visit our Web site at www.arizonarubber.com! ❂
Sundogs win
inaugural game
T
he expansion Arizona Sundogs
won their first-ever regular-season game, 6-3, against Southwest
Division opponent, the Rio Grande
Valley Killer Bees, on Oct. 20.
Defenseman Chris Bartolone
netted the first-ever goal in regularseason play for the Sundogs. Forwards Ryan Steeves and Doug Orr
tallied two scores in the game, with
forward Jordan Mowbray notching
the other Arizona goal.
The Sundogs open their home
schedule on Friday, Nov. 10 against
the Youngstown SteelHounds at the
brand-new Prescott Valley Convention and Events Center. ❂
Comrie assists
cancer cause
I
n conjunction with the launch of
“Coyotes Causes,” forward Mike
Comrie served as the Coyotes’
spokesman for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I went through a tough time losing my mother to breast cancer,” said
Comrie.
Comrie’s mother died when he
was 10 years old and, in remembrance, puts her initials on each one
of his sticks before every game.
“I’ve been doing that since I was
little,” said Comrie. “It’s a way for me
to remember her.” ❂
ast month, the Phoenix Coyotes announced the inception of “Coyotes
Causes,” a monthly program dedicated to partnerships among the
NHL team and various organizations to support community outreach
initiatives from October through April.
AZR Magazine’s Brian McDonough caught up with Coyotes directory of community relations and fan development, Sarah Finecey, to learn
more about the new program, its influence on the Arizona community and
how to get involved.
AZR Magazine: Talk about the
origins of “Coyotes Causes.” Where
did the idea come from and why was
the initiative established?
Sarah Finecey: “Coyotes Causes”
is a program dedicated to raising awareness about community
programs rather than just raising
funds. The Coyotes have always had
strong ties with the community, and
“Coyotes Causes” is a way to fully
promote a cause through Coyotes
and arena resources.
AZR: You’ve announced breast cancer awareness as the October “Coyotes Cause.” What other causes can Coyotes director of community relawe expect to be highlighted, or when tions & fan development Sarah Finecey
and where will they be announced?
SF: November is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We’re going to release
each month’s cause the month prior to that cause. In conjunction with
that announcement, we’ll send out all the information on specific programs and initiatives relating to that cause.
AZR: Mike Comrie was designated as the October spokesman. Will a
different player represent a cause every month and what kind of role will
they play in voicing the cause, specifically?
SF: Players are assigned to each month. For October, Mike Comrie was
the only player designated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month because
of his connection; Mike lost his mother to breast cancer, therefore he’s
obviously concerned with raising awareness for the cause. For additional
months, there may be a few players assigned.
Each player will make community appearances pertaining to his
month, along with interviews and in-game announcements. They’ll also
make donations and anything else that will help their cause. This will
change from month to month.
AZR: Have you set any goals for Year 1 of the program, and what might
this turn into in the future?
SF: Our goal is to reach as many people as possible and raise as much
awareness as we can for the particular causes. We plan on changing the
cause every month in years to come and hope to someday reach every
community program.
Finecey continued / Page 22
5
Recipe
for
Success
By Cameron Eickmeyer
F
or years the Arizona hockey
community has grown using
several associations that produced
respectable players every season.
What relagated the state to the
ladder’s second rung was a lack of
an elite development program.
The state had the talent, but
didn’t have the team. Until now.
With the P.F. Chang’s China
Bistro as its financial arm, the P.F.
Chang’s Tier 1 hockey program has
become the team for which Arizona
was looking.
“It’s a whole different world,”
said Kurt Goar, who coaches the
U-18 squad.
Goar, a longtime Arizona coach
with an impressive resume, joins
similarly decorated coach Jim
Johnson in manning the inaugural season for P.F. Chang’s.
Rick Federico, the president
of the P.F. Chang’s Restaurant
Company who made the financial
push for the program, chose Goar
and Johnson for their experience
6
and hopes the program thrives
under their leadership.
“We might be able to start
something that will take hockey to
the next level in the Valley and in
Arizona,” said Federico.
What the sponsorship means
A top-tier program that collects
the best players from every association in the state is a hallmark for
hockey hotbeds nationwide.
The new Arizona version aims
to mimic the formula that other
states benefit from, namely keeping local players within the state’s
borders.
“Our motivation was to have
our best kids not have to feel like
they have to leave the state or
leave home,” Federico said.
The corporate sponsorship
allows the team to pay for travel
expenses, elite coaches and other
expenses for which smaller associations aren’t normally equipped.
For example, the sharp new
jerseys the P.F. Chang’s players
sport exude a professional image
that gives the program credibility
at national tournaments.
“Looking good goes a long way
in giving the team a little credibility,” Federico said.
As this first season advances
and the teams earn more national
exposure at large tournaments,
such as the recent Las Vegas Invitational where the Midget U-16
team took the title, other states will
take notice.
The impact has already been
measured as out-of-state players
contact the team on a regular basis
to enquire about tryout dates for
next season.
One player on the current
roster, Corbin Brown, is living
with Federico as a guest during his
time with the team. Federico said
the billeting situation mirrors what
will ideally happen in the future as
top players from around the country head to Arizona for a shot at the
elite levels of hockey.
The biggest impact the sponsorship deal has is that the program
will hopefully keep the top players
Photo / Sean Gulley
P.F. Chang’s lights spark for elite AZ travel team
in the state at home. Past star players had to leave once they hit the
AAA level.
“Those are outstanding kids and
players who would have probably
stayed here one or two more years if
they had a program like this,” Federico said.
Goar said the goal is to expand
the program to several age levels so
young players can aspire to make
the P.F. Chang’s squad every year.
The idea is a pyramid of sorts at
each age bracket.
P.F. Chang’s involvement
Federico said the financial investment in hockey started long before
the current teams were formed.
“If you go back a couple of years,
P.F. Chang’s has had a relationship with a couple of the teams
with scholarship dollars for kids
that couldn’t pay all the expenses
through the course of the year,” he
said.
The company is heavily involved
in community-based actions, such
as the P.F. Chang’s Rock and Roll
Marathon. These ventures, including
the hockey program, aren’t necessarily revenue generators, but Federico’s goals are more altruistic.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he
said of investing in the community.
Over the next three seasons, the
hockey program will look for more
investors to round out a collection
of companies that will still reside
under the P.F. Chang’s banner.
“What I would like them to think
more about when they see the P.F.
Chang’s team isn’t so much the
hockey as that it’s the peak of a community-based organization that’s
designed to help the kids and the
community,” Federico said.
Player involvement
While Federico, Goar and Johnson take care of the off-ice sponsorship and team management, the
P.F. Chang’s continued / Page 16
The Name Game
With its new Tier 1 program in Arizona, P.F. Chang’s joins a growing list
of reputable companies lending their
name and resources to the development of youth hockey.
Belle Tire (tires) – Allen Park, Mich.
Compuware (information
technology) – Plymouth, Mich.
Crank’s AAA (catering) – Warren,
Mich.
Dearborn Brand (sausage/ham)
– Dearborn, Mich.
Honeybaked (ham) - Detroit
Little Caesar’s (pizza) - Detroit
Maksymum Hockey (hockey school)
– Rochester, N.Y.
Marquette Electricians (electrical
workers union) – Marquette, Mich.
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
(restaurant) – Phoenix
Russell Stover (candy) – St. Louis
Team Comcast (cable/Internet)
– Philadelphia
Team nXi (goalie masks) – Lake
Orion, Mich.
TPH Thunder (hockey schools)
- Nashville
Victory Honda (auto dealership)
– Plymouth, Mich.
Corporate sponsorships provide stability
By Matt Mackinder
W
ith the recent startup of the
P.F. Chang’s AAA program
in Arizona, a national trend of
corporate-sponsored youth teams
is beginning to go westward.
In Michigan alone, there are
five teams in the Midwest Elite
Hockey League with their sponsor’s name on the front of their
jersey. Little Caesar’s (pizza), Honeybaked (ham), Compuware (information technology), Belle Tire
(tires) and Victory Honda (auto
dealership) have dominated the
midget major scene over the last
few years and may be joined in the
MWEHL next season by Team nXi,
an independent team sponsored by
a goalie mask manufacturer.
With costs of operating a midget AAA team being astronomical,
sponsorships can help out tremendously.
“Ice isn’t cheap and neither
are road trips,” Honeybaked coach
John Kisil said. “Parents can’t
afford everything, so we’re grateful
Honeybaked can help us out. This
year, we even got new practice jerseys and gloves, too, and that was
due to the amount of money we got
from the company.”
Little Caesar’s, a team that
plays at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, hocks 50-50 raffle tickets at
every Detroit Red Wings game.
Every bit of the half Little Caesar’s
gets goes back into their program
as well as youth hockey in Detroit. It also helps Little Caesar’s
is owned by Mike Ilitch, also the
head man behind the Red Wings
and Detroit Tigers.
“If we didn’t do fundraisers
and 50-50 raffles, kids would be
paying even more that what they
pay now,” Little Caesar’s coachdirector of hockey operations Bill
Ciraulo said. “Even with the
sponsorship it’s still high, but it
could be worse. Having a wellknown name behind us also helps
with recruiting players.”
Compuware, owned by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos, plays at the home rink
of the Ontario Hockey League’s
Plymouth Whalers, another one of
Karmanos’ entities.
“Mr. Karmanos genuinely loves
hockey; he’s a hockey nut,” Compuware coach John Heady said.
“The program has been solid for
years and Mr. Karmanos even has
a trust fund set up for the youth
program. There is also a full-time
youth hockey director for Compuware and that’s all due to Mr.
Karmanos. When you get a person
with his (financial) background
and love for hockey, it’s a great
combination.”
Sponsors continued / Page 30
7
Inline Hockey
Expectations high for Excalibur program
By Alex Dodt
T
eam Excalibur
was, without
a doubt, the most
dominant team on the
local level in 2006 and it’s primed
to repeat in 2007.
Excalibur captured six state
championships at the Arizona Inline Hockey Association state finals
on its home floor in May and had
three teams win national tournaments over the summer.
“Last year was probably our
most successful travel year since
our initial season in 1998,” said
program director Dave Marmorstein. “It was a very satisfying year
overall.”
Danny Marmorstein, Stetson
Dirks, Casey Caruso, Bobby
Krafve, Levi Wallace, Agustin
Gonzales and Cameron Caruso
all represented Excalibur while
8
playing for Team USA at an international tournament in Detroit
that gave the program national
exposure.
Danny Marmorstein, Dave
Marmorstein’s son, earned a spot
on the Junior World Team, a group
of the best players under 21 in the
world.
This season, Excalibur will have
17 teams: one 8-and-under, one
10-and-under, three 12-and-under,
three 14-and-under, two 16-andunder, one 18-and-under, two 35and-over, two adult open and two
women’s teams.
After a big year last season,
the women’s team is expected to do
very well in 2007. Most people have
come to expect success from the
Excalibur women, who have grown
accustomed to making headlines in
Arizona and beyond.
“They always do very well at
the local and national levels,” said
Dave Marmorstein. “They won
Division II at the USA Inline Cup
in 2005 and took second this year.
They also won NARCh WinterNationals last year and took third at
the AAU Jr. Olympics.”
This year, the Excalibur program is divided into two levels of
teams.
“There are the Excalibur black
teams, which compete nationally at
the AA level and, of course, in the
AIHA,” said Marmorstein. “Then
there’s the Excalibur bronze teams,
which compete nationally at the A
level and in the AIHA.”
All Excalibur teams will be competing in the AIHA in 2007, with
some teams traveling to California
to play in the Pacific Cup tournament series as well as competing in
January at NARCh WinterNationals. The program’s premier black
teams will also play in the AAU Jr.
Olympics next summer. ❂
Inline Hockey
State has fine showing at Inline Cup
By Alex Dodt
A
Mark Takacs (left) and Dan Corsatea of Fury celebrate a goal.
9
Photo / Jamie MacDonald / USA Hockey Inline
Photo / Jamie MacDonald / USA Hockey Inline
fter six days and two weekends
of intense competition, the USA
Hockey Inline Cup ended on a positive note for Arizona, with two local
teams walking away as champions.
Teams from all across the continent, from as far as Alaska, Hawaii
and Canada, came to Las Vegas to
compete in the 10th annual event.
Arizona teams dominated the
second weekend of play, making it
to the championship game in three
divisions: 40-and-over, 50-and-over
and women’s Division II.
The Arizona West Fury ran the
table in the 40-and-over division,
going 5-0 for the tournament and
outscoring its opponents 22-3. Goaltender Mike Tozzi pitched backto-back shutouts in the playoffs to
lead the Fury into the championship game.
Tozzi continued his brilliant
play in the final game, stopping
19 of 20 shots in a 4-1 victory over
Puck Hawgs while earning a spot
on the All-Tournament team.
“It was an awesome tournament
overall,” said Rick Watkins of the
Fury. “It was very professionally
run and there was great competition.”
Donny Holstrom led the Fury
and the tournament in scoring
with 13 goals, while teammate Lee
Brewer had a tournament-best six assists.
Both were named to the
All-Tournament Team
alongside Tozzi.
In the 50-and-over division, it was Team Excalibur representing Arizona
well. Led by the scoring
of Dave Marmorstein,
Excalibur cruised into
the championship game
against the Unknowns.
In the final, Marmorstein
added his fourth and fifth
goals of the tournament
to push Excalibur into the
winner’s circle with a 4-1
win.
Marmorstein and Bill
Brown were named to
the All-Tournament Team
for their exceptional play.
Determined not be
outdone by their rinkmates, Team Excalibur’s
women’s team bowled
through the competition
in round robin with a 4-0 Fury’s Donny Holstrom struck for a tournament-high 13
goals.
record. The backbone of
team in the game, but, in overtime,
Excalibur’s dominance was
Dry Ice converted quickly on a
two 14-year-olds: Allison Era and
power play early in the extra period
Rianon O’Reilly.
for the win.
Era led the team with four
“It was a really good game,”
goals, while goaltender O’Reilly led
said O’Reilly. “But it was a really
the tournament with an.896 save
percentage and an outstanding 1.83 tough loss.”
That defeat sent Excalibur
goals-against
into the Division II championship
average.
game against Fudgems. O’Reilly
Excalibur
was strong once again making 21
came into
saves, but the team fell just short
the playoffs
in a 4-3 loss and took home the
as the top
silver medal. O’Reilly, Amy Groff
seed but ran
and Kristin Weiss, who tied Era
into a hot
for the team-lead in scoring, were
opponent,
all named to the All-Tournament
Dry Ice from
California, in Team. ❂
the semifinal.
O’Reilly
made 15
saves and
kept her
All the Right Moves
‘The Pack’ showcases added entertainment on game nights
By Russell Brooks
Y
ou may have noticed another form
of entertainment besides the players in the brick red jerseys on the ice
of Glendale Arena.
“The Pack,” made up of 18 young
women between the ages of 18-24, is
the first NHL squad to perform routines directly on the ice. Every game
during the second intermission, “The Pack” performs a
pre-rehearsed routine before the Zamboni cuts the ice.
“It’s like putting on a huge Broadway show 41
times a year,” Coyotes president Doug Moss said.
“We’ve got an outstanding team that’s going to win
games, but we also want to entertain and service
people better than anyone else.”
Aside from entering the Glendale Arena crowd,
“The Pack” can be spotted greeting fans and signing
autographs throughout the concourses on the lower
and upper levels.
“‘The Pack’ dance team will be one of many new
and exciting elements that the Coyotes are adding to
home games this season,” said Moss. “Our goal is to
make the fan experience at Glendale Arena second-tonone in professional sports.”
Besides making a presence at games this season,
“The Pack” will be seen at various community events,
along with the team’s mascot, Howler, and different
Coyotes players.
Howler also enjoys a different look this season as
the team’s mascot takes the ice for the first time. As
with most hockey mascots, Howler now leads the team
on the ice before games as well as hits the ice for other
promotions and entertainment bits.
While becoming the first team in the NHL to perform routines on the ice is an innovative concept, the
Coyotes’ executives had to find a way
to make sure the ladies wouldn’t fall
while performing their routines.
In their quest to find a solution,
the team looked to another familiar
Canadian sport: curling.
The shoes, which have a grip
on the bottom to make sure there is
traction on the ice, is found on the
bottom of curler’s gear, making for a
perfect fit for “The Pack.”
On the ice, the women are prepared with their
choreographed routines, but off it, a lot of time and
dedication goes into perfecting these dances to perform
in front of the thousands of fans come game night.
Two to three times a week, the 18 dancers meet up
at different gyms to synchronize and perfect the dances. After Coyotes games, “The Pack” stays afterwards
and practices its routines on the ice to make sure there
are no problems before having the lights shined on
them in front of the Coyotes faithful.
The 18 ladies began the practices, on and off the
ice, after they were selected to be a part of “The Pack”
during several tryouts in August. The tryouts, held at
the Glendale Arena, consisted of dancing and interviews in front of a panel of judges, led by the head
choreographer Kari Herrick.
Herrick, a five-time Phoenix Suns dancer where
she served as a co-choreographer, is responsible for
the creativity and originality of the routines the ladies
perform on the ice during the intermissions (see more
on Herrick on Page 34).
While they can’t make the same difference out on
the ice the Coyotes can, “The Pack” hopes it can entertain the fans at the same level Phoenix has become
accustomed to with the other professional sports in the
Valley. ❂
The “Pack” Dance Team is the first NHL spirit squad to perform routines directly on the ice.
10
More offense in store
for healthy Sjostrom
By Matt Rosen
PhoenixCoyotes.com
T
Photo / Getty Images
he season is just a month old
and the Phoenix Coyotes aren’t
off to the start they had hoped for.
After winning just two of its
first seven games, the team is
looking for someone to step up and
provide the club with a spark.
There’s plenty of talent upfront
with the likes of Shane Doan,
Ladislav Nagy, Mike Comrie,
Owen Nolan and Jeremy Roenick, but there’s one player who
is starting to show that he too
can play a big role and help turn
around the team’s fortunes.
For Fredrick Sjostrom, the
2006-07 season got of to a lessthan-desirable start to say the
least. During the Coyotes’ first
game of the preseason, Sjostrom
suffered a shoulder injury that
sidelined him for four weeks. Coming off a season in which he started
out as a checking forward and
finished on the top line, Sjostrom’s
high hopes for a fast start were
The Coyotes are hoping Fredrick Sjostrom
can put more pucks in the net.
Coyotes In November
Fri, Nov. 3 @ Anaheim, 8:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 4 vs. Los Angeles, 7:00 p.m.
Thurs, Nov. 9 vs. Dallas, 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 11 vs. San Jose, 7:00 p.m.
Tue, Nov. 14 vs. Minnesota, 7:00 p.m.
Thurs, Nov. 16 vs. Chicago, 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 18 @ Los Angeles, 2:00 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 19 @ Anaheim, 6:00 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 22 vs. New Jersey, 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 24 @ Minnesota, 12:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 25 @ St. Louis, 6:00 p.m.
Thurs, Nov. 30 vs. Los Angeles, 7:00 p.m.
taken away.
“I was devastated
when I got hurt because it’s been a long
summer, we didn’t
make the playoffs,”
said Sjostrom. “I
really wanted to get
back and be in good
shape so I worked
out real hard and to
be injured in your first game really
sucks because all you want to do is
play.
“I just made up my mind that
I was going to be back quick and
I worked really hard with our
trainers (Mike Bahn and Chris
Broadhurst) to get back into
shape and I guess I just heal well. I
went everyday to get treatment on
my shoulders, I had rehabilitation
workouts. I’m still a little weak, but
good enough to be able to play.”
As a result of Sjostrom’s injury,
Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky
had no option but to juggle the
lines in search of a productive
replacement for Sjostrom on the top
line. Once he was medically cleared
to return, Gretzky quickly brought
Sjostrom back alongside Doan and
Steven Reinprecht on the club’s
top line.
It was exciting for Sjostrom
to be back in the lineup, but the
euphoria wouldn’t last long as
Reinprecht suffered a fractured collarbone, which will keep him out of
the lineup for eight weeks.
“I didn’t expect to come back
and be on that line right away,”
said Sjostrom. “I [played in] a few
games and worked hard, [but] the
results didn’t come for the team so
they did a little scramble with the
lines and I ended up on that same
line again, which I didn’t mind. We
had a good run at the end of last
year, we had pretty good chemistry
on that line and it was tough to see
Rhino (Reinprecht) get hurt.”
Sjostrom, 23, is still feeling his way on this team and figuring out his role, whether it is as a
checker, a scorer or a hybrid of the
two. Coyotes GM Michael Barnett
feels that “Freddy” has all the tools
to become a consistent scorer in the
National Hockey League.
“When he came up (last year),
his only role was that of a checker
because his speed lets him get to
the puck early and he is physical; he’s not afraid to take a hit to
make a play,” said Barnett. “He has
all the tools to be more than that
- great acceleration, terrific velocity in his shot. He needs to be more
accurate when he’s putting shots
on the net, but that will come with
experience.”
During the Coyotes’ first road
trip of the season, Barnett took an
opportunity to sit down with the
young left wing and to talk with
him about his role on the team
and how he needs to start thinking
more offensively.
“We just talked about thinking
more than just contributing to this
club in a checking defensive role,
that we need offense out of him,
particularly if he’s going to keep
getting better every year,” Barnett
said.
“I definitely want to score more
goals,” said Sjostrom. “It’s a thing
that I’m going to have to keep
working at, just to keep shooting
more and throw pucks toward the
net, and hopefully that will generate more goals.” ❂
11
Player-coach role new trick for old Sundog
By Jeff Hoodzow
D
12
Photo /Bart Young Photography
an Laperriere is old.
Not old in a classic sense. He
doesn’t have a cane or gray hair.
Laperriere is only 37, a relative
youngster in the grand scheme of
things.
But within the expansion Arizona Sundogs organization, the veteran defenseman/assistant coach
might not just be a father figure,
but a grandfather figure.
Laperriere has a year on Sundogs coach-GM Marco Pietroniro
and is older than the entire executive staff of owners and presidents.
“Wow, I feel older just talking
about that,” Laperriere said.
On the hockey calendar, Laperriere is slowly skating toward the
finals months of a playing career
that has included two continents
and countless memories, but this
year should be the beginning of a
long-time coaching dream.
Laperriere was approached by
Pietroniro as the team was being
built with an offer to not only play,
but get a foot in the coaching door.
“We’ve said since Day 1 that we
were going to bring in some good
veteran players,” Pietroniro said.
“He’s mainly playing, but also does
some paperwork, learning what
coaching means, not only on the
ice.”
It might be cliché, but coaching
is in Laperriere’s blood. His father,
Jacques Laperriere, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1987 as a player and ended a
23-year stint as an assistant coach
in 2004.
Laperriere said when Pietroniro
contacted him during the offseason
with the player-coach position, it
didn’t take him long to snatch up
the offer and pack his bags for Arizona.
Dan Laperriere will teach the younger Sundogs much more than just hockey.
European campaign ended in January 2005 when a knee injury ended
his stay with HC Ajoie of the Swiss
B League. After 40 games with the
CRS Express in Saint-Georges,
Quebec, Laperriere was contacted
by Pietroniro.
Laperriere said following the
knee injury, his goal was to make
it back to Europe, but the Sundogs’
offer was too much to pass up.
With the Sundogs, his most
valuable asset won’t be his slap
shot or puck handling, but the
vast experience he gained, both in
the NHL and overseas. He said he
wants to teach the younger Arizona
players what he learned when he
was their age.
“They showed me what pro life
was, both on and off the ice,” Laperriere said of the veterans he played
with. “They took me under their
wing and now it’s my turn to give
back.”
According to Pietroniro, “giving
back” won’t just be where to set up
in the zone on the power play.
“He’s going to teach the kids
the right things,” Pietroniro said of
Laperriere. “Learning how to iron
their shirts, learning how to present yourself in public. He’s going to
give them a better understanding
of the next level.”
Whether it’s help with the laundry or help on the power play, Laperriere is sure to be in the middle
of it all. ❂
“I saw what they had to offer
and it was a win-win situation,”
Laperriere said. “This is why I got
into this.”
It wasn’t always just wearing a suit and holding a clipboard
for Laperriere. The Laval, Quebec-native’s career started at St.
Lawrence University in Canton,
N.Y., as a standout defenseman.
In four years, Laperriere was an
All-American and a finalist for the
Hobey Baker Award, given to the
top college hockey player, his senior
year.
Following a memorable career
with the Saints, Laperriere had a
not-so-memorable run in the NHL.
A fifth-round selection by the St.
Louis Blues in 1989, Laperriere
debuted with the team in
Sundogs In November
1992-93 season and only
played in 29 games over a
Fri., Nov. 3 @ Colorado, 7:05 p.m.
three-year stretch before
Sat., Nov. 4 @ Colorado, 7:05 p.m.
being traded to the OtFri., Nov. 10 vs. Youngstown, 7:00 p.m.
tawa Senators in 1995.
Sat., Nov. 11 vs. Youngstown, 7:00 p.m.
After bouncing back
Tue., Nov. 14 vs. Colorado, 7:00 p.m.
and forth between the
Fri., Nov. 17 @ Odessa, 6:00 p.m.
Senators and various
Sat., Nov. 18 @ Rio Grande, 6:35 p.m.
minor league affiliates,
Sun., Nov. 19 @ Corpus Christi, 2:05 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 22 vs. Austin, 7:00 p.m.
Laperriere tried his hat
Fri., Nov. 24 vs. Odessa, 7:00 p.m.
in Germany with the
Sat., Nov. 25 vs. Odessa, 7:00 p.m.
Schwenningen Wild
Wings.
However, his successful
Church embraces new role behind bench
By Paolo Cruz
T
here were many changes for
the Phoenix RoadRunners this
offseason: An affiliation deal was
hammered out, free agents were
signed, players were traded for,
and there is a new face behind the
bench.
Brad Church joined the
RoadRunners organization this
past summer to be head coach Ron
Filion’s assistant coach. It has
been an interesting transition for
Church, who at this time last year
was playing in the United Hockey
League with the Missouri River Otters.
Church comes to Phoenix after
10 productive careers in minor
league hockey. After winning a
championship with the Kalamazoo
K-Wings (Church was traded in
the middle of the year), he decided
to enter coaching at the relatively
young age of 29.
Two years ago, Church began
toying with the idea of entering
coaching following his playing
career. He describes himself as a
player who always paid attention to
detail while demanding a lot out of
his teammates.
Church’s journey to Phoenix
began when former assistant coach
JJ Daigneault accepted a job with
the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.
Obviously, Phoenix was in need of
a new assistant coach, so RoadRunners GM Ray Delia made a call to
his former player.
“Ray had actually contacted me
earlier in the season about coming
to play for Phoenix, and I had told
him that I wanted to pursue an assistant coaching job,” Church said.
“I had a few interviews and when
JJ got promoted to the AHL, Ray
asked me to interview for the job
and here we are now.”
Brad Church’s promising coaching career is
just getting started.
to yourself that it’s part of the
job and part of the game,” he said.
With the ECHL becoming more
of a developmental league, Church
hopes that his experiences as a
minor leaguer will help develop
and mold the players he has on his
roster. While finding the happy
medium between development and
winning games is difficult, it’s a
challenge Church and Filion relish.
“I’ve played with a number of
guys who made it to the NHL and
I saw how hard those guys had to
work, and I want to translate that
to my players. The easy part is getting called up; staying at that level
is the hard part and I want to make
sure my guys are prepared when
they do get the call,” Church said.
The ECHL is not only a proving
ground for players; it’s also a place
for coaches to develop. With Church
only being 29, he has a tremendous
opportunity to grow behind the
bench. Church fully intends to take
advantage of the opportunity.
“I want to learn and develop as
much as I can,” he said. “I want to
be looked upon as a quality coach
with a good future, and, down the
line, I want to coach at the highest
level.” ❂
Throughout his career, Church
has been known as a leader. He
says it’s something that was apparent even when he was a youngster.
Clearly coaches and his peers share
that view. Church served as captain for the Richmond Renegades,
Florida Everblades and Reading
Royals. In addition, he was an
assistant captain for the Portland
Pirates.
“Brad was captain of my 2003Read Paolo Cruz’s extended
04 Reading Royals team that went
interview with Church at
to the ECHL conference finals,”
www.arizonarubber.com
Delia said. “I had the opportunity
to witness his leadership skills,
character and respect he
received from his teammates
RoadRunners In November
and always thought when the
time was right he would be
Fri., Nov. 3 @ Fresno, 8:35 p.m.
an excellent assistant coach
Sat., Nov. 4 @ Stockton, 8:30 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 7 vs. Stockton, 7:11 p.m.
when he was ready to start
Wed., Nov. 2 @ Long Beach, 8:00 p.m.
his coaching career.”
Fri., Nov. 10 @ Las Vegas, 8:05 p.m.
One seemingly big chalSat., Nov. 11 @ Long Beach, 8:00 p.m.
lenge for Church is cutting
Tue., Nov. 14 vs. Las Vegas, 7:11 p.m.
players, since he is only a
Sat., Nov. 18 @ Long Beach, 8:00 p.m.
year removed from being in
Sun., Nov. 19 vs. Long Beach, 5:00 p.m.
their skates.
Sat., Nov. 25 vs. Long Beach, 7:11 p.m.
“I definitely feel bad for
Tue., Nov. 28 vs. Utah, 7:11 p.m.
these guys, because you know Thurs., Nov. 30 vs. Utah, 7:11 p.m.
you’re affecting their lives,
but in the long run you think
13
College Hockey
ASU
UA
By Andrew Nordmeier
Corey, Ferroni off
to fast starts
T
he Arizona State Ice Devils
opened their season last month
with a split against Weber State at
the Alltel Ice Den.
One night after outshooting
Weber 50-25 in a 3-1 loss, Arizona
State responded with an 8-3 grilling to notch the team’s first win.
Ray Corey and Rick Ferroni
each scored twice in the victory,
while Paul Balducci got the win
in goal.
ASU coach Mike DeAngelis
was impressed with the play of
Corey and Ferroni.
“Those two stick out in my
mind as guys taking the bull by the
horns,” he said.
Hopefully, the fans enjoyed the
win because it will be the last they
see of their Ice Devils at home until
Nov. 17.
“It’s going to be a tough stretch
and a character builder,” De Angelis said. “We have a lot of new faces
on the team and when you hit the
road, guys get to get know each
other real well. It’s going to make
us stronger down the stretch.”
Once that trip is done, the Sun
Devils will only leave the state
twice more until the national tournament in late February.
“Hitting the road against some
of these top teams is going to be
tough,” De Angelis said. “We’re not
expecting miracles, but we need to
come out of the road trip at least
.500, if not better.” ❂
ASU In November
Nov. 3 @ Arizona, 7:45 p.m.
Nov. 4 @ Arizona, 5:45 p.m.
Nov. 17 vs. TBA, 7:45 p.m.
Nov. 19 vs. Liberty University, 7:45 p.m.
Nov. 24 @ Weber State, 7:45 p.m.
Nov. 25 @ Weber State, 5:45 p.m.
NAU
By Andrew Nordmeier
‘Cats open with
wins in Vegas
T
he University of Arizona Ice
Cats are still making the
adjustments to USA Hockey’s
new standard of play that is being
strictly enforced this year.
Despite a pair of wins on the
road at the University of NevadaLas Vegas, the Ice Cats paraded to
the penalty box, getting whistled
for 27 infractions in two games.
Once the Ice Cats can get past
the clutching and grabbing, they
should be able to execute more
on their speed and increase their
offensive production. The Ice Cats
outscored the Runnin’ Rebels, 10-5,
on opening weekend.
The Ice Cats also showed their
mettle at the Division I Showcase,
held this year in Youngstown, Ohio,
on Oct. 20-22. Arizona played three
games in three days and each presented a different challenge.
After matching up with Mercyhurst on Day 1, the Ice Cats faced
their toughest test of the weekend
against Duquesne. Not only did the
Ice Cats have to take on Western
Michigan on the third day of the
Showcase, they also did so at an
ungodly hour. The game started at
8 a.m. EST, which was an unsightly 5 a.m. back in Tucson.
The Ice Cats started playing at
home the first weekend of November when they hosted Arizona State
for a pair of games. That opened a
stretch of 14 straight home games,
which extends through the end of
January. ❂
UA In November
Nov. 3 vs. Arizona State, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Arizona State, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 10 vs. Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 11 vs. Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 17 vs. Liberty, 7:30 p.m.
By Andrew Nordmeier
Offense clicking
early for Jacks
T
he good news for the Northern
Arizona University Ice Jacks is
that they seemingly have no problems filling the net, scoring 41 goals
in their first six games.
The bad news is that their opponents were doing the same, having scored 21 times against the Ice
Jacks in NAU’s first four games.
That defense took a serious hit
when starting goaltender Stan
Buckowich went down for the season with a knee injury. Junior Carson Church, a first-year player at
NAU, will assume the duties in the
crease.
“He’s a little weary right now,
but he’s coming along,” NAU coach
Todd Schall said of Church. “The
speed and the pace are a little different than what he’s used to.”
One big victory for NAU came
in the form of a tie with ASU’s DIII team.
“I think it’s big for us in terms
of development,” Schall said about
the Arizona State series. “It was a
great morale booster.”
While the Ice Jacks try and
find a way to tighten the defensive
screws, they hope the offense can
continue their torrid pace as they
look to make headway in the Pacific
Coast Hockey Association.
“It’s very important we come
together,” Schall said. “Our next
few games are against PCHA teams
and we need to come out.500 or better to stay in the hunt for a championship.” ❂
NAU In November
Nov. 3 vs. Cal State Irvine, 9:30 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Cal State Irvine, 9:30 p.m.
Nov. 10 vs. UC-Davis, 9:30 p.m.
Nov. 17 @ Scottsdale C.C., TBD
Nov. 18 @ Scottsdale C.C., TBD
The Ice Devils, Ice Cats & Ice Jacks are members of the
14
Junior Hockey
Peoria
Phoenix
By Matt Mackinder
Tucson
By Matt Mackinder
By Matt Mackinder
Peoria regroups
after early struggles
Goals coming in
droves for Davis
Seasoned captain
Dolan does it all
opefully for the Peoria Coyotes, the worst is behind them.
Starting out 0-9-0 and allowing
83 goals in those nine games while
only scoring 20, the Coyotes haven’t
given up hope for this season.
“I believe Tucson and the Polar
Bears are the teams to beat this
season,” Peoria GM and assistant
coach Trevor Waagner said, “and
we played them seven times in our
first nine games. I don’t think the
stats show all of how those games
went down.”
Now in their second WSHL
campaign, the Coyotes sit in the
basement of the Western Division.
And though winless as of mid-October, Waagner thinks that may give
his team a leg up.
“I always tell the boys we’re a
lunchbox team, a blue-collar team,
and that nothing will ever be given
to us,” he said. “We go out and work
hard and I think that frustrates
some teams because even when
we’re down 11-1 or 11-2, we don’t
just roll over and die.”
Success with some teams may
be measured by trophies, and while
that is obviously a goal for the Coyotes, it’s not No. 1.
“What we’re trying to accomplish is recruit 16- and 17-year-olds
and get them onto Junior A,” said
Waagner. “Winning a national
championship, yeah, it’s a goal, but
if we can move kids on and develop
them, then we’ve done our job.”
In the team’s first nine games,
forward Johnny Feeley (four
goals) and defenseman Mike Marino (three) led the Coyotes’ scoring
charge with seven points. Richard
Williams netted three goals for
four points, with Mitch Pope and
Dave Stath splitting time in goal.
❂
veraging two goals a game isn’t
easy, but Jamie Davis isn’t
just your average goal-scorer.
The Phoenix Polar Bears’ 19year-old sniper tallied 18 goals in
his first nine games to lead the
WSHL in that category. He scored
four in a game twice – on Oct. 6
against Capital and on Sept. 24
against Peoria – and also had a sixpoint game (two goals, four assists)
in the season-opener on Sept. 22
versus Peoria. In the second game
of the year, Davis also won a game
late with a key play off a faceoff.
“Jamie is a very mature, gifted
player,” Phoenix coach-GM Harry
Mahood said. “When he joined
our team about a third of the way
into last season, he got going on a
similar goal-scoring pace. But when
we play other teams, other fans
and coaches compliment us on how
Jamie plays.”
And to think, this is probably Davis ’ last year of organized
hockey. He has aspirations to ply
his passion on the dirt track race
car circuit in his hometown of Devlin, Ontario. Mahood added that if
he wanted to, Davis could be a solid
Division I college player, but that
seems out of the equation.
“His passion is racing,” said Mahood. “But we’re obviously happy to
have him right now. He’s really a
testament to not only our team, but
for the whole league.”
The Polar Bears, the defending
WSHL champs, jumped out to a
perfect 9-0 start in league action.
Davis’ team-high 30 points were
one more than forward Josh Laricchia. Goaltender Drew Riccio
was 5-0 over that span (Rob Sudduth and Sean Fitzpatrick both
picked up two wins in net). ❂
hen the Fort Worth Texans
folded after last season,
captain Dan Dolan was selected
in the WSHL dispersal draft by the
Tulsa Rampage, but that was only
a temporary situation.
Jeremy Law coached the Texans and then jumped to the Tucson
Tilt along with Dolan, whose rights
were purchased for $1,000 from
Tulsa.
“Dan was my No. 1 recruit,” explained Law. “He could be playing
D-III hockey or even Junior A, but
he said that if he came back he’d
only play for me so we went out and
made that happen.”
Through the Tilt’s first eight
games, Dolan had 13 goals among
his 31 points, good for tops in the
WSHL.
He’s also Tucson ’s captain,
“probably the best captain in this
league,” added Law.
“I came to the rink one game
day four hours before a game and
Dan was sharpening skates for the
guys and doing laundry,” noted
Law. “That’s the kind of player you
want as a captain. I knew he’d be
our leading scorer and I put him
out there in every situation. He’s
done everything I’ve ever asked of
him.
“He does everything so well
both on and off the ice.”
Dolan, 20, has captained the
first-year Tilt to a 7-1-0 record
through eight games and a second-place standing behind the
undefeated Phoenix in the league’s
Western Division.
Defenseman Chris Kiminki
struck for nine goals for 24 points
in the team’s first eight games. ❂
H
A
W
The Coyotes, Polar Bears & Tilt are members of the
15
P.F. Chang’s Tier 1 Hockey Program
P.F. Chang’s from Page 7
players do what they do best: Play hockey.
Forward Mychal Moore plays for the U-18 team
and said the players are excited about the chance to
represent the state on such an elite team.
“Arizona hasn’t been known for hockey, but over
the past few years we’ve been to nationals and we’ve
won,” he said.
And success breeds competition. Goar said next
season’s tryouts could include more players and be a
tougher test.
“It’ll be a lot different next year when we
have 60 to 80 kids trying out,” he said.
That’s fine with the players, because, as Johnson pointed out, there are enough local players to
stock a Tier 1 program.
“If we can keep all the kids from leaving the state
to play elsewhere, we can compete with anyone else in
the country,” Johnson said.
Federico said he wants to utilize the state’s top
players as ambassadors for the P.F. Chang’s program
in the community. His vision is to have free clinics
tutored by the P.F. Chang’s players for youths new to
the sport or those who can’t afford the equipment.
“[P.F. Chang’s would] use that as sort of a platform
for our kids to be involved in the community and to
give back a little bit,” he said.
The future
Five years down the road, the hockey team’s assessment might be best judged from outside Arizona.
Key questions will be asked and the answers will
determine whether this experiment was a success.
Are the top players filtering onto the P.F. Chang’s
teams? Are the best players staying in Arizona? Are
other states scouting the P.F. Chang’s talent?
Federico hopes the answers will be a resounding “yes.”
Ultimately the best net result for all involved
would be to have the athletes advance beyond the
P.F. Chang’s program to colleges, junior teams and
beyond. If this hockey program can become the proving
ground – and the scouting hub – for Arizona, it’s all
the better.
“[We want] to keep them (players) in school, keep
them with their friends and their family and keep
them in town,” Johnson said.
Although it’s in its infancy, the P.F. Chang’s hockey program is finally the elite youth program Arizona
was lacking: A home to the state’s best and brightest
young stars. ❂
USHL sets sights on Heath, Hamburg
By Brian McDonough
W
ith two USA Hockey Select
Festivals and a tryout with
the prestigious National Team Development Program already under
his belt, Danny Heath is anything
but an unknown commodity.
The USHL’s Tri-City (Neb.)
Storm certainly took notice, selecting the Glendale native in the sixth
round (69th overall) of the league’s
Futures Draft for 1989- and ‘90born prospects last month.
“He’s a skilled defenseman,
but he has continue to work and
have the passion (to get to the
next level),” said Storm assistant
coach Tom Rudrud, whose team
groomed Phoenix Coyotes prospect
Bill Thomas before his college career at the University of NebraskaOmaha.
The only Tier 1 junior league
sanctioned by USA Hockey, the
16
USHL flaunts a long list of elite
college and professional alumni,
among them Coyotes defenseman
Keith Ballard.
Heath wasn’t the only Arizonan selected in the draft. Forward
Andrew Hamburg, a Colorado
College recruit from Phoenix, was
picked by the Waterloo (Iowa)
Black Hawks in the third round
(29th overall).
This season, Heath, a junior at
Mountain Ridge High School, is
staying local to skate for the P.F.
Chang’s U-16 team. According to
Heath, he had offers to play for other AAA teams across the country,
but wanted to stay close to home.
“I like my coach this year, so I
decided to stay,” said Heath.
That coach is Jim Johnson,
who played in the USHL before
embarking on a college career at
the University of Minnesota Duluth
on his way to a lengthy stay in the
NHL. Johnson, a former defenseman, sees good things in store for
Heath as he chases his dream of
playing college hockey.
Heath continued / Page 29
Mountain Ridge sophomore Danny Heath
is skating for the P.F.Chang’s U-16 team this
season.
Coyotes Amateur Hockey Assocation
Desert Youth Hockey Assocation
Bantam ‘93s roll as a team
Free skill lessons a big assist
By Paulo Cruz
By Bob Strong
he Coyotes Amateur Hockey Association’s Bantam ‘93 team is off to a flying
start as an A team in the Sonoran League.
In scrimmages, tournaments and league play, the
Coyotes were 7-1 and undefeated in league games as
of mid-October. While some coaches would be satisfied
with dominating at the A level, coach Dennis Leclair
has gone another route.
Leclair has scheduled games against local AA
teams and has entered his team in high-profile tournaments, such as the recent Midwestern Hockey Tournament in Chicago, so it can face top competition.
Leclair is also quick to point out that the team will
only succeed if everyone contributes.
“We have no superstars, just 17 individuals who,
as a team, can compete with just about anyone at their
level,” said the coach. “And the kids know that we win
as a team and we lose as a team; there is no fingerpointing.” ❂
he Desert Youth Hockey Association
is trying something new this season,
giving something back to the kids.
All season long, it will be providing the younger age
players free on-ice skills sessions with DYHA coach in
chief Kurt Goar and power skating instructor Holly
Harrington.
“Skill development should be the primary focus of
all young players, because if you lack the skills you
won’t get too far in the game of hockey,” said DYHA
hockey operations director Geoff Pashkowski.
These skill sessions are meant to underscore the
organization’s commitment to player development,
particularly with the Mite- and Squirt-age players.
“It’s not just about playing games,” said DYHA
president Jim Beyer. “It’s about developing the basic
skills of skating, shooting and passing that will make
these boys and girls better players down the road.”
The skills sessions run Saturday mornings from
7:10-8:30 a.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena. Check the
DYHA Web site for details. ❂
T
T
17
Valley of the Sun Hockey Association
Mustangs prep for Coyote Cup
By Cameron Eickmeyer
I
t’s never too early to prepare for an
upcoming tournament.
The Valley of the Sun Hockey Association knows this mantra all too well and has
already begun entering teams in a holiday tourney.
December’s Coyote Cup is still two months away,
but the Mustangs have already confirmed four teams.
VOSHA will be represented at the Mite A and B,
Squirt A and B and the Pee Wee A and Bantam A levels.
The tournament combines teams from across the
country and will be a good test for the VOSHA program as a whole.
The Coyote Cup will run for the eighth year at
Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale.
In conjunction with the event, the Sonoran Youth
Hockey League and the Phoenix Coyotes have teamed
up to provide Coyote Cup participants the opportunity
to see the NHL team in action against their Pacific
Division foes, the San Jose Sharks, on Dec. 30 at Glendale Arena. ❂
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The Zebra: Arizona‘s Endangered Species
I
n the desert, hockey
has grown so much in
such a short time that
the number of players
and the number of teams
has increased.
So has the number
of games, and you can’t
have a game without the
referees. On any given
weekend, you can have
up to 30 games at only
one rink and you need to
have referees.
Often, referees are
working several games a
week because the games
need to be covered. Some
guys do it for the money
and some do it for the
love of the game. No
matter the motivation,
the games must have a
18
referee.
most of us have
That’s
goals. The more
where, hopegames we work
fully, you come
the better we
in.
get, but we can
If you’re a
also fall into a
teenager looking
slump by dofor a part-time
ing too many
job this winter,
games.
Kornowski
calling games
There are
sure beats working at
referees working every
a fast food place. Plus,
night of the week and
there’s the workout you’ll all weekend because we
put yourself through.
just don’t have enough
Officiating is not as
people to cover all the
easy as it looks; several
games around the state (I
new officials dropout afput 475 miles on my car
ter their first year. Then
one weekend last month
there are the diehards
covering games).
that come back every
Referees are giving
year striving to work
up a lot of their free time
games at the next level.
to officiate your game,
Just like the players,
so the next time you’re
at the rink playing or
watching a game, remember to thank the referees
for working.
So often they only
hear the complaints and
not the good things. I’ve
officiated all over the
U.S. and Canada and I
think Arizona has some
of the best officials working games, so to all you
guys that are out there
covering those games,
here’s a big “THANK
YOU!”
Well gotta go, I have
a game to get to... ❂
David Kornowski is the
ACHA Supervisor of Officials. He can be reached
at [email protected].
Ozzie Ice
Mite squad goes to 5-on-5 action
Mission Arizona
Siple’s efforts garnering attention
By Cameron Eickmeyer
By Cameron Eickmeyer
dding a few bodies on the ice can make
a huge difference. Then again, subtracting a few can have an equal impact.
A Mite travel team that represents the Ozzie Ice
Association recently made the switch to 5-on-5 hockey.
The move is significant because of the rink dimensions
at Ozzie Ice, a facility with two half-sheets.
The squad, coached by Zac Fryer and Tom Peterson, used to play 3-on-3 both from a competition
standpoint and practice outlook.
Ozzie Ice has long been a supporter of the small
rink size and small rosters to stress skill development
and teamwork. The move to 5-on-5 should be a good
test for the program and Sean Whyte, the facility’s
director of hockey operations, praised the team for
making the jump.
Ozzie is considered by many to boast one of the
best - and fun – developmental tools in the Valley with
its two 90’ x 85’ ice surfaces. ❂
n Mission Arizona ’s Midget AA
squad, Alex Siple has started to
emerge as a top talent. He’s proving to be
a consistent player and is performing each
week.
“The hardest thing these days is getting kids to
show up to play each day, and the biggest thing with
him is that he shows up everyday,” coach Jeremy
Goltz said.
Karl Naaf, Sean Perona and Michael Salvione
were named captains on the Midget AA team. The
A captains are Brian Kirby, Chris Diaz and John
Wallace.
With its first season underway, each Mission
Arizona team is gearing up for the big tournaments
towards the holidays.
“Right now, we’ve been practicing and we’ve been
playing a lot of games with in-town teams just to try to
get our systems down,” said Goltz.
The schedule will pick up with each team adding
more games and a few tournaments.
“We’re gearing up, for the most part,” Goltz said. ❂
A
O
AWAY FROM THE RUBBER:
Never underestimate a meaningful warm-up
I
f there’s one activity you can do to help
your game and prevent
injuries, it is regularly
performing a well-designed warm-up.
There are times with
the Coyotes that I may
have to limit workouts,
whether it’s due travel or
schedule conflicts, facility
and equipment limitations on the road, or
because the team needs
the extra rest. However, I
will never cancel a warmup session.
Preparing the mind
and body for intense
activity is absolutely essential for injury prevention and performance
enhancement.
When warming up,
keep in mind that you’re
preparing the body to
move. I shuda variety of
der when I see
motions and
coaches taking
worked up a
kids out in the
light sweat.
parking lot for
Similar
a “warm-up” by
to workouts,
having them
you should
stretch for 10
always aim to
minutes.
perform body
Bahn
Sitting or
movements in
standing in one place
a standing position; doing
and stretching a muscle
so utilizes more muscles
for 30 seconds prepares
and you will be simulatthe muscles to relax and
ing movement you do on
lengthen, whereas in
the ice. Perfect posture is
activity you want them
very important: head and
to be able to move explochest up, back flat.
sively in various body
Start with slow, conpositions.
trolled movements that
There is a time and
move the hips and knees
place for stretching, but
through a good range of
not during warm-up. By
motion, like bodyweight
the end of your warm-up
squats and lunges.
(maybe 10-15 minutes
Variety is important,
long), you should have
like adding a slow, conmoved the body through
trolled twisting motion
to the lunge motion.
Remember to maintain
good posture, with the
head and chest up and an
upright torso.
You then progress to
motions that involve a
little more speed: light
skipping, side shuffles,
crossover and crossunder steps, butt kicks and
backpedals. Again, focus
on quality of movement,
not how fast you can go.
This is a basic exercise framework that
prepares the body to
move. Start with slow
movements and gradually progress to faster,
multi-directional movements. ❂
Mike Bahn is the Coyotes’
strength and conditioning
coordinator.
19
Flagstaff Youth Hockey Association
Volunteers critical to development
Tucson Youth Hockey Association
Midgets prove tough to beat
By John Duncan
By Brian McDonough
igh in the mountains of Arizona,
you’ll find the Flagstaff Youth Hockey
Association, which is coached entirely by
volunteers.
These men and women dedicate themselves to
hockey players without fail. Some coaches who volunteer for FYHA don’t even have children on the teams,
including Doug Allan, Denny Lauritsen and Nick
Voichic.
FYHA’s recreation program also relies heavily on
volunteers with coach Dave Anderson, joined by
John Vanlandingham and Lauritsen.
Some of the Bantam players - Daniel Pavich,
Max Fischenich and Todd Gonzelez - have also
stepped up to the plate and volunteer their time to
help coach the Squirt division. Debra Pavich conditions the Bantams weekly with dryland training.
The experience and dedication of these volunteer
coaches, hockey board and conditioning expert is very
much appreciated by the families and players who will
never forget these fun years of hockey.
Volunteers are critical for development at all youth
levels, and Flagstaff ’s are earning high marks. ❂
s part of the Southwest Hockey
League, the Tucson Stampede’s
Midget AA team rolled to an impressive
3-1-1 record over Columbus Day Weekend in Peoria.
Tucson opened with a 3-1 win over the Chandler
Polar Bears before falling to the Las Vegas Outlaws,
5-1. The Stampede rebounded to beat the Phoenix
Firebirds, 7-1, and the Utah Renegades, 1-0, before
wrapping up the weekend with a 2-2 tie with the Peoria Roadrunners.
“All in all, we came out of the weekend with seven
out of 10 points with tons of room for improvement,”
said Stampede coach Ian Armstrong. “But I think
we’re on the right path.”
Netminder David Manin was sensational between
the pipes.
“He played stellar throughout the weekend giving
us a chance to win every game,” said Armstrong. “He’s
a very solid goaltender who battles every game.”
Upfront, Jeremy Hiltabidel proved to be the big
gun.
“He carried the offensive load for us and scored big
goals when we needed them,” said Armstrong. ❂
H
A
Phoenix Polar Bears Hockey Association
Peoria Roadrunners Hockey Association
Teamwork keys Pee Wee B’s success Bantam AA’s flawless early on
By Brian McDonough
By Andrew Nordmeier
T
T
he Polar Bears Youth Association’s
Pee Wee B travel team opened with
a 2-0 record in Sonoran League action,
outscoring its opponents 16-4.
“This should be a very good season for us,” said
coach Gary Swanson. “Chemistry plays a huge part.
I also try to keep it as much fun as I can so the kids
enjoy working hard.”
The Polar Bears’ top line of Steven Swanson
(nine points), Josh Kleinholz (six) and Kyle Burkovich (three) has been dynamite in the early goings.
Nick Down, along with Cheyenne Boyd and
Meaghan Kagan, the two girls on the team, highlight
a strong defensive core.
“Our defense doesn’t allow too many shots on goal
and they tie up other teams pretty well,” said Swanson.
In the end, Swanson stresses teamwork first and
foremost.
“It’s the team enjoying playing together, that’s really important to me,” said the coach. “If the kids are
smiling and having fun, that’s the main goal.” ❂
20
he Bantam AA Peoria Roadrunners
started their season off with a bang,
going 5-0 in their first five Southwest
Hockey League games in Chandler last month.
With solid offense and a strong defense, the Roadrunners defeated the Idaho Steeleheads in the first
matchup of the weekend, 2-0, with both goals scored by
Doug Sheridan.
Team captain Cody Castro, T.J. West, Brad
Hawkinson, Tyler Clow and James Schwartz all
found the net in the team’s next win.
The following day, the Roadrunners had a rematch
with the Steeleheads and this time recorded an even
more convincing 4-0 victory. In Game 4 against the
DYHA Firebirds, the Roadrunners dominated both offensively and defensively, winning by a 5-2 count.
On Sunday, the Roadrunners kept with their winning ways with a triumph over the Las Vegas Outlaws,
5-1.
Goalie Cody Stocker was sterling in net the entire weekend, allowing only five goals and recording a
pair of shutouts. ❂
Arizona Girls Youth Hockey Association
Era off to hot start in Sonoran
Arizona High School Hockey Association
Fleming leads Desert Vista’s charge
By John Duncan
By Russell Brooks
he AZ Selects opened yet another new
chapter in Arizona girls hockey by
participating this season in the Sonoran
Youth Hockey League.
The U-10, U-12 Red and U-14 teams are playing in
the Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam B divisions.
The AZ Selects got off to a great start in the SYHL,
with U-14 forward Allie Era scoring a hat trick in
the team’s first Sonoran League game. Era is also an
inline hockey standout.
In other action, the U-10 and the U-12 Blue teams
began play in the CAHA recreational Squirt and Pee
Wee leagues, marking the third year that the AGYHA
has participated in these divisions.
This season has already produced some outstanding performances, with U-12 goaltender Danielle
Lemon already posting two shutouts and allowing just
one goal as of mid-October.
In addition, U-12 player Kelly McGovern has
consistently demonstrated excellent two-way play in
the early goings. ❂
he Desert Vista Thunder jumped out
to a quick 4-0 record in the Varsity
A division of the Arizona High School
Hockey Association.
Led by forward Jack Fleming, who recorded two
hat tricks in the early parts of the season, the Thunder
earned wins over Horizon, Mountain Ridge, Corona
Del Sol and Notre Dame to jump atop the Varsity A
standings in a tie with Desert Mountain.
Also leading the Thunder early in the season was
forward Zachary Isumi, who contributed three goals
for 12 points in his first four games.
Goalie Seth Crowley has seen the lion’s share of
the minutes in net for Vista, allowing just one goal in
two starts. His .974 save percentage led the league
along with his miniscule 0.50 goals-against average.
A perennial power in the high school ranks, Desert
Vista was crowned state champs in 2004 and 2005.
Mountain Ridge ended the Thunder’s two-year title
run last year. ❂
T
T
Zam drivers keep Valley’s ice in tune
By John Duncan
A
invention today. Nineyear-old Mark Duncan
was picked out of the
crowd to ride the Zamboni between periods at
Nationwide Arena during
a recent trip to Columbus,
Ohio.
“I was excited because
I got to ride on the same
ice as my favorite players,” Duncan said.
Zam continued / Page 24
Photo / John Duncan
t nearly every NHL
game, thousands
of people sing between
periods, putting intense
feeling into those pleading words of that Martin
Zellar song, “I Wanna
Drive the Zamboni.”
Yakov Shimonov,
despite ample opportunity, has never sung this
song. In fact, he’s never
even heard it, which is
ironic because Shimonov
drives a Zamboni nearly
every day.
Unlike the song, driving the Zamboni was not
Shimonov’s goal. Instead,
he applied for a job as
rink attendant at Arcadia Ice Arena because he
enjoys playing hockey and
he wanted to work around
the rink.
“I got the job as a rink
attendant, and they asked
me if I wanted to drive
the Zam,” Shimonov said.
He quickly discovered
that a Zamboni is not a
simple machine. “I had
to learn to drive it, the
pattern, what all the
switches do.”
Because the ice is
critical to an ice rink,
the quality of the ice is a
prime concern, and even
Arcadia ‘s owner, Jim
Rogers, regularly checks
whether adjustments are
necessary.
But the Zamboni is
much larger than its
designed task, becoming a
hockey symbol.
When Frank Zamboni created his first icecleaning machine in 1949,
he could not have imagined the popularity of his
Zamboni driver Yakov Shimonov tends to the ice at Arcadia Ice
Rink. He says his job is a crucial part of any ice rink’s livelihood.
21
Sonoran Youth Hockey Association
Roadrunners take Pee Wee A tilt
By Bob Strong
T
he Sonoran Youth Hockey League
officially opened its fourth season on
Oct. 5 with a Pee Wee A match between
the Phoenix Polar Bears and the Peoria
Roadrunners.
The Roadrunners came away with a hard-fought
4-2 victory.
“We played a tough team and we’re glad we came
out of it with a win,” said Roadrunners coach Jim Dover.
Peoria opened the scoring in the first period on a
power-play goal by Connor Darr, assisted by Blake
Simmons and Aaron Bland.
The Polar Bears tied it at one apiece in the second
with a power-play goal of their own off the stick of
Phillip Villarreal, assisted by James Ericsson and
Trevor Shott.
The game remained tied until the third period
when the Roadrunners struck for two goals in 28 seconds and never looked back.
“There are many great teams out there and we’re
looking forward to the competition this season,” said
Dover. ❂
Finecey from Page 5
AZR: What are the keys to making any community
relations project a success? What are the biggest challenges?
SF: The biggest challenge is not being able to help every cause. However, our players and management are
fully behind community outreach, therefore we’re able
to use all our assets to help as many as we can.
AZR: Talk a bit about this year’s group of players and
their willingness to participate in these types of community events. Are they an eager, easy-going bunch to
work with?
SF: All of the players were told about the “Coyotes
Causes” program and then asked if they were interested in adopting a month. We made it a point not to
make this program mandatory in the hopes of creating
a vested interest and it worked. Every player requested to be a part of a month. Most of the players requested to represent all of the months! They’re all extremely
eager for “their month.”
AZR: How important is it for the team - and the players - to get out and support the local community with
efforts like this?
SF: Our community is all we have to support us. With
that said, the team and the players understand the
22
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importance of giving back. Without our community,
the Phoenix Coyotes would not survive. We are very
thankful.
AZR: In general, how has Arizona embraced the Coyotes’ community efforts in the three and a half years
you’ve worked with the team?
SF: The thank you letters and calls we receive are
overwhelming! Although sometimes we can’t give as
much as we’d like, every organization is grateful for
what we are able to offer.
AZR: Are there any other community projects on the
horizon, especially with the holidays fast approaching?
SF: Yes, but you’ll have to wait and see!
AZR: So how can fans participate in and follow “Coyotes Causes” throughout the year?
SF: During every Coyotes home game, fans can visit
the top of Section 116 to bid on merchandise of the
player representative of the month. We’ll also host
drives for certain causes such as food, clothing and
school supplies. ❂
Fans can log on to www.phoenixcoyotes.com
(there is a “Coyotes Causes” link on the home
page) to find out about community appearances and how to get involved.
Strathman settling in at Northeastern
By Cameron Eickmeyer
With the Huskies trailing 2-1 against No. 10-ranked
avid Strathman is
Vermont in the second game of
the type of athlete
the season, Strathman netted
whom opponents
his first collegiate goal on the
hate to see take the playing
power play. The goal helped
surface.
earn his team a tie and landed
Former coaches said
him Hockey East Rookie of the
Strathman was a pure
Week honors.
athlete and talented enough
One week, one goal, one
to dominate any sport he
award. It’s the kind of start
played. Lucky for the NorthStrathman was hoping to
eastern University, located in
achieve.
the heart of Boston, he chose
He said he hopes his shot, a
to focus on hockey after his
powerful blast that helped him
junior year at Corona del Sol
lead all defensemen in scoring
High School in Tempe.
for the USHL’s Cedar Rap“I knew [hockey] was the
ids RoughRiders last season
career I wanted to pursue,”
(31 points on 11 goals in 58
Strathman said.
games), gives him an edge in
The Aztecs were the betcollege.
ter for his hockey days, as he
When Strathman isn’t
won a state
pushing for a roster spot or
championship with his
peppering goaltenders with
brother Andrew in 2002-03
blue line bombs, he can be
Northeastern’s David Strathman won a high school state
(Andrew is now skating for
found back in Arizona at his
title with Corona del Sol in 2003.
Photo / Jim Pierce
the Atlantic Junior League’s
old rink. He stays in touch with
Northern Mass Cyclones).
operators at Oceanside Ice
The Northeastern chapter of
Prior to turning his attention
Arena and hits the ice for skating
Strathman’s hockey career has its
solely to the ice, Strathman was a
sessions with old coaches when he
roots in Arizona. The school condominant baseball player and imcan.
tacted him after graduation, but
pressed Desert Youth Hockey AsGoar said the rinks welcome
didn’t blossom until after his junior
sociation coach in chief Kurt Goar
Strathman back because he was
days.
with his athletic ability.
always a polite player.
After stepping back from a
Once Strathman settled in on
“He was always a good guy with
commitment to Merrimack College
hockey, he quickly proved he could
the little guys,” Goar said. “He
- also located in Massachusetts tackle any obstacle. A solid forward Strathman was a touted defenseliked to go out and teach them and
for much of his youth hockey days,
it’s nice to see good things happen
man without a team. When he
Strathman made a switch to deto the kids who give something
looked into Northeastern, he found
fense to become a more dangerous
back.”
a friendly face from Arizona to
player.
One honor that may one day be
grease the wheels to a commitment.
“When he went back to [deovershadowed by more prominent
Forward Bryan Esner, also a
fense] for his last year of Midget
awards in his hockey career sits
DYHA alum, helped bring Strathand two years of Junior, he went
in the place where Strathman’s
man to Northeastern by providing
‘boom’ and people said, ‘Who’s this
hockey career began. Along the
info and a gentle nudge toward
Strathman kid?’” Goar said.
committing. The two played togeth- wall near the entrance to OceansThe position change helped him er when they were very young and
ide is an ever-growing collection of
earn a spot on the Eastern Junior
Hall of Fame banners.
hit it off again.
League’s Valley Jr. Warriors in
Among the names is Strathman,
“We stayed friends,” he said
Massachusetts. Still, Strathman
twice. That the home rink still disof Esner. “We’ve always skated
was finding himself on the ice and
plays his name for future players
together.”
had to work hard.
to look to is obviously something of
Entering this season, Strath“It was just a lot of learning,
which Strathman is proud.
man, 21, announced his arrival
getting used to a different pace
“It’s pretty sweet,” he said. ❂
with an authority that mirrors his
than Midgets,” he said.
slap shot.
D
23
Zam from Page 21
He added that he felt safe, but
he nevertheless held on tight until
the driver told him to wave. “It was
pretty cool when all those people
waved back.”
Such excitement is not limited
to NHL arenas. Even at Arcadia,
the Zamboni is equipped with a
passenger seat.
Shimonov doesn’t believe that
everyone wants to drive the Zamboni, but based on the number of kids
who want to join him, he believes
that everyone does want to ride
it. “The way the machine is built
and the way it works, what it does,
it’s interesting. People want to get
close and see how it works.”
Zambonis certainly entertain
hockey fans, whether it be through
songs, rides, or just simply watching these big machines perform
their jobs. As Shimonov reminds
us, however, Zambonis are critical
to the sport, as well to the financial
health of ice rinks everywhere.
24
“We sell ice,
and if the ice is
not done right,
then we can’t sell
it,” he said.
For that,
players and fans
throughout Arizona owe Shimonov
and all the other
Zam drivers sincere thanks. ❂
Coyotes strength and
conditioning coordinator
Mike Bahn demonstrates a
lunge twist, a good warmup exercise to prepare for
optimal game performance.
See Bahn’s “Away From The
Rubber” column on Page 19.
CHL turns small town into big time
By Jeff Hoodzow
W
hen the Arizona
Sundogs take the
ice this month in the new
Prescott Valley Convention and Events Center
, it won’t just be a minor
league hockey team in a
new building; it will be
the centerpiece of a growing downtown that will
hopefully put the town on
the map.
With a population
estimated near 35,000,
Prescott Valley won’t be
kicking any doors down
when it comes to size, but
the new arena, which will
sit 5,000 for CHL hockey
and 6,200 for staged
events, will give the residents of Yavapai County
the feel of a big-time
sports city.
“For all the people
that have never had the
opportunity, we are opening the door for all those
folks,” said Larry Tarkowski, Prescott Valley
town manager.
“It’s been a primary goal of the
citizens, as early
as 1978, to have
a downtown, a sense of
place.”
The arena will be the
first indoor ice surface
in Yavapai County and
the town is embracing its
new attraction.
Tarkowski said the
town has purchased 300
pairs of rental skates for
people who come out for
open skate nights and
is also scheduling with
major skate manufacturers to come to the arena
to demonstrate their
products for wide-eyed
residents.
The town has also
secured 350 hours of
open ice time in a typical
year, between
late September
and March, to
give everyone a
chance to skate
on the same surface as
professionals.
Outside of giving residents someplace to skate,
it will also offer fans an
affordable place to watch
professional hockey.
“It’s exciting for
everybody,” said Arizona
Sundog coach-GM Marco
Pietroniro. “We can’t wait
to get in there. It’s going
to be a state-of-the-art
building and we’re excited about playing in the
best.”
Individual game
tickets start at just $12
in the ends and $30 on
the glass. A season ticket
ranges from $352 to $800,
respectively.
For the hockey fan
with money to burn or
looking to entertain, the
arena also features club
seats ($1,100/year with
personal seat license
costs), loge seats ($1,200/
year) and luxury suites
(up to $40,000/year)
However, the arena
isn’t just a sheet of ice.
In the first week, it will
be open to the public with
top music acts like Godsmack and Clint Black
performing.
The arena will also
host the Professional Bull
Riding Tour in January
and welcome the Harlem
Globtrotters the same
month.
And the arena is the
key piece of a 40-acre
retail and entertainment
district that features a
movie theatre, new hospital and multiple dining
options.
While Prescott Valley
will never be New York or
Phoenix , it does have the
potential to be the sports
getaway that Northern
Arizona has always
wanted. ❂
A sketch rendering of Prescott Valley’s 40-acre retail and entertainment district.
25
Inline Hockey
O’Reilly anything but ‘just one of the guys’
By Alex Dodt
“There are quite a few people
out there who don’t think girls
n the male-dominated sport of
should be playing hockey at all,”
hockey, 14-year-old Mesa native
she said. “It gives me extra motivaRianon O’Reilly is a girl who has
tion just to show them that I can
done more than just prove she can
actually play, and that I’m not just
play with the boys.
an extra body on the rink.”
When O’Reilly began playing
Last season she racked up an
roller hockey five years ago at a
impressive, lengthy list of
local YMCA, she wasn’t a goalie
accomplishments. At the NARCh
yet. It would take the influence of
WinterNationals in January, ’Reilly
her older brother Cody to force that led her 14-and-under Arizona
change.
Heartbreakers to the bronze medal
The O’Reillys - Rianon, Cody
in the Pee Wee Silver division.
and their brother
She also
Ryne - began
played up in the
playing travel
16-ans-under
hockey in 2002
division and led
for the Hornets at
that
the Rink Sports
Heartbreakers
Center in Mesa.
team to a fourthWhen the 17-andplace finish. A
under Hornets
few months later,
found themselves
at the NARCh
without a goalie,
Arizona regional
Cody stepped up
qualifier, she
to fill the position.
was named to
Soon, Rianon was
the NARCh Jr.
following in his
All-Stars, an elite
footsteps.
group of the top
“I thought it
five players in
looked like a lot of Rianon O’Reilly has established herself as each division.
fun,” Rianon said. one of the best inline goalies in the state.
One of her
“Eventually, my
more spectacular
dad let me put on
performances
Cody’s street hockey pads, they all
came in May at the AIHA state
shot pucks at me and I just loved
championship tournament. She
it. I started playing goalie in house
was named goalie of the year in the
leagues and the next travel season
12-and-under division, in which
I made the 12-and-under and the
she posted an exceptional.913 save
14-and-under Hornets teams.”
percentage and earned the state
Since that day, Rianon has
finals Top Goalie Award in the 14continually shown that she is one
and- under division.
of the best goalies in the state and
But she didn’t stop there. In the
has squashed doubts all along the
RBK/CCM state finals Skills
way about her ability to compete
Competition, she was the best
against boys. As she grows older,
goalie in the 12- and 16-and-under
the doubts become louder and
brackets.
louder, but she continues to prove
“I enjoy beating boys my age,”
them all wrong.
she said. “It makes me feel more
I
accomplished.”
O’Reilly’s favorite moment
in roller hockey was the day she
was chosen to play for Team USA
Southwest’s women’s team.
“When I found out I made it,
it really took a day or two for me
to realize how excited I was,” said
O’Reilly.
In June, she traveled to Colorado with Team USA Southwest to
compete against three other Team
USA women’s teams from across
the country in the USA
Hockey Inline Girls and Women’s
Festival.
“The festival was a blast,” she
said. “It was my first year playing
with and against all girls. We even
had girl coaches, a few of which
were on USA’s Olympic team.”
In the end, O’Reilly and Team
Southwest came out on top, defeating Team USA Midwest, 8-1, in
the final. For the tournament, she
allowed only seven goals
and pitched one shutout. For her
dominant play, O’Reilly was the
only goaltender named to the AllFestival Team.
“I didn’t think it was going to
be as fun or competitive as it was,”
said O’Reilly. “But it was a good
experience for me. It made me
more open-minded about playing
on women’s teams and in women’s
tournaments.”
With all the accolades she had
earned in a short time playing in
women’s tournaments, one might
think O’Reilly will stick to playing
only those tournaments. But don’t
count on it.
“I’m sure I’ll end up playing in
more women’s tournaments now,”
said O’Reilly. “But I’d much rather
keep playing against the boys. It’s
easier to find better competition.”
Sorry guys, you’re not getting
off the hook that easy. ❂
Advertise in Arizona Rubber Magazine
Call (612) 929-2171 or e-mail [email protected] for details.
26
Inline Hockey
GET INLINE:
Inline hockey needs a pro league
O
ne of the many problems in roller hockey
that keeps the sport from
growing to its fullest
potential is the lack of a
true professional league.
On the long list of
things that hurt our
sport, this may not be of
the most importance, but
it is undeniable that an
established pro league
could do wonders.
It could provide
reason for the young,
up-and-coming player to
remain in the game.
Today, one must be
absolutely devoted to the
game to stick with it instead of giving ice hockey
a shot. If you have potential, the common sense
thing to do is play ice.
During the
qualifiers.
past few months
Dan
of our abbreviMaxwell of
ated offseason, a
the Arizona
few pieces of posSports Comitive news have
plex is leading
surfaced concernthe charge in
ing the future
making sure
of professional
Arizona is repDodt
roller hockey.
resented on
First, and most
the pro scene.
important to Arizonans,
“We’ll be putting a
was the announcement
team in the pro division
that the Tour Pacific Cup for Pacific Cup,” said
(TPC) tournament series
Maxwell. “It’ll be a great
is adding a pro division
experience for our guys
for the 2007 season.
to be able to play at that
Now, kids playing for
level.”
their local travel teams,
Another major piece
the majority of which
of news on the future of
play Pacific Cup tournapro roller hockey came
ments, will be able to see
from the Professional Inthe pros play when they
line Hockey Association
go to California for TPC
(PIHA) and its announce-
ment of a large expansion
of the league for the 2007
season.
It’s a farfetched
dream to imagine that
the PIHA will soon be
a fully developed pro
league with regular player salaries and consistent
revenue, but, then again,
we don’t need that. Not
now.
For now, it’s good
enough that we have
some avenues established
for roller hockey players
to play professionally
against the best there is.
It’s a future for the young
kids and it’s a start. ❂
Reach Alex Dodt at
[email protected]
Heartbreakers hoping to live up to name
By Alex Dodt
T
he Arizona Heartbreakers
travel program was born in
2005, when three Heartbreaker
teams began competing throughout
the state.
Their unique name and the
trademark pink and black jerseys
gave them instant recognition in
the roller hockey community. But
since the program started up, they
have done plenty to earn that name
recognition with their accomplishments on the rink.
Last season was a banner year,
with six teams in the program
- twice as many as the year before
- the Heartbreakers placed highly
in all the major tournaments they
competed in.
“Last year was a good year,”
said program director Javier Zuniga. “But it was a growing year.”
And there were some major
growing pains for the Heartbreakers as they suffered several painful losses in big games. Over the
summer, at the SixPac USA Finals
in Las Vegas and the AIHA State
Finals in Phoenix , they fell just
short of a gold medal several times.
“I dubbed last year: The Year
of Second Place,” said Zuniga. “We
came so close so many times.”
This year, they’re prepared to
improve on that array of secondplace finishes.
“We’ve been progressing every
season,” Zuniga said. “We’re really
excited for this year.”
In this their third year as one
of the state’s top independent
programs, the Heartbreakers are
expanding to include a total of
eight teams: one 12-and-under, two
14-and-under, two 16-and- under,
one 18-and-under, one adult and
one women’s team.
This season, with a larger
number of teams in the program
and the learning experience of last
season behind them, the Heartbreakers are prepared to continue
their progression toward the upper
echelon of Arizona travel programs.
After kicking off the season at
the OctoberFest tournament, the
Heartbreakers and their trademark
pink jerseys will be hitting the floor
at the TopCat Nike Quest Cup at
Rollerplex in December before they
head to NARCh WinterNationals in
January, where they will be looking
to surpass last year’s success. ❂
27
THE HOCKEY MOM:
What’s your spectator style?
P
art of the fun of being
a Hockey Mom is getting to know the parents
and their personalities. Come game time, I
always find it interesting
to observe the “spectator style” of the parents.
It’s quite the interesting
dynamic. Adrenaline
is pumping, nerves are
thumping and the anticipation is building. And
this is just for us moms!
Thank goodness our
players seem to handle it
much better.
We all have our levels
of spectator comfort;
where and how we prefer
to watch a game. Is she
a sitter, a stander, or the
ever-active pacer? I, myself, am usually a sitter/
shaker. I’ll sit and grab
28
the arm of my
place on the
neighbor giving
glass where
them a friendly
the dads hang
shake or two in
out. Those
the midst of an
poor referees.
exciting play.
The paternal
What about
glares alone
the lone spectacan create
tor? We may pick
enough heat
Wilson
up an unspoken
to melt the
vibe of, “Please don’t talk ice. From time to time, us
to me or sit beside me. I
moms take it upon ourjust want to watch the
selves to throw the signal
game and be left alone.”
to calm down. It usually
Can’t leave out the loud
comes in the form of a sipeople. These folks were
lent hand gesture or look
apparently blessed with
translated as “enough
super-human vocal
already.” Us moms could
chords which allow their
stand a signal or two at
cheers to permeate the
times, as well.
depths of any venue.
For the most part,
Then there’s Testoswe parents are courteterone Alley. Ladies, you
ous spectators, but we do
know what I am talking
need to make a conscious
about. It’s that magical
effort to incorporate a
few key practices into
all of our styles; vocalize only positives about
the players, keep our
grunts and groans to a
low minimum, and put
ourselves in the place
of our kids, the coaches,
refs and the other moms.
And don’t forget: Respect
thy neighbor’s spectator
style! It’s what makes
them part of this great
hockey experience! ❂
Julie Wilson is a local freelance graphic designer and
copywriter. Her 10-year-old
son, Jackson, plays hockey
for the DYHA Squirt A Firebirds. She can be contacted
at [email protected].
AZiiHA provides more inline opportunities
A
ll the excitement and hoopla surrounding the
first annual Scorpion Cup Jamboree,
which was held in early
November at the Arizona
Sports Complex, was just the beginning for the Arizona Interscholastic
Inline Hockey Association.
With the support of virtually
the entire Arizona roller hockey
community, the AZiiHA will kick
off the 2007 regular season schedule in January.
Teams are expected to play four
exhibition games and 12 regularseason games, as well as playoffs.
In addition to running Arizona’s
first ever statewide high school
hockey league, the AZiiHA is taking more steps to develop roller
hockey prior to the high school
level.
AZiiHA president John Marr
plans to introduce his Let’s Play
Hockey developmental program in
the upcoming year. The program’s
goal is to introduce roller hockey
to kids who have never had the
chance to play before. The program
will be available to elementary and
middle school students when the
schools offer an alternative activ-
ity day in their physical education
classes.
As part of the program, the
AZiiHA will provide skates, sticks
and everything else needed to play
and teach young kids how to play
the game.
“We’re also
giving out free introductory passes
to the kids, so
they can go to
local participating skating rinks
if they’re interested,” said Marr.
The AZiiHA
will also offer
a hockey boot
camp for individual players and
teams. The boot
camp is a grueling training regimen designed to
build team unity
and reinforce
players’ knowledge of the game.
With the Scorpion Cup and the
AZiiHA regular
season building
up the sport at
the high school level, and great
grassroots programs like Let’s Play
Hockey introducing the sport to
the younger crowd, 2007 is sure to
be another banner year for roller
hockey in Arizona. ❂
Heath from Page 16
Heath was named the game’s MVP.
The year prior, Heath was
a member of VOSHA’s historic
Bantam AA championship team,
the first ever Arizona club to win a
national title. That team was also
coached by Johnson.
“Danny has progressed consistently over the past four years I’ve
coached him and he continues to be
recognized at a national level,” said
Johnson. “If he continues to progress, he should be able to compete
in the USHL in the future.”
Heath, who also boasts good
grades in the classroom, is looking forward to his chance to skate
in the USHL, but is eager to make
some more memories with his
hometown friends in Arizona first.
“We want to make it to the national tournament this year, that’s
our goal,” he said.
As for Hamburg, he’s playing
this season in Texas with the Dallas Stars Midget AAA team.
“He’s a big, strong winger that
can skate,” said Waterloo coachGM P.K. O’Handley of Hamburg,
a Select-17 participant this past
summer. “We’re excited about him
joining our team and look forward
to helping him develop as a player
for Colorado College.” ❂
“Danny has good overall skills,
offensively and defensively,” said
the coach. “I’ve always been impressed the way he finds the open
ice, and he has the ability to get
there. He desires to compete at a
high level.”
A product of the Valley of the
Sun Hockey Association, Heath
was named MVP of his high school
league last season as a sophomore.
He capped off his year with a
breakaway goal with 1:12 remaining in the state’s championship
game to lift Mountain Ridge to a 54 win over Desert Vista. Fittingly,
29
Lacrosse
‘Kryptic’ making D-I push at Navy
By Bill Casey
T
he almost 18,000 members of
Lacrosse Forums (www.lacrosseforums.com) know the name
“Kryptic” well. In fact, he’s a bit
of a folk hero among those who
frequent what many consider the
best place on the ‘Net for lacrosse
information.
His prowess for “stringing,”
a talent using a combination of
cross lace, sidewall string and shoe
laces to create intricate pockets for
lacrosse sticks, are near legendary
to those who know or strive to learn
the skill.
Unfortunately, he retired as
a moderator for Lacrosse Forums
this past summer due to a pressing
commitment. You see, Kryptic, also
known as Kyle Kapron, can also
play the game at a very high level.
So high in fact the Chandler native
was recruited by the Navy Midshipmen lacrosse team, an NCAA Division I powerhouse in Annapolis,
Maryland.
“My lacrosse career started in
eighth grade while I was at Andersen Junior High. I was a multisport athlete who played just about
anything. After soccer ended, the
Andersen coach, Rich Woessner,
gave a lacrosse demonstration. I
thought it was the coolest sport
alive, decided I had to do it and I’ve
been hooked ever since.”
Kapron played for the Chandler
30
High School Wolves and the AZ
Starz, a traveling all-star squad.
In 2005, the best players on the
already-elite AZ Starz were chosen
to play in tournaments in the east.
The eastern teams are perennial
favorites - Baltimore, Long Island
and Upstate New York are well
known for producing generations of
Chandler’s Kyle Kapron is hoping to make
the Navy lacrosse team as a freshman.
excellent field lacrosse players.
“We had something to prove,
and for many of us it was one of the
few chances to have college scouts
watch us play,” said Kapron. “It
was a ‘go-big-or-go-home’ attitude
that drove us.”
The Starz went big,
finishing with an overall
record of 9-1.
During that time,
Kapron began stringing his own stick and
quickly built a reputation as a guru among
his team. But when
he began posting his
creations on Lacrosse
Forums as “Kryptic,”
he amassed legions of
faithful followers who
now regard Kapron as
the ultimate stick doctor.
“When I got my first stick, I
was rather fascinated by the ability
to customize it,” he said. “It resulted in a lot of experimenting and
showing up to practice with a new
stringing job. After several years of
practice, I can now string anything
you show me.”
Now in Maryland, Kapron is
facing new challenges head on.
“When you see those ads for
the Navy saying, ‘Accelerate your
life,’ they aren’t kidding; everything is fast-paced here. As a Plebe
(a fourth class Midshipmen, the
equivalent of a freshman), life
is very tough,” said Kapron, an
Engineering major. “After taking
care of those (military) duties, you
have to balance out a very highranked academic curriculum and a
top-ranked lacrosse team. All that
basically says is that I have no free
time, really.”
Very few Arizona players have
reached the Division I level in lacrosse. Is Kapron ready to buck the
trend?
“To be honest, I didn’t think
so. (Navy head assistant) Coach
(John) Tillman even says that
some of the top recruits have a
hard time adjusting to a whole new
level of lacrosse. But I’m definitely
improving each day.
“As for an AZ laxer to compete,
you need to have a solid base of
fundamentals, a great attitude and
an understanding that you probably won’t fit right into a top college
lacrosse team right away.”
As of mid-October, Navy was
still evaluating players for its final
roster. Kapron knows the odds are
against a freshman making the
team, but he also knows that many
in Arizona and scores of Lacrosse
Forums faithful are pulling for him.
❂
Lacrosse
Sting’s McKay a man on a mission
ing a blacked-out mask.
He’s also been running
on an inclined treadmill
while wearing equipment
weighing more than 50
pounds.
“The treadmill test
was really tough,” said
McKay. “The heat becomes overbearing at a
certain point, but you’ve
got to persevere in order
to make the cut. There’s
hundreds of guys trying
to get about a dozen spots
with the department so
it’s really competitive.”
Beating the odds and
earning a spot on a roster
is nothing new to McKay,
who has long been considered undersized as a
defenseman at 5-foot-9
in the extremely physical
game of lacrosse.
“I’ve never been the
biggest guy on the floor,
but I’ve always worked
Chris McKay has been utilizing his tenacious work ethic
hard and put in extra
off the floor as well.
time in the weight room
and in practice to be
By Richard Egan
as well-prepared as possible for a
game,” said McKay. “I’ve tried to
or most professional athletes,
carry that mentality over to my
competing at the highest level
firefighting. Positive thinking and
in their respective sport is the pinnacle of their physical exertion. For self-motivation are really important
tools in whatever you do.”
Arizona Sting defenseman Chris
McKay has used his mental and
McKay, the brutal punishment his
physical strength to great benefit
body takes while playing profesin his lacrosse career. A standout
sional lacrosse is almost a vacation
player with the Victoria Junior
compared to the rigors of training
Shamrocks of the British Columbia
to become a firefighter.
Junior Association, McKay was
For the past several months,
recruited by several NCAA Division
McKay has been in intense training as he hopes to gain employment I schools before deciding to attend
Butler University in Indianapolis
with the fire department in his
to play long-stick midfielder for the
home province of British Columbia
Bulldogs.
in Canada.
The now 26-year-old was twice
Some of the drills he has
named to the Great Western
undergone include testing live
Lacrosse League’s All-Star Team
hydrants, climbing lengthy ladwhile at Butler. He also served as
ders with burdensome gear in tow,
team captain in his senior year of
performing room inspections and
2004, a season in which he led his
assuming other tasks while wear-
F
team in ground balls with 65.
McKay has also served as team
captain with the Western Lacrosse
Association’s Victoria Shamrocks,
a team with whom he has won two
Mann Cup titles, signifying Canada’s national championship.
In 2005, McKay received the
Shamrocks Team Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership both on and off the floor. The
dynamic leadership and hard work
McKay displayed at the amateur
level resulted in the now-defunct
Vancouver Ravens selecting him
in the first round of the 2004 NLL
Entry Draft.
After being picked up by the
Rochester Knighthawks in Vancouver ’s dispersal draft, the Sting
acquired the promising defender in
a trade the first week of 2005.
Since his arrival in Arizona,
McKay has been a consistent force
on the floor for the Sting. In his
first season with the team, he
helped Arizona win the West Division title with his gritty defensive
play and unrelenting hustle, registering a pair of assists and 11 loose
balls during the Sting’s title run.
In 2006, McKay sustained a
lower body injury in training camp,
but recovered quickly and saw
action in 13 games for the Sting tallying a goal for eight points in addition to 86 loose balls. In the 2006
playoffs, McKay contributed three
assists and a quintet of loose balls
to Arizona ’s cause as his squad
came up just short of another shot
at an NLL championship.
Looking ahead to 2007, McKay
is optimistic about Arizona ’s
chances.
“We’re going to be tough to beat
this year,” said McKay. “We have
a young team, but every single guy
on our roster is dedicated to winning and we’ve already shown that
we’ve got what it takes to beat anyone in the league. I’m really looking
forward to getting back on the floor
with the Sting.” ❂
31
Lacrosse
For Sting marketeer, seeing is believing
By David P. Castro
O
AYLL getting bigger and better
Get Lacrosse Pointers
Every Month From Sting
Forward Matt Brown
At
www.arizonarubber.com!
32
By David P. Castro
F
rom its humble beginnings
in 1996 to today, the Arizona
Youth Lacrosse League has grown
as fast as the sport itself.
According to U.S. Lacrosse, no
sport has emerged faster at the
high school level over the last 10
years and the AYLL has followed
suit. At its inception, the league
fielded just four junior high teams.
Now, it’s at a robust 60 at all levels.
“We’re bigger than we’ve ever
been,” said former league president and current treasurer Jule
Dionne. “We’re going to have 22
varsity teams, 18 JV teams and 20
junior high teams. That’s 60 teams;
we had 56 last year.”
The AYLL was founded by four
Phoenix residents, Carl Johnson,
Rich McAbee, Paul Imhoff and
Lou Kissling, all of whom took the
initiative 10 years ago to give the
burgeoning sport a chance to grow
in the Valley.
Johnson got former players
and coaches in the area together
to discuss the possibility of a boy’s
league. By the spring of 1997, four
junior high schools - Cocopah,
Rhodes, Andersen and Greenfield joined in for organized competition.
❂
Read more of this story at
www.arizonarubber.com
Photo / Arizona Sting
nly Kevin Costner could buy
Dustin Payne’s philosophy on
drawing fans to watch the Arizona
Sting.
But like Costner’s famous film
“Field of Dreams,” Payne may have
something when he insists if people
see the action with their own eyes,
they will fall in love with lacrosse.
Recently, the Arizona Sting
hired Payne as their new marketing manager and he’s wasted little
time trying to make the lacrosse
team one of the hot-ticket items in
the Valley.
That’s no small task given the
many entertainment options in the
area. Still, he’s trying.
Payne’s main duty with the
Sting is spreading the word
throughout the Valley about one of
America’s fastest growing sports.
“We’re going on our fourth year
and there are still a lot of people
out here - and even in the West
Sting on the shortlist of entertainValley - that weren’t aware we
ment options in the Valley.
had a pro lacrosse team here,” said
“It’s unlike anything you’ve ever
Payne. “So my main focus is to get
seen,” he said. “I believe in the
the word out about the product.”
sport, I believe it’s one of those
The biggest hurdle for Payne is
things you have to experience to
getting potential fans in the buildbuy into and, once you come down
ing for the first time.
and see it, you’re sold. Our fans are
“I’ve never had anyone who
some of the most diehard in the
went to a game that didn’t have a
Phoenix area.”
good time,” he said. “It’s affordable,
The Sting’s home-opener is
it’s a fan-friendly game and the acslated for Jan. 13 when they host
tion and style of the sport is somethe Portland Lumberjax at Glenthing that catches on real quick.
dale Arena. ❂
“Lacrosse is a unique game,”
he added. “It’s a
sport that kids
can
play and you
don’t necessarily
have to be 6-10
to play it like
basketball or
300 pounds like
football; anyone
can pick it up
and play.”
With affordable ticket prices
across the board,
Payne is bullish New Sting marketing manager Dustin Payne is doing his best to
on getting the
keep the seats packed at Glendale Arena.
Sponsors from Page 7
Photo / Sean Gulley
Coaches also agreed that having a corporate-sponsored
team gives the team some credibility as well as stability.
“People see the name and know we’re not going anywhere,” added Victory Honda coach Brian Burke. “It’s like
that with all the Michigan teams.”
“Having a corporate sponsor helps us dramatically,” said
Belle Tire coach Chris Coury. “It shows people we’re in it for
the long run and that we’re here to stay.”
Steve Lowe, coach of Team nXi, said hockey is probably
the most expensive sport to play. In Michigan, costs of pretty
much anything have climbed, hockey included.
“The economy is so bad right now,” explained Lowe. “But
with a lot of our costs incurred by nXi, I think that obviously
takes a huge burden off the parents. We’re probably one of
the cheapest programs in the state - or even the nation - at
like $3,000 a kid, but still, that’s a lot of money.”
In other parts of the country, sponsors continue to make
their way onto youth jerseys.
The Philadelphia Little Flyers are now Team Comcast
and, in Kansas City, the new-to-AAA hockey Russell Stover
program has begun to make noise.
From Philadelphia to Arizona and everywhere in between,
sponsored youth teams take the burden off parents, but not
the competition off the ice. ❂
As costs climb, generous sponsors like P.F. Chang’s China
Bistro help keep the pucks moving for youth hockey
programs across the United States and Canada.
33
Taking Liberties
with John King
T
aking Liberties does the tango with Phoenix Coyotes dance team captain and head choreographer
Kari Herrick, who trains and coaches “The Pack,”
a one-of-a-kind dance group that performs directly
on the Glendale Arena ice without the assistance of
skates.
Taking Liberties: So you guys dance on the ice without skates. How does that work?
Kari Herrick: It’s pretty much the
shoes. We wear broomball shoes and
it does the trick. We go out after the
players have already skated. The
ice shavings go into the rubber soles
and provide traction. When we first
tried it, it was amazing.
TL: Are there things you can’t do on
the ice that you could do with regular dancing?
KH: Not really, anything you can do
on land you can do on the ice. I built
the team based on dance ability and
then took them on the ice.
❂
try demographic, but the Coyotes are trying to think
a little outside the box so we’ve mixed in some pop
music. We don’t take it all the way to hip-hop and rap
though. We’re actually doing a pop song and a country
dance now.
TL: Really, what country song?
KH: Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” A
lot of people have been pushing for that one.
TL: What music is “The Pack” listening to a lot of right now?
KH:They’d all want me to say
KH:
Danity Kane, that brand-new girls
group. We’ve been playing that one a
lot lately.
TL: What type of music do they play
at Coyotes games?
KH: The DJ does a lot of classic rock
and mixes in the classic country like
Garth Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin Down (Til
the sun comes up).”
TL: You’re in town for a night to
watch the Coyotes. What’s the best
place to go for a beer after the game?
KH: In a few months it will be the
restaurants right near the arena.
They’re building everything around
there. A lot of people go to Peoria; I
like North Scottsdale for the clubs and bars.
TL: Are you a hockey fan?
KH: Yes, I’m a Coyotes fan.
TL: Where’s the best place to go dancing?
KH: (Scottsdale ’s) Six is nice.
TL: If you had a Coyotes jersey, what name would be
on the back?
KH: Probably (Shane) DOAN.
TL: Are hockey players good dancers?
KH: That would be a good test, I haven’t seen many of
them try.
TL: Do hockey guys have a good sense of style?
KH: That’s tough, I haven’t seen too many of them
out and about. They seem to be laid back T-shirt- and
jeans-type guys.
TL: Well there is some pretty great video of Jeremy
Roenick doing a little dance on YouTube while he was
with Los Angeles [Editor’s note: visit www.youtube.
com and search for “Roenick Dance”]. What did you
think of that performance?
KH: I thought Jeremy looked great! He had great
rhythm and was actually moving to the beat of the music. Sometimes you never know what to expect when
guys start dancing, but he seemed to actually know
what he was doing. I was impressed and thought it
was very entertaining! ❂
TL: What about hockey hair?
KH: It’s pretty solid. I’ve always associated long hair
with the sport, and quite a few guys are still shaggy.
TL: You used to dance for the Phoenix Suns. Is hockey
music different than basketball music?
KH: Yes, definitely. Hockey is a rock & roll and coun34
Photo / Norm Hall
TL: So do any other NHL teams
have this sort of on-ice dance team
like “The Pack?”
KH: No, but it’s been going on in the
minor leagues for about 10 years. A
couple NHL teams roll out a carpet
to dance on, but nothing on the ice like us.
❂
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