With summer coming to a close, the Arizona Youth Hockey League held its Pre-season Seeding Jamboree for Pee Wee and Squirt teams Sept. 5-7 at AZ Ice Arcadia, Peoria AZ Ice, Ice Den Chandler, AZ Ice Gilbert and Oceanside Ice Arena.

The Arizona Hockey Union (AHU) teams were well-represented and came away with renewed optimism for the season.

“The kids need to know how to play away from the puck, not just with it,” AHY Pee Wee White coach Kevin Kowalchuk said. “We did fairly well and we progressed and got better.”

The Pee Wee Black team, coached by Chris Rees, was impressive at the event.

“Our biggest losses were actually the best games our kids played,” Rees said. “It gives them extra motivation.”

For Squirt Black coach Jeremy Scofield, he said his team has the right attitude early in the season.

“We have solid goaltending and solid defense,” said Scofield. “We had a very good showing.”

Squirt White coach Dave Heiman also has an enthusiastic team that showed quality effort.

“We have a very exciting group,” Heiman said. “The kids never gave up and played hard all the way to the last whistle.”

AHU Bantam Purple coach Bill Mosienko has a very positive attitude moving forward for his group.

“When you start getting competitive in hockey, my goals are to introduce these kids to new concepts and ideas these kids aren’t aware of,” Mosienko said. “I’m very confident and I’m impressed by what a nice group of kids I have.”

Mosienko says his plans for the team are make them better hockey players from an individual standpoint and improve their hockey skill set, as well as making them better all-around young men.

— Katy Wolpoff