Blog
Mission Statement: Is no contact in Pee Wees best for growing the game?
December 11th, 2017I want to talk about the decision of USA Hockey a few years back to take contact out of Pee Wee hockey and move it to the Bantam age group. I have coached Bantams for the past 16 years and to be honest, all I see is more and more injuries as a result of…
AHU Coach’s Corner: What it means to truly call yourself a hockey player
December 9th, 2017Being a hockey player doesn’t mean just showing up to the rink. It takes preparation, dedication, hard work, and a good attitude. A lot of parents ask me what it takes for their kid to get to the next level and I tell them all these things. But in the end, it’s up to the…
Shop Talk: You can’t go wrong with True Hockey custom-fit skates
December 7th, 2017The custom skate market has long been a small portion of skate sales at Behind The Mask and the retail industry in general. Precise measurements, custom parts, and confusing sizing had made it difficult to ensure that the best fit would come built in to the final product. Recent technology has changed the outlook on…
Arizona duo thriving in Tahoe Hockey Academy environment
December 7th, 2017A pair of Arizona natives have taken their skills from the desert to the mountains and are establishing themselves as cornerstones of the prep team at Tahoe Hockey Academy. Defenseman Jack Birecki and center Jared Shuter are in their second year as student-athletes at California’s first prep boarding school for hockey players, and the two…
Arizona hockey pioneer Spina hangs up the skates, calls it a career
December 6th, 2017Long before Auston Matthews was getting picked No. 1 in the NHL Draft, or even before players like Zac Larraza and Dusty Collins, there was Dave Spina. Spina was the initial high-profile hockey player from Arizona that “made it” in the game, spurring a growth in hockey that later saw Collins, Larraza and Matthews play…
Coyotes an optimistic bunch with rebuild in full swing
December 5th, 2017As if the transition from assistant coach to the ultimate decision-maker on the ice was not difficult enough, the opening weeks of the NHL season for Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet had to be excruciating. Ditto for his players. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE While the Coyotes were the last team to win a game…
Roadrunners retire Cunningham’s iconic No. 14 jersey
December 5th, 2017Craig Cunningham, the Tucson Roadrunners first-ever team captain, doesn’t remember anything that transpired on the ice at Tucson Arena last Nov. 19, 2016 — nor events immediately thereafter — after suffering an acute cardiac arrest following warm-ups prior to an American Hockey League (AHL) game against the visiting Manitoba Moose. If it wasn’t for emergency…
Is your youth hockey coaching staff equipped with basic first aid, CPR?
December 5th, 2017Is your team prepared? A player has been injured and is lying on the ice motionless. Someone from the coaching staff exits the bench to assess the extent of the player’s injuries, only to realize upon exam that the player has suffered a skate laceration to the back of his leg. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE…
IceJacks finding rookies, veterans ‘meshing extremely well’
December 4th, 2017The Northern Arizona University ACHA Division 2 team is off to a fast start, and while much of the success can be attributed to the talent on the ice, coach Travis Johanson said it’s also due to the “unbelievable chemistry” the IceJacks have shown between the returning players and nine newcomers this season. With a…
Coyotes infusing $2.1 million into state youth hockey programs
December 4th, 2017Back in October, the Arizona Coyotes announced a $2.1 million investment into youth hockey in the state. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE The Coyotes’ four new programs that will introduce the sport of hockey to over 100,000 boys and girls include a street hockey PE curriculum, a three-step introduction to hockey program for girls, financial support…