Blog
Tahoe Hockey Academy finding elusive ‘path to success’
December 6th, 2016It has been more than two months since the Tahoe Hockey Academy opened its doors to its first class of student-athletes, and the progress being made on and off the ice has the administration feeling extremely optimistic. “The goal from Day 1 was to implement a program that provided an extensive athletic and academic curriculum,”…
IHAAZ Midget division booming with 2017 season on tap
December 6th, 2016AZ Royals coach Nick Boyarsky played an instrumental role in reviving the Midget division of the Inline Hockey Association of Arizona (IHAAZ) a few years ago. Boyarsky said he and Jeff Johnson, who coaches the Yuma Blaze, had their own league going when IHAAZ didn’t have one of its own for players ages 14-18. “We…
Northstars creating ‘fun and exciting’ 6U, 8U rec leagues
December 5th, 2016The Flagstaff Youth Hockey Association (FYHA) is giving its younger rec-level players something they’ll always remember – a chance to compete against one another and the opportunity to hang a championship banner inside the Jay Lively Arena. The Northstars are taking all of their 6U and 8U players and dividing them into two groups –…
IceJacks’ Division II ACHA squad enjoying early-season success
December 1st, 2016The Northern Arizona University Division II team is off to a torrid start, but the IceJacks aren’t in their usual spot near the top of the ACHA West Region rankings. The IceJacks opened the season 10-3 and with a nine-game winning streak. Their only losses were to Division I University of Arizona and two of…
Mission Arizona has carved out niche in desert with family-focused program
December 1st, 2016Jeremy Goltz, the program director with Mission Arizona, frequently refers to his program as consistent and boring, but he considers those positive adjectives. He knows that winning championships catches the headlines and that the day in and day out work isn’t exciting, but he’s also smart enough to understand that the process of the daily…
Bobcats’ 2005 AAA team focused on building a foundation
November 30th, 2016Perhaps more so than in any other sport, building a foundation of skills in young hockey players is often critical to their future success. With the combination of strength, balance, power and finesse that the sport demands, mastering these elements at a young age is a major focus of most youth programs. The Arizona Bobcats…
DYHA Bantam AA team all about hard work, selfless play
November 28th, 2016Most youth hockey teams have those one or two standout players that make the team go. The Desert Youth Hockey Association’s (DYHA) Bantam AA team has no such players. And that’s just fine with the coaching staff. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE “When it comes to team chemistry with this team, there are no egos and…
Turkey Shoot gives CAHA house players holiday experience
November 22nd, 2016There will be much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving at the Ice Den Scottsdale and Chandler locations. The annual Turkey Shoot tournament, exclusively for Coyotes Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) house-level teams in the Coyotes Development Program (CDP), will run at the Scottsdale rink Nov. 25-27 with games at the Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee and…
Giving thanks to the AHU Mite to Midget Class of 2016
November 22nd, 2016Hockey is a game of passion, a game of desire, and often times, a game of attrition. To make it through a practice, a game, and a season, it takes guts and something burning deep within each and every hockey player. For some, this passion runs so deep that it goes on for seasons and…
Scottsdale’s Matthews makes memorable first impression in NHL debut
November 21st, 2016For many years now, the spotlight has been on Auston Matthews. And Matthews has earned every bit, from being a standout youth player with the Arizona Bobcats, to playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) to being the No. 1 overall selection in last June’s NHL Draft. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE Then on…