Blog
Shop Talk: Learning how to choose the right off-ice hockey net
August 11th, 2016These days, you get different points of view from those who think athletes should diversify and play other sports in the offseason and those who think you should train year-round for your specific sport. I’m not going open that can of worms. But what I do want to talk about is off-ice hockey nets. I…
AHU Coach’s Corner: When great hockey coaches speak, it’s wise to listen
August 11th, 2016The late Tim Taylor was a legend when it came to coaching. Taylor was the head coach of the 1994 U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team and several U.S. teams at the annual IIHF World Championship events. He was also the head coach at NCAA Division I Yale University for 28 years. He defined offensive creativity…
Mission Statement: How Mission Arizona prepped me for college hockey, life
August 10th, 2016I was coming into my first collegiate hockey game against Weber State, a team that was ranked No. 2 in the West Region the previous season. As anyone would be, I was nervous, but overly excited for the opportunity to play college hockey for Arizona State University. The captains and seniors got the team ready…
Tahoe Hockey Academy gaining steam toward late summer opening
August 10th, 2016It’s been years in the making, and now it’s down to the final weeks. Later this month, the Tahoe Hockey Academy will officially open its doors for the first time, and the group of men behind organizing California’s first hockey boarding school couldn’t be more ready. The excitement is palpable in Tahoe, and the momentum…
The Whyte Stuff: Respect comes with doling out credit where credit is due
August 9th, 2016Years ago, a father walked into my office at Oceanside to explain to me his son would play elsewhere because he didn’t make the top team at DYHA. As I was telling him I understood, he blurted out, “I know one day, Sean, your dream will come true. You will have a player from your…
Matthews makes it official, signs deal with Maple Leafs
August 9th, 2016In an announcement that probably shocked no one, Auston Matthews signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in late July after being the first-overall pick by Toronto at the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24. The Scottsdale native, who turns 19 on Sept. 17, inked a three-year, entry-level contract and is already being touted as a…
Inaugural West Coast Elite Hockey camp turns many heads
August 8th, 2016When Brent Gough moved to the Phoenix area, he knew he was diving into an area that was ripe with interest in hockey but that still was underserved in many respects. He felt that a summer hockey camp designed to provide young players exposure to top junior and college coaches was something local kids hadn’t…
New Coyotes COO Segal seeking big turnaround in ’16-17
August 6th, 2016While the American Hockey League (AHL) serves as a developmental league for the NHL, there was certainly nothing “minor league” about the San Diego Gulls in their inaugural AHL season in 2015-16. The Gulls, under the leadership of president of business operations Ari Segal, finished their first season with the second best attendance average of…
Passionate players, coaches lending to IHAAZ’s growth
August 5th, 2016When a group of potential players and their families were invited to watch the Inline Hockey Association of Arizona (IHAAZ) state finals, their interest in playing the sport was peaked immediately. “They saw how exciting and fun the sport is and wanted to be a part of it,” said Dustin Jans, a coach with the…
Flagstaff set to host rec, house tournaments in 2016-17
August 4th, 2016When Flagstaff Youth Hockey Association (FYHA) president Kevin Tye sat down with organization officers recently, one topic of discussion that came up was how FYHA teams routinely go to in-season tournaments in the Phoenix area. That conversation quickly morphed into, “Why can’t those teams from the Valley come to Flagstaff?” “Our kids and parents always…