Blog
Knights captain Ericsson ‘what every team needs’
January 14th, 2016At the start of each season, most teams have their leadership group in place with captains and assistant captains. This year for the Western States Hockey League’s Phoenix Knights, Jim Ericsson wears the ‘C’ and Davis Dryden, Vojtech Zemlicka and Dominik Synek are the assistants. Ericsson said he knows his role and relishes it to…
Inaugural Desert Hockey Classic leaves mark on Gila River Arena
January 12th, 2016Arizona State University hockey coach Greg Powers knew there would be hardships, bumps in the road and adversity. With the desire to play at the elite Division I level finalized this past summer, Powers and his intrepid Sun Devils embarked on a journey filled with known and unknown challenges. While the results could be better,…
INDUSTRY PROFILE: Holly Harrington
January 7th, 2016HOLLY HARRINGTON Hometown: Scottsdale Resides: Gilbert Position/Organization: Power skating instructor for both the Arizona Hockey Union and for AZ Ice Gilbert. Arizona Rubber: How long have you been with AHU and what is your role with the organization? Holly Harrington: I joined them in 2007 when they were still the Polar Bears. I work with…
Paradise Valley’s Lemieux takes home monthly OHL honors
January 6th, 2016Winnipeg Jets prospect Brendan Lemieux of the Windsor Spitfires is the Ontario Hockey League Player of the Month after recording 12 goals, six assists and 18 points in nine games between Windsor and the Barrie Colts. Lemieux recorded points in all nine of his December contests, helping Windsor play to a 5-1-1-0 record following his…
TAKING LIBERTIES WITH … Dave Tippett
January 6th, 2016DAVE TIPPETT Age: 54 Hometown: Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Canada Currently Resides: Scottsdale Current Position: Arizona Coyotes head coach Arizona Rubber: What’s the best piece of advice you have for youth hockey players and coaches? Dave Tippett: To make sure you have fun playing. Everyone talks about systems and structure. The best way to learn and enjoy…
THE WHYTE STUFF: Learning to live how you learn is a valuable lesson
January 4th, 2016I was recently watching a Christmas special where Santa Claus’ brother was in charge of determining which children were naughty and nice. Well, he stamped “Nice” on every folder, believing every child is good. They just get bad breaks or put in bad situations. I believe that every child starts off good and eventually, life…
Mission’s first Pee Wee team reflects on memories, being pioneers
December 31st, 2015When Mission Arizona started its hockey program 10 years ago, the jumpstart affiliate had teams that consisted of players who were mainly teenagers. But seven years ago, that all changed when Mission trotted out its first Pee Wee team. The group was a handful of 11 year olds, many of whom who had played here…
Lady Coyotes find positives in November competition
December 29th, 2015To say that November was a busy month for the Arizona Lady Coyotes would be an understatement. The Lady Coyotes 16U team went to Detroit for the World Hockey Invitational (formerly the Nike Bauer Invite) Nov. 13-15 and coach Tom Johnson said the team played well. “We performed better than I was expecting,” Johnson said….
AHU COACH’S CORNER: The key to better performance lies in constant improvement
December 29th, 2015Continuous improvement is a very important concept for any athlete’s development. The best athletes work every day to be better than they were the day before. They live by the concept that says if you aren’t getting better, you are getting worse. There is no such thing as a superstar player who doesn’t work to…
Record number of 8U teams in 2016 a major boon for IHAAZ
December 28th, 2015Matt Robinson of the Prescott Storm has witnessed firsthand the growth of the 8U programs in the Inline Hockey Association of Arizona (IHAAZ). A total of seven teams in that age group, which is a record by the way, will be competing this season in the IHAAZ festivals. In fact, the Storm will have two…