Category Archives: Columns
Behind The Mask’s Exelby finding ways to give back to Arizona hockey community
January 10th, 2018Hockey in the desert continues to flourish year after year, owing much of its success to the help of a local pro shop. Randy Exelby founded Behind The Mask in 1994. Originally from Toronto, Exelby formerly played in the IHL for the Phoenix Roadrunners. Pro shops make the hockey world run smoothly and in Arizona,…
Taking Liberties With… Christian Dvorak
December 13th, 2017CHRISTIAN DVORAK Position: Forward, Arizona Coyotes Hometown: Palos, Ill. Acquired: Coyotes’ second-round selection (58th overall) in 2014 NHL Draft Last Amateur Team: London Knights (Ontario Hockey League) Age: 21 READ OUR LATEST ISSUE Arizona Rubber: What’s your favorite hockey memory growing up? Christian Dvorak: I would say winning the Memorial Cup (with the OHL’s London…
In A Devilish Mood: Is the NHL making our job tougher at the youth level?
December 12th, 2017As a coach of youth hockey players for the past eight years, I have found myself wondering this exact question. Our kids watch and idolize the professional player, which is exactly how it should be. We want our kids to have hockey role models and to aspire to play at the highest level. So why…
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…
Taking Liberties With… Derek Stepan
November 16th, 2017DEREK STEPAN Position: Forward, Arizona Coyotes Hometown: Hastings, Minn. Acquired: Traded to the Coyotes from New York Rangers on June 23, 2017, along with goalie Antti Raanta in exchange for the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and defenseman Anthony DeAngelo Age: 27 READ OUR LATEST ISSUE Arizona Rubber: What’s your favorite hockey…
In A Devilish Mood: Such a treat to see hockey booming in the Valley
November 15th, 2017With the addition of the Las Vegas NHL franchise, I find myself wondering what the state of youth hockey will look like in 25 years in Las Vegas. Coming from the housing industry and knowing the similarities between the Vegas market and the Valley, I feel pretty confident in saying that I know that answer….
Shop Talk: Bauer World 17 shines light on new, exciting products
November 15th, 2017Behind The Mask was recently invited to Toronto for Bauer World 17, an event that was held over the Oct. 13-14 weekend. Bauer invites select dealers from the United States, Canada and Europe. The summit was held in downtown Toronto at the Westin Harbor Castle hotel located on Lake Ontario, a couple blocks from the…
Parents, beware: Stay away from online message boards
November 14th, 2017About six years ago, as a first-time hockey parent of a Mite house player, I recall asking a couple of the veteran travel parents if they had any recommendations for information about different hockey clubs and the tryout process. One parent was vocal about the wealth of resources you could find on the hockey message…