Category Archives: Columns
The Whyte Stuff: The hockey rule book should be black and white, no gray
February 13th, 2017Recently, I was coaching in a local tournament here in Arizona where a very controversial call was made that put my team in a difficult position. We ended up losing the game, but it was not the officials’ fault. Our loss was due to blowing a two-goal lead, which was clearly on a few key…
Shop Talk: Goalie school to BTM: Amazing how fast the time flies by
February 13th, 2017After graduating from Lake Superior State University in 1987, I decided that I wanted to start a goalie school. I rented ice once a week at Weston Lions Arena in Toronto and bought a puck shooting machine (one that would later be famous). All I needed to do was put up a couple posters and…
Mission Statement: Let’s keep hockey pure and put our egos, agendas aside
February 13th, 2017OK, folks, this time of year always brings this topic to the forefront for me, as I start to take a look at our tier teams and how they are match up in our state’s quest to get our second national championship ever. First of all, I continue to hope and push that this is…
AHU Coach’s Corner: Coaching hockey can be broken down into seven principles
February 13th, 2017A successful hockey team and program can be run just like a successful business, relatively speaking. There are a lot of parallels in how you plan and operate your hockey team with running a competitive company. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE What is it that you hope will be the identity of your team or program?…
Taking Liberties With… Ryan White
January 13th, 2017RYAN WHITE Position: Forward, Arizona Coyotes Acquired: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2016 Hometown: Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Age: 28 READ OUR LATEST ISSUE Arizona Rubber: What’s your favorite hockey memory growing up? Ryan White: Probably when I was 15 back home (Brandon, Man.) and we ended up winning a national championship. We…
Shop Talk: So many smiles, so many memories with One Step Bobcats
January 11th, 2017I walked into AZ Ice Peoria with my stick and small coaches bag to help however I was needed with the One Step Bobcats skate. Upon entering the lobby where the players were assembling, a few players shouted out to me, “Who are you?” to which I replied, “I’m Randy.” READ OUR LATEST ISSUE At…
The Whyte Stuff: Let’s face the facts – hockey encompasses all sports
January 9th, 2017While serving as a player-coach in El Paso in the late 1990s, we had to vacate our dressing room due to the rodeo coming into town. As we were moving our equipment out and loading it into vans, there were a couple cowboys standing there watching. One of them asked as I walked by if…
AHU Coach’s Corner: Coaching teenagers – not a simple task, but rewarding
January 6th, 2017Your job goes far beyond the x’s and o’s of the sport. You are with them during a crucial time in their lives, where they will be faced with tougher decisions than perhaps any other time. Peer pressure, social media, hormone imbalance, and inexperience lead to questionable decision making at times. You also spend more…
Shop Talk: Reflecting back on more than 20 years of evolving brands
December 15th, 2016With the dynamics of retail over the years, hockey brands have dramatically changed. Some remain the same, some are new, and some have faded into lore and legend. When BTM first opened in 1994, the first brand we carried was Rollerblade. At the time, Rollerblade was the king of inline skates. It seemed in the…
The Whyte Stuff: I owe it all to my father, but he did zero for my hockey career
December 15th, 2016Recently, my father passed away, and although we could see it coming, it still deeply hurt and I miss him every day. A couple of days after his passing, I flew back to Canada to be with family and friends and help my sister handle his affairs. During the open house, my sister hosted, we…