Category Archives: Columns
Shop Talk: Memories can be created at all levels, even house league
April 7th, 2016Over the years of chatting with customers, I have found an alarming trend. When asking players and parents what rink they play at and what team they play on, we get all kinds of answers ranging from “AAA” to “only house league.” To the first response, I reply, “Wow, great. Where are you traveling to…
Taking Liberties With… Max Domi
March 17th, 2016MAX DOMI Position: Left Wing, Arizona Coyotes Acquired: Coyotes’ first-round pick (12th overall) in 2013 NHL Entry Draft Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) Last Amateur Team: London Knights (OHL) Age: 21 Arizona Rubber: No one wants to be sent back to juniors, but what did you learn last season? Were you disappointed?…
SHOP TALK: Try using a lower flex and let the stick do the work
March 7th, 2016The trend these days at the NHL level has been to go with a lower flex on sticks. When one-piece sticks came out a couple decades ago, everyone assumed the bigger the player, the stiffer the stick. Sure, Shea Weber used a 130-plus flex stick in the hardest shot competition at the 2016 All-Star Game…
THE WHYTE STUFF: Hockey can be the perfect getaway from life’s negativity
March 7th, 2016Ice hockey – a sport where young athletes compete in the game they love. Where parents cheer them on and provide the opportunity for them to reach their potential. Where coaches strive to develop skill and cohesive play. Where associations shape their programs to test their meddle with their rivals. Where the state continuously endeavors…
AHU COACH’S CORNER: Putting the team first will yield better relationships
March 7th, 2016ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun once said, “Hockey is all about the team. Hockey culture hates individualism.” Hockey, maybe more than any other major sport, is built around chemistry, both on and off the ice. Building a great hockey team is the sum of the parts players and coaches bring on the ice, and the personality and…
Industry Profile: Brent Gough
February 27th, 2016BRENT GOUGH Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada Resides: Scottsdale Age: 32 Position/Organization: Owner, West Coast Elite Hockey Arizona Rubber: What is West Coast Elite Hockey? Brent Gough: West Coast Elite Hockey is a company I started last year to help high-level youth hockey players reach their goals of playing junior hockey and college hockey. Players,…
INDUSTRY PROFILE: Olivia Campos
February 23rd, 2016OLIVIA CAMPOS Hometown: Mesa Resides: Phoenix Age: 30 Position/Organization: Director of Community Relations for the Arizona Coyotes Arizona Rubber: As the director of community relations, what exactly do you do for the Coyotes? Olivia Campos: My job is to coordinate the team’s day-to-day involvement with the community, the fans, schools, non-profit organizations and more. I…
TAKING LIBERTIES WITH … Tyson Nash
February 23rd, 2016TYSON NASH Arizona Coyotes broadcaster, former NHL player, including 2003-06 with Phoenix Coyotes Arizona Rubber: After your playing days, explain your decision to remain in Arizona? What was the attraction? Tyson Nash: Obviously, I played here and began to put roots down. My kids started to get involved in sports. The weather, the friendships we…
SHOP TALK: Why NOT support local businesses?
February 18th, 2016Whether it be for batteries, shoes, or hockey equipment, shopping has changed dramatically in the past decade. It’s hard to remember what it was like before the Internet. With all the options available now, you can literally spend hours searching dozens of e-retailers, list out the positives and negatives, availability, shipping costs and time in…
THE WHYTE STUFF: Accountability crucial for all aspects of hockey
February 18th, 2016I was recently reminded of an analogy that relates a table and the game of youth hockey. The table consists of four legs, and all of them must be equal and strong for it to remain stable. The same can account for youth hockey – there are four legs that must all hold their weight…