Category Archives: Youth
Girl power keeps Mission AZ Bantam quartet together
February 22nd, 2017Often by the time female hockey players reach their teenage years, they transition from playing co-ed hockey to skating with girls teams. As boys begin to surpass girls in size and strength, competing with and against girls seems to make sense, and fewer Bantam and Midget teams feature female players. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE So…
Speedskating now part of Ice Den Chandler programming
February 21st, 2017First, Arizona had hockey. Now, it has speedskating. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE A new short track speedskating club emerged in the Valley some nine months ago and the Phoenix SpeedSkating Club now calls the Ice Den Chandler home. The club hosts drop-in sessions throughout the year on Sunday mornings and during the summer in the…
Success comes to DYHA Pee Wee teams three times over in January
February 20th, 2017The Desert Youth Hockey Association (DYHA) Pee Wee teams know that good things happen in threes. READ OUR LATEST ISSUE Over MLK Weekend in mid-January, hardware was brought back to Oceanside Ice Arena as the Jr. Sun Devils’ Pee Wee Combo team captured the Arizona Cactus Cup championship, the Pee Wee 04 team won the…
Mainland Tournament features unique Canada-USA Showcase
February 10th, 2017The concept went over so well last year that tournament organizers couldn’t possibly not bring it back, and they decided to one-up themselves in 2017 by expanding it to a second division this year. The Canada vs. USA Showcase was the highlight of last year’s Mainland Tournament, and it is expected to be even more…
Mission AZ 18U Red’s Thorsen a true throwback on the ice
January 30th, 2017Dimitri Thorsen was born in Russia and learned to skate in Michigan, but he has truly grown up with the Mission AZ hockey program. Thorsen is a standout 6-foot-2 defenseman on Mission AZ’s 18U Red team, and has honed his skills on the ice wearing a Mission sweater since he was 11 years old as…
AHU Presidents’ Day Invitational boasts 173 teams, 362 games
January 29th, 2017Up North and back East, a few days off from school to celebrate Presidents’ Day meant some extra time on the ponds to dial in the perfect dangle. In Phoenix, with an average high temperature of 74 degrees in February, we have to rely on our 12 sheets of ice to get us through. Thanks…
Bobcats set to enjoy esteemed Quebec Pee Wee tournament
January 29th, 2017Ron Filion grew up playing hockey in Montreal and knew it was a special experience playing in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, but being so close geographically and already being immersed in the culture, he said he didn’t appreciate it the same way he does now. And getting the chance to bring teams the…
Pair of Jr. Sun Devils squads show well at AZ Coyotes Cup
January 27th, 2017To ring in 2017, and for the 18th straight year, the AZ Coyotes Cup Holiday Hockey Festival took place New Year’s Weekend at the Gila River Arena, Ice Den Chandler and Ice Den Scottsdale. For two Desert Youth Hockey Association (DYHA) Jr. Sun Devils teams, both the Bantam 03 team and Pee Wee Combo team…
One Step Bobcats program ‘built on a wing and a prayer’
January 26th, 2017There’s something amazing happening in the Arizona hockey community, and it’s giving some athletes a chance to experience the sport for the first time. The One Step Bobcats is a first-year program for special needs kids and adults, and is the first program of its kind in the Phoenix area that allows those with intellectual…
WYHA finding its niche in Arizona youth hockey circles
January 25th, 2017While Tucson still doesn’t have a regular ice rink yet, the Wildcat Youth Hockey Association (WYHA) has seen marked growth. The addition of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Tucson Roadrunners sped up WYHA’s growth spurt. The number of players in the WYHA had jumped from about 60 last year to 130 this year and the…