Category Archives: Youth
Jr. Coyotes program thriving in Scottsdale, Chandler
March 30th, 2016It’s been two years since Coyotes Ice, LLC, owners of North Scottsdale’s Ice Den, doubled down on its bet on hockey in the desert. That bet is clearly paying off. After taking over a sprawling, yet somewhat faltering, multi-sheet ice facility in West Chandler, some 34 miles south of the organization’s original home at Bell…
Bobcats build through solid coaching, attention to detail
March 28th, 2016Ron Filion knows as well as anyone that a youth hockey program is only as good as the coaches running it. Perhaps even more important, though, he understands that hours put in behind the scenes developing a plan are often as important as those spent on the ice. The keys, he said, are the coaches…
Mission AZ celebrates pair of state championships
March 22nd, 2016Two teams within the Mission Arizona youth hockey program returned home to the club’s Phoenix rink earlier this month towing not only banners, but bragging rights for the next year. Mission AZ’s Bantam Minor White and Pee Wee Minor Red teams captured titles at the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association State Championships recently. “Both teams played…
AHU, pair of CAHA squads skate away Tier II state champs, off to nationals
March 22nd, 2016Timely goal scoring, solid goaltending and teams peaking at the right time of the year were attributes all three teams that won Arizona Amateur Hockey Association Tier II state championships earlier this month. The Arizona Hockey Union 14U Silver team won its division, while the CAHA Scottsdale Jr. Coyotes 16U team did the same, in…
Skill development, power skating help to shape AHU’s future
March 3rd, 2016For a multitude of players, mastering skating technique is the core of becoming a successful athlete in the sport of hockey. It’s not a simple task to do, but the outcome of a proper instruction for ice skills is the foundation of hockey. For the Arizona Hockey Union, the go-to instructor for power skating and…
Bobcats’ 18U defenseman Baker inks NAHL tender with Minot
March 2nd, 2016The Arizona Bobcats have announced that 18U AAA defenseman Ben Baker has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Minot Minotauros of the NAHL’s Central Division. A tender is a contract, of sorts, a player signs announcing his intentions to play for that particular NAHL team and that NAHL team only….
Bobcats organization starting to see the fruits of its labor
February 23rd, 2016Eight years ago, Ron Filion started the Arizona Bobcats youth hockey program in Phoenix with a dream of developing top hockey talent, but with plenty more questions than answers. The former West Coast Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League player and coach, now the Bobcats director of hockey, had big aspirations and a patient…
Trio with Jr. Coyotes ties part of U.S. Youth Olympics champions
February 21st, 2016The U.S. Youth Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team earned a gold medal at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games with a 5-2 victory over Canada Feb. 21 in Lillehammer, Norway. The U.S. finished the tournament with a 5-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and the championship win marks the first-ever medal for the U.S. at the event. “It was…
Ice Den conditioning program a benefit to Jr. Coyotes
February 19th, 2016Clearly, hockey players are physical specimens. To play the game at an elite level, players need to be in tip-top shape. For the Jr. Coyotes organization’s AA and AAA Elite teams, utilizing the new conditioning program at the Ice Den locations in Chandler and Scottsdale will see the program continue to compete at the highest…
Jr. Coyotes sweep Bobcats to win trio of Tier I states
February 19th, 2016The Phoenix Jr. Coyotes are Arizona Amateur Hockey Association Tier I state champions three times over. In late January, the Jr. Coyotes’ Elite AAA 14U, 16U and 18U teams all captured state titles with best-of-three series wins over Arizona Bobcats teams. For Mike Vukonich’s 18U team, it took until the deciding Game 3, a 6-1…