Rubber Hockey - November 2022

Shott to be remembered with banner in all Arizona ice rinks

BY PATRICK BROWN ARIZONACOYOTES.COM The same phrase was consistently repeated throughout the Ice Den Chandler on a recent Monday evening: Matt Shott is Arizona hockey.

Shott, the Arizona Coyotes’ vice president of hockey development, tragically passed away in December 2021 following a courageous battle with cancer. He worked tirelessly to help grow the game of hockey in the state of Arizona, as evidenced by the Arizona Kachinas’ receipt of Tier I status this past January.

Shott had passed away prior to that news, but his efforts to help achieve that goal spanned over a decade, and now anyone who sets foot in an Arizona hockey rink will see his number hanging from the rafters.

“I think it’s just one of those things that people get an opportunity to understand and appreciate his impact on the community,” Coyotes legend Shane Doan said on Monday. “This is who he was, this is exactly what he would want, is more people, more eyes, more young people at an arena talking and being around hockey.”

Zack Izumi, the Coyotes’ manager of hockey development and a close

personal friend of Shott, said the move to preserve his memory was simply the right thing to do.

“It’s so hard to define in one thing, because he is Arizona hockey,” Izumi said. “I don’t see the growth of hockey here in Arizona without Matt.”

This isn’t the first time the Coyotes organization has been tragically impacted by cancer, either.

Leighton Accardo, who loved playing hockey and was also a fan of the Coyotes, was just nine years old when she passed away in November 2020 following her own courageous battle against the disease.

The team inducted her into its ring of honor in April 2021 and continues to keep her legacy alive through its annual “Skatin’ For Leighton” events.

Her mom, Carly Accardo, said honoring the memory of both Shott and Leighton is not only important for the community, but it’s also extremely meaningful to the families.

“I know that the world is going to keep turning, and things are going to move on, but for Matt’s family to know that he’s still present, and here, and visual, it means so much,” she said. “For me, when I see someone Continued on page 5

Matt Shott gets set to drop the ceremonial first puck prior to an Arizona Coyotes game during the 2021-22 season. Photo: Arizona Coyotes

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Jr. Reign, Sabers jump out to fast starts to open 2022-23 USPHL campaign

BY MATT MACKINDER

As the 2022-23 USPHL season opens up November play, two California teams have tasted early success.

The Ontario Jr. Reign and San Diego Sabers are both fielding competitive teams in the Pacific Division this year and both squads have seen their share of wins through the season’s first quarter.

“I am pleased with how our team is coming together considering that the Sabers entered the season with a fresh team and identity,” said Sabers coach Tyler Casillo. “Starting the year with back-to-back series against Fresno and Vegas is a fantastic method to gauge how our young men will handle adversity. They responded by winning both series 2-1. With a record of 7-2-0 right now, I’m eager to watch how this team develops and advances this season.”

“Naturally, early in the year there is room for improvement,” added Jr. Reign coach-GM Jeremy Blumes. “I believe we have a committed group that competes hard. We can score goals in bunches, but where we need to improve is our discipline and play in our own end without the puck.

“We had a bye week last weekend, which was good timing. We held player meetings and identified through video and conversation where our players are at and where we are looking to improve over the next few weeks. It’s an exciting time as the team is really beginning to gel and we are looking forward to competing in our upcoming games.”

The Jr. Reign put up an 8-2-0 record entering the last weekend of October and has its top players to thank for that quick start.

“Ethan McKibbin is our leading scorer (top five in the league) and he distributes the puck as well as putting it in the back of the net himself,” Blumes said. “Max Kathol is our captain, a physical 200-foot centerman that leads by example. Aidan Turner is like a bull in a china shop that has a knack for scoring goals on the goalies’ doorstep. Zach Stangness is an electrifying defenseman that is worth the price of admission each and every night.

capacity to control the game. Ulric’s growth this season is something I’m looking forward to.”

Moving forward, the division looks to be tight all the way into March.

“I am excited to see how our players continue to develop and play our style of hockey over the coming weeks,” Casillo said. “This year’s Pacific Division race looks to be close. I’m interested in how our team competes throughout the season.”

The San Diego Sabers and Ontario Jr. Reign are two of the top Pacific Division teams so far in the USPHL’s 2022-23 season. Photo: Mike Zitek

“While these individual players have stood out, I believe our greatest asset is our depth throughout our lineup.”

In San Diego, Casillo said the Sabers take great pride in the team’s depth and team-first orientation.

“I am quite pleased with how deep we are all around,” said Casillo.

“On any given night, any line has a chance to score. Additionally, our penalty kill has excelled, assisting us in leading the charge on special teams. Having said that, some of our players have played exceptionally well to begin the season.”

San Diego starting goaltender Ethan Blackburn is 6-1-0 with a 2.14 GAA and two shutouts so far.

“Ethan is very important to us,” Casillo said. “With one of his shutouts coming against Vegas in a 1-0 match, he has already demonstrated that he has the ability to neutralize any club in this league. I believe that Ethan’s presence in the net will only increase throughout the course of the season.”

Casillo also singled out defense-

man Nevio D’Alessandro, who has eight points through nine games, as a “young defenseman who takes charge every shift with both his physicality and offensive skills.”

Lucas Lundy, another defenseman, has seven points through eight games.

“We welcomed Lucas from the BCHL,” said Casillo. “He gives our team a wealth of junior experience and the capacity to make a difference on both ends of the rink.”

Up front, Mario Paganini and Michal Novak, who each have scored nine points, have been driving the offense in a team effort.

“Mario is a skilled forward with a wide range of scoring options in the offensive zone,” Casillo said. “Michal is a forward with exceptional skills who can skate around any defender in the league and shoot the puck with lightning speed.”

With six goals, Ulric Martel leads the team in that department.

“We refer to Ulric as a bull,” said Casillo. “He is a powerful skater with a strong shot and possesses the

UPCOMING HOME GAMES Saturday, Nov. 12 San Diego at Ontario, 7:30 p.m., Center Ice Arena Sunday, Nov. 13 Ontario at San Diego, 1 p.m., Icetown Carlsbad Friday, Nov. 18 Las Vegas at Ontario, 7:30 p.m., Center Ice Arena Saturday, Nov. 19 Las Vegas at Ontario, 7:30 p.m., Center Ice Arena Sunday, Nov. 20 Las Vegas at Ontario, 2:15 p.m., Center Ice Arena

Quest Foundation

The South Coast Hockey Association DBA “Quest Foundation” is a registered not for profit 501C3 charitable organization dedicated to helping support children with a passion and a dream for the great sport of ice hockey and in becoming the best athletes and people they can be through world class hockey training programs.

The Quest Foundation believes every child deserves a chance to pursue their own Quest for their life.

It is the mission of the Quest Foundation to never allow financial barriers to be the reason that a child cannot pursue their dream to the fullest.

For more information, visit www. jrreign.com/foundation.

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Words from the publisher...

And here we are again!

Another month, another great edition of Rubber Hockey!

While the format has changed and the look is different, I believe in this case that change can be a good thing.

The pandemic really threw a wrench into the positive thing we had going with our publications, but as that is now in the rearview mirror, I am focused on the future and bringing our readers the latest news from the Arizona, California and Colorado regions.

As we move into November and the decorations slowly change from fall leaves, pumpkins, ghosts and witches to (yes, some people put these up this early!) Christmas trees and turning the house into a red and green winter wonderland, like we have always done, it’s

time to reflect on the year that has passed and the year soon to come.

Personally, this year has been one of growth in a lot of ways.

My wife and I have three kids, with the oldest a senior in high school. That in itself is just crazy to me. When he was born, people Mackinder used to tell us to enjoy the time because it flies by in an instant.

At the time, that went in one ear and out the other, but looking back now, how right they were!

Also this year, our oldest and middle child took up a new sport lacrosse.

Admittedly, my wife and I knew

absolutely nothing about the game, but the more games we saw and the more the boys played, we started to learn a bit.

It’s kind of like hockey, kind of like football, kind of like... a litle bit of everything. It’s so fun to watch, though.

Our daughter has continued to play soccer and all three kids love bowling.

As my daughter’s soccer team’s coach, you never know what you’re going to get in terms of teammates.

Over the years, I’ve had them all.

And we’ve had undefeated seasons and winless seasons. We’ve had seasons where many games were rained out and we’ve had seasons where the grass feels like straw most of the season.

I have to give a shout out to my wife, though. We celebrated our

18-year wedding annivrsary last month and she’s still here, so apparently she still likes me, right?

In any event, please continue to enjoy Rubber and all of its contents.

We are always looking for new partners to come aboard and get your association featured and put in the thousands of inboxes this reaches every month. Get in touch and let’s see what we can hammer out.

Rubber is something I have taken great pride in since it started way back in 2006. Who remembers those early days? Let’s keep it going!

As always, contact me any time at (248) 890-3944 (call/text) and by email at matt@rubberhockey. com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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Shott defined Arizona youth hockey Continued from page 1 wearing a Leighton shirt, or I see a hockey water bottle on the bench and it has a Leighton sticker on it, it just means so much to me.”

Ryan Glynn, the hockey director for the Kachinas, said Shott’s impact cannot be put into words. But now, with his number ever-present in Arizona arenas, it doesn’t necessarily have to be.

“He touched everybody’s lives,” Glynn said. “He was special. He was passionate about growing the sport of hockey, both for girls and boys, and the girls idolized him.”

Doan’s son, Josh, is captain of the Arizona State hockey team, and wore No. 94 last season as a tribute

to Shott. The Coyotes prospect was a finalist for the Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year award last season and holds ASU records for total points (37) and assists (25) in his freshman season.

That he wore Shott’s number during the 2021-22 season shows the impact he had, and why the Coyotes are determined to keep his memory alive at rinks throughout the state.

“He had a heart for people, and it was fun to watch him grow,” Doan said. “He’s someone that had an impact on anyone’s life that he came in contact with. For me, what was so special was watching him go from a kid that was a hockey player to an incredible coach that just did so much for others.”

Rampage grad, Monument product Vanderbeck claims monthly CCHA award The CCHA has announced that Northern Michigan University senior AJ Vanderbeck is the CCHA Forward of the Month for October.

Vanderbeck led all CCHA skaters in goals (six), points (13), points per game (1.44), multi-point games (four), game-winning goals (two), shorthanded goals (one), shots (52) and shots per game (5.78) in the month of October, while playing in nine of the Wildcats 10 games.

Nationally, the Monument native ranks third in both game-winning and shorthanded tallies, while sitting 13th in points per contest.

Once earning CCHA Forward of the Week this season, he has one four-point game and three two-goal games to his credit.

Back home, Vanderbeck played for the Colorado Rampage and at LewisPalmer High School.

-- CO Rubber Staff Report

Northern Michigan senior AJ Vanderbeck is serving as the Wildcats’ captain for the 2022-23 season. Photo: Northern Michigan Athletics

NOVEMBER 2022

Boulder native Young makes plans for long-term future, commits to NCAA Division I Harvard

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB

Grant Young is just 16, but he already has plans in place to excel, both on and off the ice.

Earlier last month, the Boulder native committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Harvard University (ECAC Hockey). He said he’s unsure when he will start as a freshman, but ideally it will be in the fall of 2024.

“I had talked to Harvard some during the 2021-22 season as well as during the summer a bit but nothing serious,” said Young, who was born in Westminster. “During the beginning of the season this year, we (Long Island Gulls’ 16U AAA) had a couple games in Massachusetts and (Harvard assistant) coach (James) Marcou wanted to take me out one of the days and do a visit since I was there already.

After the first couple games, I went and visited. They then came to a couple more tournaments out in Boston and eventually said that they were going to offer me. It was just up to me on what I wanted to do at that point.”

Besides the hockey aspect of the school, Young was immensely sold on the academic aspect of Harvard.

“Harvard is probably the best academic school in America, so there was no question there,” Young said.

“Academics has always been sort of a no-brainer for me because for me I have always strived to get good grades and learn the best I can in school.

“In terms of their hockey program, I talked to my coach Vinny Smith a lot and he made lots of points to open me up to how good the hockey program is and has been. He has already coached players that played there or are currently playing for Harvard, one being Adam Fox of the New York Rangers.”

In looking back on how it all began, Young remembers how his

Grant Young during his Colorado Thunderbirds days. Photo provided

time on skates first started some 1213 years ago.

“When I was about two or three years old, my parents would take us to the outdoor rink near our house in Boulder,” said Young. “We would go out for about an hour or two each day, me and my sister Ava who still figure skates today at Miami of Ohio.

From there, we started going to the YMCA over in Westminster and doing a recreational league. I most definitely watched the Avalanche play as much as I could despite them not being very good.

“And the rest is history, I guess.”

Once he started playing at a serious level, Young joined the Colorado Evolution.

“I had a teammate named Trey Dionne, who is one of my good friends,” Young said. “His dad Allen was the assistant coach. The team was in Denver so my parents would take me out there and I would stay with him at his house, and I would train with them. Allen had done many skates with me and Trey doing skills and conditioning and whatnot, which I would say is a massive reason why I was able to do what I do. Him and his family were great to me. Trey and Continued on page 11

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Jr. Golden Knights, Bobcats stars garner monthly NAPHL honors The North American Prospects Hockey League has announced its Apex Learning Virtual School Peak Performers for the month of October.

The players were selected based upon their performance during the NAPHL regular season and playoff games played in October at the T1ER and FALL League event in Blaine, Minn.

The awards are given to players from NAPHL full-time T1ER and FALL League teams. Guest teams are not considered for the awards.

T1ER 15U Forward: Liam Heary, Vegas Jr.

Golden Knights – Heary, 15, put up 12 points in just four games during the event in October. The native of Kent, Wash., had six goals and six assists in the four games, which included an eight-point game. His 16 points currently leads all T1ER 15U players.

Defense: Jake Cosper, Arizona Bobcats – Cosper, 15, had six points in four games in October. The native of Gilbert, Ariz., had a goal and five assists, which also included two multi-point games. In eight NAPHL games this season, Cosper has seven points.

-- Rubber Hockey Staff Report

Little Kings 2023 is open for registration!

This six-week learn-to-play program is for children ages 5-9 and includes head-to-toe equipment.

Girls-only sessions offered at select locations.

To register or for more information, visit lakings.com/littlekings.

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From the Trainer’s Room This doesn’t look like hockey training...

So let’s just say you did everything rigOur facility is fortunate to be located inside a hockey rink.

This means I get to work with all the teams of our local club team that calls my rink home.

As I was talking to one of the coaches who was observing his team train before a practice, he started asking questions Mike Hannegan about what we were doing and why. He wondered why we were not doing things that looked more like “hockey exercises.”

That’s because good training does not always look like the sport you are training for.

The goal of our off-ice program is to build strong and healthy athletes who can play hockey. As the season has begun, we use exercises such as squat patterns, lunges, pushing and pulling to keep the hockey players strength up that they built all summer long. Core strengthening and balance training are included as part of a corrective exercise routine to promote injury prevention.

For younger athletes, body weight exercises are used to learn proper movement patterns so that they will know proper mechanics for lifting weights in the future. On ice practice is now at a premium for sport skill acquisition. We do not just try to use a fancy exercise or device that looks like a slap shot to train for a harder slap shot. Especially as they will be repeating this movement pattern hun-

dreds of times on the ice right after the workouts!

This early in-season program should help the hockey athlete maintain the strength built in the off season. Injury prevention and mobility days should be included to help promote self-care and overall health.

Communication between the on-ice coaches and the strength coaches will play a large role in maintaining an age-appropriate workload for the hockey players.

Keep the process simple and keep the athletes healthy.

And most important – make sure they are having fun on and off the ice for a successful season.

Mike Hannegan is an athletic trainer and strength coach with 10 years of experience in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues.

He is currently the director of the Compete Sports Performance and Rehabilitation facility inside The Rinks-Yorba Linda Ice, located in beautiful Orange County.

Contact Mike via email at mike@ competeperformance.com.

Concussion discussions: Managing the concussed athlete

Today, we will look at some misconceptions regarding how concussions are managed.

The roadmap to managing a concussion is complex, and nuanced, and has many different paths. Navigating it can become confusing and weeding out the good information from the outdated or incorrect makes the process that much more frustrating.

Below are a few myths surrounding the treatment of a concussed athlete.

Myth: The best treatment is to keep the patient in a dark, quiet room until symptoms resolve.

The old method of isolating a concussed athlete in a dark, quiet room until they are symptom-free has begun to be phased out. There is research showing that prescribed and supervised mild activity following a concussion may help reduce the risk of prolonged symptoms.

It is critical that the activity remains “subthreshold”, meaning that it does not aggravate the athlete’s symptoms.

Any activChris Phillips ity should not only be prescribed but should also be closely monitored by the supervising healthcare professional to ensure that it remains appropriate for the athlete’s specific circumstances.

From observation, oftentimes isolating an athlete from their peers and their team can have an adverse effect on the athlete’s mental health. They are already dealing with a challenging injury that is preventing them from participating, so further distancing them can exacerbate the emotional toll of the concussion.

Myth: Concussions are graded and there is a predictable timeline for when the athlete can return.

Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately predict the exact recovery time of any given concussion.

Due to the unpredictability of how the recovery will progress, the practice of grading concussions is now outdated in favor of an individualized case-by-case approach to managing the patient.

Myth: The patient can return to

classes without accommodation.

Concussions affect more than just physical activity.

In many cases we manage, studentathletes at all levels often experience an exacerbation of symptoms when in class. Accommodations should be made for the concussed student-athlete at school. These can look different from student to student based on their specific needs but may include additional time to complete assignments, postponed tests, and excused absences, among many others.

Once the student-athlete is symptom-free, they should go through a return to learn a protocol to gradually reintroduce them to a full workload.

The return to learn process is a step that should come before the return to play process, with some possible overlap. These instructions should be provided to the patient and the school by the healthcare provider.

Myth: Once symptoms resolve, the athlete can return to sport participation.

Once the athlete is symptom-free, has begun integrating back into regular class activity, and has been cleared by their healthcare professional to begin the return to play process, the athlete must go through a return to play protocol before returning to full participation.

This is a structured, prescribed step-by-step process that must be supervised by the healthcare provider.

Protocols may vary from institution to institution; however, they follow the same basic method: gradually introduce the athlete back into physical activity.

Every concussion can present differently. There is no way to predict how it will progress or when it will resolve. Symptoms can fluctuate Continued on page 10

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Discussing management, diagnosis of concussions in athletes Continued from page 8 from day to day and return to learn and play protocols may progress differently and at a varying pace. Due to this, each concussion needs to be treated on an individual basis. While there are clear guidelines on how to respond to a given circumstance, there is no way of telling which circumstances will present.

Athletic trainers and other qualified healthcare professionals are here to help guide you through it all. While concussions are serious injuries that need to be properly addressed, we have seen many athletes successfully return to their sport without complications.

Concussion discussions:

Diagnosing the concussed athlete If you have been involved in athletics over the past decade, then it is likely you have heard the debate surrounding concussions.

Due to recent events in professional sports, concussions have once again become a hot topic for media, parents, teams, and athletes. While it is never a positive thing for any athlete to suffer a head injury, it provides an opportunity to have an open discussion and clear up some misconceptions regarding the diagnosis, care, and treatment of concussions.

At the end of the day, the goal is to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep athletes safe.

This article will look at some of the myths regarding diagnosing concussions.

Myth: You must lose consciousness for it to count as a concussion.

This is an old misconception that goes back to the “bell rung” days when loss of consciousness meant head injury and anything less than that was brushed off as a normal part of the game. In actuality, research shows that loss of consciousness occurs in less than 10 percent of concussions.

Myth: Symptoms will present immediately.

This one can cause some difficulty for parents and coaches when, following a blow to the head, the athlete appears fine and reports no symptoms. The athlete may begin reporting symptoms later on in the game or when she arrives home or the next day, as symptoms may present 24 hours later. It is not uncommon for there to be a delay, and the athlete

should be held from participation until evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Myth: There can be no concussion if the athlete was wearing a helmet.

“There is no concussion-proof helmet,” according to the CDC Heads Up page. Helmets do a fantastic job of protecting against serious injuries such as skull fractures, facial injuries, etc. However, they do little to protect the brain from moving within the skull, the mechanism for a concussion. While helmet manufacturers are working hard to improve their technology, there is little to no quality research that shows helmets can do much to limit the risk of concussion.

The research around concussions is changing rapidly and has come a long way in just the last few years. To ensure that your child is in the best

hands, ask your physician what experience they have with concussions.

Ask your athletic trainer if they know a physician they can refer you to.

And keep in mind that those who are on the front lines of concussion diagnosis and management (sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, sports physical therapists, etc.) may be the most up-to-date on best practices, even if they are not the athlete’s primary care physician.

Chris Phillips is a certified athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist with over 30 years’ experience in professional hockey, football and soccer, as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics. Chris is the owner of Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Orange County.

Contact Chris via email at chris@ competeperformance.com.

TCS Hockey invites your team to register now for The Last Frontier Cup! Scheduled for May 5-7, 2023, the event will be played at the O’Malley Ice Center in Anchorage, Alaska!

For more information and to register, visit www.tcshockey.com/events/the-last-frontier-cup

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Thunderbirds graduate Young prepping game for college leap Continued from page 5

I would stay at the rink all day during the weekend and after school during the week, we would play around at the rink and have fun.

“The Evolution folded so we ended up going to the Colorado Thunderbirds. I played for Dave Fromm and Justin Waldron, who just tragically passed away. He will be missed.

They helped me tremendously with my mental aspect of the game and seeing the game in a different way.

My last year there, I played for Phil Patenaude, who also helped me tremendously with my mentality and leadership. He helped me get ready and mature more for the next level.”

Since then, Young has ventured to Chicago to play for the Windy City Storm and this year in New York.

Moving forward, Young said he prefers to focus on the present and

not get too far ahead of himself.

“I hope to play in Youngstown next year for the Phantoms in the USHL (Youngstown drafted Young in Phase I of the 2022 USHL Draft),” said Young. “The coach Ryan Ward has been great to me at my time at Windy City and so I greatly look forward to playing there for him. After that, Harvard is where I’m planning on going to school. I’m very excited to hopefully be a part of such an amazing program and school.

“Long term, I hope to get drafted into the NHL next year (2024) and then play in the NHL and ultimately be a hall of fame player.

“Final words I will say is that hockey and, frankly, anything is all about the process and every day going to work and being consistently disciplined and to attack, learn and adapt to achieve your goals.”

Boulder native Grant Young excelled with the Colorado Thunderbirds during his younger youth hockey days and looks to be playing for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms down the road. Photo provided

After last month’s successful Ice Breaker tournament, the Arizona Hockey Union still has THREE more tournaments left on the schedule!

Don’t wait! Sign up today!

FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER, VISIT www.ArizonaHockeyUnion.com

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The Mill closes its doors after nearly three years training, developing Arizona hockey players The Mill Hockey Training Warehouse, which opened in Tempe back in 2020 prior to the pandemic, has closed its doors, effective Oct. 19.

Owners Jarred and Bailey Smith posted a statement on social media recently explaining the decision and reflecting on the past and future.

We’re sad to share that The Mill Hockey Training Warehouse will be closing the doors. The last lessons will take place on Wednesday Oct. 19th.

When we opened The Mill just as Covid hit, our lives were very different. Over the past almost 3 years, we’ve run over 7,200 lessons for over 1,800 individual players. We have hosted countless team parties,

Jarred and Bailey Smith ran The Mill since the beginning of 2020.

birthday parties, and even a few hockey moms night out. We have played pond hockey, dodgeball, had a mini sticks tournament, and held an athletic combine. We ran 2 summer teams, won a championship, and made amazing friends. Most importantly we trained hockey players.

We helped players learn new skills, build their confidence, make the team, and we kept hockey FUN. We are so proud to have made our mark on the Arizona hockey community.

Lately, we have been feeling that the time has come to prioritize our family and spend more time together

with Lennon and Penny. We are looking forward to spending more evenings and weekends making memories and watching our family grow.

Lastly, thank you. Thank you for supporting us over the past years, thank you for believing in us and our mission, and thank you for trusting us. Please make sure to follow @jsmithhockey and @baileyyo_ to stay in touch with us, and also for plenty of Lennon and Penny pictures.

From the bottom of our hearts…

THANK YOU!!!! We will never forget it!

See you at the rink, Bailey and Jarred Smith -- AZ Rubber Staff Report

Boulder native, Colorado youth hockey graduate Blackburn enjoying final junior season out west with USPHL’s Sabers

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB Ethan Blackburn spent the 2021-22 season with a pair of USPHL teams, the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings and Decatur Blaze.

This season, the 20-year-old Boulder native is making an impact on the West Coast manning the crease for the San Diego Sabers. He’s been the top goalie for the Sabers and has already taken home two Pacific Division Goaltender of the Week awards and the October Goaltender of the Month honor.

“The opportunity arose for me to play for the Sabers this year when I was at the Air Force Showcase and my coach Tyler Casillo came up to me after the last game and offered me a contract and a spot on his team,” Blackburn said. “What’s appealing to me was the playing time I would be getting and the location and the coach. All are things I wanted in my junior career. I have the playing time I want, I’m in a beautiful location, and I have a coach that knows how to win and knows how to coach.

“My time here so far has been great on both team and personal levels. On a personal level, I love the boys and the chemistry between us is great

for a team this new. It’s great living in SoCal. The weather is fantastic and it’s so beautiful here. Having the beach near us is great, especially for our beach workouts.”

Casillo said he has been impressed this season with Blackburn’s play.

“Ethan is very important to us,” he said. “With one of his shutouts coming against Vegas in a 1-0 match, he has already demonstrated that he has the ability to neutralize any club in this league. I believe that Ethan’s presence in the net will only increase throughout the course of the season.”

Back in Colorado, Blackburn played for the Hyland Hills Jaguars, Boulder Hockey Club, Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, Monarch High School, and HTB. “The coaches that stood out to me the most are Doug Smail, Timm Lorenz, Mark Sample, Jimmy Dexter, Steve Strunk, Chance Creger, Brian Butters, and Matt Zaba,” said Blackburn.

Moving forward, Blackburn has reachable goals in mind.

“My short-term goal right now is to go to school after this year and have a great time playing in college,” Blackburn said. “My long-term goal is to go pro somewhere, maybe in Europe, but hopefully in the states.”

Boulder native Ethan Blackburn celebrates an early-season win back in September for the San Diego Sabers. Photo: San Diego Sabers

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NOVEMBER 2022

The EHL All-Stars enjoy a postgame smile after defeating Nazareth College last month. Photo: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

EHL All-Stars down Nazareth in College Series

BY ANTHONY DI PAOLO EASTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE One of the most exciting things about college sports is an upset, and the Eastern Hockey League All-Stars did that Oct. 21 as they defeated Nazareth College 4-3 in a shootout.

It was the second time an EHL All-Star team defeated an NCAA Division III program and was the highlight for the league between the three-game series, as New England Wolves goaltender Trevor Joule made some incredible saves late in the game and in the shootout, and Seacoast Spartans and New Jersey 87’s forwards William Pray and Aleks Gamzatov both scored in the shootout to lead the All-Stars to its secondever win over a college team.

In addition to Friday night’s win, the main All-Star team lost the following day to SUNY Brockport by a score of 7-3, and the South Division All-Stars took Lebanon Valley College to overtime in a 5-4 defeat.

Friday’s matchup against Nazareth at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex turned out be a tug-of-war battle, as the Golden Flyers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period. The AllStars responded with a goal from Connecticut Chiefs forward Hunter Rossi as he wired a wrist shot from the high slot to even the score.

Nazareth took the lead late in the first period, but the All-Stars scored again in the second period on a

bank shot from East Coast Wizards forward George Kolovos. He slid a centering pass towards the front of the goal and banked it off a Nazareth defender and into the net to make it 2-2. The All-Stars scored again in the third period on a power-play, as Spartans forward Kenny Maxwell fired a wrist shot from the blue line that found twine, giving his team a 3-2 lead.

The Golden Flyers tied the game later in the third period, sending the contest into overtime.

Both teams had a few chances in the extra session, but it remained a 3-3 hockey game and the two coaches, Adam Houli for the EHL and George Roll for Nazareth, mutually agreed to take the game into a shootout.

Neither team scored in the opening round, but the Golden Flyers pulled ahead in the second round as former Wizard Ryan Turse scored and put the EHL team on the brink heading into round three. Pray kept the shootout alive, however, as he snapped a shot high glove-side.

As the shootout went into the fourth round, Joule made the save of the night on Nazareth forward Logan Tobias. The freshman forward faked the shot and went to the backhand, and Joule reached back with his glove and made a sprawling save at the goal line. Gamzatov then scored on a backhand-to-forehand Continued on page 15

The 2022-23 Jr. Reign Inland Empire Tournament Series events are now open for registration, including this month’s Fall Classic, which runs Nov. 25-27!

For more information and to register your team, visit jrreign.com/tournaments.

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IHAAZ making changes for more parity, starting with 2023 season

BY MATT MACKINDER On the heels of a wildly successful 2022 season, IHAAZ is implementing several changes for the 2023 season.

The tweaks are aimed to improve parity throughout all divisions, with minor rule changes and procedures at the top of the list.

Most roller hockey tournaments have an eight-goal mercy rule, meaning once a team scores the goal to create an eight-goal differential, the game ends. In tight divisions, this rarely happens. In mixed divisions, it can happen a lot.

“There are a few IHAAZ teams that never got a full game all season long last year,” noted IHAAZ tournament director Nick Boyarsky.

“Sometimes it was a team who didn’t because they beat every opponent by eight. We’re looking to split divisions up for better parity, and in doing so have teams play up or down an age group depending on where the fit creates the best parity.”

The second issue IHAAZ officials

are hoping to solve is the two participant types - the teams that want to play all the events as a series, and the teams that want to jump in for a single event or jump in late in the season to qualify for IHAAZ State Finals.

“Knowing some of our stronger Gold teams are still wrapping up their ice seasons over the first two events, we have lowered the State Finals requirements for teams and individual players to qualify to one event, and our Silver teams to two total,” Boyarsky said. “Within these changes, we are also allowing one roster move per season for players regarding State Finals. Players are allowed one move per season, so those wishing to play early on can find opportunities to do so while still being available for their eventual State Finals team.”

The announcement for the 2023 IHAAZ season schedule is expected to be released in the coming months.

For more information, visit www.

IHAAZ.com.

Teams battle during the recent 2022 IHAAZ season. Photo: IHAAZ

Arizona Coyotes players take a group picture following the team’s first win at brand-new Mullett Arena on Nov. 1. Photo: Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes top Panthers on emotional night at Mullett Arena for first home victory

BY PATRICK BROWN ARIZONACOYOTES.COM That’s a win that won’t soon be forgotten.

Lawson Crouse, Nick Ritchie, and Clayton Keller scored, Karel Vejmelka made 41 saves, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Nov. 1 for their first win at Mullett Arena.

Colin White scored for the Panthers, while goalie Spencer Knight made 18 saves in his second consecutive start.

The win came on the same evening the Coyotes held their annual Hockey Fights Cancer night, making for an emotional victory in front of their fans.

Arizona honored vice president of hockey development Matt Shott, who passed away from the disease in December 2021, with both a pregame video and an commemorative puck drop before the game. Shott’s mom, Shelley, and brother, Trevor, dropped the puck during the ceremony.

“It’s one year since Matt passed away, and he was a big piece for our organization,” Coyotes head coach André Tourigny said. “That was cool to get the first win on a night like that, where he was honored.”

On the ice, the Coyotes laid it all

on the line throughout the game en route to their first home victory.

Vejmelka’s 41 saves were the second-most he’s made in a game this season, and he was consistently backed up by teammates that were blocking any shots they could get in front of.

Arizona finished with 22 blocked shots, compared to Florida’s eight.

“They have a really good team offensively, they have a lot of great players and forecheck, but we knew how we wanted to play, so I think it was really hard to play against us,” Vejmelka said. “We played a really good game tonight defensively.”

Tourigny agreed, and has been encouraged by the improvement Arizona has shown throughout the young season.

The Coyotes had lost two straight one-goal games before Tuesday’s win.

“A lot of guys blocked shots tonight, and paid the price,” he said.

“Right now we all have the smile, but at the same time, I like the fact we all have the smile, but it’s not like we won the Stanley Cup. The guys expect if we play with that urgency, they expect results, and that’s a good sign.”

Continued on page 16

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NOVEMBER 2022

EHL College Series showcases future NCAA stars against current counterparts Continued from page 13 move right after Joule’s save, and the Wolves netminder made one last stop to complete the upset.

Joule spoke about the team’s confidence heading into their matchup against Nazareth.

“We were confident,” said Joule.

“We went into the game thinking that we could beat these guys. They were in our position just one, two, or three years ago, so we thought, ‘Look, we’re just going to go out there and play our best game,’ and we knew that we could come away with a victory.”

He also discussed the sprawling glove save he made in the shootout.

“It was desperation, you try to stay with the guy as long as you can and he was very patient. I kind of made the first move which is not what you want to do, but I was just trying to stick with it, that’s all,” said Joule.

On Saturday, Kolovos and Pray found the back of the net once again, while Wolves forward Edijs Grigorjevs also scored in the All-Stars 7-3 loss to Brockport at Wegman’s Ice Arena.

Railers Jr. Hockey Club goaltender Stefan Kulhanek stopped all 15 shots he faced in the opening period, but the Golden Eagles scored four goals in the second and two more in the

The EHL All-Stars and Nazreth battled in an intense game back on Oct. 21, a game the EHL won in a shootout. Photo: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

third to take a 6-1 lead.

Pray and Grigorjevs scored 1:35 apart in the third period as the AllStars tried to crawl their way back into the game, but Brockport iced the contest with an empty-net goal.

Later that Saturday night, the EHL South Division All-Stars took on Lebanon Valley College at Hersheypark Arena.

The Flying Dutchmen scored in the first and second period to jump to a 2-0 lead, and the All-Stars finally got on the board midway through the game as Philadelphia Hockey Club

forward Ethan Byrne scored on a wrister from the top of the circles.

Lebanon Valley struck again late in the second period and came into the third with a 3-1 lead. PHC defenseman Tommy Madden cut the deficit early in the third as he stepped over the blue line and flung a wrist shot off the cross bar and in.

Former New Hampshire Avalanche forward Rais Francis scored next on a power-play for Lebanon Valley, as they took a 4-2 lead with 5:44 left in regulation.

The South Division All-Stars, how-

ever, roared back in the final 2:01 of the period. They cut the deficit to 4-3 on the power-play as PHC forward Quinn Murphy banged home a rebound at the edge of the crease, also marking the third goal from a player representing PHC. With about a minute remaining in the third, the All-Stars pulled the goalie for an extra attacker.

New Jersey 87’s forward Kyle Folkerson lobbed a puck in the air towards the net, and Patrick DeMarinis - also from the 87’s - redirected the puck from the hash marks and past the goaltender to even the score.

The comeback fell short though, as Stefan Lakoseljac netted the overtime-winning goal for the Flying Dutchmen.

This year’s college series marked the second time the EHL defeated one college while taking another program past regulation.

In 2019, the EHL All-Stars defeated Salem State College 5-1 and tied Fitchburg State University by a score of 1-1.

This year also marked the first time the EHL sent a single division to face a college program, and it could possibly set a precedent in the coming years that will lead to an expanded college showcase weekend.

U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series game heading to Henderson’s Dollar Loan Center The U.S. Women’s National Team will host Canada at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the Dollar Loan Center in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson as part of the 2022-23 Rivalry Series.

“We’re excited to bring the Rivalry Series to Nevada for the very first time and give fans a chance to see the best athletes in the world,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “It really doesn’t get any better than the rivalry between the U.S. and Canada and we look forward to an arena filled with fans in red, white and blue cheering on our team.”

The Rivalry Series was established

by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada back in 2018 to showcase the two powerhouse women’s hockey programs.

The Dollar Loan Center is located at 200 S Green Valley In Henderson. Photo: dollarloancenter.com

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NOVEMBER 2022

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Coyotes honor Shott, earn first win at new Mullett Arena Continued from page 14

White opened the scoring at 8:24 of the second period, redirecting Josh Mahura’s shot past Vejmelka to give the Panthers an early lead. It was the only goal Florida would score in the frame, despite outshooting the Coyotes 16-3.

Crouse answered with a powerplay goal at 13:47 of the period, keeping the team’s play with the man

advantage scorching hot.

The Coyotes weren’t done, either.

Ritchie scored the go-ahead goal at 8:55 of the third period to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead, yet again with the man advantage. Arizona now has 11 power-play goals in just nine games this season, a stark contrast to last year, when it took 30 games to record that same number.

“We went in the third and played a simple game with a tie game, and

got a chance on the power play and scored, and I think that’s probably the difference in the game,” Ritchie said.

“We get two power-play goals, our penalty kill’s good, and we kind of locked them up the rest of the game.”

The Coyotes’ power play is ranked third in the league after finishing 30th just one season ago.

Keller iced the game with an empty net goal to seal the win and close out a special night at Mullett Arena.

“It was pretty cool tonight,” Ritchie said. “The crowd was standing for us in the last minute of the game, and it was loud in here for a small barn. It feels good, and we want to do more of that at home.”

“Let’s be honest, our goalie stopped 41 pucks, our PK shut down a team like Florida, and your power play scores two goals, that’s a good recipe,” Tourigny added. “I hope we can copy and paste it a few times.”

Slew of California products tabbed USPHL players of the month A pair of California natives have collected NCDC monthly honors, while five more have taken home USPHL Premier accolades.

Northern Cyclones forward Marko Giourof is the NCDC North Division Forward of the Month, while Jersey Hitmen forward Tyler McNeil is the NCDC South Division Forward of the Month.

Giourof, a 2003-born Torrance, native, has helped the NCDC’s actively hottest team to a close second overall to the leading Hitmen, especially after a 9-0 run that was still going as November dawned. During the ninegame run, Giourof has put up 14 of his 16 total points, and he also scored the shootout goal on Oct. 2 that began the run with a 6-5 shootout victory against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers at the BJB Shootout.

A career Anaheim Jr. Duck as a youth player, Giourof joined the Cyclones in 2021-22 and put up a strong 19 points in 42 games – a total he is on pace to blow past by 40 points with a full season in 2022-23.

At an even 7-9-16 with his scoring line, he can dish it out as easily as he can take the puck and score. The two-way threat is also leading the Cyclones in plus-minus at plus-12, part of a four-way tie for third in the league in that category.

One of the most shining examples of #USPHLAdvancement in NCDC history, the former Fresno Monster and USPHL Premier Pacific Division All-Star (2021-22), McNeil is leading the NCDC in scoring with nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points through just 14 games. McNeil, a

Marko Giourof

2002-born native of Valencia, started out red hot with 14 points in his first seven NCDC games. He went on to add another eight points in a threegame stretch between Oct. 12-22.

McNeil has played a fast and clean game, racking up just 12 penalty minutes, while seeing opponents rack up 14 minutes in infractions against him, showing just how much his elevated skill set is frustrating foes.

With 16 hits (third on the Hitmen), he is also not afraid to play the physical game, making the most of his 5-foot9, 160-pound frame.

In the Premier Division, Pueblo Bulls forward Scott Bugarin (Moreno Valley) and Ogden Mustangs forward Jake Meure (Fremont) are Mountain Division Forwards of the Month, while Fresno Monsters defenseman Jacob Gagnon (Reedley) and

Tyler McNeil

Lake Tahoe Lakers blueliner Chase Sechrist (Santa Rosa) are Pacific Division Defensemen of the Month and Vernal Oilers netminder Antonio Tarantino (Fremont) is the Northwest Division Goaltender of the Month.

Bugarin, a third-year USPHL vet, has found a comfortable home and role in Pueblo.

He leads the Bulls in scoring, thanks to an 18 point (8-10-18) month in just 13 games. Bugarin did it all for Pueblo in the month of October. He scored two game-winning goals, one of which helped the Bulls to a road win over their archrivals, the Northern Colorado Eagles. His plus-8 rating led the squad and he’s been strong in the faceoff circle, too, winning 51 percent of his astounding 222 faceoffs taken.

During his youth hockey days, the

2002-born Bugarin skated for the California Wave and Anaheim Jr. Ducks.

Last year, Meure scored 16 goals in 49 games. The year prior, he had 18 goals in 47 games. Meure had the most prolific scoring month of his distinguished career with a staggering 18 goals and 30 points (18-12-30) in just 13 games during October.

The 2003-born ‘Stang winger had three hat tricks, punctuated by a fourgoal night and the game-winner in Ogden’s 6-5 win over Pueblo on Oct. 15. Meure is currently fifth in the USPHL in scoring and carries an 11game point streak into the month of November.

Meure is a San Jose Jr. Sharks graduate.

It’s Year 3 in the USPHL and Year 3 on the Monsters for Gagnon, who is leading his team in a big way.

Last year, the Fresno captain and 2002 birth year finished sixth in points for the Monsters with 46 and as captain of the Monsters this season, Gagnon is second in points on the team with a total of 24.

He has already scored more than half of his total points from the 202122 season. So far, he is plus-19 with 17 assists and seven goals. He has played in 14 of the Monsters’ 15 games so far this season and been a defensive force.

Gagnon played for the Bakersfield Jr. Condors during his youth hockey days.

The 2002-born Sechrist is no stranger to Tahoe as he has been Continued on page 17

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USPHL awards Arizona, California, Colorado players monthly recognition Continued from page 16

playing there since 2016. He joined the Lakers last year for their inaugural season in the USPHL and is back for Year 2 with them. Last season, he finished with 35 points earning a No. 5 rank.

This season, he has scored more than half of points he earned last year, earning 19 total points, with 10 assists and nine goals, putting him in the No. 1 spot. He has already had a few big games this season scoring five points in a late September game against Ontario and earning four points in an early October game versus Long Beach where they picked up an OT win.

Prior to the Lakers, Sechrist spent time with Tahoe Prep Academy.

Tarantino, another 2002 birth year, owns six of the Oilers’ eight wins so far this year. His .949 save percentage ranks No. 2 in the USPHL versus games played. And his 1.95 goalsagainst average is ranked eighth.

Tarantino slid east to Vernal after playing for Ogden last year. In a division with plenty of offensive powerhouses, Tarantino has not given up any more than three goals in any game. His two most recent starts on Oct. 16 and 21 both saw 34-save victories.

During his youth hockey career, Tarantino played for the Jr. Sharks and Golden State Elite Eagles.

-- Joshua Boyd, Grace Mello, Brendan Price, Jonathan West

From left, Scott Bugarin, Jake Meure, Jacob Gagnon, Chase Sechrist, Antonio Tarantino.

In Arizona, Boston Advantage forward Arik Altman is the NCDC North Division Forward of the Month, while Metro Jets Development Program forward Oka Forsberg is the Midwest East Division Forward of the Month and Carolina Jr. Hurricanes defenseman Keaton Toenjes is the Southeast Division Defenseman of the Month.

The veterans carried their teams in September and October, as the second-year Advantage player Altman, a 2003 birth year out of Scottsdale, put up 17 points in 14 games to lead Boston to its current third-place standing in the North Division.

He jumped right out with a 1-2-3

line in Game 1 of the season and has scored some very important goals among his eight, including two gamewinners in one-goal games. His first game-winning goal broke what had been an eight-game winning streak for the Jersey Hitmen – and in their own rink – at the close of the NCDC portion of the Hitmen Classic.

Altman is a great example of #USPHLAdvancement in action, as he was previously a USPHL Premier Pacific Division All-Star in 2020-21 as a member of the first Las Vegas Thunderbirds team to skate in the USPHL. During his youth hockey days, Altman skated for the Jr. Coyotes.

Forsberg, a Flagstaff product, is one of just four MJDP players who call somewhere outside the state of Michigan home, but it’s safe to say he’s making his presence known in the Mitten State. The 2003 birth year has totaled 11 points on six goals and five assists, good for an average of 1.38 points per game over the MJDP’s 8-0-0-0 record.

He’s also tallied three multi-point games already this season, including a hat trick against Battle Creek on Oct. 22.

Above all, Forsberg has been consistent in his first USPHL season.

He’s recorded at least one point in Continued on page 18

the hockey pro shop caters to hockey players of any age!

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For more information, visit www.thehockeyproshop.com, call (480) 597-4348, or email tendie@thehockeyproshop.com.

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Monthly honors aplenty for USPHL standouts out of Arizona, California, Colorado Continued from page 17 seven of eight games played, all of which have been MJDP victories.

The Jets hold a Midwest East-best +40 goal differential, and Forsberg’s steady scoring has helped that number grow each night.

In Arizona, Forsberg skated for the Jr. Coyotes and Flagstaff Northstars.

The Jr. Canes reached almost all the way across the country to Gilbert and the highly-esteemed Arizona Bobcats program to pick up Toenjes, a rookie blueliner who’s averaging a point per game.

With a goal and 14 assists for 15 points in 15 games, his 1.00 points per game average is the best in the Southeast Division.

Toenjes entered November with a 1-6-7 line in his final four games of October, including three straight with multiple helpers.

Back home, Toenjes also played for Corona del Sol High School.

Arik Altman

Oka Forsberg

-- Joshua Boyd & Miles Regan From Colorado, the USPHL has announced that San Diego Sabers goalie Ethan Blackburn is the Pacific Division Goaltender of the Month.

Starting his second year in the USPHL Premier, Blackburn, a 2002

Keaton Toenjes

birth year from Boulder, has played eight games so far this season and earned seven wins. Last year, he played 11 games with the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings (where he posted a .929 save percentage) and Decatur Blaze.

This season looks to be his best one yet. With San Diego he has faced 291 shots and earned 275 saves with a .945 save percentage, putting him in the top 10 for save percentage in the USPHL Premier.

Back in Colorado, Blackburn played for the Hyland Hills Jaguars, Boulder Hockey Club, Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, Monarch High School, and HTB. -- Grace Mello

Strong season with NCDC’s Thunder earns Littleton native Sargent NCAA D-III commitment to Fitchburg State

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB Nolan Sargent stayed home for the 2020-21 junior hockey season, skating for the USPHL’s Northern Colorado Eagles.

Last season, the Littleton native ventured to the northeast to play in Maine for the NCDC’s Twin City Thunder.

After a strong season with the Thunder, Sargent will stay out east to begin his NCAA Division III hockey career this year in Massachusetts at Fitchburg State University.

“This opportunity came about by playing on the East Coast for junior hockey,” said Sargent. “Coach (Dean) Fuller of Fitchburg State came to me after a showcase weekend in Boston and asked me to come visit the campus, where the most appealing aspect of the school was the team’s community. Every player was valued from freshman to senior and

that’s what I wanted out of my college career.”

With the 2022-23 season approaching, Sargent is excited at what he can accomplish, on and off the ice.

Academically, he said he intends to major in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Construction Management.

“I hope to go in and solidify a solid ‘D’ core of Fitchburg and to develop my game at the college level,” Sargent said. “I’d also like to help the team capture another MASCAC title and a bid to the national tournament.”

Sargent said playing in the USPHL and for its NCDC division helped him get the tools needed to compete in college.

“Last season prepared me by helping me understand how to give 100 percent every time I was on the ice,” said Sargent. “Knowing what it took to give everything on the ice was what my game needed to jump to the college level, and I know it’ll trans-

Nolan Sargent moved up to the NCDC’s Twin City Thunder for the 2021-22 season and is now skating at NCAA Division III Fitchburg State. Photo provided

late nicely when games begin.”

Back home, Sargent played youth hockey for the Denver Jr. Pioneers, Littleton Hawks, Colorado Thunder-

birds, Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, Krivo Hockey, and high school hockey for Regis Jesuit High School.

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Jr. Coyotes alum, Phoenix product Hein chosen NA3HL Goaltender of the Month

For the start of the 2022-23 season with the NA3HL’s Texas RoadRunners, Phoenix native Hunter Hein has put up stellar numbers thus far. Photo: NAHL

The NA3HL has announced that Hunter Hein of the Texas RoadRunners is the NA3HL Goaltender of the Month.

Hein was lights-out between the pipes in the month of October with a perfect 6-0-0 record.

“Hunter has been playing well early on this season and is a huge part of our team. I thought he might have stuck with Odessa (NAHL) this year, but head coach Scott Deur felt he needed a bit more time in the 3HL.” said RoadRunners head coach Mike Beavis Hein, a 2003 birth year from Phoenix, has been close to perfect on the season with the RoadRunners and said he is focused on one game at a time.

In his six showings last month, the Jr. Coyotes alum faced 199 shots and turned away 192 of them to record a 1.17 goals-against average and a .965 save percentage. He also recorded a pair of shutouts during the month.

Hein, who was recruited last season by NCAA Division III Babson College, decided to hold off on the offer with hopes of making the jump this season to the NAHL. “I am here to help my team and if the opportunity to jump to the NAHL arises, I would be ecstatic,” Hein said. “But in the meantime, I am leaning more to looking at my educational future and what schools may be interested that will fit my educational and hockey needs.”

-- AZ Rubber Staff Report

Battle Mountain grad Large finding success with NA3HL’s Cobras with eye on short-term, long-term future

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB After the 2021-22 season with Battle Mountain High School, Carter Large wasn’t ready to hang up the skates.

He knew he had the ability to play junior hockey, but it took a by-chance meeting to make that happen.

“I had randomly met up with (Butte Cobras coach-GM) Kirk Golden in Vail where I was practicing and he talked to me about wanted to sign with the Butte Cobras,” said Large, an Eagle native. “I chose to sign with Butte so I can play hockey and also get my residency in Montana and also get my in-state tuition for Montana State University.”

Fellow Colorado native Weston Villers (Colorado Springs) had also signed with Butte, a team in the NA3HL, and he and Large played together with Team Colorado after the last high school season, “so signing with Butte knowing someone was easy for me to do,” said Large.

“I was excited to leave my hometown because I’ve been living there my whole life and was ready for a new experience,” Large said. “And I was very excited to be following hockey. I love that there’s always hockey to play after playing in the

Carter Large is finding the scoresheet in 2022-23 during his rookie junior hockey season with the NA3HL’sButte Cobras. Photo: Tom Briscoe

NA3. Hockey is a sport I will love for the rest of my life, but also knowing that the fan bases are super energetic in the NA3 is a thrill for me.”

Large noted that this past season with the Huskies was one of his most memorable seasons ever.

“Last season was one of the best teams I’ve been a part of team chemistry-wise, on and off the ice,” said Large. “I had a great time playing on this team. I had switched back to defense about halfway through the season and had ended up getting more points than I ever have in a single

season as a forward. Defense was my first ever real position in hockey, and I think it will always be my best position, but I can always go and play forward.

“I had a mindset last season that I wanted to make sure this would not be my last season playing hockey. I made sure I worked my tail off in every game to help contribute towards the team winning the games. I think my work ethic is what helped me get prepared for juniors.”

In addition to Battle Mountain and Team Colorado, Large also played

for the Vail Mountaineers, Mountain Militia, Vail International Hockey, and Colorado Wilderness.

Large said one of his most impactful coaches was Matt Dietz, his first coach on the Mountaineers, and noted how others had a positive influence on him as he advanced through youth hockey.

“Coach Dietz always criticized on focusing on ‘the little things’ when playing hockey, and that has stuck with me ever since,” Large said. “My first Pee Wee year, our organization got a new director named John Seymour. Coach Seymour was a very intense coach and focused a lot on competing. The few years he was our director and coach, he completely switched my game to a more aggressive playing style and because of that, I am a better hockey player.

“All four years of playing high school hockey I had the same two coaches, Derek Byron (head coach) and George Wilson (assistant coach).

Coach Byron is now one of my good friends and we stay in touch a lot even though I am not in high school anymore. He is one of the main reasons why I am playing junior hockey.

Coach Byron’s biggest pet peeve on the ice was communication, meaning if you weren’t communicating Continued on page 20

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NA3HL’s Cobras proving to be right fit for Eagle native Large Continued from page 19

with your teammates, then there was no way we could work together as a team and win our games. Coach George was my defensive coach my senior year and also a very good friend of mine. He would always push me to be a leader during my four years of high school and with that, he helped me gain a lot of confidence on the ice, which helped me have the ability to read the game a lot

better.”

With the NA3HL season now in full swing, Large is starting to look at what his future might entail, both at the rink and on the academic side in the classroom.

“My hockey goals have always been to play for as long as I can and to also play the highest level of hockey I can,” said Large. “My shortterm goal is to work hard enough to get an NAHL invite during this NA3

season and to also enjoy every moment I have this year with my team because I know this could be my last season playing junior hockey. For my long-term goal, I want to be able to move up to the NAHL for the 202324 season because that is my last year of being able to play junior-level hockey.

“If the hockey thing doesn’t work for me, I have a plan to go to Montana State University in the fall of

2023 for school. At MSU, I plan to be taking a landscape architecture major because I am really interested in design and also being outside. I work for my dad’s landscape construction business during the summers and by working for his company, I have put in a lot of thought of adding in architecture to his company and also growing his company and becoming more successful than the company already is.”

Sun Devils own Sin City in huge win over No. 6 North Dakota Sin City is for the Sun Devils, and the Sun Devils ONLY. The Arizona State men’s hockey team defeated No. 6 North Dakota 3-2 in front of over 15,000 Fighting Hawks fans in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at T-Mobile Arena back on Oct. 29.

The David versus Goliath victory is the highest ranked win for ASU since the Sun Devils defeated UND’s conference neighbor, then-No. 4 Denver, in a 4-1 win in Tempe on Dec. 6, 2019. The Sun Devils have now upset nine top-10 opponents in their seven-year history.

ASU stays undefeated in Las Vegas (3-0) as the crowned champions of the 2018 Ice Vegas Tournament at T-Mobile Arena.

UND scored the opening goal of the desert duel a little after seven minutes into the introductory period. Two minutes later, the Fighting Hawks landed the first power-play opportunity of the night and capitalized with a power-play goal to extend their lead to 2-0.

ASU enjoyed its first power-play opportunity 15 minutes into the first period and sophomore forward Matthew Kopperud netted ASU’s first of the night to cut the UND lead in half.

Kopperud was assisted by senior defenseman Jack Judson on his third goal of the season.

After a quiet start to the second period, play opened up when ASU went on its second power play of the night.

Junior forward Lukas Sillinger scored the tying goal, his second goal of the season, from the top of the circle with

Arizona State celebrates at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena after defeating North Dakota on Oct. 29 in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. The Sun Devils are now undefeated (3-0) playing in Las Vegas. Photo: Sun Devil Athletics

assists from Kopperud and senior forward Robert Mastrosimone.

ASU killed three penalties and deafened the Fighting Hawks’ power play, which ranked second in the NCAA before Saturday night’s game with a 35.5 percentage.

Nothing says we’re back for the third period better than a goal in the first 24 seconds of the frame. Mastrosimone got one of his own with an assist from Sillinger to take the lead.

ASU blocked 22 UND shots, the most in a game this season while TJ Semptimphelter stood on his head between the pipes with 13 saves in

his ninth consecutive start. For only the second time this season UND was held scoreless for two periods.

The Fighting Hawks scored two first period goals against then-No. 8 Quinnipiac, but ultimately fell 6-2 after being held scoreless through the second and third periods.

With tonight’s game-winning goal, Mastrosimone is on a three-game goal-scoring streak.

NOTES: The Sun Devils have announced the matchups and times of the Desert Hockey Classic at Mullett Arena set to take place on Jan. 6-7.

The teams include Boston University,

Air Force and Michigan Tech as it returns for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Air Force and BU kick off the tournament at 3 p.m. Friday, while the Sun Devils face off against Michigan Tech at 7 p.m.

Friday’s winner from AF and BU will play the winner of ASU vs.

MTU on Saturday. The losers will play a consolation game on Saturday.

Regardless of Friday’s result, ASU will be Saturday’s second game at 7 p.m. Saturday’s first game will drop the puck at 3 p.m.

--Sun Devil Athletics

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NOVEMBER 2022

Colorado natives, youth hockey grads Mastay, Grasso, Elmblad excited for 2022-23 season in Detroit area with USPHL powerhouse Jets

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB The Metro Jets have proven to be a top junior hockey franchise not only in the USPHL but in all of North America.

As the years go on, the Detroitarea organization still boasts a heavy Michigan flavor on its roster while also attracting players from out of state.

This season, the Jets have three players from Colorado in Westminster’s Devon Mastay and Broomfield’s Robert Grasso and Ryan Elmblad.

Mastay, whose brother Cody Mastay captained the Jets last season to the USPHL National Championship final and is now a freshman at NCAA Division III Arcadia University, is a defenseman for the Jets, while Grasso is a forward and Elmblad a defenseman for the MJDP (Metro Jets Development Program).

All three players are excited to don Jets’ colors this season. For Mastay and Grasso, the 2022-23 campaign is

From left, the Metro Jets’ Robert Grasso, Ryan Elmb;ad, and Devon Mastay.

their second with the Jets while Elmblad is new to the team after playing for Cushing Academy.

“My reason to come back to the

Jets is that it is the ultimate player experience,” Mastay said. “You can’t beat the coaching staff, culture, and development that the Jets have to of-

fer. Coming off of last season, expectations have never been higher.”

“My decision on coming back to the Jets was easy enough,” added Grasso. “The Jets organization provides everything you need and want as a player. Responding from last season, expectations from myself and the team are higher than ever.”

Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville is excited to see what Elmblad can do this season as a rookie on a very young MJDP squad.

“Ryan and his family came out for a visit during the offseason,” Quenneville said. “Obviously, it went well, and Ryan made his decision to sign.

He comes in hungry to learn and ready to invest in himself. He comes from a reputable program at Cushing, and we look forward to getting to work with him.”

Growing up in Colorado, Mastay skated for the Hyland Hills Jaguars, Boulder Bison, Colorado Evolution and Colorado Springs Tigers, Grasso for Boulder Hockey Club and Monarch High School, and Elmblad with the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders.

After productive youth hockey career in Colorado, Bailey’s Smith adjusting to USPHL’s Blaze for ’22-23

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB This season, Fischer Smith is enjoying his first season of junior hockey with the USPHL’s Decatur Blaze.

Smith knows a bit about the Blaze organization as his older brother Walker is now in his third season in Decatur and serving as captain this year.

Needless to say, it’s been a transition with few issues so far.

“The appeal for playing for the Blaze is the ability to develop and become a better stronger player,” Smith said. “This is my first time ever being on a team with my brother and it’s definitely a great experience. I feel like most players always dream of getting to play with their brother so it’s definitely a cool experience.”

It’s also Smith’s first opportunity living away from his Bailey home.

“Living away from home was defi-

nitely nerve-racking at the beginning, but I think coming out here with my brother definitely helped a lot,” said Smith. “My billet and teammates have made this place feel like a second home.”

Prior to jumping to the USPHL, Smith had a decorated youth hockey career in Colorado, spending time with the Littleton Hawks, Krivo School of Hockey Elite, Colorado Rampage and at Castle View High School.

“My biggest influences we’re definitely my Krivo coaches who definitely made me the skater I am today and my high school coach, Michael Dubus, who was always hard on me because I think he saw potential,” Smith said. “Also Coach (Matt) Frick who my brother has been skating with since he was 12, I just started skating with this past summer and really made me a much better player.”

Going forward, Smith has ideal

Bailey’s Fischer Smith is spending his inaugural junior hockey campaign in 2022-23 in Illinois with the Decatur Blaze of the USPHL. Photo provided

aspirations he is shooting for as the season in Decatur moves along.

“My short-term goals would definitely be to get some points on the board, get my first junior goal, and become a more sound player,” said Smith. “Long term, I would like to go to college or maybe play profession-

ally somewhere. As far as life goes, I’m not really sure what I want to do yet, but I still have a bit of time to figure it out.

“I would obviously love to play college hockey. I got a lot of work to put in if I want to make it happen, but I think I can do it.”

NOVEMBER 2022

RUBBER HOCKEY

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Firebirds get off to successful AHL start

BY PHILLIP BRENTS

How do you build a professional hockey franchise from the desert floor up?

The Vegas Golden Knights certainly accomplished that daunting feat in their inaugural season by posting the fifth-best record in the NHL during the regular season en route to winning a division title, Western Conference playoff championship and a runner-up finish in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

The Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s newest expansion franchise, is hoping to do the same with its fledgling American Hockey League club, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The Firebirds, the top developmental affiliate of the Kraken, is set to face off its inaugural AHL season in 2022-23 as a member of the 10-team Pacific Division. Coachella Valley is among a glut of five California-based franchises in the division, including the San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks), Ontario Reign (L.A. Kings), Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers) and San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks).

Coachella_Valley_FirebirdsThe Firebirds will also face off against the Henderson (Nev.) Silver Knights (Vegas Golden Knights), Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes), Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche), Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks) and the new Calgary Wranglers (Calgary Flames) as divisional foes.

The Wranglers were relocated from Stockton during the offseason by the parent Calgary Flames. The debut of the Firebirds thus keeps the division at five California clubs despite the departure of the Heat, which won last year’s Pacific Division championship and advanced as far as the Western Conference Finals.

Interestingly, the division’s two newest teams – the Firebirds and Wranglers – were set to face off the season Oct. 16-17 in Canada.

It will be a while – 22 games, to be exact – before Coachella Valley fans can see their team locally while Acrisure Arena, the Firebirds’ state-

of-the-art 10,000-seat home, is completed.

Coachella Valley is scheduled to host Tucson Dec. 18 in its first-ever home game.

In the meantime, the Firebirds will play nearly a third of their 72-game regular season schedule on the road.

Coachella Valley is scheduled to play four games in the Seattle area, officially designated as “home” games, with two contests against Abbotsford and a two-game rematch with the Wranglers The Firebirds will play 16 more road games until Acrisure Arena opens in mid-December.

Coachella Valley’s two longest home stands take place Jan. 4-16 and March 8-19. Both home stands include six games against various teams.

The Firebirds will play 11 different opponents in their inaugural season – eight times each against Calgary, Tucson, San Diego, Henderson, San Jose, Bakersfield and Ontario and four teams each against Abbotsford, Colorado, Iowa and Texas. Of Coachella’s 72 games, 64 will be against Pacific Division opponents.

Smashing debut So, just how good can fans expect the Firebirds to be in their inaugural season? Well, good enough to win their first two games in franchise history, in fact.

Coachella Valley branded the host Wranglers by a score of 6-5 to collect its first AHL win in franchise history in its Oct. 16 debut in front of 5,663 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome, home of the NHL Flames.

Kole Lind scored the first goal in Firebirds history at 6:59 of the first period, assisted by Ryker Evans and Cameron Hughes. The goal was the lone tally of the first period, leav-

ing the California visitors with a 1-0 lead.

Coachella Valley reeled off four of the next five goals to take a commanding four-goal lead that later proved critical in the game’s outcome.

Former San Diego Gull Andrew Poturalski, the AHL’s scoring leader in 2021-22 with 101 points in 71 games for the Chicago Wolves, made it 2-0 Firebirds with a power-play goal at the 4:47 mark of the second period.

After the hosts scored to halve the score, Coachella Valley ripped off the next three goals – one each

by Michal Kempny, captain Max McCormick and Jesper Froden – to make it a 5-1 game.

Lind scored his second goal of the night to open scoring in the third period at 4:51 to open up the game once again for the Firebirds with a three-goal lead.

Coachella Valley goaltender Joey Daccord and the Firebirds defense rose to the occasion as the game veered toward a heart-pounding finish. Daccord attempted an empty net goalie goal but the ice-length puck drifted wide after Calgary had pulled its goaltender in favor of an extra attacker.

Daccord made 25 saves on 30 shots to pick up the first goaltender victory in franchise history while Lind finished as the game’s first star with two goals and two assists. Froden was the game’s third star with a goal and two assists.

Lind, a second-round draft pick (33rd overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in 2017, previously played in the AHL for the Utica Comets and Charlotte Checkers. He won a Western Hockey League championship with the Kelowna Rockets in

2015. In three full seasons with the Rockets, he tallied 224 points in 204 career games.

Coachella Valley’s starting line-up in its inaugural game featured former AHL Barracuda Alexander True at center, Lind at right wing, McCormick at left wing, former Gull Brogan Rafferty and Kempny on defense and Daccord between the pipes.

McCormick and Poturalski both finished the game with a goal and assist. Tennyson logged an assist and two-minute penalty in his debut with the Firebirds.

On Coachella Valley’s 27-man opening-night roster were nine players on AHL contracts and 18 players on assignment from the parent Kraken.

The Firebirds improved to 2-0 in as many games after dealing the Wranglers a 3-1 defeat on Oct. 17. Lind earned first star honors again with a goal and assist while Froden received the third star award for the second consecutive game after scoring the game’s jump goal.

Ville Petman extended the Coachella Valley lead to 3-0 with the lone goal of the second period.

Rafferty, Austin Poganski, Gustav Olofsson and Lind all had assists in the game.

Daccord picked up his second win in as many games while Calgary starter and Northern California native Dustin Wolf (Gilroy) tasted defeat while making 27 saves on 30 shots.

Wolf was pulled from the net in Game 1 after allowing five goals in 30:31.

A total of 13 players put up points between the two games for the Firebirds. Lind finished the two-game set in Canada with six points on three goals and three assists. Froden collected four points on two goals and two assists.

Daccord posted a 3.00 goalsagainst average with a 0.891 save percentage in going 2-0-0.

The team’s inaugural season motto seems appropriate enough: One Valley, One Team, Rising Together.

It should be exciting to see what develops.

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