Vol 3_No 1 Guts.indd - Rubber Magazine

Junior Hockey
Peoria Coyotes Phoenix Polar Bears
Coyotes cease operations
Junior hockey took another hit in Arizona when the
Peoria Coyotes ceased operations in July.
The team was reportedly looking to transfer ownership
prior to its third season in the Western States
League, but mutual terms could not be agreed upon.
That, and with the team in a state of fl ux as late
as the middle of July with only one tryout and no ice
time scheduled, contributed to the Coyotes closing up
shop.
“Putting together another 8-34 team was just
something we weren’t sure was going to be good for
the organization,” said Peoria GM-assistant coach
Trevor Waagner. “Next year was always going to
be the better year, but you can only put together so
many 8-34 seasons before it starts to hinder your
future.”
Still, Waagner sees positives from the fallout.
“The hockey community has been really supportive
and while everyone is sad to see the team go, the
connections we made and support we had will not be
forgotten,” concluded Waagner. ❂
By Matt Mackinder By Matt Mackinder
Polars ready for Tier III Junior A
This summer, the Western States Hockey League
received USA Hockey certifi cation as part of a new
Tier III Junior A loop, moving the league “up” from
Junior B status.
“I think the evolution to Tier III Junior A is very
positive for the development of junior hockey in the
United States,” said Phoenix Polar Bears coach-GM
Harry Mahood. “It creates another positive development
stream to the NCAA.
“It’s interesting from our side, in that we have been
working in this area for over eight years and to have
been part of the roller coaster and upswing growth of
junior hockey in the WSHL has been very rewarding.”
With the season right around the corner, Phoenix
has a team that Mahood expects to challenge for a
national championship, much like he expects every
season at this time of year.
“We are excited about this team because we have 15
returning veterans from our championship team last
year and we’ve added some exciting new young players
to the mix,” noted Mahood. ❂
Join the BTM/Arizona Rubber Test Team!
Behind the Mask, long
considered the state’s
leading retailer of consumer
and team hockey
equipment, uniforms and
services, in conjunction
with Arizona Rubber
Magazine, is looking to
recruit a volunteer group
of hockey players who will
be given to the opportunity
to evaluate and test
new
merchandise as the hockey
industry releases it.
With locations in
Chandler, Phoenix and
Peoria, BTM ownership
and staff
prides themselves on an
ability to stay on top of
the wants and needs of all
customers, both local and
afar.
Each season, BTM
challenges the major
manufacturers in the
hockey equipment industry
to come up with
new technology, materials
and designs
that will best
protect and
enhance the
game of all
who frequent
the
shop.
This
coming fall,
Behind the
Mask would like to enlist
the expertise and knowledge
of you, the customers
who buy and use the
equipment BTM sells.
In an effort to better
evaluate the new technologies
and innovations to
equipment such as skates,
sticks, protective gear and
more, BTM is assembling
a team of product testers
who will be given the opportunity
to evaluate and
test new merchandise
as the hockey
industry releases
it.
BTM will
then provide the
feedback of the “BTM
Test Team” to
Arizona Rubber
Magazine
for a recurring
product review feature,
as well as publish reviews
and feedback on the
Behind the Mask Web site
for our customers to read
when making decisions on
purchases.
Those interested in
becoming a member of the
BTM Test Team, visit
www.behindthemask.
com and click on the BTM
Test Team link. Simply
fi ll out
the brief online application
and submit it for
consideration.
The test team is open to
Arizona residents between
the ages of 12-18-yearsold
and who are currently
playing hockey at one of
the state’s ice or inline
facilities. We encourage
both ice and inline players
to apply.
The test team will be
announced in the October
issue of Arizona Rubber
Magazine along with a
sneak peak at some of
the hot new products the
team will be testing over
the next few months. ❂
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