January 2009 - Rubber Magazine

The AIHA is making 

a strong push to get 

more kids on wheels 

Chang’s embraces charitable spirit 

Crowley a force with Polar Bears 

McKellar running Wild in NAHL 

Hockey Weekend plans announced 

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 5 January 2009 From Kids to Coyotes, the Desert’s Authoritative Voice of Ice and Inline Hockey

Friday 

January 2 

@ 7:00 pm 

Tuesday 


@ 7:00 pm 

Thursday 


@ 7:00 pm 

Saturday 


@ 7:00 pm 

Tickets start at just $15 

Tuesday 


@ 7:00 pm 

Tuesday 


@ 7:00 pm 

Saturday 


@ 7:00 pm 

ArizonaRubber.com 3

4 

Inside Arizona 

A long ways from 

their hometown 

of Winnipeg, 

Dane Crowley, 

left, a member 

of the Phoenix 

RoadRunners, 

and his younger 

brother, Troy, 

a high-scoring 

forward with the 

Phoenix Polar 

Bears, have found a home in 

Arizona (see story on Page 13). 

Main Photo: 

Local inline players, from left, Joey 

Curley (Casey’s Crushers), Brianna 

Carroll (Rollerplex Panthers) and 

Drew Hilliker (Team Excalibur) 

Photo/Eric Fullmer 

Insert Photo: 

Coyotes broadcasters Dave 

Strader, left, and Darren 

Pang with Kidkaster Thomas 

Wayne 

Photo/FS Arizona 

Chang’s embraces charitable spirit 

Crowley a force with Polar Bears 

McKellar running Wild in NAHL 

Hockey Weekend plans announced 

VOSHA Lady 

Coyotes’ Carson 

Stringer will 

head east to 

Boston next 

year to attend 

MIT (see story 

on Page 21). 

The AIHA is making 

a strong push to get 

more kids on wheels 

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 5 January 2009 From Kids to Coyotes, the Desert’s Authoritative Voice of Ice and Inline Hockey 

Rubber Magazine is published by: 

Good Sport Media, Inc., P.O. Box 24024 Edina, MN 55424, 

10 times a year, once monthly September through 

May and once in the summer. 

Postmaster: send address changes to: 

P.O. Box 24024, Edina, MN 55424 

Ph. (612) 929-2171 * Fax (612) 920-8326 

E-mail: brian@goodsportmedia.com 

Express/Overnight Mail: 

4524 Washburn Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410 

Subscription Rates: $29.95 USD * Single Copy: $3.95 USD 

Mail subscriptions to: P.O. Box 24024 Edina, MN 55424 

Subscriptions are non-refundable 

REPORT AN ERROR IMMEDIATELY 

Arizona Rubber Magazine will not be responsible for more than one 

incorrect insertion 

Visit our Web site at: www.ArizonaRubber.com 

Arizona Rubber Magazine is a production of: 

publisher: Brian McDonough 

editor: Brett Fera 

director of new media: Ryan Casey 

designer: Julie Wilson

Editor’s Column: 

There’s no putting a price on safety 

Shortly after my 16th birthday, my parents decided 

for the fi rst time to leave me home alone for a 

weekend as they were off taking my sister to college 

out of state. 

But no sooner than their airplane took off from 

the nearby airport did I, already “on my own,” get 

knocked on my tail after taking a baseball 

off the cheek during an afternoon practice. 

Luckily, my helmet got in the way a 

little bit, so it didn’t quite knock me out. 

But there was defi nite bruising, I was 

certainly shaken up a bit, and I was, after 

all, on my back trying to fi gure out what 

happened. 

So what does this have to do with 

hockey? You see, at no fault of my coaches 

(they did the best they could, really), I 

was on my feet within a minute or two, 

shaking the dirt off my backside, and taking 

my base at fi rst. 

“I was fi ne, no biggie,” I’m sure I told my coaches, 

despite the swelling and slight throbbing on my left 

side of my face. 

The fact of the matter is, who was I to know that I 

was ready to go back in? What made me the expert? 

During my recent conversation with Scottsdale 

fi refi ghter and paramedic Dana Torpek, architect 

Fera 

of Arizona Hockey Medics (see story on Page 20), he 

explained to me that while providing advanced medical 

expertise for serious injuries at hockey games is 

important, it’s the seemingly minor injuries that hold 

the key to the job he and his colleagues do as on-site 

medical professionals. 

Torpek wondered that despite USA 

Hockey’s admirable attempt at helping 

coaches get trained in CPR and proper fi rst 

aid, could it be almost unfair to ask them 

to focus that much on deciding the severity 

of an injury the same time they’re trying to 

run through a game plan? 

What he meant, was that no matter how 

much anyone tries, athletes have an inherent 

desire to get back up on the horse, and 

it’s not a stretch to say most coaches will 

listen to the athletes. 

But that’s where Torpek’s new company 

comes in, and that’s where what amounts to about $5 

per participant (per year) is a no-brainer. “It’s absolutely 

our goal to get players back on the ice,” Torpek 

said, describing his position as “non-partisan.” “But 

we’re going to err on the side of caution - on the side 

of the athlete.” ❂ 

Reach Brett Fera at brett@arizonarubber.com 

❂ArizonaRubber.com 

5 

Advertise in Arizona 

Rubber Magazine 

Call 612-929-2171 or email 

brian@goodsportmedia.com 

for details. 

From Kids to Coyotes, 

The Desert’s Authoritative 

Voice of Ice and 

Inline Hockey

Phoenix’s Duncan ❂ McKellar was 

named the NAHL’s 

West Division Player of 

the Week for the week 

ending Nov. 30 after 

scoring two goals and four assists 

in three wins for the Wenatchee 

Wild (see more on McKellar on 

Page 18). 

Tucson’s Michael Gonzalez 

❂was High Scorer in the High 

School Division at the fi rst AIHA 

tournament of the season last 

month, helping Foothills High to a 

fi rst-place fi nish. 

Defenseman Brian Parson, 

❂ from Phoenix, was named the 

NAHL’s West Division Player of 

the Week for the week ending Dec. 

14 after registering four assists in 

three games for the Fairbanks Ice 

Dogs. 

Kevin Clancey fi nished as 

❂ Team Arizona’s top point-getter 

(four) as the Bantams fi nished with 

a 2-1-1 record in the Tier II division 

at last month’s Silver Stick regional 

in Las Vegas. 

Inline goaltender DJ King 

❂ backstopped his 10U Casey’s 

Crushers team to a gold medal at 

the fi rst AIHA tournament of the 

season, posting a division-best .850 

save percentage. 

The NAHL’s North Iowa 

❂Outlaws retired Max Mobley’s 

jersey. A freshman at St. Lawrence 

University, the Glendale native 

holds Outlaws career records for 

games played, goals, assists, points 

and penalty minutes. 

Dusty Collins, from Gilbert, 

❂scored his fi rst American 

Hockey League goal in his fi rst 

game with the Manchester 

Monarchs in a 4-2 loss to the 

Manitoba Moose on Dec. 16. 

6 

Rubber Interview: Pat Kelleher 

Getting more people on skates has always been a top priority for those 

with a vested interest in hockey’s future, and many are hoping the One- 

Goal program is the answer. Pat Kelleher, USA Hockey’s assistant 

executive director of membership development and chair of OneGoal’s 

U.S. Outreach Committee, chatted with Arizona Rubber’s Brian 

McDonough about the initiative and its 

objectives. 

Arizona Rubber: Why was the OneGoal 

program established? 

Pat Kelleher: The concept of OneGoal was 

conceived by several of the major equipment 

manufacturers to grow participation 

in hockey. The logic was fairly simple: If 

they could work together to get more kids 

playing hockey, then there would be more 

people to buy equipment. Several of those 

company’s CEOs had been in the golf industry 

when the “First Tee” program was 

Pat Kelleher 

established, and OneGoal is similar in concept. 

From there, they reached out to USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, the 

NHL and the NHLPA to create the organization. We share common 

goals in promoting the sport and we all benefi t from the growth of the 

game. 

AZR: Talk about your role as chair of the U.S. Outreach Committee? 

PK: We have a Board of Directors for OneGoal that represents all the 

partners. Smaller committees were established to focus on specifi c 

areas and “get the job done.” We have committees for fundraising and 

branding, as well as for both U.S. and Canadian outreach. 

With U.S. outreach, we drive the OneGoal initiatives in the United 

States. Our committee looks for areas of the country for “market 

blitzes” where we can offer fi nancial and media support to help rinks 

and associations get kids on the ice. Successful market blitzes have 

been done in Denver, Dallas, Phoenix and Detroit, and we’re looking at 

others in Connecticut and Illinois. We also discuss ways to spread the 

OneGoal message and support growth initiatives. 

AZR: The program is a little over two years old now. How has the response 

been in the U.S.? 

PK: A lot of people worked hard behind the scenes to get OneGoal to 

where it is today, but the public is just getting familiar with the initiative. 

The promotion of hockey through OneGoal has been ongoing for 

some time, but I believe the nationwide rollout of the OneGoal equipment 

program this past fall will be what the public thinks of as the 

start of the program. 

complete home care services . 1.877.748.4679 

Interview continued / Page 17 

Request a 

quote on 

bundled 

services 

today!


8 

Building For the Future 

By Alex Dobt 

been struggling with their house - step,” said AIHA president Jim 

In a sport as young and fl uid as 

roller hockey, the state of the 

leagues. Statewide, the 10U and 

below age groups are suffering the 

most. 

Curley. “We’re also setting up a 

non-profi t (called “Arizona Hockey 

Advocates,” formed by Curley to 

game is always in fl ux and always 

up for debate. While the problems Back to Basics 

help grow the sport in his area and 

not related the AIHA) to get dona- 

may be easy to pinpoint, solutions “The fi rst step is understandtions for the gear these kids need 

are much more diffi cult to come by. ing the problem and the rinks have to start playing the game. We’ve 

Most importantly, once solutions recognized the problem,” Koressel already had tremendous support 

are found, their implementation said of the neglect of house leagues from Randy Exelby at Behind The 

can be the hardest step. 

in favor of travel hockey. “There’s a Mask donating sets of gear to the 

The Arizona 

rinks.” 

Inline Hockey As- 

While some bad 

sociation (AIHA), an 

decisions and poli- 

organization of the 

cies have hurt the 

state’s roller hockey 

sport, other fac- 

rinks, are the leadtors 

beyond coners 

of the sport in 

trol, including the 

the state and are at 

economy, have also 

the forefront of the 

been damaging. In 

current fi ght against 

some ways, though, 

a downturn in roller 

Curley believes the 

hockey. 

poor economy may 

The AIHA has 

help grow inline. 

long struggled with 

“It can actually 

leading the sport in 

help us right now 

the right direction 

because ice is so 

and decisions made 

much more expen- 

for short-term sucsive,” 

said Curley. 

cess have often re- 

“Parents don’t 

sulted in long-term 

want to spend that 

problems like the 

much money to play 

ones the organiza- 

and they can look 

tion currently faces. 

at roller as a less 

“For far too long, 

expensive alterna- 

everyone has chased Getting more kids involved in a fun, low-stress environment is key to roller hockey’s tive.” 

after established success in Arizona. 

inline players to come over to their defi nitely enlightenment now with Making the Grade 

rink,” said AIHA tournament direc- the rinks understanding what they While learn-to-skate programs, 

tor Dean Koressel. “Or they’ve need to do.” 

beginner-level players, and house 

chased after established ice players The proof is the creation of new leagues gain more attention, there 

to get them to try inline. They’ve learn-to-skate programs at rinks is one other level of the sport that 

focused on everything but what across the Valley. It’s a shift from may hold the key to its revival. 

they’re supposed to do: get new, a “win-at-all-costs” mentality to a The high school division in 

young players in the sport.” 

healthier grassroots-focused ap- AIHA is expected to grow to at 

That problem is the source of proach. For the fi rst time ever, the least eight teams this season, with 

what ails roller hockey today. Team AIHA has budgeted money specifi - several more interested in joining. 

participation in the AIHA this year cally intended to help rinks bring in There has also been interest from 

has dropped considerably. The new- new players. 

middle schools wanting to repreest 

rink in Arizona closed its doors “These new developmental sent their schools in tournament 

to hockey. Many other rinks have programs are the fi rst - and biggest play. 

Photo/Eric Fullmer With all hands in the middle, the AIHA renews its focus on growth

“The scholastic level is very 

important to the sport’s growth as 

well,” said Curley. “Kids want to 

play for their school, want to play 

alongside their classmates. It gives 

them an ownership in the team, 

something you can’t duplicate in 

regular travel hockey.” 

This year, the AIHA has taken 

steps to help the scholastic level 

grow and encourage participation. 

The winner of this year’s AIHA 

high school division will have their 

entry fee to the high school national 

championships paid for by the 

AIHA. 

“We’re beginning to look more 

smartly at ways that we can give extra 

money out to the right places, to 

places that will help grow the sport,” 

Koressel added. 

A major development, independent 

of AIHA, has been the creation 

of a roller hockey program at Arizona 

State University, the fi rst of its kind 

this state has ever seen. 

The program was established 

only three months ago, but 

already the AIHA is seeing its 

positive effects. 

“On these ASU teams, kids are 

seeing people they know, players 

they look up to,” said Curley. “I’ve 

already heard kids talking at the 

rink about how if they go to ASU 

they could play for that team. It’s 

created another step up the ladder 

for kids to climb in this sport.” 

Openings and Closings 

One of the major events of this 

past year was the decision by 

Arizona Sports Complex (ASC) to 

put soccer turf down permanently, 

effectively ending roller hockey in 

the building. While a high demand 

for soccer in the area was an 

obvious factor, the lack of strong 

house leagues at ASC, as well as its 

proximity to the other Phoenix-area 

rinks, played a role in its demise. 

“The lesson to be learned from 

ASC ending hockey is, once again, 

you cannot focus entirely on travel 

hockey,” said Curley. “Other rinks 

will be in the same spot if they 

travel down that road. Having an 

ice team come over and play some 

tournaments together doesn’t mean 

we’re bringing new players into the 

sport.” 

Just weeks after hockey was 

ended at ASC came the opening of 

a new rink: Barney Family Sports 

Complex in Queen Creek. The 

Barney’s building has a similar 

setup to that of ASC with an inline 

rink on one side and a soccer fi eld 

on the other. Beyond that, though, 

“The Barn” is in a drastically different 

situation. 

“The East Valley has been 

starved for a rink for a very long 

time,” said Chad Helvik, who 

played inline locally growing up 

and is now in charge of the Barney’s 

roller program. “While some 

of us drove out to the West Valley 

to play, there were others who 

stopped playing. I want to get those 

people back into the sport and playing 

here in Queen Creek.” 

Helvik’s goal is to have house 

leagues up and running in January. 

And before worrying about setting 

Building continued / Page 26 


Photo / Photo/FS Arizona 

Phoenix Coyotes 

Local ‘KidKasters’ take center stage 

10 

By Brett Fera 

Sorry “Panger,” you’ve got nothing on 

the precocious Thomas Wayne, a 

Litchfi eld Park 10-year-old. 

“I’d have to look at the tape again. We 

recorded it so we could watch it again,” Rich 

Wayne, Thomas’ dad, began to explain. “I don’t 

know if it was Dave Strader or 

Darren Pang, but he actually corrected 

one of them on the air with a 

stat. 

“It was unbelievable.” 

Young Thomas, a center for the 

Peoria RoadRunners’ Squirt B minor 

travel program, may have had his 

big broadcasting break earlier this 

season when he served as the second 

“KidKaster” of the season at a December 

Phoenix Coyotes game. 

The KidKaster program, sponsored 

by Sanderson Ford and Fox 

Sports Arizona, is a free contest 

offered to youngsters ages 8 through 

14, giving hockey’s youngest fans the 

chance to go on air live with Strader 

and Pang, the Coyotes’ television 

play-by-play team. 

Wayne, like Phoenix 9-year-old 

Cameron Crittenden, won his shot 

by submitting a 100-word essay on 

why they deserved the opportunity. 

Crittenden, who took to the booth 

when the San Jose Sharks visited 

Jobing.com Arena on Nov. 9, said the 

best part of his experience was seeing 

the inside the TV truck. Wayne, 

who helped call the Minnesota Wild’s 

visit to Glendale on Dec. 12, agreed. 

“Mine was actually the same thing - going to the TV 

truck,” Wayne said. “How they design how the game 

is going on TV. I met one guy who does the scoreboard 

thing for the original TV… it was pretty cool.” 

Rich Wayne was impressed by how quickly Thomas 

took to the booth to strut his knowledge of all things 

hockey 

“He really knows what he’s talking about,” he said. 

“If they’d have let him, he’d have stayed up there 

through the third period. “I think we were probably 

more nervous than he was,” he added. “He’s had encounters 

with Pang and (Fox Sports Arizona personality) 

Todd Walsh in the past, so it’s not like he was 

unfamiliar with them. He was pretty comfortable. He 

took off and did it.” 

Larry Luenser said his grandson, Cameron, had a 

tougher time adjusting to talking on the air, but added 

that Cameron still had a blast in the press box. 

“When it came time to announce 

with Panger and Strader, he just 

clammed up a little bit,” Luenser 

said. “But he had an absolute terrifi 

c time.” 

Added Crittenden: “I got to wear 

the headphones and after I was 

on TV for a few minutes, (former 

Coyote player and current radio 

announcer) Tyson Nash told me to 

come into his booth and shake his 

hand. 

“That was really cool.” 

With three more KidKaster opportunities 

left this season, young 

interested fans can fi nd everything 

they need to apply, including entry 

forms, online at www.kidkaster. 

com. 

“We heard about it on TV and 

then I had to write a 100-word essay 

and they called and told me that 

I won,” Crittenden said. 

Those who wish to submit an 

entry form may do so once each for 

the fi nal three KidKaster opportuni- 

ties (February, March and April). 

Litchfi eld Park’s Thomas Wayne chatted it up Complete entry rules are available 

with Fox Sports Arizona personality Todd Walsh 

before his “KidKaster” segment at a Coyotes online. 

game last month. 

In addition to the chance to call 

part of the game with Strader and 

Pang, as well as the tour of the Fox Sports Arizona production 

truck, winners also get game tickets for themselves 

and a parent. 

Thomas Wayne said his chance in the booth might 

just lead to an early career prognosis. 

“What I want to be, when I’m done with my hockey 

career, of course, is a broadcaster,” said a wise-beyondhis-years 

Wayne. “I want to remember all the stats, 

about guys in the Hall of Fame like Wayne Gretzky 

and Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux.” ❂

High school puck earning high marks 

By Ryan Casey 

High school hockey around 

Arizona has never been better. 

And it’s all thanks to a repeating 

cycle. 

As the level of play the league 

increased, more travel players were 

drawn to the Arizona High School 

Hockey Association. And as the 

number of travel players increased, 

the level of play went up. 

As a result, the league’s enjoyed 

a shift toward better, more fi nesse 

hockey. 

“I think the high school hockey 

had… not a bad rap, but the stigma 

about it was that it was rough and 

undisciplined,” said Desert Mountain 

coach Barry Harcus, in his 

second season at the helm of the 

Wolves. “It’s defi nitely getting to 

be better hockey, so I think better 

players are wanting to play.” 

“The level of play just continues 

to improve year after year,” added 

Desert Vista coach Steve McGinn, 

who has coached in the league for 

nine years. “A lot of players that 

would have exclusively played 

travel hockey are now looking to 

play for their high school.” 

The biggest benefi t to the 

change has been AHSHA’s top 

division, Varsity A, which has been 

ruled by two-time defending champion 

Notre Dame. 

While Notre Dame remains a 

favorite – “Until somebody knocks 

them off, they’re the team to beat,” 

Harcus said – Desert Mountain and 

Desert Vista have emerged as serious 

threats for the title this season. 

The Wolves, who were riding 

a 12-game winning streak heading 

into AHSHA’s winter break, 

actually opened the season against 

Notre Dame Prep (tie) and Desert 

Vista (win) in October. 

Notre Dame (12 games) and DV 

(11) were also riding long winning 

streaks heading into the break. 

But Brophy (10-3-2 at the 

break) and Pinnacle (9-3-2) were no 

slouches, either. 

“It’s very competitive,” Harcus 

said. “I think anyone can win – especially 

in the playoffs, anything 

can happen in those.” 

“We’re fortunate to have a team 

that’s strong at every position,” 

McGinn said. 

Desert Vista and Notre Dame 

are each led by their own stars – 

the Thunder by Billy Killian, who 

had 19 goals and 12 assists heading 

into the break, and the Saints by 

John St. Thomas, who had 16 goals 

and 17 assists. 

“Billy is a strong two-way skater 

that has soft hands and a great 

shot,” McGinn said. “One-on-one, 

he’s nearly unstoppable.” 

Desert Mountain had three 

players with 20 points - Ryan Mc- 

Neely, Sean Konchan and 

High School continued / Page 22 


12 

Phoenix Polar Bears College Hockey Junior A Polar Bears 

Mite B’s stress more than hockey 

ASU Ice Devils UA Ice Cats 

January Schedule 

NAU Ice Jacks 

By Brian McDonough 

For a team made up of almost entirely fi rstyear 

travel players, winning the recent 

Thanksgiving Shootout tournament was quite 

an accomplishment for the Phoenix Polar Bears’ Mite B 

team. 

“It was defi nitely a complete team effort,” said head 

coach Tim Newlin. “Winning it was of course very exciting 

for our kids, but we commend the competition for playing 

so well.” 

As much as Newlin’s focus is on developing better 

hockey players, he’s also committed to molding the youngsters 

into model citizens. 

“And that means always giving your very best, even 

when no one is watching, both on and off the ice,” said the 

coach. 

Newlin requires his players to keep a reading log, which 

they turn in every month to receive an award, with the top 

reader receiving an extra special treat. The team has also 

been actively involved in community service efforts. 

“Fortunately, we have a great team this year,” said team 

manager Valerie Coupe. “We have an extraordinary coaching 

staff with great experience and an incredibly supportive 

group of parents.” ❂ 

HOODY HOCKEY: 

Rules without relationships equals rebellion 

The average Internet 

generation teenager 

double-thumbs their way 

through about 3,500 

to 5,000 text messages 

monthly. They can manage 

hundreds of virtual 

Facebook relationships 

while instant messaging 

about 100 virtual 

friends simultaneously. 

They fi nd time to master 

Guitar Hero. And if they 

need a break from it all, 

then it’s time for the iPod 

and Lil Wayne’s poetry. 

A few season ago, I 

instituted a turn-yourcell-phone-and-laptopsinto-the-coach 

policy 

after pre-game meals and 

after games on the road. 

The phones and laptops 

were nothing but distractions 

24/7. My big- 

gest dilemma 

occurred one 

trip when my 

captain brought 

two phones on 

the road. One 

dummy phone 

he turned in; the 

other he doublethumbed 

“love 

texts” all weekend 

to the girl he promised 

all to marry. 

Where the rubber 

meets the pavement in 

teaching, leadership and 

coaching is when one’s 

personal philosophy or 

generation bias meets 

today’s Internet generation 

psyche. In a sense, 

one’s philosophy is like 

nitroglycerin. In one person’s 

hands, nitroglycerin 

has the amazing ability 

Mahood 

Friday, January 2 vs. San Diego Gulls 

Desert Schools Coyote Center - Chandler, 6:45 PM 

Saturday, January 3 vs. San Diego Gulls 

Desert Schools Coyote Center - Gilbert, 6:45 PM 

Sunday, January 5 vs. San Diego Gulls 

Desert Schools Coyote Center - Peoria, 11:00 AM 

Friday, January 23 @ Valencia Flyers 

Ice Station - Valencia, CA, 7:45 PM 

Saturday, January 24 @ Valencia Flyers 

Ice Station - Valencia, CA, 7:45 PM 

Sunday, January 25 @ Valencia Flyers 

Ice Station - Valencia, CA, 10:20 AM 

Friday, January 30 @ Capital Thunder 

Skatetown Ice Arena - Roseville, CA, 9:30 PM 

Saturday, January 31 @ Capital Thunder 

Skatetown Ice Arena - Roseville, CA, 8:00 PM 

PhoenixPolarBears.com 

to prevent and 

treat angina or 

a heart attack. 

In another 

person’s hands, 

it becomes an 

explosive entity 

that can destroy. 

The great 

news is that 

despite our generational 

differences, the things 

that remains constant 

in hockey are a player’s 

requirement to be a 

responsible teammate, 

work hard, apply personal 

discipline, play with 

integrity, build fi tness, 

learn to work with others 

and, above all else, learn 

the value of giving your 

best effort and sometimes 

failing. Never let these 

values slide on your 

watch. 

The answer for the 

non-Internet generation 

is maybe to learn to send 

a text or two (lol) and 

take a crack at building 

your own Facebook, 

because rules without 

relationships equals 

rebellion, and kids really 

don’t care how much we 

know until they know 

how much we care. You’ll 

be amazed how far a text 

or Facebook message will 

go in developing a relationship 

with a player. ❂ 

Harry Mahood is the head 

coach and general manager 

of the Phoenix Polar 

Bears’ Junior A team 

and the director of hockey 

operations at Polar Ice.


The Arizona Hockey Union’s 92 

U16 AA team hit the jackpot 

in Las Vegas last month, capturing 

the Silver Stick Western 

Regional championship. 

“It was a rocky start as we 

were combining players from 

a few different associations to 

start the season, but the boys 

have come together over the last 

month as a group off the ice, 

as well as on the ice, and their 

recent success shows that,” said 

head coach Eric Murietta. 

The Union opened the tournament 

with an 8-0 thrashing of 

the Inland Valley Wild, followed by 

a 1-0 loss to the Beach City Lightning. 

The next day, the Midgets 

skated to a 6-1 triumph over the 

San Diego Saints before coming 

Phoenix Polar Bears Junior A 

Junior vet Crowley fi tting in with Polars 

By Matt Mackinder 

Troy Crowley 

playing 

for the Phoenix 

Polar Bears this 

season is a bit of a 

homecoming for the 

Winnipeg native. 

While not from the desert, Crowley 

has ties to the area. 

“Troy and his brother, Dane 

(who plays for the ECHL’s Phoenix 

RoadRunners), are young guys that 

I’ve known for about eight years 

through my hockey camp, Northwestern 

Hockey Sports Camp,” 

said Polar Bears coach-GM Harry 

Mahood. 

“Since Troy was young, he was 

always one of the most passionate 

players I’ve ever worked with. He 

spent the last few seasons in the 

Western Hockey League with the 

Saskatoon Blades, but I always 

knew he was Polar Bear material.” 

This season, Crowley has been 

an offensive catalyst for Phoenix’s 

Junior A team and has led the club 

in scoring all year and has also been 

near the top of the WSHL’s scoring 

chart. 

Mahood said Crowley’s scoring 

rush doesn’t surprise him and it’s 

one of the main reasons he was 

brought to Phoenix. 

“Troy has many types of assets 

to his game,” said Mahood. “He’s 

a powerful skater, has a pro-style 

shot, plays very physical and is a 

great leader. He’s probably one of 

the best all-around players we’ve 

ever had in Phoenix.” 

Being that he played Major 

Junior hockey with the Blades, 

Crowley’s future options include 

Canadian university hockey or vying 

for a professional contract in the 

minors. 

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward 

Arizona Hockey Union 

from behind to drop the California 

Heat in overtime, 2-1, to advance 

The Union’s 92 U16 AA’s fi nished last month’s Silver 

Stick regional with a 4-1 record. 

the championship game. 

In the fi nale, the Union again 

overcame a defi cit to down a familiar 

foe, the Jr. Coyotes, 2-1 in a 

shootout. 

“I’m proud of what they accom- 

tallied just two points in 56 games 

from 2005-07 with the Blades, but 

his numbers this year have Mahood 

thinking that Crowley making 

money playing hockey is a realistic 

option down the road. 

“He can defi nitely play professional 

hockey,” Mahood said. “It’s 

one thing to have the assets, but 

it’s another to have the passion and 

work ethic that’s required. Troy has 

these attributes.” 

Polar Bears associate coach Brad 

Berman said he’s been sold on not 

only Crowley, but also the entire 

squad. 

“What impresses me about this 

group is that they’ve risen to the 

challenge of the history and the 

current expectations,” said Berman. 

“We have great confi dence in this 

group and know that they have the 

ability to keep growing and make a 

strong drive for a national championship.” 

❂ 

plished,” said Murietta, 

whose team will travel to 

Newmarket, Ontario, 

this month to play for the Silver 

Stick North American championship. 

“Most teams buckle 

under pressure, but they didn’t. 

Vinnie Eck led the 

Union’s scoring attack in Vegas 

with thee goals and four 

assists, as well as a shootout 

goal in the championship game. 

Brandon Conrad (three goals, 

two assists and a goal in the 

shootout), Tommy Tuohy (four 

assists) and David Decof (two 

goals and the game-winner in 

the shootout) also came up big 

offensively. 

Between the pipes, Mark Andrews 

was nothing short of outstanding, 

fashioning a 4-1 record 

while giving up only four goals in 

the fi ve games. ❂ 


14 

P.F. Chang’s Tier 1 Hockey Program 

Holidays put Chang’s in giving mood 

By Brett Fera 

Keeping in 

tune with 

the spirit of giving 

back during 

the recent 

holiday 

season, P.F. 

Chang’s coach 

Brendan Shaw and his U16 

team spent one November 

Saturday at one of the Phoenix 

headquarters for the Habitat for 

Humanity organization - just 

the tip of P.F. Chang’s’ charitable 

work this season. 

“[Habitat for Humanity is] 

one of those things I did when 

I was a kid and I really liked it 

and I thought it was a good way 

to give back,” Shaw said. 

Even though the team couldn’t 

be on a home site working with 

tools and putting up a new home 

CHALK TALK: 

The sooner our players 

better understand the 

importance of practicing 

hard and with a purpose, 

the further ahead of the 

competition they’ll be. 

Younger players have 

limited knowledge of how 

critical it is to develop 

themselves in practice sessions. 

They simply want 

to talk, think and imagine 

game situations all day 

long and dream of all the 

fancy plays and adulation 

that comes when everyone 

is watching on Saturday. 

We constantly try to 

emphasize to our players 

that the way they 

perform in the practice 

will translate directly into 

how they’ll perform on the 

weekend. 

Constantly pushing 

for a deserving family because of 

age restrictions, that didn’t stop the 

group from helping out with odd 

chores, cleaning up, and receiving 

donated goods at a Habitat for Humanity 

South Phoenix distribution 

The P.F. Chang’s U16 team recently lent a helping hand at a local Habitat for 

Humanity headquarters. 

center. 

In addition to working with 

Habitat for Humanity, the P.F. 

Chang’s team has held in-house 

our skaters to 

maximize their 

own limits will 

allow them to 

fi nd a new range 

they’ve never 

achieved. This 

includes conditioning 

levels 

that have never 

been reached, as 

well as more strength and 

better agility. 

I’ve seen countless 

practices where players 

go half speed, but then 

put in a whole new effort 

level during games. This 

cycle needs to be broken 

by coaches and the players 

need to be taught the 

concept of training their 

bodies and minds to perform 

at the highest level 

everyday. 

All players 

need to fi nd the 

drive within to 

push hard during 

practices; 

their overall 

conditioning, 

ability and 

game timing 

will be greatly 

enhanced. 

Top-level players all 

tend to agree that practices 

should be physically 

more demanding than 

games. I try to run my 

players into exhaustion 

during the week, because 

they look forward to the 

games as being a reprieve 

and hence much more 

enjoyable. 

Players who understand 

the importance of 

practice reap the benefi ts 

donation drives, including one last 

month. Instead of using their block 

of ice time for practice, the program 

held an open skate for players and 

their families, asking that each 

family participate in a toy drive to 

benefi t the foundation started 

by team administrator Kathy 

Smith, a front-offi ce jack-of-alltrades 

for the program whose 

son died in a car accident about 

eight years ago, Shaw said. 

“It’s important for the 

players to realize that playing 

hockey is a privilege, not a 

right,” Shaw said. 

Shaw added that by participating 

in these activities, 

the program is building “solid 

young men” on top of good 

hockey players. 

“That’s extremely important to 

a coach at the higher levels,” said 

Shaw. “Not just can he play, but is 

he a good kid.” ❂ 

Practicing with a purpose has rewards 

De Angelis 

come game time. They 

realize that training 

all week at the highest 

speed does carry over into 

games. Most elite level 

players become accustomed 

to this effort and 

naturally fall into a game 

speed that’s needed to 

become a top player at any 

level. 

I’m not sure what 

age most kids learn this 

important lesson, but certainly 

when a skater has 

high aspirations to play 

AAA hockey or higher, 

this is one element that’s 

absolutely required during 

the team-selection process 

and can’t be ignored. ❂ 

Mike De Angelis is 

CAHA’s director of youth 

hockey.


The Jr. Coyotes program captured 

three Silver Stick regional 

championships 

recently, including 

the Mite A 

team, the fi rst 

Arizona squad at 

that level believed 

to advance 

to the North 

American fi nals. 

The Mites 

skated to a 

perfect 4-0 mark 

at their regional 

held in San Jose in late November, 

culminating in a 5-3 win over the 

San Jose. Jr. Sharks, who entered 

the contest undefeated, in the 

championship game. 

“I’m very lucky to have the most 

amazing group of kids this year,” 

Coyotes Amateur Hockey Association 

Three teams head to Silver Stick fi nals 

Mite A’s 

said head coach Sean Bonini. 

“They’ve all worked so hard this 

season and I’ve seen huge improvements 

in each of their games due to 

their own determination 

to become 

better players, 

which is 

rare at this age.” 

The Jr. 

Coyotes’ Peewee 

97 A team and PeeWee 97 A’s 

Bantam 95 A 

team also won their regionals, both 

held in Dallas. 

For Bonini, he was impressed 

with what his team accomplished 

in San Jose, 

considering the formidable 

competition it was 

up against. 

“I’m unbelievably proud of 

them,” he said. “California is 

known to have very strong hockey 

teams and usually end up beating 

up on visiting 

teams from 

neighboring 

states, but 

from the time 

we hit the ice 

until the fi nal 

buzzer of the 

championship 

game, our Jr. 

Coyotes never 

let up and we dominated every 

team on their own ice.” 

Three Teams continued / Page 23 


Support the Rubber Scholarship Fund! 

The Arizona Rubber Scholarship 

Fund was designed to 

assist select ice and inline high 

school seniors fi nance their post-high school educations. 

To support the fund, Arizona Rubber Magazine is 

selling two tickets to each remaining Phoenix Coyotes 

regular-season home game for the 2008-09 season 

through StubHub! More information on each game’s 

tickets can be found at ArizonaRubber.com. 

At the end of the season, all proceeds from the auction 

will be divided and awarded to four recipients: 

a male and female high school senior from each the 

Arizona Amateur Hockey Association and the Arizona 

Inline Hockey Association. 

Candidates are to graduate from high school in the 

spring of 2009 and exemplify good sportsmanship and 

leadership on and off the ice, as well as demonstrate 

a strong commitment to education and community 

involvement. 

Applications for eligible candidates can be found at 

ArizonaRubber.com and are due by April 1, 2009. 

Winners will be announced in the May issue of Arizona 

Rubber Magazine and on ArizonaRubber.com. ❂ 

16 

ArizonaRubber.com/ScholarshipApplication.cfm

AWAY FROM THE RUBBER: 

Playing hockey a healthy choice 

For the past several 

years, I’ve been involved 

with the training of 

professional athletes, but 

that doesn’t preclude me 

from observing the activities 

of athletes of all ages 

and levels - in hockey and 

other physical endeavors. 

Hockey is like most 

sports: Young kids enter 

programs where they’re 

taught basic skills and 

progress in accordance 

with how well they develop 

those skills. As they 

develop, they may continue 

to play, possibly in 

juniors and/or college, and 

a very select few may even 

get to play professionally. 

So what happens to 

those who don’t advance? 

Hockey Canada has a 

Interview continued from Page 6 

Through OneGoal and USA 

Hockey, over 11,000 sets of starter 

equipment are being utilized 

by youth associations and rinks 

throughout the country. Programs 

are being offered either for free, 

or for a small fee, in which kids 

can get on the ice to try hockey 

using OneGoal starter equipment. 

Programs are also leasing out the 

equipment to kids so that families 

don’t have to spend money to buy 

all the equipment before ever getting 

on the ice. 

The plan is for programs to 

recycle the equipment through 

two or three seasons. With the 

equipment currently in the marketplace, 

more than 30,000 kids 

could have the opportunity to 

experience the game, which is 

signifi cant for our sport. 

AZR: In a nutshell, how does One- 

Goal work? 

PK: OneGoal is essentially a 

simplifi i lified dmodel d l 

two-way move- 

of how it enviment 

between 

sions people’s 

the stages is 

participation 

encouraged. For 

in the sport, 

example, if a 

where players 

player is fi n- 

start at an entry 

ished at a com- 

level or initiation 

petitive level 

phase and then 

(or can’t play), 

progress into a Bahn they’re encour- 

recreational stage. aged to move back to the 

From there, they may recreational level. 

continue on to a competi- Fewer than 1 percent 

tive stage of development of youth hockey players 

and then a select few will get the chance to 

progress to the Program play professional hockey. 

of Excellence level, which With that said, it should 

may include junior, inter- be a goal of every parent 

national or professional and coach to emphasize 

competition. 

the benefi ts of staying 

A component of Hockey involved in the sport 

Canada’s model that I throughout one’s life, 

love is that once a player especially considering the 

is past the initiation level, health benefi ts as you get 

“movement” to grow participation 

in hockey throughout North 

America. Early on, one of the 

founding members called it the 

“greatest team effort ever undertaken 

to grow the game.” With our 

equipment program now in place, 

we’re adding more people to the 

movement. 

AZR: Are there any goals or expectations 

for the program in 2009 

and beyond? 

PK: Our stated goal from the beginning 

has been to grow participation 

in the 4-8-year-old category 

by 5 percent annually throughout 

North America. Now that we have 

the equipment program in place, 

we should be closer to reaching 

that goal for the next several 

years. 

As great as it is to have 11,000 

sets in the marketplace, less than 

10 percent of our local associations 

and rinks have OneGoal 

equipment, so we still have a lot of 

work ahead of us. 

older. 

One of my favorite 

ways to get daily exercise 

is to put on the gear and 

play pickup hockey. It’s an 

excellent form of physical 

exercise that demands 

cardiovascular conditioning, 

skill and agility, using 

every muscle in the body. 

It also provides an 

ideal social setting to develop 

and maintain great 

friendships. What better 

gift can you receive than 

the ability to play hockey 

throughout the course of 

your life and stay healthy 

and make friends at the 

same time? ❂ 

Mike Bahn is the Coyotes’ 

strength and conditioning 

coordinator. 

AZR: How is OneGoal getting its 

message out to the non-hockeyplaying 

U.S. audience? 

PK This is a challenge for all of us 

involved in the sport. How do we 

reach people that aren’t watching 

hockey on TV or didn’t grow up 

playing the sport? We have some 

great TV ads, but they run on 

hockey broadcasts in front of hockey 

fans. At USA Hockey, we’re 

researching effective and effi cient 

ways to reach out to “non-hockey” 

families. 

Fortunately, there are people 

getting out to create new hockey 

families in their communities. 

We’re collecting ideas so that we 

can share the best practices with 

more people in hockey. 

AZR: How important is the support 

and efforts of the local associations 

and rinks? 

PK: Our local people are the key 

to the success of the entire 

Interview continued / Page 25 


Photo/Tom Williams 

The Call of the Wild 

Road well traveled paying off for McKellar 


Duncan McKellar has fi nally 

found a home in the North 

American Hockey League. 

After being released by three 

United States Hockey League teams 

the fi rst three weeks of the season, 

McKellar, who had signed a 

tender with the NAHL’s expansion 

Wenatchee (Wash.) Wild 

over the summer, reported to 

Wenatchee and said things 

couldn’t be better. 

“It’s been a long road for me,” 

said McKellar, an 18-year-old 

P.F. Chang’s graduate from 

Phoenix. “I was pretty bummed 

at fi rst that things weren’t working 

out and maybe I was having 

doubts about being a hockey 

player, but people I talked to encouraged 

me to keep going and 

(Wenatchee head coach) Paul 

Baxter was a big help as well.” 

And it didn’t take long for 

McKellar to contribute to the 

Wild. On Dec. 1, he was named 

the NAHL West Division Player 

of the Week. 

“Duncan is tremendously 

skilled with good creativity and 

hockey sense,” said Baxter. “Add 

that to a 6-foot-3 frame and we 

feel Duncan is a very attractive 

Division I prospect and, ultimately, 

pro prospect.” 

Playing for a Division I school 

has always been a goal of McKellar’s 

and while he hasn’t had any serious 

talks just yet, he knows biding his 

time is part of the process. 

“We haven’t played that many 

games (just 20 through December), 

so there hasn’t been a lot of opportunities 

for scouts to come see our 

games,” said McKellar. “I got to see 

18 

a lot of Denver University and Colorado 

College games when I played 

(Midget Minor) for the Colorado 

Thunderbirds (in 2006-07), but I 

won’t be too picky when it comes 

time to pick a school. I do think I’m 

ready for the college game.” 

McKellar thinks the Wild, a vir- 

Since arriving in Washington in early November, Phoenix’s 

Duncan McKellar has been one of the Wild’s top offensive 

threats. 

tual melting pot of players from all 

across the United States and even 

one apiece from Quebec, Slovakia 

and Russia, can be a steppingstone 

to the NCAA. But while he’s in 

Wenatchee, he’s enjoying the experience. 

“You’d think chemistry would 

be a problem on a team like ours, 

but we have a really good group of 

guys and we all get along,” McKellar 

said. “The city of Wenatchee really 

supports the team, we get like 3,000 

fans a game and people are always 

coming up to us and talking to us 

wherever we go. 

“Awhile back, a bunch of us were 

at a restaurant and some random 

people were talking to us. Then they 

left and when it came time 

to pay, we found out those 

random people had paid for 

our meal. There are a lot of 

great people in Wenatchee.” 

The Northern Pacifi c 

winters, however, leave a 

little to be desired. 

“I guess the day I left 

to come back home (for 

Christmas break) there was 

a bunch of snow up there,” 

laughed McKellar. “But 

winter won’t be totally new 

to me, though. Two years 

ago when I played in Colorado, 

I guess that was one of 

the worst winters the state 

had in a long time.” 

McKellar grew up playing 

for the VOSHA Mustangs 

and the Jr. Coyotes 

before going to Colorado. 

Last year, he came back 

home for his senior year of 

high school to play Midget 

Major for P.F. Chang’s. In 

his 14AA year with the Mustangs, 

McKellar was part of their 

well-documented national championship 

squad. 

“Hockey in Arizona has changed 

a lot from when I was younger,” said 

McKellar. “It used to be that there 

were just a handful of kids at each 

age level that were the top players 

and now, more are starting to stand 

out even while they’re still playing 

here (in Arizona).” ❂ 

NORTH AMERICAN HOLIDAY HOCKEY ADULT & YOUTH TOURNAMENTS 

2009 SCHEDULE: ATLANTIC CITY – CHICAGO - FORT LAUDERDALE – HARTFORD - MONTREAL – ORLANDO - SAN DIEGO – VANCOUVER 

Phone: 1-800-322-NAHH . E-mail: NAHHTOURS@aol.com . www.nahhtours.com

Mission Arizona 

Mission optimistic as calendar turns 


All four 

of Mission 

Arizona 

teams have 

their head 

coach, Jeremy 

Goltz 

optimistic as the 

calendar turns from 2008 to 

2009. 

The 16 White team had a rough 

trip to the Midland (Mich.) Silver 

Stick tournament, but Goltz said 

the experience exposed the team to 

a different level of hockey. 

“I like our guys to see this purer 

level,” Goltz said. “It helps them 

see and understand where the game 

goes and why I teach what I do.” 

Two players stood out for the 16 

White squad, according to Goltz. 

“I was very happy with Brett 

Dalton and Nico Scatino,” Goltz 

beamed. “They did a great job meeting 

the challenge.” 

Goltz’s 16 Red team played some 

good hockey over Thanksgiving, but 

eventually lost to the ‘93 Arizona 

Hockey Union team in a hardfought 

battle. Michael Ferreria 

led the way, but recently broke a 

fi nger that will slow him down until 

mid-January. 

The 16 Red’s played in the prestigious 

Richmond International in 

British Columbia over Christmas 

break to further prepare for the 

playdowns. 

“This team is starting to have 

a better feel to it,” said Goltz. “I’m 

getting excited to fi nally have a full, 

healthy roster in preparation for 

our playdown run.” 

The Midland Silver Stick wasn’t 

a total loss, as the 18 White team 

fared better and showed progress. 

Cody Glazner and Tyler Devnich 

stepped up big in the tourney and 

scored some huge goals. 

The 18 Red squad is getting 

primed for its matchup with P.F. 

Chang’s in February. It recently 

went to Las Vegas and played some 

formidable competition. 

“They’re a very good, underrated 

team that just needs a solid string 

of periods with a full roster to gain 

some confi dence,” Goltz said. 

The month of January should 

tell a lot as to where Mission’s 

teams will wind up at the end of the 

season. 

“We had a players-only meeting 

after the trip to challenge and 

refocus both 18 teams,” Goltz said. 

“I see a renewed and rejuvenated 

team atmosphere and I feel very 

good about the next month. 

“I have our teams playing each 

other all week in practice situations 

along with bringing out some of my 

Arizona State (University) guys to 

help motivate.” ❂ 

ArizonaRubber.com

20 

Arizona Hockey 

Medics will take 

care of YOU! 

For your team or 

tournament 

medical needs, 

contact Dana Toporek 

480-313-7473 

ArizonaHockeyMedics@cox.net 

By Brett Fera 

November 21, 2005: Detroit Red 

Wing Jiri Fischer has a heart 

attack on the bench during a game. 

February 10, 2008: A teammate’s 

skate severely slashes the throat 

- and the carotid artery - of Florida 

Panther Richard Zednik. 

But, Dana Torpek notes, both 

survived potentially catastrophic injuries 

thanks in no small part to the 

equipment and medical personnel on 

hand at the time of the injury. 

Torpek, a Scottsdale fi refi ghter 

and paramedic for 18 years, uses 

these situations as reminders of the 

need to have properly-trained medical 

technicians on hand at high-impact 

sporting events like hockey. 

“There’s a niche to be fi lled to 

have trained medical personnel at 

these games, who are sort of nonpartisan, 

making decisions in the 

best interest of the athlete and nothing 

else,” said Torpek, the source 

Mane of the Month 

Kyle Mitchell 

of the 

Jr. Coyotes 

Mite A Team 

Kyle wins a FREE 

composite stick, 

compliments of 

Warrior Hockey! 

behind Arizona Hockey Medics, 

established to provide medical assistance 

to hockey teams and facilities 

throughout Arizona. 

Torpek fi rst joined the Arizona 

hockey scene as an assistant trainer 

with the old Phoenix Mustangs 

minor league club. For the past six 

seasons, he’s been the 

in-game trainer for Arizona 

State University. 

Arizona Hockey Medics 

includes a team of 

fi ve licensed and trained 

medical professionals 

and currently has contracts 

to serve 

on-site for both 

ASU and the P.F. Chang’s program, 

as well as this season’s Coyote Cup 

tournament. 

“Being around the hockey rinks 

all the time and seeing checking and 

all that, I realized they had security 

guards at some of these games, but 

they didn’t have a medical person- 

To enter, send a photo of your hockey hair 

to maneofthegame@arizonarubber.com 

nel,” he said. 

Torpek said he hopes to see AHM 

latch onto high school and Midget 

programs fi rst, due to the faster pace 

of play and penchant for physical 

contact. Eventually, all ages can 

benefi t from AHM’s services at an 

annual cost of about $5 per participant. 

“We understand that a 

player wants to play, and 

our job is to do everything 

we can when appropriate 

to keep them playing,” he 

said, noting the need to 

take medical decisions 

out of coaches’ 

hands. 

“We also know sometimes somebody 

just needs to step in and say, 

‘This hockey player is done.’ That’s 

what we can offer.” ❂ 

For more information on Arizona 

Hockey Medics, see the advertisement 

on this page.

AAHA, Coyotes partner again for HWAA 

By Brett Fera 

Hockey Weekend Across 

America is back in 2009, 

and once again the Phoenix 

Coyotes and Arizona Amateur 

Hockey Association are preparing 

for the three-day affair at full steam. 

Last year’s Friday through Sunday event included 

“Wear Your Jersey to School Day” on Friday, “Bring a 

Friend to the Rink Day” on Saturday, and “Celebrate 

Local Hockey Heroes Day” on Sunday. 

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been able to 

form a pretty good partnership with the [Arizona Amateur 

Hockey Association],” said Scott Storkan, the 

Coyotes’ manager of hockey development. “Everything 

we do as far as youth hockey - including Hockey Weekend 

Across America - really ties back to our partnership 

at the state level.” 

With this year’s Hockey Weekend set for Friday, 

Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 15, a home date for the 

Coyotes, who face the Calgary Flames Saturday night 

at 8 p.m. in Glendale, will serve as the local centerpiece 

of the event. 

Storkan said that while Sunday, Feb. 15 is the 

national day for “Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes,” the 

Coyotes plan to honor Arizona’s local hockey heroes 

during Saturday night’s game at Jobing.com Arena. 

“We currently have the youth hockey player and 

coach of the month right now,” Storkan said, “but we’re 

going to ask the leaders of each association to send 

us nominations, then we’ll get to honor them at the 

game.” 

Storkan said the team is still looking at the idea of 

having Coyotes players who have played in the USA 

Hockey system participate in some of the weekend’s 

festivities. 

“We’re in town that week, and we’re still working 

on the idea that maybe some players can visit some 

schools that Friday,” Storkan said. “It’s not set in 

stone, but we’re seeing if we can make that happen.” 

The Coyotes also planning a “Bring a Friend to the 

Rink Day” by offering ticket discounts for the team’s 

tilt with Calgary through local associations and USA 

hockey memberships. Storkan said players will hear 

about discounted ticket opportunities through their local 

associations and rinks in coming weeks. 

More information on national sponsored events can 

be found at HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com, and 

the local info will also be available in January at PhoenixCoyotes.com. 

Storkan added that people participating in the 

weekend’s festivities will again be encouraged to submit 

photos to hockeyweekendacrossamerica@phoenixcoyotes.com 

to be featured on the Coyotes’ Web site. ❂ 

VOSHA Lady Coyotes 

Gifted Stringer decides on MIT 


The VOSHA Lady Coyotes received good 

news on the college commitment front 

recently, as defenseman Carson Stringer 

announced her intentions to attend and play 

hockey at MIT next season. 

A two-year captain with the Lady Coyotes, Stringer, 

a senior at Phoenix’s North Canyon High School, has 

deservedly earned the opportunity, says Lady Coyotes 

head coach Gayle Shalloo. 

“MIT is very lucky to have such a well-rounded student-athlete,” 

said Shalloo. “Our program helps bring 

the athlete out in each player, but we also demand that 

they put school fi rst and use proper time management 

to balance their lives.” 

As she prepares to head to the Division III ECAC 

East program located just outside of Boston, Stringer 

credits Shalloo and the Lady Coyotes program for keeping 

her discipline and focus on track, both on the ice and 

in the classroom. 

“Coach Shalloo deeply cares about the team and gave 

me that extra push to prepare me for the next level of 

hockey in college,” said Stringer. “Her tough love has 

helped shaped our team and my personality.” ❂ 


22 


Fresh off the heels of the its fi rst 

ever NHL Experience tournament 

in November, the Women’s 

Hockey Organization of Arizona 

made its way back to Jobing. 

com Arena last month as the 

Flagstaff Train Wreck and the 

Phoenix Mother Puckers faced 

off against each other prior to 

a Phoenix Coyotes-Detroit Red 

Wings game. 

“The overall atmosphere was 

fun and it was a very exciting 

game,” said WHOA director 

Kristin Heffern. “All of the 

women thoroughly enjoyed playing 

in an NHL venue.” 

After the game, both the Train 

Wreck and the Mother Puckers 

hosted a tailgate for hundreds of 

players, fans, family and friends in 

the VIP Gray parking lot between 

their game and the Coyotes game. 

During the post-game social, a 

Women’s Hockey Organization of Arizona 

Women take to Jobing.com ice again 

High School continued from Page 11 

Tyler Pretzlaff - and by and large, 

the Wolves have done it with defense. 

Goalie Teddy Battle sported 

a 1.40 goals-against average with 

a .915 save percentage to go along 

with his league-leading fi ve shutouts 

and 10-0-0 record. 

Likewise, Notre Dame’s twoheaded 

goalie tandem of Cody 

Stocker and Sebastian Ramirez 

had combined for four shutouts and 

allowed just 11 total goals on 177 

shots. 

The Thunder’s McGregor 

Lippincott “keeps us in the close 

games,” McGinn said (It also didn’t 

hurt that he had three shutouts 

and a 1.37 GAA). 

“McGregor is a big kid and a 

raffl e sponsored by the WHOA was 

held for the participants. Prize 

packages were given away to the 

players, with Erin Young from 

Flagstaff winning two tickets on 

the glass to that night’s Coyotes 

The Flagstaff Train Wreck and the Phoenix Mother 

Puckers squared off last month at Jobing.com Arena. 

game. 

The WHOA extended a special 

thank you to Neils Lund of the 

Phoenix Coyotes for helping orchestrate 

the afternoon. 

“Without Neils, these events 

terrifi c athlete that takes up a lot 

of space in the net,” McGinn said. 

“You need to work hard to beat 

him.” 

And though those teams have 

by far been the most dominant, 

the high school season hasn’t been 

all about Varsity A. The Prescott 

Storm has been a pleasant surprise 

following their move from C to B 

after fi ve games. 

The Storm had outscored their 

opponents 32-11 in going 5-0-0 in 

those games and was 9-5-0 and 

leading the B’s Blue Division at the 

break. 

Another semi-surprise in 

Varsity B has been the emergence 

of Mountain Pointe, which went 5- 

13-2 last season. Heading into the 

break, the Pride was 6-5-3, riding 

wouldn’t be possible,” 

said Heffern, who also 

acknowledged Mother 

Puckers captain Lisa Gregory and 

the Train Wreck’s Rachelle Woodstock 

and Young for their efforts. 

“It was a super successful 

event by all standards,” Heffern 

added. 

And it gets even better for the 

ladies in 2009, because for the 

fi rst time ever the WHOA will 

be represented by two women’s 

teams at the USA Hockey National 

Championships in Rochester, 

N.Y. 

The WHOA will send the 

Phoenix Scorpions’ travel team, 

who are three- time Rocky Mountain 

District champions and the 

bronze-medal winners at the 2006 

USA Hockey National Championships, 

and also an over-30 WHOA 

squad. “Going to Nationals is what 

we work towards all year long,” 

said Heffern. ❂ 

a three-game winning streak and 

three points back of Prescott in the 

Blue Division. 

Likewise, O’Connor (7-5-1) has 

had a solid season following its 

move from C to B this season. 

In Varsity C, the Flagstaff Avalanche 

(11-2-2) was the ones to beat 

at the break, riding a four-game 

winning streak. Sunrise Mountain 

(10-0-3) had yet to lose. 

Flagstaff’s Zachary Fader led 

all scorers with 43 points. North 

Canyon’s Broderek Anderssohn 

had 27 goals. 

Get your weekly dose of high school 

hockey on the AHSHA Round Up 

every Wednesday at 

ArizonaRubber.com! 

GO ONLINE! Watch videos of the Coyote Cup, Arizona 

Hockey Medics and FS Arizona’s KidKaster program at ArizonaRubber.com!

ARIZONA ICE RINKS 

Alltel Ice Den 

9375 E. Bell Road 

Scottsdale, AZ 85260 

ph. (480) 585-7465 

Arcadia Ice Arena 

3853 E. Thomas Road 

Phoenix, AZ 85018 

ph. (602) 957-9966 

Desert Schools Coyote Skating 

Center Chandler 

7225 W Harrison Street. 

Chandler, AZ 85226 

ph. (480) 598-9400 


Center Gilbert 

2305 E. Knox 

Gilbert, AZ 85296 


Center Peoria 

15829 N. 83rd. Ave. 

Peoria, AZ 85383 

ph. (623) 334-1200 

Jay Lively Recreation Center 

1650 N Turquoise Dr # B 

Flagstaff, AZ 86001 

ph. (928) 774-1051 

Jobing.com Arena 

9400 W Maryland Ave 

Glendale, AZ 85305 

Oceanside Ice Arena 

1520 N. McClintock Drive 

Tempe, AZ 85282 

ph. (480) 941-0944 

Ozzie Ice 

10443 N. 32nd Street 


ph. (480) 488-6122 

Tim’s Toyota Center 

3201 N. Main Street 

Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 

ph. (928) 772-1819 

Tucson Convention Center 

260 S Church Ave 

Tucson, AZ 85701 

ph. (520) 791-4101 

US Airways Center 

201 East Jefferson Street 


�� 

Three Teams continued from Page 15 

Bonini’s club will travel to Detroit later this month 

for the North American Silver Stick fi nals, where he 

expects the teamwork to continue. 

“What’s most amazing about our kids is how unselfi 

sh they all are,” said the coach. “I’ve coached for 

over 15 years and I’ve never seen a team at any age 

group pass the puck like this 

bunch of 

8 year 

olds.” 

The 

team is 

also putting 

its 

unselfi shness 

to 

good use 

around 

Bantam 95 A’s 

town, helping sponsor a family in need over the holidays 

as well donating and delivering gifts and food. 

Bonini also plans on taking the kids to the Phoenix 

Children’s Hospital for a visit. 

“It’s important to teach the kids to be involved 

in things like this,” said Bonini. “I believe these 

experiences last a lifetime and help our boys develop 

good character.” ❂ 


Where Are They Now? 

A list of homegrown Arizona hockey players 

Professional 

AHL 

Dusty Collins (Gilbert) - Manchester Monarchs 

Dave Spina (Mesa) - San Antonio Rampage 

CHL 

Taylor Hustead (Scottsdale) - Mississippi River Kings 

ECHL 

Brian Esner (Paradise Valley) - Gwinnett Gladiators 

Mike Nesdill (Phoenix) - Mississippi Sea Wolves 

College 

Division I - Men 

ECAC 

Max Mobley (Glendale) - St. Lawrence University 

Hockey East 

Dave Strathman (Tempe) - Northeastern University 

Division III - Men 

NCHA 

Sam Eccles (Mesa) - St. Norbert College 

Division III – Women 

ECAC West 

Sydney Williams (Phoenix) - Chatham University 

Junior 

BCHL 

Joey Holka (Phoenix) - Penticton Vees 

Chris Walker (Phoenix) - Powell River Kings 

Interview continued from Page 17 

movement. OneGoal is a resource 

to help people grow hockey in their 

communities. OneGoal and USA 

Hockey can do things that make it 

easier for people to grow hockey in 

their communities, but they still 

have to do a lot of work and we 

can’t be successful without their 

efforts. 

AZR: To what extent are the equipment 

manufacturers getting behind 

the initiative? 

PK: They’re fully engaged and 

invested in OneGoal. Working 

with them has been great because 

they’re all passionate about hockey 

and OneGoal. They compete for 

market share on a daily basis, but 

when it comes to OneGoal, they put 

that aside and focus completely on 

growing participation in hockey. 

AZR: What can current hockey 

players, parents, coaches and administrators 

do to help the One- 

Goal cause in their area? 

PK: The three main issues we face 

in getting kids and families into 

our game are cost, time and level of 

enjoyment. We need to offer hockey 

programs that let kids get involved 

for a minimal starting cost, that 

don’t require a six-month season 

commitment and that focus on fun 

when a kid gets on the ice. Our 

game is so unique and can be so 

much fun to play, and we believe 

EJHL 

Kyle Beattie (Avondale) - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 

Alex Cantor (Phoenix) - New Jersey Hitmen 

Preston Decker (Phoenix) - Green Mountain Glades 

Steven Edgeworth (Phoenix) - New Jersey Hitmen 

Eric Ferber (Scottsdale) - Bay State Breakers 

Jeremy Langlois (Tempe) - New Jersey Hitmen 

Dylan Plimmer (Chandler) - South Shore Kings 

MJHL 

Taylor Dornbier (Chandler) - Twin Cities Northern Lights 

NAHL 

Jon Bobb (Chandler) - Springfi eld Jr. Blues 

Matt Grogan (Gilbert) - Bismarck Bobcats 

Andrew Hamburg (Phoenix) - St. Louis Bandits 

Duncan McKellar (Phoenix) - Wenatchee Wild 

Luke Moffatt (Paradise Valley) - U.S. Under-17 Team 

Billy Mulligan (Chandler) - Topeka RoadRunners 

Brian Parson (Phoenix) - Fairbanks Ice Dogs 

USHL 

Danny Heath (Glendale) - Tri-City Storm 

Derik Johnson (Scottsdale) - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 

Phillip Samuelsson (Scottsdale) - Chicago Steel 

Colton St. Clair (Gilbert) - Fargo Force 

WHL 

Cody Castro (Peoria) - Lethbridge Hurricanes 

Kyle Verdino (Phoenix) - Kelowna Rockets 

Kevin Woodyatt (Scottsdale) - Red Deer Rebels 

Send additions/deletions/corrections to info@arizonarubber.com 

if we get kids started, we can get 

them hooked on hockey. 

With that in mind, if we had every 

player or parent introduce one 

friend or neighbor to hockey this 

year, they would be doing their part 

for the OneGoal movement. 

AZR: Where can people learn more 

about OneGoal? 

PK: We’re taking orders for the 

next round of OneGoal equipment. 

The plan is to have the equipment 

delivered in the summer of 2009, so 

that people around the country can 

offer OneGoal equipment for programs 

that start in the fall. Check 

out OneGoal.com for information 

or contact me directly at patk@ 

usahockey.org. ❂ 


26 

BTM/Arizona 

Rubber Test 

Team Mission 

of the Month 

Test Team Member: 

Benoit Cousineau-Cote 

Teams: VOSHA 

Mustangs’ U16 AA, 

Chaparral High Division B 

Product: Warrior’s 

Franchise Gloves 

Building continued from Page 9 

up a travel program, Barney’s will 

be holding camps and open hockey 

days just to get people on the rink. 

“We want to get those East Valley 

players who stopped playing 

to come back, but we also want to 

draw in new players,” Helvik said. 

Right People in Charge 

“As kids grow up and get to the 

age where they’re getting in positions 

of power or infl uence in the 

sport, we’ll all benefi t,” Koressel 

estimated. “People who grew up in 

the sport and truly understand the 

game will be the ones who save it.” 

Helvik fi ts that bill, having 

played the sport since he was a 

kid. So does 22-year-old Justin 

Sayban, who has been involved 

at Rollerplex since he was 14 and 

now manages the Peoria facility 

after its recent sale. 

“Helvik and Sayban, these are 

the kinds of people who aren’t in 

this to make a quick buck, but 

really care about the sport,” said 

OVERVIEW: The new top-of-theline 

Warrior Franchise gloves are 

defi nitely the best I’ve ever played 

with. They helped me control the 

puck and shoot better than any 

other gloves I’ve used. 

FIT: The fl exible leather allowed 

the gloves to adapt to my hands 

better - that’s what I liked the 

most. The Franchise’s are loose 

around the wrists, which improved 

my stickhandling. The fact that 

my fi ngers were easy to move with 

these gloves, too, also helped my 

on-ice performance. 

BREAK IN/COMFORT: It took 

me only fi ve games/practices to 

break in the gloves - so less than 

two weeks - which is great. I’ve 

always been looking for really 

comfortable gloves and when I put 

this pair on, I knew my search was 

over. 

Koressel. “That’s 

who we need leading 

the sport into 

the future.” 

Curley couldn’t 

agree more. 

“Those who 

want to make a 

rink work and 

want to see the 

sport thrive can 

make it happen,” 

he said. “Those 

are the people who 

focus on the right 

areas like learn-toskate 

and demonstration 

programs 

and building house 

leagues up instead 

of super-travel 

teams. With that 

kind of leadership, 

the sport will be 

fi ne.” ❂ 

Get more inline 

coverage at 

ArizonaRubber.com! 

PROTECTION/PEFORMANCE: 

After using the Franchise’s for four 

weeks, they really did a good job of 

protecting my hands. One drawback 

was that they didn’t protect 

my wrists all that well, leaving 

you open to slashes. 

WEAR: The gloves held up extremely 

well. There were no tears 

or any stitching issues; they still 

look brand new. They also stayed 

dry and soft every time I used 

them, even when I played two 

games on the same day. And even 

with the soft palms, I didn’t get 

any blisters. 

SUMMARY: I’d recommend the 

Franchise’s to any player looking for 

high quality, high-performance gloves. 

I’m positive that anyone who purchases 

these gloves will absolutely love them. 

They may be expensive, but believe me 

they’re well worth it. ❂ 

Players like Michael Gonzales, of Foothills High, take pride in 

playing for their school.

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

PROUD SPONSOR 

OF THE 2009 

AHSHA SKILLS 

COMPETITION 

�� 

�� 

��

January 2009 - Rubber Magazine

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?