Category Archives: Youth
Pee Wee Quebec Qualifier Tournament on tap for November
October 7th, 2015Mid-November holds an opportunity for young hockey players in the state of Colorado unlike any other. Every year since 2003, the Colorado Avalanche has hosted the Quebec Qualifier Tournament, which is open to all competitive Pee Wee teams in the state of Colorado (excluding non-tournament teams and AAA squads for competitive purposes). And the prize…
Thunderbirds fortify coaching lineup with Combs, Blatchford
October 5th, 2015Colorado hockey has long held an appeal to Nick Combs and Brett Blatchford. Combs grew up playing hockey in Colorado Springs, while Blatchford enjoyed one of the highlights of his career here. Though they traveled different paths before joining the Colorado Thunderbirds AAA coaching staff this season, both bring similar attributes to the program –…
New Miners 16U, 18U coach Cook boasts impressive resume
October 1st, 2015New Pikes Peak Miners coach Cliff Cook knows a thing or two about finding good hockey in non-traditional hockey areas. After all, he grew up learning the game in Dallas, Tex. – in the 1980s. “I was a rarity back in the early ‘80s, as you might imagine,” Cook said. “Not too many people really…
Crew, Carroll add energy, expertise to Rampage coaching lineup
September 29th, 2015Excuse J.J. Crew and Joey Carroll for their enthusiasm, but they work in a sport they love, giving back to young players, in their second home. The Colorado Rampage’s two newest coaches realize they wouldn’t have had the opportunities they have without many other coaches giving back to them over the years. “I love the…
RoughRiders amped to host Rocky Mountain Challenge
September 24th, 2015Once again this fall, elite youth teams from across the United States and Canada will venture back to Denver to try their hand once more in the Rocky Mountain Challenge. An East Coast Elite League (ECEL) showcase, the tournament is hosted by the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders – a charter member of the ECEL that strives…
Margarucci finds right fit with USA Hockey position
September 23rd, 2015Kevin Margarucci said the job “just fell in his lap.” Margarucci, who had served as head athletic trainer and teacher at Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, where he also worked with the school’s athletic teams and helped develop a concussion management plan for the district’s student-athletes, was named USA Hockey’s manager of player safety this…
Rampage benefiting from Eng’s training expertise
July 24th, 2015It’s been a long and winding road for Jon Eng, but for 365 Performance’s director of sports performance, he’s feeling right at home plying his trade at Monument’s Colorado Sports Center. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Eng realized early on in life his dreams of playing high-level hockey weren’t going to come to fruition,…
Coaching consistency fuels ‘Riders’ success
July 23rd, 2015Consistency is paramount within the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders organization, and it’s none more pronounced that within the AAA program’s coaching ranks. All of last season’s head coaches will return for 2015-16, save for a change within the club’s 16U National team. Sergey Krivokrasov, who coached the RoughRiders’ 14U team last season, will now serve as…
Thunderbirds’ Gerlach decides on Medicine Hat
July 23rd, 2015Max Gerlach, who played for the Colorado Thunderbirds’ 16U AAA National team last season, will suit up for the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2015-16. Originally committed to play his NCAA Division I hockey at the University of North Dakota, the 17-year-old forward was a sixth-round Bantam Draft pick of the Western Hockey League club in…
Assistants add muscle to Renegades program
July 22nd, 2015A strong group of assistant coaches, along with an engaged support staff, is critical to the success of any youth hockey program, and the West Coast Renegades are confident they have all the pieces in place. Renegades director of hockey operations and 16U Tier I coach Adam Bartholomay is nothing but excited with the new…