Category Archives: Youth
Terry, Walker embrace opportunity with NTDP
January 10th, 2015Few individuals are as hyper-focused about building a career in hockey than Troy Terry. Former Colorado Thunderbirds teammate Zach Walker comes pretty close. Well, they’re in the right place to cultivate that ambition. Terry and Walker have joined USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Ann Arbor, Mich., this season – a common a…
T-Birds’ Gerlach commits to North Dakota
January 3rd, 2015Colorado Thunderbirds 16U National forward Max Gerlach has committed to play his NCAA Division I hockey at the University of North Dakota (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) at the conclusion of his junior career. Since 2012, Gerlach, a 1998-born from Flower Mound, Texas, has resided with Adam and Jenn Foote as his host family while playing…
Littleton, Hyland Hills win Midget AA states
December 30th, 2014Two Colorado Amateur Hockey Association state champions were crowned earlier this month as the Littleton Hawks’ 18U AA team won the title in its division, while the Hyland Hills Jaguars took home the 16U AA state championship. The 18U tournament was held at Boulder Valley Ice in Superior and wrapped up on Dec. 13, and…
T-Bird goalie grads shine between the pipes
December 16th, 2014Recently, Colorado Thunderbirds director of hockey operations and 16U AAA coach Angelo Ricci and goaltending instructor Cam Clemenson struck up a conversation relating to the number of graduates now stopping pucks in the high-level junior and NCAA ranks. The list is pretty impressive, to say the least. “The Thunderbirds have always had a solid base…
RoughRiders to host ECEL showcase
October 14th, 2014By Matt Mackinder Programs from more than 10 states and parts of Canada will converge on Westminster’s Ice Centre at the Promenade from Nov. 21-23 for an East Coast Elite League (ECEL) showcase event – the Rocky Mountain Challenge – that’s sure to generate plenty of interest from junior and college scouts and coaches. The…
Off-ice amenities part of Renegades’ draw
October 14th, 2014By Matt Mackinder When it comes to architecting a successful youth hockey program, having a proper off-ice structure is many times just as important as what happens during games and practices. That fact isn’t lost on the first-year West Coast Renegades (WCR) AAA outfit, which stocks everything an organization needs to help deliver an unparalleled…
Seeds of Success
October 12th, 2014By Paul Willis For a program that’s been around for more than four decades, it’d be easy enough for Aspen Junior Hockey (AJH) to rest on its laurels. The Leafs reside in one of the country’s most notable winter havens, and enthusiasm for the sport will be eternal in this glitzy mountain town. But things…
Evolution a one-stop shop for elite development
October 10th, 2014By Matt Mackinder The Evolution Elite Hockey Academy has broken structure and organization down to a science. With a new junior squad this season competing in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) – the Colorado Evolution – the program now has teams from head to toe from learn-to-skate and learn-to-play all the way up to…
CAHA continues to push the ADM advantage
October 8th, 2014By Brian McDonough Most people associated with youth hockey have at least heard of the American Development Model (ADM). USA Hockey, though, wants to make certain every association understands it to its fullest – so much so that, beginning this season, the nation’s governing body for the sport has recommended that every state affiliate appoint an…
More T-Birds off to high-level junior ranks
October 8th, 2014By Matt Mackinder All high-level AAA hockey programs have the same goals in mind: win games – championships if possible – and advance players to junior hockey and beyond. For the Colorado Thunderbirds, handling both of those tasks on a yearly basis has become par for the course. Thunderbirds director of hockey operations and 16U…