Blog
Longenecker gets fresh start at Denver East
October 10th, 2014By Paul Willis Jack Longenecker’s disappointment and uncertainly quickly turned into elation. One of the leading scorers on the Bishop Machebeuf hockey team as a junior last season, Lognenecker and his teammates were shocked at the revelation that the Buffaloes were doing away with their hockey program. “There wasn’t very much of a clear explanation…
Adult leagues thriving at Olympic Oval
October 10th, 2014By Matt Mackinder Efforts are being made by rinks all over the country to introduce new players to the sport – young and old – and the Utah Olympic Oval is no exception. Just recently, the facility, which was made famous after hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics, unveiled its Utah Grizzlies Adult Rookie League, along…
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…
Air Force’s Michalke eager to finish strong
October 9th, 2014By Matt Mackinder George Michalke is hoping his senior year at the Air Force Academy goes a lot smoother than his 2012-13 season. Just five games into that campaign, Michalke took a serious hit in a game against Canisius College, which sidelined him the rest of the season with concussion-like symptoms. He returned in 2013-14…
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…
Expectations high for WSHL’s RoughRiders
October 8th, 2014By Matt Mackinder For most junior teams, rosters are comprised of players from across the United States and even parts of Canada and Europe. The Western States Hockey League’s (WSHL) Colorado RoughRiders, formerly the Boulder Jr. Bison, though, have a group made up of in-state talents who played at several different youth associations growing up, including…
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…
Miners’ 18s regroup after advancements
October 7th, 2014By Matt Mackinder For Greg Vanover, coaching the Pikes Peak Miners’ 18U AAA team can be challenging, but in the end it’s always rewarding. This season is no different, as the program’s Midget Major squad has just two returning players from last year’s team in forward Christian Gums and defenseman Logan Parsley. Vanover will lean…
Nyquist tabbed Turgeon Scholarship winner
October 7th, 2014By Matt Mackinder Kimi Nyquist thought she was in trouble. Why else would Colorado Select director Kendall Hanley want to talk to her after practice? Turns out, a reprimanding was the last thing on Hanley’s mind; instead, she told Nyquist, a defenseman on the organization’s 19U AA team, she’d won the prestigious Elizabeth “Liz” Turgeon Award and Scholarship. “Winning the…
Stuart a welcome addition on Avs’ blue line
October 6th, 2014By Mike Chambers As a top-two defenseman at age 34, Brad Stuart might not immediately seem like the solution to the Colorado Avalanche’s inefficiencies last season on the blue line. But his hometown speaks to Colorado fans as much as his hard-hitting résumé and respect from Avs players. He’s from Rocky Mountain House, a small…