Category Archives: Youth
Thunderbirds see 11 players taken in USHL, WHL Drafts
June 5th, 2016Another junior hockey draft season and more names from the Colorado Thunderbirds are getting opportunities to further their careers. The first week in May saw Phase I and Phase II of the United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft go down May 2-3 and then on May 5, the Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft took…
Rampage’s legacy of captains based on coaching, consistency, character
June 3rd, 2016The big picture always trumps any small market obstacles the Colorado Rampage might face. As the 14-year-old club, based out of the Colorado Sports Center (CSC) in Monument, has matured, it has made long-term development its major point of emphasis. “Our goal is to take groups of players and move them all the way through…
Avalanche continues to grow, build the game with CAHA youth
May 31st, 2016As part of the local hockey community, the players from the Colorado Avalanche are held as role models for Colorado’s growing number of youth players. And in recent years, the NHL organization, which celebrated its 20th season in Denver during the 2015-16 season, has taken great strides with the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), working…
RoughRiders add longtime youth coach Vanover to stable
May 30th, 2016For the first time in eight seasons, Greg Vanover will not be coaching the 18U age group. Vanover, a longtime coach with the Pikes Peak Miners, recently joined the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders staff and will guide the program’s 13U AAA team in 2016-17. He’ll also serve as an assistant on the 18U AAA team under…
Arapahoe Pee Wees find ‘privilege’ in playing Little Avs
May 26th, 2016The losing coach was more than gracious in defeat. “This is another example of how powerful the game of hockey is,” said Sean Leonard, coach of the Arapahoe Warriors Pee Wee AA team, after the Warriors were belted 8-1 on April 30 by the national champion Little Avs youth sled hockey team in an exhibition…
Slew of Colorado, Utah talent picked for USA Hockey Select Camps
May 22nd, 2016Congratulations to all the Colorado and Utah natives that advanced from the Rocky Mountain District Boys Select Camp to USA Hockey Select Camps next month in Amherst, N.Y. 1999 FORWARDS Jacob Marti Samuel Morton Michael Outzen DEFENSEMEN Colby Bukes Nikolai Lyssogor GOALTENDER Jonah Giem 2000 FORWARDS Bryan Lockner Mason Mannek (Utah) Noah Prokop DEFENSEMAN Jonathan…
Beat rolls on for Thunderbirds as banners, player advancements the name of the game
May 12th, 2016The Colorado Thunderbirds’ 16U AAA national championship team from the 2009-10 season was the first AAA national championship for any Colorado youth team at any level. And since then, championships have become commonplace for all levels of the Thunderbirds organization. Oh, you want player advancements, too? No problem. The Thunderbirds boast an extensive list of…
New coaches add muscle to staff of growing Krivo School
May 12th, 2016With the growth spurt of the Krivo School of Hockey Elite, director Andrei Krivokrasov has brought on three new assistant coaches for the 2016-17 season, all of whom have extensive knowledge in the game of hockey. Ivan Benevelsky, Kyle Ostrow and Matt Zaba each bring a unique element of expertise to the program. Krivo School…
Thunderbirds’ 16U team makes semis at Tier I nationals
May 11th, 2016A pair of Colorado Thunderbirds teams played on separate national stages last month as part of the USA Hockey Tier I Youth Nationals. The 14U team played in Anchorage, Alaska, while the 16U National team traveled to San Jose, Calif. Angelo Ricci’s 16U squad qualified for the semifinals, but lost 4-0 to eventual champion Shattuck-St….
Rampage program keeps growing, adds new 15U AAA team
May 5th, 2016A new team will join the Colorado Rampage lineup next season. It’s a 15U AAA team (2001 birth years) that will be led by veteran coach Marc Boxer. “We’re looking for good kids from good families who are self-motivated, hard workers and want to be the best they can be,” Boxer said. “Our key mindset…