Have you felt that chill in the night air recently? Temperatures have already dropped into the mid-40s in some areas of San Diego County’s backcountry.
Snow has already begun to fall in some northerly parts of the United States and throughout Canada. Therefore, it must be time for ice hockey season!
Though we in Southern California aren’t blessed (or is that scourged?) with freezing temperatures that can turn a backyard pond into an instant hockey rink, there are a surprising number of opportunities in the region to learn to play ice hockey as well as ice skate.
In fact, a growing number of South County youths do play ice hockey – often ice hockey and roller hockey combined.
Bonita Vista High School roller hockey coach Keith Quigley notes that several of his student-athletes play ice hockey. Notable players include Cody Mazzarella and Kelly Nash from past teams as well as more recent standouts such as Jon O’Brien and Nick Stark.
The ice hockey players are the ones that usually stand out or are easily noticed on roller hockey teams.
When the pint-size Stark first stepped onto the roller hockey playing surface at the Castle Park High School rink last season as a freshman, it was obvious he had something special in his game. Maybe it was the way he held the stick? Maybe it was the way he skated furiously up and down the length of the floor? Maybe it was the way he hustled after the puck?
Any way you tweaked it, he turned out to be a special player for the Barons in 2015-16 by finishing second overall in team scoring with 14 goals and 21 assists behind junior Matt Custodio.
The ice hockey skills he brought to the rink impacted his roller hockey game skills in a positive way.
O’Brien once dazzled onlookers by scoring nine goals in a roller hockey game; Nash went on to attend the University of Wisconsin where she won two NCAA Division I women’s national championships.
Quigley, who grew up in the northeastern United States and played ice hockey, said he is encouraged to see the sport growing in Southern California, specifically in San Diego County.
“It’s exciting to see that ice hockey seems to be growing here in Southern California,” Quigley explained. “I find that more and more kids that are part of my PUCKIdz sneaker hockey and roller hockey programs are also now participating in local ice hockey programs.
“At first I think there is a hesitancy by parents to get their kids on skates due to the cost and safety issues but they quickly find out once their kids do get on skates they fall in love with skating and the game of hockey.
“To me, out here ice hockey would be considered a non-traditional sport. So many kids have already tried the traditional sports like baseball, football, basketball and soccer and are simply looking for something new and different to play.”
Ice hockey certainly lives up to its label as the “coolest sport on earth.”
The growth in ice hockey interest locally is attributed to the exposure the sport now receives in various media platforms: a generation or two ago National Hockey League games on television were usually restricted to regional markets. Now cable networks regularly broadcast multiple games per week and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals have found a home on national over-the-air broadcast television.
The presence of professional teams in local markets has also spurred growth in interest in the sport. San Diego County has had a rich tradition of pro hockey dating back to the 1940s. But large stretches of time have gone by without pro hockey in town due to failed franchises. That left a void at times when the pulse of the sport dropped to the barely detectable level.
The arrival of the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls last season clearly reignited interest in the sport and helped youth ice hockey gain further momentum.
Quigley said watching a live game in an arena setting presents so many more options in the ability to absorb and understand how plays develop on the ice — as well as soaking up the atmosphere in the arena — than watching it on television.
Eastlake High School roller hockey coach Ron Cole has been a long-time season ticket holder for various pro hockey teams in town. He said he likes to dissect the strategy he sees on the ice and transfer it to his own roller hockey team.
“The challenge is slowing the plays down from the professional level to the high school level,” he said. “I remain a lifelong student of the game.”
Eastlake’s roller hockey team experienced an influx of ice hockey players last season, most notably Jake Powell and Luke Killeen. They joined resident ice/roller standout Percilla Mayer on the Titans.
Powell proved to be one of Eastlake’s top scorers during his first season with the team as a sophomore while Mayer continued to reign as the top female playmaker in the coed league. Killeen became a key contributor as a freshman.
Powell and Mayer both earned recognition as first team selections on last season’s All-Mesa League team.
Otay Ranch High School’s Sean Devaney earned second team all-league honors last season as a freshman after leading the Mustangs with 31 goals in just 15 games. His speed and skill set — coming from a background in ice hockey — treated fans to a show every time he stepped onto the roller hockey playing court.
Powell, Killeen, Mayer and Stark continue to play for the South Union Hawks in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League.
All four players participated in the NHL-sponsored high school ice hockey season last year while also participating in roller hockey.
Killeen and Stark share the team scoring lead through four games this season.
Killeen discovered at an early age that ice hockey was the sport was for him. “I liked the physical contact and the speed,” he explained.
“It’s faster paced, there’s a lot of good competition,” Powell noted. “It’s something I’ve had fun playing since I was little.”
“In ice hockey … you try to see things before they happen,” Mayer said.
But playing ice hockey can be expensive. The price tag for such necessary items as a helmet, stick, chest pad, elbow pads, pants, gloves and skates can reach $1,000.
“The skates and sticks are the most expensive,” explained Powell, a defenseman. “A good stick can cost $200.
That doesn’t include the cost for ice time for practice sessions, league dues, uniforms, equipment bags or travel expenses.
But the sport continues to grow.
The Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League added four team teams for its 2016-17 season that began in August to hike membership in the eight-year-old league to 49 teams and 33 schools. The league recently added a San Diego County component – and that continues to grow. The San Diego Central Cathedral Jets and Pacific Ridge are league newcomers this season. They join the Hawks, La Jolla Country Day, Classical Academy and Poway as San Diego County-based teams in the league. Carlsbad United was a league member last season.
Games are played usually on the weekends at several rinks in San Diego County now as well as in Orange County, the league’s birthplace.
Jack Radley, a stickboy for the Gulls’ AHL team, leads Central Cathedral in scoring with four goals and eight points through four games. Several roller hockey standouts from the CIF-Metro Conference’s northern contingent of schools are playing for the Jets this season. They include Charlie Pape, Drew Jones, Jake Belland and goaltender Patrick Henson from Cathedral Catholic High School and Domenico Cianflone from St. Augustine High School.
Cathedral Catholic finished runner-up to the Westview Wolverines in last season’s Kiwanis Cup championship game.
Jones led the Dons as – as well as the CIF-Metro Conference — in scoring in 2015-16 with 35 goals and 41 assists for 76 points in 16 games.
Radley plays football and lacrosse at Serra High School.
The Ducks’ scholastic ice hockey league has become the largest high school hockey league in California and one of the fastest-growing leagues in the nation, according to Art Trottier, who serves as vice president of the Ducks-owned The Rinks community ice and roller rink system.
“The Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League continues to draw interest from both local Southland schools and beyond our state borders,” Trottier explained. “In a short amount of time, the ADHSHL has become a destination for local high school hockey players who now have an opportunity to remain at home and continue their development.”
So, you want to play ice hockey?
Though South County does not have an ice hockey rink of its own, the Kroc Center Ice Arena (6737 University Ave., San Diego) is the only ice rink centrally located in San Diego that offers year-round public ice skating sessions, learn to skate and learn to play hockey classes, youth and adult hockey leagues as well as figure skating.
It is the closest ice rink to Chula Vista and is the primary venue for South County ice hockey enthusiasts to learn the game and play in recreational in-house leagues.
Classes start for children as young as 3 years old.
Do you think your child has the ability to become the next Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby?
California has made huge inroads over the past two decades in placing players in major college and professional leagues. The next NHL leading scorer could be residing in El Cajon, Lakeside, La Mesa, Spring Valley or Santee.
Learn to skate
The Kroc Center Ice skating school offers introductory ice skating, figure skating and hockey skating classes for children and adults of all ability levels. Each session consists of six to seven, 30-minute classes.
Upcoming skating school classes are scheduled Oct. 24 to Dec. 17. Sessions include parent and child (ages 3-5), tiny tots (ages 3-4), kinder (ages 5-6), beginning skaters (ages 6-13) and adult beginners (ages 14 and older).
Early enrollment is $99 (Oct. 17-22) and $105 after Oct. 22.
Youth hockey skating classes (helmet required) and adult hockey skating classes are also offered through the skating school. Basic fundamentals are covered.
Figure skating classes are tailored for both children and adults and feature instruction in beginners jump and spin, intermediate jump and spin, advances jump and spin, axel and production.
Once a solid foundation in skating is established, it’s time to learn how to play hockey. Classes are offered for tot/kinder (ages 3-5) and youth rookies (ages 6-13) age groups.
Youth learn to play hockey classes are offered Oct. 26 to Dec. 16. Tot/kinder hockey classes are $105 (for seven sessions) and $180 for youth rookies (ages 6-12). In these classes, students are introduced to hockey skills while continuing to work on their skating abilities.
Full hockey equipment is required for these classes.
The next session of youth learn to play hockey classes starts the week of Jan. 2.
Youth hockey
The next progression is to actual recreational in-house leagues. Age levels include Mini-Mite (ages 5-7), Mite (ages 7-8), Squirt (ages 9-10), Pee Wee (ages 11-12), Bantam (ages 13-14) and Midget (ages 15-17).
The Kroc Center Ice youth in-house league is part of the Metro League. Teams play games, usually on weekends, at their home rink or at other rinks in San Diego County such as the Iceoplex Escondido, Ice Town La Jolla (University Town Center) and San Diego Ice Arena.
The facility runs three seasons per year: fall (starts in August), winter (starts in January) and summer (starts in late April).
Cost per season is a$250-330. There is a nominal uniform cost. Full hockey equipment is required.
More advanced players may wish to compete on tournament or travel teams that play games throughout Southern California and sometimes as far as Northern California, Las Vegas or Arizona. Players are usually required to try out for these teams.
The San Diego Saints, which skate out of Kroc Center Ice, offer programs from the Mite through high school level.
The Saints program made history last year when its Pee Wee-B team captured the Southern California Amateur Hockey Association (SCAHA) and state championship.
Adult hockey
Kroc Center Ice also provides an opportunity for adults to participate in the coolest game on earth. Adult leagues are for players 18 and older and the skill level ranges from novice to advanced.
There are three league sessions annually. New players are evaluated for skill level before the start of each league season.
For information on how to register for youth or adult classes at Kroc Center Ice, call (619) 269-1498, email hockey@kroccenterice.com or visit the website at www.kroccenterice.com.
Want to be a spectator? Fan-tastic
Kroc Center Ice is also the home rink for the San Diego State University men’s ice hockey team. The Aztecs compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II. The season begins in September and ends in March and can feature up to 35 games.
In 2008, the SDSU club won the Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association (PCHA) championship and placed second in the nation in the ensuing ACHA Division III national championship tournament.
SDSU faced off its 2016-17 season Sept. 16-17 with a pair of games in Las Vegas against UNLV and will host Arizona State University in a pair of highly anticipated contests Oct. 28-29 at Kroc Center Ice.
The Aztecs are off to a 4-2 start, with an additional overtime loss, in their opening seven games. This season SDSU roster includes three players from Chula Vista: forward Aaron Mayer and goaltender Darius Newhall from Eastlake and Phillip Fune from Hilltop.
Mayer, a sophomore, currently ranks third on the team in scoring with two goals and five assists for seven points – three points behind team leader Vincent Dimaggio (six goals, 10 points) and two points behind the Aztecs’ second-leading scorer Hayden Bolls (eight goals, nine points).
The team’s roster is comprised of players from throughout California, with 13 players on the 26-man roster hailing from San Diego County.
Mayer, the CIF-Metro Conference’s all-time leading scorer, finished fourth in SDSU team scoring last season with 22 goals and 35 points in 23 games as the team’s outstanding freshman.
Want to see the pros?
The Gulls are facing off their second American Hockey League season Friday, Oct. 14, at the Valley View Casino Center. The AHL serves as the development league for the National Hockey League, which is regarded as the top professional league in the world.
The AHL is regarded as the second best professional ice hockey league in the world.
The Gulls are the minor league affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. The San Diego team turned in a phenomenal inaugural season in 2015-16. Fans flocked to the area to see the return of pro hockey to the region after a nine-year hiatus. Crowds numbering 11,000 were common during weekend dates. The team averaged 8,675 fans to rank second in the 30-team league.
The Gulls rewarded their fans by advancing to the Pacific Division Finals against the Ontario Reign, the minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.
Ontario won the series four games to one, but two games ended in overtime and the series final was decided by one goal.
It was good stuff if you’re a hockey fan. There’s more to come.
“The great thing that’s happened is that we have a lot of players who are returning,” explained Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins, whose team boasts a roster stocked with players who collectively have more than 1,000 NHL games under their skates. “Maybe not all the guys who played all the games last season. But we had a big influx of players at the last part of the season – our draft picks, guys out of juniors, out of college.
“Some of them didn’t play, but they know what we’re trying to accomplish in practice and they understand our vision and our values in the organization. That’s made training camp much more easier.”
A number of Gulls players received call-ups to Anaheim last season, most notably forward Nick Ritchie (who scored the first goal in AHL Gulls’ history) and defenseman Shea Theodore. Ritchie appeared in 36 games for the Gulls and 33 games for the Ducks while Theodore appeared in 50 games for the Gulls and 19 games for the Ducks in 2015-16.
Defenseman Brandon Montour appears the next Gulls player to earn significant playing time in the NHL after tying for the Gulls’ scoring lead last season as a rookie. Both Theodore and Montour are back with San Diego to face off the 2016-17 campaign.
San Diego Gulls teams that competed in the West Coast Hockey League (1995-2003) and the ECHL (2003-2006) won five league championships at the AA-level. The AHL’s superior speed and crisp passing, along with an emphasis on size and heavy play, has elevated the entertainment level of the sport from past teams that have called the Sports Arena home.
The Gulls and Reign played a total of 19 games last season — including preseason, regular season and playoffs – and have become instant rivals mimicking the mutual dislike developed over the years between the teams’ NHL parent clubs: the Kings and the Ducks.
“Dislike” might be too kind of a word to describe the intense San Diego-Ontario rivalry, in fact.
“It runs through the entire organization,” Eakins elaborated. “Those two teams (the Kings and Ducks) are close together up there. Our guys don’t like Ontario. The competition and the nastiness runs through the entire organization – from top to bottom. It makes for great hockey. It makes for a great developmental tool for your younger players.”
Fans will not have to wait long for the teams to renew their bitter rivalry. The Gulls host the Reign – the reigning Pacific Division champions – on Saturday, Oct. 15. It is the first of 12 meetings between the teams.
The Gulls and Reign attracted a crowd of 10,214 to their preseason exhibition game Monday at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Gulls won that game 4-1 to sweep the Reign in the teams’ two preseason contests. The Gulls edged the Reign, 4-3 in a shootout, Oct. 6 in Ontario.
Big crowds, Eakins said, are a prime motivator for his team.
“I expect nothing less than last year,” he explained. “I thought the fans in that building set the tone for all our games. That’s the standard now and that’s the expectation. When the standard has been set and the expectation has been set, we’ve got to make sure we uphold that. I’m sure our fans will be just as enthusiastic. I believe last year we ran out of concessions and ran out of beer. Let’s see it we can do that again.”
See you at the rink!
SAN DIEGO GULLS TO HOST ADDITIONAL LEARN TO PLAY CLINICS
BEGINNING DEC. 10
The San Diego Gulls will host two Learn to Play clinics at local rinks beginning this winter. The clinics, which each have four sessions, will take place at Icetown Carlsbad (2283 Cosmos Ct, Carlsbad) with sessions on Saturdays, Dec. 10 and 17, and Jan. 7 and 14 from 10:40-11:40 a.m. and Poway Ice Arena (12455 Kerran St #100, Poway) on Sundays, Dec. 11 and 18, and Jan. 8 and 15 from 3:15-4:15 p.m.
The AHL club’s learn to play program, like the Anaheim Ducks Learn to Play program in Orange County, is designed for new hockey players with little or no hockey experience. Staff from THE RINKS, an affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks and San Diego Gulls, as well as coaches from local rinks and host venues, will teach the basics of skating as well as fundamentals of hockey (shooting, passing and stickhandling). Learn to Play programs are designed for players under the age of 12 and include all necessary equipment, at no cost to the participant.
Participants in the San Diego Gulls Learn to Play program will be provided with an equipment bag, helmet, shin guards, hockey pants, elbow pads, shoulder pads, gloves and a jersey to use for the four week session in order to be fully protected on the ice. The use of full hockey equipment provides protection and allows the participant to feel like a real hockey player, wearing all of the necessary hockey gear.
For more information or to register, visit www.SanDiegoGulls.com/learntoplay.
