The FIRE - Palm Beach Breakers Travel Hockey

Volume 4, Issue 2
October 2012
The FIRE
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O f f i c i a t i n g
B I T S O F
T I D :
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H
My 10-year-old son came
home from a recent game
mocking the behavior of an
adult that felt it appropriate to
scream at the officials. The
kids know this is wrong; why
don’t the adults?
As a boy, Bobby
Fischer often
attended New
York Rangers
games with his
chess mentor
Janet Jones briefly dated Oiler
Kevin Lowe before marrying
Wayne Gretzky
where they couldn’t determine
if a ball went in the goal or not.
The question I have is, “what’s
the standard?”
Once married to
Ron Greschner,
Carol Alt has
been dating
Alexei Yashin for
12 years
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
A parody video titled “Call it,
maybe” surfaced on YouTube
fo l lo wi ng th e Pa cker s Seahawks debacle. If officiating in the NFL is so hard that
competent replacement crews
cannot be found, what is your
expectation for hockey games
involving kids age 6 to 10?
Recent NFL games have brought attention to the role of officials in sports
Soccer’s World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the
world. Last time it was played
there were a few instances
Seldom do I hear complaints
about an official’s positioning,
ability to control coaches, or
puck dropping skill (a lost art).
Daily I hear that refs need to
“let ‘em play” and “open their
eyes” and “call it both ways”.
All of those are euphemisms
for don’t-call-stuff-on-us-andcall-penalties-on-them. Often
uttered by people that don’t
know the rules themselves.
A kid’s youth hockey journey is
a long road. Enjoy the games
and don’t let a missed call
raise your heart rate.
T o u r n a m e n t s
Kyle Bauman,
Turkey Puck
2
Where to Eat
3
Sportsmanship, NCAA
4
October 5-7
Columbus Day Classic
The Cooler—Alpharetta, GA
League Play, Rankings
5
Eligibility,
In Their Own Words
6
Photos
6, 7
NHL Lockout
8
The Eye of the Storm
SkateZone—Lake Worth
November 23-25
Panthers Thanksgiving Classic
Incredible Ice—Coral Springs
December 1-3
SE Silver Stick A/B Regional
Huntsville, AL
December 7-10
SE Silver Stick AA Regional
Ellenton Ice & Sport—Ellenton
December 26-30
Int’l Holiday Invitational
Germain Arena—Estero
January 18-21
Knights MLK Invitational
RDV Sportsplex—Maitland
Miami Toros Sunfest
Kendall Ice Arena—Miami
Atlanta Pee Wee Freedom Cup
The Cooler—Alpharetta, GA
Golden Puck
Ice Palace—Charleston, SC
February 15-18
The Palms
Ice Sports Forum—Brandon
Panthers Presidents Challenge
Incredible Ice—Coral Springs
March 2-3
S.A.H.O.F. State Games
to be determined
.
P a g e
2
T h e
B a u m a n
Kyle Bauman spent the summer working at the RDV Ice
Den hoping to get one more
shot in Juniors to keep the
dream of NCAA Division I
hockey alive. In mid-August
he wasn’t sure the chance
would come. Last season
hadn’t gone well, but he was
confident with a change of
scenery things would work
out differently.
He was invited at the 11th
hour to go to camp with the
Wichita Falls Wildcats of the
NAHL. Only problem? Their
roster listed 18 forwards.
Some say luck is when preparedness meets opportuni-
He scored the
team’s first goal.
In his second
game he had two
more. He scored
on the last shift
in his 3rd game.
ty. Kyle had worked hard to
stay in shape, lifting weights
and getting on the ice daily.
He made an impression on
the coach, overcoming long
odds to make the team.
The NAHL season is like NASCAR in that it begins with its
biggest event. All 24 teams
are invited to the Schwan
Super Rink near Minneapolis,
the largest rink complex in
America with 8 sheets of ice.
Over 100 scouts from NHL
and NCAA teams attend the
Showcase. Teams play four
games in four days.
What happened next is worthy of a Disney script. Kyle
scored the team’s first goal
of the season in the 3rd period of a game that would
eventually go to a shootout.
In his second game he had
two power-play goals in a 3-1
win. The third game was a
loss for his team, but he
scored on the last shift to net
his 4th goal of the season on
a low scoring team in a low
scoring league. Scouts took
T u r k e y
The Ice Den at RDV Sportsplex near Orlando will host
the 3rd Annual Turkey Puck
tournament over Thanksgiving weekend. In-house players and teams are invited for
a day of competitive hockey
and fun.
Pee Wees, Squirts, and ad-
B l o w s
F I R E
U p
note and he remarkably went
from “off the radar” to receiving major college interest.
I share Kyle’s story with you
for one reason: he didn’t play
travel hockey when he was
14; he played in the RDV inhouse program.
Many parents are worried
about how competitive their
children’s teams are and
what level they play. It probably isn’t as important as they
think.
For various reasons, the Bauman family opted not to run
around Florida for travel Bantams that season. In the
Spring Kyle still advanced to
the national Select 14 camp,
where USA Hockey invites
180 players who they feel
may have the talent to someday represent Team USA in
international competition.
Friends Corey Scammon (Cowichan of
the BCHL), Josh Haverstrom (Kenai
River-NAHL) & Kyle Bauman (Wichita
Falls-NAHL) are off ‘just livin’ the
dream’ for the 2012-13 season
Kyle still had fun, still developed as a player, and—five
years later—is likely to realize
his goal of playing college
hockey.
P u c k
vanced Mites are welcome to
participate. Each team will
play a few games and enjoy a
festival atmosphere. It’s a
great way to get out of the
house, enjoy some hockey,
and give the kids a chance to
burn through Thursday’s
caloric intake from stuffing,
pie, and other traditions.
Feedback from the first two
events has been very positive. For many kids, the Turkey Puck offers them their
first look at a tournament
setting.
To enter, contact Ryan Kravetz by calling (407) 9162556 or e-mailing:
rkravetz@rdvsportsplex.com.
Overeat, sleep, hockey
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W h e r e T o E a t :
S a v e o l o g y . c o m I c e p l e x
Coral Springs has what you’re looking for whether it’s pizza, Japanese, or a sports bar
Squirt Dominic Safonte lives about a
mile from the rink. Here are some
family favorites in the area.
Lefty's Town Tavern about 1.5 miles
north of the rink on Coral Ridge. It's a
sports bar that is super kids friendly
with a game room and video poker.
Kids’ meals are about $6 and largerthan-the-plate sandwiches for adults
are around $8. The sandwiches have
Italian-themed names like the Mona
Lisa and Godfather. They also have
burgers, steaks, salads and pasta
dishes. A full bar area has live entertainment on Friday nights, perfect to
unwind before hockey weekends.
In the same Heron Lakes shopping
center is Pasquale's & Sons Pizza.
Definitely the best pizza in town. Price
is about $16 for a large cheese pizza,
and they also serve soups, salads,
wings and pasta dishes that are big
enough for two. For moms and dads
there are plenty of beer choices and
they have a family-friendly seating
area in back, a great place for team
gatherings.
Coral Springs offers several options
for dessert. Kilwin’s (2758 N. University) offers a wide variety including ice
cream, caramel apples and fudge
while Cherry Smash (8000 Wiles Rd.)
is preferred by many for their homemade ice cream and 1950's décor.
Near the rink is Cecile's Gourmet Italian Ices (10276 Wiles Rd.) which has
up to 30 favors at any given time. You
can’t go wrong with any of them!
Head East on Sample and South on
University, a few miles down is Bru's
Room Sports Bar & Grill. Similar to
Lefty's, it also offers and outside bar
and seating under the canopy. Ohio
State games are shown every Saturday and on Sunday this is the go-to
place for NFL Football.
- Joseph Safonte
If you’d like to mix occasion dining
with your hockey weekend, Sushi Hibachi is great because of the cookedat-the-table show. Prices are about
$20 per adult and the tables can seat
up to 12. This is also in the same
shopping plaza as Lefty's &
Pasquale's.
W h e r e T o
S p a c e C o a s t
If you have a little time between games or are staying in
a hotel South of the rink, your
best bet for a casual meal is
New York Pizza & Pasta Café
(6450 N. Wickham Rd.—zip
32940) Proprietor Curtis Flynn
grew up working in his family’s
restaurant as a boy in New
York City, now he’s in Florida
sharing family secrets. Everything is good, the meatballs
are a must. OPENS AT 4 pm
ON SUNDAYS.
Sandwiches have
Italian-themed
names like the
Mona Lisa and
Godfather
E a t :
I c e p l e x
Closer to the rink are numerous fast-food joints like
McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco
Bell, and Subway. This area of
Rockledge is a little light on
good restaurants, so a go-to
option is Ruby Tuesday’s only a
quarter-mile from the rink.
Great hamburgers and an outstanding salad bar are inexpensive options, full entrees if
you are hungry.
Thai Fuji (3824 Murrell) is the
editor’s wife’s choice for sushi
rolls with chicken satay a solid
choice for kids.
A half-hour away is Coconut’s
on the Beach, a popular oceanfront seafood restaurant. In
between the Iceplex and Cocoa
Beach you can find every family chain imaginable in Merritt
Island.
Outback, LongHorn,
Red Lobster, Olive Garden,
Carrabba’s,
South around
Viera you will find Chili’s, Pizza
Gallery, and Mimi’s.
If you are in the area on an overnight, a fun trip to the beach may
be in order
P a g e
4
T h e
Y o u t h
H o c k e y S p o r t s m a n s h i p
P r o g r a m U p d a t e
An unintentional result of
competitive youth sports is
unfortunately an environment that can be worse than
a contentious divorce. Can
anything be done about it?
minute internet course for
players and parents that will
help people recognize potentially dangerous situations
and help them choose appropriate actions.
good sportsmanship and the
youth sports culture. “We
hope people take the course
and give us feedback. We’d
like this to be a model that
can be used nationally.”
Fortunately, some people are
trying.
The course is hosted by Sport
Safety International and can
be found here:
At The FIRE, our hope is that
programs include the completion certificate with their
required paperwork from
each family for the 2013-14
season. Teams that have
100% participation will be
recognized in future issues.
Take the course, and let’s be
part of creating a better environment for our families.
In 2010, the Department of
Sports Medicine at the University of South Florida won a
grant from S.A.H.O.F. They
worked with the Tampa Bay
Lightning to complete a 20-
View the course,
take the quiz.
Teams with
100%
participation will
be recognized in
future issues.
F I R E
www.sportsafetyinternational
.org/sportsmanship
An online quiz follows, and
successfully completing the
course and passing the test
results in the award of a completion certificate.
Dr. Jeff Konin of the University of South Florida spearheaded this initiative and
says Florida is at the forefront nationally in recognizing
the importance of addressing
Virtually all hockey parents have done
something they wish they hadn’t
Click “Players” and then hit
“Parents” at USAHockey.com
if you are interested in more
on the topic.
Like The FIRE? Most readers have kids born between 2000-2003. Please help get the word out for the
next wave of Florida’s youth hockey families. Subscription still free and we won’t share your e-mail address. Send name, player’s name, year of birth, program and e-mail address to
floridamitereport@gmail.com to subscribe.
N C A A
Tampa was an excellent host
for the 2012 NCAA hockey
championship.
Many left
hoping it would someday
return.
Good
28th
more
state
news! On December
& 29th there will be
college hockey in our
at the Florida College
H o c k e y
R e t u r n s
Classic at Estero’s Germain
Arena.

Cornell (ECAC, 19-9-7 in
2012-13)
The field for this year again
brings four top NCAA teams
to the Sunshine State over
Christmas Break. If you are
able to attend, these are the
teams you will see:

Maine (Hockey East, 2314-3)

Minnesota-Duluth
(WCHA, 25-10-6)

New Hampshire (Hockey
East, 15-9-3)
Defending champion Maine
headlines an impressive field
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C F H L
P a g e
&
F A H L
S q u i r t
5
S t a n d i n g s
FAHL
CFHL
Panther Blue
4
0
Everblades Green 4
0
Blackhawks 03
4
0
Knights
4
0
Toros
2
2
Everblades Blue
3
1
Blackhawks 02
2
2
Bulls
2
1
Bolts
1
1
2
Lightning
2
2
Golden Wolves
1
2
1
Flames
1
3
Panthers Red
1
2
1
Lady Vipers
1
3
Hurricanes
1
3
Scorpions
0
3
Breakers
0
4
Vipers
0
4
1
1
M y H o c k e y R a n k i n g s . c o m
Years ago a parent lamented
the fact many travel weekends
consisted of mismatches for
his son’s team. Result? Running time blowouts. These
aren’t good for either team.
Surely there had to be a way to
compare team strength for
teams from different states.
Necessity mothered a website
with the ambitious goal of
ranking all youth teams in
N o r t h
A m e r i c a .
Www.MyHockeyRankings.com
S F H L
has gotten gradually better
since inception and is a good
way to gauge approximate
team strength. This can assist
managers with scheduling and
tournament directors with
pairings.
This year Florida’s Squirt
teams are being tracked for
the first time.
As good as the site is, there
are limitations and nobody
should put too much stock in
whether a team is #24 or
S q u i r t
#240. For one, updating the
site is the collective effort of
an army of volunteers. Another is that there are kids having
a great time playing hockey
and improving as players for
low-rated teams as well as
those on top.
There is no prize for the team
that finishes #1, but all things
considered the good outweighs potential negatives.
Check it out and poke around
the site’s excellent content
beyond the rankings.
We quickly
realized a team’s
record is not an
indicator of
strength and
wondered who was
better and by how
much.
9 / 2 2
Space Coast
Next up: 10/13
Everblades 6—Hurricanes 1
Knights 7—Everblades 2
Hurricanes 3—Knights 3
TBSA
Scorpions 7—Panthers 5
Bulls 3—Panthers 3
Scorpions 3—Bulls 1
Palm Beach IceWorks
Golden Wolves 3—Breakers 2
Golden Wolves 4—Toros 0
Toros 3—Breakers 2
Brandon
Hurricanes-Bulls-Toros
Saveology
Panthers-Wolves-Knights
Germain
Breakers-Scorpions-Everblades
Early results point to a
very competitive season
of league play
P a g e
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T h e
F I R E
P h o t o s
Spirited play all across the state
L o o m i n g
It’s a real cool
water slide. It
corkscrews
around three
times and his
older sister told
him it is a lot of
fun.
The FIRE endeavors to focus
on the positive side of youth
sports, but we cannot ignore
possible eligibility concerns
surrounding two impact players in the SFHL Squirt league.
I s s u e s ?
one year older than he now
purports to be. Contacted by
The FIRE, his parents issued
the following statement:
Both cases involve children of
questionable age. While birth
certificates have been provided, there is sufficient confusion to bring their validity into
question.
My son really wanted to go
down the water slide at the
municipal pool. He was 4.
Since he could swim, I gave
them the incorrect year with
his birthday. I didn’t know it
would catch up with us all
these years later.
It is a fact an official government document exists with a
date of birth that contradicts
what was provided to USA
Hockey. It indicates a player
In another case, a parent
from a rival team has filed a
complaint. USA Hockey believes the player is 9. The
FIRE has seen a sworn state-
I n
Some Orlando-area Mites
were asked to name their
favorite athlete from a sport
other than hockey.
Troy Polamalu—Gavin Crivelli
(2005)
Tim Tebow—Moses Leibell
(2007) & John Forrest Arnold
(2004)
T h e i r
O w n
Tiger Woods—Magnus Read
(2005)
Mike Maroth—Jacob Graziotti
(2004)
Peyton Manning—Nolan Mara
(2007)
Favorite ride/attraction?
Blizzard Beach—Nolan Mara
ment alleging the child purported to be 8 when asked his age
at a local movie theater. The
family’s response is that the
boy has been coached to portray himself as younger than
he actually is in order to qualify
for a discount.
The penalty for defrauding USA
Hockey could include forfeiture
of games, suspension, monetary fines, and/or a lifetime
ban from participating in USA
Hockey activities.
The FIRE will keep you apprised of this developing story.
W o r d s
Sky Rush—Jacob Graziotti
Corkscrew—J.F. Arnold
Jurassic Park boat ride—
Gavin Crivelli
Halloween Horror Nights—
Magnus Read
Wait! What’s a 6-year-old
doing at Halloween Horror
Nights?
Join young Magnus this month
with a trip to Universal Studios
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P h o t o s
Ready for the draw
A.J. Gabryluk reflects on the victory
Eden Hall
Academy won its
first banner over
Memorial Day
and the Panthers
Squirts took
home hardware at
the Early Bird
Undaunted by the
glass and netting,
Greg Heyn captures earlyseason CFHL
Squirt action
475
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The FIRE
Now in its 4th year, The FIRE began as Florida
Mite Report in Summer 2009. After a very successful one year run, the newsletter was re-
F L O R I D A
Y O U T H
H O C K E Y
R E P O R T
branded to include Squirts for the 2010-11
season. Subscriptions are FREE. Communicate program information and promote events
here by contacting the Editor/Publisher.
Oviedo, FL
Phone: 407-718-8390
E-mail: floridamitereport@gmail.com
JOHN CONLEY IS S.A.H.O.F.’S VICE PRESIDENT—YOUTH HOCKEY & CHAIR OF THE YOUTH
COMMITTEE — OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE
FIRE
following youth hockey
in the Sunshine State
Unfortunately owners and players are
not in agreement on how to divvy up
the revenue pie going forward. For
now, there are no games.
Certainly a disappointment for NHL
fans, this represents an opportunity for
hockey fans—and there’s a difference—to embrace the many other levels of hockey.
College hockey is regularly televised.
Big Ten Network will show 12 games
this season. NBC Sports Network,
formerly Versus, will show many
games as well. The many Fox Sports
Networks show games weekly.
NOT
NECESSARILY
REPRESENT
THOSE OF S.A.H.O.F. OR USA HOCKEY.
N H L
The NHL survived a cancelled season
following the Lightning’s Stanley Cup
season in 2004. With spending limits
and rules modifications some would
even say it thrived.
DO
O n
H o l d
While the two NHL teams are off, go
catch games live for our state’s two
ECHL teams. Or one of our state’s 9
Junior teams.
Still not enough? How about Minnesota high school games (free online) or
high level Junior hockey from the
USHL, NAHL, BCHL, or other places
(generally a pay-per-game charge)?
I’ve listened to online radio broadcasts
recently for a team I’m following near
Victoria, B.C. Hockey fans merely have
to look for something to follow and
they’ll have no trouble. You might
have your own suggestions to add.
Optimistically there will be a speedy
resolution to the labor dispute. If there
isn’t, use the NHL lull as an opportunity to sample other levels of the game.
This year will indicate who are the true fans of
hockey