The FIRE - Palm Beach Breakers Travel Hockey

TH E FI RE:
F LO RIDA YOU TH
HOCKEY
REPO RT
November 2012
V o l .
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The FIRE
SFHL Update
The concept was simple.
Rather than leave the
FAHL and CFHL to offer
“AA” level competition for
a handful of teams each,
have the programs from
areas served by both
leagues put teams all together in one league.
Now in its 6th season, the
Statewide Florida Hockey
League (SFHL) has been a
success. One needs to look
no further than results from
this season’s games.
Inside this issue:
Hockey is a Great Game
2
Xtra Ice
3
I Moved Away
4
Where to Eat
5
Warrior, Halloween
6
Photos
7
Squirt Standings
8
12
10
Pee Wees
10
While the eight Pee Wee
teams haven’t played any
ties yet, almost half of the
24 games have ended with
a one-goal margin. After
six games, no team is undefeated and every team has
at least one win. By any
measure the league is pretty competitive.
Squirts, however, take
competitiveness to another
level. Almost three-fourths
of the games have ended
tied or have been decided
by a goal or two. Goals are
hard to come by, with just
156 goals scored in 27
games, an average of less
than 3 per team per game.
By comparison, this year’s
5.78 g/gm is nearly a full
goal drop from last year’s
6.52.
As we approach the season
midpoint, SFHL races
promise to be tight for all
age levels. Enjoy the fun!
Squirts
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
tie
1
2
3
4
5+
tie
Bits of tid:

In 1994, Lake Superior St.
needed overtime to beat
Harvard in the NCAA semis.
Once through, they destroyed
Boston University 9-1.

In 2010, Boston College won
its Frozen Four games 7-1 & 5
-0 en route to winning the
NCAA championship.

From 1996 to 2002, five of
the seven NCAA finals went
to overtime.
1
2
3
4
5+
Margin
Margin
Coaching Education Program
Parents, the USA Hockey
curriculum
for
youth
coaches is the envy of other National Governing
Bodies.
All certified
coaches have attended
classroom sessions and
meet continuing education
requirements.
Starting in 2011, all coaches also have taken an
online “age-specific module” lasting 6 hours to help
them understand the specific needs of the players they
are coaching. Children and
teens need to be treated
differently than adults.
Coaches,
REMINDER!
All education must be completed by December 31st.
There are a few more classroom sessions scheduled in
our state. You can take
online modules at your
leisure, but they must be
completed by year-end.
Page 2
Hockey is a Great Game: Ron Ullyot
Bill Goldthorpe
He showed up in a
pink Cadillac,
fought 3 goalies,
and beat up the last
GM that cut him.
How do you cut Ogie Ogilthorpe? This decision is one
of the many I have faced over
a lifetime in hockey. We
were unable to offer a roster
spot because of confusing
agreements between the
NHL, WHA, and their minor
leagues. I was in my first
year of coaching with Columbus. Bill Goldthorpe, hockey’s most unpredictable and
notorious enforcer who was
inspiration for the Slap Shot
character, rode into town for
training camp driving a pink
Cadillac convertible. In four
games he got in fights with
three goaltenders. We weren’t sure how to handle it because he beat up the last GM
that cut him. Fun times.
Dad played professionally in
the Pacific Coast Hockey
League. I first skated at 2 ½
when we lived near Vancouver. He took a job coaching
in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan when I was 8 and it was
great for me – the city maintained an outdoor rink in our
backyard! One time I went to
my game and thought I was
early, only to find out we
weren’t at home so I skated
down the street about a mileand-a-half to the Reservation
Ron with grandson Ryan Whiteside,
who already sports great hockey hair
so we could play a First Nation team! I was tired for that
game.
My hockey accelerated as a
teenager in Fort Wayne. I
got to skate regularly with
my dad’s team, the Komets
of the IHL. Eventually the
Michigan coach saw me and
offered a scholarship. Four
years later, with a degree in
hand, I followed in my father’s footsteps into playing
and coaching professional
hockey. Which brings us
back to Goldthorpe.
Days like that eventually had
me considering career options outside of hockey. Experience in coaching and
working in the front office
provided me with wonderful
skills that proved to be transferable to the business world.
My kids were young and I
wanted to be home more.
Projects on the side turned
into IT work for an ad agency, eventually transitioning to
sales. Naturally, the contacts
that helped me land these
jobs were people I’d known
from hockey.
I’ve learned many lessons
from a lifetime around team
sports. Hard work gets results. Look for opportunity
when facing adversity. Some
values you either have or
need to develop; if you don’t
you’ll fall by the wayside.
I’ve been successful in my
profession because of my
belief that a strong team accomplishes more than individuals could do on their
own. Our standard installation is a collaborative effort
involving a salesperson, two
consultants for training and
implementation, a project
manager that serves as a liai-
son between us and the client,
and many people from different departments on their side.
I stay involved in hockey by
coaching a U16 team, working with my grandson and
other Mites, officiating, and
occasionally playing myself.
I’ve learned a lot and love
being on the bench. Eventually you’ve seen it all and I
wish I knew half of what I
know now when I entered the
coaching
profession…
terrified of losing and afraid
to fail. My main advice to all
young players is to be sure to
play with your head up. All
hockey plays are made with
the head up: passing, stick
handling, shooting. It is a
huge limiting factor if you
can’t play with your head up,
so work on this by handling a
puck around a lot of people
on the ice. A good drill is to
give everyone a puck and
have the whole team carry it
in a small area, like between
the red and blue line or a
faceoff circle.
Parents, don’t bring the stress
of the game into your car.
More than anything, hockey
players of all ages need positive reinforcement.
Hockey is a great game.
Through it I’ve made great
friends, enjoyed competing,
and learned lessons that make
me a better employee, family
man, and person.
Ron Ullyot played college
hockey at the University of
Michigan before a professional career with the Fort
Wayne Comets of the IHL.
He later coached in that
league for a dozen years.
Today he is a sales executive
for
Integrated
Business
Group in Orlando.
Vol. 4, Issue 3
Page 3
Florida’s Newest Rink
Located near Tampa International Airport, Xtra Ice is a
not-for-profit
hockey-only
training facility.
The ice
sheet measures 65’ x 140’
and was built to provide additional ice time for kids interested in developing their
game. The smaller rink helps
hockey players enhance their
skills and decision making
ability because of the faster
pace when playing on a
smaller ice surface.
All of our instructional programs have been developed
with the expertise of original
Tampa Bay Lightning player
John Tucker. He brings over
By Doug Winslow
30 years of experience as an
NHL player and professional
level coach in Europe and
Asia. Tucker has developed
and expanded Xtra Ice and
Training’s unique approach
to hockey instruction ranging
from beginners to elite hockey players.
Teaching and coaching is at
the core of our program. All
of our instructors have a long
history of hockey and skating
knowledge ready to pass on
to the next generation. Xtra
Ice and Training, delivers a
unique, proven learning experience. We are also committed to more personalized in-
struction which is achieved
through SMALLER CLASS
SIZE. This allows for more
individual attention and a
higher repetition rate of
drills.
We plan to be open the week
of November 2nd and will be
rolling out a new program
that donates hockey equipment to any new child that
takes up the game! We hope
this facility can introduce
100's of kids to the great
sport of hockey!
Please visit our website at
www.xtra-ice.org.
The FIRE
Thanksgiving Hockey
Please join us for the Thanksgiving 4-on-4 tournament at
Xtra Ice and Training for an
exciting weekend of non-stop
hockey fun. Our first 4 on 4
event will be one to remember!
Each team will receive a 30
minute, four game guarantee.
Play begins Friday morning
and runs through Sunday
evening. Mites through
Midgets.
Team entries recommended,
but we can also place individual entries with teams consisting of 8 skaters and one
goalie.
Lots of ice for everyone.
Quick changes, high paced,
no whistles - lots of goals
await! Each player will be
entered in our "showcase of
skills" contest as we find the
fastest skater, hardest shot
and most creative on a breakaway.
Team Cost is $495 | Call 813843-1728 to register.
Page 4
I Moved Away: Chris Dorrer
I played hockey in Florida for
four years; two years of learn
-to-play/Mini Mites followed
by years of Mite travel hockey with the Space Coast Hurricanes. As a military family,
we had to move to Washington D. C. for my dad’s work.
My new home is in Maryland, just outside of D.C. I
play with the Montgomery
Youth Hockey Association,
one of the largest programs
on the East Coast. This year
we are fielding 7 Squirt travel
teams and approximately 3040 kids did not make one and
are playing in the house program. The Montgomery Blue
Devils field two AA teams,
five A teams, and one B level
team at the Squirt level.
I’m on one of the AA teams
and we practice twice per
week with two games some
weekends. That’s just like it
was for me in Florida. A big
difference, though, is that we
use two facilities with 5
sheets of ice. Both rinks are
within 15-20 minutes from
our home.
The Montgomery
Blue Devils are one
of the largest
Including tournaments, our
team will play 45 games this
season. The league has 6 AA
teams and our area also have
an A league with 15 teams.
Last year I played in that
league.
The main difference from
Florida is that the competition to make a travel team is
much more difficult. Most
teams field 13 skaters and
two goalies. A benefit is that
the kids on each team are at
about the same skill level. In
Florida, it seemed most teams
have wider range of ability. I
sure miss playing every other
shift, versus rolling three
lines on my current team.
The transition from Florida to
Maryland was not difficult...I
was not behind my peers.
programs in the U.S.
with 7 Squirt travel
Chris Dorrer in the dark and light of
the Montgomery Blue Devils
teams.
Try Hockey For Free—November 3rd
On November 3, 2012, USA
Hockey and over 400 local
programs across the country
will encourage kids, ages 4 to
9, to come to a local participating rink and try youth
hockey as part of the NHL's
Come Play Hockey Month.
All locations have a limited
amount of equipment available for use.
Participating rinks in Florida
are Clearwater Ice Arena,
Saveology.com
Iceplex
(Coral Springs), Jacksonville
Ice & Sportsplex, the Ice
Factory (Kissimmee), Palm
Beach Skate Zone (Lake
Worth), Tampa Bay Skating
Academy (Oldsmar), RDV
Sportsplex
Ice
Den
(Maitland), Pensacola Civic
Center,
and
Xtra
Ice
(Tampa).
For more information, visit
www.tryhockeyforfree.com.
Come Play Hockey Month has
the total attention of the NHL
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In Their Own Words
Some Florida Mites were
asked to name their favorite
thing about hockey. Here are
their answers:
Shooting on a net—Moses
Leibel (2007) RDV Solar
Bears
Skating—Nolan Mara (2007)
RDV Solar Bears
That you can work with your
teammates—Jacob Graziotti
(2004) Knights
Getting hat tricks—Gavin
Crivelli (2005) Knights
It’s a really good sport—
John Forrest Arnold (2004)
RDV Solar Bears
Scoring
goals—Magnus
Read (2005) RDV Solar
Bears
Gavin has an interest in dinosaurs. A Squirt asked him if
he’d like to grow up to be an
archaeologist, you know, to
go find dinosaur bones.
“No. They’ve already been
found.”
So kids, no need to go out
and become a Mesozoic archaeologist.
You won’t find Gavin Crivelli wasting his time digging in dirt!
Where to Eat: Palm Beach IceWorks
When you come to play the
Breakers, we’ve got something for everyone near Palm
Beach IceWorks. There isn’t
much South of the rink unless
you go pretty far, so most of
the recommendations are just
North of the rink.
There are many fast food
places including McDonald's,
Subway, Chick-Fil-A, Pizza
Hut and also Dunkin Donuts
and Starbucks along Okeechobee Blvd (mostly west of
I-95).
Heading West on Okeechobee Blvd. to the intersection
of Jog Road and Okeechobee
Blvd:
Rooney's All-In Sports Bar
& Grille (6901 Okeechobee
Blvd.) serves wings, burgers,
salads and some entrees.
They have lots of TV's and
broadcast many sports games.
Duffy's Sports Grill (6845
Okeechobee Blvd.) is similar.
Longhorn Steakhouse (6841
Okeechobee Blvd.) is in the
same place.
Going East on Okeechobee
Blvd. takes you to City Place,
an outdoor shopping and dining area. It is just east of I-95
on Okeechobee Blvd on the
North side, past the Kravis
Center and across from the
Convention Center.
They
also have a movie theater
which is sometimes a good
way to let the kids rest in
between games if they have a
few hours. Some of the dining options at City Place include Cheesecake Factory,
Saito’s Japanese, Brewzzi,
Taverna Opa (Greek), Sushi
Jo's, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Mellow Mushroom
and some others.
By Sharyn Schoen
Something for
everyone when you
Clematis
Street
is
in
"Downtown
West
Palm
Beach" and has dining and
street shopping. You can
find restaurants and bars
along many of the streets.
visit Palm Beach Ice
A few others just an exit
north of Okeechobee Blvd on
Palm Beach Lakes Blvd are:
more.
Singing Bamboo Chinese
Restaurant (2845 N. Military Trail) is a local favorite
and Sweet Tomatoes (1900
Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.) is a
great healthy choice for salad, pasta and soup served
buffet style.
Readers: Please help hockey
families with “Where to Eat”
for games in your home rink.
E-mail your submission to
floridamitereport@gmail.com
Works. Greek,
Chinese, salads,
chains, sports bars,
Japanese, and
Page 6
Florida Teams Head Out of State
One of the largest tournaments all year is the Warrior
AAA Invitational in Detroit.
Several Florida teams participated this year.
Tampa 2000 won the Consolation title for the Widow
(2nd) division, closing with
three wins after a loss and
two draws in pool play.
Florida Alliance 2000 was
winless in three close games
in their tough pool, then finished up with a convincing
blowout of the Pittsburgh
Selects.
In the same division, the
Florida Panthers won one of
their four games against
strong opponents.
November sees
several Florida
teams head to
Chicago for the
Bauer Invite. In
state, older teams
have a Silver Stick
qualifier in Ellenton.
Florida Alliance 2001 managed a tie after two close
losses in pool play, then
turned it on with two wins to
reach the Consolation final.
Near Boston, the Columbus
Day Classic was held at the
New England Sports Center.
Two Panther Squirt teams
attended.
The Warrior in October attracts a
very strong field to Detroit
Jr. Panthers Thanksgiving Preview
Saveology.com Iceplex in
Coral Springs will again host
the Florida Jr. Panthers
Thanksgiving
tournament.
There is a full field of 70
teams for 2012. 70!
That’s so much hockey that
the Iceplex’s three sheets
aren’t enough.
Overflow
games will be held at the
BB&T Center in Sunrise.,
formerly the BankAtlantic.
(Bank consolidation and all.)
The FIRE is happy to report
that someone will be playing
hockey there in November!
Several Canadian teams are
scheduled to attend, as well
Halloween Costume Photos Wanted
Kids, please send photos of
you in your Halloween costume! Hockey themed or not,
the December issue will feature a Halloween photo section. Parents: proud of your
house? Let’s see it!
E-mail photos to the Editor at
floridamitereport@gmail.com
Here’s how it looked at our
house. Hockey Halloween
meets Gangnam Style.
The Great Pumpkin?
NO!
The GREAT ONE Pumpkin!
Panthers AA were very
competitive in winning the
Consolation division. Three
wins and a one-goal loss
bookended a very difficult
matchup with a top Canadian
team, the Clarington Toros.
Panthers A also reached the
Consolation final, mainly the
result of stingy defense as
they only gave up 8 goals
through their first four
games.
NOV 2-4: Florida teams now
head to Chicago for the Bauer World Invite.
www.worldhockeyinvite.com
Golden Wolves Sq AA, 2002
Lightning, 2001 Lightning,
Knights PW AA, Tampa
2000, 1999 Alliance, and
Toros 99 are entered.
as teams from virtually every
program in Florida. The Pee
Wee division alone has over
20 teams entered. It’ll be an
exciting weekend of hockey.
For visiting families, refer to
the October issue for Joe
Safonte’s dining recommendations!
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Photos
Proud to be Toros!
Be sure to wear
your neck guard!
Youth hockey in
Florida is very
healthy, as seen in
these photos from
intro classes, Mite
travel, and highlevel Pee Wee
action.
Fast action as Florida’s two 2001
“AAA” teams faced each other
Great attendance at
the Ice Den’s ADMinspired Friday Night
clinic
T h e F I R E :
F l o r i d a Y o u t h
H o c k e y R e p o r t
Now in its 4th year, The FIRE began as Florida Mite Report in Sum-
Phone: 407-718-8390
E-mail:
mer 2009. After a very successful one year run, the newsletter was
rebranded to include Squirts for the 2010-11 season. Subscrip-
floridamitereport@gmail.com
tions are FREE. Communicate program information and promote
events here by contacting the Editor/Publisher.
494
Subscribers
JOHN CONLEY IS S.A.H.O.F.’S VICE PRESIDENT—YOUTH HOCKEY &
following youth
CHAIR OF THE YOUTH COMMITTEE — OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE
hockey in the
FIRE DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF S.A.H.O.F. OR
Sunshine State
USA HOCKEY.
The FIRE
Squirt Standings
SFHL
FAHL
Golden Wolves 6
0
0
Panther Blue
6
0
0
Knights
3
1
2
Blackhawks 03
6
0
1
Everblades
4
2
0
Toros
6
2
0
Scorpions
4
2
0
Panthers Red
3
2
3
Toros
2
2
2
Everblades Grn 6
0
0
Blackhawks 02
2
2
3
Panthers
2
3
1
Everblades Blue 7
1
0
Bolts
2
3
3
Bulls
1
4
1
Flames
5
3
0
Golden Wolves 2
4
2
Breakers
1
5
0
Bulls
4
3
1
Hurricanes
1
7
0
Hurricanes
0
4
2
Lightning
3
3
0
Breakers
0
7
0
Knights
4
4
0
Scorpions
2
5
1
Lady Vipers
1
5
0
Vipers
0
8
0
CFHL