Twin Cities Adult Hockey Blog

The McKinsey Quarterly

Adult Women's Hockey in Eden Prairie

Email received regarding women's hockey in Eden Prairie -

The Arena formerly known  as Northstar Ponds (now Velocity Hockey Center ) wants to offer adult women some fabulous hockey opportunities in Eden Prairie !!

Beginning in early fall, Velocity Hockey Center will be available for adult women's hockey...the format, days and times to be determined by responses to this email and other feedback from local adult players (and also from anyone interested in learning the world's greatest game!)

The Velocity Hockey Center would like to design the adult women's hockey program to best meet our needs and interests, so they are requesting our input in this process.

We have many format options from which to choose:

• open 3x3 hockey
• 3x3 league (may require multiple levels to accommodate both beginners and more experienced players)
• Learn-To-Play clinics (including skating skills and basic hockey skills)
• Intermediate  and Advanced  EuroHockey skills/drills/small area  games clinics
• Other.....send us your suggestions and recommendations!

Most of our available ice time will be during the week days, but there may be some other options available, too.

Let's Get it Started!!

Please email your preferences, suggestions and recommendations regarding format (3x3 league vs. open hockey, clinic preferences etc...), days, times etc  to:

Chris LaCombe,

Director

Velocity Hockey Center

  chrislacombe@velocityhockeycenter.com

952.937.0949

http://www.northstarponds.com/home.html

Stickin' Around Looking for Players

If you're a newer female hockey player, you might be interested in the following email from BartDavidson, from the WHAM C3 team, Stickin' Around. They are looking for a goalie and some additional team members -

I am Barbara "Bart" Davidson, team representative from Stickin' Around - WHAM hockey team at the C3 level. We are a novice hockey team that is designed for beginning players. We are in need of several skaters and a goalie for the upcoming season and hope you may know of women who might be interested in playing.

We are a fun group of players who have been together for two years and are looking for additional players who enjoy hockey and camaraderie on and off the ice. Our home ice is at Richfield, with most ice times on Sunday afternoons. We do have some practices scheduled in September on Saturday afternoons. We have a new coach with extensive experience and he is excited about moving our team forward for the season.

If you know someone who might fit our needs please ask them to email me at drbad@myway.com or call me at 763-424-8850.

Bart

763-424-8850

drbad@myway.com

Men's League Fall Schedule

Received an email from Eric Knutsen, the local coordinator of the men's Metro Hockey League. They're getting ready for fall, so give him a call if you're interested -

I wanted to remind you that the Metro Adult Hockey League is starting the week of September 17, 2006, so it's time to line-up the boys and sharpen your skates.  I will be sending out registration forms very soon.  Here is a brief look at the levels and divisions we will be offering:

• Sunday - Central Bronze @ Augsburg (8-10 teams)
• Monday/Tuesday - West Silver II @ Minnetonka/Parade (8 teams)
• Wednesday - West Silver @ St. Louis Park/Minnetonka (10-12 teams)
• Wednesday - West Gold @ St. Louis Park (6-8 teams)
• Wednesday - Central Gold @ Augsburg (6-8 teams)

The Silver level hosts players with a wide variety of skill levels.  Most players have organized men's league experience or high school playing experience at most.  The silver level is considered recreational, yet still competitive.  The Bronze level will be offered for lower level silver teams and teams lacking youthful legs - you know who you are!

The Gold level hosts players with higher skill levels.  Most players have high school hockey experience at a minimum.  Many players have post high school playing experience or are accomplished adult teams.  The Gold level is the most competitive division, yet it is very laidback.  As in the past, we may offer a inter-divisional play for the Gold level.

We hope to see you on the ice for another great season of hockey, a wet t-shirt, and a cold beer.

Thank you,

Eric Knutsen
Minnesota Showcase Hockey
phone 952-920-8826
fax 952-546-2784
www.showcasehockey.com

Goalie Boot Camp

Here's information on a "boot camp" for goalies - all ages and both genders. The camp is targeted at beginning to intermediate goalies -

There is a new goalie camp scheduled.  It will be a one weekend, 8 hour boot-camp designed for the beginner to intermediate goalie squirt age and above.  No experience necessary!  If you or someone you know would like to register or for more information please go to:

http://www.geocities.com/coachtonydh

Tentative schedule:

August 26th

9:00 am-11:00 am: Basic movement

11:30 am-12:30 pm: Off-ice chalk-talk (optional)

2:00-4:00 pm: Basic saves, intro to angles

August 27th

9:00 am-11:00 am: Advanced saves

11:30 am- 12:30 pm:  Off-ice conditioning techniques (optional)

2:00 pm- 4:00 pm: Advanced saves continued, Game situations

Thanks,

Amanda Carlson

IceShark Goalie School

651-592-2750

IceShark36@yahoo.com

coachtonydh@yahoo.com

Rob Little Shooting Clinic

I was forwarded the following email message regarding a Rob Little shooting clinc that sounds pretty interesting....

Hey players:
I am currently taking the Rob Little Hockey shooting clinic and he is very low on attendance and asked us to inform others that he is willing to take players on an individual ice session basis. Our first session was on July 27 and there were a few players from Clean up Crew and Veelas. The shooting clinic focuses on individual skills - within 20 minutes of the 1st session I lifted the puck on a wrist shot. I was in shock. If you are interested - here are the following sessions. Contact Rob at rlittle@mn.rr.com if you are interested in attending specific dates. Do not reply back to me, I have no other info - you need to contact Rob.

http://www.roblittlehockey.com/

Thanks
Bart

#5.	Shooting/Goalie: 5 sessions
	Dates:	July 27, Aug 1, 3, 8, 10	T, Th
	Times:	7:00 - 8:15	@ Breck Anderson Arena
	Fee:	$150.00, $50.00 deposit due with application
		Balance due at first class
#6.	Stickhandling: 5 sessions
	Dates:	July 27, Aug 1, 3, 8, 10	T, Th
	Times:	8:30 - 9:45PM	@ Breck Anderson Arena
	Fee:	$150.00, $50.00 deposit due with application
		Balance due at first class
#7.	Quickness & Agility: 7 sessions
	Dates:	Sept 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27	M, W
	Times:	7:00 - 8:00PM	@ Breck Anderson Arena
	Fee:	$150.00, $50.00 deposit due with application
		Balance due at first class

Our Target Market

Just a quick clarification - we feature classes, clinics, open ice, league info and other related information that we think the adult hockey player may find useful. We are targeting the ADULT hockey player, BOTH male and female.

If a post specifically mentions gender, that opportunity is gender-specific. If the post or title doesn't mention gender, we assume that the class or skate is co-ed.

We scout web sites, newsletters and emails for opportunities to highlight. If you'd like to see more gender-specific info, we encourage our readers to forward details to us. We're happy to publicize a wide variety of activites which might be of interest to our readers.

Women's Fall League Taking Sign-Ups

The 2006 Minnesota Women's Summer Hockey League (MWSHL) fall session is scheduled for Wednesdays, September 6 through October 18 at the Edison Civic Arena.

This is a recreational league for beginner, C, and B2 level players who wish to continue playing hockey throughout the offseason. The MWSHL provides a relaxed environment where players can work on new moves and skate without the pressures of the regular season.

Each team will play one game per week (seven games total). Game times are 7:30 p.m., 8:45 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. The cost per session is $80 for position players and $25 for goalies.

To register, please print the registration form from www.mwshlhockey.org and mail it along with full payment to the address printed on the form. League slots (90 skaters and 6 goalies per session) will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

Additional information about the MWSHL can be found on the league website at www.mwshlhockey.org. Rosters, schedules, results, and more will be posted on the web site throughout both sessions.

Women's Open Hockey

Women on Edge (WHAM C3 team) will be hosting a women's open skate on Monday, July 31st at the Eagan ice arena from 9:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. The cost is $10 per skater, $5 for goalies).

The skate is targeted to C1 through C3 skaters. Call Laurel at 952-237-8919, or email her at
clarklc -at- comcast.net with questions or to sign up.

Adult Hockey Association Open Ice

The Twin Cities Adult Hockey Association has started a new open ice series of scrimmages on Monday nights at Drake Arena.

The initial program will be for players at the Beginner / D2 level of play. Participants do not need to be registered with the AHA, but if they are not AHA registered, they do need to be USA Hockey registered and provide proof.

When: Every Monday evening from July 24th through August 28th (6 weeks)
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: Drake (St. Paul Academy) Arena
Cost: $60 for all 6 sessions ($10 per session), or $12 for individual sessions.

The sessions will be capped at 24 skaters and 2 goalies. Goalies play free of charge.

Click the link above to go to the AHA web site and register for the sessions. Registrations are first come, first served.

The AHA website has lots of good information about the upcoming season, so check it out.

Minnesota Wild Adult Hockey League

Fall League: September 10-December 20, 2006

Winter League: January 7-May 23, 2007

This adult hockey league offers multiple skill levels and divisions novice through elite players. This is a zero tolerance league with a full-time league supervisor. The Minnesota Wild Adult League runs a winter, summer and fall league.       

League Features    

• »  Team jerseys provided by league
• »  Fall and Summer teams guaranteed minimum eleven games; Winter teams guaranteed minimum fifteen games
• »  All games will consist of three 17-minute periods and a 4-minute warm-up
• »  All teams make single elimination, season-ending tournament
• »  No checking, no slap shots
• »  Online league standings
• »  Full-time league supervisor
• »  Professional, certified officials
• »  Hat Trick Café on-site for food and beverages

Divisions Offered       

• »  A - advanced/elite league
• »  B - competitive, tier I
• »  C - competitive, tier II
• »  D - intermediate/novice, recreational
• »  40+ Tier I (upper)
• »  40+ Tier II (lower)

Venues       

Games are played at the Schwan Super Rink and Columbia Ice Arena in Fridley.

Application Deadline

Fall  League application deadline is August 8 , 2006 or when league is full.

 

All-American Women's Hockey Tournament

For team managers and captains who like to plan ahead -

November 16-19, 2006              

Be a part of the largest female hockey tournament in the United States and play at the largest ice arena in the United States, the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. The All American Girls’ and Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament is open to all youth and women’s ice hockey teams sanctioned by USA Hockey or the appropriate international ice hockey federation affiliate. The number of teams in each age bracket is limited, so apply early.

Application Deadline      

October 6, 2006      

Tournament Features       

• »  Team trophies awarded to first, second, third and consolation.
• »  Individual medals awarded to first, second and third place.
• »  Coaches' hospitality room
• »  Three-game guarantee
• »  Professional game management
• »  Certified officials and trainers at all games
• »  College coaches' recruiting program

Divisions Offered

USA Hockey/Minnesota Hockey age rules apply for all divisions.       

• »  Girls U10, U12, U14, U16, U19
• »  Women’s B, C, College Club

New Email Addresses

As a part of moving real estate brokers, we have some new email addresses. We'd love to hear from you if you have classes, clinics, scrimmages, team needs, etc to promote.

Marcus Bustad: marcusbustad@gmail.com

Jane Neumiller-Bustad: jnbustad@gmail.com

Clean Gear - How Pleasant!

My daughter and I played hockey this evening...and sitting next to each other on the bench, we could tell that our hockey gear was in serious need of cleaning *phew*!

We were at the Burnsville Ice Arena and decided to try the "Sports-O-Zone" equipment cleaning and sanitizing unit sitting right there. We dumped in all of her gear, and all of mine - and Marcus grabbed a pair of his skates from the car - and set the unit to work.

5 minutes later - voila! Hockey gear smalled muuuuuuuuch better - we didn't cringe when the gloves and elbow pads went past our noses. It was $10 for both sets of gear, and we could have put even more in.

So, we were skeptics and are now converts! I'm impressed - it smells so much better, and the documentation they had near the machine made a pretty good case that it's been sanitized as well. If your benchmates are moving away from you, and If you see a machine at your local rink, we say go for it.

Women's Fundamentals Class

Sorry for the delay in blogging - we've switched real estate brokers and I've been working to set up our website and contact management structure...and we're in the process of getting our own home ready to sell. *Phew* - and there are several other projects going on as well....

So, hockeyblogging has been a little behind for the last few weeks - but here are a few new opportunities for folks to consider.

Upcoming women's clinic -

Focus on Fundamentals

 

This clinic, geared toward C level players with at least one year of playing experience, will focus on the fundamental skills of hockey - skating, stickhandling, shooting, and passing. Stationed-based practices will be used, allowing players to learn and apply a variety of different skills during each one-hour session.

 

Off-ice training will compliment each of the on-ice sessions. Off-ice sessions will focus on systems and strategies, shooting, stickhandling, and strength and conditioning. Individual shooting instruction, weight training, and plyometrics will be integrated into the off-ice program.

 

Dates: 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31

Time: 8 p.m. (except for the 8/3 and 8/10 sessions which will be at 6:45 p.m.)

Location: Brooklyn Park Community Activities Center

Cost: $80

 

This clinic will be coached by the Ice Pirates coaching staff along with weekly guest instructors. There will be an approximate 5-to-1 player-to-coach ratio during the clinic. All players will receive 1-on-1 coaching in shooting and other fundamental hockey skills.

 

Goalie-specific coaching will be provided.

 

To register please mail full payment along with your name, address, email address, phone number, and regular season team to Anne Steiner, 13183 Vintage St. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55448. If you have questions or would like additional information about this clinic, please contact Anne Steiner at steinera19@yahoo.com or 763-576-0907.

Rob Little Clinic

Rob Little Hockey Camps will be offering a 7.5 hour SHOOTING/SCORING CLINIC.

Basic shooting techniques and scoring strategies will be covered and developed.

All sessions will be at the Breck Anderson Arena.

DATES and TIMES:

June 19 9:30-11:00 pm

June 24 3:00-4:30 pm

June 26 9:30-11:00 pm

July 16 3:00-4:30 pm

July 23 3:00-4:30 pm

Goalies who wish to participate may come free of charge. Goalie instruction will not be provided.

Cost for the SHOOTING/SCORING CAMP will be 150.00.

Deposits are not required to secure a spot and payment can be made at the June 19 session. Players that register are responsible for the entire payment.

To register, send me an email at rlittle@mn.rr.com specifying you are registering for the SHOOTING/SCORING CAMP.

Inline Hockey Update

Here's an inline hockey update from Greg Mergens:

The 2006 Minnesota Inline Hockey season is under way at Highland Arena. We will again try to run three 9-game adult sessions out of St. Paul and one out at Hopkins starting the week of May 29, 2006. Individuals looking to play send the league and email and we will get you on a team for summer. This is a great opportunity for anyone that has ever wanted to try it.

Once you try it, you'll be hooked!

Cost is $750 per team, $94 for individuals, for nine games (seven regular season, two playoffs). Team registration and rosters are on the handouts section of the web site at

www.minnesotainlinehockey.com

.

Greg Mergens - 612-910-1094

Nights of play for adults are as follows:

Highland Arena

Monday - Gold

Tuesday - Silver (upper)

Wednesday - Gold

Thursday - Silver (lower, no gold level players allowed)

Hopkins Arena

Tuesdays - Premier (highest level)

Wednesdays - Silver

Thursdays - Gold

Sunday Morning Skates

We received an email about a Sunday morning pick up opportunity -

"John Bellingham (John.Bellingham@Lifefitness.com) is setting up regular Sunday AM pick-up hockey for the summer. First two dates are...

St. Louis Park (East)- Sunday, June 4th, 9:15 A.M (1 hour)

St. Louis Park (East)- Sunday, June 11th, 9:15 A.M (1 hour)

Depending on interest and number of bodies, ice times could jump to 1.5 hour from June 19th on. Cost is somewhere in the $7-10 per time (again, dependent on number of bodies).

If you are interested or want more info contact John directly."

Buzz Hockey on Sunday Nights

As I've noted before, we both started adult hockey with John "Buzz" Bazzachini's classes out in Plymouth. Great guy, great training.

Buzz Hockey offers training for men, women and youths - and this summer he's starting a women's skating opportunity on Sunday nights, starting on June 18th. He's also continuing to offer Sunday skates for men, just at a different time. Go to the web site to check out specifics.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog....

Sorry for the lack of posting lately (and lack of newsletter). A busy spring has invaded our home...and made free time sparse. Back to our (semi-) regular posting, I hope!

Is Your Email Address Up-To-Date?

I just sent out a new adult hockey e-newsletter this evening and wanted to give you a head's up that we get about 10-12 "bounces" for every newsletter we send out.

So...if you signed up for a newsletter but haven't been receiving them, please drop me a note and I'll check to see if yours is one of those "bouncing."

janebustad - at - edinarealty.com

Thanks -

MCDonald Summer Sundays

More high-level women's hockey -

Nan McDonald is offering scrimmages for A, B and high school women at VMIA over the summer. You need to register with Nan before April 30th, and you can get further info on the WHAM website.

Email Nan for information: nanmcbreeze@msn.com

Spring and Summer Hockey for A and B Women

Sue Ring-Jarvi is offering spring and summer hockey for A and B level women players. She is offering skates on Monday and Wednesday nights at VMIA in Minneapolis.

"A and B level" in this case means WHAM level skaters - and if you played Junior Varisty or college club up to Divison 1 hockey, this skate is for you.

Contact Sue at 763-427-6022 or e-mail: rjsports_wear@yahoo.com if you're interested.

AHA Summer League and Beginner's School Registration Available

The Adult Hockey Association (AHA) here in the Twin Cities has announced a summer league of play starting in June.

They'll have 4 divisions, with 12 games and a single elimination playoff. If you participated in the fall/winter 2005/2006 league, you get a bit of a break on price: $235, and $285 if you're a new player.

The teams are co-ed (which around here means they are mostly male) and you can sign up as an individual or as part of a group. Teams can also register this year. Teams are limited to 17 players and the league reserves the right to move players around to maintain parity.

You can register online at their web site.

Also from the AHA - their co-ed Beginner School starts a spring 2006 class on April 19th. The Beginner School is a great opportunity to learn to play adult hockey, and gives you a chance to be on a team in the fall/winter league play.

There are 10 on-ice instructional sessions, 2 off-ice sessions, 9 games and a jersey included in the registration fees. The 19 week program costs $425 before April 1st and $445 after the 1st.

Again, you can register online at the web site.

They do a great job getting new and experienced players up and running with good opportunities to play as a part of a regular team.

Another nice aspect of AHA? You can pay for your fees via scorekeeping. Nice way to cut the cost of your league play. See their web site for details.

FYI: AHA FAll/winter playoffs will be at Bloomington Ice Gardens April 6th-9th. If you want to see how fast the different divisions are, this would be a great opportunity to see them in action.

Miles Hockey is Back - on Friday Nights

Jennifer and Chris Miles have offered a Saturday night, co-ed, open skate at St. Thomas for the last several summers.

It's baaaack - and better than ever, with a change to Friday nights.

Skates will start on April 21st and run through October 27th. There are 27 sessions this summer.

This is a co-ed, no checking, pick-up hockey game. Ability levels vary, and Jen and Chris welcome all levels - you have to be a little flexible with your expectations. I would say the typical skater is an AHA level D1-C1/WHAM C2-B2, with definite exceptions on either side of that range. I'm a WHAM C3 skater and it's a little fast for me, but I like the challenge.

Here are their other details:

1. Pay for the entire summer (all 27 sessions) for $236

2. Pay for each month

April / May $57.00

June $47.50

July $38.00

August $38.00

September $47.50

October $28.50

3. Pay per time $10.00

They would prefer to have payment either in full or monthly so they don't have to chase you down after each session. You can send a sub in your place as they offer NO refunds for missed times.

You might have noticed that the prices are up. They are not out to make money on this just to break even - the arena has raised their ice fees, therefore, they had to bump up theirs.

Goalies skate FREE!

Skater limits:

They will limit it to 22 skaters again this year. Its not a science so sometimes they are short and other times they have a few extra. Please bear with them on this.

Rules:

Jen says she hates them as much as you, but they do have some knuckle heads that occasionally show up.

1. NO checking

2. NO fighting

Jen says "Ok that covers it. Try to keep your shifts short. I won't time you, but your bench mates might."

CYA stuff:

All of you are smart enough to know that you run risk of injury when you play. Play at your own risk.

Kids can skate BUT they must be at least 2nd year Peewee and you are responsible for them.

How to sign up:

Send her an email with what option you want to sign up for. Then send a check made payable to Jennifer Miles at 3940 17th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407.

612-729-9227 Home

612-599-4037 Cell

cjtttmiles27@msn.com Home email (only checked after work)

jennifer.miles@target.com Work email (checked frequently during the day)

Buzz Hockey Update

Some class updates from Buzz Hockey out in Plymouth -

Men's hockey is ongoing on Sunday nights throughout the year. A new 7 week session begins on April 9th and runs through June 4th. It's $150.00 per 7 week session. Drop-ins are always welcome. Check Buzz' web site for current ice times.

Women's hockey is ongoing on Friday mornings (child care is available with advance notice). Friday mornings stop at the end of April, but Buzz will have sessions for women on Monday nights during the summer.

Skaters at all different levels are welcome - beginner through advanced.

Hockey Opportunities for One and All

UPDATED: March 15, 2006

Now that spring is just around the corner, there will be many classes, clincs and tournaments for the adult hockey player to contemplate.

We're going to start a running list of these opportunities and just update these posts when new ones appear. Again, if you know if a class, clinic or tournament that needs some pulicity, just let us know.

We are assuming all opportunities are co-ed unless otherwise indicated.

Please double check all dates and conditions with the sponsoring group.

Clinics

Steve Brenner Open Hockey/Clinics for women

• Sunday nights, Burnsville Ice Center
• April 2nd - Sept 24th
• Scrimmages and instruction
• Click the link to view flyer with times for different ability levels, and fees.

Call: 952-895-4651 for info or to register

Coach Tony's Adult Skills and Women's Clinics

• Champlin Ice Forum
• Wednesday nights, 8:30 - 9:30 p.m.
• March 22 - May 3, 2006
• Click the link to register

Tournaments (in no particular order, just as we find out about them):

North American Holiday Hockey (adult and youth tournaments). Tournaments taking place in:

• Toronoto, Ontario (March 24-26)
• Chicago, IL (March 31-April 2)
• Montreal, Quebec (April 7-9)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (April 19-24
• Hartford, CT (April 28-30)
• Atlantic City, NJ (May 5-7)
• Las Vegas, NV (May 10-15)

Contact: Ben Alaimo 1-800-322-NAHH, email: nahtours@aol.com.

USA Hockey has a whole list of 2006 tournaments on the Adult portion of their web site.

• Lansing, MI ( Feb 24-26)
• Salt Lake City,UT (Mar 17-19)
• Indianapolis, IN (Mar 24-26)
• Rochester, MY (Mar 24-26)
• Lancaster, PA (Apr 21-23)
• Anchorage, AK (Apr 27-30)
• Chicago, IL (May 4-7)
• Columbas, OH (May 5-7)
• Kalamazoo, MI (May 12-14)
• Laurel, MD (May 19-21)
• Denver, CO (Jun 2-4)
• Laurel, MD (Jun 2-4)

Contact: USA Hockey Adult department at 1-800-566-3288

Camps (in no particular order, just as we find out about them):

Hockey & Sons Skills Camp and Hockey & Daughters Skills Camp (these sound fun!)

For kids ages 5 to 14, and parents of all ages.

Sons:

• Shattuck-St. Mary's campus, Fairbaut, MN (June 14-18)
• Shattuck - St. Mary's (Aug 9-13)

Daughters:

• Shattuck - St. Mary's (Aug 16-20)

Contact: Troy Ward, 1-800-469-7737

International Hockey Schools is offering an adult camp this year (it runs at the same time as some of their kid's camps, so you can attend at the same time as your child).

• June 19-23 (Monday through Friday)
• Day camp option only
• $475.00
• Detroit Lakes location

Call 800-348-3427 for more info

Peak Performance Hockey Camps also has an adult option available for some of their camp sessions. Adults can attend either on or off-ice activities at the same time as their kids.

• Check web site for specific dates
• Winona location

Contact: 1-800-345-7235

Schools (in no particular order, just as we find out about them):

Lifetime Hockey School (the Granddaddy of them all...)

• Minneapolis, MN (August 9-13), Parade Ice Gardens

Contact: 651-628-9437

Twin Cities Gay Hockey Association (TCGHA) will be holding a Hockey Skills School starting on Wednesday, March 8th.

• Other classes will be held on Thursday nights, March 16, 23 and 30
• Victory Memorial Ice Arena
• Classes are from 7:30 - 9
• $95.00 registration

Coach Tony Update

A link update and class announcement -

Please note that Coach Tony has a new website, and the link on the right side of the page has been updated. He offers a women's clinic, co-ed clinic and youth clinic options. A new Adult Skills Clinic has been posted - dates are Wednesday evenings, from March 22nd through May 3, 2006 at Chaplin Ice Forum in Champlin, MN. Clinics will run from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Learn to Play Hockey with Chicks with Sticks

Just received an email from Mike Curti with Chicks with Sticks. They are announcing a new 'learn to play hockey' clinic for women at the Superink in Blaine on Tuesday afternoons.

The clinics will run from 12:45 to 2:00 and will be held on 4 consecutive weeks. The just finished their first 4 week clinic and the new series starts tomorrow. Mike has a target of 18 players, so if you live in the north Metro and are wondering how to get started playing this great game...here's your chance.

Interested? Email Mike at: chickswithstickshockey@mchsi.com

*Sniff* Sorry, Team USA

Let us take just a moment to sign deeply at the loss of the Team USA Women to Team Sweden in today's Olympic semi-final game. Probably good for women's hockey overall...but a tough day for the ladies, many of whom we've gotten to know from the Gopher women's team.