As some of you might know, I have devoted a significant amount of time to covering various angles of hockey in California as web editor for http://www.calirubber.com and through contributing articles to its sister publication, California Rubber magazine.
It’s been a rewarding experience in many ways, and it has complemented my work on Palm Trees and Frozen Ponds quite well.
A few things to watch for on the local hockey scene:
First, while LA Jr. Kings forward Shane McColgan will be making his WHL debut this week with the Kelowna Rockets, he might not be the only Midget player from the state heading to the Great White North this winter. LA Selects 16U goaltender Brendan Jensen could also get a game with Vancouver of the WHL. For more on that, click here. And another of the state’s AAA teams, the San Jose Jr. Sharks 18U squad, lost its top scorer – Gage Emerson – to Motor City of the NAHL recently.
I hope the McColgan family has a good travel agent. He went from LA to Pittsburgh for a Midwest Elite League showcase event and then on to Kelowna, British Columbia, where he will travel with the Rockets for two games this week before returning to LA. I’ll have more on his debut in January’s California Rubber magazine.
A couple of other big events worth mentioning – the Jr. Kings are hosting a MWEHL Showcase on Dec. 27-29 at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, and all five powerhouse Detroit midget programs are playing in it. If you’re in the area, this is an excellent way to see some very good hockey and some of the stars of tomorrow.
And if you’re curious about what’s around the corner in elite hockey, be sure to head down to Glacial Garden in Lakewood over President’s Day Weekend for the 95s tournament that the LA Selects are hosting. Top teams from all over North America are heading west for that. And congratulations to Sandy Gasseau, Rick Kelly and Bill Comrie and the boys for winning their division at the Silver Stick tournament in Whitby, Ontario, recently. That is a huge accomplishment, but we should be getting used to that by now from the Selects. The 95 team formed the backbone of last season’s Pee Wee AAA national champions.
Keep your head up and your stick on the ice.
Chris Bayee's Hockey Blog 