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WWW.PROAMBITIONS.COM ‘Pure’ excitement builds for high school programs


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By Chris Bayee M


ore California hockey players are being true to their school this season than ever before. Thanks to the combined efforts of CAHA president Steve Laing and three proactive organizations in the state, the payoff will be a true state championship held at Honda Center in Anaheim on March 4, complete with an off-ice NHL crew to work the game.


The final will cap a weekend in which the top two teams from Northern California and top two from South- ern California face off in a round-robin tournament at The Rinks-Anaheim Ice the preceding two days. “The past two years, I appointed (teams) to repre- sent the state at the USA Hockey High School National Tournament. Here we are two years later having a full- blown high school championship,” Laing said. “I didn’t know if it was ever going to come to fruition.” The increased number of “pure” high school teams - those comprised entirely of students who attend the school they play for - and the Nor Cal teams’ willingness to shift from a spring to winter season made the move possible, Laing said.


A total of nine pure varsity teams compete at three rinks: San Jose-area schools Archbishop Mitty, Bel- larmine Prep and Valley Christian compete at Sharks Ice-San Jose; Danville (San Ramon Valley High), San Ramon (Cal High) and Dublin compete at Dublin Ice; and JSerra, Santa Margarita Catholic and Servite play at Anaheim Ice.


“(The growth) is great because it adds legitimacy to high school hockey,” said Art Trottier, general manager of Anaheim Ice.


Tri-Valley Minor Hockey Association president Wil-


liam Stone has worked with schools and club programs to jumpstart the high school game in the Dublin area. “Four years ago, the Tri-Valley area had no high school hockey. Now, there are three pure varsity teams, three mixed varsity teams and two mixed JV teams.


Senior goaltender Steven Zacharias and the rest of the JSerra varsity team will have the opportunity to play for a true state high school championship this season at Honda Center. Photo/Allen MacKenzie/JSerra Ice Lions Hockey


This kind of growth is unparalleled in youth hockey,” Stone said.


“Why? For pure teams, the players love playing for their school. These players typically don’t play a ‘tradi- tional’ high school sport, so these pure teams give them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in front of classmates.


“For JV players, this gives them the opportunity to continue playing hockey at an appropriate skill level against a variety of opponents.”


The prestige of being able to represent your school can’t be understated, said Matt Adams, youth hockey manager at Sharks Ice-San Jose.


“To have pure teams like Bellarmine and Valley Christian, who are rival schools in every sport, play in ice hockey has been great,” Adams said. “Their games have had 700 people at our North rink, which is at capacity. It was incredible. Kids were painting their chests. “For our players to be the jocks, getting to wear their jerseys and jackets on campus, it’s huge.” Santa Margarita coach Craig Johnson knows all


about the prestige of playing high school hockey, having done it in Minnesota before his college and NHL careers. “To play in a state tournament or have a chance to and represent your community or your school, there’s nothing like it,” Johnson said.


“To be able to look back and see what our kids have accomplished as hockey players, as student-athletes, is amazing. Every one of them has loved the experience.” The recent growth might only be the tip of the ice- berg. Stone and Trottier said their rinks’ leagues could grow as soon as next season.


Stone said three more schools are strongly consider- ing fielding pure varsity teams.


“There are a couple of other schools on the tipping point, so I’m hoping to have about 10 schools in the next three years,” he said.


Anaheim has eight JV teams, including the three varsity schools. Trottier said a couple of schools will decide in the next month whether or not to field varsity teams, and that a San Diego school has contacted him about possibly joining.


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