Bobcats AAA a worthy summer option I


By Brett Fera


t wouldn’t be far-fetched to classify the word “elite” as a favorite inRon Filion’s multi-lingual vocabu-


lary. At a minimum, it’s how this French-Canadian-


turned-proud-desert-hockey transplant thinks - espe- cially in relation to his Arizona-based Bobcats AAA hockey program. Traditional hockey programs continue to follow


typical fall-winter schedules - many drawing primarily local talent while playing a mixture of in- and out-of- state games and tournaments. Filion, head instructor and manager of Hockey 2,


which operates the Bobcats program as well as local and national development camps, contends that the Bobcats are anything but typical. For one, the program fields the vast majority of


its teams during the traditional hockey offseason: spring and summer. Secondly, Filion clings to that word “elite” - both when attracting the next wave of talented hockey players to wear the Bobcats’ blue and gold color scheme, as well as when looking for tournaments, showcase events and other competitive settings to help his players reach the highest levels of hockey possible. “The Bobcats program is trying to be the biggest


spring-summer program on the West Coast,” Filion said. The vision for the Bobcats AAA program is simple,


but it’s been effective. “We decided to focus more on elite players,” said


Filion. “We strongly believe the best players need the competition, and spring and summer has some of the


Ron Filion, left, with Bobcats AAA assistant coach Pat Mahan, has grown his spring-summer development program into one of the best in the Western United States. Photo/Dave Getz/A-ZPhoto.com


best hockey.” High-level players, under this system, get to live at


home, follow their typical offseason training program, but still travel periodically throughout the country for tournaments and events where they can be seen by junior hockey scouts. Filion feels that the Bobcats are giving those youths


who don’t necessarily have year-round, high-level hockey the chance to be seen nationally. “There’s almost no AAA hockey in Utah. Idaho, Or-


egon - same thing,” he said. “We’re scouting for players to give them that opportunity.” The Bobcats’ roots go back far longer than the few


years its teams have called Phoenix home. It started with a childhood friendship between Filion and eventual four-time Stanley Cup championClaude


Lemieux, who won one of those Cups with the Colo- rado Avalanche. The two were teammates in the vaunted Quebec


Major Junior Hockey League and together as col- leagues with the ECHL’s Phoenix Roadrunners minor-league franchise; Lemieux as part-owner, Filion as head coach. The pair started the Lemieux Academy - similar in


scope to today’s Bobcats - together in Arizona. When Lemieux moved on to make a comeback to the NHL in 2009, Filion created the Bobcats. “I love teaching the game,” said Filion. “I love offer-


ing the best that’s out there so (the kids) can live it and experience it like I have; I wanted to continue that.” Today, the Bobcats are about 10 AAA teams strong


each summer (starting with 1994 birth-year, Midget Major players), and Filion is happy with the current makeup. “We take players from all (states), not just Arizona,”


Filion said. “We have to do that.” And while the program’s mission has been to


maintain its status as a summer program, there are also two Bobcats teams - 97 and 98 AAA - playing a full-year schedule for the first time and experiencing tremendous success. But while being competitive is important, the Bob-


cats aren’t going to win every time out. That’s OK with Filion; he doesn’t expect it. “We’re not looking for the easy medal; we can buy


medals and give them to everybody if we want to,” he said. “What we do is chase the top tournaments.” For more information on the Bobcats AAA pro-


gram, see the advertisement on Page 9 and visit Hockey-2.com.


PRESIDENTS’ DAY OPEN FEBRUARY 17-20


Bantam AA / Bantam A / Bantam B


Pee Wee AA / Pee Wee A / PeeWee B Squirt A / Squirt B / Mite A / Mite B


WildcatsHockey.com FOR MORE DETAILS, E-MAIL TOURNAMENTS@WILDCATSHOCKEY.COM 16


MEMORIAL DAY SHOWDOWN MAY 24 - 28


Bantam A / Bantam B


Pee Wee A / Pee Wee B Squirt B / Mite B


STATS, STANDINGS & AWARDS! CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES & BANNERS!


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