Monday, March 31, 2014

That was Gage Quinney, Vito Carlo, Dylan Miller, Al Mono and Jimmy Samuels of Las Vegas in a pickup ice game over the weekend. “Great experience for me who grew up with all,” said Jimmy. “Vito and I started on a 2007 Squirt A team for the Las Vegas Outlaws. Vito had never played travel hockey before so I let him use my TPS R4 Redlite stick with a ‘Frolov’ blade. Vito scored his first goal and we’ve been brothers ever since. Now Vito is being scouted and he will go far in the hockey world. Me, I will always wonder late at night how much that TPS stick played a part in his success – the best thing in hockey I ever did.”

While the AA Las Vegas Jr Wranglers 18u and bantam teams skate in the super-heated US Nationals in upstate New Jersey this week, some of the hockey moms and dads are making plans to take skaters to a NHL Jersey Devils game or in the case of hockey dad Joe Battaglia maybe catch a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.

“The Rangers and maybe some Brooklyn pizza,” said Joe, whose son Justin skates for the 18s. “That’s been on my mind for some time now.”

Robert Purdy, whose son is on the Jr Wranglers bantam team, has been looking at the Broadway shows.

“Les Miserables is playing,” he said. “Or maybe we go to the Book of Mormon. I know both are great. I’ve already seen the Jersey Boys and the Rockettes in New York.

“This is our opportunity to go to Broadway. See a great show and have a nice dinner to talk about it.”

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Trending on Vegashockey.net today ….

#1 AA Las Vegas Jr Wranglers 18u (Number One 5 straight days)

#2 Sean Darby

#3 My Biggest Goal – Micah Sanford

#4 10 Questions – Megan Myers

#5 The Kid Who Never Scored a Goal – A Christmas Story

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Vernon BC – Michael McNicholas of Las Vegas had a goal, an assist and was selected the #3 Star of the Game for the BCHL Vernon Vipers who beat the Coquitlam Express 6-3 before 1,912 at the Kal Tire Place Arena. Vernon vs Coquitlam is part of a BCHL Final 3 series of playoff games. It was Michael’s 28th goal of the season. In playoff action this season he has 5 goals, 10 assists for a Vernon team which earlier eliminated the West Kelowna Warriors and Penticton Vees.

Las Vegas – In a wild one, the ECHL Alaska Aces broke a 3-3 tie going into the third period and beat the Las Vegas Wranglers 5-4 before 4,090 in a Sunday afternoon game at The Orleans Arena. The Aces turned up their game early in the third period to score two goals. Las Vegas scored its 4th goal with 0:32 to play.  Alaska won the weekend series, 2-1. Carlo Finucci, with 1 goal, 3 assists, of Las Vegas was named the Star of the Game.  Las Vegas closes out its regular season at home against the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday night.

Onalaska, Wisconsin – In a stunner, Cody Milligan of Las Vegas and the NAHL Minnesota Magicians rocked the Coulee Region 7-3 on their home ice and ended their season at the OmniCenter. Coulee went into the game needing a win or a tie to advance to the last remaining spot in the NAHL playoffs. This was the final regular season game for both teams here at the OmniCenter. Kenai River, idle today, advances to the playoffs.

Toledo – Zach Pochiro of Las Vegas and the ECHL Kalamazoo K-Wings lost to the Toledo Walleye 5-1 before 7,219 here at the Huntington Center.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

It’s Super Sunday with a lot of hockey action today.

//The ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers close out their three-game weekend series today with the Alaska Aces at 2:05 pm at The Orleans Arena. On Tuesday, the Wranglers have their final regular season home game, taking on the Bakersfield Condors. Playoffs will soon begin. Las Vegas will take on the Alaska Aces or Ontario Reign.

//Zach Pochiro of Las Vegas and the ECHL Kalamazoo K-Wings go on the road tonight to play the Toledo Walleye. The K-Wings, a division leader, have clinch a playoff spot.

//Cody Milligan of Las Vegas and the NAHL Minnesota Magicians are skating in a big game today, taking on the Coulee Region at the OmniCenter in Onalaska, Wisconsin. If Cody and the Magicians win, Coulee Region does not make the playoff – the Kenai River go in. Plus, this is the final game of the season for Cody and his club. There is going to be nice weather too – clear, 45-degrees at faceoff.

//Michael McNicholas of Las Vegas skates in his 15th playoff game tonight when the Vernon Vipers host the Coquitlam Express in the BCHL’s Final 3.  There are three teams left with Vernon, Victoria Grizzlies and Coquitlam. They play down for a week, then the top two teams go into a Best of Seven.

//The AA Las Vegas Jr Wranglers 18u have their last practice of the season today at the SoBe Ice Arena. Practice begins at 4:15 pm, then the players go into dryland. Afterwards, the Jr Wranglers players head to the U.S. Nationals in Wayne, N.J. The first game is on Wednesday. There is massive reader interest in this team, particuarly at this time of the season.

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Today, we have readers from all parts of the USA, Canada, Hungary and Sweden

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Las Vegas – Adam Hughesman, Chad Nehring and Matt Tassone scored rapid-fire goals in the last 1:47 of the game for the Las Vegas Wranglers in a staggering rally and a 4-3 win over the Alaska Aces before 7,054 at The Orleans Arena.  Chris Francis of Las Vegas was +1 on the ice for the Wranglers.  Las Vegas closes out its three-game series with Alaska here Sunday, 2:05 pm.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The NHL Minnesota Wild announced Jason Zucker of Las Vegas had surgey to repair a tendon on his left quadricep at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.  Jason, injured while blocking a scorching puck against the Phoenix Coyotes, is out for the rest of this season. He will report to the Wild camp this fall.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Quote of the Day

“IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE TEAM USA VS TEAM CANADA WHEN WE PLAY UTAH GOLDEN EAGLES IN OUR FIRST GAME AT THE U.S. NATIONALS. THIS IS THE GAME WE NEED AND THE GAME WE WANT. I WANT EVERY PLAYER TO GIVE IT HIS ALL AND I WANT OUR GOALIES TO STEP UP AND STEAL A GAME FOR US. THIS IS WHAT’S IS ALL ABOUT WHEN YOU PLAY IN THE U.S. NATIONALS.”

— ANTHONY GREENER, HEAD COACH, AA LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS 18U. LAS VEGAS OPENS AGAINST UTAH IN THE FIRST GAME AT THE U.S. NATIONALS ON WEDNESDAY AT THE ICE VAULT ARENA IN WAYNE, N.J. IT IS, COACH GREENER SAID, THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Dubuque, Iowa – Joey Sullivan of Las Vegas scored his 6th goal of the season to help the USHL Indiana Ice beat the Dubuque Fighting Saints 5-4 before 2,483 here at the Mystique Ice Center. Joey has 6 goals, 16 assists for 22 points in his first USHL season. Indiana, 40-9-7, has clinched a playoff spot. The Ice has four games remaining in the regular season.

Victoria BC – Michael McNichols of Las Vegas and the BCHL Vernon Vipers bolted to a 4-goal lead early, then held off a Victoria Grizzlies three-goal burst in the third period to win 5-4 here at The Q Centre. The crowd was 1,471. It was the first ‘Final 3’ playoff game for Vernon which takes on the Coquitlam Express on home ice Sunday. This was the 14th playoff game McNicholas and the Vipers have played.

Wenatchee, Wa – The NAHL Aberdeen Wings scored in OT to beat the NAHL Wenatchee Wild, 3-2 before 3,566 at the Toyota Town Center Arena. By getting the one team point, Wenatchee qualified for the playoffs. Joseph Kaszupski of Las Vegas skated for the Wenatchee Wild, but Las Vegas goal scorer Brendan Harris was not in the lineup tonight. With one regular season game left, Kenai River and the Coulee Region are battling for the very last playoff spot in the league.

Las Vegas – The ECHL Alaska Aces scored 4 times in the first period enroute to a 5-1 win over the Las Vegas Wranglers before 5,851 at The Orleans Arena on Tropicana Ave. Neither Chris Francis or Eddie Del Grosso of Las Vegas was in the game tonight. The linesmen were Todd Owen, Wally Lacroix of Las Vegas. Hector Toth of Las Vegas was the emergency backup goalie for the Alaska Aces.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Gage Quinney, whose season just concluded with the WHL Prince Albert Raiders, will be home in Las Vegas today.  His hockey dad Ken, who coaches the very skilled Las Vegas Jr Wranglers bantam team, said the battle plan for Gage will be skating with Rob Pallin when he returns from Hungary in a couple of weeks.  “Skate, work out with best coaches,” Ken said.

The top line right now for the AA Las Vegas Jr Wranglers 18u is Mitchell Province, Ethan Montoya, Brandon Ladd who all wore bright green jerseys while blasting around the ice at practice last night at the SoBe Ice Arena. Logan Whitely, Steven Hoernicke and Chris Wojtowitz – who wore light blue jerseys at practice – will be a big scoring line too when the club heads out for the U.S. Nationals in Wayne, N.J.  The games will be April 2-6.  Las Vegas opens in his toughest game against the Utah Golden Eagles. Chase Smith and TJ Yocum are the Las Vegas goalies. Game two is against the Idaho Jr Steelheads and next is Team Wyoming.

The 18s skated the last couple of weeks in scrimmage games against some of the UNLV Rebels. Sam Braniff, one of the greatest Rebels goal scorers in club history, led the offensive attack for the Rebels.

And when was the last time 18s coach Anthony Greener pulled on the gear and skated in a midget-level tournament hockey.

“That was years ago when Rob Pallin was coach with the Las Vegas Rebels,” Greener said from the rink last night.

That was UNLV’s star goalie from a few years ago – Chris Tate – who walked into the SoBe Ice Arena last night to play in a men’s league game. We spotted UNLV grad Ryan Bowman there too with his hockey gear.

In the SoBe Pro Shop last night, Kyle Curry and Richie Crossley of UNLV said the best team – by far – they played all season was San Diego State.

Bet you didn’t know that 18s goalie TJ Yocum runs the 100 yard sprint and is on a number of sprint relay teams over at Faith Lutheran High School here in town.

For years, hockey dad Dave Hoernicke drove his son Steven to the big rink.

Not any more.

“Steven’s got his driver’s license now,” said one of the hockey dad on the north rinkboards.

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The ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers are down to their final four home games. Tonight, a three-game series begins with the powerful Alaska Aces, then the regular season finale against the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday, April 1 at The Orleans Arena. From there, the Wranglers will go into the ECHL playoffs. Las Vegas should face either the Alaska Aces or the Ontario Reign in the first round.

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The BCHL in Canada is down to its Final 3 in playoffs which includes the Vernon Vipers and Michael McNicholas of Las Vegas. Tonight, Michael and the Vipers open a round-robin style series on the road against the Victoria Grizzlies.

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The No. 1 most-read story on Vegashockey.net yesterday was ‘My Greatest Goal – Micah Sanford.’

This morning, the most searched and viewed story is Joseph Kazupski Gets #4, #5 Goals

March 27, 2014

Wayne, N.J.  – Here is the schedule for the AA Las Vegas Jr Wranglers 18u who are skating in the US Nationals here at the Ice Vault Arena. The Jr Wranglers, coached by Anthony Greener and Zack Whisman, practice and play home games at the SoBe Ice Arena on North Rancho Drive. The players will shake out two more times – Friday, 5:45 pm and Sunday, 4:15 pm – before gearing up and taking flights to New Jersey.

Wednesday April 2

Las Vegas vs Utah Golden Eagles, noon eastern

Thursday, April 3

Las Vegas vs Idaho Jr Steelheads, 9:30 am eastern

Friday, April 4

Las Vegas vs Team Wyoming, 8 pm eastern

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Onalaska, Wisconsin – Cody Milligan of Las Vegas and the NAHL Minnesota Magicians upset the Coulee Region 3-1 tonight at the OmniCenter. It was a big game as Coulee Region is in a battle with the Wenatchee Wild and Kenai River for a playoff spot.  Coulee Region had more shots 48-34.  The Minnesota Magicians close our their season with two games this weekend.