Monthly Archives: December 2016

JASON ZUCKER VEGAS HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR 10TH STRAIGHT YEAR; CODY WILLIAMS REPEATS AS UNLV’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR; ISAIAH LETENDRE WSHL LAS VEGAS STORM VOTED BEST PLAYER

31 Saturday Dec 2016

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JASON ZUCKER OF LAS VEGAS WITH THE NHL MINNESOTA WILD

Saturday, December 31, 2016

JASON ZUCKER 2016 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

By Lee Samuels

What a season Jason Zucker of Las Vegas is having for the NHL Minnesota Wild. He is a high action tremendously exciting skater on one of the best teams in the NHL.

Jason grew up in Las Vegas, first playing in roller with coach Larry Sanford at Crystal Palace – The Little Home of Champions on Rancho Drive – and then playing ice hockey at the Las Vegas Ice Center. Jason last played in town when he was about 15 years old skating on a AAA Nevada Stars 16u team coached by Wally Lacroix. Banners of Jason are hung with care at the Las Vegas Ice Center and at the SoBe Ice Arena. Each summer Jason skates in a charity game at the SoBe before sellout crowds.

Vegashockey.net readers have voted Jason the Las Vegas Hockey Player of the Year Award for 10 straight years.

Jason said “…I appreciate the support. It is an honor to represent the Las Vegas hockey community.”

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UNLV’S dynamic hockey program led by GM Zee Khan, President Arturo Castro, head coach Anthony Greener and assistant coach Nick Robone won many awards here. Zee and his team helped lead the path to moving the Rebels from ACHA D2 to ACHA D1 for the 2017-18 season.  Greener, one of the greatest – if not the greatest – player in UNLV hockey history – has constructed a UNLV team with top goalies, top defensemen and goal scorers including the amazing Cody Williams who was voted the UNLV Player of the Year for the second straight year. Terry Martin was voted Best Goalie. Niklas Giers was picked Best Defenseman. UNLV has a 20-3 record going into the second half of the season.

Cody, who scored 39 goals last season, has 24 goals this year.

Greener said “Cody is amazing on the ice, he is that talented. He’s definitely taking a leadership role this year and that is good to see.

“Giers is a tremendous dman and what makes him great is that he jumps right into a play and really he could be a top forward as well. It is amazing to think that Giers is just a freshman. As far as goalie Terry Martin goes, he is our backbone. 

“Goalie Erik Eidissen (International Player of the Year) made his mark right right away. He and Alex Feese held down the back end when Terry Martin went down with an injury. Erik is a great locker room guy who loves to put in extra work at practices. It is awesome really to see international players who want to play for our program. I think players like Erik will pave the way for more international players to come to our program.”

GM/Head Coach Gabe Gauthier has worked hard to construct an exciting, contending team this season in the WSHL. One of his top players is a dynamic, hard skating Isaiah Letendre who is from Red Earth Creek, Alberta, Canada. Isaiah can score from a variety of ranges. He likes to burn down the right side and fire from that area. Isaiah is the number two all-time career goal scorer for the Storm, second only to WSHL All Star Vincent Dekumbis who played here last season.

Jake McKenna, one of the top dmen in the WSHL, won the Best Defenseman and All Heart for the second straight season. He is a determined hard worker on the ice who has played in more games than anyone for the Storm.

The Storm has a very exciting action player in Joey Allegrini who won the Rookie of the Year Award.  A new goalie, Spencer Kozlowski, has made a huge impact in the net for the Storm which is in position to qualify for the WSHL playoffs this season.

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Brendan Harris of Las Vegas is having a career-best season with an amazing 16 goals, 52 assists for 68 points for the BCHL Wenatchee Wild. Brendan has a college scholarship in place with Bemidji State.

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Readers of Vegashockey.net voted for the winners of these awards.

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2016 VEGAS HOCKEY AWARDS

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PLAYER OF THE YEAR – JASON ZUCKER, NHL MINNESOTA WILD

PRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR – CHRIS FRANCIS, ECHL QUAD CITY MALLARDS

COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – JOE SULLIVAN, ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY

LAS VEGAS INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

//GOALIE ERIK EIDISSEN – SWEDEN – UNLV

//NIKITA PINTUSOV – BELARUS – WSHL LAS VEGAS STORM

//BRYCE REDDICK – LAS VEGAS – AALBORG PIRATES, DENMARK

//MIKE TRIMBOLI – LAS VEGAS – EHC NEUWIED, GERMANY

LAS VEGAS INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

//ROB PALLIN, HC TWK INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIAN ELITE LEAGUE

BCHL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – BRENDAN HARRIS, WENATCHEE WILD

BEST WSHL PLAYER AWAY FROM HOME –  ERIC WILLIAMS, WSHL ONTARIO AVALANCHE

LAS VEGAS GIRL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – ASHLEY PRINTZEN, AAA COLORADO SELECTS 16U

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LAS VEGAS COACHES OF THE YEAR – ANTHONY GREENER, NICK ROBONE, UNLV

LAS VEGAS ROLLER COACH OF THE YEAR – JARED JAEGER, UNLV

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WSHL LAS VEGAS STORM AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – ISAIAH LETENDRE

BEST DEFENSEMAN – JAKE MCKENNA

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – JOEY ALLEGRINI

ALL HEART – JAKE MCKENNA

GOALIE OF THE YEAR – SPENCER KOZLOWSKI

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UNLV AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – CODY WILLIAMS

BEST DEFENSEMAN – NIKLAS GIERS

ALL HEART – DION ANTISIN, AXLE ANDERTON, ETHAN MONTOYA

GOALIE OF THE YEAR – TERRY MARTIN

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NEVADA STORM AAA 16U

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR – ZACH MCCLANAHAN, AIDAN MCNABB

BEST DEFENSEMAN – STEVEN AVALONE

ALL HEART – AIDAN MCNABB

GOALIE OF THE YEAR – ANTHONY BONALDI

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NEVADA STORM AA 16U

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR – BRADEN LAPLACA, DOMINIC PANZARELLA

BEST DEFENSEMAN – GABRIEL TESTA

ALL HEART – JOEY TERRANA, DANIEL RAMOS

GOALIE OF THE YEAR – LUKE FUNDATOR

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NEVADA STORM HIGH SCHOOL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – MICHAEL YOCHUM

BEST DEFENSEMAN – CHRIS OTOMO

ALL HEART – SAM REDOBLE

GOALIE OF THE YEAR – SAM KJOS

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SPECIAL AWARDS

HOCKEY PERSON OF THE YEAR – ZEE KHAN, GM, UNLV

BEST REFEREES – WALLY LACROIX, ADAM HENDREN

BEST TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER – JOHN BROOKS

BEST HOCKEY WEBSITE – LAS VEGAS ICE CENTER

BEST TEAM PR/SOCIAL – MEGAN EDMUNDS, UNLV

BEST NEW HOCKEY WRITER – MARY CATE ZURFLUH – ‘MIRACLE AT THE ICE ARENA’ – A CHRISTMAS STORY

BEST ARENA – LAS VEGAS ICE CENTER

BEST ARENA SNACK BAR – LAS VEGAS ICE CENTER

BEST ARENA MUSIC –  UNLV GAMES

BEST RINK COFFEE – LAS VEGAS ICE CENTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brendan Harris Scores 15th, 16th for Wenatchee Wild

31 Saturday Dec 2016

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Friday, December 30, 2016

Wenatchee, Washington – Brendan Harris of Las Vegas scored his 15th, 16th goals of the season for the BCHL Wenatchee Wild in a very tough 4-3 Double OT loss to the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs. The crowd was 2669 at the Town Toyota Center. Brendan is having an awesome season – 16 goals, 52 assists for 68 points. He leads in scoring among all Las Vegas players away from home this season.

Moline, Illinois –  Captain Chris Francis of Las Vegas and the ECHL Quad City Mallards battled to a 3-2 win over the Missouri Mavericks before 4947 at the iWireless Arena on Friday night.  Quad City, 17-9-0, had more shots 41-25.  Chris this season has 8 goals, 9 assists for 17 points.

Jimmy Samuels – A Tribute to My Uncle – Eddie Samuels

30 Friday Dec 2016

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Jimmy (left) was skating for the Las Vegas Ice Cats mites team years ago when he began getting words of hockey wisdom from his uncle Eddie Samuels, captain, Fairbanks Ice Dogs.  Eddie, who grew up in Las Vegas and played hockey at all levels, passed unexpectedly on August 6. Jimmy, 18, is now a freshman in college skating for ACHA Kansas University.
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By Jimmy Samuels
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In the wonderful city of Las Vegas, Nevada, sports occupy the lives of families all across the valley. One family in particular, the Samuels family, loved a sport that wasn’t too popular across the town. Yet. Some kids preferred swinging a bat for a home run, or sprinting their heart out for a touchdown, or kicking a ball swiftly into a net.
The Samuels family, however, much preferred the sport that required the players to lace up some skates, throw on heavy, sweaty gear, tape up their preferred sticks, and hop on the ice. The Samuels family was a hockey family.
Two Samuels boys loved the sport more than life itself. The first was James “Jimbo” Samuels, the calm yet passionate player. He had just turned ten, and was playing hockey since he was three, knowing how to shoot a slap shot before knowing how to write his own name. The inspiration behind his passion, came from his Uncle Edward, the other hockey crazy Samuels. Edward, known across the town as the one who helped to introduce hockey to the city, who had played in Canadian junior leagues, had made sure Jimbo was dangling tenders before he said his first word.
For the past two years, starting shortly before Jimbo’s 8th birthday, Edward would take him to the SoBe Ice Arena every Friday afternoon at 4 pm for a casual stick and puck, where any player could shoot the puck around, and do whatever they pleased.
Not Edward and Jimbo. The second the pair took the ice, Edward had Jimbo sprinting laps, with no time for resting.
“You know what to do,” Edward would say immediately after getting on the ice. To warm up, Jimbo had a routine set out for him created by Edward that consisted of a few laps, followed by some warm up shots on whatever goalie was in the net, or if there was none, the crossbar.
The rest of the stick and puck was spent on stick handling, feet movement, and everything in between. Jimbo admired his uncle, the way he was so passionate about the smallest things he was teaching.
“Remember,” he’d say, “When a guy is coming down on you for a one on one, you better be sure to be looking at his chest, and nothing else. I’d bet everything I know that you can see that puck wherever it is without looking away from their chest.”
When Jimbo thought Edward had told him every trick of the trade, there was always plenty more that improved him as a player. Edward was the perfect teacher.
One day, as the two had packed away the skates, Jimbo was walking past the public skating benches, past the bathrooms, and along the wall he noticed a jumble of pictures. He had always noticed them in the corner of his eye, but had never looked too closely. As he gazed at all of the team pictures, newspaper articles, and individual shots, he came upon a picture of a player that looked awfully familiar. As he leaned in closer, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Hung up for every passerby to see, was a newspaper article, framed on the wall, with a picture of his uncle Edward, taking a faceoff!
“Uncle Eddie!” Jimbo exclaimed. “Look at this! You made the wall!”
“Oh I know,” he replied. “Pretty cool isn’t it?”
Jimbo was still in shock, as he looked at the wall with such admiration, seeing his very own uncle on display for everyone to see.
“You know Jimbo, maybe one day you’ll be on that wall.” Jimbo looked at Eddie, and had a smile from ear to ear. It wasn’t often that Eddie had assured Jimbo of success to make sure he was always motivated, so when Eddie gave him the idea that one day, he could too be on that wall, and it motivated him to become the same type of player as his uncle.
That same year, Jimbo tried out for the Las Vegas Ice Cats, the team that played out of the SoBe Ice Arena. With the previous dedication of consistent Friday afternoon stick and pucks, Jimbo made the team with ease. In fact, he turned out to be one of the star players on the team, putting in multiple points a game with his Squirt A division squad of ten and eleven year olds.
Edward never hesitated to remind Jimbo of how proud he was of him. And every Friday, they would continue to work on skills at those stick and pucks. About three weeks into the Squirt season in mid-December, Ed and Jimbo walked into the rink as normal, and Jimbo habitually gazed at the wall. And this time, there was a new picture up. It was a team photo of the Squirt A team that he was playing with. Jimbo dropped his gear and stick, and ran up to the wall. “Uncle Eddie! Look at this! It’s me and my team! I’m up there, right next to you!”
“I told you,” Eddie replied, “You’ve got the Samuels blood in you. We always achieve what we want to achieve.”
Jimbo’s heart lit up, as he felt accomplished to share the wall with his uncle that he admired so much.
Jimbo ran up to his best friend that was on the team with him, Vito Carlo, and showed him their newly acquired spot on the wall with all of the pictures. Vito shared the same excitement, as he also made it known that he very much admired Eddie’s picture, as Eddie had taught Vito a few of his on-ice secrets that all of the players always wanted to learn.
After the stick and puck, the three of them left the rink, and closing in on the Holiday season, it would seem a Christmas miracle was waiting for them outside the double glass doors exiting the ice arena. In the desert of Las Vegas, it was snowing. Jimbo, Vito, and Eddie, all together went out into the snowing parking lot, put their bags down, and laughed together as this only happened once in a million years. It was the end of a perfect day.
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NEXT – EDDIE SHARES HIS HOCKEY WISDOM WITH JIMMY AT STICK AND PUCK PRACTICES THE NEXT THREE SEASONS

Breaking News – Rob Pallin ‘Coach of the Year’ in the Austrian Elite League

30 Friday Dec 2016

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Friday, December 30, 2106

Innsbruck –  Las Vegas coach Rob Pallin was today named the Coach of the Year in the Austrian Elite League (EBEL).  Coach Rob who won many awards while coaching in Las Vegas, is in his first season with HC TWK Innsbruck.

“It’s a great honor but the credit really should go to our players,” coach Rob said today from Innsbruck.

Jason Zucker and Minnesota Wild Win 12th Straight to Set Up Huge Game on New Year’s Eve

29 Thursday Dec 2016

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Thursday, December 29, 2016

St. Paul, Minnesota – It was hard, rough, physical hockey but Jason Zucker of Las Vegas was +2 on ice for the NHL Minnesota Wild which out-battled the Long Island Islanders 6-4 before a sellout crowd of 19,252 at the Xcel Energy Center.

The win was the 12th straight for Minnesota to set up a New Year’s Eve game here against the Columbus Blue Jackets who have won 14 straight games. It will be the first game in NHL history featuring two teams with such long winning streaks.

Jason, 24, has 8 goals, 14 assists, 22 points and is +23 on the ice this season. He has 53 career NHL goals.  Minnesota, with new coach Bruce Boudreau, has a record of 29-8-4 and is second place in the NHL’s Central Division.

Chris Francis and ECHL Quad City Mallards Win in OT

29 Thursday Dec 2016

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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Moline, Illinois –  Captain Chris Francis of Las Vegas and the ECHL Quad City Mallards beat the Indy Fuel 3-2 in OT before 3435 at the iWireless Center tonight.  The game was tied 2-2 in regulation and then an OT/Shootout went five deep when Alex Petan scored for Quad City to win the game and raise the Mallards season record to 16-9-2. Outside the rink doors during the game it was clear and cold in the mid 30s.

Jason Zucker and NHL Minnesota Wild Win in OT, Unbeaten Streak at 11 Straight

28 Wednesday Dec 2016

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Nashville –  Jason Zucker of Las Vegas and the NHL Minnesota Wild are on an unforgettable run. Jared Spurgeon scored in OT to lift Minnesota to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators to stay unbeaten for a franchise-record 11 straight games. Minnesota raised its record to 22-8-4. The game was played before a sellout of 17,141 at the Bridgestone Arena.

Joe Sullivan Update

27 Tuesday Dec 2016

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Joe Sullivan of Las Vegas is having an awesome season with #17-ranked St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Joe is the #2 goal scorer on the team with 8 goals and has 9 assists for 17 points. Joe is in his third season with St. Lawrence which has a record of 10-5-4 and returns to action against #13-ranked Vermont on January 3.