July 4th Celebrations are heading our way next week. We asked some Las Vegas star players, coaches and execs how they will spend the holiday. And we added some friends of Vegas Hockey as well.
Here we go…
Steve Allen, Las Vegas hockey dad whose son Jason played on many powerful ice and roller teams here in town and in San Diego and Los Angeles – “Got to work on the 4th. Jason will be spending quality time with his children. Hey did you see the Pama Golden Knights won NARCh Pro gold roller gold again. That is a powerful program which has won several other championships in top divisions.”
Hockey dad New York Steve Avalone and his two great hockey players Steven and Gia will “celebrate the 4th of July with friends here in Las Vegas and then we will find a nice spot to check out the fireworks.”
Vito Carlo, Las Vegas player who had an awesome season with the NA3HL Atlanta Capitals last winter – 8 goals, 35 assists, 43 points – “We plan to celebrate with a family steak and ribs dinner, then light fireworks with my hometown friends at night.”
Arturo Castro, President and Director of Operations for UNLV Rebel ACHA D1 – “My folks are coming in July 3 so I am sure we will do some fireworks with my niece and maybe a bbq with family and friends. Other than that, taking it pretty easy.”
Pat Cichy, Las Vegas hockey mom – “My hockey son Michael will be spending time with his best friends at Lake Mead. That is a great place to celebrate July 4.”
Richie Crossley, great Las Vegas defenseman – “I’ll probably be with my friend Kyle Curry. Not sure exactly yet what we will be doing, probably celebrating my birthday somewhere. I still play the game – hockey on Thursday and Sunday nights at City National Arena. Thursday is a lot of arena employees on our team called Royal Flushes and Sunday we are The All-Stars on the ice.”
Matt Edlin, hockey executive and hockey coach in Las Vegas – “Will be right here in Las Vegas with my fiancé enjoying the festivities and fireworks. This fall we will be coaching a Vegas Jr Golden Knights mites team.”
Erik Fischer, Las Vegas – long time super quick skater in ice and roller; played for the WSHL Ogden Mustangs. “We will be going to my fiancé’s parents house with my family and her family to bbq and light some fireworks. I hope everyone reading Vegas Hockey is doing well.”
Anthony Greener, Head Coach, UNLV Rebels ACHA D1 – “This is the first time in 4 years we are not scheduled to work. We plan to spend July 4 with our friends at my aunt’s house or at my grandparents place. My brother and the rest of our family kind of go all out with fireworks to put on a big show. Me, it’s being with family, friends and having a good time. That’s what I am really looking forward to.”
Matt Johnson, hockey coach – Matt will coach the Las Vegas Jr Golden Knights 14u this season – ‘We will be spending quality time with our family for July 4. Going to the Lake House in Maine. Then the Luke Bryant and Sam Smith Concert at Fenway Park. On July 6 we pack up and return to Las Vegas. Feel fortunate to work in a hockey program with coaches like Wally and Dell and so many others.”
Zee Khan, GM, UNLV Rebels – “We got married to Jen and we will be spending our honeymoon on July 4 in Waikiki enjoying the beaches and fireworks. Also we are expecting our first child, a daughter, Olivia Ann Khan, in September. We are using the July 4 holiday as a ‘babymoon’ – a nice little vacation before she arrives in the middle of hockey season! We have been busy recruiting so far this summer and really have an impressive group of more talented players than ever before.”
Aaron Kinslow – Back in 2011-12 he and Eddie Samuels were coaches of the WSHL Park City Moose. There were many super cold snowy game nights there that season. “We will be at Lake Cabin in Northern Minnesota for July 4. We will also attend our 20th high school reunion. We’ve been scouting for junior level teams in the NAHL. I coach youth hockey and run my own goalie camp in the summetime. My real job is being an ASA Mechanical Engineer – focused on composites with carbon fiber, Kevlar and am also doing HVAC design and estimating.”
Wally Lacroix – 2017 Vegas Hockey Coach of the Year; Director of Operations at the SoBe Ice Arena inside of the Fiesta Rancho Hotel Casino, Las Vegas “On July 4 we will have five hours of public skating noon to 5 pm, then stick and puck to 5:15 to 6:45 pm when we will close.. ….We will be coaching the Vegas Jr Golden Knights Midget 16u this coming season.”
Jamie O’Leary, Colorado hockey coach – “We are planning to get onto the road with my two sons to a BMX race in South Dakota. We will be coaching the Rocky Mountain Roughriders 15u this season.
Rob Proffit, GM, NAHL Fairbanks Ice Dogs – “We start our main camp July 5 in Minnesota so we are travelling there. My best to all of the hockey folks in Las Vegas.”
Rob Pallin, head coach HC TWK Innsbruck – The Las Vegas coach, builder of champions for years here in town, said “we will be running Summerlin 5k on July 3. My wife Dora’s birthday is on the 4th!!! How great is that!”
Charla Ricketts, hockey mom whose husband Tommy was one of the great hockey dads of our time, son Beau who was a big time goal scorer throughout the West and with the WSHL Las Vegas Storm and younger son Blade who played hockey here in Las Vegas: “Our son Beau will be celebrating where he lives now in Minot, North Dakota. He just got a new puppy named Remi. Blade and I are going to Utah to spend July 4 in a town where we grew up. It was will be a great small town celebration with fireworks over the lake.”
Nick Robone, coach, UNLV Rebels – “Looking to celebrate July 4 with a BBQ with friends and family. Probably some of our old teammates like Kris Carter, Christian Bryan, Robbie Silvernail will be stopping by celebrating here too.”
Adam Stio – GM, Head Coach of the Las Vegas Cavalry pro team which skates at the City National Arena – “We will be home in South Carolina to celebrate July 4 with family. So far for the Cavalry our league meetings are coming up. A good majority of our players are returning for this season. We will know more in the next month or so”
Hockey Dad Pete Trimboli – “For July 4 we are packing and getting ready to paint my existing home to sell as we bought a home in Anthem 55 plus to scale down since it’s just Terry and myself. Our hockey son Joe now lives in Huntington Beach, California. Mike, since retiring from pro hockey in Germany, has moved to downtown Dallas where we works as a hotel front desk supervisor. Our daughter Alicia also lives in Dallas. She just attended the NHL Draft there wearing her Vegas Golden Knights jersey.”
Scott Zucker, the most famous hockey Dad in Las Vegas – “Staying home for July 4 around the pool with the family. Will watch fireworks show at the Fiesta/Texas in the evening. All of our children except for Jason and his wife will be here. Natalie (Jason’s famous hockey mom – she has won many awards as the Vegas Hockey Mom of the Year) will do the cooking.”
If you wish to contribute, send to leesamuels07@aol.com