Youth hockey in full swing
By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot
The sounds of metal blades scraping on ice, pads crashing against plastic and the excited cries of kids doing what they love best — going fast — all mean one thing: Youth hockey is thriving in Whitefish. It's a regular Monday night at the Stumptown Ice Den, and the pucks are flying.
The Glacier Hockey Association, now in its 13th year, has about 85 area kids on the ice this season, according to GHA president Kevin Jones. The kids range in age from four years to high school.
"We're here to provide the opportunity for kids of all ages and abilities to get out and play," Jones explained. "It's the funnest game you can imagine, the best game of keep away ever."
Because hockey involves expensive equipment, scholarships and gear are available for people who are stretched a little thin financially but still would like their kids to play some hockey.
"We have a scholarship program because we just want to get kids in the door," Jones said. "Hockey can be an expensive sport to play. For the single mom who's waitressing downtown, absolutely we're gonna get her kid on the ice, just call me."
Jones said the program has also received donations from the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and Nike in recent years.
"We've never turned a kid away who couldn't swing it," he said.
Although the city of Kalispell recently imported an ice rink from Wisconsin to use for youth hockey, which may draw some players away from Whitefish, Jones said he isn't too worried about players showing up.
"Hopefully the new rink down there will draw more hockey players out of the woodwork," he said. "We've got room on every team."
There are several girls already in the program, and Jones said everyone is welcome, although GHA isn't really a "learn to skate program." Lessons are available at the Stumptown Ice Den for kids who don't know how to skate.
The kids play league-regulation games during the course of the season, complete with USA Hockey-certified referees. Several travel dates are penciled in.
The age 9-10 Squirt league has a home tournament Dec. 5-6. The age 11-12 Pee-wee league has a tournament Dec. 15-16. The age 13-14 Bantam league has a tournament Dec. 18-20, and the high school-age Midget league has a home tournament Jan. 12-13.
Standouts in GHA receive attention from hockey scouts, Jones said, and several local players have been recruited to play college hockey over the years.
Jones said he's excited about a Friday night high school game coming up Feb. 15.
"We had a great time last year. We had 300 kids in the stands. They all came right over from the basketball game," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. It's rare for us to get a time slot on a Friday night."
Jones said hockey seems to bring out a great reaction from kids.
"They seem absolutely ecstatic when they're out there," he said. "It's, 'Did you see me? I touched the puck.'"
Ice times for Glacier Hockey Association youth hockey are: Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mondays through Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. with a 5-7 p.m. session on Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5:15- 9 p.m.
For more information, call Kevin Jones at 862-5424 or the Stumptown Ice Den at 863-2477.