Category: Hockey

Part 3 in our series on minor hockey in Las Vegas

“They’re learning offensive and defensive strategies, gap control, things to do with and away from the puck.”

Part 2 in our series on minor hockey in Las Vegas

There was already youth hockey in town when the Vegas Golden Knights launched as an NHL expansion franchise in 2017. Well, sort of.

The local youth hockey organization counted 100 kids in its 8-under age bracket. Based on analytics, studying the standard patterns of drop out rates in youth sports, by the time that group of kids were 12-13, there would have been barely enough of them still playing to assemble two teams.

In other words, youth hockey wasn’t exactly a growth industry in Vegas. The Golden Knights set out to change that dynamic. Four years later, by all measures, they have accomplished their goal.

At the start of the 2020-21 season, there were more than 800 kids registered to play youth hockey in Vegas in the 8-under division.

“To have it grow eight fold in four years is incredible, said former NHL goalie Darren Eliot, who serves as Vice President of Hockey Programming and Facility Operations for the Golden Knights.

To create a long-term NHL success story in a non-traditional hockey market, the Golden Knights recognized from Day 1 that winning on the ice was just one factor in the equation.

Convincing the community to embrace hockey as their game was going to be every bit as valuable as each win and all the playoff appearances the team could accumulate. Not that success between the boards was a bad idea, mind you. Winning is always helpful.

Eliot, as well as Misha Donskov, the director of hockey operations for the Golden Knights, worked together on similar programs in Atlanta when the Thrashers joined the NHL in 1999. But they never were able to create the same kind of environment that’s clicked from Day 1 in Vegas.

“It all goes together,” Eliot said. “They (Golden Knights fans) want to care about their team and they do here. But one advantage we have here that the Thrashers didn’t is that Atlanta never had a playoff run, so there wasn’t that bonding with the team.

“In Vegas, it’s the first pro team and a success all four years. It helps to really embed that kind of loyalty to the Golden Knights.”

Another factor is the team’s willingness to invest in infrastructure at the grassroots level. Bill Foley, owner of the Golden Knights, has put his money where his mouth is, displaying that the club really believes in growing the game and they’re willing to foot the bill to help make it happen.

The club built a practice facility for the Golden Knights with two ice pads that accommodate area youth hockey when not being utilized by the NHL team. They are building a second two-pad ice complex in nearby Henderson, Nevada that will serve as practice facility for the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, the club’s top farm club, and will also be accessible to the youth hockey programs.

“You’ve got seven sheets of ice (for minor hockey) if you add in T-Mobile (Arena, home to the Golden Knights) and the new one coming.”

“Bill Foley and his investors, they built City National Arena to be the Golden Knights practice facility,” Eliot said. “It’s state of the art, a 140,000 square foot two-rink facility. They’ve done the same thing for the American League team. they’re building an event centre where Henderson will play their AHL games. That’ll be open in March. So we built another 120,000 square foot bigger-than-you-need-to facility for youth hockey.

“They added four sheets of ice that we have complete control over and access to.

“There’s two other existing facilities that are pretty beat up but they’re benefiting from the Vegas Golden Knights coming here. So you’ve got seven sheets of ice if you add in T-Mobile (Arena, home to the Golden Knights) and the new one coming.”

Vegas ownership and management succinctly recognize that one of the benefits of building a strong youth hockey program is that through osmosis, it’s also building a bigger fanbase for the team with each passing season.

In these markets that are new to the game, strong youth hockey programs aren’t intended to build future NHL players.

“That’s the unicorn theory,” Eliot said. “It’s a long shot (to make the NHL) no matter where you grow up.”

What a growing youth hockey program will do, however, is build future NHL fans.

It’s a simple philosophy, really.

Take someone to the hockey rink to watch and you’ll make them a fan for a game. Teach someone to play hockey and you’ll make them a fan of the game for life.

“I’m coaching an 8-under youth team,” Eliot said. “We get on the ice once a week and it’s fun. It’s really fun.”

Part 2 in our series on minor hockey in Las Vegas

There was already youth hockey in town when the Vegas Golden Knights launched as an NHL expansion franchise in 2017. Well, sort of.

The local youth hockey organization counted 100 kids in its 8-under age bracket. Based on analytics, studying the standard patterns of drop out rates in youth sports, by the time that group of kids were 12-13, there would have been barely enough of them still playing to assemble two teams.

In other words, youth hockey wasn’t exactly a growth industry in Vegas. The Golden Knights set out to change that dynamic. Four years later, by all measures, they have accomplished their goal.

At the start of the 2020-21 season, there were more than 800 kids registered to play youth hockey in Vegas in the 8-under division.

“To have it grow eight fold in four years is incredible, said former NHL goalie Darren Eliot, who serves as Vice President of Hockey Programming and Facility Operations for the Golden Knights.

To create a long-term NHL success story in a non-traditional hockey market, the Golden Knights recognized from Day 1 that winning on the ice was just one factor in the equation.

Convincing the community to embrace hockey as their game was going to be every bit as valuable as each win and all the playoff appearances the team could accumulate. Not that success between the boards was a bad idea, mind you. Winning is always helpful.

Eliot, as well as Misha Donskov, the director of hockey operations for the Golden Knights, worked together on similar programs in Atlanta when the Thrashers joined the NHL in 1999. But they never were able to create the same kind of environment that’s clicked from Day 1 in Vegas.

“It all goes together,” Eliot said. “They (Golden Knights fans) want to care about their team and they do here. But one advantage we have here that the Thrashers didn’t is that Atlanta never had a playoff run, so there wasn’t that bonding with the team.

“In Vegas, it’s the first pro team and a success all four years. It helps to really embed that kind of loyalty to the Golden Knights.”

Another factor is the team’s willingness to invest in infrastructure at the grassroots level. Bill Foley, owner of the Golden Knights, has put his money where his mouth is, displaying that the club really believes in growing the game and they’re willing to foot the bill to help make it happen.

The club built a practice facility for the Golden Knights with two ice pads that accommodate area youth hockey when not being utilized by the NHL team. They are building a second two-pad ice complex in nearby Henderson, Nevada that will serve as practice facility for the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, the club’s top farm club, and will also be accessible to the youth hockey programs.

“You’ve got seven sheets of ice (for minor hockey) if you add in T-Mobile (Arena, home to the Golden Knights) and the new one coming.”

“Bill Foley and his investors, they built City National Arena to be the Golden Knights practice facility,” Eliot said. “It’s state of the art, a 140,000 square foot two-rink facility. They’ve done the same thing for the American League team. they’re building an event centre where Henderson will play their AHL games. That’ll be open in March. So we built another 120,000 square foot bigger-than-you-need-to facility for youth hockey.

“They added four sheets of ice that we have complete control over and access to.

“There’s two other existing facilities that are pretty beat up but they’re benefiting from the Vegas Golden Knights coming here. So you’ve got seven sheets of ice if you add in T-Mobile (Arena, home to the Golden Knights) and the new one coming.”

Vegas ownership and management succinctly recognize that one of the benefits of building a strong youth hockey program is that through osmosis, it’s also building a bigger fanbase for the team with each passing season.

In these markets that are new to the game, strong youth hockey programs aren’t intended to build future NHL players.

“That’s the unicorn theory,” Eliot said. “It’s a long shot (to make the NHL) no matter where you grow up.”

What a growing youth hockey program will do, however, is build future NHL fans.

It’s a simple philosophy, really.

Take someone to the hockey rink to watch and you’ll make them a fan for a game. Teach someone to play hockey and you’ll make them a fan of the game for life.

“I’m coaching an 8-under youth team,” Eliot said. “We get on the ice once a week and it’s fun. It’s really fun.”

When it comes to NHL success stories, few franchises can measure up to the instant winning formula that was concocted by the Vegas Golden Knights. They were winners from the moment they stepped on the ice.

Vegas finished in first place as a first-year expansion franchise. The Golden Knights established NHL records for the most wins (51) and points (109) compiled by a first-year franchise. They joined the St. Louis Blues as the only NHL teams to reach the Stanley Cup final in their first year of existence. Though they lost to the Washington Capitals in five games, the Golden Knights managed to win a game in the final series, something the Blues weren’t able to do when they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1967-68 final.

Into their fourth season, the Golden Knights are just one of 19 teams in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs in each of their first four seasons. They were an immediate smash hit and they are working hard to ensure that the future — both the short-term and long-term variety — will be equally fruitful.

“To see the excitement and the enthusiasm in this market has been really rewarding,” said former NHL goalie Darren Eliot, who serves as Vice President of Hockey Programming and Facility Operations for the Golden Knights. “Now we’ve got to keep on focusing.”

Certainly, the on-ice success story of the Golden Knights has helped to create a buzz about the game throughout the Nevada desert. But it’s not just about winning on the ice. From Day 1 for the Golden Knights, it’s been about winning over the people of Las Vegas, converting them into hockey lifers.

And that doesn’t start with a capacity crowd on game night. Sure, that type of environment develops excitement but it’s more of the instant gratification variety, getting caught up in the atmosphere and wanting to be part of that environment. But it’s a strong grassroots youth hockey program that creates hockey fans forever.

The Golden Knights recognized this fact of life from the outset.

“It’s really a long-term investment,” Eliot said.

“The parents are now hockey fans in the moment but their kid is the one who is playing hockey and has an affinity for the game.”

Over the course of his career, Eliot, 59, has frequently found himself situated in what would be termed emerging hockey markets. He tended goal for the Los Angeles Kings from 1984-87. In front-office positions, he’s worked for the Anaheim Ducks when they were still Mighty and for the Atlanta Thrashers.

“I never set out to get my doctorate degree in non-traditional hockey markets,” Eliot said. “ It’s just where the opportunity led me and kind of interested me and now this has become broad based for me.”

Misha Donskov, director of hockey operations for the Golden Knights, worked with Eliot in Atlanta.

“We had some really groundbreaking work done there,” Eliot said of his time in Georgia. “We did a ton of good things for youth hockey, hockey development, and brand extension.”

They also discovered that all of the hard work in a new market doesn’t add up to much if it isn’t backed up by the opportunity for kids to get out and play the game.

Eliot in particular remembered a conversation he had with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who was leaving Atlanta and headed to Nashville while on a tour of NHL markets.

I said ‘Hey Gary do you ever drive to Nashville?’” Eliot recalled. “I said, ‘You know how many rinks you pass between Atlanta and Nashville? I’ll tell you the answer — zero.’

“Granting teams to these markets with no infrastructure, you just become an entertainment option, a novelty. In the 20 years since, (the NHL) has really recognized that you have to put in the money and the commitment.”

“It’s about building the infrastructure, because that’s the bigger piece. They’ve all figured that out.”

It’s hard to grow the game if the roots have nowhere to sprout and blossom.

In Vegas, youth programs such as learn to skate, learn to play and skills training are all designed to lead kids into playing organized hockey, whether that be house league or travel. Backing up these on-ice programs is a commitment from team ownership to provide the facilities and sponsors to deliver the financial wherewithal to make it all happen.

“It’s a long-term thing and it all has to come together and you don’t get that without putting in the effort to develop hockey programs in the area,” Eliot said. “That’s the bottom line.”

In the past, most youth hockey programs in non-traditional markets were generally started by Canadians who stayed in the area after their playing days, but there wasn’t any direct link to the team. They were blips on the radar that eventually faded away.

In Vegas, they recognize that long-term success for the franchise isn’t built merely around succeeding on the ice. By building a strong youth hockey program and investing in hockey futures, they are assembling a fan base for years to come. And if you get the kids on board, the adults are sure to follow.

“Seeing families and kids take to the game that we grew up with in Canada taking it for granted, I’m loving every minute of it,” Eliot said.

Part 1 in our series on minor hockey in Las Vegas

When it comes to NHL success stories, few franchises can measure up to the instant winning formula that was concocted by the Vegas Golden Knights. They were winners from the moment they stepped on the ice.

Vegas finished in first place as a first-year expansion franchise. The Golden Knights established NHL records for the most wins (51) and points (109) compiled by a first-year franchise. They joined the St. Louis Blues as the only NHL teams to reach the Stanley Cup final in their first year of existence. Though they lost to the Washington Capitals in five games, the Golden Knights managed to win a game in the final series, something the Blues weren’t able to do when they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1967-68 final.

Into their fourth season, the Golden Knights are just one of 19 teams in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs in each of their first four seasons. They were an immediate smash hit and they are working hard to ensure that the future — both the short-term and long-term variety — will be equally fruitful.

“To see the excitement and the enthusiasm in this market has been really rewarding,” said former NHL goalie Darren Eliot, who serves as Vice President of Hockey Programming and Facility Operations for the Golden Knights. “Now we’ve got to keep on focusing.”

Certainly, the on-ice success story of the Golden Knights has helped to create a buzz about the game throughout the Nevada desert. But it’s not just about winning on the ice. From Day 1 for the Golden Knights, it’s been about winning over the people of Las Vegas, converting them into hockey lifers.

And that doesn’t start with a capacity crowd on game night. Sure, that type of environment develops excitement but it’s more of the instant gratification variety, getting caught up in the atmosphere and wanting to be part of that environment. But it’s a strong grassroots youth hockey program that creates hockey fans forever.

The Golden Knights recognized this fact of life from the outset.

“It’s really a long-term investment,” Eliot said.

“The parents are now hockey fans in the moment but their kid is the one who is playing hockey and has an affinity for the game.”

Over the course of his career, Eliot, 59, has frequently found himself situated in what would be termed emerging hockey markets. He tended goal for the Los Angeles Kings from 1984-87. In front-office positions, he’s worked for the Anaheim Ducks when they were still Mighty and for the Atlanta Thrashers.

“I never set out to get my doctorate degree in non-traditional hockey markets,” Eliot said. “ It’s just where the opportunity led me and kind of interested me and now this has become broad based for me.”

Misha Donskov, director of hockey operations for the Golden Knights, worked with Eliot in Atlanta.

“We had some really groundbreaking work done there,” Eliot said of his time in Georgia. “We did a ton of good things for youth hockey, hockey development, and brand extension.”

They also discovered that all of the hard work in a new market doesn’t add up to much if it isn’t backed up by the opportunity for kids to get out and play the game.

Eliot in particular remembered a conversation he had with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who was leaving Atlanta and headed to Nashville while on a tour of NHL markets.

I said ‘Hey Gary do you ever drive to Nashville?’” Eliot recalled. “I said, ‘You know how many rinks you pass between Atlanta and Nashville? I’ll tell you the answer — zero.’

“Granting teams to these markets with no infrastructure, you just become an entertainment option, a novelty. In the 20 years since, (the NHL) has really recognized that you have to put in the money and the commitment.”

“It’s about building the infrastructure, because that’s the bigger piece. They’ve all figured that out.”

It’s hard to grow the game if the roots have nowhere to sprout and blossom.

In Vegas, youth programs such as learn to skate, learn to play and skills training are all designed to lead kids into playing organized hockey, whether that be house league or travel. Backing up these on-ice programs is a commitment from team ownership to provide the facilities and sponsors to deliver the financial wherewithal to make it all happen.

“It’s a long-term thing and it all has to come together and you don’t get that without putting in the effort to develop hockey programs in the area,” Eliot said. “That’s the bottom line.”

In the past, most youth hockey programs in non-traditional markets were generally started by Canadians who stayed in the area after their playing days, but there wasn’t any direct link to the team. They were blips on the radar that eventually faded away.

In Vegas, they recognize that long-term success for the franchise isn’t built merely around succeeding on the ice. By building a strong youth hockey program and investing in hockey futures, they are assembling a fan base for years to come. And if you get the kids on board, the adults are sure to follow.

“Seeing families and kids take to the game that we grew up with in Canada taking it for granted, I’m loving every minute of it,” Eliot said.

The past year has not been easy for anyone in the hockey community, especially in Ontario. The complete shutdown of hockey has left players anxious to play, parents worried about  their child’s development and teams struggling to navigate recruitment and player evaluations. 

The upcoming OHL Draft is a lightning rod for all of this uneasiness. With unsubstantiated rumours of back-door dealings between agents and teams, innuendos of back-handed recruitment deals mixed in with a double dose of the usual pre-draft angst, and you have a perfect storm. What should a family do? 

Sign on with one of the many “Scouting Insider” websites? Start promotional videos from random training skates and plaster over social media? Show video of your kid doing box jumps in the basement? 

First of all, take a deep breath. The reality is that this is not the time to overreact to the unique circumstances these players are facing because of COVID-19 restrictions. The message should be that this is one stop in a very long journey that will have more than its share of bumps in the road along the way. 

Ontario Hockey League teams recognize that they are up against an impossible task. Not only do scouts have limited viewings of players and often are basing decisions on stats from a year ago, you also have a “snake draft” that sees teams picking #1 not picking again till #40. 

The #20 pick will get the #21 pick as well as the #1 Euro pick. (Congrats to the Barrie Colts on that horseshoe luck) 

This type of draft has led teams to realize that there will be a lot of good players available in middle rounds. They also know that many of the late picks may be extremely undervalued and some of the higher picks may be overvalued. 

Through conversation with scouts and executives, it appears teams are spending extra time on the background checks of players with work ethic and personality traits now just as important as perceived skill sets. 

There is no doubt players will be drafted higher and lower than they should be this year. The other fact is that there will be a number of good players completely missed in this draft. While it happens in every draft, it is going to happen a lot in this one. 

The development from U15 (bantam) to U18 (midget) is exponential in many kids and being missed in this year’s draft is inevitable if the player was unable to highlight these gains in comparable situations. 

Being drafted late or not being drafted at all — especially this year— is not necessarily a negative outcome. It should be viewed as an opportunity. To understand the why, it is important to look at options available to 16-year-old players. 

Each OHL team can only keep four 16-year-old players on their roster. Ontario Junior Hockey League teams are allowed two (they can apply for more via a card allocation process) and Junior B and C teams are allowed one each. This extremely limits the number of available spots for these players to play junior hockey. 

There are also rules and guidelines around the amount of ice time that these players are required to receive. While each situation is different. the key thing is the players need to play.

The more they play the better. Because the OHL draft will have so many hit and misses, the view by many is that not as many 16-year-old players will make OHL teams this year as would usually make it. 

Many players will need more development and more playing time. This means that this upcoming season should be one of the best major midget (U18)  years on record. Scouts will be scouring to find kids that were overlooked. While U18 AAA hockey is a fantastic option, many players and families do not fully appreciate it. Everyone is eager to move to the next level, but this year it may be the best option to be seen by scouts. 

NCAA teams are benefitting from the fact that this COVID-induced glitch in the OHL recruiting machine may allow more players to slip through and give them a better chance of landing a top end talent that may have traditionally chosen the OHL route. 

More and more players are choosing the NCAA route and with so much upheaval with this year’s draft, the NCAA recruiters are expecting a bumper crop of recruits to be available with the 2005 age group. 

The decision to take a card in the OJHL or Junior B or C is not to be taken lightly as there are many things to consider.

Are the junior teams skating everyday? Who are the coaches? Do they have strength and conditioning coaches? Do they have skill providers attached to the teams?  What is the makeup of the team? What is the culture like? All of these questions need to be evaluated. Placing your 16-year-old son on a team of Junior C men — who could be as old as 21 — may pay dividends, but if the culture is off it also could be detrimental. 

The advice here is trust the process. Getting drafted to the OHL is a proud moment for players and family. It’s a milestone to be cherished and celebrated. It identifies achievement but it also needs to be looked at as just another milestone. It’s not how good you are at 16, it’s how good you are at 21. 

Players need to play and develop. Players need to want it more than the next guy to reach that next level. And sometimes, you need to find that situation where someone believes in you. This year more players will get that “free agent” feeling as they try to find that perfect route for them 

 Best of luck to everyone.

The past year has not been easy for anyone in the hockey community, especially in Ontario. The complete shutdown of hockey has left players anxious to play, parents worried about  their child’s development and teams struggling to navigate recruitment and player evaluations. 

The upcoming OHL Draft is a lightning rod for all of this uneasiness. With unsubstantiated rumours of back-door dealings between agents and teams, innuendos of back-handed recruitment deals mixed in with a double dose of the usual pre-draft angst, and you have a perfect storm. What should a family do? 

Sign on with one of the many “Scouting Insider” websites? Start promotional videos from random training skates and plaster over social media? Show video of your kid doing box jumps in the basement? 

First of all, take a deep breath. The reality is that this is not the time to overreact to the unique circumstances these players are facing because of COVID-19 restrictions. The message should be that this is one stop in a very long journey that will have more than its share of bumps in the road along the way. 

Ontario Hockey League teams recognize that they are up against an impossible task. Not only do scouts have limited viewings of players and often are basing decisions on stats from a year ago, you also have a “snake draft” that sees teams picking #1 not picking again till #40. 

The #20 pick will get the #21 pick as well as the #1 Euro pick. (Congrats to the Barrie Colts on that horseshoe luck) 

This type of draft has led teams to realize that there will be a lot of good players available in middle rounds. They also know that many of the late picks may be extremely undervalued and some of the higher picks may be overvalued. 

Through conversation with scouts and executives, it appears teams are spending extra time on the background checks of players with work ethic and personality traits now just as important as perceived skill sets. 

There is no doubt players will be drafted higher and lower than they should be this year. The other fact is that there will be a number of good players completely missed in this draft. While it happens in every draft, it is going to happen a lot in this one. 

The development from U15 (bantam) to U18 (midget) is exponential in many kids and being missed in this year’s draft is inevitable if the player was unable to highlight these gains in comparable situations. 

Being drafted late or not being drafted at all — especially this year— is not necessarily a negative outcome. It should be viewed as an opportunity.

To understand the why, it is important to look at options available to 16-year-old players. 

Each OHL team can only keep four 16-year-old players on their roster. Ontario Junior Hockey League teams are allowed two (they can apply for more via a card allocation process) , while Junior B (two players) and Junior C teams (1 player) are limited options. This extremely restricts the number of available spots for these players to play junior hockey. 

There are also rules and guidelines around the amount of ice time that these players are required to receive. While each situation is different. the key thing is the players need to play.

The more they play the better. Because the OHL draft will have so many hit and misses, the view by many is that not as many 16-year-old players will make OHL teams this year as would usually make it. 

Many players will need more development and more playing time. This means that this upcoming season should be one of the best major midget (U18)  years on record. Scouts will be scouring to find kids that were overlooked. While U18 AAA hockey is a fantastic option, many players and families do not fully appreciate it. Everyone is eager to move to the next level, but this year it may be the best option to be seen by scouts. 

NCAA teams are benefitting from the fact that this COVID-induced glitch in the OHL recruiting machine may allow more players to slip through and give them a better chance of landing a top end talent that may have traditionally chosen the OHL route. 

More and more players are choosing the NCAA route and with so much upheaval with this year’s draft, the NCAA recruiters are expecting a bumper crop of recruits to be available with the 2005 age group. 

The decision to take a card in the OJHL or Junior B or C is not to be taken lightly as there are many things to consider.

Are the junior teams skating everyday? Who are the coaches? Do they have strength and conditioning coaches? Do they have skill providers attached to the teams?  What is the makeup of the team? What is the culture like? All of these questions need to be evaluated. Placing your 16-year-old son on a team of Junior C men — who could be as old as 21 — may pay dividends, but if the culture is off it also could be detrimental. 

The advice here is trust the process. Getting drafted to the OHL is a proud moment for players and family. It’s a milestone to be cherished and celebrated. It identifies achievement but it also needs to be looked at as just another milestone. It’s not how good you are at 16, it’s how good you are at 21. 

Players need to play and develop. Players need to want it more than the next guy to reach that next level. And sometimes, you need to find that situation where someone believes in you. This year more players will get that “free agent” feeling as they try to find that perfect route for them 

 Best of luck to everyone.