Coach Dutton's 1st Bi-Annual Skillz Competition

In order to make our hockey community more exciting and cutting edge, I have leaned on a few friends for ideas. Coach Dutton's 1st Bi-Annual Skillz Competition is one of the best thus far. The first one will be a closed competition to work out the bugs. We will have 20-25 close hockey friends compete in 5 events. Below you will see my break down of how it all works:

Events will be staged as follows:

1. Fastest Skater
2. Shootout
3. Accuracy Shooting
4. Hardest Shot
5. Stick Handling

Competition Rules and Regulations

Decision Process
• The referee shall make all necessary rulings regarding the skills competition events.

Participants
• Players must compete in all events.

Tie Situation
• Outlined under each event

Scoring
• Each event win is worth two (2) goals towards the final score. Each bracket win is worth one (1) goal.

EVENT 1 – FASTEST SKATER


Procedure / Rules
• The contest consists of head-to-head heats based on a random bracket system. You lose the bracket, you’re out.
• Starting from a standing position at the goal line, on the referee’s whistle, the two (2) skaters race to the far blue line.
• The first skater across the line wins the race.
• Winners are determined by blue line refs on each side. In case of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch.

Scoring
• One (1) goal is awarded for every win in the bracket. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie, the heat will run again.


EVENT 2 –SHOOTOUT


Procedure / Rules
• In the qualifying round all players participate in a head to head bracket alternating goalies.
• Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules.

Brackets
• Four (4) shot per player
• Each goalie faces two (2) attempts


Scoring
• One goal point is awarded to the player who wins the shootout for each round. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• Ties go to sudden death using the same goalie



EVENT 3- ACCURACY SHOOTING


Procedure / Rules
• Four (4) targets fifteen inches (15”) in diameter are attached to the goal posts, one target in each corner.
• 8 pucks on the blue line

Qualifying Round
• The shooter has a maximum of eighteen (18) seconds to shoot up to eight (8) pucks in an attempt to hit each of the four (4) targets.
• Any contact of a target by a puck that is shot is scored as a hit.
• Multiple hits on the same target do not increase the shooter’s score.

Head-to-Head Round
• The Bracket system prevails once again

Scoring
• One goal is awarded to the player with most targets hit per round. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• Ties are decided in an alternating target hit competition, just like a shootout.

EVENT 4– HARDEST SHOT


Procedure / Rules
• A single puck is positioned on the ice thirty feet (30’) from the center of the goal. A player, starting no further than the nearest blue line, may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. The highest recorded shot in miles per hour (mph) of two (2) attempts will be scored.
• Shots must be on goal to be calculated. All shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour.
• If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt.

Scoring
• The player with the highest score in mph, determined by using each participant’s highest, will receive one (1) goal. Winner gets Two (2)


Tie Situation
Additional shot each, highest mph wins.


EVENT 5– STICK HANDLING


Procedure / Rules
• 12 Cones are set up 2 feet apart. 2 Players need to complete the course as fast as possible. If you hit a cone you are DQ’ed. The first player to make it through the course clean wins. If both players are DQ’ed the player that made it the farthest before hitting a cone wins

Scoring
• Bracket winners awarded 1 point, Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
Sudden death – do it again.

You will be ranked by points at the end of the competition. Top 3 winners awarded prizes.

There will be a fee for this competition to cover ice time and expenses. A portion of the fee will also go to prizes until we can close a few sponsors. I am still working on it and will get a date once I get some competitive rink quotes.

Local Tournament ?

As I was researching Adult Tournaments in the area, I was shocked to find out there is absolutely nothing hosted in the DC Metro Area. I checked out everything within a 30 mile radius. I found a ton of local rinks I didn’t know existed, youth tourneys, adult pick up times near work (sweet)…but no freaking tournaments! Then on a last ditch effort I searched for “hockey tournaments Washington DC” - instead of Virginia - and hit the Jackpot!




Annual Charity Tournament

DC FIRE hockey is dedicated to giving back to the community, especially to those in need. Each year, in early April, DC FIRE holds a three day tournament that expressly benefits the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation.
This year's tournament is being held April 16-18, 2010
The Gardens Ice House, Laurel, Maryland
$900 per team. Three games guaranteed. Championship games on Sunday.

To Register:

http://www.dcfirehockey.com/tournament/2010_Tourney_Registration.pdf

Flyer:

http://www.dcfirehockey.com/tournament/2010_Tourney_Flyer.pdf

Basic Info:

The D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, founded by active and retired Washington, D.C. firefighters, is dedicated to assisting in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured firefighters and burn patients in the D.C. Metropolitan Area. They support burn research, treatment, and rehabilitation programs at Washington Hospital Center as well as the Children's Burn Camp Program. Firefighters and members of the Burn Center have a special empathy for burn victims. No other group witnesses more of the devastation that fire wreaks on the human body and spirit.
The past five years of tournaments have been very successful, with thousands of dollars raised for the Burn Foundation. Our success is due to the dedication of our members, their families, and volunteers who just want to help.

If you or your organization are interested in contributing or being a sponsor of this event please contact us.
No contribution is too small.

This look like something I will definitely participate in and will probably put together an A/B and C Goons team. If you are interested, please let me know! Also, since I have participated in a few Can/Am tournaments in the past I want to share a few fun ones you might be interested in checking out.

http://www.canamhockey.com/index.php?view=adult_tournaments

Atlantic City
March 26, 2010
June 11, 2010

Boston
April 30, 2010

Chicago
March 12, 2010

Lake Placid
April 15, 2010
April 29, 2010

Las Vegas
February 19, 2010
April 30, 2010

Montreal
April 15, 2010
April 22, 2010

Niagara Falls
April 09, 2010

San Jose
April 16, 2010

Toronto
April 23, 2010

If you are interested in putting together a team for any of these events but need a hand finding players, let me know and I will definitely help out!

Adult Hockey: Where's the Love? Travel Teams, Tournaments, and Trophies

There is nothing I look forward to more than my next hockey game. All week long, there is a place in the back of my mind that is counting down the seconds to my next game. Since I am only playing in one league now, it basically means I play 1 game a week. Not enough in my mind but that’s the way it works. In any case, the leagues around the DC area typically last about 4-5 months (20-25 games). From there we enter playoffs. Usually it’s a one game playoff where the winner moves on and the loser waits until the next season (about a month away). Personally, I think men’s leagues should replicate the NHL playoffs and should be best of seven games (or more realistic the best of 3). I know ice time is limited and expensive so I will not press the issue. What gets me steamed is that we battle and fight to become champions and we get nothing for it (accept bragging rights and our names on the rink cup). No team trophies, no t-shirts, nada. Where is the love? A hockey player needs his moment in the light. We are an egotistical, trash talking, glory seeking breed. We want our recognition. It is time to get back to the roots of the game and make a big deal out of winning it all. Lord Stanley would want it that way! Another thing that would make things more exciting would be to start playing some different teams in the area. There are about 5 rinks within a 30 mile radius. For years we play the same people. In my case, the over 30 Masters B league offers us nothing different; the teams are always the same. We know all the players, goalies and hacks within the league. Over time we start making enemies and it is not healthy. For example, the team we play this weekend took out a fellow Goon a few games ago and he has a price on his head. This wouldn’t happen so much if the rinks got together and built a travel system. Link together all the teams from each rink into a division. For example, Fairfax Ice would be the Eastern Division. We play division rivals, the current Over 30 B teams as well as out of conference teams (a.k.a. over 30 B teams from Kettler, Reston, etc. That would be so much fun! The teams we typically play all the time will become fierce rivals, but we would then have something in common. We would want our division to be the strongest in the metro DC area. It brings pride and glory to the division therefore…less hacking division players and more unity. When the playoffs come, why not have it sponsored by a local brewery. The top seed at every rink makes the playoffs or you have a division playoff and the winner moves on. It all makes sense to me and is now a project in the making. I will start with a sponsored travel tournament. I will ask local breweries first like Dogfishead or Dominion. Once we get teams and rinks involved, I will pass along my “travel team” idea. It will change the way this entire area looks at adult hockey. We would have something unique to the area that would put DC Metro Hockey on the map. We are a hockey town and I will help prove it to the world!

Capstronaut - The New Era

Living in a transient town makes it difficult to appreciate old time hockey traditions. There are a lot of band wagon hoppers in DC (you can say I am one of them) but some people in Caps Jerseys don't even know the basics. I have no problem with it, as long as you learn the ropes, I say the more the merrier! Until then, just clap, whistle and yell your favorite Caps name. Just remember the K in not silent in Knuble. DC is starting to become a hockey town again and I want to help you all rock the red the right way. So let's talk about some things you might see and hear at the Verizon Center for a Caps game. My wife and I went last night and were commenting on the different things we have seen over the last five years. One major difference is the packed house. It is hard to believe 5 years ago, I could pick out friends from the crowd across the rink! Seriously, the place was empty. Now, it is a sea of red in a jam packed house that Ovechkin built. Since the signing of the great number 8, people have been feeling the excitement home town hockey can offer. That's another major difference. The Caps jerseys went from the bland eagle/capital featured in black white and gold to an off beat version of the old time retro hockey jersey back in the days of Rod Langway. Nothing says Washington DC like red white and blue with stars. Also in the last five years, we have decided to move a little closer to the rink 106 row J (10 rows from the glass 6 seats to the right of the opposing goalies shoulder aka caps shoot twice side). What a different it makes to be up close and personal! Just a few rows up is the Let's Go Caps guy. If you turn to the right you can see the Let's Go Caps horn guy. Similar cheers and both effective in getting the crowd back on tract during slow parts of a game and both part of DC tradition. My new favorite and recent addition to the Caps scene is the Capstronaut. He is seated about three rows behind the opposing bench, and is active throughout the entire game. The great thing about him is that he moves in slow motion (as a good space man should) as he taunts the bench. I even saw him walking to the bathroom in slo-mo. I am a big Capstronaut fan and hope he has the heart and persistence to make himself a long lasting Caps tradition. Some other chants that can be heard are the "It's all your fault". Basically after the announcer calls out the Caps player that scores, you count up the total amount of goals while pointing at the opposing goalie and then yell "It's all your fault" On the other end of the spectrum (after announcing the goal scorer for a visiting team everybody screams) "WHO CARES". There are many other nasty ones out there but I will let you get the full effect when you go see the caps yourselves. I suggest you teach your kids that yelling "you suck" over and over again isn't too cool. I got an earfull of it last night. A few appropriate alternatives would be "And the rocket's red glare" we yell "RED!!!!" Also at the beginning of "Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, yell "OH!". A few promotions out there get the fans crazy as well. Glory Days does a 5 for 10 deal when the Caps score 5 or more goals, ticket holders can go to GD and get 10 free wings. From time to time the you will hear the chant "we want wings", even I chant it knowing I will never redeem the ticket but hey, it's all in good fun. Another fun idea is the Chipotle burrito toss. The Caps Cheerleaders - Red Rockers - come out and toss flaming hot cheesy burritos into the crowd (come to find out they quickly decided t-shirts wrapped in foil holding a free burrito coupon was a better option). After all the fun and excitement we witnessed at last nights Caps game, they beat the Flyers 5-3 with Ovechkin scoring a penalty shot (finally)! They have a tough road ahead with Detroit and the Pens. Keep your eyes and ears open for more Caps fun and please let me know what I missed. (photos courtesy of Capitals Outsider)

TED LEONSIS 101

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Ted Leonsis. Not just because he is the majority owner of the Washington Capitals or because he is rich as hell but because he is a hero of mine. He is an amazing man that gives back to the community in so many ways...plain and simple, he is an all around nice guy and has an amazing story. He is laid back, personable and willing to chat with a no name (well not yet anyways) blogger like myself! I had the chance to meet him once and wrote a blog on it: http://teamduttonfamily.blogspot.com/2008/11/night-out-with-ted-and-washington.html

Before I spent the evening with Ted, I decided to do a little research on the man. I will discuss my findings in a later post, but right now I want to focus on his top 101 things to do before he dies list! In 1983, Leonsis was a passenger on an Eastern Airlines plane that lost its ability to use its wing flaps and landing gear. As flight attendants pulled everything out of the overhead compartments, shifted passengers and taught them how to brace for a crash landing, Leonsis began to think about what he would do if he survived.

"I promised myself that if I didn't die, I'd play offense for the rest of my life," he says now. For Leonsis that meant compiling a list of "101 Things to Do" and then doing them.

In 18 years since a safe landing, the 45-year-old Leonsis has crossed off a remarkable 74 items. Below I have provided his list. I added a column for me, just for fun. After reading this list, I decided to create my own. This is something I have never (and will not) share with another living soul until my 40th birthday. Wish me luck!!

101 things Ted Leonsis has given himself to do in life

I. Family matters - (Ted Brian) unfortunately, blogspot wouldn't let me upload my excel sheet
1. Fall in love and get married X X
2. Have a healthy son X X
3. Have a healthy daughter X X
4. Take care of mother and father X 0
5. Take care of in-laws X 0
6. Take care of extended family X 0
7. Have grandchildren 0 0
8. Have great-grandchildren 0 0
9. Leave trusts for family members X 0
10. Leave all financial matters in great shape
for family members upon passing on X 0
11. Have children become individuals and
self-actualized staying loving within
the family X 0

II. Financial matters
12. Pay off college debts X X
13. Net worth of $10 million, after taxes X 0
14. Net worth of $100 million, after taxes X 0
15. Net worth of $1 billion, after taxes 0 0
16. Zero personal debt for family X 0
17. Make $10 million on an outside investment X 0
18. Become a partner in a venture capital fund X 0
19. Create $1 billion in value
with an outside investment X 0
20. Start a company and sell it X 0
21. Conduct an IPO on a company I founded X 0
22. Create world's largest media company X 0

III. Possessions
23. Own a beach home that stays in family X 0
24. Own a jet X 0
25. Own a yacht X 0
26. Own a convertible Porsche or Mercedes Benz X 0
27. Own a mountain home that stays in the family0 0
28. Own a great piece of art X 0
29. Own a great personal collection of watches X 0
30. Own a Ferrari X 0
31. Restore an antique auto X 0
32. Own a restaurant or club X 0
33. Support someone who makes a great
breakthrough in science or art 0 0

IV. Charities
34. Change someone's life via a charity X 0
35. Give $1 million to Georgetown University X 0
36. Major impact on a children's charity X 0
37. Start a family charity foundation X 0
38. Give away $100 million in lifetime 0 0
39. Have a building/perpetual memorial
named after the family 0 0

V. Sports
40. Own a sports franchise
(basketball, hockey or football) X 0
41. Win a world championship X 0
42. Go to a Super Bowl with Dolphins or RedskinsX 0
43. Go to a Final Four with Georgetown X 0
44. Go to a World Series with Yankees X 0
45. Meet Mickey Mantle X 0
46. Catch a foul ball X 0
47. Go to an NBA All-Star Game X 0
48. Go to an NBA draft X 0
49. Go to an NHL All-Star Game X 0
50. Go to a Capitals Stanley Cup X 0
51. Go to Olympics X 0
52. Play Augusta X 0
53. Play Pebble Beach X 0
54. Play Cypress X 0
55. Play St. Andrews 0 0
56. Go to Ryder Cup X 0
57. Go to U.S. Open golf tourney X 0
58. Go to World Cup 0 X
59. Get a hole-in-one 0 0
60. Play in a celebrity golf tournament 0 0
61. Go to a US Open tennis final X 0
62. Go to baseball All-Star Game X 0
63. Go to a Fantasy Camp 0 0
64. Shoot baskets at Madison Square Garden X 0
65. Go one-on-one with Michael Jordan X 0

VI. Travel
66. Go to Greece X X
67. Go to Italy X X
68. Go to Israel/Jerusalem X 0
69. Go to Hawaii X X
70. Go on safari to Africa 0 0
71. Go to London X X
72. Go to Paris X X
73. Go to Australia 0 0
74. Sail through Caribbean X 0
75. Sail through Mediterranean X 0
76. Go to China X 0
77. Go to Brazil X 0
78. Go to Alaska 0 X
79. Go to Egypt X 0
80. Go to Bali 0 0
81. Go to Tahiti 0 0

VII. Stuff
82. Be on cover of a magazine X 0
83. Produce a TV show X 0
84. Go into outerspace 0 0
85. Write a book X 0
86. Invent a board game X 0
87. Make a movie X 0
88. Win a Grammy/Oscar/Tony Award X 0
89. Swim with dolphins X 0
90. Swim with Great white sharks 0 0
91. Get an honorary degree X 0
92. Hold elective office X 0
93. Go to White House/meet President X 0
94. Advise a foreign government X 0
95. Live overseas 0 0
96. Go to Oscars 0 0
97. Go to MTV Awards Show X 0
98. See the Rolling Stones X 0
99. See The Who X 0
100. Take a year sabbatical 0 0
101. Sail around the world with family 0 0

TED'S TOTAL: 74/101
BRIAN'S TOTAL: 11/101

http://www.tedstake.com/2006/01/06/my-101-list-the-story/

Hockey For Life

Before we start building this thing together I want to let the non-hockey playing folks out there understand my motivation for this project. A brief history on what I call, hockey for life. It all starts back around 1990 as a freshman in high school. I decided to try hockey. I remember the first time I strapped on skates. I was a tag along on one of my sisters’ dates. They took me to the rink in Geneva, NY. I put my skates on and hit the ice with guns a blazing. About 10 minutes later I was in the rink guard medical room because I took a nose dive straight into the ice. It was assessed that I had a concussion. Not hard to figure out since I ended up puking all over all the rink guard jackets and sprayed a rack of skates, my bad. Anyways, even after that traumatic experience, more so for my sister and her date (not sure how he explained to my dad that he left me alone and I ended up busting myself up) I decided to give it another go. We didn’t have a high school team back then so my parents signed me up for the Canandaigua Knights Hockey Club. Our home ice was about 45 minutes away in Geneseo, NY. To make a long story short, no matter how far away the practice, or home games and even the away games which were hours away, my parents never let me miss a minute of it. That was such an important motivator in my life. I never remember my dad saying he was too sick to take me, too tired or too busy. My parent made it work for me and never let me down. They knew I loved the sport but it was much more than the time on the ice that was important. It was the time spent with my dad in the car, the hours of interaction with my friends in the locker room. The commitment to making myself a better player even though I was years behind my peers. I learned work ethic and perseverance that I now live everyday. Hockey was an irreplaceable piece of a puzzle that built character and made me a well rounded individual. This is so important for parents to understand. It’s more than just a game; it’s a way of life. Anyways, after 4 years of hockey I graduated high school and decided to play soccer at a college that didn’t have a hockey team. I had no idea how much I would miss it. The years passed and the hockey slowly slipped away for me and was non-existent until 1998 when I walked into a Play It Again Sports in Blacksburg, VA. I noticed they had a ton of roller hockey gear. I never played roller hockey before but the memories of ice started coming back to me. That is when I noticed a team of guys walking in the store from a back door. I peaked in and saw a rink. The bulb went off and I was hooked again. Right there I bought a bunch of gear. I signed up for a team and called home so my mom could send me some of my old hockey stuff. I was back in but there was still something missing. Either way, I was playing hockey again and I loved it. About 6 months later, I graduated college and moved to Arlington, VA. The first thing I did was look up roller hockey rinks in the area. I found Fairfax Sportsplex. I joined a team but the guys were lame. Bad Mother Puckers…really? Come on. They didn’t have the same love of the game or the team spirit I craved. The conversation was boring and even after the game they all left without hanging out. I was an outsider and they didn’t care to let me in even though I took a puck to the head the first game, went and got stitches and made it back for the double header. So, I looked for another team to take me in. That is where I met Mick. This guy was so into hockey it was sick. After a game, and a few beers, we would go back to his house and play hockey video games. His house was filled with hockey figures, sports memorabilia, jerseys etc. Now I was on the right team. The Goons…perfect. I was playing again and with great guys I could call my friends but something was still missing. After about a year in the city, I realized I hated my job and that a small town boy like me needed a break from all the city stress. So, I moved to Vail, CO and lived in my sisters’ basement, becoming a ski bum for a season. My 6 month getaway turned into about 6 years. I played a little roller hockey out there and had a pretty good team. Life was good. I got married to my college sweetheart. We bought a house and I got a real job. It was time to move closer to her family so we would have support while building our own. So back to VA we go. We came back and I joined yet another roller team. I was pretty pissed I never kept in touch with Mick from the Goons. I missed those guys and their hockey mentality. Low and behold, after joining myspace, Mick shot me an email asking me where I was living. It turns out he has transitioned the Goons to an Ice Hockey team in Fairfax. It was then I realized I hadn’t skated on ice in over 12 years. It didn’t matter; I was giving it a shot. So I called up mom and had her ship me my old skates. I grabbed my gear and I headed out to the rink. The team was filled with a new bunch of guys but Mick did a good job recruiting like minded folks. All of them were good people that loved the team more than the game. I found what I was missing. The camaraderie was intact. I felt good about getting back on the ice after 12 years. Then it happened. I skated onto the freshly cut rink and took in a big breath of air. The smell of the ice moved me. I never realized how much I missed that smell. I don’t know if is because I loved to play hockey or if it reminded me of road trips with my dad and playing as a kid. Either way, every time I get on the ice, I take a second to breathe deep and take it all in. Every time I coach a game, as soon as I hit the ice I tell my kids “it smells like hockey” hoping they remember that feeling for the rest of their lives. I promised myself as long as I can get out of bed, I will play ice hockey. I will coach and I will help others that can’t help themselves find a way to play. I will never lose sight of it again. I will be the oldest player at the rink someday. I will help kids find a way to play in college and maybe even pay for college. I will help adults find the money to pay for league fees and equipment especially if money is the only reason they can’t play!

There are no excuses for not playing hockey if you love the game. I don’t care if you’re in a wheel chair or even if you are paralyzed. I will find a way for you to smell the freshly cut ice. So here is my main point. Hockey is a life long team sport. There are very few sports you can play as an adult in an organized league that has the same spirit as hockey. You spend at least 30 minutes pre game, catching up with the guys. Then you have 60 minutes of organized play where you can get rid of your daily stresses by clearing the crease or dangling a defenseman. Then when it is all said and done, when the game is over, you head back to the locker room and spend time with good friends. We make plans for the weekend together so our kids can play and our wives can talk. The game of hockey extends into my living room. It creates networking opportunities at work. Hopefully, for me, it will even create an opportunity to start my own business. It is more than just a game it’s a way of life.

Coming Soon

As we build a base of readers I want to fill you in on what to expect from Coach Dutton. Below I have listed a few of my ideas for blog topics. I would love to get your feedback on my thoughts as well as some new ideas from you! This week you can expect a new facebook account, twitter account and a sneak peak into the new web site! My business partners are just as excited as I am and Coach Dutton LLC. is well on it's way!!

1. Hockey for Life: How hockey becomes a life long sport
2. Adult Hockey: Where's the Love? Travel Teams, Tournaments, and Trophies
3. Top 10 reasons why Ted Leonsis is my hero
4. Teds top 100 things to do before he dies. Where is your list?
5. What does our hockey community need to be the best on the planet? No really, tell me.
6. Guest blog Bio (Once a month)- Capt of US Warriors – Coach of Cool Cats - GMU Coach - GTown Prep Coach - etc
7. Guest blog rants (Once a month) – Local players - NHL Alumni - I know 3 and I need more - Do you know anyone I could call on?
8. Building a Sled Hockey Team from scratch
9 Womans hockey: Does it even exist in NOVA?
10. Indoor and Backyard rinks in DC (starting with mine)
11. Ivy League Hockey - What it takes to get in free on a hockey scholarship! (Local schools and SUNY schools for my NY readers)!
12. Cool Caps jobs off the ice
13. Hockey and Tattoos - Bad bad men – Marlowe Ink
14. Hockey Dads Hockey Moms - balance the load
15. SportsCenters lack of respect for hockey
16. Ice Time - comparing of local rinks times and prices
17. Beer Leagues - Rate the rinks for the booze hounds
18. Green - How one man gives more than most.
19. Setting up a local tournament sponsored by a Brewery
20. Hockey Mom’s – Terms, Praise, Q & A

Please email me with more ideas at coachdutton@gmail.com or find Coach Dutton on Facebook!

Welcome Hockey Enthusiasts!

My name is Brian Dutton. I want to start by saying thank you for reading the first blog of a grassroots campaign to make the DC Metro area hockey community a better place to play! The goal here is clear and simple. I will advocate to get you what you need as well as what you want. I will communicate these needs, ideas and a rant or two about hockey in our area. Finally, I will educate everyone willing to listen by posting feedback, hosting interviews, asking questions and leveraging relationships. This is step one to my dream coming true. The ultimate goal is to start a New and Used Hockey Store in Arlington but first I need to build a network based on trust. I will prove that I am a force within our community to get things done. For example I am the coach of the DC Sled Sharks. www.dcsledsharkshockey.weebly.com I also plan to expand women's hockey, adult tournaments, and much more. I will leverage existing and new partnerships/relationship to expand the game of hockey in our area. Want to know the best way to get a hockey scholarship to an Ivy League School? The cheapest pick up game? The cost of building a basement rink? The closest tournament...for over 60? Stay tuned and spread the word. Post questions, ideas, or any feedback you have for me. Coming soon, every Monday and Thursday you will find something new and exciting in the world of NOVA hockey!