By John Sprecher | Photography by Milissa Sprecher + Felicity Rafalski
Forget the beaches — it’s youth hockey that’s all the rage in Southwest Florida, and quickly becoming the talk of the country.
It’s another beautiful January Saturday in Southwest Florida. The sun is shining. The skies are clear blue. It’s maybe 75 degrees. Yet while most visitors would be heading for the beaches, more than a hundred families — some from as far away as Chicago and Dallas — are instead huddled inside the chilly “blue” and “green” rinks of Germain Arena in Estero, sitting on cold concrete bleachers, cheering on their kids as they participate in the first of a three-day youth hockey tournament. But the fact is, youth hockey in Southwest Florida is white hot — so hot that one team was ranked number one in the U.S. for more than two years, three teams are currently ranked in the top 20, and hockey moms, dads and organizers around the country have taken notice. While there are rec leagues and just-for-fun programs for kids, the youth hockey we’re talking about takes the sport — and the teaching of it —
seriously. These programs include Florida Junior Everblades AA hockey and Florida Alliance AAA hockey. Founded in 1998, the Junior Everblades is (this season) comprised of 10 teams and approximately 150 players, ranging in age from five to 16 years old, and teams compete with others throughout Florida. The Florida Alliance, formed in 2012, fields the top players from around the state (via tryouts) and travels to major tournaments across America and even to Canada. Originally from Toronto, Jim Brown is a former Florida Everblade who’s in his first year as hockey director for the Junior Everblades. “I would never have imagined my son learning to play hockey in Florida,” he laughs. “However, we’ve had so many ex-pro hockey players move here and get involved here that our coaching is outstanding, our kids are learning and the success of our teams is getting recognition around the country.”
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