COASTE | COMMUNITY
Certainly the most prominent name among these former professionals is Brian Rafalski, who moved his family to Southwest Florida in 2011 following his retirement from the Detroit Red Wings. With a resume that includes three Stanley Cup titles, three Olympic appearances for the United States and two NHL All Star nominations, Rafalski has been instrumental in growing Southwest Florida
two teams of 11-year-olds who shine brightest in the spotlight. The “Elite” squad was ranked number one in the country for over two years (at this writing, ranked number three) and the second “AAA” squad is ranked among the top 20. “It’s pretty unique to have two teams ranked as highly as we have,” says Ryan Brindley, another former Everblade and key contributor to
hockey the last few years — by coaching, collaborating with other coaches and helping establish the Florida Alliance. “Travel hockey’s purpose is to develop the elite players and give them opportunities to compete against the best players
“We want to bring out their best individually, while teaching them to work within the team concept. Those are skills that are very important in any profession and in life.”
the formation of the Alliance. “Honestly, I don’t know if it’s ever been done.” Brindley is president of Southeast Elite Hockey — focusing on camps, clinics, teaching and tourneys — and has been
across the U.S. and in Canada,” he explains. “We want to bring out their best individually, while teaching them to work within the team concept. Those are skills that are very important in any profession and in life. And hopefully, we can put them in a position to earn a college scholarship.” Although only four years old, Florida Alliance AAA already features nine teams of boys (and occasionally girls) ages nine to 14 — but it’s the
coaching youth hockey since his undergraduate years at Miami University of Ohio. With the Florida Alliance, the goal is “to have kids become the best people they can be, on and off the ice. If they have the passion and the work ethic, we’ll push them in skill development as well as life lessons.”
In fact, Southwest Florida hockey is now so well respected that parents from all over the state
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