LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Vegas Golden Knights high school hockey league returns this spring for its second season.
The organization saw a gap in the valley for that age group and continues to fill it by building on the foundation set from season one.
Nate Putek, hockey director at America First Center, said there is more buzz this year than last year.
League structure and eligibility
Like year one, this season’s high school hockey league remains co-ed and will be made up of 320 players split up into eight different regions of the valley. Each region will have two teams, one in the major division and the other the minor division.
The league is designed for high schoolers, though this season the only eligible players are those with the birth years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
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Wally Lacroix, Golden Knights director of facility management, said the organization received questions about 2008 birth years last year. Some of them are still juniors in high school and will have their senior year.
“It is a hybrid of both USA hockey and CCSD, and we’re kind of trying to merge between them,” Lacroix said. “We don’t want graduating seniors playing against incoming freshmen, which would be what you would do if you allowed the 08 birth year, because you have half and half.”
New partnerships and features
Staff said like last year, there will be games of the week that are broadcasted on YouTube complete with play-by-play and in-game interviews. There will be a bigger focus on statistics in year two, as well as an elevated feel around town.
The league partnered with Buffalo Wild Wings for year two. After every game played, all the Buffalo Wild Wings in town will offer players a free six wings and a soda if they wear their jersey.
Every Buffalo Wild Wings will also have the high school league jerseys in their stores. The organization is working to have Henderson Buffalo Wild Wings locations display the Battle Rams and Black Mountain jerseys.
Putek said it creates a feel similar to a high school playoff run in any sport. It starts bringing out alumni, and eventually there will be alumni coming back who played in the league in the first or second year.
Frozen Frenzy event
On Saturday, June 13, America First Center will host every single high school team and have games throughout the day starting at 8:30 a.m. all the way through 10 p.m.
It will be their spin on Frozen Frenzy in the NHL. There will also be activities for everyone in attendance, including games on and off the ice for fans and families.
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