hockeyfan1
New member
Who'd a thunk it? From relative obscurity and irrelevancy as a hockey state to boasting the largest beer leagues in North America. That's (Northern) California for you.
...every night is hockey night. In the sunny centre of the tech universe, disposable wealth and a large population of transplants have created the perfect climate for a traditionally northern sport to thrive. Hockey is growing faster in California than anywhere else in North America, and the dividends of the sport?s spike in popularity are starting to arrive in the NHL, in the form of players like Matt Nieto, Beau Bennett and Kevan Miller. In just two decades, the Bay Area has transformed from empty ice and no competitive leagues into the home of one of the largest, most intense beer leagues in the United States. This is how hockey became Northern California?s game.
According to USA Hockey, in 1991 there were approximately 11,000 registered hockey payers in the Pacific U.S.?a region that included California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii and Alaska. At the time, Wayne Gretzky was a member of the Los Angeles Kings, instantly making the team relevant. The Sharks had just arrived in San Jose, and two years later, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks joined the league. Hockey was making headway. By 1995, the number of registered players in the Pacific region had more than doubled, just clearing 25,000.
The growth of Sharks Ice from a modest (and mostly empty) two-rink arena to a constantly packed four-rink facility parallels the statewide surge in hockey participation. By 2002, there were 18,600 registered hockey players in California. Last year, that number had grown to 26,383?sixth highest in the United States, behind Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota.
Silicon Valley has managed to emulate the kind of hockey community you might find in Humboldt, Sask., or Truro, N.S. But being the tech capital of the world, it also has quirks you?re not likely to find in small-town rinks. The tech talents of players in the area have been put to good use. One player designed a program to connect score-keeping to a central computer system, instantly collecting data from the score clocks to provide real-time updates on the league?s website.
In a little more than two decades, a region with zero hockey traditions has come to show as much passion for the game as any city in the northeastern States or Canada.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/big-read-californias-beer-league-hockey-boom/
...every night is hockey night. In the sunny centre of the tech universe, disposable wealth and a large population of transplants have created the perfect climate for a traditionally northern sport to thrive. Hockey is growing faster in California than anywhere else in North America, and the dividends of the sport?s spike in popularity are starting to arrive in the NHL, in the form of players like Matt Nieto, Beau Bennett and Kevan Miller. In just two decades, the Bay Area has transformed from empty ice and no competitive leagues into the home of one of the largest, most intense beer leagues in the United States. This is how hockey became Northern California?s game.
According to USA Hockey, in 1991 there were approximately 11,000 registered hockey payers in the Pacific U.S.?a region that included California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii and Alaska. At the time, Wayne Gretzky was a member of the Los Angeles Kings, instantly making the team relevant. The Sharks had just arrived in San Jose, and two years later, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks joined the league. Hockey was making headway. By 1995, the number of registered players in the Pacific region had more than doubled, just clearing 25,000.
The growth of Sharks Ice from a modest (and mostly empty) two-rink arena to a constantly packed four-rink facility parallels the statewide surge in hockey participation. By 2002, there were 18,600 registered hockey players in California. Last year, that number had grown to 26,383?sixth highest in the United States, behind Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota.
Silicon Valley has managed to emulate the kind of hockey community you might find in Humboldt, Sask., or Truro, N.S. But being the tech capital of the world, it also has quirks you?re not likely to find in small-town rinks. The tech talents of players in the area have been put to good use. One player designed a program to connect score-keeping to a central computer system, instantly collecting data from the score clocks to provide real-time updates on the league?s website.
In a little more than two decades, a region with zero hockey traditions has come to show as much passion for the game as any city in the northeastern States or Canada.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/big-read-californias-beer-league-hockey-boom/
