Page 4 • May 2009 The PRIDE of champions Jr. B National Championship pumps new energy into Suffolk PAL Hockey By Joshua Boyd From its origin as a Peewee travel team in 1975, it was a long climb to March 31, 2009, when the Suffolk PAL Hockey organization celebrated its first-ever Jr. B National Championship. Here, we look at the building of PAL Hockey, its mission, what the Jr. B National Championship means to the organization and the thoughts of its top players. coach/GM/you name it.” The origin of a winner As you will read under the heading “Jr. B title a long time coming,” the Jr. B PAL One could say that Ron Kinnear is the “We have always been self-sufficient,” Hockey teams had many chances for a heart and soul of the Suffolk PAL Junior said Kinnear. “We are going to be a stand- championship. PAL Hockey has been Hockey program. He was on that first alone organization, but the juniors will represented at the National Jr. B Peewee travel team as a player. Later, he still be called Suffolk Hockey.” Championships a total of eight times, returned as a coach and general manager PAL hosts everything from beginning with its first appearance in of the team, and now he is the Director of travel to recreational house leagues for 1995-96. Junior Operations and General Manager boys and girls, along with skills When Kinnear re-started the PAL Jr. B for the organization. development and USA Hockey Initiation team, he also created a Jr. A team as a “I’ve been involved with PAL Hockey programs. The Tier-1 travel teams direct affiliate, and the for every year of its existence, except for competing at the Mite, Squirt, Peewee, were born. Kinnear hired, as head coach of four years when I went to college,” said Bantam, Midget and the Jr. B and C teams the Bobcats, Russian émigré Aleksey Kinnear. are called the Silver Shields, while the Nikiforov. A lot has changed since that first Tier-2 teams are called the Blue Knights. When the Bobcats and the Suffolk PAL The 1991-born defenseman Nicholas Peewee travel team took the ice – different The Silver Shields junior teams have a separated and became their own Giuffrida registered almost a per game teams have formed and disbanded over the non-continuous history going back to the organizations, Nikiforov joined PAL in the regular and added a pair of course of nearly 35 years under the PAL late 1980s. points at Nationals to help contribute to the Hockey as its eventual championship- Hockey name. And the times they are still Silver Shields' title win. In those days, the Suffolk PAL joined winning head coach. a-changin’. with the Suffolk Royals to present a Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd Kinnear had coached the PAL Jr. B’s to The 2008-09 season was the last to see combined junior team. Silver Shield on their jerseys over the its first five Nationals appearances, before years. Notable alumni include Montreal the letters PAL stand for Police Athletic “That went by the wayside, as junior turning over the reins to Jim Wright. Canadiens players and League. Starting in 2009-10, those letters hockey wasn’t as popular in the late 1980s Wright, still an assistant coach with Chris Higgins, AHL goalie Bobby will stand for “PRIDE in Athletics for and early 1990s as it is today,” said Nikiforov, led the PAL Jr. B’s to the 2004- Goepfert and UMass-Amherst All- Life,” as far as Suffolk PAL Hockey is Kinnear. “I re-established the junior 05 and 2006-07 Jr. B Nationals. American college hockey player James concerned. program back in 1994-95 as the Hundreds of players have worn the Marcou. Mission: Build the better hockey player Jake Laime. He is not only our assistant, his specialties. Over the years, his but he also runs the PAL Hockey strength American students in private lessons and conditioning program and he fills in included NHL players Mike Komisarek, as a recruiter.” Chris Higgins and , recent In Soviet-era Russia, Nikiforov worked Hobey Baker winner and New York to earn the highest coaching degree one Rangers prospect , New Jersey could obtain there, while also coaching Devils prospect and hockey in Lithuania. There, he trained UMass-Amherst player and All-American future NHLers such as Darius Kasparaitis James Marcou. and Dainius Zubrus. He also had coaching Also, of course, he trained his son time with former NHL stars like Alexei Vladimir, a former New York Bobcats Yashin and Alexei Zhamnov during his standout who has played this season with time in Russia. both the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers “In Lithuania, I worked on my coaching and the ECHL’s . degree and lived in a three-bedroom Overall, Nikiforov’s philosophy is apartment. I still have that apartment – my straightforward: Never “sit back.” mother lives there,” said Nikiforov. “Whether we’re winning or losing, you When he came to the in have to be responsible for every single 1991, after the “Iron Curtain” fell and action, every single play,” he said. “Small Russians were allowed to travel abroad things make big things. When you build a freely, he found a developmental hockey house, you start with the basement. I don’t A 1990-born goaltender, William Cirillo won all five games he played in the Jr. B National system that made no sense to him. like to see a player get the puck and dump Championships, finishing with a .909 save percentage against the best Jr. B teams in the “Over here, it was not coaches, it was it in and go after it. If you get the puck, country. Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd parents,” said Nikiforov. “Their create, do something with it. If you have knowledge about hockey was so low. [A the puck, make something happen. How do you train a hockey player to Nikiforov. coach] feels this game, lives this game, “If you dump it in, you’ll never take become a champion? To make the better “When people ask ‘Why are [the Silver smells this game. This is my situation, this that responsibility. But if you have the decision, to shoot the puck that much Shields] successful?’ It’s because we put is my business.” puck and you beat one, two or three guys, harder, to be in the right place? our resources into our coaches,” said Nikiforov had never heard of such a you build confidence,” said Nikiforov. One word, and it’s so simple: Coaching. Kinnear. “We have Aleksey, who’s trained thing as private 1-on-1 lessons in Soviet It’s a philosophy that has worked to the That is the basket into which Suffolk several NHL players [in Russia and in the Russia, but it ended up becoming one of tune of earning some of his former PAL Ice Hockey places all of its eggs. U.S.]. We have Jim Wright, Aleksey’s his claims to fame when he settled on students a living playing the game they These days, that basket is overflowing, assistant and our assistant general in the 1990s. love. manager. We also have a third assistant, thanks to the seemingly endless Power skating and stickhandling were knowledge of Jr. B head coach Aleksey who’s just finished his first year with us, May 2009 • Page 5 Jr. B title a long time coming For Suffolk PAL Hockey, winning the the commitment to return for another year 2009 Jr. B National Championship was like and literally go for the gold in 2008-09. climbing a mountain on a hiking trail. “Our core players were our second-year The view changes around every turn, and players, guys like Matt Vidal, Jesse Petito, you keep getting glimpses, but your of Patrick McNally, Ryan Gay – there were the peak looks bigger each time. eight of them who stayed in total,” said Sometimes, when things don’t go your way, Kinnear. “They had a mission of winning it can look farther away than it really is. Nationals.” Then, before you know it, you’re on top and The Silver Shields finished second nothing can take that away from you. overall in the regular season of the The Silver Shields first found their way Metropolitan Junior Hockey League, going to Nationals in 1995-96. “From there, we’ve 37-5-0-1 to finish with 75 points, one just grown every year,” said PAL Hockey behind the Walpole Express’s 38-4-0-0 for Director of Junior Operations Ron Kinnear, 76 points. who coached the team’s first five Nationals In the MJHL playoffs, PAL Hockey challengers. eliminated last year’s Jr. B champion the The 1997-98 PAL Hockey squad, which Long Island Royals. They beat the New included then-future Montreal Canadien Jersey Titans, but lost to the Central Penn Mike Komisarek as a 16-year-old, went all Panthers in the Keegan Cup semifinal. All season long and right through Nationals, 1990-born Jeremy Puglia was the epitome of the way to the Jr. B finals. There, the Toledo Suffolk PAL Ice Hockey entered the hard-nosed defense for PAL Hockey, registering 123 minutes, often keeping the Cherokee defeated the Silver Shields. Nationals as the Met League’s No. 4 seed. opposition 'honest.’ Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd PAL Hockey was back in the finals in In the round robin, the Silver Shields went win over the Panthers. The team celebrated in Marlboro, Mass., 1999, but again fell, this time to Jr. B 3-0 against the Metro Moose, the Jr. Bruins “I just threw all my equipment in the air, site of the Jr. B Nationals, and back at their champions the Metro Lakers (now known and another Long Island powerhouse, the found the nearest teammates and started home facility, The Rinx at Hauppage, N.Y. as the St. Paul Lakers). . hugging everyone,” said McNally, a 1991- A month later, a repeat attempt is already The 2000 Nationals saw a semifinal loss PAL Hockey defeated the Empire born defenseman for the Silver Shields. “It being engineered. for PAL Hockey, while the 2002 Nationals League’s New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, 5- was the first time I had ever been to “As an organization, the Jr. B title is a saw the Silver Shields go home with bronze 3, to set up a National Championship final Nationals, and we won. feather in our cap,” said Kinnear. “It hasn’t medals. Two more Nationals semifinal against Central Penn, a rematch of the Met “It was probably the greatest experience, set in for me, personally. I haven’t had a losses came with Jim Wright at the helm in League semifinal. the greatest accomplishment in my hockey chance to think about it too much. We’ve 2005 and 2007. As the clock ticked the final seconds career,” added Vidal. “To come together already had tryouts for next year.” After not reaching Nationals in 2007-08, away and the buzzer sounded, McNally and with everyone for the win, it was just Like they have in their Nationals history, a number of that team’s top players made his teammates were able to celebrate a 4-1 amazing.” they just keep moving forward. who complement each other – one smart, team,” said Kinnear. “We have 18 players The players make it happen one physical, one playmaker – they all already for next season, but we’re lacking Matt Vidal is one of the eight PAL coaches that Vidal feels has prepared him have a role, just like chess pieces,” in defensemen, so we’re looking for that Hockey players from the 2007-08 squad for a Jr. A and possibly D-1 college future. Nikiforov said. right now [nationwide]. But why we are successful is because we build from who decided to return for another chance “I’ve been working with Aleksey Long Island is the recruiting focus area within.” at a National title after missing Nationals Nikiforov since I was 6 years old. He for PAL Hockey, but they do look beyond in 2008. teaches a European playing style – lots of there. With all but three players from Long “At the end of last year, we knew we puck possession and outthinking your “We’ll go outside and bring a player in Island, Suffolk PAL Hockey has proven should’ve done better,” said Vidal, the Met opponent,” Vidal said. “But working with if it’s the right fit for a weakness on our they play in a region full of champions. League’s MVP with 101 points this year. Jake Laime in strength and conditioning “The 1990-and 1991-born guys knew that has been a huge part of my game. He made if we came back, we had the potential to me so much stronger and he taught me the do some damage. Our goal was to win a physical, grit part of the game. Tie that in national championship. We knew we had with Jim Wright, who gets me prepared the talent, and we knew how we had to mentally, and really teaches me about the play in the playoffs.” ups and downs of the game.” The qualities that players like Vidal Like Vidal, returning player Patrick possess are what Ron Kinnear believes McNally was a Long Island player who drove the PAL Ice Hockey machine this grew up training with Nikiforov. year. That commitment to stay another “I came to the PAL because of year and win, while also admitting another [Nikiforov]. He’s the best coach I’ve ever year of development was needed before had,” said McNally, who will go to Milton moving on to the Jr. A or prep school Academy for prep school next year. “If world. you make a mistake, he’ll be tough on you. “When we recruit a player, we bring He doesn’t let you forget about it. You them into our family,” said Kinnear. “I want to play good for him.” want to know about their family, and what And when you play well for Nikiforov, their goals are long term. We ask questions he doesn’t forget who his key guys are. about their schooling, because I want to “In Russia, they taught us that this isn’t make sure they are student-athletes. Kids track and field, it’s not speed skating, it’s might be good hockey players, but lacking chess on the ice,” said PAL Hockey head in academic aspirations. We need players coach Aleksey Nikiforov. “It is very who can go on to play in college.” important during the season to find the The support system is there, starting right connection between players. We with the coaches and the development created this line of Vidal-Petito-James aspect of the PAL, of which the Blue Murphy, with Patrick McNally on Streak off-season program is key. Average defense.” improvements during an off-season with This quartet helped lead the Silver the Blue Streak program include a 33- Shields to a 4-1 victory over the Panthers percent improvement in foot speed and a for the USA Hockey Silver Cup and their 20 percent increase in leg strength. first Jr. B Championship banner. Frank Posillico, a 1991-born forward from Massapequa, N.Y., scored 46 points in 29 games Of course, coaching plays a huge part “All four of these players were involved in player recruiting, and it was the mix of for the Silver Shields and added in a pair of points at Nationals, as well. Photo by Nicole in the four goals. You find the right people Goodhue Boyd ON THE COVER :Jesse Petito scored 44 goals in 41 Metropolitan League games this season, and was in on all four goals the Suffolk PAL Ice Hockey team scored against the Central Penn Panthers in the Jr. B National Championship game. Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd