Towson University Tigers men’s ice hockey competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in the highest division; men’s division 1. The Tigers also compete in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) for league play against, Drexel, Lehigh, Navy, Penn State Berks, Temple,Villanova, West Chester, and William Patterson.

The 18-year-old Rockaway, NJ native is in his first season with the Kings of the NA3HL.

“We are really excited to welcome Jake into our program! He is a great kid both on and off the ice. His experience playing in an older league this season with the Skylands Kings will be very beneficial to his success here at Towson”, remarked Jeremy Snyder – Assistant Coach and Head of Recruiting.

“We are very proud of the growth we have seen from Jake this season both on and off the ice. Jake has a knack for scoring in big moments, he has three game winning goals for us this season in our 12 wins so far. He is a great teammate who always comes to the rink with a smile on his face. We are excited to continue to watch him progress as he moves onto the college level with Towson University!” – Kings Coaching staff

During to his time with the Junior Kings, in the NA3HL, the 5’10-foot forward has played in 31 games, scoring three goals and adding four assists.

Of Jake, Kings General Manager, Rita Mitchell, has said, “Jake will be a great addition to the Towson program. He works his tail off, listens, is coachable, and does anything that is asked of him to the best of his ability. He is a great kid, with a great attitude, that becomes quite infectious. We are very happy for him!”

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The 20-year-old Dundonian brings international experience to the Stars after leading the GB U20 side in the role of assistant captain during the World Junior Championships.

Stars general manager Omar Pacha is delighted to add Craig to the 2018/19 roster commenting, “Craig is a very fast and skillful player that has a lot of potential. He works extremely hard all over the ice and brings a strong asset in his hard shot. I think Craig is a perfect fit for this club. We are looking forward to working together”.

During to his two seasons with the Junior Kings, in the NA3HL, the 5’11’’ foot forward tallied in 131 points in 87 games, scoring 67 goals and adding 64 assists, Craig was the team captain in the 2017-18 season leading his team to the playoffs.

“Garrigan brought so much to the Kings as a player, a captain and an all around great person.”  Head Coach, Adam Mitchell said, “It was great to watch Craig’s progress on and off the ice for the two seasons. He has grown as a leader and shows a lot of passion in his work ethic, in the gym, in skills sessions and practices.  Craig’s offensive skill and hard shot should set him up well for this next level, as well as his speed and competitive attitude.  I was impressed with his willingness to learn and coachability, and it is serving him well at the pro level.“

“We are very proud of the way Craig represented our Skylands Kings organization both locally and internationally and so happy for his success and commitment to the Dundee Stars!” said Rita Mitchell, General Manager for the Kings. “He is a great athlete and team-mate, and the Stars are not disappointed in the acquisition of Garrigan. We wish him the best of luck!”.

The post Skylands Junior Kings Alum, Craig Garrigan, nets his first professional goal of this season with the Dundee Stars first appeared on Firland Management.

For the second consecutive year, Skyland Kings hockey teams participated in the Sussex County Foster Child gift drive. The Pee Wee Black, Gold, Navy, Bantam White and Squirt White teams sponsored nine children who provided their Christmas wish lists. The teams collected four bicycles, a big screen TV for two children who recently moved from a homeless shelter into their own apartment, an Xbox, games, toys, clothes and gift cards. The Kings hockey families are honored to help foster children in Sussex County celebrate Christmas.

Article and picture by Kristin McCabe

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Sabres alumnus Patrick Kaleta will continue in his third year of implementing and managing the program. As a Buffalo native, Kaleta has worked with numerous local charity organizations throughout his career to help benefit families in Western New York.

“The first two years of the Learn To Play program greatly exceeded our expectations,” Kaleta said. We’ve graduated more than 1,200 new youth players, a feat that our group is incredibly proud of. I’m excited to get year three started,and looking forward to meeting all of our new participants.”

All Buffalo Sabres Learn to Play participants will be outfitted at Pure Hockey, the official hockey retail partner of the Buffalo Sabres and Harborcenter. Equipment kits will include a helmet, stick, equipment bag, jersey, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, pants, shin pads, socks and skates.

Introduced in 2016, Learn to Play enhances the way youth hockey is offered by providing first-time participants from ages four to nine with free head-to-toe equipment, age-appropriate instruction and certified coaching led by NHL alumni in a fun and safe atmosphere. The program has expanded to include a total of 12 local rinks this season with lessons taught by Sabres alumni and USA Hockey certified instructors.

NHL alumni work with all NHL teams to make sure a consistent message of on-ice programming and messaging to coaches and parents is distributed across all markets. The program also works with USA Hockey to display the benefits of the American Development Model.

Developed with the help of experts from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada, the NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play initiative aims to be the gold standard for youth hockey programs with the goal of inspiring more families to join the hockey community.

https://learntoplay.nhl.com/sabres

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