YOUR AD HERE »

Mountaineer-Red Wings Hockey Camp coming next month

Chris Freud

EAGLE ” New faces, new name. Same concept.

The Red Wings Alumni Hockey Camp has been a fixture in August, but it needed little retooling name-wise.

“I said, ‘Wait a sec. I’ve got to change the name here.’ The energy is not completely from the Red Wing alumni,” joked Andy Clark, one of the camp’s organizers.



That’s because John Harrington of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, Barry Smith, an assistant for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dale Riminski, late of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Red Wing goalie coach Jim Bedard will be on hand for the ” ahem ” Vail Mountaineer-Detroit Red Wing Alumni Hockey Camp Aug. 21-25 at the Eagle Ice Rink.

The camp is open to players ages 5-60 with varying levels of instruction based on ability. The cost of the camp is $200 for the week.

Support Local Journalism



“The reason why I do it and the guys involved do it is so that the kids can afford it and it kind of jumpstarts their season,” Clark said. “Literally, the season starts two weeks afterward. Our hope every year is to have the best instructors possible and have the kids have a great time.”

Former Red Wings coach and current Phoenix assistant Smith is coordinating all the curriculum for the camp. Before each session there will be a half hour of specialty work. The first two of these sessions will be on power skating, conducted by Harrington and Riminski. The third day will be game situations and then Day 4 will be devoted to checking.

There is also a goaltending clinic all week, courtesy Bedard.

“I’ve got my young son enrolled in that,” Clark said. “I figure if Bedard’s good enough for (Dominik) Hasek and (Curtis) Joseph, my son can learn a few things.”

Off the ice, Howard Head will be conducting programs to help players of all levels get their fitness levels ready for the upcoming season. And all work and no play makes for a dull camp. That having been said, the pool will be open for the kids.

The final day of the camp will be play day on many levels. Hockey players will scrimmage in the morning. In the afternoon, players and coaches alike hit the links at Cotton Ranch for a tournament which serves as a fundraiser for the camp.

For more information on the hockey camp, call the Eagle Ice Rink at 328-5277. For the golf tournament, call Glen Heelan at 376-1808.

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 748-2934 or cfreud@vaildaily.com.

Vail, Colorado


Support Local Journalism