Silver Stick Hockey Teams Hit the Ice at Civic Arena

Teams from across the country are playing in the annual Silver Stick tournament at Civic Arena in St. Clair Shores.

Some of the top hockey teams from the United States and Canada will take to the rinks at Civic Arena for the Silver Stick International Finals. Over the course of the three-day tournament, 46 teams of 7- and 8-year-olds from as far away as California and Maryland will play 85 games in hopes of making it to the championship games Sunday. The tournament has been held in St. Clair Shores for 29 years, and is hosted by the St. Clair Shores Hockey Association. To follow the results, visit www.pointstreak.com. Share your photos from the tournament on Patch!

• Photos (4)

Winter Fun in the Shores - Outdoor Ice Hockey

The recent cold temperatures caused the pond in Wahby Park to freeze, and hockey players took advantage of the opportunity to play pick-up games. Share your favorite outdoor activities on Patch!

• Photos (3)

Shores Looks to Benefit From Winter Classic

When the eyes of the hockey world turn to Comerica Park and Michigan Stadium, St. Clair Shores officials expect to see increased interest in local hockey programs.

Parks and Recreation officials in St. Clair Shores are looking forward to the heightened profile hockey will receive when the Detroit Red Wings take the ice on Jan. 1, 2013, for the NHL's Winter Classic. The sport is extremely popular in the city with hundreds of children participating in the St. Clair Shores Hockey Association, adult leagues at Civic Arena and when the weather allows, pickup games on local canals. Interest in hockey and figure skating programs increase in Olympic years and when there are local big events such as the Winter Classic, officials said. "We didn't generate a whole lot of interest from the Winter Classic when it was in Chicago," said Gina Rheaume, recreation sports manager for the St. Clair Shores Parks and …

• Photos (2)

Lakers Gear Up For Success on the Ice

Shores Unified hockey squad looks to make noise on the ice this season.

It's a town that belongs to hockey. And the team, the St. Clair Shores Unified Lakers, are the official prep hockey squad of St. Clair Shores. The vast majority of the players were born in the city, learned to skate at Civic Arena, or perhaps on the ice of canals or outdoor rinks scattered throughout town. They know the game inside-and-out, just as their fathers and grandfathers do, and they have a passion for playing that moves them towards the rink each and every day.  As the 2011-2012 season gets underway, the Lakers believe they have the kind of team worthy of such a hockey-crazed town. "I think we can be really good," senior captain Joe Vitale said. "I really believe that about this team." Teammates and fellow seniors Joe Sedrowski …

• Photos (6)

Shores Mom Blog

Balancing Extra-curricular Activities

A new school year brings about new schedules, new commitments, and often times an overflowing calendar of events. Let the balancing act begin!

There is little doubt that the schedules of most families today are overflowing with extra-curricular activities: dance practice, soccer and football just to name a few. The options are endless for organized activities in our society. Every second of everyday could virtually be filled if you so desired, but what if you are yearning for some balance? How do you choose what your children participate in? A wise family friend of mine gave me some advice on this, and I thought I would share with all of you! When the kids are in bed sit down with your significant other and make a list of goals for each of your children (15-25 life goals). Yes, each child should have their own list. What direction do you desire your children to go? What do you …

• Photos (1)

Civic Arena to Get New Fitness Center

City Council approved federal Housing and Urban Development funding for the project, despite HUD's focus on low-income residents and senior citizens.

The St. Clair Shores City Council gave the green light for a new fitness center at the Civic Arena Complex Monday night, voting nearly unanimously to help fund the construction with federal development dollars. The construction would convert two all-purpose rooms at the complex into a state-of-the-art weight room for the St. Clair Shores Hockey Association and St. Clair Shores Figure Skating Club. The additions will help the facility keep pace with others such as the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills and Compuware Ice Arena in Novi, according to Parks and Recreation Director Greg Esler. “Training has changed over the years,” Esler said. “Lifting weights is now an essential part. We need to give our young people every advantage …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (5)

Metro East Team Heads to Meijer State Games

St. Clair Shores' Joe Vitale and Austin Lane were chosen to participate on Metro East hockey team at the Meijer State Games of Michigan this weekend.

The 2011 Metro East boys high school hockey team only has six hours to get ready for the Meijer State Games of Michigan. Six hours of on-ice practice time is all that is allowed for this team of 20 boys from eight different high schools to train together before heading to the Meijer State Games of Michigan in Grand Rapids this weekend. The team will compete in the eight team high school hockey showcase June 23-26. "We'll have four skates of an hour-and-a-half each that these boys will go through and then we'll play next weekend," Metro East general manager Mike Ulicny said.  "The toughest thing for all of the teams participating I imagine will be getting them to know one another. That will be the trickiest thing." In its second year, the …

• Photos (1)

LIVE: Playoff High School Basketball, Hockey Scores

With district and regional tournaments starting up, Patch brings you the latest from the basketball courts and the hockey rinks.

We’ve got the fever for basketball, hockey and high school sports. We hope you’ve caught the fever, too. Playoff action heats up this week with the start of the girls basketball district tournament and the hockey regional tourney. Patch wants to share with you the passion of high school sports in Michigan, and many of our reporters will be there at games around the Mitten State. For live Twitter updates from the hockey game between Wyandotte Roosevelt and Trenton, follow @WyandottePatch. For live updates from the girls basketball game between Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South, follow @Patchsportsdude. Or just continue to check back here throughout the night for updates of games from around the state. And if you have a score you …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Bryce

10:32 pm on Monday, February 28, 2011

Congrats to Woodhaven! Well deserved win boys! We'll see you Saturday at Kennedy Arena. It's going to be a great game either way it goes. Best of luck the rest of the way.   more ›

Athlete of the Week

Guzzardo Lets Actions Speak Loudly for Lakers

Freshman hockey player has given St. Clair Shores Unified a boost.

For such a quiet kid, Tommy Guzzardo sure is making a lot of noise. The Lakeview freshman has four goals and seven assists for the St. Clair Shores Unified Lakers hockey team this season. “Tommy is a quiet kid,” Lakers assistant coach Russ DiCristofaro said. “He doesn't say a whole lot, but his actions out on the ice say it all. As a freshman he logs as much ice time as our seniors do, if not more.” Guzzardo plays center for the team and his smart play does not go unnoticed by his coaches. “He has rare gift in that he sees the play develop on the ice quickly and makes the proper decision—that's huge considering he is a freshman,” DiCristofaro said. “He is mature beyond his years on the ice and is extremely coachable. As a coach you never …

• Photos (1)

Dragons Topple Young Lakers at Home Ice Tourney

The Shores team fell to Lake Orion, 7-4, at St. Clair Shores Unified's annual holiday hockey tournament.

A trio of third-period goals broke a 4-4 tie and propelled Lake Orion to a 7-4 victory over St. Clair Shores Unified Monday night. The loss came in the first round of the team's annual St. Clair Shores Unified hockey tournament at the Civic Arena. "I thought we went out there and really battled well," Shores coach Frank DiCristofaro said. "We have only four seniors that play on a continuous basis, the rest are underclassmen. I'm not taking anything away from Lake Orion, they are one of the better teams out there, and they outwork you. That's normally our forte, but we didn't do that very well today." It's hard to expect the Lakers would do that, given that Lake Orion is among the top teams in the Oakland Activities Association and the area…

• Photos (2)