Summer on the ice

Sean Miles, 8, from Sarasota, gets some advice from Lightning owner Oren Koules at the team's Summer Hockey Camp at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum.

The Lightning Summer Camp has about 250 kids, ages 4-15. The team also offers a holiday hockey camp in December.

[Times photo | Dirk Shadd]

Comments

[G]

Hey, remember when Bill Davidson used to spend time at the summer hockey camp helping the kids?

Oh wait...

[Don in St. Pete]

Great to see OK out working with the kids. That is giving back to the community in a large way. Go Bolts!

[Tackleberry]

I asked what the plan was for community involvement was at the town-hall mtg yesterday. Looks like they already had that covered. Good job, Koules and crew.

On a side note, it would be great if "anyone" would invest in building another rink like the one in Brandon or Ellenton. Too few rinks in the area.

[DeZibol]

Ellenton is up for auction right now, and Brandon is adding a third rink to their facility this year

[Tackleberry]

DeZibol,
Even with the 3d rink in Brandon, still not enough for the size of this community. I wonder how much it would cost to obtain an empty shopping mall or grocery store, converting it to a rink? Lots of local Winn Dixies that have closed down.

[Billy]

Great new owners Tampa! Now we need to start supporting this team and buy up all the remaining hockey tickets before those damn Sabres,Flyers and Ranger fans do !!

[Craig(not Ryan)]

That's how you build lifelong fans and a generational fanbase as well as promote a sport. Great to see that. How many owners of other sports franchises are directly involved in something like that? Not many.

There are rinks near me in Oldsmar and one in Countryside Mall(although not a hockey rink, at least kids can learn to skate there). Too bad the old rink in the old Pinellas Park Mall isn't around anymore either.

[LightningRod]

These guys are different than past owners; and to me they keep proving it. I know everyone has a right to speak their mind; but I think they should be given the time to be judged by the product they put on the ice and their performance this yp-coming season. To many times folks get caught up in how others have behaved in the past; and they judge new owners like OK with that jaded eye. I for one am going to wait at least until some of next seasons games have been played. A little over 2 months, and I can't wait.

[HockeyBay.com]

There needs to be a practice rink built across the street from the forum in those crumby parking lots and a big indoor parking lot next to it!

[Don in St. Pete]

I found the following exerpt on Erik Erlendsens blog at TBO.com . It appears Nigel Kirwan is still on the staff, unless Tort's gets hired on L.I. and he wants to join him.

A couple of things of note to pass along - first off, saw Lightning video coach Nigel Kirwan participating in the camp, which was a good sign since Brian Lawton said last week he wasn’t sure what Kirwan’s immediate future was following all the changes in the coaching staff. But Koules was asked about Kirwan, and for everybody that has asked me, Kirwan will remain in his current position. Koules said that keeping Kirwan was important and was convinced that if former coach John Tortorella landed another job, Kirwan is somebody Tortorella would want to bring along with him. Apparently, Kirwan has met with all the members of the coaching staff and they all indicated their desire to retain Kirwan, a Jesuit graduate who has been with the organization since its inception.

[BillSmith]

Good for Koules getting out there with the kids. Good PR.

Lets play hockey!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stu]

There is also a hockey rink in the ICOT center, the Clearwater Ice Arena or CIA (I kinda like that). It's the original practice facility of the Bolts. Its been in a bit of disrepair, but new ownership is working on it. They have Ex-Bolt John Tucker helping out at the pro shop, and he tells some interesting stories about Lightning history.
I would really like to see the ownership get the team more involved in youth hockey in the area. Some appearances at the local rinks might help build the local programs. They do run some VERY nice camps for kids at the Times Forum. Its a thrill for the kids to skate on Lightning ice. (And for their parents)
Go Bolts!!

[Ross in Zephyrhills]

Supposedly Bobby "The Chief" Taylor is involved as one of the central investors in the new Wesley Chapel Sports Complex. They are looking at building it next to the new mall at I-75 and SR-54. It would have 3 rinks and a bunch of other amenities. I for one would be elated if the plan goes through as I still love to play the game, but find it very difficult with gas prices and various commitments to drive to Brandon or Oldsmar a couple of times a week. Anyhow, supposedly the plans are quite far along and approval from the local "powers that be" is a formality! Should be awesome!

[Hockey Chic]

Tackelberry and others I could not agree more that we need more rinks.

I do not know how many people know this but the adult leagues in Brandon are one of the fastest growing in the entire USA. There was a pole in my USA hockey magazine and the numbers were listed.

I agree that one more rink in Brandon will help but anytime the Bolts have anything or there is a travel tournament or anything out of the ordinary we adults (if that is what you want to call us)are losing ice time.

I travel all over, my main rink is in Brandon, I also travel to Jacksonville, Orlando, Kissimmee and Ellenton to name a few and we are always fighting for more ice time.

I would love to see OK invest in some rinks in the area. I am sure with the popularity of youth, adult, and womens hockey in the area we can fill the ice time. Hey Oren if you need someone to help OK in this area I am up for it. Especially if it means free ice time.

Great to see the preseason schedule out. I can almost smell the ice all ready. Breaking out the rosies...

Go Bolts!

[LightningRod]

Man oh man, all of this interest and comments are great.

[nhlman]

We have four arenas: Brandon (2 rinks), Oldsmar(2 rinks), Ellenton(2 rinks), and Clearwater(1 rink). I play and I'm a USA hockey referee at all four rinks and I can tell you that there is plenty of room at these rinks, some rinks actually do not have enough players, so I don't think the amount of rinks is the issue, it's promoting the ones we have. Good start Oren!

[keith]

Only good can come from community involvement on this level. Great to see OK with the kids. Building memories for the kids and future fans for the game and TBL. Nice touch

[Dawn Kramper]

It's absolutely fantastic that OK is starting to get in touch with the youth hockey programs in the area. Brian Rolston said one of the things that detracted from Tampa Bay was that we didn't have a good enough youth program.
Now the programs have gotten significantly better in the area. My son started out in Brandon, going through learn to skate, Hockey 101, and then his first season as a Squirt. He's now a Peewee and is going to be playing at CIA (btw, holy crap! That's John Tucker in there sharpening skates!). The main reason we have gone to CIA is not necessarily a better program, more ice time or even a better rink. It's the cost.
The last season at ISF cost $525 a season. That's for 12 games, 12 practices, a trophy and a jersey. Not to mention all of the equipment these kids need. You add in gas, tolls and supplemental equipment over the season and you are looking at a small fortune.
I would like to see OK step up and give financial support to these rinks. I understand this is the parents and kid's choice to play, but how many kids want to try this sport and it's completely out of reach? More sheets of ice might help in terms of the older crowd getting ice time (no offense chic) but honestly, the kids come first and there are plenty who won't get the chance because of the cost. How about OK and the guys teach the kids at the forum? And not just the camp that costs $249 for five days of instruction?

[Rooster]

Nice Job OK!!! See Ya In The Garage Eh!!

Rooster

[Samuel Levigne]

FYI, Nigel Kirwan did not graduate from Jesuit, he graduted from high school in Winnipeg, Canada. You are thinking of his brother, Andre, who did.