Adam Sacharoff, president of the D155 Predator Hockey Club, considered it a good time when he fled to Kenny McCaden, assistant coach of Columbus Blue Jacket at Crystal Ice House.
Since 1997, a long young hockey coach and Crystal Lake resident McCuden were scheduled to jump on ice for the coaching session with Barrington Bronx. Both of them started talking and Sacharoff mentioned that D155 would prefer to do McCaden coach for Crystal Lake Central-Crystal Central-One Day in Preir Ridge High Schools, made from about 60 players from Karri-Grove.
It was a quick, “yes”, not to the surprise of Sacharoff, from McCaden.
“He has always been a head at the ice house,” Sacharoff said, whose son, Zander Marino-Sakaroff plays in the Versity team. “Their will and their ability to give back to young players and community is a constant reminder why family loves the game and love to see our (children) as much as we do.”
Many of the D155 hunters have no stranger to see “coach kenny” in ice houses; Some are close to others.
“Funny story, she is my neighbor,” said James Dingle, senior of the Preary Ridge. “He is coaching and teaching me because I am a square, because urine. He has always been in the ice house, but this is the first time I have done it in a while.
“He really brings intensity in practices. We all love him from here. ,
- back home
- Hockey royalty
- Frozen hockey
back home
On Thursday afternoon, McCaden took his skates and hit the snow with D155 hunters. This is a fairly common routine for McCaden, even his coaching duties have taken him to Columbus, Ohio.
He always comes back home.
Before coaching the Chicago wolves in the American Hockey League for 18 years, after the last five sessions with a blue jacket, McCaden coached for more than 20 years from the Crystal Ice House with Crystal Lake Leafs/Yelzackets, working with local hockey players through camps and clinics.
His previous players included former blue jacket defenseman Zred Bols, who had a hand in bringing McCaden to Columbus in 2015. There were two coaches together in Columbus, in which Bollal was serving as an assistant development coach.
“Jeed was a hard-nosed, a heavyweight fighter type player,” said McCaden. “So it was completely complete that I worked with him as a child, then I worked with him as a supporter and now we coach together. It’s very clear how that kind of thing works.”
McCaden said that he has worked with more than 125,000 hockey players during his career, many from the Crystal Lake region. He has also trained players from Barrington, Park Ridge, Glennview, Oak Park and Elmharst.
Crystal Ice House, however, is a special place, McCaden said.
“This is my city, my roots are in this building,” said McCaden. “These buildings mean a lot to me because I have been watching the amount of children for years. As long as these directors and parents want to include me, I am not going to say. ,
Hockey royalty
McCaden, who made his debut as a stick boy with Chicago BlackHox in hockey and later as his equipment manager, was included in the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame last year, a honor that rank near the top of McCaden’s achievements.
And there are many.
During his career, 59 -year -old McCaden has worked for several NHL organizations in charge of the Prospect Camp for Colorado avalanche, Atlanta Thracers and St. Louis Blues. He also worked in the Ontario Hockey League.
McDen was a skating and skill coach for the US women’s national team from 2011 to 2014 and was a scout for the silver medal team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
A stanley cup hoisting can be only one thing that will beat the hall of fame, McCaden said.
“I work with some incredible coaches (Employees of Columbus head coach John Tortorella), and I get a very close seat for the greatest players, so it’s very special,” said McCaden. “When I step on ice, from Montreal to Madison Square Garden, to the nationwide (akhara) in Columbus, every time I step on ice, I look around me and say, ‘Wow.” I like to go to the center, exploiting that logo. ,
Even though he has reached the highest level, but McCaden will always remember where it started.
“Knowing that I have touched every aspect of the game, special.” McCaden said, “Until five years ago, I still ‘learning to learn skate.” I could not give this. I had 18 years with Chicago wolves and I didn’t want to leave what I felt is the bloodline for a hockey club, which ‘learn to skate.’
Zander Marino-Sacharoff was one of the young players that McDen taught to Skate.
“It’s really good,” said Marino-Sakaroff. “I get to see someone from my childhood who was actually found for the coach in NHL, and now he is coming back home again for the coach. It is emotional. You get to see where you were, to start first, how far you have grown, and how much he has taught you. ,
Frozen hockey
Like many sports in the state, hockey was prevented by Kovid -19 epidemic. While practice is allowed, club teams are not allowed to play games as hockey is considered a “high” risk for contact.
There was no spring season for hunters, who started practicing in mid -August.
Meanwhile, the Amateur Hockey Association Illinois (AHAI) has directly reached the Illinois Department of Public Health to reconnect the hockey to remove the “high” risk category. Those efforts have been reprimanded.
McCaden said, now, more than ever, it is important to play, learn and teach.
“Being on ice, while we are still inactive in Illinois, is important for development,” McCaden said. “So I am out of here. They should have eight to 10 games in their season, but this is the next best thing to compete.
“I think they are still playing and have fun during a world, it’s a little bit in the upheaval. It is a good thing to be able to get away from them all.”
McCaden said that he would continue working with local players until he can do.
“I am slowly working with hockey clubs in Illinois, and I am going to continue working with them,” said McCaden. “Working with these teams right now is a terrible to me. There are some children with whom I have worked when they were very young, and now they are in high school. You get them a chance to grow up as mites, squares, urinations, bantams, midgots, and it is very beneficial. ,