players come first...

The Arctic Ice have continued to show their commitment to making sure the players have as many opportunities possible to develop their skills. As a non-profit organization and former National Champions (1996-97) we measure our success on the ice.   We've taken steps to improve every area of our program, including:

  -New Logo and uniforms to be introduced during the 2001/2002 Season Tryouts.
  -Secured a state-of-the-art home rink-the new Tesoro Sports
  Center, offering the best in player facilities.
  -Expanded recruiting efforts and player relations by naming former Ice player Brian Leigh Coach.
  -Effected improvements in recruiting, promotion and management.

    The Alaska Arctic Ice Juniors are a Junior Hockey Team in Anchorage, Alaska, currently participates at the Junior "B" Level as a member of the USA Hockey sanctioned Northern Pacific Junior Hockey League.

The Arctic Ice Juniors program was developed in the 1995/1996 season. The primary program goal is to give Alaskan hockey players the opportunity to continue their hockey careers to the Junior level in Alaska. Junior hockey, giving players the skills they need to advance to a Junior "A" League, college or professional level has not been available in Alaska. Arctic Ice Juniors is currently competing in its seventh year.

The Arctic Ice Juniors, an Anchorage Hockey Association affiliate, had a very successful first year at the Junior "C" level. This group of talented Alaskan players won the USA Hockey 1996 Junior "C" Nationals held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This National Championship prompted an invitation from the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) for the Arctic Ice Juniors to join them at the Junior "B" level for the 1996/1997 season.

The Arctic Ice Juniors had a second successful year beginning with acceptance to membership in the WSHL. The WSHL became USA Hockey certified as a Junior "B" league for the 1995/1996 season and was composed of four teams operating geographically out of the Western United States. The Arctic Ice Juniors joined to expand to five teams for the 1996/1997 season. We traveled five times to the Lower 48 playing games in Simi Valley, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, Albuquerque, NM, Flagstaff, AZ and Long Beach, CA. The challenging cost of the travel was funded primarily through community support.

In the 1997/1998 season, we became the Alaska Arctic Ice Juniors Hockey Team, a State of Alaska Not-for-profit Corporation. With an expanding league, we participated in the Northern Division with three new Alaska based teams. Steve Gasparini accepted the position of Head Coach and Dan Kowal as Assistant Coach. The Northern Division teams agreed to play a thirty-six game season with every team playing two home and two away game series with each other team. We traveled three times to Fairbanks, Soldotna and Wasilla. The Arctic Ice had twelve games with each team, six home and six away. Again travel was funded primarily through community support. The Northern Division successfully completed its first season in the WSHL.

In 1998/1999, we continued our efforts toward our goal teaching Alaskan hockey players the skills they need to develop their hockey careers. This season was played against the same teams in the WSHL as in the previous year.

During the 1999/2000 season with Head Coach, Steve Gasparini we continued with the Northern Division in the WSHL with the Alaska Sinbad Sailors, Fairbanks Ice Dogs, Peninsula Chinooks and Yukon Claimjumpers.

The 2000/2001 season brought a  new era to the history of the Alaska Arctic Ice, by joining the newly formed Northern Pacific Junior Hockey League. Playing against the Yukon Claimjumpers, Fairbanks Ice Dogs, and teams from Portland and Eugene Oregon, and Tacoma and Liberty Lake Washington.

This season will be our second in the Nor-Pac Hockey League, and we welcome the addition of three new teams. With the loss of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs to the America West Hockey League, the Peninsula Chinooks are returning to action, as well as new teams in Coeur d'Alene Idaho, and Tri-Cities Washington.

The Alaska Arctic Ice Juniors receives financial support through tryout fees, player fees, various sponsorship levels, program advertising, apparel sales and game pass receipts. The majority of the funding depends on community support. YOU, the family, friend or fan of today's youth leagues are the cause of our past success and future glory. When you sponsor Alaska Arctic Ice Juniors, we can develop the many young and talented hockey players in Alaska and open the doorway to educational sports opportunities previously unavailable in Alaska.