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Hockey Fest

Frontier Ice Arena brings big names to the ice. By
Jul 1, 2014
2 min read

A rare alignment of stars is taking place in Coeur d’Alene. Only two years after re-opening North Idaho’s only ice rink run by the nonprofit Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization (KYRO), Frontier Ice Arena at 3525 W. Seltice Ave. hosts some of the biggest names in hockey for a fundraising event called Hockey Fest, July 11.

Leading the charge is NHL rookie sensation Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Johnson is spending the day where he began his hockey career, joining the public in an open skate at 1pm followed by a youth hockey skills clinic for kids 10 and under at 2:45pm. There will also be a stick and puck session at 3:45pm for kids 18 and under to finish off the day.

At 6pm Johnson and some of his former teammates will don their old Coeur d’Alene Lakers jerseys from the former NORPAC junior team, to face off against an all-star team of former NHL pros, most notably, Wayne Gretzky. The Great One is joined by Brett Hull, Russ Courtnall, Brendan Morrow, Guy Charbonneau, Keith Carney and others. The contest will be referree’d by NHL veteran Denny LaRue and coached by Adam Deadmarsh.

All proceeds from the game as well as live and silent auction items will go toward support of the nonprofit ice arena as well as local youth hockey programs. For Johnson, it’s about bringing what he loves back to where he started.

“We all grew up playing youth hockey as kids, and Hockey Fest is a great way to give back to a community that is so supportive of the sport. Youth players will have a chance to be around high-level hockey and learn from a lot of talented players,” says Johnson.

Johnson, originally from Liberty Lake, WA, began his junior hockey career at the former KYRO rink as a Laker before the facility crumpled to the ground in 2008 under a crushing snow load.

After his stint with the Lakers, Johnson went on to play for the Spokane Chiefs (WHL) and later the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) and most recently Team USA and the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), where he had a dazzling rookie season.

For information on how to support local youth hockey, purchase tickets for the game or learn more about Hockey Fest, call 208.765.4423 or email info@kyro.org.