Ashley Dishman/Steamboat Pilot and Present
CRAIG — At the Craig Youth Hockey Association's end-of-season party, president Jessica Binder shared some exciting news about the future of hockey in Craig.
Mr. Binder announced a new partnership with Colorado Extreme. The group recently approved a lease for the county's Rowdy Simpson Ice Arena. This partnership is committed to providing increased skating opportunities for local athletes and overall improvement in the sport.
Binder recalled that Craig's hockey team played against the Colorado Extreme team at the Ice the Season hockey tournament in December.
Previous matches between the two teams have been close, but Craig's team suffered a crushing loss against Colorado Extreme in its most recent match. This experience sparked conversations with Craig's hockey coaches and officials, as well as those at Colorado Extreme.
According to Binder, the Colorado Xtreme coaches attribute the team's improvement to more ice time, more coaches and more practice, three things that were largely missing from Craig's team. said.
“We know that to get better, we need more ice time, more coaching and more young players interested in hockey,” Binder said. “So we said, 'If we can't beat them, let's join them.'”
The architects of this partnership expect it to bring many benefits to the Craig community.
Colorado Extreme owner Sheldon Wolitzky introduced himself at the party and shared the background and vision for the collaboration. Wolitski, who comes from a small town in Western Canada and compared favorably to Craig, said his early interest in hockey not only kept him out of trouble but also completely changed the trajectory of his life. '', he emphasized.
“I was able to get a scholarship to the United States, started a company, and fortunately the company is successful,” Wolitsky said. “Now I can give back to the game that has given me so much. That's why I'm here.”
Mr. Wolitzky expressed his admiration for the efforts of the Craig Board and its members to improve and expand access to sports in the community.
“They wanted to raise the level of hockey for Craig, and we’re going to make that happen.”
One of the key aspects of Wolitski's plan is to invest $250,000 into the Craig hockey program. He plans to hire both a full-time hockey director and rink manager. And his announcement that the arena would be open year-round drew cheers and applause from players and their families.
Wolitsky said another priority is lowering program fees.
“Making hockey affordable is a huge mission for us.”
He shared his intention to provide free hockey to young players from 4 years old to 8 or 9 years old.
“We just want to have no barriers to entry,” Wolitsky said. “For any kid, we provide equipment, we provide coaching, we provide anything you want, and it’s all free.”
In addition, each team will play a minimum of 40 games per season, including intersquad competition with teams from Craig, Rifle and Carbondale. In addition to providing additional games for the Craig team, Wolitsky and Binder hope the inter-team competition will help build a local hockey community.
The other big announcement came when Wolitsky revealed that the Colorado Fighting Elks, an elite junior hockey program, will make Craig their new home starting next season.
Team owner Donovan Gault also joined in the celebration via video, praising Craig as a “perfect fit” for the team.
Moffat County Commissioner Tony Bowler was similarly enthusiastic about the news, calling the partnership with Colorado Extreme and the introduction of a junior team a “win-win” for the region.
“It's going to be a big deal for Moffat County,” Boler said. “Good things are happening.”
