To all prospective junior players,
If you, a friend or family member aspire to play high level college hockey, junior hockey is a path that you and your parents are going to have to understand. You can learn more by talking to experienced players, coaches and advisors, by reading books like the “Junior Hockey: The Leagues Before the League” and by doing your own research.
You’re probably reading this now because you are doing some of your own research, so let me take this opportunity to introduce you to the New Mexico Ice Wolves organization and share our values with you. My family and I moved to Albuquerque in 2009 and were lucky enough to find the Outpost Ice Arena which was home to a small youth hockey program that provided decent opportunities to kids and families, including our own.
Over time, I became more and more involved in the program and the efforts to help grow the game and the opportunities here in a very non-traditional hockey market. As more time passed, the original owners of the Outpost decided it was time to find a buyer for the arena and pass the torch to someone else. Well, that someone else was my wife Jennifer and me, so we committed ourselves to providing a youth hockey and skating experience that was second to none. We put alot of resources into the facilities, recruited world class coaches to the program and started our research into the best junior hockey league to try to introduce to our community and arena.
We knew that bringing high level hockey to the New Mexico would be the key to growing the game and ensuring that our local kids would have the same ability to develop into top players as those in Minnesota and other hockey hot beds. To get a junior franchise in a top league, the NAHL, and be able to recruit the best players from around the country, and indeed the world, we had to make sure our facilities were truly world class and that the development resources we could make available to players would be second to none anywhere.
We are delivering on that promise, with two NHL sized rinks, two smaller rinks dedicated to training, a special Speed Gym designed by world famous hockey trainer Jack Blatherwick and coaches that are committed to player development. With our rinks and Speed Gym, our players have virtually unlimited ice and gym time in order to build strength, speed and the skills necessary to achieve their goals of playing at even higher levels. When we combine our facilities and organization with one of the fastest growing youth hockey programs in the country, a welcoming community and a warm sun that shines bright more than 300 days a year, New Mexico is THE place to play junior hockey and to be on the path to high level college hockey.
The New Mexico Ice Wolves are committed to excellence, development and advancement for all our players. At the same time, we are focused on the total person, not just the player. We want every young man who plays in our organization (NAHL, NA3HL or both) to become both a better hockey player and a better person. We uphold the highest values of excellence and expect our players to do the same.
Please contact us to learn more about our teams, facilities and community. If you are a top hockey player as committed as we are to your development and advancement, then we want to welcome you to the New Mexico Ice Wolves!
Most Sincerely,
Stan Hubbard
Stan & Jennifer Hubbard