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On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, the The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation hosted a hockey clinic for boys and girls age four through fifteen at the new DEK rink at Brookline Memorial Park. The kids were members of the Brookline Youth Hockey League, which began in 2005 and has grown steadily over the years into one of the community's finest sports programs. The clinic was part of the Penguins annual development camp for new players. Youth Hockey Day is an essential piece of that development process, featuring young NHL prospects acting in the role of coaches with local area youth. The Brookline rink, funded by the Penguins Foundation and opened in December 2013, was chosen as one of the locations for the hockey camp. The Penguin prospects that attended the Brookline Park clinic were 2014 first-found draft pick Kasperi Kapanen, a 17-year old forward from Finland, Anton Zlobin, a 21-year old forward from Russia, Jean-Sebastien Dea, a 20-year old forward from Canada, Tristan Jarry, a 19-year old goalie from Canada, Ryan Segalla, a 19-year old defenseman from Boston, Massachusetts, and Brian Dumoulin, a 22-year old defenseman from Biddeford, Maine.
They were joined by Penguins Assistant Coach Rich Tocchet, a member of Pittsburgh's 1992 Stanley Cup champions, Dave Soltesz, President of the Penguins Foundation, Penguins Assistant General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Head Coach John Hynes and Tom McMillan, the Penguins Vice-President of Communications. The hockey clinic featured a variety of drills and plenty of interaction with the coaches and players. The kids even got to play a game with the future-NHLers. It was a great learning experience for both the wide-eyed Brookline kids and the equally-enthusiastic young Penguins, who looked like they were having a lot of fun just playing the sport they love.
As the two-hour camp was drawing to a close, BYHL President Pat Moffatt was joined by Pittsburgh Penguins CEO David Morehouse, who paid a surprise visit. The Penguins Chief Executive Officer gathered the kids together for a short address. He was accompanied by special guest Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a life-long Penguins fan. For David Morehouse, his visit to Brookline was a return to a place he remembers fondly from his youth. Morehouse grew up in the South Hills and spent many afternoons playing basketball in the Recreation Center gymnasium. At the end of the clinic, the Brookline hockey players, Penguins prospects and their coaches gathered at one end of the rink for a group picture. Then the parents and participants mingled with the visitors for some photos and autographs. It was a great experience for Brookline's young hockey players. It was also a fine day for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are committed to promoting physical activity and participation in sports among the local area youth through their Project Power Play program. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Read Post-Gazette article on the Brookline Hockey Clinic: Penguins Prospects Turn From Trainee To Trainer, Help Encourage Young Players <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Watch KDKA News segment on the Brookline Hockey Clinic: Pens Prospects Coach Local Kids In Dek Hockey <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> Photos From The Penguins Youth Hockey Day In Brookline * Photos provided by Jahna Anderson Newman - Click on images for larger pictures *
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