The Gibraltar Carlson, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Allen Park and Dearborn Divine Child ice hockey teams played two games at Southgate Arena on July 11, 2024 to conclude the third week of the annual local summer league. (Courtesy of Madeline Major — Media News Group)
SOUTHGATE — Tryouts and practices don't officially begin until just before Halloween, but for many teams, the upcoming high school hockey season has already begun this offseason.
That includes the annual local summer league, which wrapped up its third week of play Thursday at Southgate Arena, with longtime league regular Dearborn Divine Child among the participating teams.
So when the league moved from Kennedy Arena in Trenton to Southgate and cut the number of teams to eight, the Falcons made a concerted effort this summer to stay in the league.
“When they told us it was going to be narrowed down to eight teams, I was one of the first ones ready to go,” Divine Child head coach Mike McNamara said Thursday ahead of his team's latest exhibition game.
Photo: Ice Hockey – Summer League at Southgate Arena, 07.11
Divine Child took on longtime local and Metro League rival Allen Park in the second of two games played at Southgate on Thursday, the matchup coming after the first game between Gibraltar Carlson and Riverview Gabriel Richard.
The overall response to the summer league itself has been positive each year, and McNamara, like the rest of the team, welcomes the opportunity to continue playing year-round.
“I think it's great for the kids to continue skating and get some ice time that they don't normally get,” McNamara said, “and also get a feel for who's going to be back. But I love playing in this league.”
McNamara noted that the summer schedule gives the team and coaching staff a chance to keep returning players fresh while also introducing new faces to the roster. DC will likely see a lot of the latter on the ice during the winter games.
So far this summer, several returning upperclassmen have been active participants, but McNamara said the bulk of the on-ice time is being given to freshmen who he said have a “ton of talent.”
Among the wave of young players taking part in the summer league are three freshman goalies and a third-year who will be the fourth goalie. The influx of goalies comes after the Falcons had only one goalie all season, Collin Tomasicki, who has since graduated.
Naturally, McNamara is excited about having the option to use multiple goalies, even if it means some struggles along the way, and he noted that the freshman will make an impact early and often, not just at goalie level, but on the ice as well.
“We've had a number of different goalies over the last four years,” Coach McNamara said, “and they're good players. They're freshmen so they'll go through some growing pains, but I'm excited for the future.”
“They're talented kids,” McNamara added. “We completely replaced the core of our defense, and all of our freshmen are going to contribute for the most part.”
The underclassmen are expected to see the bulk of the minutes and ultimately the scoring, but returning guard Brayden McNamara will likely lead Divine Child next season.
A two-time All-State selection by the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association, McNamara finished his junior season with 26 goals and 24 assists for the Falcons. The Class of 2025 standout player averaged nearly two points per game played over his three years of high school hockey.
“This is going to help a lot,” Mike said about Braden returning and participating in summer league. “What's great is he's going to really help our freshmen develop.”
The Falcons coach said the school's recently hired new physical conditioning coach has been particularly helpful for the sports programs, and just like him on the ice, Mike said Brayden McNamara has taken on a leadership role off the ice with the new training program.
“We have five-day-a-week training until the season starts,” Coach McNamara said. “It's good to have Brayden in the weight room with the kids and really pushing them.”
Divine Child scored a late goal to beat Allen Park 2-1 on Thursday, a result that came after Richard shut out Carlson 3-0.
Summer games are shortened in the sense that they are played in two 22-minute halves, as opposed to the three 17-minute periods traditionally played during the high school season. Over the five-week period, teams can play two games per week.
As in years past, the Divine Child in the summer league will play teams they traditionally face during the regular season as many of the clubs are members of the Metro League.
Even with that level of intimacy with the opposing team's bench, most coaches tend to approach offseason scrimmages with a full focus on their own team.
But McNamara welcomes seeing what other teams can offer, even if there's less pressure a few months from the start of the regular season.
“It's been doing a little bit,” McNamara said, “It tells you who's going up or down, who's producing great graduates, who's producing great freshmen. I think it's a great tool to see what you're looking at (on the other side).”
“The summer league has been a great success.”
There are two weeks left of summer hockey league play between eight local schools. Here is the schedule for next week:
Monday, July 15
7:00p l Carlson vs Allen Park
8:30p l New Boston United vs. Gros Ile
Tuesday, July 16
7:00p l Brownstown Woodhaven vs Divine Child
8:30p l Gabriel Richard vs Riverview Cabrini United
Wednesday, July 17
7:00p l Woodhaven vs Allen Park
8:30p l New Boston United vs Divine Child
Thursday, July 18
7:00p l Grosse Ile vs Gabriel Richard
8:30p l Riverview Cabrini vs Carlson
