Ward’s Kings Skate to Squirt Title

The Los Angeles Kings didn’t qualify for the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs this season but fans should rest assured: the team’s future is bright. Led by 10-year-old Palisadian Brendan Ward the L.A. Junior Kings’ Squirt 97 team won the California Amateur Hockey Association Squirt A championship April 6 in Escondido. It was the second major triumph for the team, which also captured the Southern California Amateur Hockey Association (SCAHA) Squirt A Championship last month after posting a 15-2 record in league play. During the season, the team also played tournaments in Phoenix and Chicago, finishing first at the Phoenix Coyote Cup Championship. Overall, the Jr. Kings’ Squirt squad posted a record of 43-6-1 and outscored its opponents 325-77. At the state championship in Escondido, the Jr. Kings faced teams from San Jose, Oakland and Westminster in a round robin tournament. The Kings defeated L.A. Hockey Club of Westminster, 4-0, in the finals. Ward, who plays right wing, tallied four goals and five assists in the tournament. Squirt A is the highest level of travel hockey offered for 10-and-under players in California and is comparable to AA hockey leagues in other states. At the AA level, the Jr. Kings 97 team is currently ranked fourth in the nation. The ’97’ designation signifies that each player was born in 1997. Ward has played ice hockey since he was four-and-a-half years old. He attends Calvary Christian School and is the cousin of Noah Clarke, the first Southern California-born player to score a goal with the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL. Ward also plays for the Mustang Phillies in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings is a non-profit travel youth hockey program based out of the franchise’s practice facility in El Segundo and has teams in all age groups. Several players from Pacific Palisades participate in the program. The Jr. Kings also beat L.A. Hockey, 3-1, in the Mite A division finals.