Ice Hockey

Monday, 19 January 2009

Mega Ice’s Youth Hockey Program Developing Rising Hockey Stars

Young hockey players are swarming to Mega Ice Penguins Hockey Club to learn the basics of the coolest sport on earth and lay the foundations necessary to become stars of tomorrow.

Sports company Mega Ice each year teaches the finer points to dozens of young hockey players, providing knowledge of the game and developing skills to ensure Hong Kong’s youth are ready for the rough-and-tumble sport in their later years.

Mega Ice offers a uniquely designed level-5 certification program for beginners to advanced players. Skaters are trained by highly qualified coaches who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Skills such as skating, stick-handling, and shooting the puck are covered extensively to drive home the basics needed to become a top player. Advanced training is also available covering the finer points of the game to push up-and-coming players to the limit and ensure they become highly skilled skaters.

There are about 200 kids participating in ice hockey in Hong Kong. Some of the youngest are seven years old and range to their mid-teens. Many children are attracted to the game after watching it being played live at rinks around the city such as the Mega Ice surface in Kowloon’s MegaBox mall.

Mega Ice offers a systematic coaching program to students developed according to the Ice Skating Institute (ISI). The ISI Recreational Ice Skater Test Program was developed and used as a worldwide standard for more than 40 years, and provides a logical progression of skating skills' development.

About Mega Ice:

The Mega Ice - www.megaice.com.hk - ice rink is the only international sized facility in Hong Kong bringing world class hockey, skating and figure skating to the public. The multi-purpose venue is designed for performances, concerts, exhibitions, corporate and private functions and even birthday parties.

For more information contact:
Keith Fong
Email: keith@megaice.com.hk
Enquiry: (852) 2709 4020
Fax: (852) 2709 4030
Or visit: http://www.megaice.com.hk

Puck Drops in 2nd Half of Mega Ice’s Hong Kong Hockey League

Hong Kong’s hockey league is back in full swing at the state-of-the-art MegaIce ice rink as teams eye playoff positions.

More than 300 top hockey players in Hong Kong are set to do battle as the second half of Mega Ice’s Hong Kong Hockey League kicks off.

Playing at Mega Ice’s state-of-the-art rink, the league boasts four divisions of high-quality hockey talent and the action is heating up as teams jostle for playoff positions.

Hockey has grown in popularity in Hong Kong in recent years, especially after the Mega Ice rink opened two years ago. The Chinese territory’s other ice surfaces were not large enough to accommodate hockey games, but with Mega Ice’s rink situated in the Beehive atrium of MegaBox mall in Kowloon, the game has really taken off with more than 20 teams involved.

The stunning Mega Ice rink measures 26 metres by 57 metres and is the only international-sized ice surface in Hong Kong. Uniquely, it offers a stunning harbor view through a 30-meter wide glass window right beside the rink. The facility further advances Hong Kong’s position as the host of world tournaments in ice sport.

“We received an enthusiastic response this year with more than 300 hockey players participating in the league,” said Keith Fong, Mega Ice Deputy General Manager and Referee in Chief.

“We believe that this league will offer great exposure to the game of ice hockey in Hong Kong and inspire many Hong Kong youth to join this wonderful sport,” said Fong.

The Molson Coors Brewing Company is the league’s official sponsor, a move that has also bettered the league’s operations, not to mention the post-game celebrations.

Mega Ice’s Hong Kong Hockey League is sanctioned by the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association Limited ( HKIHA ). More than 250 games will be played this season.

About Mega Ice:

The Mega Ice - www.megaice.com.hk - ice rink is the only international sized facility in Hong Kong bringing world class hockey, skating and figure skating to the public. The multi-purpose venue is designed for performances, concerts, exhibitions, corporate and private functions and even birthday parties.

For more information contact:
Keith Fong
Email: keith@megaice.com.hk
Enquiry: ( 852 ) 2709 4020
Fax: ( 852 ) 2709 4030
Or visit: http://www.megaice.com.hk

Thursday, 25 December 2008

Hong Kong Hockey Eyes Female, Youth Development With Mega Ice Leading The Charge

As ice hockey attracts more attention in Asia, Hong Kong-based sports company Mega Ice is churning out potential stars hand-in-hand with the HongKong Ice Hockey Association, which recently turned its focus to female and youth development.

While ice hockey has traditionally been the domain of burly male players, the HongKong Ice Hockey Association and Mega Ice are looking to the future by developing female and youth skaters.

The annual general meeting of the HongKong Ice Hockey Association Limited (HKIHA) was held Nov. 22, 2008, at which its Chairman Yip Siu Yin donated HK$100,000 for the development of women and youth ice hockey in the Chinese territory.

As a registered member of the HKIHA, sports company Mega Ice followed the news closely as it too has worked studiously to improve Hong Kong’s female players and young skaters.

The HongKong Ice Hockey Association was established in 1980. Its mission is to promote ice hockey and inline-hockey in Hong Kong, provide advanced training to hockey players, as well as organize various levels of competition in accordance with international ice hockey rules.

The HKIHA is a registered full member with International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the associate member of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.

The IIHF has been actively involved in the sport’s Asian development, which was also bolstered with the launch of the professional Asian Hockey League, formed with China, Korea and Japan.

Mega Ice launched its operation in MegaBox Mall two years ago with a state-of-the-art rink. Measuring 26 metres by 57 metres, it is the only international-sized ice surface in Hong Kong. Situated in the Beehive atrium of MegaBox Mall, the venue offers a stunning 30-meter-wide glass window with full views of the harbor.

The gorgeous multi-purpose facility is also designed for performances, concerts, exhibitions, corporate and private functions – even birthday parties.

Prior to the completion of Mega Ice’s spectacular rink, the development of the sport was limited because of a lack of proper hockey-playing facilities. Mega Ice changed all that, however.

“With the lack of funding and limited in a full size hockey rink, our Hong Kong players had to overcome tremendous difficulties,” the HKIHA says on its website. “We believe that Hong Kong has the potential to thrive in the sport of ice hockey and our future is bright.”

About MegaIce:
The Mega Ice - http://www.megaice.com.hk - Ice Rink is the only international sized Ice Rink in Hong Kong bringing world class Ice Hockey, Ice skating and Figure Skating. A multi-purpose venue designed for performances, concerts, exhibitions, corporate and private functions and birthday parties.

For more information contact:
Keith Fong
MegaIce
keith@megaice.com.hk

Wednesday, 24 December 2008

Hong Kong's Mega Ice Applauds Professional Hockey Growth In China

Managers in professional ice hockey have long sought to establish viable hockey leagues in Asia, and Hong Kong’s new state-of-the-art rink owner Mega Ice hopes the plan comes to fruition.

Sports company Mega Ice has a stunning rink for ice hockey and with professional outfits scoping China for profitable business ventures, the Hong Kong-based company believes the sport will soon take off in the region.

North America’s National Hockey League has long eyed the Chinese market for potential expansion.
The San Jose Sharks is one organization that has bit off a chunk of the Chinese market because it believes it will blossom in the years ahead.

“We feel the future in China is extremely bright,” said Chris Collins, a former NHL scout and broadcaster from California who was appointed general manager of the China Sharks, a professional team in the Asian Hockey League.

“Is it going to be easy? Certainly not. But we’re helping them to build from the ground floor up. If we do this right, it will be a path for the rest of the NHL to come to China,” Collins said.

San Jose’s owners, in partnership with a U.S.-based sports consultancy company, plan to invest close to $1-million in the China Sharks. To bolster the faltering team, San Jose sent three coaches and five minor-league players from North America to play for the squad and train its Chinese players.

Former professional skaters have also come to China to make a living. Sharks GM Doug Wilson recently offered 43-year-old former NHLer Claude Lemieux a chance to play two weeks in China for San Jose’s affiliate based in Shanghai. Lemieux played five games in eight nights and averaged 25 minutes a game before heading to the United States-based club.

With hockey eyes on China, Mega Ice is hoping its state-of-the-art facility and Hong Kong’s large population can entice professional organizations.

Mega Ice launched its operation in MegaBox Mall two years ago with a spectacular rink. Measuring 26 metres by 57 metres, it is the only international-sized ice surface in Hong Kong.

Situated in the Beehive atrium of MegaBox Mall, the venue offers a stunning 30-meter-wide glass window with full views of the harbor.

The gorgeous multi-purpose facility is also designed for performances, concerts, exhibitions, corporate and private functions – even birthday parties.

About Mega Ice
The Mega Ice - http://www.megaice.com.hk - ice rink is the only international-sized ice surface in Hong Kong bringing world class hockey, skating and figure skating.

For more information contact:
Keith Fong
MegaIce
keith@megaice.com.hk