Tess Whittet
Staff Writer
Mira Costa senior Ryan Ng is skating toward a future in semi-professional hockey.
Ng has aspirations to play college hockey after graduating from Costa. To get noticed by college coaches, Ng is attempting to sign and play with a junior team, an amateur hockey organization.
“Hockey has been such a big part of my life since I was little, and it’s just really fun to play, so I want to continue at a semi-professional level,” Ng said.
Because junior hockey players are unpaid, Ng intends to play for the sole purpose of gaining exposure, as college coaches look to recruit older, more experienced players. By joining a semi-professional team, Ng hopes to enhance his appeal to college programs, he said.
“Hockey is a weird sport; they don’t really pick kids out of high school unless they are the top players in the country,” Ng said. “Even if you are a great player, they still might make you play junior hockey in order to develop.”
The tryout process for most semi-professional teams includes a series of camps. Players attend a small tryout camp, then advance to a larger main camp. Then, the team assembles a 30-man roster, which will be cut down to 22 players. Last weekend, Ng attended a camp for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
“Ryan is a great player and skater, he works hard, and is tough to play against,” Junior King teammate and senior Austin Bowkus said.
Ng started playing hockey when he was four years old. His father, a former hockey player, introduced him to the sport when he enrolled him in skating and hockey lessons. Ng has played on many club teams, including the Long Beach Ice, Los Angeles Selects and the Junior Kings.
“After my dad passed away when I was 12, it was just a way to escape from that hectic situation and to be able to clear my mind,” Ng said.
Ng has been on Costa’s hockey team since he was in eighth grade when he played on the junior varsity team. He has played for its varsity team since his freshman year. Ng was team captain for the varsity team this season and alternate captain for his Junior Kings team, the 18AAA Elite team.
“During his freshman year, we were impressed with his speed and agility,” Costa hockey coach Trevor Oystrick said. “He is one of this year’s captains, and we rely on him not only for his leadership on the ice, but his ability to get points on the board as well.”
Ng has been a part of the Junior Kings hockey team for six years. During the season, from October through January, its schedule includes training, league games and travel tournaments. Ng’s team spends four to seven days on the ice a week and at least three days in the gym for conditioning.
“The Junior Kings coaching staff has some of the best coaches in the country, and they are known for moving kids on to the advanced leagues,” Ng said.
If Ng makes one of the teams, he intends to play junior hockey until he either signs with a college or turns 21. He is considering playing on Wenatchee Wild or Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Ng hopes to develop strong friendships with his future teammates.
“I’ve met a lot of awesome people and made many friends playing hockey,” Ng said. “A lot of my past teammates are like brothers to me.”
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