Hockey coming to Kalispell

Are you one of those hockey souls knee deep in nachos watching the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa battling it out for Lord Stanley's Cup?

I'm not a big hockey fan, which is a shame given the state I grew up in is just south of Canada. It's also a shame because the new NHL rules seem like they are making the game more exciting. Not only that, but hockey takes explosive physical strength, skill and moxie - which, in my book, are needed for a great sport. I've tried on numerous occasions - mostly during every Winter Olympics - to become more of a fan, but it just hasn't blossomed … yet.

But another opportunity could be in the fold because organized hockey is coming to Kalispell.

A group of local volunteers formed the Flathead Valley Hockey Association in March and is working with the city of Kalispell to secure a permanent facility.

The dream is quickly becoming a reality.

"I'm absolutely blown away with how quickly everything is coming together," FVHA President Tony Tartaglino said.

Tartaglino said several people began looking into the idea of getting a rink set up in Kalispell about seven years ago before running into the issue of land. Then in March, the association had a meeting with the city and the city led it to Woodland Park, where FVHA will be able to tap into the existing infrastructure.

The association's teams will be called the Flames.

"The idea had been smoldering for a while, but come October, look out for full-fledged Flames," Tartaglino said.

The goal of FVHA is to have the rink up and running by the second week of October. It will be across the ice skating pond, where the old swimming pool was located, in Woodland Park. It will have a portable cover, which was first used at the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field to house the second-largest attended hockey game ever (according to Tartaglino) between Wisconsin and Michigan Tech and then was later used in Spokane during a World Figure Skating event, until a permanent facility can be built.

"It's been amazing how things have been fitting like a glove," Tartaglino said. "Mike Baker, the head of the Kalispell Parks and Rec, is a big hockey fan and had kids involved with youth hockey. So he is just as excited as we are in getting this accomplished."

FVHA's first-year goal is to start out with recreational programs to get kids of all ages and abilities interested. There will be all types of skating offered to both youths and adults, including Learn-to-Skate programs, figure skating and, of course, youth hockey programs.

The goal of the youth hockey programs is to become part of travel leagues, like Montana's Treasure State League - which has been going strong for well over 14 years.

Interest in hockey around Montana has recently exploded. In fact, within the Treasure State League there is a high school level with 13 or 14 teams. Some towns have had such big numbers of enrollment that they put together two high school-level hockey teams. Because of this, the Treasure State League created a junior varsity level this year.

Whitefish has teams within its Glacier Hockey Association and towns like Sidney, Glasgow, Miles City, Havre, Helena, Bozeman, Butte, Billings and Missoula all have teams as well.

Below the junior varsity level are the bantams (ages 13-14), pee wees (11-12), squirts (9-10) and mites (8-and-under).

One of the ultimate goals of FVHA is to get Kalispell a U.S.A. Hockey Junior A or B team to compete within the Nor-Pac League.

But first things first - getting an ice rink.

For more information on volunteering or fund-raising, call Tartaglino at 755-9690 or 250-0055.

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Carl Hennell is a sports reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached at 758-4446 or by e-mail at chennell@dailyinterlake.com