The Nashville Predators were best represented of all 10 NHL clubs at the 2008 Got Skills Nationals.
The Phoenix Coyotes were represented by 8 young hockey players from the Valley at a recent youth hockey championship in Boston.
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PHOENIX, AZ, June 24, 2007 – CAHA Player Wins National Skating Event
Alltel Ice Den
June 24, 2007 – was a hot day on the ice for ten-year-old Austin Crosby from Phoenix, Arizona. Austin took his family to Brooklyn, NY for the three day Ace Bailey's Got Skills National Competition for hockey players ages 9-12.
Across the nation, 1,500 kids donned their equipment and sticks through the 2006-2007 season to try their skills in five categories: fastest skater, shoot-out, accuracy, hardest shot and best goalie. Austin, who plays locally at the Scottsdale Ice Den for CAHA (Coyotes Amateur Hockey Association), was chosen as one of seven young participants from Arizona having won the Fastest Skater skill test.
The Coyotes outfitted their players with embroidered professional jerseys, as well as matching shirts for all the attending family. The kids looked top notch with their names emblazed across their backs, especially CROSBY, being no relation, but having the same name as one of the hottest young players in the NHL, Sidney Crosby.
The Fastest Skater was the first event each day and consisted of three scores: a lap to the left, a lap to the right and a full-length down-n-back. On Saturday, June 23rd, Austin qualified as the second of two skaters from the western teams to advance to the finals on Sunday.
Early Sunday morning, Austin was able to trim more than two full seconds off his cumulative qualifying time from the previous day. Although, he would wait seven long hours before hearing the booming announcement, "The National Champion for Squirt House Division 2007 Fastest Skater, from the Phoenix Coyotes, Austin Crosby!" And the fans went wild. Left Wing Adam Graves from the NY Rangers presented a beautiful etched award of curved glass to a beaming Austin.
"I was a little surprised to hear my name," said young Crosby, "but I knew I had improved all three of my scores."
To see live footage of Crosby #9 from the Got Skills event go to coyotes.nhl.com and type "Austin Crosby" in the search box. Congratulations, Austin! You have mightily represented the ice in the desert.