Frontier League NA3HL & Yellowstone Quake

By: Sarah Reish

Wyoming Hockey Season Wraps Up! Hockey is a world I am fairly unfamiliar with, then one day we met Dan Zawacki and learned he was the coach for Yellowstone Quake and he invited us to attend a game. Steve and I bundled up and headed to the ice rink at Riley Arena in Cody. While there we enjoyed watching and photographing the game. We cheered on the players with a hot coffee and fresh baked cookies from the concession stand, they even have a beer and merchandise stand! Later we were able to meet up with Dan and ask questions and learn more about what makes this division of JR Hockey so amazing. Read on for our Q & A with the athletes!

The Division

Wyoming NA3HL teams are part of the Frontier Division and it includes Cody, Gillette, Sheridan, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman and Rapid City. Of these teams, Cody’s Yellowstone Quake is the only nonprofit and board run team. This division is for 17-21 year old athletes. Hockey is a competitive sport and the competition is fierce. Athletes need to enhance and grow and JR Hockey is a great route for those looking for collegiate scholarships to play college level hockey. Ferguson is the most recent player to commit and he just recently received a scholarship to Indiana Tech. The division focuses on growing the athletes and increasing their skills. Dan shared that there are no tryouts for JR Hockey, they scout and recruit. There is an open camp early on in the summer, but attending offers no guarantee of making the team. 

Yellowstone Quake

This last season Yellowstone Quake had 29 players on their roster with five players who came to the team from outside of the United States. The set up for athletes who are not local is to have a host family. Locals can sign up to host players in their home, this is known as a billet family.

Player Highlights

Gabe Coppo - MI

Gabe learned to skate at the age of 3 or 4 on outdoor rinks and began playing hockey at the age of 5 after realizing how fun it was and that he could play with friends. He shared his favorite part of playing would be the people he has been able to meet over the years and chose to play JR Hockey as he wanted the opportunity to play another level afterwords. Life lessons learned: “You have to work hard to get the results you want”. Advise to young hockey players: “Something I would tell a young hockey player would be to cherish everything because you never know if or when you will stop playing”.

Logan brown - WY

Logan is a Wyoming native who first hit the ice at the age of 6 during a school field trip who soon after started playing hockey. He shared that the lifelong friendships with his teammates is his favorite part of being a hockey player. Competition and the drive are characteristics he has developed that have helped him become a better person outside of hockey. He continued on to JR Hockey because he has goals he still wants to achieve. Advice to young hockey players: “Master the fundamentals of the the game, no matter how tedious or boring it gets. Professional hockey players still practice the fundamentals and continue to improve at them. There is always room for improvement”.

Gustav Osman - Stockholm, Sweden

Gustav began his hockey career at the age of 3 to 4 years old at a hockey school. He shared with us that after trying several sports this was the one that he fell in love with and pursued. His favorite part of hockey is getting to know people from all over the world like his coach, Dan Zawacki. He chose to pursue JR Hockey because it gave him the experience of playing in another country. Positive experience/life lesson: “Working hard”. Advise to young hockey players: “have fun”.

How can we support our Frontier Division?

First, and foremost, attend the games! Show up and cheer on the athletes who are developing skills and their careers. Secondly, and more specifically, with Yellowstone Quake being the only team that is a nonprofit, keep an eye out for fundraising efforts and ways you can support our local division teams. Be sure to check in on social media and share photos, tag us @LiveWYldMag and use #LiveWYld