Families can enjoy a free public skating session at noon, followed by free admission to cutting-edge junior hockey games this week when Lockport’s new Bearcats Junior Hockey Club takes on the Utica Jr. Comets Wednesday at Cornerstone CFCU Arena.
In its first season in Lockport, the Bearcats, purchased last summer by Pam Vargo and her husband, are a United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) team that gives hockey fans a preview of the up-and-coming players being scouted by colleges.
“The juniors hockey players are elite hockey players from around the world who move to Lockport,” Vargo said of the 16- to 20-year-old boys. “Those are pre-collegiate hockey kids trying to funnel up, hoping to get scouted from D1 to D3 colleges to go as high as possible. The way to get to the NHL is for hockey players to play juniors. That’s where scouts for higher levels of hockey are looking for players.”
“The level of play from the juniors team is very exciting,” she said. “Fans say it’s like going to an NHL team without the cost, and sometimes it’s more fun because you’re down close to the ice and you feel more connected.
“For our very first season, we’ve had a lot of success,” Vargo said. “We had a bunch of players come from Finland. Our record is not great, but the season of play has been outstanding. We’ve had a player that got a D1 offer and we’ve gotten D3 offers,” Vargo said.
The team includes 17-year-old winger Niilo Yli-Kankahila from Taipalsaari, Finland. Yli-Kankahila said he started playing hockey at age 6 in his hometown ice rink. He said he knew at a young age that he wanted to play in the United States, and coming to Lockport was a big decision.
“I think it was the right thing to do,” he said. A fluent English speaker, Yli-Kankahila is continuing to take online classes for his high school diploma in Finland.
Yli-Kankahila said the Bearcats team culture is like a family, but the style of play is bold.
“It’s a lot more physical and faster here than in Europe,” he said. After five months, he said he feels he is becoming familiar with the new style.
“Some of the team is from the Buffalo and Lockport area,” Vargo said. “Buffalo is a very talented hockey area compared to a lot of the United States.”
The juniors have a minimum of five ice sessions a week, Vargo said, along with weight room sessions, games and showcases.
Bringing the Bearcats to Lockport took a flurry of activity. Vargo said the team was originally located in Michigan, and the previous owner respected her husband’s hockey coaching in Rochester. When the owner faced serious medical issues, he asked the Vargos to take the team.
“We bought the team in June, and had to petition the USPHL to bring the team to New York state, because the team had been located in Michigan,” Vargo said. “We had to find an arena that was suitable. Cornerstone Arena is beautiful. It is a top-notch facility. We had to secure a house for the boys to stay in. So that miraculously was able to happen. Usually, people start assembling and doing tryouts in March, April or May.”
Nicole Lauer remained on staff, Vargo said, serving as marketing director, liaison with parents, and manager of rostering. “She’s been a huge part of our success and carrying on the organization without any hiccups or glitches.”
The Bearcats also feature an extensive youth hockey program, with A, AA, and AAA teams for boys and girls. As a national program, Vargo said it draws kids ages 10 and up from California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Connecticut, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and Canada.
“We have a lot of talented Bearcat youth who are asking about the juniors program,” she said.