Oakland Bears News - CAHA Rule Changes, Cal Bears Battle of the Bay, and It's Tournament Time!

January 2025 - Issue 21

Author

Jason Dearborn
January 09, 2025

Did everyone enjoy the holiday break? I spent much of it watching Team USA in the World Juniors. Condolences to my Canadian friends on an early tournament exit. I chalk it up to some notable omissions on the player roster. On the flip side, to watch Team USA score the game winner in OT gave me chills. I’m not a fan of 3v3 in championship games but it was a great game regardless. Congrats to all the San Jose Sharks players and prospects who participated. I’m excited for the future of the NHL Sharks.

Changing the topic back to Oakland Bears hockey, it’s officially tournament season. Break out the mini sticks and prepare to apologize to everyone unfortunate enough to be staying in the same hotel as your youth hockey team.

If you’re hopping on a plane with your gear for the first time, protect your game sticks when traveling. You know that old adage about a bundle of sticks being harder to break than a single twig? It’s true of hockey sticks too. Before you pack your stick in a travel bag, use a little bit of clear tape to bind them together. It doesn’t take much to stiffen them up and protect against airline luggage handling. As someone who’s seen my son’s hockey stick destroyed after a Southwest flight, I speak from experience.

There is a lot of content today so keep reading for Cal Bears info and senior player recognition as well as Bears team updates.

I’ll see you at the rink!

CAHA Tier 1 Hockey Rule Changes 🏒📜

CAHA recently clarified key changes to Tier 1 (AAA) rules taking effect in the 2025-26 season. Moving forward, the only CAHA approved Tier 1 programs will be the Jr Ducks, Jr Kings, Team San Diego, and Jr Sharks, meaning other AAA clubs will lose their Tier 1 designation. Additionally, players will be restricted to teams within their geographic region. NORCAL players, for instance, can no longer play for SOCAL teams. It’s important to note that Girls PGHL Tier 1 teams are unaffected by these changes.

In NORCAL, this will likely cause a domino effect. Former Non-Sharks AAA players will need to either make a Sharks Tier 1 team or drop to Tier 2 (AA), which will push bubble players into lower divisions. While this shift may be frustrating, it will lead to stronger A and AA divisions, with teams better prepared for success at national tournaments. Another potential benefit is a reduction in pay-to-play Tier 2 teams, where roster spots are granted based on financial ability rather than merit.

While California teams have historically struggled to compete consistently on the national stage, these changes could be a turning point. If implemented well, they have the potential to strengthen youth hockey across the state, making it more competitive and sustainable for players and families alike.

Welcome a New Member to the Oakland Ice Line-up! 🍼🧸

On behalf of the Oakland Ice Team we're excited to announce that our Hockey Manager, Brad Martin and his partner, Celina Ciaramello have welcomed a new player to their club! Callum (Cal) Martin Ciaramello was born on 12/14/24 @ 11:20 a.m. at 7lbs 2 oz.
- Glenn Martin, General Manager, Oakland Ice Center

Cal Hockey Upcoming Schedule & Playoff Update 🏒📅

Mark your calendars for Cal Ice Hockey’s final home games of the season! On Saturday, January 25th at 8:45 PM, Cal faces SJSU in the highly anticipated Senior Night and Annual Battle of the Bay. The Cal Band and Oski the Mascot will be there, so expect an electric atmosphere. The following morning, Sunday, January 26th at 10:45 AM, Cal takes on UCSB in the season’s home finale.

📅 Saturday, Jan 25, 8:45 PM - Senior Night and Battle of the Bay vs SJSU
📅 Sunday, Jan 26, 10:45 AM - Home Finale vs UCSB

The team then hits the road to challenge the University of Oregon Division 1 squad on February 1st and 2nd. Though Cal is a Division 2 team, these matchups are a valuable tune-up ahead of the playoffs.

With a historic 21-0 record, Cal has clinched the top seed in the PAC-8 Playoffs, taking place February 7-9 in Cheney, WA, at Eastern Washington University. Details and broadcasts will be available at ewuicehockey.com. If Cal takes home the PAC-8 Championship, they’ll advance to the ACHA Regionals in Colorado later in February. Stay updated on playoff info at calicehockey.com. Let’s cheer them on as they make history!

Cal Bears Senior Profiles 📷🏒🐻

Name: Yusef Akbas, #1

Nickname: Yus

Position: Goalie

Major: Molecular Cell Biology- Neuroscience

Hometown: Southern California

Most Important Lesson Hockey has taught you? Surrounding yourself with quality people and time management. Anything is achievable if you put your mind to it, even waking up at 5 am to go practice every week despite the rigorous academic schedule.

Best road trip story? Driving an hour in the wrong way (UCSD game) because of a navigational glitch

Name: Jason Lee, #4

Nickname: J-Lee

Position: Center / Defense

Major: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science

Hometown: Saratoga, CA

Most Important Lesson Hockey has taught you? Focus on yourself and do the best you can. I’ve learned that many variables are outside of my control. I can’t control whether my coach puts me on the ice, whether I’m injured, or whether the referee decides to make a terrible call. I’ve learned to focus on being the best me, regardless of circumstances.

A moment you’ll always remember?

I will never forget making the First Team Pac-8 Defensemen at last year's end-of-the-season ceremony. I was shocked I won the award because I didn’t think I played that well to deserve it. I’ll never forget the way my teammates cheered for me when I went up to receive the award.

Name: Michael Shum, #8

Nickname: Shum, Shummer, Mike, Flash

Position: Left Wing

Major: Molecular and Cell Biology, Business Administration

Hometown: Hong Kong

What will you miss most about Cal Hockey? Being at the rink with the guys constantly. That sense of community is second to none. I also love the competition, competing for UC Berkeley and the adrenaline rush that you get every time you play a game is something I’ll never get to experience again.

What advice would you give to incoming players? Being a player for Cal isn’t going to be easy; from the physical grind of being on the team to the time commitment and constant balancing act. You have to fully commit, but it will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.

Name: Brendan Baker, #12

Nickname: Bakes

Position: Forward

Major: Ecosystem Management and Forestry

Hometown: New York, NY

Name: Sean McAvoy, #42

Nickname: Smackavoy

Position: Forward

Major: Statistics

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Favorite memories? My parents coming to watch my games in Washington. They never thought they would get to watch me play competitive hockey again so it was really fun for them to be there.

What's the most important life lesson hockey has taught you? You have to fail many times before you succeed. Hockey has taught me how to deal with that failure.

Most embarrassing moment? My first game for Cal I fell backwards off the bench.

Name: John Nalder, #76

Nickname: Nalzy

Position: Forward

Major: Geophysics

Hometown: Oakdale, CA

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Oakland Bears Team Updates 🐻🏆

  • Bears 18AA beat the Santa Clara Blackhawks in a must win game last month and continue their battle for a playoff spot. They face the Tri-Valley Bulls and GSE this weekend.

  • Bears 16AA are on a two game streak, winning both recent CAHA games. They beat the Sharks 5-3 and pieced together a gritty 2-1 win last weekend against the Capital Flames. The team heads to Michigan next week for an MLK tournament weekend.

  • The Bears 14B faced a tough loss to an energized Tri-Valley team just before the holiday break, but bounced back with a commanding win over the Blackhawks last weekend. With four teams in the running for only three playoff spots, every game is crucial, and all their remaining match-ups are against fellow contenders. The Bears head to Michigan next week to tune up against stiff east coast and Canadian competition in an MLK tournament.

  • The Bears 12AA played only one NORCAL game last month. They supplemented their game drought with the One Hockey tournament in San Jose over the holiday break, going 2-2. They head to Michigan for an MLK weekend tournament alongside other Bears teams and will wrap up the month with more NORCAL games against Sharks teams. They remain in second place, two points behind Sharks 12AA-1.

  • The Bears 12B have dominated their last three games with decisive wins. Defenseman Michael White (#39) is a player to watch, as he’s just a few points shy of breaking the Oakland Bears 12U records for both most goals and most points in a single season. The team holds a strong third-place position with favorable matchups ahead in the regular season. Next week, they’ll travel to Irvine for an MLK tournament weekend.

  • Bears 10B continue their undefeated streak with a 10-0-1 record and have all but clinched a playoff spot. The team travels to the 10B Silver Stick International Final in Pelham, Ontario tomorrow. I’m calling it now, 10B will win the NORCAL championship.

  • The East Bay Bears Varsity team has had only one game since our last update. It was an 8-1 win over the Jets. The team wraps up their season with a packed January schedule including 4 games over a 3 day span at the end of the month.

  • The East Bay Bears JV-C high school team defeated Tri-Valley twice in December, with tensions running high in the second match up. Currently, the Bears sit just one point behind the first-place Longhorns. In a twist of fate, their final game of the season this Sunday will be against the Longhorns. The following seniors will be playing their final games with the Bears - Lamsen Mullen - Terra Nova HS, Tesla March - Berkeley HS, Nathan Rygg - Archie Williams HS

Tips, Feedback and Submissions 📢

I need your help!

Got a tip? Did I miss something? Something you’d like to see in next month’s issue? Let me know!