Oakland Bears News - The Big Freeze, Silver Stick and more...

Alright, folks, brace yourselves—there’s a lot to cover this month! Plenty is happening, so let’s lock in (as the kids say). We’ve got an exciting Cal game tomorrow, updates on Bears teams, NORCAL news, a couple of great goalie saves, and even a Bear Sighting.

-I’ll see you at the rink.

The Big Freeze - Cal vs Stanford ❄️🥶❄️

First things first: the biggest Cal Bears hockey game of the season is TOMORROW NIGHT! It’s the Big Freeze, where Cal faces off against arch-rival Stanford. If you’ve never been to a Cal hockey game, this is the one to catch. Show up early, because the stands will be packed, and the line of students usually stretches down the block. Expect Oski and the pep band to bring the energy, too. The puck drops at 8 p.m. sharp—don’t miss it!

If you can’t make it to the rink you can stream this, and most Cal home games on Black Dog Hockey.

The Silver Stick Tournament - A Thanksgiving Tradition 🏒🦃

For many of us, Silver Stick is where the magic of travel hockey first clicks. I remember my own son’s first time playing in this tournament as a Mite, squaring off against the kids of NHL stars like Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns. Competing at Silver Stick gave him—and me—a whole new level of enthusiasm for the game. After losing to the Jr Sharks Mites in a squeaker, Marleau and Burns were class acts and came into the Bears locker room to congratulate our kids on their play. How cool is that?

Established back in 1958, Silver Stick has grown into a massive event involving over 50 regional tournaments from places all over North America, such as Denver, Toronto, and Philadelphia. For us, the San Jose tournament is our regional qualifier, and it’s the first step toward something bigger.

Here’s a cool twist on the typical tournament experience: teams that win their regionals earn a chance to compete in the Silver Stick Finals—held in Canada! It’s an incredible opportunity for California players to experience high-level competition in an international setting, and it’s also a memorable experience for the whole family. Just remember, if your player’s team makes it through, you’ll want to have those passports ready to go.

Oakland Bears Team Updates 🐻🏆

• Bears 18AA started their CAHA weekend out slow, with a 3-5 loss to the Jr Reign. But they found their stride on day two with a 12-1 shellacking of the Jr Kings. They ended their weekend with another win against the Pats. It was a 2-1 weekend for our oldest boys. Not bad.

• Bears 16AA earned their CAHA Tier 2 spot after winning a hard-fought best-of-three series against GSE. However, their reward was a challenging CAHA weekend, where they faced tough Southern California teams and came up short with an 0-4 record for their effort. SCAHA teams are no joke.

• Last weekend the Bears 14B team beat the first place Jr Sharks 14B with an excellent performance from their goalie tandem. The team currently sits in 3rd place with a 6-3-0 record.

• The Bears 12AA is standing their ground in a competitive NORCAL division, currently in second place behind only the Jr. Sharks 12AA-1. Their record stands at 4-2-1. Will they be able to catch the first place team? Time will tell.

• Bears 12B is holding tight in their division at 4th place with a 3-3-0 record.

• Bears 10B is absolutely crushing it, claiming first place in the 10B West Division with a 6-0-1 record.

• The East Bay Bears Varsity High School team currently sits one point behind the first place Sabercats. They’re sporting a respectable 5-2-1 record despite short benches due to schedule conflicts with players dual-rostered on Tier 2 teams.

• The East Bay Bears JV-C high school team is just one point behind the first-place Leigh Longhorns 2 in their division, holding a strong 5-2-0 record.

Bears Save of the Month 🐻🥅

NORCAL Updates 🤓

Various updates from NORCAL

• The 14BB division was renamed to 14B in what I can only assume was an opportunity to better align the division with USA Hockey standards. The 14B division is split into two subdivisions called Flights. Flight 1 consists of the former declared BB teams while self-declared B teams compete in Flight 2. At the end of the regular season, the top 3 teams in Flight 1 and the single best team in Flight 2 will advance to NORCAL playoffs.

• NORCAL is addressing the season's disciplinary issues with a reminder for clubs to help reduce incidents of abuse toward referees and players. The league is taking a firm stance, with hate speech cases automatically escalated to CAHA for review. Parents are encouraged to support a positive environment at games. Let’s set a good example out there folks.

• The league has scheduled a season-end Mite Jamboree for March 8-9 in San Jose, chosen for its accessibility and ample sheets of ice to ensure smooth scheduling for all teams. This location should make it easier for families and provide a more efficient experience, allowing all teams to play their scheduled games without delays.

• For youth players aged 13-17 interested in coaching, the league now offers a more accessible training pathway. Participants can either complete online modules on the USA Hockey website or attend an in-person Level 1 clinic at no cost, which provides hands-on experience (though no formal certification). This initiative aims to make it easier for young players to start coaching, helping them stay involved in the hockey community.

Adult League Save of the Month 👴🥅

Bear Sightings 🐻👀

Here are some adorable shots of the Bears Mites at the Sharks-Canucks game! Yes, a few Adult Leaguers were there too, but let’s be real—no one’s wants to see us. Heck, we don’t even want to see ourselves on LiveBarn. That’s why they schedule our games at 10:45 p.m. Out of sight and out of mind!

Tips, Feedback and Submissions 📢

I need your help! I’m pulling together tournament travel hacks for a future issue, and I know there are some serious tournament veterans out there in my readership. Send me your best travel tips, and I’ll share the top ones soon. Whether it’s finding the perfect road-trip meals for those long hauls to Southern California, keeping 9-year-olds entertained during five-hour breaks between games, or getting goalie gear through airport security—you know, the good stuff. Let’s pass on some of that hard-earned tribal knowledge to our newer hockey families!

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