WESTMINSTER — The new Total Hockey Academy is a total blast.
“It’s like the Six Flags or Elitch Gardens for the hockey player,” partner Nick Larson said.
Total Hockey is a technology-based and skill-driven facility near the Westminster Mall. There’s only synthetic ice here, but it beats the heck out of any dryland training center of its kind on the Front Range.
With youth hockey tryouts beginning this month, it’s a perfect way to warm up for the season in a T-shirt and shorts. The 4-month-old facility includes an inclined skating ramp, multiple stick handling areas and four shooting ranges.
All drills are timed and recorded on individual report cards that can be viewed on the Internet, and records are kept on a board at the beginning of each drill. A session is 75 minutes and costs from $15 (team rate) to $35 (individual).
Larson, a former University of Denver defenseman from Moorhead, Minn., is the director of sports performance. He also is the midget-major double-A head coach for the Arvada Hockey Association.
He knows the game and how to teach dryland skill development with the help of digital feedback. Larson teaches players to skate, stickhandle and shoot. Then the digital timers urge the athletes to do it quicker.
“It’s about doing it over and over — the right way,” said Larson, a 2005 DU graduate who helped the Pioneers capture the 2004 and 2005 NCAA championships. “The big thing with elite athletes is to continually challenge them. You have to get out of the box. You’re never going to get better if something is easy, and we make it challenging and fun.”
Larson and partners Derek Robinson and Tom and Lisa Davis have narrowed Colorado’s youth hockey development gap compared to Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts and Canada. Their facility is the 12th Total Hockey Academy franchise, joining four in Minnesota and one each in Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Nebraska and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Some centers go by different names, but each has current or former NCAA or NHL players such as Larson running the show. For example, Total Hockey West in Minnetonka, Minn., is run by former Avalanche forward Dan Hinote, and Hockey Academy of St. Louis is owned by former St. Louis Blues teammates Bryce Salvador, Jamal Mayers and Barret Jackman.
The original concept came from company president Dean Talafous, who in 2001 opened the first center in Hudson, Wis. After an eight-year NHL career, Talafous began a 20-year coaching stint that included jobs at the University of Minnesota and Alaska-Anchorage.
Larson and his partners plan to open a second facility in a southern Denver suburb to serve the large youth hockey organizations in Arapahoe County and Littleton.
The Westminster facility is a hot hangout area for young players from Arvada and Boulder.
“This place is awesome,” said Tanner Stansbury, 19, who last season played for Larson’s Arvada squad. “It develops your skills a lot better and gives you a better chance to compete against kids from Minnesota and Michigan.”
Stansbury credits Total Hockey for landing him a junior-A spot next season with the El Paso Rhinos of the Western States Hockey League.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
How ’bout them Cowboys?
Big D comes to the Mile High City.
The Dallas Cowboys and all their drama visit the Broncos on Saturday for a preseason game.
We probably won’t get a long look at Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Terrell Owens and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones in Saturday’s game, but the ‘Boys will be at Dove Valley for practices Wednesday and Thursday.
TV game of the week
Are you ready for some football?
The NFL’s top story these days remains Brett Favre, who will not be in Green Bay tonight for “Monday Night Football.”
There’s no doubt the MNF crew and the cheeseheads will be talking about Favre, whose second Jets practice was Sunday. The Packers host Cincinnati at 6 tonight on ESPN.
Favre’s first practice at Hofstra University on Saturday drew 10,500 fans.
Rockies host D-backs
Colorado needs to sweep.
The Rockies got clobbered Sunday at Coors Field, losing 16-7 to the division-bottom Padres to drop eight games behind the division-leading Diamondbacks.
Making the playoffs doesn’t look good, but just think: Sweeping the D-backs this week would put the Rox right back in position to make a postseason run.
Game 1 of the three-game set against Arizona begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Coors Field.
Rapids firing off losses
Colorado hosts Kansas City.
The Rapids of Major League Soccer lost 1-0 to Toronto FC on Saturday to become the league’s first team with 10 losses.
Colorado (6-10-3) has MLS’ second-fewest points (21) and will try to stay out of league’s cellar Saturday when Kansas City (6-6-7) comes to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Golf championships
Local youngsters tee off.
The Colorado Junior Golf Association holds its ages 11-13 and 10-under Junior Series Championships this week. The 11-13 group plays Tuesday at Homestead at Fox Hollow, and the 10-unders will be at Boulder Country Club on Wednesday.
Information: 303-366-4653 or .
