Within the last five years, Stockton has become Hockey Town, CA thanks to the arrival of the Stockton Thunder. Since day one, Thunder fans have flooded the Arena and made Stockton, of all places, the number one place in the ECHL to watch hockey, five years and counting.

But have you ever wondered where those hockey players come from? More importantly… did you even realize that hockey has been in Stockton longer then a lot of us actually realize. If not, allow me to introduce you to the Stockton Jr. Colts Hockey Club.

For over 50 years kids ranging in age from 5 to 18 have been lacing up their skates at the Oak Park Ice Arena, donning their Colts sweaters and competing against developmental teams from across the state and sometimes the country. Their teams may have whimsical categories like Mites, Squirrts, Pee Wees, Bantams, or Midgets, but don’t let that fool you, the caliber of hockey at which these young athletes compete is fast-paced and beyond impressive.

Stockton Colts logoThe Colts are members of the Northern California Junior Hockey Association (NORCAL), California Amateur Hockey Association, and USA Hockey and play against teams such as the Santa Rosa Flyers, the California Cougars (not to be confused with the soccer team), the Tri Valley Blue Devils, and the San Jose Jr. Sharks.

They operate as a non-profit organization that relies on sponsorships to offset a majority of their costs including ice rental time at their home rink, Oak Park Ice Arena, the cost of traveling to their away games as well as equipment upkeep and replacement.

Regular season play for the Colts usually begins in early September and runs through late March with games usually taking place on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you have not already had the opportunity to watch these talented hockey players, I highly encourage you to head out to the Oak Park Ice Arena this Sunday where beginning at 4:30pm you can watch the Bantams and the Midget 18 teams take on the San Francisco Sabercats. Find out for yourself why the Stockton Arena is not the only place hot action is taking place in below freezing temperatures.

For more information on the Stockton Colts, including rosters, photos and their remaining 2009-10 season, you can visit their website http://www.stocktoncolts.com/.