Daryl Evans

VALENCIA, CA, Jan 11, 2016– More than 100 ice hockey players with special needs will converge in Valencia for the 3rd Annual SoCal Special Hockey Festival at the Ice Station Valencia.

The SoCal Special Hockey Festival is a two-day event that will bring together teams locally from Valencia, Simi Valley, and San Diego, and some as far away as Utah and Colorado who will make up the Rocky Mountain All-Star squad. The festival, hosted by SNAP Sports, in conjunction with the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA), features players with a wide variety of disabilities. This year’s event will take place on January 16-17, 2016, with games starting at 9:00 a.m. on both days. Check out highlights from last year’s festival at www.americanspecialhockey.org.

On Saturday, January 16, activities will include games scheduled between 9:00am and 6:30pm, with a Medal Ceremony taking place at 7 p.m. that evening, as well as a social event for teams and families featuring food, drinks and entertainment. A silent auction, with several pieces of highly sought-after LA Kings memorabilia will be held throughout the day. Auction & raffle winners will be announced during the medal ceremonies on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the LA Kings NHL program will get in on the action by hosting the “Kings Clinic” with special guest instructor and Kings legend, Daryl Evans. The clinic will be offered free of charge to participating athletes and their coaches. Also on hand for the Kings Clinic will be the world-famous Kings mascot Bailey and the LA Kings Ice Crew.

According to Dave Chase, Executive Director, SNAP Sports, the special hockey athletes participating in this year’s festival aren’t your ordinary hockey players – they’re extraordinary in their accomplishments. “While skill sets vary according to age and experience, these players all share the challenge of living with disabilities,” Chase explained. “Special hockey is just that – special. You’ll see some friendly competition when these players are on the ice, but you’ll also see a lot of cooperation. Special hockey is unique in that it’s designed to give players the chance to develop confidence, social skills and teamwork, which enhances their existence on and off the ice. Athletes with a variety of special needs have found great personal success through special hockey.”