RIO RANCHO, NM – The off season is in full swing and the staff of Prohockeynews.com is scouring the professional ranks for the latest news.

How thin that news has been.

Fans have been faced with a number of tragic events this off season with

Photo by Gary Stepic

several minor leaguers severely or fatally injured in traffic accidents and other serious mishaps.  The writers, editors and photographers at Prohockeynews.com extend their best wishes to all of the players, their families and their teammates.

This off season has also had Prohockeynews.com looking to make a difference in the community here in New Mexico.  In the late spring, PHN linked up with a local residential treatment center that serves American Indian youth in the area.  Prohockeynews.com donated a few dozen shirts for residents at the center.  The shirts are used as incentives for the residents as they progress through the treatment process.

Earlier this year PHN was tapped to assist in the sponsorship of a charity hockey game in Rio Rancho.  The beneficiary of the game was New Mexico Special Olympics.  The game itself featured a team of media hockey

Photo by Gary Stepic of the publisher

players from Albuquerque and Santa Fe versus a charity hockey team, the New Mexico IceHoles.  The Albuquerque Media Jackals shelled the IceHoles in the game by a 14-7 count.  The winners were the NM Special Olympians who were honorary coaches, manned the sin bins and dropped the ceremonial pucks for the start of the game.  The New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League co-sponsored the game and hosted the ice time.

At the end of August Prohockeynews.com will co-sponosr a charity game between the New Mexico IceHoles and a combined squad of the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Department.  The event will benefit the Family Advocacy Center in Albuquerque.

Prohockeynews.com will also be co-sponsoring the New Mexico IceHoles tenth charity event later this year when they host an NHL alumni team in Rio Rancho.  The Scorpions will also co-sponsor this event for Juvenile Diabetes Research.  Qualified hockey players will be able to bid on roster spots for this game on www.eBay.com later this fall.  More details will follow later this season.

Photo by Gary Stepic

For those readers seeking additional information to help some of the players injured this off season please visit these sites.

To follow Les Borsheim’s recovery click here:  www.TeamBorsheim.com

To follow Jason Baird’s recovery click here:  www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasonbaird