Crimson Bears to challenge Moose on Treadwell’s frozen sheet
- Klas Stolpe
- Nov 19
- 6 min read
JDHS hosts defending state champion Palmer at Bears ‘barn’ season opener
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears hockey team open their 2025-26 season Friday against a familiar foe as Northern Lights Conference rival Palmer Moose come to the Treadwell Ice Arena.
“There are a few things that I think might be beneficial for us,” JDHS coach Matt Boline said. “One of them is we do have a lot of athletes that play more than one sport. That includes some fall sports. And there's been several years where they could never really join the team fully…not able to go to practices constantly and get up to game speed and stuff like that. We have the advantage this time right now of having players that have been fully brought in and are at game speed, and we have gotten lots of reps on some of the things we need to work on and need to be successful in against a team like Palmer."
"They are a perennial powerhouse…In a lot of ways they are very similar to us in terms of size. They always have a full JV team and a full varsity team but they also have the added advantage of lots of kids on the road system up there and different levels of competition.”
Last year, JDHS lost to Palmer on the road 4-3 and 8-4 during the season and again in the Division II state championship semifinals in Soldotna, 5-2. JDHS then defeated Kenai 5-3 for third place, and Palmer defeated Soldotna 9-1 for the title. Both teams graduated 10 seniors.
“I don't think they'll miss a step,” Boline said. “I think they will be right in there. They tend to be a team that is ready to go right at the beginning of the season and don’t take much time to warm up — whereas I think sometimes we battle that over the years of just kind of growing and getting better throughout the year, which is also an advantage. But it's tough to start off playing against the defending champs first game of the year at home. It will be a tough challenge no matter what.”
JDHS has compensated for its large graduation with a first-ever overnight team excursion at the Eagle Valley Center that allowed team-building activities.
“It let us talk and expand on what it takes to be a good teammate,” Boline said. “And that also feeds into the culture of our club.”
The past weeks have also allowed for senior captain Elliot Welch and senior alternate captains Isaac Phelps and Nolan Cruz to find their voice among the team and continue that leadership on the ice.
“The team is feeling good,” Welch said. “We are really excited to finally play our first games besides ourselves. Coach has really emphasized that these are our first games. We know these are kind of late to have our first games of the year, but we are working hard at practice and improving every day and hopefully we can implement what we’ve learned into the game. Last year’s game against the Palmer Moose really only helps us with knowing some of their plays that they do the most. Every year each team loses players, which changes the dynamic of the team.”
Palmer has already been in game play this season with wins over Kenai 4-3; Soldotna 1-0; Wasilla 3-0; Lathrop 6-2; Eagle River 4-2; and Colony 5-0. The Moose have one loss to West Valley, 1-0.
“The last couple of weeks have been amping up as far as intensity goes,” JDHS’ Phelps said. “The whole team is really stepping it up in that regard as we progress through the season. And as far as this first set of games goes, it is going to be a huge challenge for us. Palmer is an extremely talented team and they don’t mess around. Having what could possibly be the hardest match-up of the season on the first weekend is a tall ask for this team, but this is still a series we can certainty win. It’s going to come down to a lot of 50/50 puck battles and gritty work in front of both nets.”
The JDHS line of Paxton Mertl and Caden Morris, centered by Tricen Headings, and backed up by Welch and Phelps on the blue line are the Crimson Bears most experienced returning players and are expected to be impact players this weekend.
“Juneau brings a fast, physical game,” Palmer coach Zack Richards said. “They are always a tough matchup and we've told our team to plan for a battle. Without having any results or game tape to go off of, us as a group have to assume they'll bring another strong team. Treadwell is also one of the toughest environments to play in. It's always a packed barn and one of the loudest places to play in the state. We're planning for all of it.”
Richards has had plenty of experience in the Bears' barn. He played for the Palmer Moose from 2005-2009 and was team captain as a sophomore, junior and senior.
“Our identity this year mixes both skill and grit,” Richards said. “We have three lines that can put the puck in the net and skate with the best in the state. We are well-conditioned and tend to wear teams down. We preach effort on the ice and purpose with everything you do. The kids have done a good job putting that in play.”
Richards said the Palmer leaders up front have been senior forward Chase Ringler and junior forward Clayton Conrad.
“They wear the letters, but have also been commanding their lines,” he said. “They have been good for some timely goals when the team needs a boost. On the back end is our senior captain Zander Anderson. He has been our anchor, and we have been able to lean on him in all situations. He's cool, calm and gets the job done.”
Richards noted goaltending as another Moose strength, with sophomore Ryder Lawton and junior Kai Curl sharing duties while allowing just seven goals in seven games and earning three clean sheets.
“They have been each other's biggest fan and have been a huge part of our early success,” Richards said. “We know that coming off a state championship, we will always have a target on our back. It pushes us to come out of the gates hard and take no shifts off. With losing so many seniors from last year's squad, we are a different team, but our goal to make another run at state hasn't changed.”
Richards has another tie to JDHS: he played for current JDHS assistant coach Luke Adams in the 2008 Arctic Winter Games for Team Alaska in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
“We won the Gold Ulu together,” Richards said.
Adams remembers Richards scoring “one of the best goals I have ever seen in a big game…Arctic Winter Games championship game. He took a long shot from outside the blue line that somehow beat the goaltender that was either the tying goal or the go-ahead. Best part was his reaction and a smile on his face. Never forget it, that’s why we do this stuff and it’s what hooks us as coaches….One of the nicest and best kids I’ve ever coached. That program is in good hands with him.”
The series begins with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m. Friday followed by varsity play at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the JV play at 1:30 p.m. and varsity at 3:30 p.m.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
