Junior hockey players chasing dream in Las Vegas

The clock was winding down, the puck on his stick, time for perhaps one good deke, one last chance to salvage a must-needed win.

Vincent Dekumbis knew what to do. He drew the goaltender out of his crease, made a move to his backhand and calmly slipped the puck under the pads of Angus Campbell with 2.4 seconds left in overtime.

The Las Vegas Storm were 3-2 winners over the Seattle Totems on Dec. 15, the opening day of the Western States Shootout at Las Vegas Ice Center. In Fribourg, Switzerland, they knew the outcome right away, as Dekumbis' family was following the game on its computer.

When you're 18 years old and several thousand miles away from home, you do whatever it takes to make the world a little smaller.

There are tens of thousands of young men chasing their NHL dreams in rinks all over the world. Dekumbis, a 5-foot-11-inch left wing, chose to chase his from Las Vegas playing for the Storm, a Tier 2 Junior team in its second year.

For those 16- to 20-year-olds who play at this level, it's a chance to learn, a chance to grow and improve to where you might get a call-up to Tier 1 Juniors — the United States Hockey League — or perhaps a college scholarship.

But for many, this is where their NHL or college hockey dream will die. Still, their love of the game is so strong, they feel they owe it to themselves to give it a shot.

That's why Dekumbis left home three years ago to pursue his dream.

"Hockey is not that big in Switzerland," he said in excellent English. "So I first went to Canada to play on a Midget team when I was 15. And then when someone told me about Las Vegas and playing Juniors there, I checked it out and now I'm here."

The Storm, coached by Gabe Gauthier, are hoping to send some of their players to the next level. His dream is to have an alumnus play in the NHL.

"All it takes is one kid, and it will get everything going," said Gauthier, who had a brief NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings from 2006 to 2008. "We've got a good group of dedicated guys. I want to see them move up."

The Storm have a working agreement with the USHL's Tri-City Storm, which plays in Kearney, Nebraska. If Gauthier has a kid in Las Vegas that Tri-City has interest in, there's a pathway for that player to move up.

But unlike the higher level of junior hockey, these players are paying their own way to play. It costs roughly $10,000 to play for the Storm. For the families, it means a lot of sacrificing and a lot of fundraising.

"We'd love to help them, but it's against NCAA rules," Gauthier said of offering scholarships.

The Storm have had a rough time in their second season. They dropped their next three games at the Shootout and are 8-16-4 entering the second half of its WSHL season, which starts Jan. 7.

"Being at this developmental level, there's so many ups and downs," Gauthier said. "It's not X's and O's. It's about psychology. It's about chemistry. Getting along and believing in each other.

"It's about respecting the game, respecting each other and respecting their opponent. We haven't done enough of that consistently."

Jake McKenna, a 17-year-old defenseman who is from Las Vegas and a senior at Green Valley High School, said it's a matter of being more consistent.

"We tend to get stuck in a rut," McKenna said. "We just need to keep things simple and not be fancy."

McKenna, who has been playing since he was 6, said staying home to pursue his hockey dream doesn't make it any easier. But he has enjoyed his experience.

"It's been great," he said. "It's really like being part of a big family, except your brothers are from all over the world. I've enjoyed being around the different cultures and different languages and the way they approach hockey."

The Storm roster includes players from Russia, Sweden, Finland and Canada as well as from five states. For these players, it's hockey first. There are on-ice practices, off-ice strength and conditioning, travel around the western United States and doing community service, such as helping at youth hockey clinics or visiting sick kids in the hospital.

"You have to totally buy in for it to work," Gauthier said.

As for school, those who are trying to get their high school diploma do so through online courses. In Dekumbis' case, he started last year in an online school in Calgary and continues it in Las Vegas.

"It's a little stressful, but if you manage your time, it's all right," he said.

McKenna gets to enjoy a normal high school lifestyle at Green Valley, where his classmates think it's pretty cool that he plays hockey.

"I've got my friends that I go out with, but I'm also with my teammates," he said. "I'm usually the one who picks the movie theater we go to or the restaurant we eat since I know the area."

The majority of the team stays with local families. It's called "Billeting," and essentially the players become part of that family. They are expected to do chores around the house and abide by the rules.

"We're lucky to have great families that billet our players," Gauthier said. "We haven't had any problems or issues."

To that end, Gauthier reminds every player that being a member of this team carries with it a certain amount of responsibility. Especially in Las Vegas, where the casinos and the bright lights can be alluring to a 17-year-old.

"What I tell them is that everyone is watching every move you make," Gauthier said. "And that the biggest person watching you is me. You want to move up? I'm your best salesman. If you screw up and a college asks me about you, I'm not going to lie.

"In two years, we haven't had any problems. I know most of these guys are a long way from home and that their social life isn't what it could be if they were back home. But they made a decision to play here, and they know what the deal is."

For the players who have girlfriends back home, they stay connected through social media. The team's games are streamed on the Internet, and many use platforms such as Skype to stay connected to their loved ones.

"It's a big help," Dekumbis said.

At the Western States Shootout, some 80 college coaches showed up. There were club teams such as UNLV's and Division I programs such as Yale. The players knew they were under the microscope, and few dared take any shortcuts on the ice.

"You know they're there, and you want to play your best," McKenna said of the college coaches. "But you don't want to put any added pressure on yourself, so you try and block it out and focus on the game."

Gauthier said while the community has been supportive, there's one new resident he's hoping will get behind the Storm.

Businessman Bill Foley is trying to bring the NHL to Las Vegas, and part of Foley's vision is to grow the game at the youth level. Kirk and John Brooks, who own the Storm and Las Vegas Ice Center, have talked to Foley about getting involved, and Gauthier said if Foley is successful in bringing the NHL to Las Vegas, it would change youth hockey forever.

"It would create a new atmosphere for youth hockey," Gauthier said. "You see what the (Anaheim) Ducks, the (San Jose) Sharks and the Kings have done to grow the game in their communities. I would be honored for Bill Foley to be part of our program."

The team has had Christmas week off, and everyone was able to go home. When they reunite early next week to prepare for the second half of the season, Gauthier hopes his players will have a new resolve and dedication.

"I think this group can turn it around," he said. "We've played well for the most part. We just have to eliminate some of the flat spots we go through and play a complete game."

Dekumbis, the team's leading scorer with 24 goals and 37 points, said he will be ready to go.

"We're better than our record shows," he said. "We've got a good team. We just need to get a couple of wins and build some momentum in the second half."

And back home in Switzerland, the computer will be on, watching Dekumbis' every move, hoping there's a reason to celebrate.

— Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.