Let's Skate!
Joe Rosenthal, Founder & Coach
I started playing hockey in 1984. In hockey terms, it was a late start: age 14. But I made up for it with an obsession with public skating, pond hockey, and hours of street hockey and shooting pucks against a brick wall outside my family home. I believe that getting a late start at the game has given me a unique perspective on training and development: I have seen firsthand what’s possible with focus and dedication required by an accelerated timeframe; I learned what drills and training really paid off when it was crunch time, and I never took a second of ice time for granted.
I struck gold with my coaches and mentors. I first learned the game from my stepdad, a talented Colorado All-State Center who wanted to share his love of the sport, and I expanded my skills through days, nights, and weekends of practice at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. Over the years, I was fortunate to train at the Bob Johnson Hockey Camp in Vail, Buddy Blom’s Camp in Denver, and the Colorado College Hockey Camp in Colorado Springs. I received power skating training from the late Pieter Kollen, who worked with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and trained figure and hockey players at the World Arena. My high school coaches, Jim Austin and Kevin Kodalen, were role models and inspirations to me.
I still play in men's leagues and have coached in the Winnetka Warriors program in a variety of capacities for the past eight years. The sport has given a lot to me, and I'm passionate about helping others improve their game.
Coaching Experience:
Owner, Lakeside Hockey, 2018-2023
Coach, Winnetka Hockey House League, 2015–2023 (8 years)
Parent Coach, Winnetka Warriors Travel, 2019–2021 (2 years)
Playing Experience:
Colorado High School State Champion, Cheyenne Mountain Indians, 1988
Jim Austin Award, 1988
Colorado High School State Championship Runner-Up, Cheyenne Mountain Indians, 1987
Buddy Blom Hockey Camp Award, 1984
Certifications:
USA Hockey Coach, Level 4 Certification
Red Cross First Aid Certified
Sam Frishman, Coach
Sam Frishman began his hockey career at the age of six, playing house, select, and travel for the Ice Dogs in Vernon Hills for nine years. In 2016, he moved on to play for Stevenson High School where he was named most improved player his Freshman year. A defenseman for most of his career, Sam was moved to offense in 2018 due to his versatility, speed, and wicked shot. He went on to lead the team in goals and was the league’s top scorer on the state champion Stevenson JV Gold team. He returned as a varsity forward for the 2018-2019 season for 2018 state runner-up Stevenson team. In addition to hockey, Sam also plays lacrosse and was an overnight camp counselor at Camp Timberlane in WI. He is also an IHOA hockey referee. Sam is currently playing in college on Northern Michigan University’s D2 club team.