yep people think that and the Gretzky factor is whats led to a huge influx of California kids being drafted since about 2008
Hockey in Southern California was a pretty short commodity until the late 1980s. But it was on Aug. 9, 1988 that it really took off. That was the day the Kings traded for "The Great One," Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.
The move sparked big interest in the Golden State, planting the seed for youth hockey as the number of both ice and roller players soared. It also helped bring the Sharks and Ducks into the NHL in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and minor-league teams to places like Long Beach, Ontario, Bakersfield, Fresno and Stockton.
"The inline (roller hockey) craze in mid '90s was exactly what led to these young players coming," King said. "And you can't forget the Gretzky factor. That also had impact, too. These players got to see the greatest player ever while growing up."
And the Ducks becoming the first California team to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2007 impactful as well.
"The numbers (of kids playing hockey) have picked up quite a bit," said Art Trottier, the general manager of The Rinks and the president of the Jr. Ducks. "Our numbers went up 15 to 20 percent after the Ducks won."
The hockey talent level in SoCal was already on the rise by then - and, on occasion, right to the top.
Southern Californian teams have won five Tier I (triple-A) and Tier II (double-A) national championships over the past five years and have been runners-up three other times. Players such as Etem, Bennett, Sooth, Matthew Nieto (Long Beach), Chase Balisy (Fullerton) and others have been part of the U.S. national age-group teams. And just recently, Etem, Bennett, Maxwell and Nieto were invited to the U.S. national junior camp.