Jeff Helminiak

Chugiak’s Snell wins Gatorade Player of Year

Chugiak senior Derryk Snell won the Gatorade Alaska Boys Football Player of the Year on Monday. Soldotna senior Brenner Furlong was looking to become the… Continue reading

Fight Before Christmas 2 set for Saturday

Whether it is inside the ring or out, Mat Plant of Power Plant Productions continues to find a way to squeeze more variety into his… Continue reading

Freezer Food Series to bring regular winter races to Tsalteshi Trails

The Salmon Run Series has finished its sixth season. The Soldotna Cycle series, though it has had other names, has completed its fifth season. Cyclocross… Continue reading

Homer skater Dimitry Kuzmin (right) pulls the puck around Soldotna goaltender Kenzie Powell Tuesday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Tuesday: Homer hockey dominates SoHi

The Homer hockey team that has been making waves across the state debuted on the central Kenai Peninsula on Tuesday night and did not disappoint.… Continue reading

Homer skater Dimitry Kuzmin (right) pulls the puck around Soldotna goaltender Kenzie Powell Tuesday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central’s Karl Danielson double-poles up a hill on his way to victory Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, at the Tsalteshi Classic Invitational at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai’s Danielson, Homer’s Daigle win Tsalteshi Classic

Early winter on the central Kenai Peninsula has featured an uncommonly high number of perfect days for classic skiing — days with beautifully set tracks… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Karl Danielson double-poles up a hill on his way to victory Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, at the Tsalteshi Classic Invitational at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s JD Schmelzenbach battles with Wasilla’s McKinley Larson and Langston Bouma for the puck Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Wasilla skaters top SoHi

The Soldotna hockey team lost to Wasilla 6-2 on Friday and Colony 7-2 on Saturday in North Star Conference hockey action at the Soldotna Regional… Continue reading

Soldotna’s JD Schmelzenbach battles with Wasilla’s McKinley Larson and Langston Bouma for the puck Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia drives the net on Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Jake Willets on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Ice Dogs sweep Brown Bears

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs swept the Kenai River Brown Bears, winning 7-0 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday in North American Hockey League action at… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia drives the net on Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Jake Willets on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia battles for the puck along the boards against the Minnesota Magicians on Oct. 26 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Gil Garcia: Where did that name and shot come from?

The name is like the shot. See them, and at first, it’s hard not to wonder where they came from. We’ll start with the name… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia battles for the puck along the boards against the Minnesota Magicians on Oct. 26 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Series preview: Brown Bears vs. Ice Dogs

Both the Kenai River Brown Bears and Fairbanks Ice Dogs will look to capture a little momentum in the next two weeks as the two… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Michael Spethmann challenges for the puck Nov. 3, 2017, against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears forward Spethmann not afraid to venture far from home

For many parents of Kenai River Brown Bears, sending their sons so far away to a remote location can be tough at first. That’s not… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Michael Spethmann challenges for the puck Nov. 3, 2017, against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Series preview: Brown Bears vs. Bobcats

The Kenai River Brown Bears will be focusing on getting off to a good start tonight when they face the Bismarck (North Dakota) Bobcats in… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Connor Fedorek can’t stuff the puck past Minot goaltender Samu Lonkila on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears earn split with Minotauros

The Kenai River Brown Bears continued to show they are great at making adjustments between Friday and Saturday games at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Connor Fedorek can’t stuff the puck past Minot goaltender Samu Lonkila on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s Hudson Metcalf and Colony’s Frank Urbano tangle at 170 pounds in the third-place dual at the Peninsula Duals on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Nikiski High School. Urbano won 4-3. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Colony tops Homer for Peninsula Duals title, SoHi 4th

Colony head wrestling coach Todd Hopkins had a successful return to the Kenai Peninsula on Friday and Saturday at the Peninsula Duals at Nikiski High… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Hudson Metcalf and Colony’s Frank Urbano tangle at 170 pounds in the third-place dual at the Peninsula Duals on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Nikiski High School. Urbano won 4-3. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Alex Klekotka tries to make a play behind the net on Minnesota Magicians defenseman Matt Denman on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Outdoorsman Klekotka fits Brown Bears on, off ice

For some junior hockey players, taking the plunge and coming all the way to the Kenai Peninsula to play in the North American Hockey League… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Alex Klekotka tries to make a play behind the net on Minnesota Magicians defenseman Matt Denman on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Series preview: Bears vs. Minot Minotauros

Coming off a split in a series in North Dakota on Oct. 6 and 7, the Kenai River Brown Bears and Minot Minotauros meet in… Continue reading

Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Kyle Mayhew protects the puck from Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Bears earn split with Ice Dogs

Friday, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs wasted little time in reasserting their dominance in the rivalry with the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Soldotna Regional… Continue reading

Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Kyle Mayhew protects the puck from Kenai River Brown Bears forward Gil Garcia on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Southcentral volleyball preview: Teams fight for 2 state spots

There’s a new wrinkle in the Southcentral Conference volleyball tournament at Homer High School this year, and the goal of coaches is not to worry… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Markuss Komuls shields the puck in a practice at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears’ Komuls seamlessly makes transition from Latvia to America

For some players, coming all the way to Alaska to play junior hockey is daunting. Not for Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Markuss Komuls. Komuls,… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Markuss Komuls shields the puck in a practice at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears, Ice Dogs set to renew rivalry

Former Kenai River Brown Bears forward Alec Butcher had just been named the North American Hockey League Most Valuable Player in 2014 when he summed… Continue reading

Soldotna senior Cally Christianson (2) fights against a block by Kenai Central teammates Nikki Prior (5) and Jaiden Streiff Oct. 27 at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

SoHi, Kenai volleyball teams to clash in NLC tourney’s 1st round

Soldotna coach Sheila Kupferschmid and Kenai Central co-coach Pako Whannell don’t need to be told anything can happen in the Northern Lights Conference volleyball tournament… Continue reading

Soldotna senior Cally Christianson (2) fights against a block by Kenai Central teammates Nikki Prior (5) and Jaiden Streiff Oct. 27 at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)