Jeff Helminiak

Brown Bears, Ice Dogs ready for Game 3

Less than 72 hours after a bruising overtime contest in Fairbanks, the Kenai River Brown Bears and Fairbanks Ice Dogs commence a de facto best-of-three… Continue reading

Brown Bears set to try and knock off Ice Dogs

It’s the Ice Dogs vs. the underdogs.History, both current and ancient, has the Fairbanks Ice Dogs as the favorites in a first-round, best-of-five playoff series… Continue reading

Brown Bears make playoffs

The Kenai River Brown Bears believe in magic, or more specifically magicians. Minnesota Magicians. The Magicians pulled a playoff berth out of the hat for… Continue reading

Brown Bears swept in Fairbanks

After missing out on two chances to clinch a playoff berth with losses in Fairbanks on Friday and Saturday, the Kenai River Brown Bears are… Continue reading

Peninsula athletes help Alaska rule ulu count at Arctic Winter Games

Team Alaska, made up of over 400 athletes, coaches and volunteers, won the most ulus at the Arctic Winter Games held from March 15 to… Continue reading

Even after loss, Bears still control destiny

After a 5-1 loss to the host Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, the Kenai River Brown Bears are still in control of their fate in… Continue reading

Bears control playoff destiny

The Kenai River Brown Bears head into the final weekend of the North American Hockey League regular season in control of their playoff destiny.That control… Continue reading

Bears topple Ice Dogs, move into sole possession of 4th place

The Kenai River Brown Bears moved into sole possession of the fourth playoff spot in the North American Hockey League Midwest Division with a 4-2… Continue reading

Ice Dogs top Bears in shootout

The Kenai River Brown Bears moved into a tie for the final playoff spot Friday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs… Continue reading

Series preview: Bears face Ice Dogs as playoff chase heats up

Series preview: Bears face Ice Dogs as playoff chase heats up

When the North American Hockey League started way back in September, one thing was apparent. If the Kenai River Brown Bears were going to make… Continue reading

Series preview: Bears face Ice Dogs as playoff chase heats up

KPHA PeeWee B team wins state title

The Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association PeeWee B team won the Alaska State Hockey Association championship Monday at the Curtis C. Menard Sports Complex in Wasilla.The… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Cook Inlet Academy's Kendall Toplin drives the ball down the court during a Jan. 24, 2014 game in Soldotna, Alaska.

CIA girls look to defend state title

The Cook Inlet Academy girls basketball team has little reason to be overconfident heading into the Class 1A state tournament. But the Eagles also have… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Cook Inlet Academy's Kendall Toplin drives the ball down the court during a Jan. 24, 2014 game in Soldotna, Alaska.

Basketball culture propels Seldovia to state

Seldovia is not one of those schools that is going to make the Class 1A state tournament for 10 straight years.The population of boys and… Continue reading

Focus on fundamentals pays off for Nikolaevsk girls, boys

Like anything with a solid foundation, the girls and boys basketball programs are built to stick around for a while.The boys and girls are coached… Continue reading

Bears visit Wildcats for crucial games in playoff chase

As is often the case in the playoff chase in the tough North American Hockey League Midwest Division, the Kenai River Brown Bears fell further… Continue reading

SoHi girls earn WPI berth to state

For the second year in a row, the Soldotna girls basketball team was announced Sunday as a Winning Percentage Index qualifier to the Class 4A… Continue reading

Kenai, SoHi set for NLC tourney

Not surprisingly, the Soldotna girls basketball team would prefer not to use the Winning Percentage Index to get into the Class 4A state tournament.As the… Continue reading

Peninsula Conference hoops tourney preview: Tons of basketball on the horizon

For those area hoops fans despairing that both the Northern Lights Conference and Southcentral Conference tournaments are happening off the Peninsula this year, don’t despair.There… Continue reading

Nikiski girls, Skyview boys gather momentum in final game of regular season

Both the Nikiski girls and Skyview boys basketball teams will go into the Southcentral Conference tournament, starting Thursday in Cordova, on a roll. The Nikiski… Continue reading

Brown Bears continue to perservere in playoff chase

If the old maxim that everything evens out in life is true, the Kenai River Brown Bears must have had some awfully easy roads to… Continue reading