Nearly 30 years after Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles, hockey has become a part of everyday life for quite a few Californians.
Just ask Chad Ruhwedel.
The native of San Diego had to regularly commute north to Los Angeles in order to play a high level of hockey with the Los Angeles Junior Kings in the Under-18 Tier I Elite Hockey League.
“There were more teams in (Los Angeles) than in San Diego for sure,” said Ruhwedel, 27. “So a lot of kids made the trek every day (to Los Angeles) or a few times a week which is something I did my senior year.