Coach Peter Torsson!

-          By John Harrington

Alas, Spring is here, and the season is coming to a close. Parking lot whispers are at an all-time high. My phone is ringing, and texts are flying! For the last few months, I’ve been approached by parents from other clubs asking, “What’s the story with the Bears? I heard that…”

It doesn’t take long for a few disgruntled people to create a narrative, catered to their unique perspective, and start gossiping around the glass. I do my best to answer the basic questions but thought it would be better if I spoke with Peter Torsson, the General Manager of the Bears, who has been with the club since 2014. Here he is setting the record straight…

Where is California Hockey headed and why?

The quick answer is “In the wrong direction.” Kids are very different now in that their desire for instant gratification needs a different type of coaching. There is noticeably less “common sense” on the ice these days at the younger ages in California because kids don’t play sports in general anymore. And when they watch hockey, it’s just highlights. If they do watch a game, they are distracted while playing on their phones. At the Bears we have attacked this via video tutoring. Using a curriculum-based approach, we start in the spring, then with a summer camp and straight into the season where coaches are using, for the most part, the same tutelage material. We need to teach fundamentals in more depth, not so much the technical aspects, but puck placement, reading body language, identifying triggers of systematic behavior etc. Aspects of the game that can only be realized and overcome via experience. So, we must speed that process up, which we are on the way to accomplishing. We may be better, but we aren’t close enough yet, and we are working on it. We have to meet the kids halfway. We can’t just complain about the kids. They are who they are because we made them, and it is time we adapt and give them something that makes sense to them.

What are your thoughts on CAHA streamlining Tier 1 (AAA) to just three teams, and therefore limiting accessibility?

CAHA believes that over the last few years, AAA has been watered down with too many clubs. And to be more competitive on a national level, CAHA believes they need to concentrate the talent.  I have been on a few calls, and I remind myself of the movie 21 where the line goes “Always account for variable change”. This regulatory decision has not been vetted enough in my opinion. It feels a bit hasty. That being said, nobody else has had a better argument or solution, if we truly needed one, so I get it. The reason nobody has stepped up is that there was never a forum for that. CAHA discussions were limited to the changes already made. When taking on a major change like this at CAHA, it has to be identified with a mission and objective -- or else how can we keep anyone accountable? To follow you need very tangible goals that are metric, for the most part -- or how can we measure its success? The subjective grey area conversations where a 20/20 hindsight observation makes you a future expert must be avoided, and I know decisions are based on pretty far-fetched assumptions. But all that being said, I really hope it works, even though the Bears lost their Tier-1 (AAA) rights. In 2023, Tier-1 (AAA) had a national champion, Kings 15U, and the same team being a runner-up the following season in recent years. California has dominated the Pacific District tournament for as long as I can remember. That is going to be tough to beat. But the truth remains that the talent attrition is real. But those decisions to leave aren’t based on just winning. It’s a life-balance, financial, value, logistical and social decision. What is the long-term effects replacing practices with plane rides or deteriorating GPA’s due to missing school? For the attrition to stop there must be organic value within California as a whole to compete with currently more valuable products out-of-state. So, if national competition is the reason for reform, then it’s the same as me pointing to scoreboard at the beginning and end of the season and calling it development, which is without substance. Right now, we are bracing for whatever impact the reform will have, and every self-proclaimed expert will only be looking back. The 20/20 rear view mirror strategy isn’t helpful. Ask yourself, “Where were you when it started?”

Now from a business and growth of hockey perspective I will “short that stock.” From a family and value perspective I am “long that stock.” I think Tier-1 (AAA) has become a crazy product. You must ask yourself/family, “What am I actually buying? What value am I getting? As some AAA seasons can be upwards to 60K per year. I don’t even think it should be offered before players turn 14 years old. But that’s just my own cost vs. value observations over the past 24 years and I am not just talking about money. I believe decentralization is the key to success but that takes trust and frankly I think we, as organizations including the mighty three (Kings, Ducks, Sharks), have proven to be trusted with too much freedom. The current Tier-1 (AAA) model in California has failed. That is a fact. The current organizational strategy has simply gone from a bottom-up approach to a top-down approach as in “Hey we need to be AAA, let’s call ourselves that and start recruiting.” Now there are smaller clubs developing organic teams that become AAA and that is a sad side-effect of all this because they have to be dismantled to promote players into AAA. But who said you have to play Tier-1 (AAA) anyway. I can prove to you that there are many roads that lead to Rome, even in hockey.

It’s as if the world of California youth hockey believes the world is flat. There are solutions here that are bigger in scope that will deal with the financial problem, logistical problem, social problem, fan-base problem, and life-balance problem. For that to happen we need to be pioneers. I did hear some discussions about this recently that made me excited so I will just say that I really hope the current change works, but if rumors are true, I am very excited. Let’s leave that with a bit of mystery for now.

What is happening at the Bears?

We are disappointed, plain, and simple. Not in our coaches, culture, kids, or families. We are still immensely proud of that. External decisions that impacted us significantly after tryouts made the 2024/2025 painful. It was the most strenuous season from every angle. The results unfortunately show that, and a change was inevitable, and I am very excited about that. As painful as it temporarily is, we have switched from a growth and expansion strategy to a quality strategy. We will optimize what we have and grow our talent organically. We looked at what we have, and we see a lot of opportunities to lower the number of teams and grow the development model. It’s an easy transition really since we are ready and equipped with the “know how” and if we add a larger spectrum of training, which Tier-2 (AA) and travel allows, we can get back to being the logical choice. We are going to implement this for all teams and levels. It is what we did in the past. And we excelled.

So why should someone play for the Bears?

We are not for everyone, but we are the best program for the right athlete. We have coaches who work very hard, and we always take proactive action. You can’t look at the Bears without being curious on what we are going to do next. We have earned that, but it is not sustainable without reinvention, which is a constant discussion. We optimize everything. Our spring program is cutting edge. It exposes us and I like that. We take risks, huge risks and work tirelessly to be correct and so far, we have been. Our sensory is on edge as we take on a new challenge as coaches. That’s where we need to be, that’s how we lead. So that’s the future and it always will be as far as I have something to say about it. Now that is probably scary for a new skater, but we are also the only organization who educate parents, who promote our kids out of the organization constantly as soon as players express curiosity outwards. We ask the simple question “How can we help you?” And we start there every season. Now, the experience is always personal so not everyone is happy every year. But we hold ourselves accountable and we push forward. “What doesn’t break you makes you stronger” mentality, but luckily, we have a strong culture based on hard work by the coaches that is emulated by the kids and parent involvement. We have very few situations where even at the beginning of the conversation it’s just damage control. People who are disappointed want to stay, and we want them to stay, so we focus on amicable solutions, and we often arrive there. We want to be a family, and I believe that to be at the core of our values. Then the discussion about someone’s freedom versus someone else’s liberty takes care of most debates.

Can you expand on “Optimization” and how it can make the Bears successful?

Well, we took development and made it metric via testing our players year-after-year. We utilized statistical software to initiate immediate conversations about player improvement and coaching improvements. We invested in PEP to train more efficiently. We believe in transparency. We looked at the term “exposure” and made it real, for everyone, by working with NEPSAC schools and Academies. We are the host to the largest prep-school camp in the country and we invite anyone to recruit our players right in front of our eyes. We educate parents and players on various paths they can take every year with the intention of helping them leave us. We survey ourselves, ask direct questions and pre-emptively discuss solutions to avoid problems as much as possible. I personally started spring hockey with the Cool Catz in 2007 and now it’s everyone’s business which is great. When ice is not available, we expand our footprint with alternate products of development. We manufactured blow-up boards for floorball to teach hand-eye coordination and systems. That effort made one of our teams a national floorball champion as a nice side-effect. We built a playbook that has been adapted by the coaches to enhance team promotion, so players adapt quicker. Coaches are not an island here; we all really enjoy each other’s success and help one another.

What does CAHA and AAA think of you helping players take that step to Prep School?

I don’t think I’m that popular! But I have a fiduciary commitment to my families and their players, to develop and guide them on a path to success. That’s the value the Bears offer. We are radically transparent in our program, and everybody is aware on what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. We hide nothing. And we prepare our young talent for the next steps in their journey. Sure, I would love these amazing players to stay at our club for a few more years and win a National Championship. But that would be about me. This is about the player. They don’t need to live in Valenica and drive 5 hours round trip (3x per week) to a practice in Anaheim and pay 60K to develop.

What is success to you?

The success of the Bears is solely dependent on the success of our players. But it isn’t just hockey. To truly know your impact, you usually find out what we did after players leave. Trophies are nice but a “Thank you” is so much more important. I only have to open my inbox and look at the letters and interactions with our alumni to know we have done a lot of things right. If we don’t put a player in the NHL, well then let’s make sure they can buy an NHL team as a backup. That is our motto. Life is bigger than hockey. And hockey players must have a life. It can’t just be about one thing and that is where the success can truly be measured. I truly believe that if we look at all our kids that have graduated the Bears and put them against any other California youth organization and measure these graduates holistically in life as total human beings, you will see the Bears at the top of the success chart looking down the abyss at our competitors.

Favorite Band - Right now it is Wilderado. A band formed in Malibu but live in Oklahoma. I have a very broad music taste, but I like finding a true gem and they are fantastic. Another band is the Blue Stones who are coming to LA June 13th.

Favorite Movie - I think every parent should watch Whiplash. No other movie explains the pain and struggle that goes into the perfect performance both from the talent and coach perspective. It is not just good, it is important. I love asking people what they see and many just point to the verbiage but that is not the point. If you ask me which movie I will watch before I die, I would say Good Will Hunting.

Favorite Food - Nothing beats a good steak. I love prime rib and filet cuts, but I always have a great sauce to go along with it. Maybe a sliced baked potato with some chives, butter, salt, and pepper to along with it.

Favorite Book - Ondskan by Jan Gilliou. It really resonated with me as a kid, and I read it four times. It's about a kid who goes to a boarding school and has to fight his way to his own righteousness in every way possible.

Most Embarrassing Moment - Oh boy. So, at 15 years old I really liked this girl who was a figure skater, and her mom was the figure skating coach. My youth club was connected to a local pro-team called LHC in the same building. I was asked to perform with this girl in pairs and I immediately said yes. We trained for a few months but during that time I won a hockey youth player scholarship, and the prize was some money and to play in a pro-game for LHC. So, the week before the performance, I played with the pro-team and had an assist early so the fans immediately knew who I was. It was just a one-game thing so the next game I was performing between periods as a figure skater with this girl, but the fans knew and stayed to sing the whole time. It was very humiliating, but I nailed the performance and got the girl.

Best Hockey Memory - On the ice it was playing for Sweden's Junior National Team. There is just something about wearing that jersey. Off the ice I am fortunate enough to say that I have too many of them.

What Would You Tell Your Younger Self - Don't rush the process. It's hard when things start happening being pulled in so many directions. You quickly feel like a product without any say, so I lost my pure love for the game for a while. But I have no regrets at all, not even the injuries that caused me to be medically disabled at 22 years old. I am still very attractive, at least my wife thinks so and that is all that matters.