07/21/2026
Just beyond center ice is a shop where hockey culture comes home.
And the man behind it all puts this one top shelf.
This is Penguin Skate and Sports Supply, owned and operated by Larry Bruyere. This small shop would skate into the hearts of all hockey fans abroad.
“I grew up in the Northeast, and I came to California in the early '70s and had other jobs in sales, and then I picked up a part-time job managing a store in Glendale…and fell in love with it,” said Bruyere.
“It was hockey-related, and I was playing hockey, and I enjoyed being around people with like interests; it was just a natural thing to do.”
Penguins Skate not only carries your usual gear such as sticks, jerseys, pucks, and pads, but also manufactures lots of local equipment and apparel. The Santa Clarita Flyers teams were just given newly prepared team jackets,
“Depending on who the entity is, an adult senior hockey team looking for a price, and usually a basic design,” said Bruyere.
“The Flyers, for example, they've been doing it for a number of years, so they pretty much have it down pat,” said Bruyere.
While the front of the store may be quite the barn burner to hockey enthusiasts, there's an entirely different world in the back.
There's even an area to practice your shooting. Rip some putts however you like. Clappers, risers, go far down.
Just as the great one Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss 100% of the shots that you don't take.”
Bruyere said he was introduced to hockey at age 6 while growing up in Norwood, New York, near the Canadian border. Neighbors took him to play hockey for the first time, despite never having skated before.
He recalled getting his first hockey equipment from a local woman, Mrs. Morgan, who supplied gear for the town’s youth hockey association.
“Morgan's Liquor Store is where it all started for me, relative to hockey,” said Bruyere.
“The ice rink was across the road. It was an outdoor rink, and at six years old, I put out my first pair of skates with the Todd brothers and learned how to play the game, and I've been in love with it ever since,” said Bruyere.
Day by day, Larry continues to fulfill orders while keeping up the charm.
