About Us

Sometimes it is all about me, since this is my bio, I guess this is one of those times.

My name is Monique Reaux, also known around the webosphere and hockey world as Z4dfense. In real life I am a tech jockey. I’m the person at the other end of the phone when your computer or network decides to blow up. I guess my title is Desktop Support for the most part, but those who have had to call me up, mostly call my title, Computer Goddess.

I have been following hockey for nearly 20 years. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the sport by my 2 kids. Trust me when I say, it was not easy being a hockey maven in Southern California in the 90’s. Starting with team mom, venturing out into coaching kids from 3 – 18 (including a foray into travel hockey), then actually getting out in front of the net as a goalie, needless to say, the game has its hooks into me very deeply.

I moved to Phoenix, AZ in 2005, and became smitten with the young defensive core of the Phoenix Coyotes, and remain a proud season ticket holder. (I can be found in section 104 or 204 during the season). I started writing on Yahoo 360 as OnyxStarr. Mostly venting to myself and prosing about the virtues and sometimes, the hosery of those same Phoenix Coyotes. Unbeknownst to me, some fellow Yotes fans began to follow my ravings, and a blog was born.

I started CoyotesHipCheck with the help of my friend, and web guru, Steven Rose, and friend and uber photographer, Andrea Hasbrouck. It has been a blast, and I hope you all find it interesting, fun and insightful. I may not always be comfortable to read (some people describe my writing as ‘edgy’), but I will always be truthful and as timely as possible.

I also write or have written for other web entities like Arizona.SBNation, HendricksHockey, theNHLArena, Coyotes Booster Club Newsletter and Hockey’s Ladies of Greatness. All good hockey information or discussion sites.

Steve Rose here, otherwise known as Hat Trick Hound around these parts. I’m the developer of this site, laying out all the functionality and nuggets of the overall site design. Occasionally, Monique has dragged me into actually writing content instead of contributing through our discussions alone. My directed goal for this coming season is to do more writing and help out on the content side of things.

I got addicted to hockey a little late in the game. When the great Gretzky got traded to Los Angeles (my hometown), I tried checking out the sport, but just couldn’t pick it up on the boob tube. I didn’t understand the intricacies of the sport, even when the glowing puck got introduced (what a mess that was). After moving to Arizona on my own, I was lucky enough to make a friend named Amy who was a hockey fan and helped introduce me to the game. First game I ever went to ended up being a playoff game against the St. Louis Blues in the old America West Arena, lower level, in the corner, and I was hooked!

Amazingly we are starting our 4^th season of CoyotesHipCheck, and it has been quite a ride already. Between our collection of hockey knowledge, sometimes varied opinions of certain hockey topics, and Monique’s unique behind the scenes information, I’m happy with all that we’ve accomplished, and look forward to implementing some of our plans… be sure to check back soon, we’ve got some crazy ideas up our hockey sleeves

Hi, my name is Andrea, and I’m a hockey fan. Like a lot of other females, I got into the sport because of a guy. I realized I had actually became a hockey fan in my own right, (and not just the girlfriend of a hockey fan) when one day, we were watching a game, and during a commercial break, I looked over at him and he had this look on his face. I guess he’d been talking to me for the last five minutes, and I hadn’t heard a word he said, because I’d been to intent on what was going on at the game.

I grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California (hello people, it’s NOR-CAL) and moved to Phoenix in 2000. Consequently, I have two favorite teams: The Sharks, because they are the ones that made me a hockey fan, and the Coyotes, because they are the ones that made me fall in love with the game. Now, don’t ask me who I would have rooted for during the 2010 playoffs, if the Coyotes had managed to beat the Red Wings in the first round. I hadn’t made up my mind. With everything that we as Coyotes Fans, have gone through during the 09-10 season, and the summer before, it was going to be a difficult choice.

I was able to minor in Photography when I went to San Jose State, and Photography has always been a huge hobby of mine. I quickly realized that I could marry two of the things I loved when my friends and I moved our season tickets to the lower bowl. Some would say I tend to take a lot of pictures (thank God for digital!)…I guess I do, but then if I didn’t, we wouldn’t have all the choices we do for the things we put together. If you ever see us in the stands, I’m the one with the camera stuck to her face.

So I hope you enjoy the pictures.