Volume 1 Issue 22
February 19, 2014
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AHAI Adult State Tournament
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This Premier Event is Selling Out Quickly! In just 3 Weeks Over 50% of Team Slots Have Been Reserved...
The AHAI Adult State Championship Tournament, hosted by the AHAI Adult Committee, Center Ice of DuPage, Seven Bridges Ice Arena and USA Hockey will be held April 3-6, 2014.
This premier event, sponsored by USA Hockey and Labatt Blue has many new Women's and Men's Teams. Great awards, prizes, gifts and complimentary beverages will return! Register as soon as possible as the number of teams is limited. Contact Bob Fiorio- rfiorio4@yahoo.com for more details.
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4 Illinois Champions Named at 2014 Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships
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QUICK FACTS 330 Teams Registration Sold Out in 2 Days 2300 Players 19 Champions 600 Games in 3 Days 31 Rinks 5000 Pucks |
It was a typical early February weekend in northern Wisconsin - all three days of the tournament were bitter cold. Friday's wind chill dipped to -27 degrees, marking the coldest day of the tournament. However for avid Illinois adult pond hockey players the cold didn't matter, and by the end of the weekend four Illinois Adult Hockey Teams would be named Champion! Congratulations from AHAI!
CHAMPIONS
Active Stick - Bronze 30+
Flying W - 40+ Tier I
Just the Tip - Women's Silver
Squigglies - Intermediate 30+
3rd PLACE
Snow Hawks - Women's Bronze
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High School Hockey with Ross Forman
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Playoff fever is fervent, with bragging rights on the line throughout the state - and no battle should be better than what's developed in the Scholastic Hockey League. In the semifinals, no less.
Glenbrook North easily eliminated Barrington, winning 4-0 and 8-2, thus now battles Stevenson, which needed three games (and overtime in game three) to slip past co-op Rockford. The Patriots downed Rockford 7-3 in Game One, then fell 8-1 at Rockford. Senior Matt Heller scored the series-deciding goal in overtime on Feb. 15, as Stevenson won, 2-1.
Heller's goal capped an emotional roller-coaster for the Stevenson right wing who, on Feb. 10, learned that his grandfather, Dr. Jordan Waxman, died after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. Waxman was buried on Feb. 12, and hours later Heller was skating for Stevenson. Heller never considered skipping the Feb. 12 game, played in Buffalo Grove. "I wanted to play, but it was hard," he said. "All of my friends, teammates and coaches came up to me before the game telling me to play this (game) for my grandpa, that he's watching - and that's what I did; I left everything out there, out on the ice. I took every stride thinking of him, playing my heart out for him."
Editor's Note: Ross Forman has written about Illinois high school hockey for nearly 15 years, and is the only sportswriter to have covered Illinois High School hockey every year during that stretch. He played locally and then at Indiana University before becoming a referee. Ross was a referee for the State Championship game several years ago at the United Center. Contact Ross at
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USAH Girls'/Women's Coaching Symposium
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Female Hockey Coaches
USA Hockey presents the Girls'/Women's Coaching Symposium at the Omni Hotel in New Haven, Connecticut March 22 through 23, 2014. This specialized clinic for coaching the female player ages 8U through 19U is $175 and includes tickets to all three NCAA Division I Women's Frozen Four games. Coaches attending this symposium will receive CEP credit one level higher than their current certification up to Level 4.
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ADM World Tour Blackhawks Tickets Winner
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Blackhawks Tickets Winner, Chet Joshi with his son, Kabir
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AHAI recently hosted an ADM World Tour in Chicago. A drawing was held at each location for a signed Blackhawk picture and puck and the grand prize of 4 Blackhawks tickets was drawn last week. Congratulations, Chet Joshi from the Chicago Jets Hockey Club, and thank you for being a part of the ADM Chicago World Tour!
The ADM Tour was a multi-site (11) visit by USA Hockey to discuss and inform parents about what the ADM (American Developmental Model) is about and the benefits it has for all ages, not just mites. The tour featured 7 presenters from USA Hockey and was attended by over 400 parents.
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2014 Law Enforcement Hockey Classic
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"We have one goal - to honor America's WWII Veterans with a flight to Washington D.C. to see their Memorial. 100% of the proceeds benefit Honor Flight Chicago."
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Join us at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville on Saturday, March 15 for a night of great hockey fun as the Chicago Police Department takes on the Chicago FBI in the 2014 Law Enforcement Hockey Classic. The Chicago Blackhawks Ice Girls and Tommy Hawk will be in attendance as well as more surprise guests! There will be lots of raffle baskets filled with some of your favorite items, and don't miss our big raffles of Blackhawks, Bears, Cubs and White Sox collectibles! Doors open for general seating at 6:30 p.m. and puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. All tickets will be $20 at the door.
PURCHASE TICKETS
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Mayhem to Host Wounded Warriors Ice Hockey Team
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The Mayhem Women's Hockey Team announced recently that they will be hosting the USA Warriors when they are in town for the NHL Stadium Series at Soldiers Field. The USA Warriors standing team will be at Rocket Ice in Bolingbrook for a friendly scrimmage hockey game on Friday, February 28, 2014. Puck drop will be at 9:15 PM and admission to the game is free. Mayhem invites all to come out and support these heroes. "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to support and thank the heroes who serve our county" said Sherry Anthony, team goalie of Mayhem.
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It's that time of year - playoff time! AHAI would like to wish all participants the best of luck during their respective playoffs, and to remind everyone to display good sportsmanship win or lose whether you are on the ice or in the stands.
Sincerely,
John Dunne
President
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CLICK HERE FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ILLINOIS' 2014 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
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2014 Blackhawk Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to These Outstanding Student Athletes
 Congratulations go out to Elek Wellman of Sacred Heart/Griffin High School in Springfield, Grace Hwang of New Trier High School and Daniel Lorden of Jones College Prep in Chicago on being named the recipients of the 2014 Blackhawk Alumni Association Scholarship.
The Blackhawk Alumni Association (BHAA) distributes college scholarships annually to the three most deserving high school hockey players in Illinois. Awards are determined from a candidate's level of community service, volunteerism, good citizenship, academic performance as well as the hockey talent of the individual who receives an annual $5,000.00 scholarship over four years.
All of us here in Illinois are proud of their accomplishments in the classroom, in the community and on the ice.
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Girls' Central District Tryout Registration NOW OPEN!
Tryout Dates: Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27
Online registration for the Central District tryouts for both USA Hockey National Development Camp (1997-98, July 9-15 and 1999-2000, July 18-24) hosted in St. Cloud, MN, and the Central District Development Camp (1996-2000, June 22- 27) hosted in Green Bay, WI, is now open through March 15, 2014. Tryouts are open to ALL registered players in the Central District. The cost of the tryout will be $125. Players wanting to be considered for an invitation to the USA Hockey National Development Camp and/or the Central District Development Camp MUST register.
The Central District tryout will start after 5:00 pm on Friday, April 25 and conclude by 3:30 pm, Sunday, April 27. All evaluators are Division 1, Division 3 and College Club hockey coaches. Please click HERE for camp details and hotel accommodations.
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Spring Hockey FAQs
By Laura Johnson, AHAI Registrar
It may not feel like it, but the first day of Spring is just four weeks away. With that in mind, AHAI Registrar, Laura Johnson has compiled a list of your most frequently asked questions surrounding the Spring Hockey Season.
What are the dates for the spring season?
The period from April 1 to August 31 of the calendar year is considered the Spring/Summer Hockey Season. Team registrations and rosters may be submitted beginning March 1. Spring rosters will not be in effect until April 1 (the teams may not participate in games until April 1). Fall rosters are no longer valid after March 31 with the exception of nationally bound teams.
How do teams register for spring?
The process to register a team is the same in the spring as it is in fall. Teams are registered through AHAI affiliate organizations.
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Who Are Minor Officials? Chances Are It's You!
What You Should and Should NOT Do as a Minor Official

Just who is a Minor Official? No, it is not a teenage referee or linesman. A minor official is an off-ice official - a scorekeeper, time keeper or someone working the penalty box. At the youth level this is very likely a parent volunteer. In some cases a minor official may be a contracted individual who is paid for their services. However, for the purpose of this article, although this conversation applies to contracted minor officials as well, we will be focusing on the parent volunteer in the role of a minor official.
What You Should Do as a Minor Official
The off-ice or minor officials are considered part of the officiating team. They have very distinct responsibilities as part of that team. The scorekeeper keeps the scoresheet for the game so the on-ice officials and each team has an official record of what happened during that game.
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Meet Joe Olson, Builders' Category
Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame (IHHF) Inductee Series

Joe Olson has been involved with Central Illinois hockey for the past 27 years. Joe has been a youth hockey coach, board member, organization officer, team manager, learn to skate/play instructor, and hockey director.
In 2006, Joe was asked to start an amateur hockey program in Bloomington, Illinois. Bloomington had not had an ice rink for the previous 22 years. As the Assistant Manager in charge of Hockey at the Pepsi Ice Center in Bloomington, Joe has helped amateur hockey grow to 313 house league players, 8 travel teams, 3 high school teams, and 72 adult league teams per year. Currently for the 2013-14 season, Bloomington Recreational Hockey (Pepsi Ice Center) has 622 players and coaches registered with Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois and USA Hockey.
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Hockey Weekend Across America
February 28 Through March 2, 2014

USA Hockey will lead the nation in the 7th annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by CCM on February 28 through March 2. "Hockey Weekend Across America is one of the marquee events on the calendar each year," said Dave Ogrean, Executive Director of USA Hockey. "This year will be unique as we'll celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America the weekend immediately following the conclusion of the Olympic Winter Games." Each of the three days features a special theme. Friday is "Wear Your Jersey Day", Saturday is "Try Hockey for Free Day" and Sunday is "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes Day".
FIND A PARTICIPATING "TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE" RINK NEAR YOU
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What It Means to Be "All State"
AHAI/NoozeBox.com Exclusive Video
With approximately 3,300 young men and women playing High School hockey in the state of Illinois, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be named one of the 40 AHAI All-State players. NoozeBox.com recently caught up with a few of our talented All-State players and their coaches to find out what being "All State" means to them.
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U.S. National Under-18 & Under-17 Teams Capture Five Nations Tournament Titles!
Illinois Well Represented on Championship Rosters
 Over the weekend of February 8, both the U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams laid claim to the 2014 Five Nations Tournament Titles. Representing Illinois on the Under-18 roster was forward, Ryan Wagner of Park Ridge, who is committed to the University of Wisconsin and Defenseman, Louie Belpedio of Skokie, member of the 2013 U.S. Under-17 Team, who is committed to Miami University. Forwards Michael Floodstrand of Hinsdale and Christian Fischer of Wayne represented Illinois on the Under-17 Roster. Floodstrand is committed to Harvard and Fischer to Notre Dame. Wagner, Floodstrand and Fischer most recently played for the Chicago Mission Midget Minor team. Belpedio played for the Chicago Mission as a Bantam before continuing to Culver Military Academy. In addition to our four talented players, Illinois hockey is proud to claim Under-17 Head Coach, Don Granato of Downers Grove and Under-17 Team Physician, Andrew Hunt of Lake Bluff.
In 1996, USA Hockey launched a new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 17th season of play in 2013-14, the goal of this full-time development program is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice.
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SNAPSHOT Interview: Dr. Andrew Hunt
Team Physician for U.S. National Under-17 Team

SNAPSHOT recently spoke with Dr. Andrew Hunt of Lake Bluff, Illinois, regarding his role as team physician for the U.S. National Under-17 Team that won the 2014 Five Nations Tournament in Sundsvall, Sweden on February 9. "The role of team physician is multi-dimensional," states Hunt. "The team physician obviously looks after the players' health and treats/manages any medical issues that arise. Should a player get seriously injured and require hospitalization, the team physician would assist and oversee any care given at the local hospitals". Hunt further elaborated that, "team physicians also ensure that players stay within World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines and supervise any testing that may occur. If needed, team physicians also assist coaches and trainers during practice, help with administrative duties and bench assist during games".
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2014 High School & Youth Hockey Coach of the Year Awards
Nominations Accepted Through Saturday, March 1, 2014

AHAI recognizes that Illinois Hockey is comprised not only of incredible players, but also of great High School and Youth Hockey Coaches that guide our teams both on and off the ice.
Candidates for AHAI's High School and Youth Hockey Coach of the Year Awards should embody good sportsmanship and respect towards team, parents and officials while providing a positive High School or Youth Hockey experience. Candidates should also teach positive life skills while demonstrating dedication, passion and commitment to community.
The High School and Youth Hockey Coach of the Year Award Recipients will be announced during the High School State Championships at the United Center on March 20, 2014. Deadline to nominate is Saturday, March 1, 2014.
NOMINATION FORM
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BMO Harris Bank Player, Coach & Volunteer of the Month Recipients
Know a Worthy Candidate? Nominate Them Today!
This season BMO Harris Bank, in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, is honoring one youth hockey coach, youth hockey player and youth hockey volunteer each month for outstanding achievements both on the ice and in their communities. Each candidate was nominated by teammates, coaches, family or friends through the Chicago Blackhawks' website and chosen by an amateur hockey committee. AHAI congratulates the following recipients on this honor, and celebrates their achievements both on and off the ice.
COACH OF THE MONTH
Tim Scott - Chicago Jets hockey Club
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Joshua Venable - CSDHL PeeWee - Chicago Blues Hockey Club
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Matt Goff - Chicago Bruins Hockey Club
Left to Right: Chris McComish - BMO Harris Bank, Tim Scott - Coach of the Month, Matt Goff - Volunteer of the Month, Joshua Venable - Player of the Month and Annie Camins, Chicago Blackhawks
Know a worthy candidate for Player, Coach and/or Volunteer of the Month? Nominate them today!
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Wear the Ring of a Champion!
Chicago Blackhawks Charities
Wear the ring of a champion! Win your very own authentic, personalized 2013 Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship Ring! Be a part of Blackhawks history and wear what the players wore to celebrate the historic 2013 season. One winner will be chosen March 21, 2014 and will receive the customized ring at the April 6, 2014 game. Tickets are only $2 each (with a minimum purchase of 5 tickets). All proceeds will benefit Chicago Blackhawks Charities.
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Thank You, Shaun White for NOT Medaling in the Olympics!
By Shannan Younger

Shaun White was the favorite to take home the gold in the men's halfpipe competition at the Sochi Olympics. But he did not win. In fact, he did not get any hardware as he finished in fourth place, just off the medal stand.
While I'm saddened by Shaun White not medaling, I'm grateful that my tween could learn many valuable lessons from the American snowboarder in his defeat. Here are some of the important lessons I hope my tween takes away from Shaun White's fourth place finish.
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Correction
"Countdown to State" Special Edition
In our special edition "Countdown to State", we incorrectly identified Mission as the 2013 State Champion in the Tier I Squirt Major Division, it should have read Team Illinois. We apologize for this error.
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