In This Issue
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Volume 3 Issue 5
June 24, 2015
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 3 v 3 HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
By Spencer Montgomery, Chicago Blackhawks Youth Hockey Coordinator - Blackhawks Youth Hockey hosted its 3rd annual 3v3 tournament June 20-21st at Arctic Ice Arena in Orland Park. There were 48 teams featuring over 300 youth hockey players. The tournament featured Mites, Squirts, and Peewees and crowned 5 teams as 3v3 champions! Each team was made up of 7 players and they competed in cross ice 3v3 games. The tournament was a huge hit and the excitement of the recent Stanley Cup win could be felt on the ice!

Ship of Fools
Mite Kane Division


CHAMPIONS
Little Puckers
Mite Toews Division
Prospects
Squirt Toews Division
KnightHawks
Squirt Kane Division
Fast-n-Furious 1
PeeWee Division

VISIT AHAI'S FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS>>
AHAI NEWS & INFORMATION
Find the Hockey Program that's Right for YOU with AHAI's New "Affiliate Club Hockey Program" Tab on AHAIeNews.com!

Looking for a summer or fall hockey program? Check out the "Affiliate Club Hockey Program" tab located on the top navigation bar on www.ahaienews.com. Currently we have programs listed for Girls, Tier II Youth, High School and Learn-to-Skate programs.

Club Presidents and Hockey Directors - don't see your program's flyer listed? Email Gretchen Cockey at gretchen@ahai2.org for details.
AHAI Foundation Golf Outing

Join Us For A Fun Filled Day! The 19th Annual AHAI Foundation Golf Outing will be held at the Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort, Friday, August 14, 2015, featuring several contest holes, such as "Longest Drive", "Shortest Drive" & "Closest To The Pin".The purpose of this event is twofold. First, it creates an opportunity for coaches, referees, administrators, parents and supporters of amateur hockey in Illinois to come together for a day of fun and relaxation to kick off the beginning of the new season. READ MORE>>
Tier II Choice Substitution Information
On July 15, 2015, the application process for Tier II Two Choice Substitutions will begin. You will find helpful articles regarding the Two Choice Rule, Choice Substitutions and what you should consider before making that second choice as well as information regarding the Midget Third Choice in the articles below. Should you have any further questions, please contact the AHAI Tier II Committee Chairman, Gregg Chudacoff.
AHAI & CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAYER DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Central District Boys In-District 2001 Bantam Development Camp

By Douglas Becht, AHAI Player Development Chairman - The Central District holds its own Player Development Camp. The location of the Central District's Boys Bantam Development Camp is at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa from June 21st through 26th, 2015.  The goal of the Central District Boys In-District Bantam Development Camp is to provide a week-long skill development program for boys 14 years of age. This camp will mirror what is offered at the USA Hockey National Camps held in New York this summer for the 3 older birth years. Each six (6) States within the Central District is allotted a number of spots in the Central District Boys In-District 2001 Bantam Development Camp depending on the overall number of boys registered in each State. The Illinois allocation was 15 forwards, 9 defensemen and 4 goaltenders. However, I'm pleased to report that we were able to increase the number of IL boy's invitations because some players from the other States were unable to attend.

 

Each State is responsible for selecting boys who will represent their State.  For the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, the selection process was made during the AHAI Boys Player Development Tryout/Identification Camp held on March 20th -22nd, 2015 at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, Illinois.  Based solely on their performance at this camp, the 2001 birth year players were selected to represent Illinois at the Central District Boys In-District Bantam Development Camp.

 

ILLINOIS PLAYERS SELECTED TO ATTEND>>

2015 Girls Central District Development Camp 

Good luck to the 142 young women attending the 2015 Girls Central District Development Camp June 21-26 at the Cornerstone Community Ice Center in DePere, Wisconsin!

AHAI COACHING EDUCATION NEWS & INFORMATION
AHAI Coaching Education Program Clinic Schedule Announced
 
Registration for all AHAI CEP Clinics must be done ONLINE at usahockey.com. Registration for all AHAI CEP Clinics will begin on July 13, 2015. Please check the USA Hockey website for details about USAH CEP Clinics, online age specific modules and Coaching Certification process. All Coaches MUST BE CERTIFIED by December 31, 2015. If you have any questions, please contact Paul Jakubowski at pjakubowski@ahai2.org. VIEW CEP CLINIC SCHEDULE>>
IHOA NEWS & INFORMATION

 

Attention Girls: IHOA Needs YOU! New GIRLS ONLY Officiating Seminars!


Girls, did you know that officiating is a great way to improve your skills as a hockey player? Officiating improves your rule knowledge, overall awareness of the game, skating ability AND allows you to make money while doing what you LOVE! IHOA is pleased to announce that they will be hosting two All Girls Seminars this summer. Click HERE for more information. Questions? Contact Erin Blair or Nicole Davis at girlsjustwannaref@gmail.com!

  

Ask the Official by Dave Zednik

QUESTION: If a player has possession of the puck in the Neutral Zone, turns around and skates backwards, and precedes the puck across the attacking blue line while still in possession and control of the puck, is he considered to be off-side?

 

ANSWER: No. Rule Reference 630(b). As long as he establishes possession and control in the Neutral Zone before and while he crosses the line, play shall be permitted to continue. READ MORE>>
2015-16 Officiating Seminars

The Illinois Hockey Officials' Association (IHOA) is pleased to announce the release of its officiating seminars for the coming season. All USA Hockey/AHAI officials are required to attend a seminar each season and in Illinois all seminars are conducted by IHOA and its certified instructors. READ MORE>> 

 

OFFICIATING SEMINAR SCHEDULE>>
Respecting Officials
By USA Hockey - You may not realize it, but being an official is a tough job! An official's job starts well before the first whistle blows.  For weeks, months and likely years leading up to your game, your official has studied the rules and passed exams reflecting that knowledge.  They have arrived early to make sure the rink is safe and in good condition.  They have visited with both sides, checking to make sure players have the proper gear and equipment to keep them safe, even asking for things like jewelry to be removed to protect athletes. They confirmed that both teams have enough players and that the roster is in order, avoiding forfeitures. READ MORE>>
JUNIOR HOCKEY: MAKE THE SMART & INFORMED DECISION
By NAHL.com - The numbers don't lie... there are a lot of junior hockey options in the United States. Deciding on the right team and place to play is a tough and sometimes life-changing decision in regards to what path, level and league may be best for the aspiring hockey player.

 

The last thing a player or parent wants to do is run the risk of making the wrong decision, often costing them their one and only opportunity to put themselves in a position to advance to the next level. You may be asked to commit to a team or sign a contract that would lead you down the wrong path, limiting your ability to advance and costing you precious time and money.

There are many facts and also many myths when it comes to junior hockey, so hopefully this will shed some light on helping you make the right and informed decision. READ MORE>>
PLAYERS & CLUBS IN THE NEWS
Columbus Blue Jackets Name Illinois' Kenny McCudden Assistant Coach 
By the BlueJackets.com Staff - The Columbus Blue Jackets have added Kenny McCudden to the coaching staff as an assistant coach, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. He joins the Blue Jackets after spending 16 seasons as the skating and skills coach of the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves.

 

The Chicago native, who originally joined the Wolves in 1994, spent three seasons with the club from 1994-97 and then returned prior to the 2002-03 season. He was a part of teams that qualified for the former International Hockey League Turner Cup Playoffs three times and the American Hockey League Calder Cup Playoffs on eight occasions. He helped the Wolves advance to the 2005 Calder Cup Final and capture the Calder Cup championship in 2008. READ MORE>> 
Mission Accomplished
By Jayson Hron, USAH - It's been a busy spring of Mission success stories. The high-powered Chicago club qualified five teams for the USA Hockey postseason, two of which - the 19U girls and 14U boys - made it to the national final, with the girls winning and the boys narrowly losing in double-overtime.

 

Shortly thereafter, 14 Chicago Mission players, the most of any single organization, were selected in the USHL Draft. READ MORE>>
Congrats Belpedio, Dvorak & Fischer!
By USAH - USA Hockey recently unveiled their roster for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp and the roster included Illinois' Louie Belpedio, Christian Dvorak and Christian Fischer. Thirty-nine players will audition for a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team that will take part in the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, December 26, 2015 through January 5, 2016, in Helsinki, Finland. READ MORE>>
33 Years Later, Chicago Clowns Still Come Back to the Pond

By Greg Bates, USAH -Growing up in Schaumburg, Ill., Jeff Glover and his buddies used to always find a frozen pond or river on which to play hockey. At 10 years old, the boys loved the game. Now, 33 years later, they're still playing pond hockey. Their team, the Chicago Clowns, has made sure to make it to Eagle River, WI, the past 8 years to compete in the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships. READ MORE>>
Ryan Blankemeier Earns USHL Student-Athlete Award
By USHL - The United States Hockey League today announced that Ryan Blankemeier of the Chicago Steel has been named the 2014-15 recipient of the USHL Scholar-Athlete Award. It was the first USHL season for Blankemeier after the Steel selected him in the first round (17th overall) in Phase Two of the 2014 USHL Draft.  The Oak Park, Illinois native is a product of the Chicago Young Americans youth program where he spent the three previous seasons. Blankemeier recently graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF), finishing his four years with a cumulative weighted grade-point-average of 4.84 on a 4.00 scale and being named one of the school's valedictorians in a graduating class of nearly 1,000 students. READ MORE>>
AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY RED ARMY
RELEASED ON DIGITAL HD & BLU-RAY DVD!
You Could Win a Signed RED ARMY Movie Poster
or a Blu-Ray DVD!
 
AHAI is celebrating the Digital HD and DVD/Blu-Ray release of the award-winning documentary RED ARMY with two giveaways - "like" AHAI on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter and you could win either a RED ARMY poster signed by Director, Gabe Polsky, or a Blu-Ray/DVD! Don't miss the USA Hockey Magazine-exclusive 10 minute clip of the feature documentary of Soviet Red Army hockey team captain Viacheslav "Slava" Fetisov below and click HERE to read about RED ARMY in the January Edition of USA Hockey Magazine. Winners will be contacted via email and announced in the July 22nd edition of SNAPSHOT.

About RED ARMY

From Oscar® nominated and Emmy award-winning filmmakers, RED ARMY is a feature documentary about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Told from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the story portrays his transformation from national hero to political enemy. From the USSR to Russia, the film examines how sport mirrors social and cultural movements and parallels the rise and fall of the Red Army team with the Soviet Union. RED ARMY is an inspiring story about the Cold War played out on the ice rink, and a man who stood up to a powerful system and paved the way for change for generations of Russians.

 

Gabe Polsky (Director of RED ARMY) grew up in Glencoe, IL and put on his first pair of skates at the age of six. He played hockey competitively throughout his youth, first as a Winnetka Warrior and ultimately for Yale University. Gabe has a lot of Chicago pride and is a huge Blackhawks fan. The chance to bring RED ARMY to his hometown is an enormous gift.

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