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Volume 3 Issue 11
September 30, 2015
AHAI & SEVEN BRIDGES TO HOST 2016 GIRLS CENTRAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT CAMP TRYOUTS!

The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, in conjunction with Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, is pleased to announce that we will be hosting the Girls Central District Development Camp Tryouts for USA Hockey's National Camp the weekend of April 8 through April 10, 2016.

We believe that in hosting the Camp locally we will be providing a significant benefit to our Girls and their families. Seven Bridges and their staff have a long history of hosting important events in a professional manner.

Many more details to follow but AHAI and Seven Bridges appreciate the confidence Central District has shown in selecting AHAI and Seven Bridges to host an important Girls hockey event this coming Spring.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH CONTEST IS BACK!
Submit photos of your AHAI players' wicked slapshots, dekes, dangles and great saves...or of your kids just plain having fun playing hockey to AHAI's Photo of the Month contest. Send photos to Gretchen Cockey at gretchen@ahai2.org and please include a caption with players' first names, your organization or club, and playing level. ALL photos will be posted on AHAI's Facebook Page, but 5 lucky photos will be featured in AHAI's e-newsletter, SNAPSHOT and receive an awesome AHAI/Howies Hockey Tape T-shirt. Photo submission deadline for the October Photo of the Month is Sunday, October 18. AHAI will select 10 finalists; YOUR votes will select the Top 5! Voting will be conducted October 20-24; winners will be contacted via email and announced in the October 28th issue of SNAPSHOT!
AHAI NEWS & INFORMATION
TIER II STATE TOURNAMENT DATES & LOCATIONS
AHAI is pleased to announce the dates and host sites for the
2016 Tier II Illinois State Hockey Championships!

SQUIRT DIVISION
Darien Sportsplex

PEE WEE DIVISION
Canlan Ice Arena

BANTAM DIVISION
Addison Ice Arena

MIDGET DIVISION
Leafs Ice Centre
LIAISON MEETING & RANKINGS
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Hyatt Regency, Shaumburg

PLAY-IN GAMES
1st Round
February 12-19, 2016

2nd Round
February 20-28, 2016
ROUND ROBIN DATES
March 3-6, 2016
 
3RD & 4TH PLACE GAMES
(Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam)
March 7-8, 2016

~SUPER WEEKEND~
March 12-13, 2016
AHAI Rink - Bensenville
2016 ILLINOIS STATE HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Save the date! The 2016 Illinois State High School Hockey Championships for Red Varsity, Girls Varsity and Combined Varsity will be held on Friday, March 18, 2016 at the United Center. A HUGE thank you to the Chicago Blackhawks for their continued support of the Illinois State High School Hockey Championships!
AHAI'S COLLEGE NIGHT
AHAI is proud to present the 25th annual series of Seminars on the opportunities in ice hockey after high school on Monday, October 12 at 7:00pm at the Woodfield Hyatt Hotel in Shaumburg. This yearly event is a must for all High School Juniors (of course Sophomores and Seniors are welcome too). Don't miss this great opportunity to begin planning YOUR road to hockey after High School. READ MORE>>
REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE A STEP aHEAD BASELINE TEST TODAY!
Every athlete who completes a FREE baseline test this year will be entered to win an official Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Stick signed by Marian Hossa! Deadline to register is November 30, 2015.
SHOP FOR GREAT AHAI NIKE APPAREL
& SUPPORT ILLINOIS' SPECIAL HOCKEY PROGRAMS!
AHAI Nike apparel is available for 2 weeks only!

SHOP NOW through Sunday, October 11 for Nike high performance AHAI golf shirts, t-shirts, shorts, hoodies and 3/4 zips! Show your Illinois Hockey pride and help support AHAI's Special Hockey Programs! (100% of the profits will benefit AHAI Special Hockey Programs).
COACHING & OFFICIATING NEWS & INFORMATION
ASK AHAI
QUESTION: AHAI's new Parent/Spectator Suspension Rule states that "any spectator asked to leave a rink by an official or by the rink personnel will automatically miss a minimum of 3 games." Would the 3 games mean the current game the spectator was asked to leave or the next three full games?

ANSWER: To clarify this issue for you, any person removed from a game will be suspended for the remainder of that game and the next 3 games, constituting a 3 game suspension. It does not matter when the spectator is thrown out - first minute or last - it is the remainder of that game plus 3 additional games.
ASK THE OFFICIAL BY DAVE ZEDNIK
QUESTION: Go-Pros???

ANSWER: No-Pros!!!

QUESTION: As a minor official working the penalty box during games can a coach come into the penalty box and/or talk to their player during their player's penalty?

ANSWER: There is no rule in the current USA Hockey Playing Rules that prevents a coach from talking to his player while the player is serving a penalty. One would hopefully think that the coach might be explaining to the player what he did wrong to earn the penalty in the first place.  READ MORE>>
ROSS FORMAN'S HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY
Paul Manning, the new head coach at Brother Rice, is crystal clear about his goal for the program: win the Kennedy Cup, first and foremost. Then shoot for the Illinois State Championship.

"The Kennedy Cup is the most important (accomplishment); I want each boy to hoist the cup," Manning said. "The Kennedy Cup stands for tradition. My brother played for John Duran back in the late 1970s (and) John was instrumental in starting the (Chicago) Catholic Hockey League. It is the most important trophy - win that first, and think state second."

But that means Brother Rice must skate past league front-runners Benet Academy, last season's state runner-up; and Providence Catholic, which was ranked the No. 1 team in the state in early-September. READ MORE>>
PLAYERS & CLUBS IN THE NEWS
CELEBRATION OF GIRLS' HOCKEY AT ROCKET ICE ARENA INTRODUCES NEW GIRLS TO HOCKEY & RAISES OVER $2300 FOR PUCK CANCER
Rocket Ice Arena in Bolingbrook, Illinois, was teeming with plenty of ponytails on Saturday, September 26, as girls ranging in age from 8 to 20+ from the Sabre Girls program, St. Jude Lady Knights, Robert Morris University Eagles Women's Hockey team and four female officials came together for a Girls Try Hockey For Free event followed by a Puck Cancer Charity Game.
 
The Girls Try Hockey For Free event kicked-off this special girls-only night. A total of 40 girls participated in a 6-station ADM skills clinic run by USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager, Bob Mancini with assistance from Marcie Kierpiec, power skating Instructor, New Trier Girls Varsity Assistant Coach, Carla Pentimone, St. Jude Girls Program Director, Jackie Wedster-Kooistra, AHAI's ADM Chairman, Jim Clare, and Sabre Girls 10U and 12U Head Coaches, Keith Mellen and Ramey Weaver. Along with the Sabre Girls and St. Jude Lady Knights, 10 girls new to the game tried hockey for free. READ MORE>>
CENTRAL DISTRICT INFORMATION
ATTENTION GIRLS: USA HOCKEY & CENTRAL DISTRICT 2015-16 IMPORTANT DATES
Please click HERE to view important dates for the 2015-16 Season. For additional information about USA Hockey/Central District Player Development Camps, contact Mary Ann Robinson at 920.758.3063. Players must be born between the years of 1998-2002 to be eligible for camps listed.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NEWS & INFORMATION
BMO HARRIS BANK PLAYER, COACH & VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
The Chicago Blackhawks and BMO Harris Bank are committed to honoring our hockey community by congratulating each month during the season, a Youth Hockey Player, Amateur Hockey Coach and a Hockey Volunteer. Criteria is based on hockey accomplishments, volunteer activities in the nominee's community and a demonstrated passion, dedication and spirit through commitment to community. In determining the Youth Hockey Player of the Month, the judges will also consider the nominee's academic accomplishments and involvement with his/her school. Click HERE for Nomination Form.
JUNIOR HOCKEY NEWS
USHL POWER RANKINGS: BLOOMINGTON THUNDER & CHICAGO STEEL MAKE TOP 10!
USHL teams have been traveling to USHL showcase events and exhibition matches over the past four weeks to finalize their rosters, evaluate future talent and get back into the day-to-day work of junior hockey. The Sioux Falls Stampede will watch their championship banner rise to the rafters on September 26th, while Anderson Cup Champions Youngstown Phantoms look to finish the job they started last year. 24 NHL Draft picks are expected to play this season in the USHL, and even more future draft selections will look to impress scouts for the upcoming 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo. Over 270 NCAA Division I commits are on opening day rosters, as the USHL returns from a record season that featured over 375 college commits. READ MORE>>
 WIN A SIGNED COPY OF HOCKEY MOMS AREN'T CRAZY!
Hockey Moms all across Illinois are gearing up for another great (crazy!) season of hockey! To get your hockey season off to a great start we are giving away 4 signed copies of Jody Anderson's Hockey Moms Aren't Crazy! This book pays tribute to Hockey Moms everywhere with hilarious illustrations, jokes and stories - including contributions from Hockey Moms and hockey greats, like Mike Eruzione! READ MORE>>


 MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE CAN'T MISS EVENTS!
Do you have an event you would like to share with the Illinois Hockey Community? Contact AHAI Communications Manager, Gretchen Cockey at gretchen@ahai2.org for more information. Check out the "EVENT" tab on ahaienews.com for a complete list of upcoming events.
BLIND HOCKEY IS COMING TO ILLINOIS IN NOVEMBER!
Come check out an exciting game of Blind Hockey on Saturday, November 14 at 4:30 p.m. at All Seasons Ice Rinks in Naperville. Blind Hockey is the same exhilarating, fast-paced game that gets spectators out of their seats with only one main difference - all of the players are legally blind! The sport features an adapted puck that makes noise, and is both bigger and slower than a traditional puck. READ MORE>>
HELP JJ O'CONNOR "PAY IT FORWARD" IN OCTOBER
JJ O'Connor broke his neck playing in his first hockey game of the season on October 24, 1995 resulting in him becoming an incomplete quadriplegic; meaning he is paralyzed from the neck down. Since his injury 20 years ago, people from all walks of life have rallied to JJ's side to help him overcome this obstacle. We invite you to bring your family out to this special evening and enjoy the festival atmosphere as we celebrate JJ's inspirational journey and raise some funds so any individual with a disability can participate in life. READ MORE>>
 SAVE BIG
ON YOUR PINK GEAR AT SPORTS AUTHORITY IN SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!
AHAI Families, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sports Authority has created a special coupon to promote the pink gear we have in the store. Please share with your family and friends and stock up on all your gear for the month of October!

On Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, all AHAI Players & Families will receive 20% OFF their entire purchase at their local Sports Authority store!  Please print the coupon below or show coupon on your smartphone at time of purchase to receive the discount.

CLICK HERE FOR DISCOUNT COUPON>>

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