Volume 13 Issue 6 | June 2025 | | LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT | | |
Happy summer! I hope you’re enjoying the summer. Many of you will have some needed time off, but before you know it, conditioning camps and tryouts will be here.
It’s a very exciting time, and we are looking forward to the unified Central States league. I am confident that it will be a great experience for everyone.
We will be working all summer to prepare for the 26-26 season!
Kevin Bolger
AHAI President
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Tier II Substitute Choice Application Process for 2025-26 Season
The Tier II substitute choice application process, 10U through 16U/18U began on June 15, 2025. All applications will be submitted online here. The deadline for applying for a substitute choice will be September 2, 2025. The Tier II Committee will have (3) three appeal hearings for those denied a substitute choice on July 8, July 22 and August 5 via Zoom.
Questions? Please email Keri Zschach, AHAI Tier II Chairman, at keri.zschach@ahai2.org.
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Hockey Leadership Seminar a Success
By: Topher Scott, AHAI Board Member
Thank you to the over 50 hockey leaders in Illinois that attended our the joint hockey collaboration seminar between AHAI and the Chicago Blackhawks at Fifth Third Arena on June 10. The seminar was aimed at bringing hockey leaders together to share ideas and best practices, talk Illinois hockey, and collaborate how to grow the game in our state.
We brought in guest speakers from the NHL, USA Hockey, and local leaders and had great breakout discussions centered on hockey development, building organizational culture, and growing the game. We truly have a lot of passionate people dedicated to the betterment of the game and it was a great night of collaboration and growth.
We look forward to hopefully doing more of these types of events in the future.
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The CSDHL Board hopes you and your families are enjoying the summer. It is hard to believe it's time to start thinking about the new season, but it is right around the corner!
Congratulations to the Clubs who were accepted into the Major and the Minor divisions of the Central States Developmental Hockey League. We are looking forward to a great season, and welcoming many new Clubs into our league. You can find the complete list on our website: Central States Development Hockey League. We are hosting the annual scheduling meeting on August 9th, 9:00 AM at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg. Please ensure you have one representative per team to complete the scheduling process and participate in the info meeting.
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At the AHAI Annual meeting on May 31st, members of the CSDHL Board hosted a breakout session to discuss the new Prospects divisions and announced a new committee of Presidents and Hockey Directors that will assist in the relegation rounds and communication. They have put together an FAQ document with important dates and essential information as we move forward with this great initiative. You can find this on the homepage of our website: Central States Development Hockey League.
If your Club is interested in entering a team into the Prospects divisions, and you have not yet received a Google Sheet from us requesting further information, please send an email with specifics to: CSDHLprospects@gmail.com. More information will be delivered at the August 9th scheduling meeting at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, and Prospects member clubs are welcome to attend.
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Forward Mason Burrows Uses Baseball, Boxing To Improve His Hockey
By: Ross Forman
Mason Burrow, a left-handed shooting forward for the Northbrook Bluehawks, doesn’t have to look far for his on-ice motivation. Sure, the power Florida Panthers are his favorite NHL Team and Connor McDavid is his favorite NHL player.
But Mason is following fellow hockey playing brothers: Will, 16, and Callum, 14.
Mason is a playmaking left wing who also takes shifts at center. He played this past season for the Northbrook squirt AA team and likely will play for the Northbrook peewee AA team in the fall.
Mason, 10, lives in Northbrook and is entering fifth-grade at Shabonee Elementary School. He sports jersey No. 12 and “scored a lot of goals (last season) and did my job while working with my teammates,” he said. READ MORE<<<
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Standing Tall In Goal, Caleb Wertheimer Is Ready For Team Illinois Run
By: Ross Forman
Caleb Wertheimer started playing hockey at age 8. His neighbor, who is three years older than him, played for the Highland Park Falcons and his team needed a goalie because no one wanted to. They asked, and hesitantly Wertheimer agreed.
All others were older than Wertheimer and he hadn’t skated much, but he went for it … and is still shining in goal.
Now 13, Wertheimer is ready to play in the fall for Team Illinois after skating for the Chicago Reapers last season. The goalie in uniform No. 39 lives in Highwood, will be in the eighth-grade this fall at Northwood Middle School.
Wertheimer was the 2024 CCM World Invite MVP and had the best goalie statistics in the World Select Invitational in Bolzano, Italy.
Being a world champion is his career highlight, along with making it to the semi-finals at the annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He also has played in several state championships. READ MORE<<<
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Brother Rice Forward Ryan Dunleavy Sees Sports From Many Angles
By: Ross Forman
With less than two minutes remaining in the second period last November 17, Ryan Dunleavy scored for the Brother Rice JV Orange Team in a Chicago Catholic Hockey League (CCHL) game against Mount Carmel. John Hall assisted for his third point of the game and Dunleavy celebrated his first high school goal.
The Crusaders went on to win, 4-0.
“That was a fun game,” said Dunleavy, a freshman center.
Dunleavy, 15, who lives in Willowbrook, shoots right-handed and wears uniform No. 79 formerly skated for the Chicago Hawks and Romeoville Huskies. He was a CCHL Academic All Star this past season. He had a NIHL championship run with the Huskies as a peewee during the 2021-2022 season – his favorite hockey team and most memorable season. READ MORE<<<
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Overcoming Injury: Asher Vander Ploeg Ready For Senior Season At Glenbrook South
By: Ross Forman
His just-completed junior year at Glenbrook South was a “super wild ride,” filled with every wide-ranging emotion. Asher Vander Ploeg, a defenseman and alternate captain for the Titans, said that this past season “was crazy.”
Let’s jump back to last October 12, the Scholastic Hockey League (SHL) home opener for Glenbrook South, who were playing host to Saint Ignatius after winning their league opener a week earlier at York. The game was scoreless in the second period when Vander Ploeg had to be assisted off the ice with a serious leg injury.
“I was on defense at the time and a kid was taking the puck in the (GBS defensive) zone. I just stepped up on him to finish my check,” Vander Ploeg said. “I’m not sure what happened, but I hit my knee hard on the boards. It basically popped my knee open like a soda (can).”
Vander Ploeg knew immediately that he was injured, but thought it may just be a stinger, so he tried to get up, but couldn’t. That’s when his attitude changed.
“I thought I tore something and would be out for the season,” he said, admitting he tried to stay on the ice as long as possible because he didn’t think he’d be back for the rest of the season. READ MORE<<<
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Honoring Sly: For The Fun Of The Game
Longtime Glenview Coach Sylvain Turcotte Presented With AHAI Lifetime Achievement Award
By: Ross Forman
Zack Freimuth began skating in Glenview at age 3 and, admittedly, was miles behind other kids his age. His parents weren’t sure skating was the right activity for their son and they came close to moving on.
Coach Sylvain Turcotte wouldn’t let that happen.
He pulled Zack away from the group to work with him individually. He set up cones on one side of the ice for young Zack to skate around over and over again.
Zack kept falling, but Turcotte never gave up on Zack.
More importantly, Zack said almost 20 years later, “he always made it fun.”
Flash-forward to the 2023-24 hockey season. That same Zack Freimuth led Glenbrook South in the Scholastic Hockey League (SHL), unquestionably the top high school league in the state and, arguably, one of the best high school leagues in the country. Freimuth finished the regular season with 33 goals and 35 assists in 32 games played. His 68 points led the league and Freimuth was named the 2024 SHL Player of the Year.
“I have Coach to thank for the next 16 years of memories this game has brought me,” Freimuth said, reflecting on his skating woes at age 3. READ MORE<<<
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2025 NHL Draft
Congratulations to the five Illinois players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft!
Ryker Lee, Wilmette - Round 1, Pick 26 Nashville
Cole McKinney, Chicago - Round 2, Pick 21 San Jose
Zack Sharp, Naperville - Round 4, Pick 28 San Jose
Asher Barnett, Wilmette - Round 5, Pick 3 Edmonton
Edison Engle, Arlington Heights - Round 6, Pick 28 Winnipeg
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