Volume 13 Issue 5 | May 2025 | | LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT | | |
I can’t believe another season has ended. Hopefully it was an enjoyable one for everyone.
We will conclude with our annual meeting on Saturday, May 31. All presidents and hockey directors were invited to attend.
On June 4th we will be attending USA Hockey Annual Congress. We will let you know what’s happening nationally and how it affects us.
Enjoy your summer!
Kevin Bolger
AHAI President
| | Tier II player substitute choice applications will open on June 15, 2025. The application and description of the process will be available on AHAI.org. | |
2025-2026 HOCKEY SEASON
GIRLS TIER II NATIONAL BOUND AGE LEVELS
BE IN THE KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO TRYOUTS
A reference tool for Parents, Players, Coaches, and Tier II Girls Organizations
This article is a quick guide for the Tier II Girls Hockey Community.
The article has been designed to give you a look into the early tryouts for the National Bound age levels (14u, 16u, 19u).
TRYOUTS WILL BE JUNE 15 – 22, 2025
Know the rules:
AHAI Rules & Regulations -- Article 17 is the location that specifically talks about Girls Hockey in Illinois.
The rules to familiarize yourself with are:
- 17.8 – Intent of Girls Tier II Hockey
- 17.9 – Affiliate Organization Playing Restriction
- 17.10 – Girls Tier II Playing Season
- 17.11 – Girls Tier II Early Tryouts
- 17.15 – Tampering
- 17.16 – Coach(es) Movement
- 17.17 – Player Movement
https://www.ahai.org/page/show/6335118-bylaws-rules-regulations-and-policies
Too often we have heard parents say they didn’t know. The Article 17 Sections above will give you the knowledge needed to help your player make the best decision for herself.
REVIEW THESE RULES AFTER JUNE 1ST AS SOME HAVE BEEN AMENDED.
Key points to keep in mind:
- All Girls’ Organizations must notify the AHAI Girls’ Chair of their intent to hold early tryouts for the National Bound age levels.
- All Girls’ Organizations will only be allowed to select 1 team at each National Age Bound Level during the early tryouts June 15-22, 2024 (A Girls’ Organization may have the potential for an additional team at a specific age level. For a potential second team, tryouts may NOT be held NOR may spots be ‘reserved’ for players until the regular tryout period beginning August 15th).
- All Girls Tier II Organizations must adhere to the Coach(es) Movement & Player Movement rules.
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It is the responsibility of ALL Girls Tier II Organizations to educate families on Player Movement & Coach(es) Movement Rules & their meanings regarding the player’s options for the season. Coaches and Board Members of their respective Organizations will be held accountable & a violation of the Player Movement Rule will automatically disqualify the team from participation in the 2024-25’ season State Championships Tournament & beyond (Districts & Nationals).
- Players who make a team during the early tryouts will be required to sign a player card & are then locked onto said team for the upcoming season.
Here is the list of AHAI Affiliate Girls’ Organizations that will be holding tryouts & for which level:
| | | Chiefs | 14U | 16U | 19U | | Franklin Park | 14U |
| 19U | | Glenview | 14U | 16U | 19U | | Hawks | 14U | 16U | 19U | | Hoffman Estates | 14U | 16U |
| | Leafs | 14U | 16U | 19U | | Mammoth | 14U |
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| | Sabres | 14U | 16U | 19U | | St Jude | 14U | 16U | 19U | | Warhawks | 14U | 16U | 19U | | | |
Good luck to ALL GIRLS!!
HAVE A FUN & SAFE SUMMER!
Anita Lichterman
AHAI Girls Director
AHAI Player Safety Coordinator
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Defenseman Trevor Shorter: A Second-Round Draft Pick By The Chicago Steel
By: Ross Forman
After an Illinois state championship season for the Chicago Mission U15s, Trevor Shorter just continues to celebrate:
In early May, the Chicago Steel completed Phase I of the 2025 USHL Draft, adding 15 players to their group from the 2009 birth year.
The selections join forward James Scantlebury, who was tendered by the Steel prior to the draft.
With Scantlebury taking the place of the Steel’s first round pick, Chicago’s first selection came in Round 2 at 17th overall when they selected Shorter, a 6-foot-6 defenseman who appeared in 69 games for the Mission and finished with 36 points (6 goals, 30 assists) with a +27 plus-minus rating.
“Trevor is a top defenseman in this birth year. He is a big and long defender who is highly athletic with excellent skating ability for his size and is a tough defender with length. He has tremendous upside that we are extremely excited about,” said Steel assistant general manager Bobby Goepfert. READ MORE<<<
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Multi-Sport Star Dylan Anderson: The 2025 Downstate Player of the Year
By: Ross Forman
Sophomore Dylan Anderson scored twice for the Pekin Dragons in their 4-0 March 16 win over the McLean County Sharks for the championship in the fifth-annual AHAI Downstate High School Hockey Tournament, played at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
Anderson, 16, a left-handed shooting center, was named the Downstate Player of the Year.
“Winning the Downstate Championship is exciting and an honor because we worked so hard. People do not give enough credit to us because we are just downstate, but we are a tough team,” said Anderson, a Pekin resident in his second season on the varsity team. He also played his youth hockey in Pekin.
“Winning the Downstate Player of the Year (award) was so exciting, but I couldn’t have done any of it without my teammates, especially my wing man, Owen Gruden.”
READ MORE<<<
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Local Official Przywara Shines Nationally, Excited For The 2025-26 Season
By: Ross Forman
Eryk Przywara finished his seventh season as a hockey official on the ice in Utica, New York: he was selected to officiate the 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 18U National Championship tournament, held in early April.
“I made the bold choice to (drive) the 13-hour (trek) which, in hindsight, was a better option than flying, even though I was called a mad man all weekend. I ended up skating nine games, (including) the semifinals and had a phenomenal time; it was a great experience,” said Przywara, 20, who lives in Palatine.
“Overall, the Nationals went well. I’m very pleased with my performance and how far I made it. All the feedback I received was positive, and despite not making it to (the) championship (game), I learned a lot from the supervisors and fellow officials … and just had a great time.”
Przywara was wearing orange as a referee for a top-tier quarterfinal game, the Maryland Ice Devils against the Arizona Bobcats. “It was a phenomenal game, a pleasure working that game. It was fun, fast-paced and hard fought,” he said. READ MORE<<<
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Claudia Nord Uses Crew & Powerlifting Experience To Help On The Ice
By: Ross Forman
Two seasons ago, as a sophomore skating for the Evanston High School Girls Hockey Team, Claudia Nord endured a winless season. The lone bright spot that season, if it was, was a tie.
As a junior this past season, Nord and her Evanston teammates defeated Lake Forest for the club’s first win in about a year and a half. Evanston won 2-1 on December 8, 2024, in Evanston with Kenedi Mrozik scoring the game-winning goal, assisted by Brynn Clair.
“We may or may not have overreacted a bit,” after the victory, Nord admitted, laughing.
Evanston finished 3-12 in Metro Girls action this past season.
Nord, 17, will be a senior when she next skates for Evanston. She is a right-handed shooting right defenseman in jersey No. 14. Nord also played her youth hockey for Evanston, and was awarded the high school team’s Most Improved Award after her freshman season. READ MORE<<<
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Congratulations to the players selected to advance from the Central District Camp to the USA Hockey National Development Camps this summer.
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Blackhawks all girls Big Strides Camp with Olympian Abbey Murphy
Fresh off winning gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, the Blackhawks are proud to partner with Olympic Gold medalist Abbey Murphy for Big Strides, our all-girls camp for girls ages 9-18 taking place June 23-27 at Fifth Third Arena. Abbey will lead all on-ice training, and off the ice, we will provide important information on topics like nutrition, metal health, college recruitment and more!
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