Player Safety Update

By: Anita Lichterman, AHAI Player Safety Coordinator

As we all heard the tragic news, USA Hockey released a statement on November 3, 2023, continuing to recommend the use of Neck Guards & AHAI immediately posted this statement on our website.

On November 11, 2023, the USA Hockey Board of Directors further announced that the Directors unanimously voted to request the USA Hockey Safety and Protective Equipment Committee begin the process of recommending potential rule changes regarding neck laceration protection. The intent of this effort is to advance solutions that best serve all members of USA Hockey.

The use of neck guards as well as other recommended and required protective equipment begins with the parents & players. Please be aware of the condition of the equipment your player is using…..is it worn out or broken, is it too small or too big, is the fit proper, is it covering the correct area of the body, etc. These are questions that you should answer every time your player suits up for a practice or game.

Remember: Protective equipment, whether recommended or mandated, helps to better protect players. Injuries will occur, and we hope that they are not catastrophic. Regardless of protective equipment being a recommendation or mandatory, the protection will only benefit if properly fitted and used solely for the purpose it is intended.

The next step is for the coaches, teams, and organizations to put in place team rules and organization rules that aid in ensuring that all their members comply. Rules set by teams and organizations may be more restrictive.

Further inquiries may be directed to Anita Lichterman, AHAI Safety Coordinator at girls@ahai2.org.

Ask AHAI

By: Jana Krausfeldt, AHAI Communications Manager

In an effort to improve the transparency of what AHAI does, or doesn't do, in regard to Illinois hockey, we are asking community members to submit any questions you might have so we can educate the hockey community and answer your questions. Please email questions to communications@ahai2.org. All questions will be kept anonymous when sharing.

QUESTION: At what age can you start to ice the puck on the penalty kill?

ANSWER: Never in Youth or Girls hockey. High School can ice the puck in short-handed situations. There is no reason why the Youth/Girls and High School rules are different except that most other affiliates play Federation HS hockey, and icing is allowed during short-handed situations.

USA Hockey's Rule 624: Icing the Puck states:

(a) When a player of a team shoots, bats with the hand stick or deflects the puck from their own half of the ice completely beyond the goal line of the opposing team, play shall be stopped and a face-off shall take place at an end zone face-off spot in the defending zone of the offending team.

(b) Icing shall be nullified if any of the following conditions have been met:

(1) (For Adults [male and female] and High School classifications only) The offending team is shorthanded (below the on-ice numerical strength of their opponent) when the puck is shot. The determination is made at the time the penalty expires and if the puck was shot prior to the penalty time expiration, regardless as to the position of the penalized player, no icing shall be called.

(2) The puck is shot by an attacking player and rebounds off of the body or the stick of a defending player on their defensive half of the center red line.

(3) The puck travels the length of the ice as a result of either player participating in a face-off.

(4) The puck touches any part, including stick, skates or body, of an opposing player prior to crossing the goal line.

(5) If, in the opinion of the Linesman, an opposing player – except the goalkeeper – has an opportunity to play the puck, and has not done so, prior to the puck crossing the goal line.

(c) If the Officials shall have erred in calling an “icing the puck” infraction (regardless of whether either team is shorthanded) a face-off shall occur at the end zone face-off spot nearest to the location of the puck when play was stopped.

(d) Any unnecessary contact with an opponent who is attempting to play the puck in an obvious icing situation shall be penalized.

Two-sport star Mike Baker leads Loyola’s drive on the ice and gridiron

By: Ross Forman

Loyola Gold is showing the Scholastic Hockey League, and the rest of Illinois, that its late-season heartache of last year will not roll with the Ramblers once again this season.

In the elite eight round of the 2023 Illinois High School Hockey State Tournament, the No. 7-seeded Ramblers faced No. 2 Glenbrook South in Bensenville, with the winner set to battle the winner of York/Saint Ignatius.

Mike Baker, a left-handed-shooting center for Gold, came through with the game-tying assist and the game-winning goal as the Ramblers upset GBS, 2-1 – with York next in the state semifinals.

The Dukes, though, silenced Gold, 2-0.

“(It’s) very frustrating to think about … we had such a good group of guys with such great chemistry,” Baker said. “We fought hard and lost to a good York team. It’s still painful to think about what could have been, but we have a great group this year and I am confident we can do it this year.”

The 2023-24 Ramblers may be one of the best-ever in coach D.J. LaVarre’s long, illustrious run at Loyola Academy. How good are the Ramblers? READ MORE<<<

Two-sport star Ella Droege leads Lake Forest in Metro Girls Founders Cup action

By: Ross Forman

Ella Droege was playing defense years ago in her first-ever hockey game, but admittedly didn’t know where to lineup on the opening faceoff.

Still, she stuck with the sport and her first-ever coach years ago stuck with her, stressing to Droege that, yes, she could play the game.

Wally Kormylo from the Falcons was that coach – and Droege is proud to play her fourth and final season for the co-op Lake Forest girls’ varsity hockey team. She knows Coach Wally would be smiling. He passed away October 3, and there is now a center ice banner honoring Coach Wally at Centennial Park in Highland Park.

Droege, 18, is a senior at Lake Forest High School who also skates for the Madison (Wisc.) Capitols U19 team. She is a two-time USA Hockey Central District Player Development Camp Selection, a Wisconsin Tier 1 Girls State Champion (2023) and an Illinois High School All-State Team Selection (2023).

The right-handed shooting center, with solid playmaking skills, has helped the Scouts open Metro Girls play with a 1-1 record in Founders Cup action. The Scouts lost 3-2 to Loyola in their league opener, then regrouped to trounce Evanston, 9-2, on November 8. Droege had the first goal of the game against Evanston. READ MORE<<<

Ask the Official

By Dave Zednik

QUESTION: Team A’s Head Coach is assessed a bench minor penalty for

Abuse of Officials. While that penalty is still being served, the Assistant Coach now starts verbally abusing the Referee. What penalty should the Referee assess?

ANSWER: Game misconduct penalty. Rule Reference 601(d.1).

Provided the abuse is a continuation of the original action causing the bench minor penalty to be assessed, the game misconduct shall be assessed even though it is a different Team Official. This helps avoid the situation where two or more Team Officials work together to continue their inappropriate behavior without consequence greater than a bench minor penalty. This is only applied when the abuse is a continuation of the original penalty. If the second Team Official engages in improper conduct several minutes later in response to a different situation, then the Referee must assess another bench minor penalty to start the penalty progression over.

Local on-ice official Ibrahim Arifi skates AHL games and local high school action, too

By Ross Forman

When Ibrahim Arifi stepped on the ice last October at the Allstate Arena for a Chicago Wolves home game against rival Milwaukee, it was quite a memorable and emotional moment, particularly for his mom, Senija.

His sister, Hamine, later showed him a video of his first lap before that American Hockey League (AHL) game – and Senija was crying.

This was her son’s first AHL game as an on-ice official, and the memory still rings loudly for the local hockey standout who attended Maine East High School and is now a junior at DePaul University.

“Enjoy giving back to the game, always give it your best because someone is always watching and remember the people who helped you from the start and how they impacted your career,” Arifi said when asked about advice he’d give to other area officials.

Now 21, Arifi started skating for the Niles Rangers at age 5, then moved to the Glenview Stars and eventually the Falcons. He was the third overall pick (first round) by the Peoria Mustangs in the 2020 NA3HL Draft and he played one season on defense for the Mustangs.



Arifi’s playing career included state championships at U16 and U18. He also was named to the NA3HL All-Rookie Team and a Top Prospect Player. READ MORE>>>

Two-sport Giant Charlie Cohen Follows Family Legacy of Hockey Referees

HP Defenseman Leads Team Into Rivalry Game November 22 Against Deerfield

By Ross Forman

Highland Park had a one-goal lead with about 3:00 remaining to play in the annual 2022 Rivalry Series game against Deerfield, played the day before Thanksgiving in Vernon Hills. The Giants were whistled for some penalties, including a 5-minute major, thus were skating in a 5-on-3 disadvantage against the Warriors, with a raucous, standing-room-only crowd cheering every heart-pounding play.

Defenseman Charlie Cohen was on the ice for the final minutes, except about 20 seconds, helping the Giants prevail.

It was a career highlight for Cohen, as the Giants won 5-3.

Revenge is running through the Deerfield locker room this season, yet the Giants are ready for the Wednesday, November 22 game against their arch-rival Warriors.

“My favorite moment (of my career) was scoring last season against Deerfield in the (pre-)Thanksgiving game,” said Cohen, 16, a junior who shoots left-handed. “The annual rivalry game (between Highland Park and Deerfield) has so much on the line. Scoring in that crazy game in front of so many people was, by far, my favorite moment of all time on the ice.” READ MORE>>>