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Volume 4 Issue 18 | January 18, 2017
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THE AHAI 2017 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BEGINS THIS MONTH
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By Pete Humann, Chairman of AHAI Player Development ~ All Tier I, Tier II, Prep and High School Varsity players within the 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 birth years are eligible by invitation only for the 2017 Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI) Player Development / Identification Tryout Camp held in Bensenville, Illinois, the weekend of March 24th - 26th, 2017.
The process began last week with an online ranking of each of the age appropriate players.
AHAI has developed a web tool that allows ALL the Illinois Head Coaches, from each of the above divisions, to go online to rank ONLY those players they saw play during this season. The due date for these rankings to be completed is by early February. These Head Coaches will be ranking the "best" players from this State, NOT JUST THEIR OWN PLAYERS, within a specific birth year, by position, starting with number 1 as the best and so on down the line.
After these online rankings are compiled by the web tool software (in a weighted average verses the number of votes a player receives), the AHAI Player Development Committee conducts a Web Tool Ranking Evaluation Meeting. This meeting will be held in February and will be broken into four different groups for the four eligible birth years. During this meeting, consisting of the Player Development Committee members, along with select Head Coaches from Tier I, Tier II, Prep and High School Varsity, we will review the web tool rankings of the players. All nominated players are reviewed, in each birth year, in the order they were ranked in an unbiased manner, regardless of what club/association the different Head Coaches are affiliated with. This process determines the final selection of players who are to receive an invitation to the AHAI Player Development / Identification Tryout Camp. The invitation goes out to 36 forwards, 24 defensemen and 8 goalies within each of the eligible birth years.
READ MORE>>
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 NOMINATE YOUR COACH FOR AHAI'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD!
AHAI recognizes that Illinois Hockey is comprised not only of incredible players, but also of great Boys'/Girls' High School and Youth/Girls' Hockey Coaches that guide our teams both on and off the ice. Candidates for AHAI's Boys'/Girls' High School and Youth/Girls' Hockey Coach of the Year Awards should embody good sportsmanship and respect toward teams, parents and officials while providing a positive High School or Youth/Girls' Hockey experience. Candidates should also teach positive life skills while demonstrating dedication, passion and commitment to community. Deadline to nominate is Saturday, February 18, 2017.
NOMINATE NOW>>
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HIGH SCHOOL ALL STATE GAMES SET FOR FEBRUARY 13TH
For the past 27 years, AHAI has been conducting a High School All State game for the boys and girls varsity divisions statewide. This year will mark the 28th year of this very special event. The 2017 Boys High School All State game and the 2017 Girls High School All State game will be played on Monday, February 13, 2017 at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, Illinois; the Girls' game will start at 6:30 p.m. and the Boys' game will begin at 8:35 p.m.
Admission to the High School Hockey All-State Games is
FREE
. The players will be selected by the High School Varsity coaches throughout the State of Illinois. Mark your calendars now for you and your family to come watch the best play the best in both the girls and the boys divisions. Unable to attend? Once again AHAI will live-stream both games via The Cube. More details coming soon!
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ASK AHAI
QUESTION: I heard that all rosters are frozen on January 1st. Is this correct?
ANSWER: Yes, that is correct. As of December 31st at midnight no new players can be approved by AHAI to rosters. The ruling actually belongs to USA Hockey.
Have a question? Click
HERE to Ask AHAI.
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ASK THE OFFICIAL
QUESTION: What is the position of USA Hockey regarding a PeeWee player that is unable to play due to injury, taking a seat on the bench?
ANSWER>>
QUESTION: What is the proper call for a penalized player (in the penalty box) who reaches out during play and punches the puck carrier who is skating near the box?
ANSWER>>
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2017 HIFE SCHEDULE
Registration Day for Hockey Is For Everyone (HIFE) will take place on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 beginning at 6:00pm until filled. Please note that registration will only be done in person at Oak Lawn Ice Arena - no phone or email registrations will be taken and spots will not be held or reserved. HIFE is an AHAI supported vehicle providing young athletes from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds the opportunity to use the sport of ice hockey to promote academic achievement, responsibility, respect, teamwork and good character. Click
HERE
for 2017 HIFE schedule and information.
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2017 ILLINOIS STATE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Please click on the logos below to view State Tournament rules and information for each division. Click
HERE to view dates and locations for ALL State Tournament Divisions.
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HIGH SCHOOL
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GIRLS
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TIER I
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TIER II
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The Illinois High School Hockey State Championships in the Red Varsity, Combined Varsity and the Girls Varsity will be held on Friday, March 17, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Games times will be announced at a later date.
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MEN'S & WOMEN'S ADULT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
The AHAI Adult Committee is proud to present the 2017 Adult Illinois State Championship Tournament hosted by the AHAI Adult Committee and Seven Bridges Ice Arena.
The Adult State Tournament will take place April 26 - April 30, 2017.
For more information click HERE or contact Robert Fiorio, Tournament Director at [email protected]. REGISTER NOW>>
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2016 IHHF BIO SERIES: MIKE MULLALLY ~ BUILDERS CATEGORY
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MIKE MULLALLY ~ BUILDERS CATEGORY
Mike was born, July 7th, 1953 in Chicago. He lived and grew up in Park Ridge. His love of hockey started early on the pond just a block from his home, putting on skates in the snow, his dad teaching him to skate at age 3. He played his first organized youth hockey through Michael Kirby, with Paul Rhuby at Oak Park, then competing with "Park Ridge Park Board", Elmhurst, Wilmette and with the Chicago Minor Hawks, a club started by his Dad and "Big Bill" Roche. The opportunity and inspiration provided by the Minor Hawks staff, Coach Bob Gatcke, and his team mates gave Mike the good fortune to play NCAA hockey at Ohio University, under Coach McComb, later turning down an opportunity with the Milwaukee Admirals, playing college club hockey and finally graduating from Illinois State University in 1976.
FULL BIO>>
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE IS 2/1/17
Graduating Illinois High School Players are encouraged to apply for the annual
Chicago Blackhawk Alumni Association Scholarship. The
Blackhawk Alumni Association (BHAA) distributes college scholarships annually to the three most deserving high school hockey players. Awards are determined from a candidate's level of community service, volunteerism, good citizenship, academic performance as well as the hockey talent of the individual. Recipients will receive an annual $7,500.00 scholarship over four years for a total of $30,000.
COMPLETE DETAILS>>
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METRO GIRLS SECOND HALF ACTION UNDERWAY!
By Pam Flores ~ The second half of the Metro Girls High School season is off to a nice start with both tiers facing off against stiff competition across the board. The games have just begun...updates to come in future columns. All-State voting is underway; the players for that exciting night will be announced in the next couple of weeks!
The
Daily North Shore
newspaper has been having fun developing profile pieces on players in the north shore. Check out these articles on The Scouts'
Kyra Mangasarian
, Loyola's
Greta Skarzynski
, and New Trier Gold's
Isabelle Sennett
. READ MORE>>
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OPRF RIDES A SUCCESSFUL RUN IN THE WEST, EYES FURTHER STATE TOURNAMENT GLORY
By Ross Forman ~
It doesn't look like much of a battle for bragging rights to the regular-season crown in the IHSHL West Division. Neuqua Valley looks to have it locked up, with its 19-1 record.
But second-place should be a fun run down the stretch, with five teams looking for that honor.
Naperville Central (14-5) has 28 points, followed by Glenbard (13-3-0-1) which has 27 points, and then Maine Township (13-5) and OPRF (13-5) with 26 points apiece. Waubonsie (12-5-0-1) also is within striking distance with 25 points. FULL ARTICLE>>
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NEWS & INFORMATION
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EDDIE OLCZYK YOUTH HOCKEY AWARD
The Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Blackhawk Charities are proud to present an award named after U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Eddie Olczyk to support young hockey players and teams in Illinois who may not have the means to play at a competitive level.
Since its inception in 2011, the Eddie Olczyk Award has distributed over $255,000 in grants, raised through Blackhawks Youth Hockey Summer Camps, to 114 individuals and seven organizations. To be considered for the grant process, you must submit a letter of inquiry by Wednesday, February 15, 2017. MORE INFORMATION>>
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LOGAN BRUNS & JOHN LANE TO REPRESENT BLACKHAWKS AT MINI 1V1 CHAMPIONSHIP IN L.A.
Congratulations
Logan Bruns (Vikings) and
John Lane (Sabres), Chicago Blackhawks Mini 1v1 Champions! Logan and John will accompany the Chicago Blackhawks Fan Development staff to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles from January 27-29th to compete against other Squirt-age winners from around the NHL. Good luck, boys!
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BMO HARRIS BANK DECEMBER PLAYER, COACH & VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
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VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Kristy McDonald - Jaguar Hockey Club
COACH OF THE MONTH
Timothy Roe - St. Jude Knights 14U Girls
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Ella Wirth - Crystal Lake Yellow Jackets
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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.
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DECEMBER'S CAPTAIN SPOTLIGHT
The
Captain Spotlight is a youth hockey initiative that features four local high school hockey captains per month. Congratulations to
Grace Giangreco (Evanston),
Eric Molitor (AWF Renegades),
Billy Carroll (DuPage Stars) and
Michael Liszka (Nazareth)!
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DECEMBER'S REFEREE SPOTLIGHT
The impact and contribution of youth referees in hockey is as important as the players, and the Chicago Blackhawks Referee Spotlight is a great opportunity to reward them for their contributions. AHAI congratulates
Kyle Krueger and
Ryne Krueger!
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LITTLE BLACKHAWKS PROGRAM TO LAUNCH IN SPRING
Little Blackhawks Learn to Play program is for 4-8 year olds who have prior skating knowledge and would like to try playing with full equipment for the first time. In partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, NHLPA and Total Hockey participants receive the on-ice instruction from certified coaches and Blackhawks alumni, along with FREE Little Blackhawks branded gear. Click HERE to sign up at one of the 24 host locations!
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OGREAN TO RETIRE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AUGUST 1
Dave Ogrean will retire as executive director of USA Hockey on August 1, 2017, but remain with the organization in an advisory capacity, announced Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey.
A national search for a new executive director will begin immediately.
Ogrean has served as executive director of USA Hockey since August 1, 2005, and also held the position from 1993-99. READ MORE>>
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HOST SITES SET FOR 2018 USAH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
USA Hockey announced today the host sites for its slate of 2018 National Championships, with each tournament to be contested in March/April 2018. USA Hockey has been conducting the United States' national championship tournaments since 1938, with teams from 37 states being crowned champions in various classifications. A list of USA Hockey national champions from Illinois dating back to 1949 can be found HERE.
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AHAI YOUTH HOCKEY NIGHT: HUSKIES VS. BILLIKENS
Mark your calendars for Friday, January 20th at 7:30pm at the Leafs Ice Centre! The NIU Huskies will take on the St. Louis Billikens. All AHAI players in their jerseys will get FREE admission to the game. The Blackhawks Ice Crew will also be making an appearance. Click
HERE for more information.
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CHICAGO MISSION GIRLS' PINK IN THE RINK
The Chicago Mission girls program, led by the under 19 team, is hosting its annual Pink in the Rink fundraiser on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena. For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities or to make a donation, please click
HERE
. For more information...
VIEW FLYER>>
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PETE'S POWER PLAY BENEFIT
The Admirals Hockey Club invites you to attend Pete's Power Play Benefit on Sunday, Febuary 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at Center Ice of DuPage. All proceeds will benefit Pete Powers, an Admirals coach who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
VIEW FLYER for complete event details.
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