AHAI's Photo of the Month Contest returns October 1st, and the prizes are better than ever thanks to our sponsor,  FloBros Hockey ! Submit photos of your AHAI player's awesome hockey Halloween costumes and hockey inspired carved pumpkins, wicked slapshots, dekes, dangles and great saves...or of your kids just plain having fun playing hockey. Click HERE for complete contest details. We can't wait to see your pictures!

We are in our 8th Year of the A Step aHead Program in conjunction with the Chicago Blackhawks, Athletico Physical Therapy and NorthShore University HeathSystem.  The goal of the A Step aHead Program is to educate the youth hockey community on concussion awareness, prevention and treatment as well as to provide FREE baseline neurocognitive testing to AHAI members ages 11-18.  Click HERE to learn more about the A Step aHead Program and to REGISTER NOW before the November 30th deadline ! Please note that registration is online only; do not call Athletico directly to register.

By Kelly Grover, USAH Magazine - It is the beginning of a new hockey season. Players return to the ice and brush up on fundamentals. Coaches review the basics of coaching. Referees once more read the rulebook. It's also a great time for hockey parents and administrators to familiarize themselves with the insurance available to members of USA Hockey. USA Hockey offers a complex array of insurance coverages designed to protect players and administrators while participating in USA Hockey sanctioned events. It also has an online insurance handbook that explains in detail all the coverages and what they do. Click HERE for a brief look at some of what the handbook explains.

Did you miss the September issue of our new monthly High School Newsletter or the October Issue of the monthly Girls Newsletter? Click the buttons below to read the latest issues. Don't miss another issue, text "AHAI" to 22828 to subscribe today!

QUESTION:  Opposing players are involved in an altercation. Player B removes his own helmet and proceeds to continue the altercation. Player A's helmet chin strap is not properly fastened and his helmet comes off of his head during the normal course of the altercation. The Referee determines that A's helmet was not removed as a direct result of any deliberate action committed by the opposing player. What penalties, if any, should be assessed?

ANSWER: A match penalty plus game misconduct penalty is assessed to Player B and game misconduct to Player A. Rule Reference 615(c). READ MORE>>

USA Hockey has announced that it will host its first-ever Advanced Officiating Symposium July 26-28, 2019, at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott in Bloomington, Minnesota. The first-of-its-kind symposium is open to any official who has been completely registered at Level 3 or Level 4 for each of the previous three hockey seasons and is seeking to obtain "tenured" status within the USA Hockey Officiating Program. READ MORE>>

The Chicago Blackhawks ServICE Crew is designed to encourage youth ages 8-18 to take an active role in their community by volunteering and giving back. Participants of the program will be encouraged to spend their free time doing community service projects of their choosing. Click HERE for complete program details.

A few spots remain for the Beko Home Appliances 1-on-1 Challenge! The competition will take place at MB Ice Arena on October 13, 2018, and is open to squirt age boys and girls (2008, 2009). The top two goalies and top two skaters will battle for the championship in front of a sellout crowd at the United Center during intermission. Don't miss out! REGISTER NOW>>

It's a testament to our Illinois players, coaches, and associations that so many of our young men and women from Illinois were able to realize their dream of playing NCAA Division I College Hockey. Congratulations and good luck this season to the over 130 Illinois men and women continuing their hockey careers along with obtaining the ever important college degree. Please click on the buttons below to view lists of Illinois players.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL is the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league. The 2018 NHL Draft marks the seventh consecutive year that 40 or more players that played in the USHL have been selected at the NHL Draft. With 700+ USHL Alumni on NCAA Division I rosters, the USHL continues to establish itself as the world's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. Congratulations to the 29 Illinois men currently rostered on USHL teams for the 2018-19 season. VIEW LIST>>

Celebrating its 44th season in 2018-19, the NAHL, the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior league boasting 24 teams in 13 states from across North America. The NAHL offers junior hockey players the opportunity to develop, learn, train, grow and succeed, while playing for free. The NAHL is unique in the fact that a vast majority of players begin their NAHL careers without an NCAA opportunity, but earn one through the course of their development in the league. VIEW LIST>>

By Bob Apter, NIHL President - The Seeding Round for the 2018-2019 season is at its midpoint. Many people want to know why NIHL utilizes a Seeding Round in it's best populated divisions.  The philosophy is this... by having teams play an 8-game Seeding Round we are able to gauge, through team performance on the ice, whether the teams' organizations and hockey directors have made the proper decisions in placing their teams. Seeding also permits teams that are unsure if they can compete at a certain Metallic Level to have a chance to try it before being stuck there the entire year. The league knows that a season full of easy wins or lopsided defeats does not serve anyone well. READ MORE>>