May 2017
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INDUSTRY NEWS

Pat Kelleher New USA Hockey
Executive Director

USA Hockey named Pat Kelleher as its Executive Director. Kelleher, who has been with USA Hockey since 2008, replaces the retiring Dave Ogrean on June 10.

Kelleher is currently the assistant executive director for development at USA Hockey. He also helped start a new department at USA Hockey in 2008 which focused on increasing participation, particularly at the entry level.

Click here to read more.


EQUIPMENT CORNER

HECC to Undergo Change;
Policy on Worn Helmet Labels

The Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) will undergo a significant change when it will begin contracting out oversight of certifications to an accredited certification body. The announcement for the HECC Certification Program Validator will be made June 22 at the HECC Annual Meeting in Albany, N.Y.

HECC has also responded to some complaints about the expiration dates on HECC labels becoming illegible for coaches, referees and league officials and has adopted a temporary policy through 2017.

Click here to read more.



Smaller Goalie Pants Didn't Lead to Increase in Goals

An NHL mandate requiring all goalies to wear streamlined pants, which started Feb. 4, did not result in more offense. Goals per game actually declined slightly from 5.46 before the change to 5.43 after the change through end of the regular season, according to The Hockey News.

Steve Valiquette, a former NHL goalie who is now an analyst, said the reduced-sized pants may have benefited goalies who feel they are quicker and can get to pucks faster.

Click here to read more.


RULES UPDATE

NCAA, NFHS Rules Conference Recap

nfhs No rule change proposals for ice hockey were announced at the annual NCAA and NFHS rules conference in Indianapolis on April 18, which was attended by Marty Maciaszek, Director of HDA and the NSGA Team Dealer Division. One of the big topics concerning both organizations are "Cat Eye" cages on goalie masks because some meet HECC standards and some do not, according to NFHS ice hockey rules editor Dan Schuster. 

In the 2016 playoffs, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist suffered an eye injury when he was poked through his cage by a stick blade from teammate Mark Stahl. The wider, tapered eye hole provides better visibility and is designed to ensure pucks do not fit through the holes. They have been illegal to sell or import in Canada since 2009.

NCAA hockey liaison Ty Halpin said his organization is very interested in what the NHL is doing with streamlining goalie equipment. Halpin said the NCAA would like to move to those standards at the Division I men's level as quickly as possible but said it would take longer for that to happen at the women's and Division III men's levels.


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Now is the time to become a new member or renew your membership with the Hockey Dealers Association.  Click here to fill out an application and learn more about the benefits of being a part of the voice for hockey dealers.



 
Sincerely,
 

Marty's signature.jpg
Marty Maciaszek
mmaciaszek@nsga.org 
 

                      
 
        
 
                                                     
In This Issue
Apply Now for HDA/SDC
Hockey Collaboration
 

The collaboration for the purchase of hockey equipment by U.S. hockey dealers between the HDA and National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) and SDC (Sports Distributors of Canada) continues to grow as it enters its third year.

 

Click here to learn more about how the collaboration works and to fill out an inquiry form to start the process. Members of the collaboration take advantage of access to various products and discounts to help their bottom line.

 

There is no obligation to complete the form. Criteria used by SDC to determine participation may include a minimum sales volume of $200,000 in annual wholesale hockey products, credit rating, proximity to existing members and meeting certain store standards.

 

Don't delay and inquire today! 

 

Did you know?

On April 1, 1992, NHL players began the first strike in the league's 75-year history. The strike lasted 10 days.
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