IN THIS ISSUE
Volume 5 Issue 1 | May 10, 2017
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AHAI NEWS & INFORMATION

The AHAI Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 3rd at the Hyatt Woodfield in Schaumburg. Registration instructions for the meeting will be forthcoming. The format this year will include an opening townhall style forum followed by breakout sessions covering a variety of topics that you, the membership, wanted to hear more about. The meeting agenda and a description of each session can be found HERE.
 
The Annual Meeting will conclude with guest speaker Don Granato, University of Wisconsin Men's Hockey Assistant Coach and former USA Hockey NTDP Head Coach. John Dunne will conduct the formal meeting portion following Don's presentation.
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AHAI NEWS & INFORMATION
AHAI ADULT STATE TOURNAMENT CROWNS 6 NEW CHAMPIONS!
By Robert Fiorio, AHAI Adult State Tournament Chair ~ Over 51 games were played over a 5-day period (April 26-30, 2017) by 23 AHAI Adult Teams from the following Adult Leagues as they competed for the Men's A, B, C1, C2, C3 and Novice State Championship Titles:  Mount Prospect Adult Hockey League, Fox Valley Geneva Adult Hockey League, Addison Ice Adult Hockey League, Seven Bridges Adult Hockey League, Rolling Meadows Adult Hockey League, Center Ice Adult Hockey League, Hockey North America Adult Hockey League, Johnnies Ice House Adult Hockey League, Rockford Adult Hockey League, Romeoville Adult Hockey League, Leaf Ice Adult Hockey League. Click HERE for complete division wrap-up.
The Chiefs
Men's A Division Champions
Ice Age
Men's B Division Champions
Green Berets
Men's C1 Division Champions
Spotted Fox
Men's C2 Division Champions
Aardvarks
Men's C3 Division Champions
Rum Runners
Adult Novice Division Champions
21ST ANNUAL AHAI FOUNDATION GOLF OUTING
The 21st Annual AHAI Foundation Golf Outing will be held at the Ruffled Feathers Golf Course located at 1 Pete Dye Drive in Lemont, Illinois, Friday, August 18, 2017. The course is just 22 minutes south of 7 Bridges Ice Arena. The outing will be a shotgun tee off scramble at 1:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:45 p.m. Ruffled Feathers is a Pete Dye course and is one of the top 10 courses in Illinois.  All golfers will receive a starting package worth $700, donated by SMT Golf.  New this year - online registration beginning May 1.
The purpose of this event is twofold. First, it creates an opportunity for coaches, referees, administrators, parents and supporters of amateur hockey in Illinois to come together for a day of fun and relaxation to kick off the beginning of the new season. Secondly, and most importantly, the revenues generated from this event will be donated each season to specific charities as established annually by the AHAI Foundation. READ MORE>>
2017 TIER 1 TRYOUT SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Please click HERE for the 2017 Tier I Tryout Schedule. Good luck during tryouts!

COACHING & OFFICIATING NEWS
2017 COACHES' CLINIC
Hyatt Regency Chicago
June 22, 2017 ~ 7:30am to 6:30pm

The NHL Coaches' Association Coaches' Clinic is held annually at the NHL Draft. It has been an amazing opportunity for NHL coaches to give back to the community by sharing their knowledge and expertise. The event provides education to more than 400 youth, amateur, junior, college and professional coaches through a variety of presentations and small-group sessions conducted by NHL coaches. DETAILS>>
NHL COACHES' ASSOCIATION
CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC
Beverly Country Club, Chicago
June 21, 2017
The First Annual NHL Coaches' Association Celebrity Golf Classic will assist the NHLCA in accomplishing one of its major initiatives - to develop future coaches from the youth level up to the highest levels of hockey. This is achieved through funding, supporting and hosting skills clinics and other programs that will help to educate all levels of hockey coaches within North America on the strategies and techniques used at the professional level. DETAILS>>
IHOA ANNUAL MEETING UPDATE
By Michael BarrettPursuant to the Constitution and By-laws of the Illinois Hockey Official's Association, IHOA conducted its Annual Meeting on Monday, May 8th to elect 5 Board Members and the Executive Board. It is my distinct honor to announce the IHOA members who were nominated and approved by the general membership and elected to the IHOA Board of Directors. IHOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS>>
ASK THE OFFICIAL BY DAVE ZEDNIK
QUESTION: After the conclusion of the game and outside the ice arena in the parking lot, a coach approaches members of the officiating team and verbally abuses them to the point of threatening physical harm, but no physical harm actually takes place. What would be the severest penalty that could be applied here and under which ruling, if not 601? ANSWER>>
HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY NEWS
BENZ BROTHERS TAKE OVER COACHING DUTIES AT ST. VIATOR
By Ross Forman ~ Tim Benz walks onto the bench as the new St. Viator head coach this upcoming season filled with optimism and no shortage of lofty goals. And rightfully so.  His short-term goals are to win both the prestigious Catholic League's Kennedy Cup and the state championship soon, very soon.  Long-term, he wants the Lions to be a perennial power, be among the elite eight in the state every year, and certainly a frequent team skating for state at the United Center.  "I know the program has a ton of history, a great relationship with the school and a fantastic new facility," in Mt. Prospect, Benz said. "The program has 12 returning guys from the varsity team, so I knew there was some great young talent there." FULL ARTICLE>>
PLAYERS, LEADERS & CLUBS IN THE NEWS
6 ILLINOIS PLAYERS SELECTED IN PHASE 1 OF 2017 USHL DRAFT
7 ILLINOIS PLAYERS SELECTED IN PHASE 2 OF 2017 USHL DRAFT
CAVALLINI WINS DEREK HINES UNSUNG HERO AWARD
By Wisconsin Hockey ~ The Hockey Commissioners Association named Wisconsin men's hockey senior  Aidan Cavallini the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award winner on Friday ahead of Saturday's NCAA Championship game at the United Center.
 
The award "recognizes a fearless leader and beloved fan favorite who always places his team first. Displaying exemplary sportsmanship, he's supremely competitive, intelligent and extraordinarily conditioned with an unmatched work ethic. The contributions of this individual, on and off the ice, cannot be measured by statistics alone." FULL ARTICLE>>
PLAYOFF HOCKEY: CHICAGO WOLVES & CHICAGO STEEL

For the first time in team history, the Chicago Steel are in the USHL's Clark Cup Final! The Steel have captured the Eastern Conference Championship and will take on the West Conference Champion in the best-of-five Clark Cup Final! FULL SCHEDULE & DETAILS>>
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NEWS & INFORMATION
2017 BLACKHAWKS YOUTH 3v3 HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
The Chicago Blackhawks are excited to host the 3v3 Hockey Series for the fifth year in a row at Rocket Ice Arena (Bolingbrook) June 17-18, 2017. The tournaments will take over a local hockey rink for one weekend in the summer for a fun, friendly ice hockey tournament.  The 3v3 Tournament Series is geared toward all levels of hockey players and provides everyone a chance to play hockey with some friends. Grab your teammates, schoolmates or friends from your neighborhood and enter today! REGISTER TODAY>>
CENTRAL DISTRICT NEWS
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 68 ILLINOIS YOUNG WOMEN INVITED TO ATTEND THE 2017 GIRLS CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP!
Click  HERE for complete list of Illinois girls invited to attend the Girls Central District Camp by birth year. Click  HERE for camp schedule and further details. Good luck!
USA HOCKEY NEWS
KELLEHER (WHO HAS STRONG TIES TO IL HOCKEY) NAMED NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF USA HOCKEY
Pat Kelleher (Belmont, Mass.), who has guided USA Hockey's efforts in development since 2008 and prior to that was recruited to launch what is today known as the United States Ice Rink Association, has been named executive director of USA Hockey it was announced today.

"We're excited to have Pat lead our organization as we continue to move forward," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "He brings a vast knowledge of USA Hockey and the overall hockey landscape and is well connected at all levels of the game. Pat's done an excellent job in leading our growth initiatives and also been at the forefront of our efforts to raise additional resources through The USA Hockey Foundation." FULL ARTICLE>>
3 FORMER CHICAGO MISSION PLAYERS ROSTERED TO U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM!
USA Hockey announced the 23 players named to the 2017-18 U.S. Women's National Team today during a press conference televised live on NHL Network. The roster includes 3 former Chicago Mission players, Megan Bozek, Kendall Coyne and Alex Rigsby. FULL ARTICLE>>
4 ILLINOIS TIER I ALUMS ARE COMPETING FOR USA AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The U.S. Men's National Team has taken part in the International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship since 1928. The tournament annually crowns the world champion at the top level of men's ice hockey.  Illinois boasts 4 former Tier I players on the U.S. Men's National Team: 3 former Chicago Mission players Christian Dvorak (Phoenix Coyotes), Nick Schmaltz (Chicago Blackhawks) and Anders Bjork (Notre Dame) and 1 Team Illinois Player, JT Compher (Colorado Avalanche). READ MORE>>
Nick Schmaltz
JT Compher
Christian Dvorak
Anders Bjork
TEAM USA WINS GOLD AT 2017 WORLD DEAF ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Congratulations to Max Finley (Peoria), Derek Struwing (Bartlett) and Ryne Krueger (Barrington), and their Team USA teammates on winning the Gold medal in the 2017 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship. Team USA defeated Team Canada 6-3 in the Championship Game, avenging the USA's only loss in the round-robin tournament which was to Canada. READ MORE>>