By Ross Forman ~ One day last fall, a small group got together in Wilmette for an appreciation party of longtime coach Rafe Aybar, who had been battling esophageal cancer since August 2016. Norm Spiegel and Jim Smith joined as a surprise for Aybar, knowing his health was deteriorating.  They wanted him to know that, yes, he was being inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame and the formal ceremony was slated for Jan. 28 - and of course they hoped he could attend. READ MORE>>

QUESTION: A player from team "A" is standing in front of the Team "B" goaltender. The Team "A" player's back is to the play and he is facing the goalie waving his arms and mirroring the goalies left to right movement. Should player from Team "A" be assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct under Rule 601(a). ANSWER>>

By Ross Forman ~ Highland Park is one win away from No. 1 ... playing against No. 1-ranked Loyola Gold, that is. In a win-or-go-home scenario.  Yep, the No. 17-seeded Giants open state tournament action on Tuesday night, Feb. 13, against No. 16-seed Carmel Catholic in Vernon Hills. That winner advances into the sweet-16 round of the Red Division - with the No. 1-ranked Ramblers awaiting, after Gold blanked No. 32 Sandburg, 6-0, on Feb. 6.  READ MORE>>

The 2018 Illinois State High School Hockey Championships at the United Center on Saturday, March 24, 2018.  The Boys State Championship tilt, which begins at 3 p.m. at the United Center, will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Chicago and streamed live on  NBCSportsChicago.com/WatchLive  and via the NBC Sports app. The event will feature a full day of action with the Illinois Girls' State Championship at 11:30a), the Boys' Red Division State Championship at 3:00pm and the Boys' Combined Division State Championship at 5:00pm. DETAILS>>

The Blackhawks and Power4Girls present an active and empowering event taking place on Monday, February 19th from 9am to Noon at the MB Ice Arena. Event will feature:  ice skating with Blackhawks staff (no experience necessary!),  team building with Game On! Sports 4 Girls, S TEM fun with Code Play Learn, and a  motivational Speaker!  The event cost ($50) includes ice skate rental. Girls are also free to bring their own skates (figure or hockey).  MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION>>

The USA National Sled Hockey Team that will compete for the Gold Medal at the Paralympics Games in PyeongChang in mid-March will have two exhibition games against the USA Sled Development team on Friday, February 23, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. at the West Meadows Ice Arena. READ MORE>>

By Ross Forman ~ The Chicago Blues Midget Major CSDHL team carries a 23-18-5 overall record, but has lost four of its last five. Certainly not the way any team, at any level wants to streak into the playoffs.  "This season has been tough; we haven't had as many wins as we would like. But, coming down to playoffs, we are getting strong and really melding as a team," said Blake Vaca, a left-handed-shooting junior center who lives in Wood Dale and attends Addison Trail High School. READ MORE>>

The Chicago Steel invites all Girls Hockey Players and their families to Fox Valley Ice Arena on Sunday, March 25th for a Celebration of Girls Hockey Day! The 2017 Clark Cup Champions, Chicago Steel, will play host to Team USA. Come watch the future stars of college and pro hockey battle it out. Puck drops at 3:05pm. Questions? Contact Zach Dorfman at zdorfman@chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. VIEW FLYER>>

By Ruben Medina, NIHL Statistician ~ In many of NIHL's 25 playing divisions the winner of this season's Presidents Cup did not get resolved until the last two weekends of the Regular Season. The Presidents Cup has tremendous merit as it is the award for the best record in the division over the course of the entire Regular Season. In a few divisions the NIHL tie-breaking rules were needed to separate the Presidents Cup winner from the other teams they were tied with on points.  Five of these Presidents Cup teams went the distance and did not lose a single game all season long, although all five played to a Tie at least once. READ MORE & VIEW WINNERS>>