By Jack Weinberg, AHAI HS Committee Chairman - High School clubs with combined teams (teams created from more than one school) are required to electronically file a "Combined Application" with the AHAI High School Committee during the month of June. A notice to clubs will be sent out to their presidents, hockey directors and registrars shortly. ALL applications will be due by the end of June. Please be prepared.

Remember, each High School team is required to have 14 distinct skaters and at least 1 goalie to field a team. Questions will be fielded by the AHAI registrar and the Chairman of the HS Committee.

By Greg Bates, Special to AHAI - The offseason is a time to review, refocus, set goals and get prepared for the fall season. Those areas of emphasis don't just apply to hockey players, but also to coaches. Now is the time for coaches - whether they just wrapped up their first season or finished off their 15th year behind the bench - to figure out how to become better at their craft.

"The art of coaching is self-improvement," USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Joe Bonnett said. "At any level, as soon as you stop improving or thinking or reflecting, you're somewhat dead in the water in this profession. If you look at all the great coaches in any sport, it's the word 'kaizen.' A lot of European clubs use it. It's basically continual improvement. That is also tied in very strongly with good coaches, progressive coaches that have a growth mindset. READ MORE>>

The Level 5 Coaches Symposium will return to the State of Hockey when coaches from around the country come together in Duluth, Minn., in search of USA Hockey's highest certification. The highlight of the USA Hockey coaching calendar, the Level 5 Coaches Symposium will take place August 19-22 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and is available to all Level 4 registered coaches.

The last time the Level 5 was in Minnesota more than 600 coaches attended the event. This year is no different with USA Hockey expecting to see above 600 again. At this event coaches can expect to see a star studded lineup of speakers from NHL coaches to College Coaches and even USA Hockey's ADM staff from around the country. Each presentation will be an hour in length. The topics presented will deal with all aspects of the game of hockey. Please click here for Level 5 FAQs or click here for registration.

The 2021-2022 hockey season is fast approaching and when the hockey season begins it is anticipated that youth and adult games will be USA Hockey sanctioned with no Illinois Department of Public Health restrictions. The only way to work sanctioned games is to be completely registered.

USA Hockey will open its registration sometime in June and IHOA registration will begin on July 6th; the seminars will be starting soon after that. The Level 1 seminar this year will be a hybrid of virtual and on-ice with ALL safety practices in place. The Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 seminars will all be done via Zoom. It will be in your best interest to have your seminars and USA Hockey requirements completed as soon as possible. Therefore when competitive play begins, you will be ready to hit the ice skating. Let us look forward to a healthy and great hockey season. - Dave Zednik, IHOA Registrar

By Ross Forman - The local officiating community has renamed their second-annual summer-time fellowship golf outing, honoring a late official who was celebrated at the inaugural event last summer. The Mark Gore Memorial Golf Outing will be held Friday, July 23, at the Bloomingdale Golf Club, with a scramble format 8 a.m. shotgun start.

Gore - a popular, ever-giving former local referee and coach, who officiated an Illinois High School Hockey state championship game in 2010 - passed away Jan. 29, after a lengthy battle against cancer. He was 59. READ MORE>>

QUESTION: If a player on the penalty bench remains there after the expiration of his penalty (while his team is entitled to return to full strength), may his team place another skater on the ice as long as the originally penalized player remains on the penalty bench? ANSWER>>

By Ross Forman - In an unprecedented season that no one will ever forget, the Chicago Steel delivered memories to always remember. The Steel defeated the host Fargo Force 3-1 in Game 4 of the 2021 Clark Cup Final on Saturday, May 22, to capture the second Clark Cup title in team history as champions of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

By Chicago Steel - Chicago Steel general manager Ryan Hardy has been named GM of the Year in the United States Hockey League, as voted on by his peers, the league announced Friday.

"While Ryan's feisty competitive spirit, keen eye for talent and absolute commitment to player development are well known, I am most impressed by Ryan's humanity, patience and mentorship with our staff, players and families away from the ice," said Steel Owner Larry Robbins. "In a year filled with unimaginable turmoil and strife in the world around us, I applaud the USHL on providing a safe and productive environment for all players to elevate, and on behalf of the Steel team and family I congratulate Ryan Hardy on once again earning the recognition of his peers as USHL General Manager of the Year." READ MORE>>