USA Hockey Adult Hockey

Carolina Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) has worked tirelessly to grow the game and help foster a hockey culture in the Carolinas. While the sport continues to grow, non-traditional markets do face some challenges, particularly in the south, where ice is normally found in a freezer and rarely on a pond.

We caught up with CAHA president and adult hockey chair Kevin Universal to talk about some of the challenges and successes they have experienced.

USA Hockey: What are some of the initiatives put in place to help grow the game in North and South Carolina?

Kevin Universal: I’ve run adult goalie clinics and different events and programs. I just had a captains’ game. I put on a couple affiliate tournaments to try and give them a little bit different flavor of an event. I’ve gotten the adult First Goal gear to some of the learn-to-play programs, and helped support that. So a few different things over the last couple years to try to help those different areas.

USA Hockey: What’s the captains’ game all about?

Universal: After a Hurricanes game, we hosted a captains’ game called Captains’ Appreciation Night. We brought the captains of 32 teams together and gave them the opportunity to play at PNC Arena after watching the Hurricanes. It was a special treat for them. The Canes won and then the players had a blast on the ice. After the game, they had a shootout so everybody got a chance to score. I’m hoping it turns into an annual event.

USA Hockey: Why the captains?

Universal: We wanted to recognize the captains for everything they do. They register and organize their adult hockey teams and it’s kind of a thankless job, but without good quality captains, teams can fall apart. We wanted to make sure they know they’re appreciated and rewarded.

USA Hockey: And what about the First Goal gear?

Universal: The Adult First Goal Program helps us break the equipment barrier for new players who have never played before. Sometimes getting equipment can be a big obstacle, but through the USA Hockey First Goal Program, you can apply for free equipment to help grow your league. It’s a great resource that all leagues should try to get their hands on, particularly the non-traditional markets like us.

USA Hockey: What are some of the things you’ve done on the youth side?

Universal: A few years ago we initiated an affiliate grant program, that most of the associations have taken advantage of, to help out with special skill development sessions. The OneGoal gear, smaller nets for the American Development Model (ADM), dividers for the ADM, Try Hockey For Free. Actually, my girls’ and women’s committee director, he’s done a lot with the skill development and all-girls sessions, rotating that around the affiliates to host and bringing in some Olympians, NHLers – different things to try and help with the girls game and bring more girls together.

So there’s just a variety of different activities that we’ve tried to do in the last few years and give back to the affiliates. There’s been a lot of focus on the more competitive end of youth hockey and an emphasis on the house and adult ranks, the different membership groups that maybe didn’t get as much attention in the past.

USA Hockey: What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Universal: Being a non-traditional market, hockey isn’t always necessarily the first sport that comes to mind in the south. We’re fortunate with the Canes and some semi-pro teams that help bring more attention to it. But definitely one of the challenges is just introducing people to the sport. It’s a positive sport, so they get into it and do enjoy it a lot, and become pretty good fans or enthusiasts within the sport.

We’re also trying to encourage the different associations to invest in the entry-level programs to help with skill development and put good coaching in place. We’re definitely trying to tap into good coaching.

USA Hockey: Have you seen these growth initiatives work?

Kevin Universal: I can tell you, with the advent of the ADM in the past couple of years, I’ve seen a tremendous amount of skill growth for the kid coming to that program, where they’re much more advanced, much more poised with the puck. It’s almost night and day in the difference in some of that skill development.

Numbers-wise, we took a hit with the recession. We had been growing decently, then slipped for a couple of years. We’re bouncing back and have had some steady growth, picking back up last year with some small growth and this year with a little bit more growth. That’s a positive. The numbers turning around and the skill and the quality of the players coming up, it’s really, very positive for what we expect to see in the future.

USA Hockey: Is Carolina hockey culture taking the next step?

Universal: The Canes have helped create more awareness and support in the communities. The culture, with the focus on development and growth, that’s been positive to see that come along. To be honest, the culture change I’ve tried to push into the associations is the growth and skill versus that top-end and competitiveness.

Seeing that, we’re getting better skill development, better players coming out, more kids with a handful of NCAA Division I scholarships, making it further up that chain as well as seeing more adult leagues with teams at the entry-level and growing at the bottom end.