Volume 1, Number 7
Tape to Tape is an electronic newsletter created as a means of direct communication between USA Hockey and hockey administrators around the country. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter to as many people in your association as possible, and encourage them to sign up for their own copy of Tape to Tape.
Things Heat Up At Winter Meetings
The USA Hockey board of directors, Affiliate presidents and District personnel met in Orlando, Fla., for two days in mid-January.
The final registration numbers for the 2006-07 season were distributed to all attendees and are available for download on USAHockey.com.
Current season registration numbers were reviewed and discussed along with online registration. The online process has been very successful with more than 63 percent of all registrations being processed online. The districts with the highest percent of online registrations are Southeast (98 percent), Rocky Mountain (97 percent), Pacific (83 percent) and Michigan (73 percent). For additional information about online registration, click here.
Growing the Game continues to be the headline event for most meetings with Affiliates sharing information on initiatives in their respective areas. To see what several Districts and Affiliates are doing in their regions to "Grow the Game" click here.
Youth council discussed a number of potential initiatives to increase participation and enhance youth hockey programs nationwide. In addition, the Youth/Junior subcommittee announced that Tier 3 Junior tryouts can start April 8, 2008 or anytime after that date.
All legislative proposals were reviewed by the various councils, committees, sections and finally by the board of directors. These proposals are available to review at usahockey.com, and will be voted on at the Annual Congress in June, 2008.
The board of directors voted that the USA Hockey registration fee will remain the same for the 2008-09 season.
Weekend Of Fun And Celebration
Don’t forget to submit what’s happening in your area to celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America, Feb. 15-17. To do so, visit HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com and fill out the brief online form so we can share what you’re doing with those across the nation.
Also, a reminder that some great prizes will be awarded for best Hockey Weekend Across America programming. To enter the contest, which includes a grand prize of 25 sets of OneGoal starter equipment ($4,000 value) and five runner-up prizes of $1,000 cash, visit the event Web site and download the entry form.
Finally, be sure to drop in to HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com to register for your chance to win some great prizes in Hockey Weekend Across America’s Great Prize Giveaway.
If you’re not aware of Hockey Weekend Across America, visit the event Web site for complete details. Don’t forget the daily themes: Friday — Wear Your Jersey To School Day; Saturday — Bring A Friend To the Rink Day; Sunday — Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes Day. And if you won’t be in school on Friday, wear your jersey to school on Wednesday or Thursday.
24-Hour Game Part Of IIHF Celebration
The International Ice Hockey Federation is turning 100 years old, and to help them celebrate USA Hockey is staging an around-the-clock party. Starting on noon EST on Friday, Feb. 29 and wrapping up on Saturday, March 1, USA Hockey will stage the first-ever nationwide 24-hour hockey game.
The puck drops on the festivities in Maine and will work its way from East to West until the final whistle sounds on “overtime” periods in Alaska and Hawaii. Each of the lower 50 states will play a 30-minute running time game with one team designated “Stars” and another “Stripes,” and a national score will be kept at 24HourHockeyGame.com.
Each of USA Hockey’s 37 Affiliates are responsible for selecting teams to compete in each of the states under their auspices, including youth, disabled and adult squads joining in on the fun.
Visit the event Web site to see where and what time your state will play its portion of the 24-Hour Game.
U.S. Women Take First U18 Title
Score another first for the American women. Following the lead of the 1998 U.S. Women’s squad that captured the first Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey, the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team captured gold at the inaugural 2008 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship.
Alyssa Grogan stopped 26 of 28 shots, and five different American women found the back of the net in a convincing 5-2 victory over Canada at the Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary. Grogan, who stopped all but four shots she faced during the tournament, won the Directorate Award as the tournament’s top goaltender.
The win avenges a Canadian sweep in a three-game series last August in Ottawa by a total score of 12-4. The Canadians had 15 returning players from that squad, while the Americans had 11.
“Whether it’s the first, the second, the last, we want to win them all, so we got the first one and we’re off to a good start,” said U.S. coach Katey Stone.
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