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Tom Kehr Wins Walter Yaciuk Award

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Randy Schultz
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The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the organization’s coaching education program
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Tom Kehr (Holland, Mich.) has been named the Walter Yaciuk Award recipient for 2019-20 it was announced today by USA Hockey.The award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contribution to the organization’s coaching education program during many years of service as a volunteer.

The award is named in honor of the late Walter Yaciuk, who was USA Hockey’s first-ever Coach-In-Chief.The longest-serving member of the Coaching Education Program staff in Michigan, Kehr has held multiple volunteer roles since 1992 dedicated to bettering educational programs and the overall development of coaches in the state of Michigan and beyond.

A Level 5 USA Hockey certified coach, Kehr boasts an impressive resume, including 19 years of coaching at both the youth and collegiate club level. In the 1994-95 season, Kehr coached his team to a Tier II Midget AA State Championship as well as a third-place finish at the youth Tier II 17U USA Hockey National Championship in Odgen, Utah.

In 2003, Kehr took on the role of district association coaching & education (ACE) coordinator and was named USA Hockey’s national ACE administrator a few years later.While stepping back from his ACE leadership in 2018, Kehr has remained heavily involved in the coaching education program, leading clinics in western Michigan and assisting with other various clinics as time permits.

Kehr has played a significant role in coaching education both for the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association and nationally for more than 25 years, and in addition to helping lead coaching clinics, he continues today to serve as senior associate coach-in-chief for the Coaching Director Program.

Utica College Men’s Hockey Leads NCAA DIII In Home Attendance (Again)

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Randy Schultz
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UTICA, NY – The nationally ranked Utica College men’s ice hockey team has once again led all NCAA Division III ice hockey programs in home attendance. The No. 3 Pioneers have upped their streak to fourteen straight seasons atop the Division III national average attendance list, according to the annual count tracked by US College Hockey Online.

In 17 home dates during the 2019-20 season, the Pioneers averaged a total of 3,394 fans per home game. That average is over 1,200 fans per game higher than any other team in Division III. Utica’s home attendance average this year would also rank 22nd in all of NCAA College Hockey, just ahead of longtime Division I power Boston University. The Terriers averaged 3,313 fans over the course of the season.

This season, a total of 57,703 tickets were spoken for at Pioneers games. That number more than doubles that of the second most-attended Division III program in the nation, Oswego State. The Lakers were second in average with 2,073 fans.

Plattsburgh State, Geneseo, and Norwich rounded out the top five. Four of the top five schools in home attendance were from New York State.

Members of the nation’s finest fan base witnessed one of Utica’s strongest seasons to date. The Pioneers finished with a program record for wins and a 25-2-2 overall record in the 2019-20 campaign. They hold the longest active winning streak in NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey at 20 straight games. That streak was integral to capturing a fourth straight conference regular season title, a second conference tournament title in three years, and the top overall seed in the 2020 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Tournament. Utica posted a home record of 14-1-2 this season.

NYSPHSAA Holds First COVID-19 Task Force Meeting

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Randy Schultz
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Latham, NY – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) held its first meeting of the COVID-19 Task Force on Wednesday, June 10.  The Task Force is comprised of school district superintendents, high school principals, athletic directors, NYSPHSAA officers, as well as a representative from the New York State Athletic Administrators Association, an athletic trainer, a district transportation director, and members of New York State Education Department and New York State Department of Health.

The Task Force heard reports and updates from the Governor Cuomo’s office, the New York State Education Department and the New York State Health Department pertaining to the COVID-19 crisis and the impact it has had upon education and the reopening of schools. 

“Having representatives from these offices provide reports today was extremely beneficial to the work that the Task Force will do over the course of the next few months,” said NYSPHSAA President and Task Force Chair, Paul Harrica.  “From the reports provided, it is clear school district facilities cannot be opened for student participation until Phase 4 is entered. The health and safety of our student-athletes remains our top priority.”

On Friday, the Task Force will release guidance pertaining to on-campus summer conditioning workouts as well as an update to its Frequently Asked Questions document that NYSPHSAA released on May 7th.  School districts are encouraged to get acclimated with CDC and local health department guidance as well Governor Cuomo’s restrictions, local laws and policies.

The Task Force also discussed and examined the result of a COVID-19 survey, distributed by NYSPHSAA, to gather a statewide perspective on the impacts and potential response to the COVID-19 crisis; roughly 6,000 athletic directors, administrators, and coaches submitted responses to the survey.  Results of the survey can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SlAuRLpy1EwTY0baMFKVNBtzN4xrW1uF/view?usp=sharing

“Today’s meeting was our first step in addressing concerns and examining readily available information related to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “We are all focused on providing student-athletes with the opportunity to participate this fall with guidance from the Department of Health and in accordance with Governor Cuomo’s restrictions.”

The next meeting of the NYSPHSAA COVID-19 Task Force will take place at the end of this month with a date and time to be announced next week.

“Small Saves”

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Randy Schultz
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“Here is this week’s edition of “Small Saves.” Enjoy!

Helsdom Wins Chet Stewart Award

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Randy Schultz
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John Helsdon Named 2020 Chet Stewart Award Winner
South Dakota native has been officiating for more than 40 years
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced that John Helsdon (Rapid City, S.D.), who for more than 40 years served as an on-ice official and today continues to mentor young officials in South Dakota’s Rushmore Hockey Association, is the recipient of this year’s Chet Stewart Award.

The honor recognizes the achievement of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to USA Hockey’s officiating education program at the grassroots level during many years of service as both an official and volunteer. The award is named in honor of the late Chet Stewart, who for many years served as USA Hockey’s Referee-In-Chief.

Although his reputation as an official surpasses many due to his expansive knowledge of the game, it’s his passion and commitment to help mentor the next generation within the Rushmore Hockey Association community that puts Helsdon in a league of his own.

Helsdon began his officiating career with USA Hockey in the mid-1970s and his broad experience has helped contribute to his wide vision for how to facilitate growth in the officiating community.One of Helsdon’s passions is mentoring young officials and he continues to volunteer countless hours to help teach the fundamentals of the game to up-and-coming officials.

Those closest to him laud Helsdon as one of the game’s most knowledgeable officials, noting he can still today essentially recite the rule book by heart.Helsdon is always working regularly to help grow the number of officials for the Rushmore Hockey Association house program and spends time providing feedback to young officials both before and after games to help them grow in their craft.

Thanks to his boundless energy and commitment, the Rushmore Hockey Association continues to attract new officials to the sport each and every year.

Beauts Sign Whitney Dove

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Randy Schultz
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HOCKEY EAST ALL-STAR DEFENDER WHITNEY DOVE BEGINS PRO CAREER WITH THE BUFFALO BEAUTS

BUFFALO – The Buffalo Beauts of the NWHL are proud to announce the signing of Whitney Dove, a superb defender from Port Moody, British Columbia and out of Providence College who was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star in 2020.

“I am very excited to join the Buffalo Beauts and have the opportunity to play in the NWHL,” said Dove. “I have heard great things about the team and organization, and I am looking forward to continuing my hockey career as a professional in Buffalo.”

The 5-6 Dove shared the team lead in scoring and was first on the Friars in assists last season. In 36 games, she had 9 goals and 19 assists for 28 points. For her 145-game career at Providence, she was 26-53-79 in scoring.

“Whitney substantially bolsters our team both offensively and defensively,” said Buffalo GM Nate Oliver. “She is an outstanding defender with a strong shot from the blue line. We know she’s going to be a great player for the Beauts, and the fans will love watching her.”

In addition to Hockey East All-Star honors, Dove earned numerous accolades during her time at Providence. After finishing third in Hockey East scoring as a rookie in 2016-17, Dove was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year, becoming the first defender to win the award in league history. She was also a unanimous selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Prior to her collegiate career, Dove was a member of Team British Columbia and captain of the Pacific Steelers of the JWHL in Canada in 2015-16. She graduated from Heritage Wood Secondary School in Port Moody, B.C. 

(NWHL.com Photo)

Adult Hockey Member of the Year Named

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Randy Schultz
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Al Pedersen Wins John Beadle Adult Member of the Year Award
The award recognizes outstanding contributions to adult hockey community
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Al Pedersen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) has been named the John Beadle Adult Member of the Year for 2019-20 it was announced by USA Hockey.The award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions during many years of service to the ice hockey community as an adult player and/or volunteer.

It is named after John Beadle, who for 27 seasons (1991-2018) served as vice president of USA Hockey and chair of the Adult Council.

A Level 4 USA Hockey certified coach, Pedersen currently serves as the facilities manager and adult league coordinator and coach at Monument (Colo.) Ice Rinks, where he has been instrumental in the success of programs since 2007.

A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Pedersen has played an integral role in growing adult league play in Monument and nearby Colorado Springs tenfold — from less than a half-dozen teams to its current 66-team roster – thanks to a focus on making the game safe, fun and accessible to area residents.

The Monument Ice Rinks’ adult program provides skaters of all levels the opportunity to take to the ice for instructional, pickup, league, and tournament play each week. During Pedersen’s tenure, the adult program introduced its subscription model, which features flexible payment plans to make hockey accessible and affordable for the transient military population of Colorado Springs.

Drafted in 1983 by the Boston Bruins, Pedersen enjoyed eight seasons in the NHL with the Bruins, the Minnesota North Stars and the Hartford Whalers. The defenseman appeared in 428 regular-season games and registered 41 career points.

Following his playing career, Pedersen moved to Colorado Springs to coach the now-defunct Colorado Gold Kings and later joined the Colorado Rampage organization to manage the 8U program.

Mark Aubry Receives Excellence In Safety Award

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Randy Schultz
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The award recognizes outstanding perseverance and dedication by a disabled hockey athlete
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Mark Aubry (Ottawa, Ont.) has been named the recipient of the 2020 USA Hockey Excellence in Safety Award, presented by K&K Insurance, it was announced. The honor recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to making hockey a safer game for all participants.

Among his many contributions to safety in ice hockey, Aubry has conducted research, organized educational efforts and lobbied for rule changes to reduce the risk of spinal cord injury and concussion.

In addition, he has been one of the main authors and driving force behind (founded and authored) the 5 Consensus Conferences on Concussion in Sport and pushed for governing bodies to standardize the graduated implementation of checking skills through its age levels across hockey.

A veteran sports medicine specialist, Aubry has served in numerous ice hockey safety positions at every level on the international stage. Notably, Aubry has held the chief medical officer position in the International Ice Hockey Federation since 1998 and also served in the past as a member of the International Olympic Medical Commission.

Aubry has also worked as the team physician for several Canadian national and Olympic teams, and currently serves as a team physician for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.

For his work in the sports medicine field, Aubry was awarded both the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Award for contributions to sports injury prevention, and the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey.

Kusch Named Disabled Athlete Of The Year

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Randy Schultz
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Raymond Kusch Wins Disabled Athlete of the Year Award
The award recognizes outstanding perseverance and dedication by a disabled hockey athlete
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Raymond Kusch (Clio, Mich.) has been named the Disabled Athlete of the Year for 2019-20 it was announced by USA Hockey.The annual award recognizes the outstanding perseverance and dedication by a disabled hockey player through demonstrating the ability to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of excellence both on and off the ice.

A former Sargent in the United States Army, Kusch served two deployments in both Iraq andAfghanistan. In 2012, he lost his left foot and suffered other serious injuries in an explosion caused by an IED pressure plate.

After a long and difficult rehabilitation process, Kusch relearned how to walk and eventually run again after his injury. When learning how to skate, Kusch was initially discouraged of how painful it was on his amputation, but that didn’t stop him from ultimately falling in love with the sport.

Kusch started playing hockey in September of 2017 and now is involved in three different disabled hockey disciplines, including standing amputee, warrior and deaf/hard of hearing. His involvement in the disabled hockey community has been immeasurable, representing the U.S.in international competition in both standing amputee and deaf/hard of hearing events.

In addition to starting his own adult league team, Kusch competed against able-bodied athletes with the University of Michigan–Flint’s ACHA Division III team and still practices with the team after graduating in December of 2019.Kusch’s passion for the game has led him to dedicate his efforts to multiple Learn to Play programs, helping spearhead Learn to Skate programs specifically for veterans and disabled athletes.

Perunovich Named College Player Of The Year

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Randy Schultz
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Scott Perunovich Named Jim Johannson College Player of the Year
Minnesota native sixth Bulldog to win Hobey Baker Memorial Award
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Scott Perunovich (Hibbing, Minn.), junior defenseman from the University of Minnesota Duluth, has been named the 2020 Jim Johannson College Player of the Year, USA Hockey announced.

The award is presented annually to the top American player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey.

A three-time American Hockey Coaches Association All-American, Perunovich registered six goals and 34 assists for 40 points in 34 games this season, the second-most points by a defenseman in the NCAA. His 34 assists also paced NCAA defensemen.

A difference maker on the power play, Perunovich tied for the national lead in both power play points (22) and assists (19). In addition, his 12 multi-point games ranked second among defensemen nationally this season.Despite the season being cut short, the Hibbing, Minnesota, native’s stellar junior campaign culminated with being honored as the 2020 Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient, among several other honors.

Perunovich is the sixth Bulldog to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, and the third defenseman in the last four seasons. Perunovich was selected 45th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2018 NHL Draft, and agreed to a two-year entry-level contract with the team in March.

As part of receiving the Jim Johannson College Player of the Year Award, The USA Hockey Foundation contributes $5,000 from the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund to the USA Hockey youth association of the winner’s choice. Perunovich has selected the Hibbing-Chisholm Youth Hockey Association.

Sternbach Lands Position At Credit Suisse

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Randy Schultz
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Hobart College senior forward Zach Sternbach has accepted a position at Credit Suisse as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group in New York City. As an analyst, he will create investor presentations and financial models to value companies, analyzing merger and acquisition deals and raising capital.
 
An economics major, Sternbach returns to Credit Suisse after spending the last two summers as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst.
 
A four–year member of the hockey team, Sternbach matched Hobart’s career record, playing in 114 games. He notched 87 points on 43 goals and 44 assists. A center on the Statesmen’s top line for three seasons, Sternbach finished in the top-five in scoring all four years.
 
A captain, Sternbach led the team with 24 points on 13 goals and 11 assists in 2019-20. He recorded a hat trick in Hobart’s 8-3 win at Castleton. Sternbach is a three-time NEHC All-Academic selection and was named an AHCA All-American Scholar and was inducted to the Druid Society.
 
Sternbach credits the skill set he learned as a member of the hockey team with preparing him for working in the business world at Credit Suisse.
 
“Many of the traits required to be a student-athlete here at the Colleges correspond directly to the skills needed to succeed in the workplace,” Sternbach said. “Teamwork, communication and time management are thee examples that immediately come to mind which are all critical to both school and work. Nearly everything I have done with Credit Suisse the past two summers and will continue to do was done in a team setting. Playing hockey prepared me in a way that I am convinced could not have been replicated without athletics.”
 
Sternbach is appreciative of the support he received from the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education for making him aware of the opportunity. He is also grateful for the guidance of Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17, incoming Chair of the HWS Board of Trustees, with landing him his first internship. Stine is the Executive Vice Chairman at Credit Suisse.
 
“This opportunity would not have been possible for me without my time at HWS,” Sternbach said. “Mr. Stine was instrumental in me landing my first internship at Credit Suisse which led to the full-time job. The HWS career services staff prepared me for the recruitment process and our professors gave me the ability to succeed in the professional environment.”
 
Sternbach and his classmates compiled a four-year record of 79-24-14, four NCAA tournament bids and two conference titles. Their 79 wins are third most by a Hobart graduating class and their .735 winning percentage is also third highest. They were the only team in Division III to qualify for the NCAA tournament in all four years and extended Hobart’s streak to an NCAA Division III best six appearances.

Sanderson Jr. Hockey Player of the Year

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Randy Schultz
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Jake Sanderson Named Dave Tyler Junior Hockey Player of the Year
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jake Sanderson (Whitefish, Montana), a defenseman who played for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in 2019-20, has been named the recipient of the Dave Tyler Junior Hockey Player of the Year Award it was announced by USA Hockey.

The honor is presented annually to the most outstanding American-born player in junior hockey and is named after Dave Tyler, who served on the USA Hockey Board of Directors for 32 years and played an instrumental role in the development and growth of junior hockey in the United States.

Skating in 47 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team of the NTDP, Sanderson led all defensemen with 29 points (7-22–29) across USHL, NCAA and international play.

Sanderson was selected to play in the 2020 BioSteel All-American Game which features top American-born NHL Draft eligible players. He had two assists in the contest and was named the game’s most valuable player.

Internationally, Sanderson recorded eight points (4-4–8) in eight games during the 2019-20 season. He helped Team USA win the Five Nations Tournament in Sundsvall, Sweden, in November, and then in February in Chomutov, Czech Republic, led the Five Nations Tournament with seven points (3-4–7).

Sanderson is committed to play college hockey at the University of North Dakota for the 2020-21 season.

Jr. Enforcers Sign Michael Vesbland

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Randy Schultz
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The Elmira Junior Enforcers, proud member of the USPHL Premier Division, have announced the signing of defenseman Michael Vesbland.

Vesbland, a 2002 born player from Brooklyn, New York, is coming off of a successful season playing for the New Jersey Colonials 18U squad, where he scored 10 points in 17 contests on the Colonials blue line. Michael brings strong puck carrying ability and a potent offensive punch to the Jr. Enforcers roster. T

he Junior Enforcers roster will be made up of players ages 20 and under from all across North America and the world. The Junior Enforcers look forward to an exciting and successful season, which will start in late August with training camp, and will see the puck drop for the season on September 25th. Tryout information will be communicated as soon as it is finalized due to the fluid situation resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic.

We anticipate more exciting news, including more player signings and team updates coming next week.

Wolf Named Goalie of the Year

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Randy Schultz
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Dustin Wolf Named Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year
Backstopped Everett Silvertips; Named to 2020 U.S. National Junior Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Dustin Wolf (Gilroy, California), who was recently named the 2019-20 WHL Goaltender of the Year while playing for the Everett Silvertips, has been named the recipient of the Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year, it was announced by USA Hockey.

The recipient of the Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year Award is chosen from the pool of American-born goaltenders who play at the junior level each year. The award, presented by Bauer Hockey, is named in honor of the late Dave Peterson, a passionate leader in goaltender development who twice coached the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

Appearing in 46 games with Everett, Wolf led the WHL in save percentage (.935), goals-against average (1.88) and shutouts (9), in addition to tying for the league-lead in wins (34). Wolf currently ranks in the top-5 in all-time Silvertips career goaltending stat categories for wins, shutouts, save percentage, goals-against average and games played.

In addition, Wolf currently ranks tied for third all-time in WHL shutouts with 20.Wolf was named to the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and backstopped Team USA to a 6-3 win over Germany with a 17-save performance. He also represented the U.S. on the international stage in 2018, finishing 2-1-0-0 with one shutout in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Wolf signed an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames on May 1 after being selected by the organization at the 2019 NHL Draft in the seventh round, 214th overall.

NOTES: Wolf is the first California native to win the Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year Award… The two most recent award winners, Dustin Wolf and Isaiah Saville, were teammates on the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team.
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