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2013 U.S. Under-18 Select Team Announced

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Twenty-one players will participate in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twenty-one players who participated at the USA Hockey Boys’ Select 17 Player Development Camp have been chosen for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will compete at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Aug. 5-10 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.
The Boys’ Select 17 Player Development Camp took place from June 28-July 3 at the Northtown Center at Amherst in Williamsville, N.Y.
The U.S. roster contains five players who helped the U.S. Under-17 Select Team capture first place at the 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament held in Chomutov, Czech Republic, including defensemen Jack Dougherty (Cottage Grove, Minn.) and Bob Nardella (Rosemont, Ill.); and forwards Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Mich.), Joey Dudek (Auburn, N.H.) and Austin Poganski (St. Cloud, Minn.).
The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament is an annual event held each August for national under-18 reams from around the world. Named for one of the first Czech hockey stars, the Hlinka Tournament began in 1991 as a three-team showcase. Between 1997 and 2002, the format shifted to the current eight-team tournament. It was then named after Hlinka in 2007, three years after his death.
NOTES: The 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament will include teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States … Team USA has finished in the top three of the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament 10 times since the tournament began in 1991, including a first-place finish in 2003. The U.S. has finished second seven times (1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2010) and third twice (1991, 1995) … Team USA finished in seventh place last year … The 21 players on the roster represent 10 different states. Minnesota has seven representatives, while Michigan has four and Illinois has two … The annual USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp provides top young players with concentrated on- and off-ice training and instruction as well as the opportunity to compete at the national level against other top players from their age group.
Team USA 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Schedule
August 3-10 – Breclav, Czech Republic & Piestany, Slovakia
Date Opponent Location Time (Local/ET)
Sat., Aug. 3 Czech Republic (Exhibition) Breclav 6:30 p.m./12:30 p.m.
Mon., Aug. 5 Finalnd Piestany 2:00 p.m./8:00 a.m.
Tues., Aug. 6 Russia Piestany 2:00 p.m./8:00 a.m.
Wed., Aug. 7 Slovakia Piestany 5:30 p.m./11:30 a.m.
Fri., Aug. 9 Semifinals TBD TBD
Sat., Aug. 10 Championship/Third Place TBD TBD

Bill Grays Supports Veterans

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Rochester, New York Stars & Stripes – The Flag Store, a project of the 501(c)(3) Veterans Outreach Center, Inc., has just signed a one year sponsorship trade agreement with Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex to be its’ vendor for flags and related items. Stars & Stripes – The Flag Store will support Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex with an American and Canadian flag to be hung in all four rinks, as well as flags to be hung on the poles exterior to the facility. In exchange, Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex has become a member of the Monroe County Veterans Discount Card Program and will provide exclusive benefits to veterans and their families.

“Veterans are an important part of our community for numerous reasons and in support, we are planning to add veteran specific programs in the near future. In conjunction, we will provide support by building our current relationship with Oasis Adaptive Sports.,” said Chris Woodworth, Director of Programming and Marketing at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex. 

George Polosky, Manager of Stars & Stripes – The Flag Store said, “I believe this partnership holds a great deal of value for our veterans. All our proceeds and efforts go to supporting the Veterans Outreach Center and the team at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex will only enhance that.”

Our goals in sponsorship are to create meaningful relationships and to help provide new opportunities for businesses to succeed. Stars & Stripes – The Flag Store is a perfect fit for just that. We are proud to support this 501(c)(3) organization and look forward to providing events and programs to help enhance the Veterans Outreach Center.,” said Ally Pawarski, Sponsorship Sales/Event Coordinator at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex.

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Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex is a 170,000 square foot, multi-sport facility located on the campus of Monroe Community College. It is home to 4 NHL sized ice rinks, a Bill Gray’s restaurant, tap room, and snack bar, Abbott’s Frozen Custard, Locker Room Sports hockey store, Maksymum Hockey, Sports Center Coffee, and Northern Educate Hockey Academy. It is also the training facility for the Rochester Americans, and is home to MCC ice hockey, Nazareth ice hockey, Rochester Youth Hockey, Northern Educate Hockey Academy and numerous other organizations. For more information, visit: www.billgraysiceplex.com.

Stars & Stripes – The Flag Store, a Veteran Owned and operated business, is the only source for flag and related items that uses all proceeds to provide programs and services free of charge to the men and women who proudly served our country. For more information, visit: www.eflagstore.com.

Goalies Named for Evaluation Camp

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USA Hockey announced today that goaltenders Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif./U.S. National Under-18 Team), Jon Gillies (South Portland, Maine/Providence College), Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn./Ohio State Univ.) and Anthony Stolarz (Edison, N.J./London Knights) have been invited to the National Junior Evaluation Camp, Aug. 3-10, in Lake Placid, N.Y. The netminders will be auditioning for spots on the U.S. National Junior Team that will take part in the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2013-Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden.

Last week, the 16 defensemen and 24 forwards for the camp were announced. The complete roster is available here.

The United States has medaled in three of the last four IIHF World Junior Championships, including gold in 2013 and 2010 and bronze in 2011.

Gillies was a member of the gold-medal-winning 2013 U.S. National Junior Team in Ufa, Russia. He also attended last year’s U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Demko backstopped the 2013 U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team to a silver medal in Sochi, Russia. He played every minute for Team USA, posting a 2.24 goals against average.

Olson won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2012 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic. He was named the best goaltender of that tournament with three shutouts and a 0.80 GAA.

Stolarz will be attending his second U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp after also receiving an invitation last year.

The quartet was selected following a goalie evaluation camp that was held June 10-12 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, which will be held at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center utilizing the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, includes practices and international games against Canada, Finland and Sweden. A full schedule is below. Tickets can be purchased online at WhiteFaceLakePlacid.com, by phone at (518) 523-3330 or in person at the Olympic Center Box Office.

NOTES: Of the 44 players invited to the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, 19 competed in the United States Hockey League during the 2012-13 season, including 12 from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program … Ten of the 44 players participated in last year’s camp … The 2014 U.S. National Junior Team will be selected following a pre-tournament camp Dec. 15-18 to be held in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area … Don Lucia (Plymouth, Minn.), head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey team, was named head coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team on March 23. The assistant coaches are Bob Motzko (St. Cloud, Minn.), head coach of the St. Cloud State University men’s ice hockey team, Greg Brown (Scituate, Mass.), associate head coach of the Boston College men’s ice hockey team and David Lassonde (Denver, Colo.) assistant coach of the University of Denver’s men’s ice hockey team. The video coordinator is Dan Muse (Clinton, Conn.), assistant coach of Yale University’s men’s ice hockey team … Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey operations, is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the fifth consecutive year … The U.S. will compete in a group with Canada, Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship. For more information about the tournament, click here.
2013 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp Schedule
Aug. 3-10 • Lake Placid, N.Y. • Olympic Center • 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Date Event Time (EDT)
Sat., Aug. 3 USA Blue Practice 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
USA White Practice 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Sweden Practice 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Finland Practice 12:45 – 2:15 p.m.
USA White/Blue Practice 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 4 Sweden Practice 8:15 – 8:45 a.m.
USA Blue Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Finland Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA White vs. Sweden 1:00 p.m.
USA Blue vs. Finland 4:00 p.m.
Mon., Aug. 5 USA White Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Finland Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA Blue vs. Sweden 1:00 p.m.
USA White vs. Finland 4:00 p.m.
Tues., Aug. 6 Sweden Practice 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
USA Practice 11:00 a.m. – noon
Finland Practice 12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
Canada Practice 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 7 Sweden Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
USA Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Finland/Canada Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Canada vs. Finland 1:00 p.m.
USA vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 8 Sweden Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Canada Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA/Finland Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
USA vs. Finland 1:00 p.m.
Canada vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 9 Finland Practice 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
USA Practice 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
Canada Practice 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Sweden Practice 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 10 Finland Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Sweden Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA/Canada Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
USA vs. Canada 1:00 p.m.
Finland vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
*all game and practice times subject to change

Neale To Receive Foster Hewitt Award

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 Harry Neale, Buffalo Sabres broadcaster and longtime hockey analyst, has been selected to receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, the most prestigious award given to hockey broadcasters, and will be formally recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame in a ceremony this fall. The award, given by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, recognizes members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting. 
“There has never been a hockey broadcaster quite like Harry,” said Sabres President Ted Black. “He blends his vast knowledge of the game with his own brand of humor and it has obviously resonated with hockey fans for years. We congratulate Harry on this honor and we are very proud to have him as a member of the Sabres family.”
A longtime veteran of both hockey and broadcasting, Neale joined the Sabres broadcast team as color analyst for the 2007-08 season and has been a staple of Sabres broadcasts for the past six seasons. He is well known for his work on CBC’s legendary program Hockey Night in Canada, which he joined in 1986, and for serving as an analyst for regional coverage of Toronto Maple Leafs games for more than 20 seasons. Neale has also been a part of broadcast teams for three Olympic Games and two World Cups of Hockey.
Before his broadcast career, Neale served as head coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks (1978-82) and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings (1985-86). He began his coaching career as head coach of the Ohio State men’s ice hockey team (NCAA) in 1966 and went on to coach the New England Whalers and Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association, and the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association.
Neale, a native of Sarnia, Ontario, joins fellow Sabres broadcasters Rick Jeanneret (2012) and Ted Darling (1994) as winners of the Foster Hewitt Memorial award.

Kats Recognized

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Eight Erie Community College student-athletes were named recipients of NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards. The student-athletes needed to have completed three full-time semesters and a minimum of 45 semester credit hours and must have participated in at least one season.
ECC had two student-athletes, Eric Alajko and Nicole Schichtel, earn awards for superior academic achievement (3.80-3.99 grade-point average) and six, Chris Case, Brien Connolly, Courtney Connors, Korin Frantz, Ryan Kaufman and Danielle Lane, recognized for exemplary academic achievement (3.60-3.79 GPA).
The ECC women’s bowling team, which won its 28th NJCAA national championship this past season, was also recognized for recording a 3.02 cumulative grade-point average.
Here is a breakdown of each student-athlete:

*   Eric Alajko (Depew, N.Y./Depew), a sophomore on the men’s bowling team, recorded a 3.88 GPA (Superior Academic Achievement). He recorded a high game of 266 and a 185.6 average while competing in 41 games.
*   Chris Case (Dundee, N.Y./Dundee), a sophomore on the men’s bowling team, has a 3.73 GPA (Exemplary Academic Achievement). He had a 169.2 average in 19 games.
*   Brien Connolly (Hamburg, N.Y./Eden), a sophomore on the men’s soccer team, recorded a 3.78 GPA (Exemplary Academic Achievement) and appeared in 17 games and picked up an assist in a win over Jamestown CC.
*   Courtney Connors (Orchard Park, N.Y./home school), a sophomore, played in nine contests for the Kats’ women’s soccer team and recorded a 3.60 GPA.
*   Korin Frantz (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island), a member of the Kats’ volleyball and softball teams, carried a 3.79 GPA. A sophomore, Frantz was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 1 volleyball team. She finished fourth in kills and led the 2013 softball team in doubles. She was also named the 2012 ECC softball team’s most valuable player after hitting .363 and adding a team-high seven doubles and two home runs. Frantz also received ECC’s Helen R. Cornell Award for the 2012-13 academic year.
*   Ryan Kaufman (Amherst, N.Y.) is a repeat selection. A sophomore on the ECC hockey team, he has a 3.67 GPA. He was a third-team selection to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division men’s at-large team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and was also recently selected as a recipient of the 2013 The State University of New York Chancellor’s Scholar Athlete Award. Kaufman also was named to the 2013 All-Region III hockey team as a second-team selection after appearing in 16 games and recording 4 goals and 11 assists. Kaufman scored 13 points (1 goal/12 assists) in the 2011-12 season.
*   Danielle Lane (East Aurora, N.Y./West Seneca East) recorded 15 points (7 goals/8 assists) as a member of the ECC lacrosse team. A freshman, she has a 3.67 GPA.
*   Nicole Schichtel (Eden, N.Y./Eden) has a 3.85 GPA (Superior Academic Achievement). A freshman, Schichtel appeared in 14 games for the ECC women’s soccer team, recording an assist against Broome CC.

ECC’s Kaufman Selected All-America

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Erie Community College sophomore Ryan Kaufman (Amherst, N.Y.) was chosen as a third-team selection to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division men’s at-large team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Kaufman, a defenseman on the ECC hockey team, carries a 3.67 grade-point average while majoring in criminal justice.

He recently was selected as a recipient of the 2013 The State University of New York Chancellor’s Scholar Athlete Award. The Scholar Athlete Award recognizes a combination of academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at the NCAA Division I, Division III and NJCAA levels.

Kaufman also was named to the 2013 All-Region III hockey team as a second-team selection after appearing in 16 games and recording 4 goals and 11 assists. Kaufman, the team’s top scoring defenseman, helped lead the Kats to back-to-back NJCAA championship semifinal games. He scored 13 points (1 goal/12 assists) in the 2011-12 season.

The Capital One College Division Academic All-America® men’s and women’s at-large teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions. The at-large team for the Capital One Academic All-America® program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men.

About the Academic All-America® Program
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 18,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.

Binnington Earns Honors

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Sophomore goaltender Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) of the RIT women’s hockey team earned 2013 CoSIDA/Capital One At-Large Third Team Academic All-American honors, announced on Friday, June 7. Binnington, a finance major, has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. She is the second women’s hockey goaltender in the last two years to earn Academic All-American honors (Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects), 2012).

Binnington enjoyed an excellent sophomore season for RIT in 2012-13, appearing in 28 games, recording an 11-10-4 record. She finished among the national leaders with a 1.93 goals against average (13th nationally) and .928 save percentage (tied for ninth nationally). She also recorded six shutouts, tied for third in all of Division I. Binnington was the College Hockey America Goaltender of the Month in January and was a four-time Goaltender of the Week selection.

In 26 games, Binnington allowed two goals or less 19 times. She made a career-high 43 saves in the CHA Semifinal against Syracuse and stopped at least 25 shots in a game 11 times. From Dec. 15 to the end of the season, Binnington recorded a microscopic 1.56 goals against average and .942 save percentage over the final 17 games. She recorded shutouts against Yale, Brown, Robert Morris, Penn State, and two versus Sacred Heart.

For her career, Binnington is 21-10-4 with a 1.67 goals against average, .930 save percentage, and eight shutouts. Last season, she was 10-0-0 with a 0.95 goals against average and .942 save percentage in helping RIT win the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship.

The Tigers enjoyed a tremendous first season at the Division I level in 2012-13, finishing with a .500 record (16-16-1) and advancing to the semifinals of the College Hockey America Postseason Tournament. RIT finished tied for third in the CHA standings and won its first two postseason contests as a Division I program.

Bill Gray’s Iceplex Signs with Pointstreak Sports

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ROCHESTER NY – Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex has signed an agreement with Pointstreak Sport Technologies Inc. to provide service for its adult hockey league and ice hockey tournaments that take place at the facility.

Pointstreak provides technology driven solutions for sports leagues and tournaments through multiple products and services. Their feature product – Pointstreak Stats – is a real-time scoring and statistics system that will be utilized during hockey games. Electronic touch-screen computers have replaced paper game sheets, and broadcast real-time game information on the web and mobile devices. Players, parents and friends can track information on any given team from anywhere in the World, and have the ability to view scores, schedules, team statistics, player statistics and more.

In addition, the adult hockey league will also be utilizing Pointstreak Sites – a cutting edge website content management and registration system. This enhancement will feature the launch of a new league website in mid-July, and a custom league App in mid-August. Both will allow players in the league to view team schedules, team statistics and player statistics all in real time, and all with the click of a button.

“The addition of this state of the art technology is a major enhancement for our facility and our customer”, said Chris Woodworth, Director of Programming at the Iceplex. “For our adult hockey league, this service will make the players experience much easier, from registering for our league, to having the ability to track their statistics over their career in our league. From a tournament standpoint, this product enhances the participants experience tenfold, and differentiates our facility from other top tournament destinations in the World.”

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Colgate and NHL Player McDonald Retires

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Andy McDonald ’00 Announces Retirement From NHL

HAMILTON – Former Colgate standout and 12-year National Hockey League veteran Andy McDonald has decided to hang up his skates after a fantastic career of over 700 games played.

According to Andy Strickland of TrueHockey.com, McDonald is calling it quits, citing ongoing post-concussion concerns. He has had five documented concussions over his career. The former NHL All-Star cites the threat of another head injury with the chance of long-term effects as a reason. McDonald was also a unrestricted free agent going into this offseason.

“I’m fortunate to get out now,” McDonald told Strickland. “I know I could play two or three more years and I love the game of hockey, but health-wise I know I shouldn’t be playing.”

For some it was surprising news. The 35-year old had seven goals and 14 assists in 37 games this season. He played 685 regular season games with 489 points on 182 goals and 307 assists for both the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks. The appeared in 56 playoff contests in his career with 37 points on 18 goals and 19 helpers.

“The last few years, too much of the focus became worrying about the next hit,” McDonald said. “I was always thinking about it.”

McDonald played four seasons for Colgate and head coach Don Vaughan from 1996 to 2000. He amassed 155 career points for the Raiders in 137 career games, which ranks him 17th all-time in points and his 88 career assists are 16th all-time. He averaged 1.13 points per game during his career and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2000 with 58 points on 25 goals and 33 assists.

The Strathroy, Ont., native spent six-plus seasons with the Ducks, starting with 16 games in 2000-01. He was signed as a free agent after graduating from Colgate and went on to record 282 points for the Ducks, including a career-high 85 in 2005-06. He had 78 points on 27 goals and 51 assists during the regular season in 2006-07, but made a name for himself during Anaheim’s run to the Stanley Cup. McDonald had 10 goals and four assists for 14 points during that postseason. According to many, including TSN’s Bob McKenzie, McDonald had a huge impact on Anaheim’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2007.

He played one more season with the Ducks and then moved onto the St. Louis Blues, where he spent the final six years of his career. He tallied 244 points with the Blues and played in three postseasons, including this year. His best season with St. Louis came in 2009-10 with 57 points on 24 goals and 33 assists.

OHL Conference Highlights

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INTER-CONFERENCE PLAY HIGHLIGHTS 2013 AGM 

“OJHL Board of Governors Approves Inter-Conference Play & Other New Initiatives” 

June 10, 2013, Mississauga, Ontario – The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Annual General Meeting wrapped up this past weekend with Inter-Conference play highlighting the agenda, along with the announcement of a new 1st Vice-Chair on the Board of Directors.

The main discussion point this weekend was the previously often-discussed idea of Inter-Conference play. After many years of debate, the concept was approved by the OJHL Board of Governors and will be instituted beginning with the 2013-14 regular season.

The new regular season schedule will see each member club play 53 games that includes:

26 home game, 26 road games & one Governors’ Showcase match-up

home & home series against other Conference

home & home series against other Division within Conference

remaining schedule against teams within Division

 

Other initiatives that were approved at the AGM include a new criteria being established for the annual Rookie-of-the-Year Award. To be eligible for the award, recipients must now be 18 years of age or younger as of December 1 of season. This new criteria aligns with the newly developed CJHL Rookie of the Year Award that was introduced this past season.

Also approved was a pilot project to be tested during the 2013-14 pre-season that will see the OJHL eliminate the use of a shootout following the four-on-four, five minute, sudden death overtime. Instead, following the initial overtime period, the teams will play another five minute three-on-three overtime session. Upon completion of the pre-season, further discussions will be held regarding the direction of the initiative and potential use in future seasons.

OJHL Commissioner Marty Savoy commented on the positive steps the Governors took in moving the league forward, “I applaud the Board of Governors for the foresight that they showed this weekend in continuing to move the “League of Choice” forward, while also being a leader in testing new rules aimed at improving the quality of the on-ice product.”

Further to the new initiatives and with the recent resignation of Cobourg Cougars’ Governor Marc Mercier from the Board of Directors and his role as First Vice-Chair, the Board of Governors approved the selection of Mississauga Chargers’ Governor Lloyd Stockley to replace Mercier in both positions.

“On behalf of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, I would like to thank Marc Mercier for his service and dedication to the Board of Directors,” said OJHL Chairman Scott McCrory. “We would also like to welcome Lloyd Stockley to his new role on the BOD and look forward to continuing to grow our great brand with his contributions.”

Following the AGM, the OJHL Foundation hosted its second annual Golf Classic at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club, just north of Whitby, Ontario on Sunday. Numerous alumni attended the extremely successful event and had the opportunity to network with both OJHL players, past and present, as well as team personnel with more than 100 participants taking part. The OJHL Foundation was developed in 2012 to provide scholarship assistance to graduating OJHL players and to fund various research projects for the benefit of players in the OJHL.

The 2013-14 OJHL season looks to build on last season as one of the most exciting in league history. Look for a number of new initiatives to be announced over the course of the summer that are another step toward helping make the Ontario Junior Hockey League, the “League of Choice!” 

About the OJHL – “League of Choice” 

The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 23 member clubs. A proud member of the Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1992-93. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including the CIS, NCAA, CHL, Minor Pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL has had more than 120 commitments in 2012-13, including 53 NCAA Division I scholarships.

For more information to player commitments please visit www.ojhl.ca.

Can’t go the the NHL Draft; Party in Buffalo

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The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team will host an NHL Draft Party on Sunday, June 30 at First Niagara Center, beginning at 2 p.m. Fans will be able to watch live coverage of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft while enjoying a day of family-friendly entertainment at the arena.

Coverage of the draft will be shown on the high-definition video board beginning at 3 p.m. Broadcast personalities from the Sabres and WGR 550 will be on hand throughout the draft to provide expert analysis and exclusive interviews live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
In addition to the draft coverage, the night will feature player appearances, floor hockey events on the arena floor, Sabres locker room tours and other activities for the whole family. Fans are reminded that children 12 years of age and younger will be required to wear a helmet if they want to participate in the floor hockey events.
Additionally, concessions will be available throughout the night at family-friendly prices.
Admission to the draft party is free and the team is also offering complimentary parking in the arena ramp.
Fans unable to attend the draft party festivities at First Niagara Center can follow all of the Sabres draft coverage on Sabres.com and with the official Buffalo Sabres mobile app.

New Yorkers Named to Junior Development Camp

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Forty Players Invited to
2013 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp
Event Set for August 3-10 in Lake Placid
in Preparation for 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced the 40 forwards and defensemen that have been invited to the National Junior Evaluation Camp, Aug. 3-10, in Lake Placid, N.Y. The players will be auditioning for spots on the U.S. National Junior Team that will take part in the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2013-Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden. Goaltender invitations to the camp will be announced later this month.

The United States has medaled in three of the last four IIHF World Junior Championships, including gold 2013 and 2010 and bronze in 2011.

Of the 40 players attending, 23 have won medals in IIHF world championships. Riley Barber (Pittsburgh, Pa./Miami Univ.) and Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor, Mich./Windsor Spitfires) were part of the gold-medal-winning 2013 U.S. National Junior Team.

This past April, Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, N.D.), Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.), Connor Clifton(Matawan, N.J.), J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.), Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.), John Hayden(Greenwich, Conn.), Michael McCarron (Macomb, Mich.), Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) Steve Santini(Mahopac, N.Y.), Keaton Thompson (Devils Lake, N.D.) and Tommy Vannelli (Minnetonka, Minn.) helped the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team collect the silver medal at the 2013 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia.

A year ago, Barber, Butcher, Compher and Sieloff were joined by Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill.),Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Thomas DiPauli (Woodbridge, Ill.), Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.),Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.), Matt Lane (Rochester, N.Y.), Dan O’Regan (Needham, Mass.), Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) and Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) as members of the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team that won the gold medal at the 2012 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic.

Henrik Samuelsson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) helped the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team win the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Crimmitschau, Germany.

For the complete list of players invited to the 2013 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, clickhere.
The camp, which will be held at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center utilizing the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, includes practices and international games against Canada, Finland and Sweden. A full schedule is below. Tickets can be purchased online at WhiteFaceLakePlacid.com, by phone at (518) 523-3330 or in person at the Olympic Center Box Office.
NOTES: Of the 40 players invited to the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, 18 competed in the United States Hockey League during the 2012-13 season, including 11 from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program … Eight of the 40 players participated in last year’s camp … The 2014 U.S. National Junior Team will be selected following a pre-tournament camp Dec. 15-18 to be held in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area … Don Lucia (Plymouth, Minn.), head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey team, was named head coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team on March 23. The assistant coaches are Bob Motzko (St. Cloud, Minn.), head coach of the St. Cloud State University men’s ice hockey team, Greg Brown (Scituate, Mass.), associate head coach of the Boston College men’s ice hockey team and David Lassonde (Denver, Colo.) assistant coach of the University of Denver’s men’s ice hockey team. The video coordinator is Dan Muse (Clinton, Conn.), assistant coach of Yale University’s men’s ice hockey team … Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey operations, is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the fifth consecutive year … The U.S. will compete in a group with Canada, Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship. For more information about the tournament, click here.
2013 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp Schedule
Aug. 3-10 • Lake Placid, N.Y. • Olympic Center • 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Date Event Time (EDT)
Sat., Aug. 3 USA Blue Practice 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
USA White Practice 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Sweden Practice 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Finland Practice 12:45 – 2:15 p.m.
USA White/Blue Practice 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 4 Sweden Practice 8:15 – 8:45 a.m.
USA Blue Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Finland Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA White vs. Sweden 1:00 p.m.
USA Blue vs. Finland 4:00 p.m.
Mon., Aug. 5 USA White Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Finland Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA Blue vs. Sweden 1:00 p.m.
USA White vs. Finland 4:00 p.m.
Tues., Aug. 6 Sweden Practice 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
USA Practice 11:00 a.m. – noon
Finland Practice 12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
Canada Practice 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 7 Sweden Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
USA Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Finland/Canada Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Canada vs. Finland 1:00 p.m.
USA vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 8 Sweden Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Canada Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA/Finland Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
USA vs. Finland 1:00 p.m.
Canada vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 9 Finland Practice 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
USA Practice 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
Canada Practice 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Sweden Practice 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 10 Finland Practice 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Sweden Practice 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
USA/Canada Practice 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
USA vs. Canada 1:00 p.m.
Finland vs. Sweden 4:15 p.m.
*all game and practice times subject to change

Women’s Selection Camp Announced

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USA Hockey Announces Schedule for U.S. Women’s National Team Selection Camp
Camp Highlighted by Olympic Day Celebration on June 22 and USWNT Roster Announcement on June 24
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the schedule for its U.S. Women’s National Team Selection Camp that will take place in Lake Placid, N.Y., June 18-23. The camp will culminate with the announcement of the U.S. Women’s National Team on June 24.
On June 22 as part of the camp, USA Hockey will participate in Lake Placid’s Olympic Day celebration. Those wearing red, white and blue or USA apparel will be admitted free of charge to the USWNT scrimmage at 4 p.m.(1980 Herb Brooks Arena) with an autograpgh session featuring all players and staff to follow exclusively for those attending.
The roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team will be revealed on June 24 and those players will train together and participate in various competitions in the build-up to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
NOTES: The 41 athletes participating in the selection camp will be separated into two groups for daily practice sessions and off-ice training as well as four intrasquad scrimmages. Roster designations will be made available prior to the camp. All team practices and pre-game skates are open to the public. Tickets to the scrimmages onJune 19-20, 23 can be purchased at the Olympic Center Box Office or by calling 518-523-3330. Media who wish to attend the camp should fill out the accreditation form by June 13.
U.S. Women’s National Team On-Ice Schedule
2013 Selection Camp • June 18-23 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
(all times ET and subject to change)
Day/Date Event Time (EDT) Location (Rink)
Tues., June 18 Practice – Team White 9-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Practice – Team Blue 3-5 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Wed., June 19 Pre-Game Skate – Team Blue 9-10 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Pre-Game Skate – Team White 10-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Scrimmage (Team Blue vs. Team White) 4-6:30 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Thurs., June 20 Pre-Game Skate – Team White 9-10 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Pre-Game Skate – Team Blue 10-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Scrimmage (Team Blue vs. Team White) 4-6:30 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Fri., June 21 Practice – Team Blue 9-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Practice – Team White 3-5 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Sat., June 22 Pre-Game Skate – Team White 9-10 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Pre-Game Skate – Team Blue 10-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
*Scrimmage (Team Blue vs. Team White) 4-6:30 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Sun., June 23 Pre-Game Skate – Team Blue 9-10 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Pre-Game Skate – Team White 10-11 a.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
Scrimmage (Team Blue vs. Team White) 4-6:30 p.m. 1980 Herb Brooks Arena
*Scrimmage part of Olympic Day celebration.
Following the USWNT roster announcement on June 24, on-ice training will continue in Lake Placid onJune 25-26.

Koelmel Tapped as President of HARBORcenter

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With the construction actively going on just outside the windows of First Niagara Center,  Sabres Chief Development Officer Cliff Benson announced that John Koelmel will serve as President of HARBORcenter.

Koelmel is familiar to Western New York after serving more than 10 years with First Niagara Financial Group, the last six as chief development officer and CEO.

“John is among the most well-respected professionals in Western New York,” said Sabres Owner Terry Pegula in a press release issued to the media. “He has a long history as a successful businessman in the region, which will serve him well in his new role. “We’re excited to wecome him to the team and we look forward to his contributions as President.”

In introducing Koelmel, Benson summarized that the construction is moving along and that shortly they will make an announcement about the hotel, an agreement with Canisius College and that two large tower cranes which will indicate the movement on construction.

“We have moved 130 dump trucks a day for 30 days to extavate what we have to,” said Benson.

“John could have went so many places and the fact that we can keep someone here of John’s calibre and of  his reputation in the community is very exciting,” said Benson of Koelmel’s appointment.

“For me this is an incredibly exciting day,” said Koelmel. “Be assured that standing in front of you today as a member of Team Pegula exceeds all my expectations. I’m honored to work for Terry and Kim (Pegula) and he entire Pegula organization.

“HARBORcenter is a world-class game changer for this community. While “unique” is often an overused word, in this case it is very accurate,” he continued.

He sees HARBORcenter as a destination for Buffalo and works well with the development of the waterfront. He cited the Pegula’s commitment and investment in the hockey team and the community and noted their passion, courage and character as critical to the future of the organization and Buffalo.

“They are the real deal,” he said of his meetings with the Pegula’s. “They share my passion for making this city and area all that it can be.”

“I’m very ready to rock and roll and make great things happen for the Pegulas, their organization and this community,” he concluded.

His role will be overseeing the day-to-day operations of the complex, including the hotel, restaurant, ice rinks and parking structure.

He related that he feels comfortable in that role as with banking, this is a business and those skills are transferable to this position. He sees his strengths as in leadership.

“For me I’m always looking ahead and making sure that the next 10 years are the best 10 years,” Koelmel said.

HARBORcenter will feature two full-size NHL ice rinks, a full-service hotel, a two-story restaurant, street-level retail space and a five-level, 850-space parking structure. All but the hotel are scheduled to open in September 2014.

 

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Benson introduces newly named HARBORcenter President John Koelmel. (Photo by Janet Schultz)

HARBORcenter construction (Photo by Janet Schultz)