We are pleased to announce that there will be a Level 4 Coaching Education Program (CEP) Clinic on Saturday, August 18th at MB Ice Arena, the Chicago Blackhawks practice facility.

Check-in will begin at 8am and clinic will begin 8:45am and conclude at 5:30pm on Saturday, August 18th. Day 2 of the clinic will begin at 8:30am and conclude at 1:00pm on Sunday, August 19th. Please note that Sunday’s clinic will have both on- and off-ice components. All coaches must bring both on- and off-ice coaching gear (sweats, gloves, skates, sticks, helmets, tennis shoes, t-shirt and shorts).

Coaches MUST attend BOTH Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19 to receive their Level 4 certification. You must also be on time for both clinic days.

MB Ice Arena is located at 1801 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago. Coaches will enter through the Chicago Blackhawks private players’ entrance on Saturday, August 18. Lunch will be provided on Saturday.

Questions? Contact Doug Dietz, USA Hockey Central District Coach-in-Chief, at dougdietz04@gmail.com or 319.239.2349. Click HERE to register.

Online registration for both IHOA and USA Hockey will commence on August 1st. ALL officials must be registered with IHOA to attend a seminar and it is highly recommended that officials register with USA Hockey and complete the open book test and online modules BEFORE attending their seminar. Please note:  USA Hockey has various requirements for each certification level. Please visit www.usahockey.com and www.ihoa.com for information. To be completely registered, you must meet both IHOA and USA Hockey requirements. Click HERE for 2018-2019 IHOA Seminar Schedule.

The 2018 National Hockey Coaches Symposium is fast approaching. The event will be held Aug. 23-26 in Lake Placid, NY. In addition to a great slate of speakers, attendees will participate in on-ice sessions on the two most hallowed ice sheets in USA Hockey history: the Herb Brooks Arena (1980 Rink) and the Jack Shea Arena (1932 Rink).

Dave Starman, CBS Sports Network college hockey game analyst and USA Hockey Coaching Education Program Instructor, will serve as host and emcee for the four-day coaches celebration.

We have a great list of panelists and speakers already lined up (subject to change):

• 1980 Olympic Panel featuring Mike Eruzione, John Harrington, Mark Johnson
• 2018 Olympic Coaches Panel featuring Tony Granato, Robb Stauber, Guy Gosselin
• Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins Head Coach
• Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings Head Coach
• Mike Richter, former NHL player/John Vanbiesbrouck, former NHL player and current USA Hockey Assistant
• Executive Director of Hockey Operations
• Seth Appert, USA Hockey National Team Development Program Head Coach
• Bill Beaney, former NCAA Division III Head Coach
• All breakout sessions will have an on-ice component. Attendees will need to bring skates, stick and helmet to participate in these sessions.

To register, and for more information, click on the appropriate link below. Cost is $550 when you register online.

Links:
Level 5 Web Page & Symposium Brochure
Symposium Online Registration

All information regarding the written requirement to receive your Level 5 certification will be provided at the event. There is nothing to be done prior to arriving in Lake Placid.

For specific questions about the event, please contact Alison Raines at alisonr@usahockey.org. We look forward to seeing you at this celebration of USA Hockey coaches.

USA Hockey recently honored dedicated volunteers and affiliate leaders at its Annual Night of Tribute Dinner (June 6) and President’s Award Dinner (June 8) at the 2018 USA Hockey Annual Congress in Colorado Springs, CO. AHAI congratulates Patrick Kane, Paul Jakubowski, Laura Johnson, Keri Zschach and the Central Illinois Girls Hockey Association on being honored during these prestigious annual dinners. READ MORE>>

The continued growth and development of AHAI would not be possible without the contributions of dedicated volunteers. These individuals share in AHAI’s success and accomplishments year after year. Their selfless work and commitment continue to make a difference in the… Read More ›

Congratulations to 21 Illinois players invited to attend USA Hockey’s Select Camps this summer! All camps will be held at the North Town Center in Williamsville, New York. Click HERE to view invitees.

Congratulations to the 31 players who have been invited to attend the 2018 USA Hockey Central District High Performance 14 Player Development Camp in Ames, Iowa, June 17-22, 2018. Their selection was based on their performance and ratings at the AHAI Player Development Evaluation Tryouts held March 23-25, 2018 at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville. Click HERE to view invitees.

By Jack Weinberg, AHAI High School Committee Chairman

June 1st is the deadline for filing Combined applications for the Fall 2018-2019 season. Applications will need to be filed electronically by the organization’s registrar using the AHAI Web tool. The application is being updated and will be active soon. Full information for all contacts at your club including: name, mailing address, email address and phone number must be updated immediately so that they will receive all correspondence and instructions for all High School activities. If you have questions on how to update your contacts, contact the AHAI Registrar at registrar@ahai2.com. If you have other questions for the High School Committee, email to hshockey@weinberg.com.

Please click on individual schedule to enlarge or click HERE to download/print full schedule.

Midgets > Please click HERE to download/print full Midget Tier I Tryout schedule. 

Good luck, players! 

By Gregg Chudacoff, AHAI Tier II Chairman

The Tier II substitute choice application process, Squirt 10U through Midget 16U/18U will begin on July 20,2018. All applications will be submitted online. The Tier II Committee will only have (3) three appeal hearings this year for those denied a substitute choice. The dates for the appeals are August 9, August 29, and September 6, 2018 at 6:30pm at the North Shore Ice Arena. If denied, please email Gregg Chudacoff, AHAI Tier II Chairman, at gregg@generaltruckparts.com with your preferred appeal hearing date (listed above). The deadline for applying for a substitute choice will be September 15th, 2018.

You will find helpful articles regarding the Two Choice Rule, Choice Substitutions and what you should consider before making that second choice as well as information regarding the Midget Third Choice in the articles below. Should you have any further questions, please contact Gregg Chudacoff.

Tier II Two Choice Rule: Clearing Up the Confusion

What About My Second Choice: What Should I Consider?

What is the Midget Third Choice?

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected to participate in USA Hockey’s Central Player Development Camps May 11-13th at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the Central District Boys’ Bantam Camp June 17-22nd at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Please click HERE to download/print player selections.