USA Hockey News

USA Hockey Announces Grow the Game Contest Winners

Lane Amateur Hockey Association Takes Top Prize

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Lane Amateur Hockey Association (LAHA) in Eugene, Ore., was awarded top honors in the 2011-12 USA Hockey Grow the Game Award contest, presented by Total Hockey. For its efforts, LAHA will receive 30 sets of Learn to Play starter equipment from Total Hockey to allow more area youth to participate in the sport.

The USA Hockey Grow the Game Award recognizes original growth programs utilized by local USA Hockey associations. A record 51 submissions were received from across the country.

Taking a comprehensive approach to growing youth hockey in their community, LAHA focused on enhancing the quality of its Intro To Hockey program to ensure that it was the best youth sports experience in the area. By improving personal communication, implementing the principles of the American Development Model and promoting the benefits of being a part of LAHA and USA Hockey, the size of their organization nearly doubled in just two seasons.

Sun Prairie Youth Hockey in Sun Prairie, Wis., and the Fairbanks Hockey Hall of Fame from Fairbanks, Alaska, finished second and third in the contest.

Sun Prairie has seen impressive growth thanks to its school outreach program, where parents are supplied with the tools and resources to promote youth hockey at local school open houses.

The Fairbanks Hockey Hall of Fame took a week-long twist on USA Hockey’s Hockey Weekend Across America and centered efforts on a festival dedicated to youth hockey, including everything from a hockey-themed carnival to a try hockey opportunity on a local pond.

Each association will receive sets of Learn to Play starter equipment from Total Hockey.

Total Hockey, the exclusive ice hockey equipment retailer of USA Hockey, is an official sponsor of the USA Hockey Grow the Game program.

2012 U.S. Under-18 Select Team Announced

U.S. Team to Compete at the
2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twenty-two 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 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament from Aug. 13-17 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.

The Boys' Select 17 Player Development Camp took place from June 23-29 at The Sports Centre at MCC in Rochester, N.Y.

The U.S. roster includes 12 players who helped the U.S. Under-17 Select Team capture first place at the 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament held in Ann Arbor, Mich., including goaltenders Thatcher Demko(San Diego, Calif.) and Devin Williams (Saginaw, Mich.); defensemen Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.),Anthony DeAngelo (Sewell, N.J.), Michael Downing (Canton, Mich.) and RJ Gicewicz (Orchard Park, N.Y.); and forwards Adam Erne (New Haven, Conn.), Gabe Guertler (Plantation, Fla.), Vinni Lettieri(Minnetonka, Minn.), Jimmy Lodge (Downington, Pa.), Trevor Moore (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Andrew Oglevie (Fullerton, Calif).

For the complete roster, click here.

For complete Ivan Hlinka coverage, click here.

The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament is an annual event held each August for national under-18 teams 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 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament will feature 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's inception 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 fifth last year and second in 2011 ... The 22 players on the roster represent 10 different states. Minnesota has five representatives, while New Jersey has four and California and New York each have three ... Matt Herr (Alpine, N.J.), head coach of the Kent School (Conn.), will serve as head coach and Bob Corkum (Salisbury, Mass), associate head coach at the University of Maine, and Nick Fohr (Grand Forks, N.D.), assistant coach with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, will serve as assistant coaches ... 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 players from their age group.

Team USA 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Schedule

August 13-17 - Breclav, Czech Republic & Piestany, Slovakia

Date	Opponent	Location	Time (Local/EDT)
Mon., Aug. 13	Russia	Breclav	3:30 p.m./9:30 a.m.
Tues., Aug. 14	Czech Republic	Breclav	8:00 p.m./2:00 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 15	Finland	Breclav	3:30 p.m./9:30 a.m.
Fri., Aug. 17	Semifinals	TBD	TBD
Sat., Aug. 18	Championship/3rd Place Games	TBD	TBD