Anyone have a copy of the 37 page email that is being sent from USAHockey about the upcoming changes to usahockey?

NHL is going to give money to USAHockey for Junior teams being drafted in the NHL draft.

more funding and new programs.........
5 parts to the program:
NTDP
Regional Elite
Elite Referees
Elite Coaches
Tier 1 Junior A

USA Hockey will be announcing a major Elite Player initiative at the winter meetings next week. In a nutshell it involves placing the best of the best into 6 regional centers with 6 teams each at each age group. It is a lot more involved than that...but the bottom line is that the bottom 95% will be funding the top 5% and that is just wrong.

Sounds like a great deal to me.

Does this affect the current structure of the numerous IL AA clubs and 4 AAA clubs?

Sounds likely that the best of IL's AAA kids would leave their AAA clubs to play for the regional Elite teams if invited.

Where will the IL Elite teams be housed? Bensenville, maybe?

A 37 page email? Where did you hear this? Sounds interesting.....especially to the 4 AAA organizations. Wold this mean an end to AAA as we know it? Or would AAA now become a feeder to the Elite program?

Does it spell out any development initiatives for the other 95 % of the kids playing?

Better verify this rumor on Snopes.com!

It is true. AAA orgs were at the USA meeting a few weeks ago. 2 USA teams for Illinois. Squirt or Peewee through MM. They will play other USA teams around the country. A question is whether all the AAA programs left out will create their own restructured leagues. Word is only 3 or 4 teams for Michigan. There will be money contributions from NHL and USA Hockey for fees and travel costs.

The word is that 1 IL AAA will go away and 2 MI programs. They also want to eliminate the number of players moving away from home so the number of teams in each area will be based on a % of players that are from that area.

Once again USA hockey is going to try and re-invent the wheel while MN stays true to their belief where everyone has a chance to play with and against the best players, not a "special few". Ultimately MN produces the best players.

Go figure!!

what season will all this take place?

The bigger question will be "who are the coaches?" Because if it's any of the current coaches (at AAA or AA) they will be totally biased. Especially if they are parents on the team they coach. Simple fact is that a parent cannot be unbiased especially when it comes to a team that is supposed to take the best 20 players in any given state. If USA Hockey thinks this will work they need to investigate hiring coaches who have NO PRIOR AFFILIATION with any of the local clubs, parents, players, or ice rinks.

usa hockey will f--k up any thing they touch look at the waste of money in ann arbor where they create prima's

See, I told you there was going to be a AAAA team. And I told you the BlackHawks were providing sponsorship.

And its not even April fools day.

2005 Most U.S. College Players Selected in the First Round The 2005 draft saw eight U.S. college players selected in the first round, the most in Entry Draft history. Seven were selected in the first round in 2003 and 1986, six in 2000, five in 2002, four in 2001 and three in each of the 1986 and 1999 Entry Drafts.

I guess the NTDP helped, didn't it?

Ya I heard that there was going to be a youth NHL league from all around the country and only TI and mission will be in it from IL. Don't know if its true or not.

That is the typical attitude of a moron who's never played sports or coached a team.Oh, my guy didn't get picked because the coach was biased and didn't see my son's true talent even though he's not that good.I got news for you...most coaches have ego's and are very competitive.They want to put the best team on the ice regardless.Are they biased? Of course they are.They are biased to select the team that will give them the best chance at success.Quit your ignorant whining.

I've got news for you pencil pusher, you're CLUELESS! Coaches don't think past their next paycheck.

If I have enough money, I can get my bender on his age team at any of the AAA clubs in Illinois. Guaranteed.

USA Hockey will be unveiling their High Performance and Long Term Athlete Development Initiative this week at their winter meetings.

There is 45 pages of materials that I have reviewed. Here it is in a nutshell:

The USA Hockey National Office will create 6 Elite Regions in the Country.
Each region will have 6 Elite Clubs
Each Club will have "elite" teams from age 6 right up through age 17
This initiative will be under the direct control of a High Performance Manager stationed in Colorado.
Each Region will be overseen by a paid USA Hockey Employee
Each Club in each region will be formed by Colorado
Each Club will have standards and regulations to follow direct from Colorado
These Clubs will not be independ clubs..they will be owned and operated by USA Hockey.
They are using funds from the NHL to get this going but funding will also come from the USA Hockey Budget
The National Team Program will remain in place in Ann Arbor and be at the top of the pyramid

I will offer my assumption on where the Regions will be:
1. Southern California
2. Great Lakes/Michigan
3. South/Texas
4. Mid Atlantic
5. New England/Boston
6. Mid West USA

the way I read it, the 6 region, 6 elite team format starts at Bantam Minor. At 12u, they recommend essentially house hockey and propose to eliminate AAA, dividing all kids within an association on A & B teams with talent divided equally. At 10u and below ALL kids and teams are to be equal in talent with top lines playing against top lines.

What happens to the MM if it only goes thru age 17.

This concept has challenges. USA Hockey needs to sell it to the local clubs, coaches, players and parents that pay. There is not enough money to buy everyone's happiness. If there are only two elite teams in IL, does that unfairly exclude players that were not exceptional as mites/peewees? Puberty hasn't hit for everyone by Bantam Minor. Does the new system have design flaws that will push away kids that would otherwise be elite players after hitting puberty? Adding resources for elite programs is great but don't you need to provide more resources to the A & AA players to keep the skater numbers growing? If the prospect of becoming elite appears impossible to younger players, there can be real consequences of the players electing to play another, less expensive sport that offers them more hope. I'm anxious to see how this rolls out.

What's to stop the rich folks from forming their own elite league that's not USA sanctioned? That's how many AAA teams we're formed in the first place.

Thats exactly what will happen,new teams new league

It sounds like they are looking to create mini NTDP local teams for each city. If you believe what you read here it sounds like the Mission and TI would be those clubs. Assuming for a moment that they are, how are they going to feed those teams and/or identify the kids that belong in that program? Will there be tryouts or will it be invite only?

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a great idea but I think it could and should be a side team/program. That is, instead of a spring program, the Elite clubs invite the players that have been developed and have a 12 week program during the spring and maybe a 2 week program in the summer.

This program is certainly looking to get the cream to rise quicker than normal but anyone that has been around the rink can tell you stories about "late bloomers" or "burn and fizzle" players. The Squirt that was surely the next one but once hitting entered the game slowly fizzled. Creating super teams sounds nice but the problem on those types of teams is that everyone is a Chief and no one is an Indian. That is, the goal scorers don't know how to come out of the corner with the puck just like the mucker doesn't know how to score from the top of the circle (crashing the net is a different story).

If the goal is to create more Brett Hulls and Ovechkin's then this is not the right program. The US needs to keep building there program but reducing the number of teams is not the answer. Exposing kids to national programs and or Elite camps is the way and that is why I suggest a hybrid of sorts.

If the NHL wants to give money lets get all the best athletes playing hockey with money not being a factor

To say that this would be a major landscape change in Chicago hockey would probably be an understatement.It will affect not only the current AAA clubs but many of the AA clubs as well.

Will it work? Hard to say,but any time I hear about somebody handing out money and then getting full control I get the ole "Big Brother is watching you" jitters.Is our system perfect in Chicago? No,but sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don't.

I have a hard time believing that they will be able to pull all of this together
by next August.There are way too many moving parts throughout the country to think you can just turn on the switch and let it go.There is already some serious resistance in other towns which is probably a good thing.

Oh Ya....Anybody who thinks this is going to be a free ride think again.USA hockey has some cash but they don't have that much.Plus or minus $500 from your
current fees'is probably about right.

Until hockey fee's become $900 per year Ill youth hockey will never become much better then it has been for the last 10 years. 95% of the parents in the US CAN'T afford AA or AAA fee's. Its a numbers game. Think of how many of your child's friends play hockey ? Now think of how many play Football, Basketball, Baseball etc. There's 1000's on top of 1000's of young men in the US who if they could afford hockey could become the next NHL stars. This is the reason why Canada produce's better hockey players, the entire country CAN afford to play it. Does Canada turn out better FB,BB or baseball players? No way. The parents of the stud football and baseball players in the US understand right from the start they can't afford hockey and move to another sport at the youth age's never giving there son a chance to play.

Coaching will see major change's under the new system. Parent coaching will not be allowed unless you its your ONLY income stream. That's the word. No more hiding the bender behind dad's coaching card. This includes Asst coaches. The youth game of hockey cost so much as it is that only the upper class can find a way to spend between $7000 for the AA to $10,000 for the AAA level per year. USA is telling the clubs to find a way to get non-parent head and asst coaches.

If we are going to try and fix hockey in Chicago then this is how it should be done:

2 AAA teams (North and South-Central)
The AAA teams run the AA programs and they have 6 teams under their wing making 12 AA teams. The AAA team can roster 5 players from the AA farm teams and those players can move up and down freely. Maybe there is a 10 game rule in that once you play 10 games at AAA you have to play Tier I.
A teams could remain at the current club level but maybe there is an affiliation with the AA nearby AA team that allows them to roster 5 additional players. Those players may not play AA but they would get to practice with the top club which should help them to develop.
B hockey would be made no-check at every age group and the team sizes should not be more than 11 kids per team. Maybe there is a 10 team league created out of 3 rinks. An example might be Wilmette, Winnetka, Northbrook are able to 100 kids that could form this 10 team league. IF you have 8 geographic zones then the winner from each zone could enter a playoff round.

We need to bring the price down but at the same time there needs to be a system in place that encourages kids to move to AAA. Too many AA clubs tell the kids and parents that AAA is a waste of money but you should feel honored if you get a letter from the AAA team asking you to attend a tryout.

USA hockey might be on the right track but the local system needs an overhaul not just an oil change.

As long are there are still too many people trying to make a living off youth hockey, the costs will never come down.

Sorry sir but this initiative by USA hockey has absolutely nothing to do with getting rid of parent coaches.I always laugh when someone argues that we need to reduce costs and then in the same breath says we need to get rid of parent
coaches.That just doesn't compute.

USA Hockey will begin implementation starting March 1st of this year.

And the Junior leagues have all announced expansion.

The USA Hockey National Office will create 6 Elite Regions in the Country.
Each region will have 6 Elite Clubs
Each Club will have "elite" teams from age 6 right up through age 17
This initiative will be under the direct control of a High Performance Manager stationed in Colorado.
Each Region will be overseen by a paid USA Hockey Employee
Each Club in each region will be formed by Colorado
Each Club will have standards and regulations to follow direct from Colorado
These Clubs will not be independ clubs..they will be owned and operated by USA Hockey.
They are using funds from the NHL to get this going but funding will also come from the USA Hockey Budget
The National Team Program will remain in place in Ann Arbor and be at the top of the pyramid

this is all total crap. there is no wat ti, mission, cya and fury will all disband for one midwest team. There is way too much money going into these programs. USA hockey would not destroy several clubs for a all star team.

I was told this is in addition to the Tier I proposal

This will occur in the spring/summer

The objective is not to make one mid west all star team so you are wrong there. They are breaking the country into 6 regions and within those regions will be 6 super teams per region so most likely, TI and Mission will become the super teams and CYA and Fury will still be around but as Tier 2 teams of sort.

Why would the super teams need to be any of the current AAA clubs? Why wouldnt USAH just start a new org? Or pick a current tier II club. Why does it matter if the club exists now or opens its doors in Apr? I would think the facility is an important ingredient as well.

Wont Get Fooled Again - ushr.com

By the time this weekends USA Hockey Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida draw to a conclusion the hierarchical structure of youth hockey in the United States could be permanently altered.

Those likely to be hit the hardest will be the prep schools of the Northeast, all junior programs lacking Tier I status (ie., the USHL), possibly the Minnesota high schools, and, most devastatingly, any current youth organization that does not meet or does not wish to meet -- the criteria USA Hockey and the NTDP will be setting out for the new 36-team national super league.

Why is this happening?

Its simple. The NHL, for the first time, has been granted player development money by the NHL. Its money USA Hockey has wanted for a long time, and this year they are getting $8 million. The NHL, as investors of sorts, expects the money to be spent on elite player development. And thats what they are going to get. Approximately $2 million will go directly to Ann Arbor, and much of the remaining $6 million will go to an extension of the NTDP called the High Performance Initiative and Long Term Athlete Development Initiative. The program, being presented by Jim Johannson, Ken Martel, and Kevin McLaughlin, is designed to offer many of the training benefits of the NTDP to the 36 youth organizations that agree to hew to the player development philosophy they have carefully outlined (its in the document we have attached to the end of this article).

What were about to see is a massive consolidation of power in which 36 youth organizations will, in essence, be dubbed AAA+ (or AAAA, if you will). Any organization not anointed by USA Hockey and the NTDP will remain as they are presently set up as AAA organizations. One could, quite accurately, say the unchosen will be instantly devalued, for elite players will naturally gravitate to one of the 36 super teams thats human nature. For purposes of this program, USA Hockey, which is comprised of twelve districts, will be redistricted into six regions. Within each of these new regions will reside six super teams. They will only play each other. The best players will move on to the NTDP and the USHL (which will be getting some of the NHL money, too, and will be expanding from 12 to 16 teams).

How the districts will be carved up kind of depends on which organizations adhere to USA Hockeys standards. Its possible the organizations will get selected first and then squeezed into gerrymandered geographical areas. USA Hockey is playing this very close to the vest. We do know that a couple of the Chicago organizations have already been approached in a preliminary manner, much to the consternation of other AAA organizations in the city.

What organizations would be chosen? Our suggestion is this: start with the 20-team lineup of the Tier I Elite League which stretches from the Pacific and the Southwest but has its biggest foothold in the Midwest with five teams in Michigan alone (Compuware, Honeybaked, Caesars, Belle Tire and Victory Honda). Then, once you are through with that, look at other teams outside that league that have shown consistent success at Nationals, and also run solid year-round programs. Those are the ones that are also likely to be anointed.

The irony here is the fact that the organizations most likely to be able to meet the criteria set forth for them by USA Hockey are already very well funded. Money begets money, and, in this case, the organizations that will be chosen by USA Hockey are those that need it the least. In addition, by being anointed, an increasing number of players will want to migrate to those programs, meaning the anointed organizations will be able to hold numerous tryouts (i.e. fundraisers) at numerous age levels, in the process strengthening their relationship with rink owners due to the large number of teams they will be icing.

Each of the 36 clubs chosen will be expected to operate 18-and-Under, 16-and-Under, 15-and-Under, 14-and-Under, and 13-and-Under teams each in their own superleague. In addition, each of the anointed teams will be expected to run 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U programs that will follow the LTAD model outlined in the attachment.

Lets look at his locally. In New England, we expect there to be at least three teams, maybe a couple in Eastern Mass, and one in Connecticut. These programs would be able to skim the cream of the crop players will obviously stream to these regional mini-NTDPs, especially given the fact that they are subsidized, and the economy is going through a bad patch. Kids given the opportunity to join these programs will not be going to private schools. Look for kids who are in the program at the youngest age levels to stay in the program for as long as they continue to be moved up the ladder. They are on the path to Ann Arbor or the USHL. They will be immersed in hockey and be playing a rugged schedule under the watchful eyes of NTDP regional directors.

USA Hockey is putting together something that, at least on paper, is very appealing. Martel, the programs principal author, has put a huge amount of though and work into this. Read the enclosed attachment. Its impressive and it would probably work very well in a country like Soviet Russia, or East Germany, or smaller nations like Finland. In other words, countries where hockey (and athletics in general) are on the same page, and dominated by strong national governing bodies.

The U.S. though, in hockey (and other ways, too!) is a fractured, factious, crazy-quilt of a country. Here, looking back to the late 19th and early 20th century, we can see that hockey made its entry into this country from many different points and in many different ways. It entered via the boarding schools of New England, and from there filtered down to the high schools. It entered on the backs of the millworkers who streamed down from Quebec, settled in towns like Woonsocket, RI , and created what would become powerhouse high school programs like Mount St. Charles. It streamed across the border from Windsor, Ontario into Detroit, and took shape as a club system, similar to that in Canada. In Minnesota, it dropped down across the northern border from Manitoba and also from the east into the Twin Cities, and formed a foothold in the Minnesota high schools. In recent decades, due to NHL expansion and some strong economic boom years, the game has flourished in non-traditional areas from the Southeast through Texas, Arizona, and Southern California.

In other words, there is no one path to success in this country. There are myriad paths, and many, many people are fiercely protective of their turf, and proud of what they have accomplished in the past, and continue to accomplish. Under USA Hockeys proposal, we think the clubs that get anointed if everything gets that far will do well and put a lot of top players on the ice. Why wouldnt they? They will have all the players. The USHL will watch, the colleges will watch, the pro scouts will watch. Everyone will say what a great league it is. The NHL will pat itself on the back, and so will USA Hockey, who will point to the success of the players coming out of the program.

Those who arent chosen to be part of the super league will limp along as best they can, carrying players who are suddenly second-class hockey playing citizens. Youth organizations will fold. Prep hockey will take a major hit. If, God forbid, a superleague team gains a toehold in Minnesota, Minnesota high school hockey, which features our game in its purest amateur state, will take a major hit.

The $8 million is simply being shoveled in the wrong direction, and heres why. Were in a recession, people have less and less money to spend, the average middle class worker is earning less than ever in real wages. And the cost of playing hockey is higher than ever. Today, hockey is a pure suburban sport. In greater Boston, the blue-collar players that used to come out of the Boston working class communities like Winthrop and Weymouth and Charlestown and South Boston and Dorchester and Quincy are fast becoming extinct.

Suddenly, in the blue-collar suburbs of Detroit, where the auto industry is in trouble, hockey families are pulling back from the game.

Youth registration across the country particularly on the boys side is down.

We have an idea. And we dont think its particularly radical. We believe in it because weve seen it work in Boston. We saw a whole generation of hockey players come out of town-based leagues where, in the wake of the success the Bobby Orr-led Bruins of the late 60s and early 70s, the state jumped on board and, in a very short period of time, built a huge number of rinks. From those rinks came the likes of Mike Eruzione, Jack OCallahan and too many others to mention. On the public rinks in Minnesota came Mark Pavelich and Neal Broten and Dave Christian and others. It was a flowering of USA Hockey and continued on with the stars of the80s and early 90s like Mike Modano, Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick, Brian Leetch and many, many others.

We thing the LTAD misfires on two fronts. The first is simply that it concentrates on the players 13 and over. Dont worry about them. The good players at 13 will find every door open wide to them. And theyll find agents to carry them across the threshold. And coaches who will beg to have them on their teams. Its the way capitalism works. Its the way a meritocracy works, too. Right now, there are plenty of good programs in place for the players that we currently have. We just need to get more players better prepared by the time they arrive in these programs. The LTAD even preaches the importance of player development between 11-13, so why are all the bulk of the programs benefits being funneled to those 13 and over. Why is the LTAD aimed at the few rather than the many. Hasnt the very existence of the NTDP shown that elite all-start programs of hothoused players have dubious results.

What do we really need then? We need more rinks and cheaper ice. Hockey is too expensive. We have all seen young kids leave the game because of the cost. This typist saw a very good 9-year-old drummed out of a youth program because his parents couldnt rub two nickels together. I still see this kid. And hes still an excellent athlete, and hes still a joy to watch. He plays basketball.

We also know times are hard and public initiatives like what the Mass. District Commission did during the Orr era might not fly. (Though rink building would create jobs!)

Listen, we dont need fancy rinks. In many parts of the country, seasonal outdoor rinks work fine. They provide a starting point. They get kids on the ice at a young age. Kids just need a place where they can play in unstructured situations without grownups, leagues, or ridiculous amounts of travel and the costs that go with it. Weve seen cheap outdoor rinks in all across Canada. There are quite a few in Minnesota, too, on town parkland. The towns manage to come up with the money. Volunteers step up with the muscle. They make it happen. Its a source of civic pride.

If we were given $8 million dollars and the mandate to spend it in a way that would help USA Hockey the most over the next 20 years, wed put together a crack panel of men and women with proven success in public/private partnerships to figure out how to get the most rinks built in this country for the least amount of dollars. Were not talking about eight-sheet superrinks, were talking little rinks. A lot of them. Get a lot of kids on skates and youll get a lot of hockey players.

If youre skeptical, travel down to the Dominican Republic and look at all the baseball diamonds most of them are lousy diamonds that would be an embarrassment in our bucolic suburbs. They have rocks all over them. Bases are hard to come by. But they are baseball fields. They are omnipresent, and they are continuously used. And the Dominican Republic produces more players and more high-end players per capita than any other spot on the earth.

Our message to USA Hockey. Dont try to reinvent the wheel, and kill what we already have. Look to the successes of the past for the key to the future. Its right there under your nose.

And vote NO on the High Performance and Long Term Athlete Development Initiative

The Leafs blew 20 million on a rink and they went back so far they can't even stand up

Big whoop I figure each team would get no more than $33,000 that probably takes care of the coaching staff pay.

Love the part that Ann Arbor gets 2 million for two teams, while the remaining 36 clubs with multiple teams will get 4 million. That's about the USA hockey mentality.

Does anyone really understand who and how the team will be picked ?


Is there a open try-out where a player has the right to pick which of the two teams he would like to try-out for ?

Or is a player forced by living location ?

Speaking of regions, who decides were the line is drawn down the middle of the state of ILL ? Any idea's were that line will be placed?

Will out of towners still be able to play in ILL ? If so they have a big advantage, Ill Boys can't move there homes but clubs can find people in there region to take in players that fits there teams needs. Do Clubs really need out of town help if and when there only becomes 2 teams in our state.

who cares! they'll let you know if their interested in yur kid.

Maybe we will tell them that we are not interested in joining
the folly if it's anything like the USNDTP. You would then be
called a wise old man now wouldn't you. We want the GOLD and are not interested in USA fools Gold.

....statement from AYHL web site...
.....The USA Hockey initiatives called High Performance Club (HPC) and the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) seems to be sparking the most discussion and concern. I know there are many rumors and there is a great deal of misinformation in the market place. Some are exaggerations and some are just complete fabrications.

First, much of what is proposed in the LTAD aspect of these USAH initiatives has merit and is based in sound scientific principles. The HPC component may look good on paper, however there are far too many unknowns. The only thing that was clearly articulated was that USAH was hiring a significant number of staff to implement these programs.

For the record, Tier I and "AAA" hockey is not disappearing and neither is the Atlantic Youth Hockey League. The League and its members will be meeting with USA Hockey officials later this month to discuss concerns and answer questions.

Some perceptions are that USAH simply comes in, looks at your Club and then anoints it as a HPC. That is not the case. There are rigorous guidelines and significant USAH oversight. None of the dollars are for player tuition's. Players will still have to pay tuition to their respective programs. Most of the dollars are for staff support, and possibly the hosting some showcases.

Much of the guidelines for the HPC are very restrictive. For example, as a player in an HPC program, you will not be allowed to participate in tournaments like Nike Bauer, Bell Cup, Quebec Peewee, etc. There is a dramatic shift in the game to practice ratio and they will hold programs accountable to that ratio. These HPC teams will only play against other HPC teams and up to three showcases against other HPC's. There is much more to discuss however, we will refrain until our League Board meets with USA Hockey.

While there are many issues that effect player development in our sport that should and must be addressed, however our current system has many desirable aspects that are enjoyed by our players and families. After all, this is about fun and enjoyment for the player. To expect the system to make such a dramatic shift overnight may be an unreasonable expectation and could possibly do more harm than good, at least in the short term. The needed changes may need to take a longer period of time to actually see meaningful results.

Over the course of this week, we will post highlights from the HPC and LTAD, as well as the full document itself. Please feel free to send us your questions and comments. Do not jump to any conclusions about the impact of these initiatives. Its a work in progress and many of us suspect that there will be significant changes when all is said and done.

We are in discussions with other Tier I Leagues and Junior programs throughout the country and while there are many unanswered questions, we know we have a tremendous player development system within our current Tier I and Junior systems. It has been highly successful and will continue to be highly successful in the future.

I look forward to hearing any questions, comments or concerns.

Yours in Hockey,

Glenn HefferanAMHL President

whole system, not just tier 1. I just received my package. They are limiting player rosters, limiting travel. Are they going to fund us or talk to the rink owners to drop ice prices! Keeping everything 10&U as basically house league. What a mess...

Here's an article from Scott Burnside on espn.com about the USA Hockey topic:
5. How are things over at USA Hockey?

We hear from some sources there may be a shake-up in the next month or so in the structure of the American hockey body after the dismal showing at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

On a positive note, though, the NHL is about to up the ante significantly in terms of its support of USA Hockey with a potential eightfold increase in funding to support programs, sources told ESPN.com this past weekend.

Coming out of the 2004-05 lockout, the NHL agreed to a four-year deal with USA Hockey, allocating $900,000, $1 million, $1.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, to the national body. Now, that support could grow to $8 million annually to fund the National Team Development Program, USA Hockey's program to seek out and develop top young talent in the U.S., as well as a new long-term athlete development program started by USA Hockey. Details were sketchy at this point, but an NHL source said the program will benefit all levels of hockey.

"Not just elite, grassroots. It's an impressive program they are putting together," the source said.

The league's increased support was recommended by the NHL's hockey oversight committee, whose members include Carolina owner Peter Karmanos, Buffalo managing partner Larry Quinn, New Jersey head honcho Lou Lamoriello, Hall of Famer and Boston Bruins vice president Cam Neely, Vancouver Canucks president and CEO Chris Zimmerman and Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough, along with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly and CFO Craig Harnett.

Scott Burnside covers the NHL for ESPN.com.

First we hear of socialized medicine, then socialized banks and auto companies and now socialized ice hockey!

This proposal is laughable to everyone, except those getting the $8 mil (they already have plenty of funds per the USHR.com article), and the NHL that believes they can control the multitude of variables that make up an NHL player.

If this passes, look to a few recreational hockey programs above Squirts and 600 programs for Mites (age 4-8) to develop them for the future Mini Mite Prep Jamboree. For all those cut at 8 years old, the parties over!

Is this REALLY the way we want to develop future players and adults? Have we forgotten the lessons of the Soviet Block in the 70's and 80's???? Have you heard of the suicides and tragedies committed by 7th graders who got cut from their Russian and Czech Republic elite teams?

Isn't there enough pressure already on the 15 year olds to prepare for the OHL Priority Draft?

And the goal of this program is simply to benefit the 200 or so Americans who play in the NHL?




I'm baffled!..............seems to me the MWEHL does a pretty good job of developing Americans for early movement to Juniiors and College Programs (where they'll also get an education) rather Major Juniors and more limited future opportunities (since there's only 200 to 300 Americans in the NHL at any given time).


If the NHL requires these strings, I suggest USAHockey votes it down. If it passes, look for Lacrosse to continue to gobble up would be hockey players in a game that's very similar, has plenty of Scholarship opportunities and SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive!

Lacrosse? Nike Bauer and other big tournaments out for HPCs cause game restrictions. May stay open for lower talented teams and then its no longer big deal and not worth travelg for so will fizzle out? Tier 1 will turn into tier 2 talent and eventually go away cause who will pay big $ and travel for that? Socialized hockey? Have you noticed current system is socialized already? All USA hockey and AHAI rules. New system is diff rules. Hope they know what doing

Obamarama, I couldn't agree with you more. This is only the type of thing that should have happened in Communist Soviet Union. Now it's happening here. The USNDP is so insecure about losing players to the CHL. Maybe if they weren't a circus and actually producing players like the CHL, they wouldn't have anything to worry. USA Hockey will now be an isolation and the numbers will be worse than imagined. We're going to be as secretive as Brezhdev, yikes.

I want to sit at my keyboard and vent ,but I couldn't express it any better than
Obamarama.The good news is I still believe it will be very difficult for them to impliment this program on a national scale by next year.The hockey cultures both economically and socially are so different in each town that there can't be just one blueprint to start this cluster f#$$%.

LETS KEEP THIS THREAD GOING COMRADES!!!!!!

Thats it I am moving to Minnesota! Good god man why doesnt USAH look at a programs and systems that works and try to implement that!!...WTF is this circus they are proposing!?!
I am moving to Edina MN to become a Hornet...call me when its safe to come home and USAH is toothless.

i think you oughta move to vienna and have your head examined!!

Hey everyone...let's relax! I too am a parent in all this, but let's not get too excited quite yet. We hear bits & pieces about this new 'socialistic hockey" re-organization...that's all...bits & pieces. Before we make any final determinations & judgments let's relax and see what is truly proposed and what USA Hockey's intentions truly are. I can't imagine that USA Hockey's goal here is to destroy U.S. hockey future and our kids that play it. Come on, in your heart you know that there must be positive aspects in this re-org. Change and unknowns can create anxiety...and understandably so. Most of you are intelligent enough to keep an open mind. In time, as more accurate and actual details come out, you'll be able to make a more fact-based assessment. Let's stay positive and ask ourselves why would USA Hockey want to make such apparent changes. All the best to all parents wanting the very best for your kids.

Well said.

My son took up lacrosse 2 years ago and he loves it. He also loves hockey but this train wreck may actually push a 42 year old lifer from the game.

No organization, repeat no organization needs to be part of USA Hockey. It is about insurance. You don't have USA Insurance if you are not registered with them and you do not have insurance if you play non-USA Hockey registered teams.
So, all of you AAA organizations and leagues out there. Quit taking your lead from a board that is out of touch with youth hockey! Minnesotat exists outside of USA Hockey becasue they get their own insurance. If the MWEHL decided tomorrow to be non-USA Hockey and had their own insurance program (they would make a fortune from the program) and we wouldn't have to listen to these old kooks on the USA Board who are more interested in other things besides youth hockey. MWEHL is the premier league in USA. Every year sending lots of players to Div. 1, etc.
Just say NO to USA Hockey.

It's happening at the National Congress in June. Done. Also, before and after teams for midget. Done. Comparing IL hockey to MN or MI hockey? You are an idiot. The 2 Elite programs will be Bantam thru Midget, period. CYA will become the crappy AA program it already is, and Mission will start another crappy AAA League. The other two will remain the North, and the South Elite Programs. And, I forgot, go get non-USA Hockey insurance for your high powered programs and buildings that are really only in the Chicagoland area. We're the same as Michigan or Minnesota, of course we are.

Are u sure u know what u just wrote cause I don't.

I heard the same. Ironing out bugs and such in Florida meetings this month, then formal in June. That's what I heard anyway.

I find it hard to believe that the Fury will get the nod over the Mission. What makes you think that will be the case?

68.75... -

please stop agreeing with yourself and clarify. ti and fury as the only 2 hpc's and for bantam/midget only?

The likely and most obvious picks for the HPC teams would be Mission in the South and TI in the North. Fury is brand new and there is no way they are going to be the appointed team.

You will LIKELY be shocked then.

Because of WHO said it.

The program may or may not get approved, but it's not the point. If MWEHL does not go along, they will continue to operate status quo. There maybe very little incentive, if any at all, to join the newly designed USA hockey initiative.

Lets just see what happens. I wouldn't bet my first born on the fact that the existing MWEHL league teams will be jumping into this with both feet. Detroit and Chicago can control their own destinies. Everyone will still want to play them, and they can continue to play in Canada.

It's ludicrous to think that from 4 Chicago clubs and 5 Detroit clubs, they will go to 2 Chicago / 3 Detroit clubs and be OK doing it. Furthermore, where on G-d's earth will they find 30 more clubs that are better then the ones they are excluding from Chicago and Detroit???????

People, give your head a good shake and wait to see what happens before jumping in with ignorant or rude comments.

That is true. If they were to shutdown a program like CYA to favor another program elsewhere then that would be wrong considering CYA does very well outside of MWEHL and have teams that beat other programs from around the country.

This is what I have thought ever since these comments have been circulating. Not pro or con either way personally (I really don't KNOW anything about it), but the competition between Chicago and Detroit has, IMOE, been both fierce and beneficial for both sides. For any of those in the know, I'd like to know what Chicago players would gain from this USA Hockey plan that they cannot or are not getting now (making the assumption that there would be no financial respite to the player).

What is true AAA Hockey mean ?
How did AAA Hockey start ?

Does Chicago metro area warrent three AAA teams ?

Does it end up being a rich $$$ Family sport ?

Has Hockey gotten out of controll with the expenses $$$$

Kids will not enter the sport in record numbers in the
next 10 years unless something is done about $$$$ to play.

What do European and Canadian players do generally that is better than American players? They aren't better athletes. How can Americans pass them up and have more American players drafted?

IF ALL AMERICANs MADE HOCKEY THERE NUMBER ONE SPORT AND NATIONAL PASSTIME, AMERICANs WOULD OWN THE NHL JUCT LIKE THEY OWN THE NFL.

Some answers to your questions.

1. What is AAAA?........In theory it would be the best kids from a particular region / area playing against the best from another area. SIDE NOTE: When I played in IL. we would have select teams picked from the different local clubs go to Canada and play in tourneys.
2. How did it evolve?.......A group of people decided to take the roving select model and create a "higher level of hockey". Over time, this involved paid coaches. It also put insane travel burdens on families and players. ( My parents shake their heads and laugh when I describe Illinois hockey )

3. Rich Man / Poor Man?.........see above.

4. Hockey will contimue to suffer until the costs come down. The costs will not come down in Illinois until more public rinks are built and less people are making a living from 5 - 16 year old players.

AAA as we know it began back in the 70's, I believe, when a specific organization's team or teams were DOMINATING the teams in the Chicago area. So in order to bring balance back to the league for the remaining teams, an entire new level was created. The only team in this new "level" was the dominant in the earlier league. This essentially left no competition for this team in Illinois so they had to travel to Other states for equal competition. This was enacted by the Illinois hockey board whose directors ran the organizations that could not compete with the dominant one. Funny huh? lol

Good points.

I think you are refering to the Saints and minor Hawks.

They had great teams with strong talented kids who could play hockey. They did not have paid coaches. Did not travel the way AAA does today. Those teams were Bantam and Midget age. Squirt and peewee played a strong NIHL schedule.

The politics and money screwed up the first attempt at "higher level hockey" and sadly I think the same will happen with the new plan. I hope I am wrong.

See Gotothenet it's all your fault.Just kidding.

Unfortunately things will not be changing anytime soon.I guess the term "suffering" is subject to interpretation,but I actually believe hockey is thriving in this town.Our top teams at every age bracket are as good as or better than almost every team throughout the country and even Canada.How we fare in the future given the economic structure you refer to and the economic disaster our country is experiencing remains to be seen.The USAH plan really does not address this issue and given their limited amount of funds probably can't.Like everything else in our lives right now we can only hope that hockey doesn't suffer to much.

this will not go thru at this time

It certainly looks like they are going to do this.

http://www.usahockey.com/adm/

Also view the interesting quotes by Kevin Mann in the article titled HPC Reasons for Change.

There are plenty of examples of pay to play in Illinois AAA and I dont see any change to that no matter what you call it. Same old political game with the same playersjust with a new name. I hope I am wrong but I dont think so.

All those people funding these programs for the few can stop paying USA hockey membership and stop attending NHL games or subscribing to Center ICE. The message will get across real quick. You have alot of power. The clubs should refuse USA hockey membership form their own leagues, buy insurance.

If your kid does not like hockey then take em to another sport and nobody will give a sht. Who said anything about everyone paying for a few? Where ever your kid plays, you pay an annual amount to cover ice and coaches fees. Everyone else does the same. AAA you pay more to cover the larger coaching fees and in some cases more ice time. I don't pay for your kid and you don't pay for mine...get it? All of us pay more in Illinois because our ice rinks cost more to build on more expensive land and so the owners need higher rents to pay for them.

This new program looks good on paper. See if USA hockey and the clubs can get it done??

For those of you who whine "my kid likes the games". There are still plenty of games. For those of you who still whine, get over it or get someone else to drive your kid to practice. You are only in it for yourself and competition with the other parents for whos kid or team is better. Get a life or just leave because the sport is better off without you.

The letter sent out said this will not change the AAA teams-so does this eman there will still be four AAA teams in Illinois wiht two new teams above it?

How will anyone person/coach be able to identify the truly top
Midget Minor and Major Players for two teams without non bias
politics coming into play ? There are only a handful of truly gifted
top studs, then there is a lump of similar talent that 5 different
non bias coaches would all see to be accross the board in talented
simlar players at the 92,93,94 ages ? Would these new programs help
push/steer the third,fourth AAA team kids towards High School programs

Why do I need USA hockey membership if I have my own private health insurance for my player. Is this legal? Has it ever been challenged that USA hockey can deny participation if you can prove insurability?

I think the Insurance is more of the liability type, protecting USA Hockey, State Hockey Assoc, Hockey club, coaches, referees and the rink.

We should all challenge it. When you took you kid to the ER did you contact USA Hockey...Probably not, but you were forced to pay for your kid to play.

This whole thing is a monopoly and it should not be!

USA insurance works inconjunction with your regular carrier. If you have ever used the insurance you would know how important it is. Your paying over $8,000 a year for hockey and you are worried about $32.00 for insurance? Just ask the family of the poor kid who got hurt in Michigan last weekend and ask them about how valuable the insurance is!

Maybe you should take the time to read the policy first if you can read.

http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_About_USA_Hockey/Menu_InsuranceRisk_Management/InsuranceHandbook0809(3).pdf


USA Hockey Insurance provides up to 2 Million dollars for a catastrophic injury with a $ 25,000 deductible. That is a great thing.

The point made above is accurate, that every USA registered hockey player WILL BE paying to subsidize the new program. Money is coming from USA Hockey and some from the NHL. It will be a program for the benefit of two programs chosen in Illinois. Maybe it will end up to be a good thing for american hockey.

Each AHAI organization in Illinois will have to decide if they want to be part of this. If a group large enough decides that they do not want to participate, they can form their own league, own state association and/or larger organization (Minnesota-Illinois Hockey League)and obtain their own insurance policy which is not difficult. Then their dues could go directly to ice costs for their member organizations and they could add more practices or subsidize the A2 and Mite programs to bring more children into this game.

http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/ADM/Menu_High_Performance_Clubs/HPC%20Overview%20_HT_.pdf

pretty much everything you need to know

What it is not clear about is what happens to the Tier 1 teams. If a Tier 1 organization gets accepted into the HPC program, are the HPC teams in addition to the Tier 1 teams, or do those teams get replaced with HPC teams and the feader then becomes the Tier 2 organization?

So if the Mission is accepted, will they only have HPC teams, or will they have both HPC teams and their MWEHL Tier 1 teams?

If you read the info on the website it is very clear. If you are an HPC, you follow the rules for HPCs. If you follow the rules, you have to follow the practice to game ratios and that is way below the current 60-75 games. You play other HPC clubs. You are out of tier 1. Goodbye tier 1 as you know it. Goodbye MWEHL. If enough HPCs set up around the country in 2 years Tier 1 goes away. All players would go to HPCs or Tier 2.

So, let's just say that Mission and TI are the two HPCs in Chicago. In Detroit, they take 3 of the 5 Tier 1 teams into the HPC program and in Cleveland the Barons are admitted. Since you can only play 5 games outside of the HPC schedule, wouldn't that instantly shut down MWEHL?

bingo
when one door closes another opens
lets hope we like whats in there

Everyone seems to assume Mission and Ti are in But, on very good authority it most likely will be Ti/ Fury if they take only 2

76.224.2.167--Mark K

I hate to rub challenged people's noses in it, but I told you so. And it will be TI and Fury. I already mentioned the fate of the other two. Look at the address. Also, I answered myself the other day all in good fun. The USA Hockey thing is a done deal. It's about time.

Mission would need secure a feeder program to even qualify. Didn't they throw out one already?
AA clubs are part of the package. Vikings and Blues are in place at Fury and TI. Flame would be part of Mission? Junior A is also an important piece of the equation to qualify.

Do you actually think that KM is not going to be a big part of this?

fury no longer has the equipment company for sponsorship, that deal went south.. it will most likely be ti/cya, going back to original 2 teams.

mission has only 2 sheets at seven bridges; fury and ti both have 3. wonder if that would hurt mission's candidacy.

mission could use addison as well for a total of 4 sheets, but ti and fury do have a one-location advantage over mission.

ti/fury as hpc's would also result in a defined geographic division of talent in the north and the south.

You are probably right, although, I don't think the AAA clubs will go away either. If you read the quidelines for the HPC's, it says that if a skater does not make the HPC, it still encourages that skater to play for their AAA club. It states it under the 13U, Bantam through Midget section.

does KM run or own fox valley also? Is that a factor?

that's where CYA plans on moving.

CYA....CMON WHO U CRAPPIN.Chance is less than zero.

they've been letting everyone know that they will have a new website/new coaches and new spring training, posted on their website, come february 1st, looks like they will be around still.

Ya that's solid proof.What else do you expect them to say?

Socailized hockey is not the answer. Comparisons to Europe are apples and oranges, hockey is THE sport in those countries. It will never be THE sport in the U.S. Why would anyone want to practice 4 times to every game 99.9% are playing for fun and the love of the game. Why change everything for so few. I guess so you can be the most skilled mens league player in the land. Dont bite, your kid could practice 7 days a week for eternity hes not playing in the NHL. Am I the only one who has seen the NCAA comercial about making a living off your education not your sport. NHL players are born not developed.

SURE THEY WILL STILL BE AROUND TO RIP OFF THE KIDS WHO DONT MAKE THE HPC TEAMS. NEW WEBSITE, NEW COACHES AND NO LEAGUE TO PLAY IN. MAYBE THEY WILL JOIN THE MID AM AT LEAST THEY WILL BE COMPETITIVE.

You are a joke and so is your kid. Maybe you can make a mends with your buddy Sam E. and carpool to your Ice Dogs practice next year.

Has anyone actually considered the fact that the new high performance clubs may be none of the current AAA organizations? From what I have read, there is no requirement that you must have current tier 1 status to be awarded a HPC designation. What would stop the Ice Dogs or another AA organizations with big numbers from becoming a HPC? I would think that USA hockey would consider facilities, location, and the number of kids currently in the program as being more important than whether or not you were a AAA organization in the past. In addition, the way the HPCs are required to be structured, it is important to have big numbers at all levels below bantam in order to act as a feeder into the upper levels. From what I have read, these HPCs look a lot like AAA organizations at bantam and above (one team at each birth year consisting of the best kids) and AA organizations at PeeWee and below (multiple teams, combined birth years and teams of balanced ability.) Being a current AAA organization means very little at this point. Once the HPCs are named, regardless if the club used to be a winning MWEHL club, NIHL club, etc, I would assume that kids/parents will eventually gravitate toward these HPCs as long as they are in the right geographical location and have the facilities to meet the demand.

I think a club like Affton in St Louis would be a better fit than most Central District AAA clubs. They have a huge AA program that can easily serve as a feeder once converted to the LTAD model, and have had a lot of success at Tier II Nationals in the past. They could bolt on an HPC team very easily. Not to mention their fees are dirt cheap compared to Chicago CSDHL & AAA hockey. Even a club like the Leafs could bolt an HPC team on top easily.

Not a chance that a AA organization will get an HPC without the help of a current AAA organization. AAA Organizations will get the HPC program. However they will have to have a AA feeder program attached to it. So the only way the Ice Dogs or Leafs become a part of the HPC is to align themselves with one of the AAA organizations. Question is who do they align with at this point? They might align with an organization that does not get selected.

It will not change a thing. It will still be a sport for the wealthy in this area. Again all the true talent will not get a fair shake at having thier chance. What will be the costs? Haven't read a thing about that. Will there be open tryouts, will they really scout the area talent? Doubtful around here.

I think it's funny you mention talent. There are so many kids playing AAA hockey in IL that have no business being there that it's comical. Two teams will trim away the crap way before it trims away the talent. Just look at the last names on the Tier 1 Committee and compare to the AAA rosters, and tell me that's not so funny it's sad for IL. C'mon, we don't need to fix this? You know deep down we do. Thank you USA Hockey.

What do u mean true talent doesn't get a fair shake?Did your son get cut from a team or does he play another sport because of the cost? We all know it's expensive and there probably isn't a one of us who at one time or another hasn't questioned our own sanity over it.That being said the pool of players is the pool of players and it's a result of not only the cost of the sport but also the fact that hockey is far from the number one sport in our town or in this country.Until that changes and politicians want to subsidize the rinks we play in (not very likely in this enviorment)there will always be economic barriers to entry.For anyone who loves the sport that sucks but it is what it is.

talent deceisions are a valid point. Who picks and do coaches sons automaticaly get a pass onto a team they dont belone on (IE TI95)?

First of all, its a great concept problem is not the plan its the implementation. Everybody knows which coaches develop and those that run systems, problem in illinois hockey and usa hockey not enough developers out there to pass on their knowledge. Face it you can't take a grinder and turn him into your skills coach. As I see it not enough skill coaches to go around, now throw in the fact that these organizations are adding more teams, well you see where I'm going. USA hockey has always had nice pretty manuals with pictures and drills. During the honeymoon all is going to be great, but continue to lose and out will come the dump and chase practices 3 times a week, 1 hour a day. With the exception of a few, all the rest don't have the staying power to continue with development. "the more things change the more they stay the same"

http://www.ahai2.org/ace/USAHRussiaTripSummary2-2008.pdf

We could now do this plan and have this type of conduct happen right in the good ol USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYFyrOL2uVE

With the way the economy is going moving to Russia may be a step up. Seeing is believing and until I see USA hockey step in and make sure our coaches are qualified like the russians do, then all this change will be for nothing. What has USA hockey put in place to hire the right coaches for this program? If you leave it up to the same organizations then its the same bender teaching the same bender philosophies.

The lawlessness of the russian hockey players is reknowned. Talk to some Blackhawk players who played with them when they were loaded with Russians. They loved their vodka and were, although talented, mostly under-achievers who played for themselves and had no real love of hockey. Not sure their model is the one anyone would want their sons developing in unless some tweaks are made that call for character and team development.

Dude! You dont have a clue. You have no idea what your talking about.

Sorry Icehawk but there is more truth in what he wrote than fiction.

I was getting ready to sign a bill that would force municipalities to build 8 sheet super rinks and outlaw football in the state of Illinois but unfortunately i was impeached before i could sign it...

Hey folks-smell the coffea,your son is either in or he is out.
If your son is not the top two HPC player by now,at his own age
group,he will never be one.Accept this and move on.Most D1 OR
NHL players were always the top ones at their age group and the ones who were not,dissipated over time or became what is called grinders.

Ex-NHL Player

no ex-nhl players use words like dissipated

The list of undrafted NHL players is pretty long, and did you forget that Chris Chelios got cut from his local Bantam team. I think you are stirring the pot, this USA hockey proposal is very solid and well structured. THere are many players that are late emergers so being in the top two at 12 or 15 or even 18 is not that important.

There is a little info on the MWEHL home page now . Nothing is set in stone so I guess we all wait .............

We have the best league in the country now why would they let USA goof it up, Chicago will follow the Detroit teams with a no vote you watch

That is exactly the problem, you have the league and you won't let people in like St Louis even though we have the top rated 98.97.96 teams in the country. So who benefits, the selfish few.

st. louis is in the league, what are you smoking

only at Midget major you know nothing in the division with pittsburgh etc, not in the main deal with the Chicago teams

...from someone not in Chicago or Detroit...

* Detroit parents - and to a lesser degree Chicago parents - need to get over themselves. Yes, there are good things about the hockey programs there and they do produce good players. But, the push of AAA teams below the PeeWee level is part of the problem that USA Hockey is trying to address. Kids at that age shouldn't be playing AAA IMHO.

* St. Louis is only in the MWEHL at the Midget Major level.

* If the MWEHL was smart, they would extend what they've implemented at the Midget Major level down thru the PeeWee level. This would accomplish much of what USA HOckey wants to do with the HPC teams. They could look to add a South and/or East division, but I don't think there would be enough interest in thos areas.

Good points but wouldn't USA hockey be better to run that league than MWEHL, for years the MWEHL has excluded ST. Louis, and let's face facts, the ST Louis Blues Midget Majors play in the B league of the MWEHL anyway. The HPC concept is right whether is gets adopted or not.

I think the Cleveland folks might take offense at the B league idea, seeing how they won the MM last year and was near top at minors the year before that.

But, I could see some restructruing of the divisions to include an eastern division, with St. Louis in with the Chicago teams & Madison. Cleveland could go with the Detroit teams. Hornets, Mahoning Valley could join an Eastern divsion with maybe Buffalo, Rochester,, ???