
NEMHL News
Updated 8-November-2008
Update on Ryan Greeley
Updated 24-October-2008
Saratoga Midget Tournament

http://www.saratogahockey.org/tournaments.php
for more information on this exciting opportunity for your team.
Updated 12-October-2008
A player and his coach
Updated 13-September-2008
Season begins
In a rematch from last season's Division 1 championship game, the season started with Bay State hosting the Watertown Redwings on Saturday night. They proved to be inhospitable hosts as the Bucs shut-out the Redwings, 3-0, in a great game from start to finish. Watch the schedule as it unfolds for more exciting games in the next few weeks of this season. To highlight the schedule which will be be produced by John Leimonas in the very near future, November 1st is the next milestone as teams are divided into Divisions 1 and 2. The playoffs have been set for March 13-15 in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more information on the playoffs, please contact Scott Springli (fcescott@nycap.rr.com).
Updated 30-August-2008
First Game of the Season
The first game of the 2008-2009 season of the NEMHL has been scheduled! In a repeat of the Division 1 finals from last season, Division 1 Champion Bay State Buccaneers will be facing off against Division 1 Regular Season Champion Watertown Redwings at Olympia 2 on Saturday, September 6 at 4:30 PM, following the NEMHL Annual Meeting in West Springfield.
Updated 17-August-2008
Upcoming Season
Updated 12-June-2008
Midget Showcase Tournament

Bay State Buccaneers announce a Midget Showcase Tournament to be held over the Christmas holidays. Please refer to the following hyperlink
http://www.baystatebuccaneers.com/tournament.htm
for more information on this exciting opportunity for your team.
Updated 6-April-2008
CT Chiefs

The League is proud to welcome the addition of the CT Chiefs - two teams to play in two divisions for the 2008-2009 season. They will boast the best logo in all of professional sports - the Chicago Black Hawks jersey logo. GM/Head Coach Brandon Johnson continues his relationship with the NEMHL through this partnership. More information on the new teams can be found at http://www.connecticutchiefs.com/.
Updated 9-March-2008
NEMHL Championships
Wallingford Hawks take the inaugural Division 3 championship with a 9-7 win over the Clifton Park Eagles II in only their second season in the NEMHL. Griffin Flames lift the Division 2 trophy after defeating hometown Saratoga Blue Knights, 3-2, for their second divisional title in 4 years. Bay State Buccaneers won their second consecutive Division 1 title, 4-3, in an exciting 5-shooter sudden death shoot-out over season champion Watertown Redwings. This is the first time since 1999-2000 when the Seahawks repeated for the Division 1 title. Congratulations to Head Coaches Bob Vitale, Dave Gaudreau, and Erik Tondera, respectively, for leading their teams to victories. Importantly, there were no losers in these championship games as all 3 games were highly competitive and undecided until the very end of regulation play or in overtime, as verified by the high heart rates of all 6 Head Coaches and parents. Coupled with an exciting All-Star game and an emotional banquet, we enjoyed a great weekend to end our 10th anniversary season. Congratulations to all players, coaches, and parents who participated in this historic season.

Bay State Buccaneers - Division 1 champions
Griffin Flames - Division 2 champions

Wallingford Hawks - Division 3 champions
Updated 29-February-2008
All-Stars announced
The All-Star game will be played at 9:30 PM this Friday. Special rules apply:
| CT All-Stars | ||||
| Head Coach: Carl Bard | ||||
| Assistant Coaches: All CT Head Coaches | ||||
| No. | Player | Team | Position | |
| 29 | Matt | Giuffre | Watertown | Goalie |
| 31 | Sean | Fayer | Watertown | Goalie |
| 54 | Max | Kneeland | Seahawks | Goalie |
| 2 | Sean | Herlihy | S Windsor | Forward |
| 2 | Dan | Radke | CT Riptide | Defense |
| 4 | Chris | Buckman | Hamden | Defense |
| 4 | Ryan | Kessler | Wallingford | Forward |
| 4 | Sean | O'Brien | S Windsor | Defense |
| 5 | Evan | Lavoie | Bridgeport | Forward |
| 6 | Shane | Makowicki | Bridgeport | Forward |
| 6 | James | Marsh | Middlesex | Forward |
| 9 | Greg | Olschan | CT Riptide | Forward |
| 11 | Colton | Craig | SEC Seahawks | Forward |
| 12 | David | Newton | Hamden | Forward |
| 17 | Nevan | Bard | Watertown | Forward |
| 18 | Jesse | Kanaple | W Hartford | Forward |
| 18 | Marc | Haschak | Watertown | Forward |
| 19 | Matt | Schafer | SEC Seawawks | Forward |
| 19 | John | Vlahos | Wallingford | Forward |
| 20 | Tim | Johnson | W Hartford | Defense |
| 21 | Chris | Smith | Middlesex | Defense |
| 21 | Tim | Demaio | CT Riptide | Forward |
| 24 | Tony | Cerino | Seahawks | Forward |
| NY/MA All-Stars | ||||
| Head Coach: Don Torrico | ||||
| Assistant Coaches: All NY & MA Head Coaches | ||||
| No. | Player | Team | Position | |
| 3 | Shane | Conklin | Saratoga | Goalie |
| 30 | Ned | Torrico | Albany | Goalie |
| 34 | Todd | Pescetta | Bay State | Goalie |
| 2 | Ethan | Sobel | Bay State | Defense |
| 4 | Shane | Mitchum | CD Comets | Defense |
| 4 | Jeff | Finkel | Albany | Defense |
| 5 | Kyle | Geraci | TAYHA | Forward |
| 11 | James | Richau | Saratoga | Defense |
| 15 | Jay | McCarthy | CD Comets | Defense |
| 16 | Matt | Drescher | CP-2 | F/D |
| 16 | Kyle | Breen | Albany | Defense |
| 18 | TJ | Abbott | TAYHA | Defense |
| 19 | Tom | Bennett | TAYHA | Forward |
| 20 | Mike | Valente | CP-2 | Forward |
| 21 | Austin | LaPierre | Bay State | Forward |
| 23 | Mark | Mastin | Albany | Forward |
| 25 | Mitch | Croce | CP-1 | Defense |
| 26 | Chris | VanAlstyne | CP-1 | Forward |
| 26 | Tyler | Gaudreau | Griffin | Forward |
| 33 | Ryan | Lynch | Saratoga | Defense |
| 60 | Matt | Hill | Griffin | Defense |
| 73 | Ben | Olszewski | Saratoga | Forward |
| 96 | Michael | Aitken | Saratoga | Forward |
Updated 23-February-2008
Upcoming playoffs
To All Member Teams,
As we head into the final weekend of regular season play before starting an
exciting playoff weekend in Saratoga NY, I would like to review a few items.
The weekend represents great games, an All-Star game which is always a
premier event, and a League banquet to recognize last season's champions and
this season's regular season champions. Our annual scholarships will also be
presented as well as many other League-related programs. That being said,
especially for our newer teams, the following will take place all weekend.
- All players will need a picture ID and it must be presented at check-in for
each game.
- Attire for the banquet should be collared shirts and slacks. No jeans,
T-shirts, and sneakers are allowed.
- Any penalties incurred during the final weekend, as needed, will carryover
into the playoffs. Play smart and everyone will be available to their teams
for all playoff games.
- Any League business that needs to be conducted at the playoffs will be by
the appropriate committees. Any game-related issues must be reported to me at
the conclusion of that game.
Let's make this the best playoff weekend yet on our 10th anniversary as a
League. Play hard, respect everyone, and most of all, Have Fun! Let the
games begin.
See you in Saratoga!
Lee Barsom
Sr. VP-NEMHL
Updated 23-January-2008
NEMHL playoff program
To all team managers, coaches, parents, and players:
The playoff program book is in need of advertisements, team photos, and rosters. This information must be in immediately to be able to have this book complete by the start of the playoffs. Please forward all team photos to Raymond Schmitz along with advertisements via e-mail. Please contact Ray Schmitz if there are any questions. It is urgent to get this information in so the book can be laid out and begin publishing and ready for the upcoming playoffs. Advertisements that are provided halp defray your team plyoffs costs and support the scholarship fund.
Ray Schmitz
Updated 10-December-2007
NEMHL partners with Harrow Sports
The NEMHL is partnering with Harrow/Christian Sports. As part of the sponsorship program, Harrow/Christian offers a 20% team discount on all of their products, the full line of apparel, as well as any custom items (i.e., uniforms, sticks, bags, etc). Harrow will also extend a 50% coach’s discount on any product sold as a one-time coach’s demo.
After a team has placed an order with Harrow Sports, you will then have the option of creating a Virtual Team Store (VTS). The VTS allows for parents, fans, and players to order your team’s custom apparel and/or equipment directly from your team store website.
CT Riptide have already formed a VTS
and benefited from the quality of Harrow products. You can view their VTS at
http://www.harrowsports.com/stores/riptide.
To better understand Harrow products and organization of Harrow Sports, visit their website by clicking on the Harrow logo located above. The League is honored to partner with Harrow as we share the same values: character, integrity, and tradition.
Updated 1-December-2007
Paul Beaudry
A
service was held today to celebrate the life of Paul Beaudry, former outstanding
hockey player for Schenectady Chargers. Paul led his team in goals, assists,
and points and ranked amongst the top 10 scorers in the League during its
inaugural season (1998-1999), despite fighting cystic fibrosis which left him
frequently hospitalized after a weekend of hockey games. Because of his
perseverence without allowing his disease to slow him down, Paul was named the
first recipient of the Cleary Award of Courage. I think a couple of emails from
that season highlight Paul and his courage:
From:
"Paul Beaudry" <beaudry@superior.net>
To: <davidrluke@email.msn.com>
Subject: THANKS
Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 3:55 PM
DR. LUKE,
THANK YOU FOR THE FLOWERS THEY WERE GREAT. I GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL ON 2-19 AND PLAYED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. A REPRESENTATIVE ALSO CAME TO SEE HOW I WAS DOING. I WAS ALL SET THOUGH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS LEAGUE.
PAUL BEAUDRY #23 SCHENECATDY TEAM
and (from Maryanne Reidy, Team Manager of Schenectady)...
From: <Jjdmom@aol.com>
To: <DavidRLuke@email.msn.com>
Subject: Re: Paul
Date: Thursday, February 18, 1999 6:05 PM
Paul B. is going to be on TV. Apparently channel 13 is doing a human interest story and interviewed him at the hospital. They may be at our game on Sat. Al said he will try to get a copy of the tape for you . Bye, Maryanne
Below is part of the speech I gave when awarding Paul the Cleary Award along with Caitlyn Cleary's parents, Don and Patty Cleary. Paul had a double lung transplant in 2006 but succumbed to complications last week. His parents informed the League of his passing on the day of his passing - there is no greater tribute to what we are achieving than the memory of Paul and his parents. He will be remembered by his family, friends, and the entire NEMHL family, as the Cleary Award for Courage will now be named the Cleary/Beaudry Award for Courage. Our deepest sympathy is extended to the Beaudry family as we fondly remember Paul's life. He is an icon of excellence that we all strive to achieve.
Dave Luke
President/Founder, NEMHL
Award speech (truncated):
It is with this sentiment that I am proud to announce the first recipient of the Cleary award. Playing through personal hardships, Mr. Paul Beaudry has consistently displayed the high ideals of the game of hockey – tough, gritty play while leading his team in goals, assists, and total points. Amazingly, Mr. Beaudry has a chronic illness that would typically obviate the ability to play hockey. Indeed, he was hospitalized for a week, and then the next day after release from the hospital, played in two games and was the leading point-getter for the Schenectady team. Never boasting of his accomplishments, Mr. Beaudry also does not complain of his chronic illness – obviously a worthy candidate for the Cleary award.
Updated 17-November-2007
Scholarships
for seniors
.jpg)
Attention Seniors and Parents thereof:
It’s time to start the Application process for the NEMHL Scholarship Program. The NEMHL awards 4 scholarships of $500 each to those players attending post secondary studies. The Scholarship Committee evaluates the following criteria in determining award recipients (not limited to): personal essay, recommendation letters from coaches, teachers and others, sportsmanship (penalty minutes and type), community service including employment and volunteer activities and academics. Regarding academics, an applicant does not have to be an A or B student. All information requested on the application is considered to choose award recipients. The Application and information can be found on the League website: http://www.nemhl.net/ScholarshipApplication.htm. Any questions may be directed to John Mishoe, Director of Scholarships, e-mail dehns@aol.com. Phone (518) 583-4403.
Sincerely,
John Mishoe
Updated 14-November-2007
Bethlehem Eagles withdraw from NEMHL

Bethlehem Eagles announced to the League today that they no longer will be participating in League play. This will result in a schedule change for all remaining teams. We apologize for any disruption in your plans and hope that you demonstrate patience as we set a new schedule for games played until 31-Dec, whereupon we shall split teams into divisions for primarily intra-divisional games.
Updated 31-October-2007
Tournament
update and divisional breakouts
Two items of interest:
Thus, the message to players, coaches, and parents is to hang in there and inequity of play will be diminished for all of you on January 1st.
Updated 25-August-2007
10th anniversary
On August 30, 1998, representatives of
seven Midget teams met at the Quality Inn & Suites in Brattleboro VT to discuss
an opportunity with Dave Luke. Representing the teams were Al Dannes and
Maryanne Reidy of Schenectady, Mark Dumais of Newington CT, Toni and Ron Ciccone
of Rutland, Kim White and Tom Clark of Saratoga, Kent Porter of Essex VT, Barb
and Fred Wengrzynek of Columbia CT, and Waneta Lenk, Dick Bernardo, and Todd
Machnik of the SEC Seahawks. The NorthEastern Midget Hockey League was born
from this meeting and 2500 players and 2500 games later, we are celebrating our
10th anniversary in the upcoming 2007-2008 season. To recognize this
milestone, all players (and if desired coaches) will wear the new anniversary
patch. The new patch will be handed out at the Annual Meeting.

Updated 12-March-2007
We are the
Champions
|
Updated 2-March-2007
ALL-STARS for Friday night's game. Congratulations to everyone.
Connecticut The World
Goalies Goalies
31 Shawn Fayer (Watertown) 1 Crockett Pack (Clifton Park)
35 Nick Albert (Watertown) 3 Shane Conklin (Saratoga)
54 Max Kneeland (Seahawks) 33 Ryan Lynch (Adirondack)
Skaters Skaters
6 James Stewart (Griffin) 2 Chris Cowan (Albany)
11 Mark Bartolomeo (Watertown) 4 Sean Kanaly (Adirondack)
14 Chris Buckman (Hamden) 6 Chris VanAlstyne (Clifton)
15 Sean Kelly (W Hartford) 7 Rylee Merrill (CD Comets)
16 Chris Belli (W Hartford) 9 David Aitken (Adirondack)
17 AJ Silberman (CT Clippers) 12 Bobby Rash (Bucs)
17 Nevan Bard (Watertown) 13 TJ Ouelette (Bethlehem)
19 Matt Schafer (Seahawks) 13 Paul Ketchum (Braves)
20 Brian Mauhs (Hamden) 14 Kevin Syrotynski (Comets)
22 Scott St Germain (Watertown) 15 Sean Beard (Adirondack)
26 Tyler Gaudreau (Griffin) 15 Steve Nieminski (Saratoga)
26 Troy Miller (CT Clippers) 16 Kyle Breen (Albany)
28 Ethan Clarke (Seahawks) 17 Niles Hartley (Bethlehem)
29 Zach Mordenti (Watertown) 18 Steve Reese (Clifton)
41 Ryan Kessler (Wallingford) 18 Bill Casey (Adirondack)
49 Dean Thibodeau (S Windsor) 19 Derek Belisle (Bucs)
51 John Potrzeba (Griffin) 22 Nick Rainville (Comets)
51 Don Munson (S Windsor) 73 Ben Olszewski (Saratoga)
51 Matt Gnatowski (Seahawks) 77 Ryan Greeley (Braves)
77 Bobby Vitale (Wallingford) 77 Garrison Gamble (Bucs)
Updated 19-February-2007
Bird
watchers: Hawk and Dragon soar to new heights
|
For all of you craving good news in our League, check out the box scores for the following two games and the efforts of the goaltenders: |
|
|
|
|
|
Clifton Park Eagles - Wallingford Hawks game on Sunday, February 18, 2007. Two birds, one Division 1 (Eagles) and one Division 2 (Hawks), battled to a 5-1 victory for the Eagles. Of importance, however, is not the D1 win over a D2 team, rather, the magnitude of Eagle dominance and the outstanding, stand on your ear, performance of the Hawk goalie, Zack Newirth. Starting with a short bench, the Hawks valiantly held off the Eagles until the third period, whereupon the Eagles pocketed 2 goals to win 5-1. Hawk Zack Newirth faced 77 shots in the game, stopping all but 5. These numbers are staggering; he faced 26, 26, and 25 shots in the first, second, and third periods, respectively. |
Watertown Redwings – Hamden Dragons game on Sunday, February 18, 2007. The Redwings of Division 1 beat the Dragons, 6-0, at Taft School. The Dragons were badly outshot by the Redwings, 82 – 11, as Carlos Santos, Hamden netminder, dealt with more rubber than Goodyear. The red light only lit 6 times when it could have burnt out if not for the valiant efforts of Mr. Santos. Of importance in this game is that it was an AWAY game for the Dragons, so no one should be able to accuse the scorekeeper of being biased towards his own goaltender. Like Mr. Newirth of the Hawks, Mr. Santos faced 27, 39, and 16 shots in the first, second, and third periods, respectively. |
|
Congratulations go to both goaltenders. |
|
Updated 7-February-2007
Conduct unbecoming a League
To: All Players, Coaches, and Parents in the NEMHL
In my position in the League, I see lots of e-mail. Monday's are always a busy day especially after a full weekend of games. I hear about players receiving penalties that they didn't deserve, about players deserving penalties they didn't receive, about poor officiating, about obnoxious parents, about obnoxious players, about obnoxious coaches, and about obnoxious Officials. I can supply answers to the majority of these e-mails by going to the USA Hockey Rules, the NEMHL Rules, or by consulting with other board members for their input and opinions. These answers are not always what the initiator of the e-mail may have hoped to hear and I figure for every person I satisfy, there will be one that I anger. I have resigned myself to making 50% of the people happy 50% of the time; it's the nature of the job that I volunteered to accept.
With that as a backdrop, I have an issue that I wish to address with everyone associated with the NEMHL. This one may anger more than it pleases, but I'll take that chance as I feel strongly about what I'm about to say and I feel strongly that I've earned the right to say it. I want to address the issue of Respect: Respect for the game of hockey, respect for the opposing player, respect for your coach, respect for the Officials, respect for your parents, respect for your kids, respect for your fellow parents, and so on. My concern is the total lack of respect I see at some the NEMHL games of which I have attended. I see players looking foolish as they use more energy to run their mouths than that they do to skate for a loose puck. I see coaches who've forgotten who the adults are as they rant and rave about the officials or humiliate one of their own players for a mistake that was made. I see parents setting a horrible example for their children as they scream negatively at each other or people on the ice. I look back, as a hockey Dad for 14 years, and see me doing some of those same exact things and realize now how wrong they were. Now that I have no personal attachment to a player or even to a particular team, it's clear to me how this negative behavior takes away from what should be a positive experience for everyone involved. I wish someone had told me that a few years ago and I'm hoping that this message will make some of you see the need to change this type of behavior.
To the players: Plain and simple: hockey can be a tough game and things will happen in the course of a game that will have you bumping heads with someone. At the split second this happens, you and only you can decide how to handle it. Sometimes penalties will occur; that's part of the game. Anyone that knows me will tell you that I love to watch a fast-paced, hard-hitting game of hockey. I understand that in a game like that, there will be times that situations will arise that have to run their course. What I cannot understand and cannot tolerate is the trash-talking garbage that I see at too many games. I'm concerned that some players get this behavior confused with being tough; the two are miles apart. I have a lot of respect for a good, hard-nosed hockey player that can play within the rules and I have no respect for a "punk'". I'm happy to report that the "punks" are in the minority but they're still out there nonetheless and I can pick them out in the first 10 minutes of any game I attend. I can also pick out the good skaters, big hitters, the slick passers and awesome goalies and those are the guys I want to watch. I don't want that ruined by a couple of clowns running around yapping and trying to convince everyone how cool or how tough they are. The best way to show your opponent up is to go around him and score a goal or rock him with a good, clean check. If all you've got for somebody is running your mouth, you're in the wrong sport and are not welcome in this League. You all are lucky to be playing this great game at an advanced level as many players quit before they hit Midgets. Enjoy the moment and go out and do something people will talk about because it was so good, not because it was so stupid.
To the coaches: You guys may or may not even realize how important your position is. Teaching your players the game of hockey is one thing but there's so much more that they learn from being around a team and understanding those dynamics and from observing how you handle situations before, during, and after the game. Screaming at an Official or at one of your own players may be considered by some a coaching "style", but at this age and ability level, it's garbage. None of the players or coaches in this League are headed for the NHL or any other professional league for that matter. You have made the sacrifice of your time and offered it to help these kids and you should use every minute of that time in a positive manner. Sure there's discipline and explaining to a player when he makes a mistake but it can all be a positive learning experience or a negative one. I have noticed that many times a team takes on the personality of it's coach and I suspect this is a normal thing. Take a minute and think about that as the power you have to influence your team is tremendous and with that power comes responsibility. Use it wisely for the kids’ sake.
To the Parents: This game is about the kids and nothing else. It's not about having to win every game, it's not about being the champions, it's about the kids having fun in an environment that encourages them to be the best they can be and reaching to see where that point actually is. They should be encouraged and game-day should be a fun day for the family and not one that ends with arguments and hard feelings with the opposing parents or players. Until your last child has played his/her last game, you cannot possibly understand how much you will miss the madness that we as hockey parents have learned to take for granted. It is such a wonderful time of your child's and your lives that you deserve to enjoy each and every minute of it and not allow negative behavior to steal any of that time away from you – it will be gone soon enough.
To Everyone: All three of these groups are an integral part of the hockey experience and it's critical to see how they interact with one another. Any one of the three can start a snow-ball effect that can consume the other two. The two teams can go out and play an awesome end-to-end game and both coaches and parents can just sit back and watch and enjoy. The flip-side is that the negative snowball can roll and at times, it seems like it rolls even faster to the point that confrontations are taking place on the ice, in the stands, and between the two benches. Let's get things rolling in a positive manner at each and every game and hope that can carry through. If you forget everything I've written, please remember this: When the two teams shake hands, whatever happened before that is over and nothing should carry over past that moment. Perhaps we should have a hand-shake line that includes everybody: parents, players, and coaches and that could signal closure for all parties. Would've been nice to have had that in Northford a couple weeks ago and that's certainly not the only example. To spin off an over-used phrase, "What Happens on the Ice, Stays on the Ice". Let's all agree to make this our motto.
Hopefully, you made it through my little rant and I thank you for that. I'm sure that a good percentage of you will have read this and determine none of it applies to you and that's great. Some will read it and maybe find something that they can think about and maybe change their behavior just a bit. I'll be able to judge the impact next Monday when I open my e-mail. Good luck with the rest of your season and I'll see you in Saratoga.
Ron Vajnar
V.P./Director of Hockey Operations
NEMHL
Updated 31-January-2007
At least once during the hockey season, we all need to be reminded about behavior at our hockey games. This behavior applies to players, coaches and parents. The reminder this season comes in the form of an incident that occurred this past Sunday, January 28 in Northford, Connecticut. The end result was arrest of the coach for assaulting a parent from the opposing team after a Pee Wee game (click here to see the Channel 8 News report).
So maybe this type of reminder would have been helpful to the folks involved in this incident, but I am hoping this story will remind all of us how to behave at NEMHL hockey games. These are games involving the four key stakeholders: coaches, parents, officials, and, most importantly, the players. Players of course also need this reminder, but more often than not, it is the adult behavior that is the real problem.
For the remainder of this season, and hopefully for the rest of your youth hockey experience, please remember that this is a game for the players and not spoil it with bad behavior by our parents and coaches.
Enjoy the remainder of the hockey season!
Updated 24-January-2007
To: Players, Coaches, Officials, Families of Member Teams
This past week will live forever in the history of the NEMHL but not on a positive note. Evidence was presented and verified by admission that a member team was rostering and playing 4 players who were also on high school teams, in direct violation of this fundamental rule. Never in the 9-year history of the League has a violation of this magnitude needed to be addressed.
The NEMHL was originally founded as a League for high school-aged players who had no other team to play on, including a high school team. At that time, many areas had no high school teams and the majority of Midget programs were only for time period until the high school teams initiated play. Many Midget teams would then re-group after the school season ended. This left many young men and women with no place to play after completing the Bantam levels with their local youth hockey organizations. The rule regarding not being able to play high school hockey and play in the NEMHL came about to assure that high school players would not displace roster positions or ice-time away from these players who had no option of where they could play.
Importantly, this rule was not initiated to address the talent level of the players involved, rather provide a forum for skilled athletes to continue playing hockey. Over the years, there have been individuals and teams in the NEMHL that would put many high school programs to shame. As the League became established and developed with greater guidelines, many players who had the option to play high school hockey chose instead to play in the NEMHL. The reasons a player would choose one over the other are varied and in most cases a matter of personal choices. It could be the thrill of representing your school or it could be wanting to play 40-50 games as opposed to the shorter school season. It could be the opportunity to win a post-secondary school scholarship or the more restrictive rules which lead to greater safety for our young men and women. Regardless of the reason, they made choices and lived by them.
Last week's situation was about players who could not, nor would not make these choices. It was about players who felt they were somehow above the rules of the League. Organized sports should help these young men prepare for many lessons of which they will need later in their lives and making choices is only one of them. The hard lesson learned here is that your actions have consequences for which you will be held accountable.
The other truly discouraging point of this chain of events is the shadow it casts over the League. The NEMHL has always trusted the integrity of each individual team to follow the rules and has not tried to secretly or publicly watch over their respective shoulders. When an incident such as this arises, it raises questions and doubts amongst not only League Officials but other teams as well. Could it be that this was the only team violating the rules? While we would all like to think otherwise, this incident has raised the specter that there may be other cheaters amongst us. Thus, Lee Barsom, Chair of Rules, has issued an e-mail regarding photo ID as a first step to address these concerns. We have always used this method of roster verification during the Play-Offs but never in the regular season. It is a hard pill to swallow that in a League based on Sportsmanship and doing the right things, we discover that people will break the rules for their own personal reasons.
The team involved has been given the following penalties:
Although we hope not to have to address this situation again, every team should be advised that future violations will carry even stricter sanctions that could include removing the entire team from the League. We will not tolerate this type of behavior, but at the same time will not create some undercover network to police everyone’s every step. We have purposely left the name of the team and the individual players out of this memo as the message is about moving on, not dwelling on this incident. The League has learned something from this and we expect that all member teams will as well.
Good luck with the remainder of the 2nd half and we look forward to seeing you at the Play-Offs in Saratoga.
Ron Vajnar
VP/Director of Hockey Operations
NEMHL
David R Luke
Founder/President
NEMHL
Updated 16-January-2007
.jpg)
NEMHL scholarship awardees Andy Goyer, Collin Sumera, Tim Louer, and Cameron Craig for the 2005-2006 season. Don't miss out on applying for the NEMHL post-secondary school $500 scholarships. We are awarding at least four academic scholarships to those players furthering their education in US universities and colleges. This represents the third year of awarding academic scholarships, paid through generous donations and the end-of-season raffle and silent auctions at the season-ending playoffs. To apply, complete the application form and submit to the League Executive Secretary by February 16, 2007.
Updated 15-December-2006
Congratulations go out to the Seahawks Midget team for representing the Seahawks proudly in Lake Placid, New York this past weekend at the Canadian Hockey Enterprises American Cup tournament. The Seahawk Midget team made it to the gold medal game on Sunday by going 1-1-1 in preliminary round games. In the gold medal game, the Seahawks played the West Mall Lightning (AA team from Toronto) and came up short by a 6-0 score.
Shooter and Relay Award Winners
Congratulations go out to Austin Samson for winning the shooter competition, and to Matt Gnatowski and Austin Samson for winning the relay race. Austin won the shooter competition with an incredible behind the back mid-air shot (click here to view a video of this acrobatic shot).
Updated 9-December-2006
The new website is updated and awaiting a couple of upgrades (e.g., tracking the sportsmanship and defensemen leaders). Please feel free to forward any comments and augmentations to the website to President@NEMHL.org. Sportzone offers many opportunities to tailor our website to meet our needs.
Updated 5-January- 2007
| Anthony Louis "Tony" Cerino | ||
Stonington
- Anthony Louis Cerino, 45, died Jan. 5, 2007, at his home in Lords Point
after a courageous battle with ALS.
Tony is survived by his devoted wife, Maria (Kodman) Cerino and his cherished children, Tony, Jimmy, and Lauren. Tony will be sadly missed by his parents, Joseph and Barbara Cerino of South Kingston, R.I.; his sister, Barbara and her husband, Kevin, of Shelton; brother, Joseph and his wife, Kathy, of Higganum; and grandfather, Anthony Louis of Stratford. Tony was predeceased by his loving brother, Raymond. Tony is also survived by his parents-in-law, Val and Barbara Kodman of Wallingford; sister-in-law, Valerie Kodman; and brother-in-law, James Kodman and his wife, Paula; in addition to nephews, Joseph and Raymond; and nieces, Meghan, Kristen, and Holly. Tony had many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who will miss him dearly. Tony worked as an environmental editor for Business and Legal Reports in Old Saybrook. He was a graduate of the University of Bridgeport and Shelton High School. Tony treasured watching his sons play hockey for the Southeastern Connecticut Seahawks, where he had been actively involved and was a member of the board. He also loved to watch his sons play baseball with Pawcatuck Little League, where he helped coach both his sons' teams. Tony also loved living in Lords Point, and enjoyed fishing, boating, swimming, and scuba diving. His family will greet relatives and friends from 2 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday at The Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl St., historic downtown Mystic. A service will be conducted at 5 p.m., and a reception for family and friends will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cerino Children's Education Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 23 Broadway, CT-082, Mystic CT 06355, or to the ALS Association, 4 Oxford Road, Unit D1, Milford CT 06460. |
||
Updated 23-November-2006
Undefeated Rutgers was stunned by Cincinnati, but more importantly, the Watertown Redwings, undefeated in 17 games, lost to Clifton Park Eagles, 1-0, with 2005-2006 All-Star Crocket Pack stopping all 61 shots. The Eagles better their record to 3-5-0 with the home victory.
Updated 22-November 2006
The website is undergoing significant change and should be ready for "prime time" during the Thanksgiving break. Thank you for your patience during this time of change.
Updated 27-October-2006
In light of our recent vote regarding the 3-penalty rule, I think this may add humor to an obviously passionate issue:

Updated 22-October-2006
Based upon a vote of the NEMHL coaches, the 3-penalty rule has been re-enforced by a vote of 8-3 with 2 teams requesting further experience in the League, 2 suggesting 4 penalties per game, and 1 seeking abstention. There is no doubt that the League coaches prefer the 3-penalty rule but hopefully those who voted for the 5-penalty rule & associated further game misconduct understand the benefits of the 3-penalty rule and its positive effects on player safety. It is important to note that the Executive Board members did not tally in the vote, of whom would have overwhelmingly supported the 3-penalty rule.
Updated 15-September-2006
The Season
has started! Welcome to all 16 teams from 3 states to the largest League
in the Northeast USA. Let's have fun and play smart hockey. 
Thanks to Dean Thibodeau for his artwork
Updated 10-September-2006
The NorthEastern Midget Hockey League welcomes the addition of the West Hartford Wolves (formerly Newington Night Hawks; 3rd season), Hamden Dragons, Bay State Buccaneers, Adirondack Black Bears (2nd season), Wallingford Hawks, and the South Windsor Knights for the 2006-2007 season. Returning to the League are the Griffin Flames (9th season), Saratoga Blue Knights (9th season), SEC Seahawks (8th season), Clifton Park Eagles (6th season), Albany Capitals (5th season), CD Comets (3rd season), Mass/Conn Braves (3rd season), Bethlehem Eagles (2nd season), CT Clippers (2nd season), and Watertown Red Wings (2nd season).
Updated 15-March-2006

PLAYOFFS 2005 – 2006 PICTURES AVAILABLE. REFER TO PHOTO GALLERY FOR PICTURES OF AWARD AND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AS WELL AS PLAYOFF GAME PHOTOS. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD ANY OR ALL PICTURES TO YOUR COMPUTER.
Updated 12-March-2006
Division 1 Playoff Champions

Mass/Conn Braves II
Division 2 Playoff Champions

Albany Capitals
Updated 12-March-2006
Mass/Conn Braves II entered the League this season with trepidations, thinking they could not skate with the older boys. Did they prove themselves wrong! Going into a 5-player shootout with the CT Clippers, the Braves won the Division I title, 4-3, against a formidable opponent. There were no losers in this game as both teams exemplified the ideals of the League: sportsmanship, excellence, and a never say die attitude. Albany Capitals prevailed over the home Saratoga Blue Knights with an OT win, 3-2, to win the Division 2 title. Congratulations to all 4 finalists.
Updated 9-March-2006
ALL-STAR SELECTIONS
New England Conference
Lee Barsom, Head Coach
Arnie Askwith, Asst Coach
Scott Busey, Asst Coach
Bryan Healy, Asst Coach
Tom Scanlon, Asst Coach
Rennie Sumera, Asst Coach
Peter Whitney, Asst Coach
Niko Langlois, M/C Braves II
Ross Mocko, CT Clippers
Ryan Nowak, Columbia Cougars
Chris Blake, Watertown Redwings
Bryan Bohn, Columbia Cougars
Ethan Clark, SEC Seahawks
Kyle Doane, CT Clippers
Cam Napolitano, M/C Braves II
Brian Rich, Griffin Flames
Tony Saltmarsh, M/C Braves
Matt Baker, Watertown Redwings
Sam Brown, Columbia Cougars
Cameron Craig, SEC Seahawks
Mike Forbotnick, CT Clippers
Mark Glidden, M/C Braves
Zach Hill, Griffin Flames
Mike Kaselouskas, M/C Braves II
Bobby Rash, M/C Braves (Asst Captain)
Tim Richter, Watertown Redwings
Austin Samson, SEC Seahawks
Tyler Scanlon, M/C Braves II
Matt Schafer, CT Clippers
Collin Sumera, Griffin Flames (Asst Captain)
Mike Thibodeau, Cougars (Captain)
New York Conference
Tim Flanigan, Head Coach
Andre Rodrigue, Asst Coach
Andy Ross, Asst Coach
Barney Rubenstein, Asst Coach
Ray Schmitz, Asst Coach
Jim Sullivan, Asst Coach
Crockett Pack, CP Eagles
Sean Murnane, CD Comets
Ryan Lynch, Saratoga Blue Knights
Kyle Cooper, Albany Capitals
Alex Guntner, Bethlehem Eagles
Jake Hyldelund, CD Comets
Steve Nieminski, CP Eagles
Ethan Rubenstein, Saratoga Blue Knights
Peter Smith, T/A Rivermen
Richie Ahern, Saratoga Blue Knights
Darren Conoby, Bethlehem Eagles
Carl DeLucia, CP Eagles
Kevin Fairchild, T/A Rivermen
Greg Jacot, Saratoga Blue Knights
Max Keado, T/A Rivermen
Lucas Leveille, CD Comets
Clay Miller, Bethlehem Eagles
Nick Phelps, CD Comets (Asst Captain)
Adam Ross, Albany Capitals
Eddy Springli, CP Eagles (Asst Captain)
Chris Wiltey, Albany Capitals (Captain)
CONGRATULATIONS!
Updated 6-March-2006
Let the Games Begin
NEMHL 2005-6 Playoffs
On behalf of the NEMHL Rules and Disciplinary Committee, we wish to thank the teams, players, coaches, parents and volunteers who have exhibited sportsmanship and worked so hard on and off the ice during this season. You have collectively helped make this a successful season for all of the fans who enjoy the great sport of amateur ice hockey.
From the first drop of the puck in September 2005, to the last regular season game, it has been an exciting six months. We hope you are now looking forward to participating in the upcoming playoffs. On average, each team has played about 36 NEMHL games totaling about 235 games across the League. Thanks to our terrific web site, we all know the outcome, stats, and rankings every which way possible. We’ve all done the math. This committee can even tell you exactly how many penalties there were of each type by player and team….but we won’t do that here and now.
That’s because we hope you realize by now that hockey is much more than “the numbers.” It is all about the adolescents that are playing this game. And yes… it is indeed just a game, a wonderful game. They are playing it because they love it, they dream about it, and hopefully will carry it into their adult lives one way or another. It is about coaches who are smart enough to recognize the opportunity to learn something new every minute they are with their players as they help them improve their skills, build self-confidence, maturity, and respect. It is about all the sacrifices the hundreds of parents and other volunteers make in time, money, moral support, and commitment every day. It is about the NEMHL, a unique and very special league whose volunteer leadership work very hard to promote high ideals and bring out the best in this sport and the best in those who participate.
And a note to the players: whether your team is in first place or last, in D2 or D1, whether you are striving for a scholarship or other NEMHL award, or trying to finish up the season with a personal best record, or without dislocating your injured knee or shoulder again….we wish you all the best. You have stuck with your team and NEMHL for 6 months, you have worked hard in practice and in games, you have taken the bumps and bruises, and you have provided great entertainment for the fans. These are accomplishments that each of you should be proud of.
So…let the playoff games begin on March 9th! The Rules and Disciplinary Committee challenges everyone to enjoy and celebrate every minute of it, win or lose. Good luck!
Play Hard!
Play By the Rules!!
Play Just for the Thrill of It!!!
Sincerely,
NEMHL Rules and Disciplinary Committee
Lee Barsom
Dick Bernardo
Maria Morris
Karen Ring
Brian Testani
Kim White
Mike Falzano - Chair
Updated 9-February-2006
Are personal statistics worth hurting the development of another team? On 1-Feb, Epiphanny Prince of Murray Bergtraum HS scored a record 113 points against Brandeis HS in a girls' basketball game. Bergtraum beat Brandeis, 137-32, leading 44-6 after the first quarter and 74-11 at halftime. Brandeis players stopped playing defense in the second half, after Prince had scored 58 points. Bergtraum Coach Grezinsky stated "At the half, we thought she had a chance to break a record, so we just let her go". Coach Springer of Brandeis equated the victory to "picking on a handicapped person". Who was right? As a coach or player, how would you handle this situation?
Flames - Seahawks game 5-Feb-2006



Updated 30-January-2006
Flames - Braves II game 29-Jan-2006



Updated 22-January-2006
Flames - Rivermen game 21-Jan-2006

Updated 7-January-2006
Griffin - CD Comets game 7-Jan-2006


Updated 1-January-2006
After 128 games spanning 4 months, Division I and Division II have been set for the 2nd half of the season:
| Division I | Division II |
| Mass/Conn Braves | Albany Capitals |
| Columbia Jr Cougars | Saratoga Blue Knights |
| CT Clippers | Troy/Albany Rivermen |
| Watertown Redwings | Griffin Flames |
| Mass/Conn Braves II | Clifton Park Eagles |
| Capital District Comets | SECYH Seahawks |
|
|
Bethlehem Eagles |
At end of season, the Division II winner plays in Division I for the Division I championship. The remaining 6 Division II teams play for the Division II championship.
Two seasons ago, the NEMHL awarded its first academic scholarships to four deserving graduates from the League who were pursuing post-secondary school educations. Last season, the League was a recipient of a generous donation from Drs. George Melnik and Val Lawrence of San Antonio towards this scholarship fund. They did it again! The League received another check for $750 from Drs. Melnik and Lawrence for scholarships to be awarded at the completion of this season. How can we thank friends like these?

Updated 19-December-2005

The League was rocked with the sudden, unexpected resignation of Vice President and Chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee (R&D Committee), Ron Vajnar. Mr. Vajnar made a positive impact in his debut into the League as Team Manager for the Columbia Cougars in 2001-2002 who had a balmy 1-22-0 record. Mr. Vajnar kept the team intact despite suffering a house fire and a car tearing through the front of his house. Understandably, Mr. Vajnar was the uncontested recipient of the Cleary Award for Courage.

Mr. Vajnar became a seasoned asset to the League, first co-chairing the Rules and Regulations Committee and then taking sole Chairmanship of the Disciplinary Committee (coined the R&D Committee by Ron - yet one of many contributions by Mr. Vajnar) over the last 2 years. Mr. Vajnar has also most recently served in the elected position of Vice-President of the NEMHL. The League does not lament the loss of Mr. Vajnar, rather it celebrates his contribution to our organization and hope that he remains close to the League, in particular to its President who has greatly depended on his leadership and moral integrity. Mr. Vajnar will be missed by everyone involved in the League but his legacy will be his tribute and one to emulate.
Updated 7-December-2005
Rule 10 of NEMHL Rules and Regulations has been changed to more accurately reflect the division of League teams as of 1-Jan-2006. This rule change can be accessed here.
Updated 30-November-2005
The battle of the two unbeaten teams in the NEMHL, Columbia Jr Cougars (8-0-2) and Mass/Conn Braves (8-0-1), played Friday night to determine who was the best team - at least for the evening. Columbia won, 8-5, with points from Brian Bohn (4A), Dan d'Entremont (2G 1A), Mike Thibodeau (1G 2A), Mike Dubecky (1G 2A), Sam Brown (3A), Ben Keegan (2G), and Jamie Caron (2G). Andrew Fox scored 4 goals for the Braves II and Christian Bourdeau faced 49 shots in the loss. Ryan Nowak stopped 30 shots for the Cougar win. Click here for Pictures available of the game.
Updated 23-November-2005
Two teams remain undefeated: 8-year veteran Columbia Jr Cougars (8-0-2 record) and newcomer Mass/Conn Braves II (8-0-1 record). I know where the President of the League will be after Thanksgiving: UCONN at 8 PM on 25-Nov to watch the Cougars/Braves II game and then perhaps the Bolton game at 8:50 PM on 26-Nov. Will it be the Jr Cougars or Braves II on top of the League after Turkey Day?
Updated 8-November-2005
Pictures of the Griffin Flames - Clifton Park Eagles thanks to photographer Barbara Howe of the Flames:

Shootout at the AC Corral - or more aptly put, Albany County Hockey Facility. Mass/Conn Braves skated to a 7-7 tie with the host Albany Capitals in a classic as the Capitals tied the game with 6 seconds remaining. A total of 69 shots were shared between the teams as Capitals Dennis Tenenboym and Braves Nick Carlotto faced the rubber for all 3 periods. Glenn Sawyer for the Braves (4 assists) and Chris Cowan for the Capitals (1 goal & 2 assist) led the offensive charge.
Updated 23-October-2005
The game of the week was featured at Norwich Rink, between the host SEC Seahawks and the Clifton Park Eagles in their first game of the season. Seahawks stormed out with a 2-0 lead peppering Eagles goalie Crockett Pack with 24 shots in the first two periods. However, Pack stoned the Seahawks in the third period, facing 18 shots while the Eagles forwards sneaked back into the game. Andrew Cantiello scored with 10 minutes remaining and then, the miracle goal: Kyle Johnson scored unassisted while short-handed to get a tie, 2-2, against the Seahawks. Outstanding Seahawks netminder, Joey DiBuono-Schuebeler who also boasts the longest surname in the League, tallied 22 saves for the tie.
Updated 16-October-2005
The SouthEastern Connecticut Seahawks demonstrated the values of the League as they patiently waited for the traveling Troy/Albany Rivermen to Norwich CT. Because of the record-setting rain fall and subsequent flooding, I-91 was closed and Rivermen players and coaching staff were delayed by 1 hour getting to their NEMHL schedule in SE CT. The Seahawks were able to delay start of the game such that they could play the scheduled game to merit the travel hardships of the Rivermen.
Updated 27-September-2005
The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the League have been posted on the website (About the League >> League Business). The League thanks Joan Maxam (League Secretary) and Shannon Luke (NEMHL Intern) for their input and support towards the meeting. Importantly, there are rule changes that all should review. Misconducts and fighting penalties are affected as the League continues to reinforce the Zero Tolerance policy.
Minutes of the Annual meeting held on September 10 in Saratoga Springs are available on-line for review. Any comments should be directed to the League Secretary. Please also review the League presentation at the Annual meeting.
Updated 24-September-2005
Waterford Redwings held their first NEMHL game on Saturday against Griffin Flames at Shelton Rink. Photos thanks to Barbara Howe of Griffin.
Updated 3-September-2005
Boasting 13 teams amongst 3 states, the League starts regular season play in one week with one of the new teams, Watertown Redwings hosting last season's Division 2 Champions, Griffin Flames, at Shelton Rink at 11 AM on September 24. Shortly thereafter, another new team, CT Clippers, travels to Albany to play the CD Comets at RPI. Good luck to all teams as we kick off our 8th NEMHL season.
Updated 10-August-2005
In the December 2004 edition of the medical journal, Pediatrics, the official publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Hostetler and colleagues chronicled the national injury rates of hockey players aged 14 - 18 years of age. We found that our League had 100-fold less incidence of injuries and published these data in Pediatrics. To read the article, double-click on the hockey player:

Nick Jung: NEMHL fan of the year
Updated 6-Mar-2005

Troy/Albany Rivermen win Division 1 Playoffs
Dare we say "Dynasty"?

Griffin Flames win Division 2 Playoffs
Do you believe in miracles?
Updated 4-Mar-2005

Riverman Max Keado scores unassisted for the first goal against the CD Comets towards a 6-3 victory at the NEMHL playoffs. Playoff pictures (over 200) will be available on the website by Monday evening.
Updated 27-Feb-2005
Goaltenders named to All-Star Game:
New England Conference
Mike Mamunes (Columbia Cougars)
Ian Sullivan (Mass/Conn Braves)
Ryan Nowak (Columbia Cougars)
New York Conference
Paul Leimonas (Albany Capitals)
Sean Murnane (CD Comets)
Crockett Pack (Clifton Park Eagles)
27-Feb-2005
Players and coaches named to All-Star teams*
*Goaltenders will be selected at season's end
| New England conference | New York conference | ||||
| Lee Barsom | Cougars | Head Coach | Ray Schmitz | Rivermen | Head Coach |
| Scott Busey | Seahawks | Asst Coach | Tim Flanigan | Comets | Asst Coach |
| Arnie Askwith | Braves | Asst Coach | Scott Springli | Eagles | Asst Coach |
| Shel Severs | Flames | Asst Coach | Dave Wiltey | Capitals | Asst Coach |
| Derek Balisle | Brave | Chris Clary | Knights | Asst Coach | |
| Paul Baril | Flames | Ben Ciraulo | Comets | ||
| Branden Bergeron | Cougars | Kevin Fairchild | Rivermen | Asst Captain | |
| Adam Binette | Seahawks | David Gardner | Rivermen | ||
| Bob Chieka | Seahawks | Rich Gorman | Knights | ||
| Pete D'Amato | Seahawks | Asst Captain | Andy Goyer | Capitals | |
| Dan d'Entremont | Cougars | Robert Horoho | Capitals | ||
| Garrison Gamble | Braves | Peter Karpovich | Comets | Asst Captain | |
| Ian Infererra | Seahawks | Dave Lomaestro | Knights | Asst Captain | |
| Eric Ingalls | Flames | John Mishoe | Knights | ||
| Kurt Krull | Flames | Steven Nieminski | Eagles | ||
| Jake Lebrun | Braves | Matt Papero | Capitals | ||
| Brian Ring | Seahawks | Will Pegna | Eagles | Asst Captain | |
| Tony Saltmarsh | Braves | Asst Captain | Bobby Perron | Knights | |
| Glenn Sawyer | Braves | Nick Phelps | Comets | ||
| Harris Severs | Flames | Asst Captain | Zach Crowley | Comets | |
| Mike Thibodeau | Cougars | Captain | Ray Schmitz | Rivermen | |
| Ryan Woodward | Flames | Eddy Springli | Eagles | ||
| Mike Wolff | Cougars | Tristan Tomney | Eagles | ||
| Alex Zybrands | Cougars | Chris Wiltey | Capitals | Captain | |
| Matt Wyld | Rivermen | ||||
January 25, 2005

Director John Leimonas was on the teleconference tonight in this tie-dye T-shirt. This is not considered business appropriate for the NEMHL banquet.
January 21, 2005
The League received the following email from Head Coach Scott Springli of the Clifton Park Eagles:
"I am sure Tristan Tomney's two goals vs. Columbia Saturday did not jump off the page at you as something special, but it was. Two goals probably equals Tristan's total in his NEMHL career. He got off work at 1:30 AM Friday night, and Dave [his father and manager of the Eagles] dragged him out of bed at 6 AM so he could make it to the 9:40 game at UCONN. We had only 7 skaters (which included Crockett Pack, one of our goalies skating out), and with out Tristan we absolutely could not have played. He goes on to play one of the best games of his career. It was a superb effort by all of our players, as we had a chance to tie it in the last minute. So that is why we get out of bed everyday................you just never know." - Scott
January 17, 2005
NEMHL $500 Scholarship applications are due February 1, 2005. Complete the application obtained from NEMHL > Scholarships > Scholarship Application and submit to League Secretary post-marked no later than 1-Feb-2005. We are anticipating at least 4 scholarships to be awarded this year and all applicants will be recognized at the Annual Banquet during the Playoffs on Saratoga.
January 2, 2005
Divisions have been set for the second half of the season. Please review the Rules and Regulations on points awarded for interdivisional play. Also, the 2nd half schedule is posted on the website on the left panel of home page:
(Game information >> Schedule)
Division 1
Albany Capitals
CD Comets
Mass/Conn Braves
NE Falcons
Troy/Albany Rivermen
Division 2
Clifton Park Eagles
Columbia Cougars
Griffin Flames
Saratoga Blue Knights
SEC Seahawks
December 25, 2004
Zamboni song - double click on picture
The League extends the best holiday season to all families of the NEMHL. Our wishes are for a happy and safe holiday season and we look forward to a very productive and exciting second half of the season!
December 17, 2004

An open letter from Vice-President Ron Vajnar:
December 9, 2004
This week, the medical journal, Pediatrics, published an article entitled: "Characteristics of ice hockey-related injuries treated in US Emergency Departments, 2001-2002." Whereas there are limitations to the data collection and analysis, you should review this paper for its relevancy to our League. We should also review our injuries and perhaps publish our data within Pediatrics, as confirmatory or rebuttal; the latter as a tribute to our more restrictive League rules.
December 5, 2004
Capitals Brian Adams is leaving the sport of hockey to report to Marine basic training on Monday, December 6, 2004. He left the game with a memorable statement: a hat of 3 goals and 1 assist against the Griffin Flames in an 8-0 Capitals win. We wish Mr. Adams a safe journey through basic training and a quick return to the Capitals organization. He, of course, will be eligible to play in the playoffs, independent of the 75% attendance rule, upon his return. How can the League, or anyone for that matter, penalize a player who is meeting his country's greatest needs? We thank Mr. Adams for his dedication and patriotism.
November 25, 2004
The League and I, Dave Luke, extend its deep regrets and best wishes to the Sevigny family over the recent passing of John Sevigny this past weekend. John, age 48, husband of Lorraine and father of Cougar players Tim and Jeff, passed suddenly as reported by the Hartford Courant. According to Ron Vajnar, former Team Manager of the Columbia Cougars, former recipient of the Cleary Award, Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee and Vice-President of the League, John and Lorraine were stalwart advocates of the Cougars organization and indeed, saved the Cougars Midget program several years ago through the participation of themselves and their sons in youth hockey. As President, I have known the players and briefly met the parents - the more the Sevigny's were involved in the League, the better the League benefited. John's loss will be missed and our heartfelt best wishes are extended to this great hockey family. Please extend your best wishes to the Sevigny family for their unexpected and devastating loss.
November 19, 2004
The League sends out heartfelt warm wishes and a speedy recovery to Bob and Susan Wagner of the Troy/Albany Rivermen. Bob, father of Rivermen goaltender, Thomas Wagner, is hospitalized at Albany Medical Center for a serious acute illness. Bob has served as the Rivermen scheduler (a thankless job) and also sponsored the practice jerseys worn by the Rivermen. I hope you join us in wishing a quick return to Rivermen games for the Wagner family.
November 1, 2004
After a stern message from Vice-President and Advocacy Chairperson Ron Vajnar regarding the number of penalties, including major violations, over the first dozen games, teams have averaged less than 4 penalties per game in the last 2 weeks of play. The League congratulates players and coaches, and most importantly, Ron Vajnar, for adhering to the mission of the League.
September 26, 2004
The NEMHL schedule for the first half of the 2004-2005 season has been posted on the website (Game information > Schedule). Recall that the League re-organizes the remaining game schedule after January 3rd into Division 1 and Division 2 teams based upon results of the first half games. Rink directions for all involved rinks have been updated (Game information > Rink Directions).
Minutes of the Annual Meeting held in Saratoga Springs on September 12 have been posted to the website (NEMHL > League Business).
Updated September 4, 2004
The next NEMHL Annual meeting for the 2004-2005 season has been set:

Sunday, September 12, 2004
Saratoga Springs, NY
11 AM - 2 PM
All Directors and Coaches of participating teams are required to attend. Click on picture of Stewart's to obtain directions.
All statistics for the 6-year history of the League have been placed into the website, including links for all participating teams (current and past). Review all player statistical data from 1998 - 1999 season until current.
The Executive Committee of the NEMHL will be meeting in early May to review the Rules and Regulations of the League as well as potential new team members to join for the 2004 - 2005 NEMHL Season. We will principally review the number of penalties for the last season and devise potential remedies to return the League to its hallmark of good sportsmanship. Please forward any comments to the League President to assist in improvements of the League for the upcoming season. Don't forget to review the latest playoff pictures under Playoff Statistics (on left).
Playoff pictures posted under Playoff Statistics
Award pictures posted under NEMHL/Award Recipients
Troy/Albany Rivermen and Clifton Park Eagles are ....

Troy/Albany Rivermen win Division 1 Championship

Clifton Park Eagles win Division 2 Championship

Updated March 1, 2004
The Playoff schedule is below this message to the League from the League President, dated 1-March-2004:
This last weekend presented itself with the highs and lows of the League. The Scholarship Committee, to which I am indebted, deliberated carefully over the 14 highly qualified scholarship applications to decide on 4 recipients. This task was markedly complicated by the qualifications of the 14 individuals and we commend each and every player candidate for their scholarly, athletically, and extra-curricular activities to validate a 2-hour teleconference on their candidacy today. We finally decided on 4 very worthwhile candidates for the scholarships and these will be awarded at the playoff banquet.
Founder and President, NEMHL
Division 1
Troy/Albany Rivermen
Albany Capitals
CT Whalers
Saratoga Blue Knights
Division 2
Griffin Flames
Columbia Cougars
Clifton Park Eagles
Southeastern CT Seahawks
|
Schedule |
||||
|
Friday March 5 |
||||
| Division | Time | Home | Away | Rink |
| 1 | 6:00 PM | Troy/Albany | Saratoga | Weibel |
| 2 | 6:00 PM | Griffin | Clifton Park | Vernon |
| 2 | 7:45 PM | Columbia | Seahawks | Weibel |
| 1 | 7:45 PM | Albany | CT Whalers | Vernon |
| Saturday March 6 | ||||
| 1 | 7:00 AM | Columbia | Clifton Park | Vernon |
| 2 | 8:45 AM | Albany | Saratoga | Vernon |
| 1 | 10:30 AM | Troy/Albany | CT Whalers | Vernon |
| 2 | 4:00 PM | Griffin | Seahawks | Vernon |
|
Sunday
March 7 |
||||
| 1 | 7:00 AM | CT Whalers | Saratoga | Weibel |
| 2 | 7:00 AM | Clifton Park | Seahawks | Vernon |
| 1 | 8:45 AM | Troy/Albany | Albany | Weibel |
| 2 | 8:45 AM | Griffin | Columbia | Vernon |
| 2 | 2:30 PM | Div 2 Finals | Vernon | |
| 1 | 4:30 PM | Div 1 Finals | Vernon | |
The NEMHL Board of Directors is very pleased to announce that the League will begin their Scholarship program this year. $500 scholarships will be awarded to high school juniors or seniors who are planning to continue their education at an accredited college, university or technical school. Candidates will be judged on:
Academic strength - grades, class rank, objective test scores, overall academic preparation,
NEMHL performance - how well does he/she demonstrate good sportsmanship,
Community involvement - is the player involved in after school activities or in the community? Does the player work to help contribute to the cost of college? and
Personal - level of maturity, independence, willingness to
accept
criticism, eagerness to grow.
Names will be removed from the applications before they are sent out for evaluation. A player may apply in both his/her junior and senior years, however, he/she can be awarded only one scholarship. The application is available on the website. Completed applications are due on February 13th to the League Secretary. Recipients will be announced at the League banquet on March 6th.
We have a new partner in the NEMHL, CapitalClick.com which reports on games within the Capital District. The Columbia Cougars - Clifton Park Eagles game from last weekend is featured on their website. A link to CapitalClick.com is found on the main page of the NEMHL.

Happy New Year to our colleagues in the NEMHL. Most importantly, I sincerely wish everyone a safe and healthy new year in 2004.
The new Divisional standings effective 1-Jan-2004:
Division 1
Troy/Albany Rivermen
CT Whalers
Saratoga Blue Knights
Clifton Park Eagles
Division 2
Columbia Cougars
Albany Capitals
Griffin Flames
SECYH Seahawks
Updated December 11, 2003
Troy Albany Rivermen Hockey Team Salute
Lieutenant Colonel Ed Passineau

Ed Passineau signed on as Team Manager for the Troy Albany Midget Hockey team in September, not knowing that spending his free time at the ice rinks in the Northeast would be a short-lived tour of duty.
In November, Ed’s Army National Guard Unit received their marching orders to ship out to Kuwait after a couple months at Fort Drum. Ed, a Lieutenant Colonel, heads up a Personnel Service Battalion (PSB). One of his Unit’s primary responsibilities is to make sure mail gets through to the troops.
Ed had to reshuffle a lot of things including putting his day job with the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance on hold, and completing some home construction projects that were already underway when he received his orders.
On behalf of the NEMHL, and the Troy Albany Youth Hockey Association, we all wish Ed and the 56th PSB a safe journey and a speedy return home. We want everyone to know that we appreciate the sacrifice that our military and their families make every day.
Join us in saluting Lt. Colonel Passineau, the 56th PSB and their families. May God bless them all!
Updated December 5, 2003
A winter storm is sweeping the North East this weekend (5-Dec-2003) dumping anywhere from 10" (Upstate New York) to 24" (Southeastern CT) of the white stuff. Do not travel to play games if the weather is miserable. The League will make every attempt to reschedule or eliminate the scheduled games. League policy allows for cancellations due to documented weather problems.
After 45 games, the 4 teams destined to be in Division 1 on 1-Jan-04 are:
Troy/Albany Rivermen
CT Whalers
Clifton Park Eagles
Albany Capitals
Remember, standings are changed after seeding based upon interdivisional play according to the NEMHL Rules and Regulations. Some teams assigned to Division 2 may actually improve in the standings after Jan 1.
Updated standings can be found at NEMHL Team Standings.
Updated September 29, 2003
Annual Meeting Minutes
The Annual Meeting of the NorthEastern Midget Hockey League, Inc. (NEMHL, Inc.) took place on Sunday, September 7, 2003 at Stewart’s Corporate Headquarters in Malta, New York.
The meeting was duly called to order by President David R. Luke at 11:05 am. He then stated that a quorum was represented and that the meeting was completely organized and ready to transact any business before it.
The following members and directors were present:
Affiliation Member/Director
NEMHL David R. Luke, President/Director
Joan Maxam, Secretary/Director
Albany Capitals David Wiltey, Member
John Leimonas
Clifton Park Scott Springli, Member
Columbia Cougars Lee Barsom, Coach
CT Whalers John Carlin, Member
Griffin Jeff Howe, Member
Sheldon Severs, Coach
Saratoga Blue Knights Lesley Leduc, Member
Kim White, Saratoga Youth Hockey Board
SE CT Seahawks David R. Luke, representing
Troy/Albany Rivermen Mike Falzano, Member
Review of 2002-03 Season:
David began with a review of last season and some interesting comparisons with the previous seasons:
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03
No. players in League* 293 424 955
Number of games played 169 208 171
Number of weeks in season 20 20 23
Number of schedule changes 29 11 4
Number of disciplinary hearings 4 3 1
*cumulative
Schedules
The goal this year is to have a very static schedule with no major changes during the year. All teams, except Troy/Albany Rivermen (subsequently submitted ice schedule on 21-Sep) submitted a list of their home ice slots and blackout dates to David at the meeting. A trial schedule will be sent out by the end of September and teams will be given time to double check it before the final schedule is placed on the website. In order to keep the website current, each home team must fax their game sheets to David immediately after completing a game. Joan passed out sets of game sheets to every team. Any team needing additional game sheets should notify her.
An official report will be sent to each member team (completed on 19-Sep and posted on website).
On motions, duly made, seconded and unanimously approved, the following were elected to serve as officers for the 2003-04 season:
President: David Luke
Vice President Dick Bernardo
Treasurer John Leimonas
Secretary Joan Maxam
Rules & Regulations Chair Brian Testani
Advocacy Chair Ron Vajnar
Advocacy Vice Chair Mike Falzano
David reviewed the highlights and changes in the League rules and regulations to be sure everyone understood them. The most important issue to remember throughout the season is that the hallmark of the League is good sportsmanship.
All teams must be registered with USA Hockey. In cases where a state’s rules vary (e.g., New York gives a high sticking major), home state rules will be followed. The 3 minor penalty rule will be enforced (a player with 3 minor penalties in a game must leave the remainder of that game). The player must physically leave the game; he/she cannot stay on the bench. A double minor counts as two penalties, but a minor with a misconduct (as in New York with high sticking or Connecticut with a mouth guard violation) counts as only one penalty. Any player receiving 3 major penalties will no longer be allowed to play in the League (lifetime ban).
League communications rely on e-mail. Each member is asked to frequently check his/her e-mail.
Rosters cannot be changed after December 1st without permission from the Executive Committee. Each team is limited to 20 players. Teams will be issued official League stickers for score sheets as soon as rosters are finalized on December 1st. Members are asked to cross out players who are not present for a game as we will be tracking participation. Each player should carry a photo ID to be able to prove his/her identity.
To participate in the Division 1 and 2 Playoffs at the end of the season, a player must play in at least 75% of his/her team’s League games for which he/she is eligible. Every player must be wearing an NEMHL patch on the right breast of their jersey. The opposing coach has the right to ask any player without a patch to be removed from the game. Additional patches can be ordered from David Luke.
Enforcement of the 8 goal differential rule will be the same as last year. The first time a team breaks the 8 goal rule, they will receive a written letter from the League and they will be required to send a letter of apology to the other team. Second and subsequent violations will result in a default loss with 1-0 for the losing team recorded on the website and the offending coach will serve a one NEMHL game suspension.
Any team that wins the playoff championship must play in Division I for the next two years. To prevent any team from “recruiting” the best players from the other League teams, no team will be allowed to add more than two players per year from another NEMHL team.
On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously approved, the Board added the following new regulation:
“Any player involved in a fighting penalty (e.g. throws gloves down and receives a 5-minute major penalty and game suspension for fighting) is required to pay the League a $50 fine before he/she will be allowed to continue in League play. If any dispute occurs of the call following the game, agreement of both Head Coaches will be required in writing to the League Advocacy committee.”
Mike Falzano reviewed four different options that the Board could pursue in assigning teams to a Division. On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously approved, the Board decided to schedule teams to play an equivalent number of games with each of the other seven teams in the League. On January 1st, the eight teams would be divided into two Divisions and points will be retroactively awarded based on the following criteria:
A Division 1 team beats a Division 2 team = 1 point
A Division 2 team beats a Division 1 team = 3 points
A Division 1 team ties a Division 2 team = .5 point
A Division 2 team ties a Division 1 team = 1.5 points
Any decisions on Division 1 and 2 playoffs were tabled. Saratoga will look at their ice availability to determine whether both playoffs could be held the first weekend in March at the two Saratoga rinks which would bring all eight teams to the same place.
The League would like to begin awarding scholarships to graduating seniors this year. Any team willing to raise $500 for the scholarship program will make their senior players eligible for a scholarship. Any company willing to donate $500 to the scholarship fund would be allowed to advertise on the League’s website.
Mike Falzano will get pricing information to David on making banners for those teams who win their Division during the regular season.
There being no further business before the meeting, on a motion duly made, seconded and carried it was, adjourned 3:30 pm.
David R. Luke, President Joan A. Maxam, Secretary
David Wiltey, Member Jeffrey Howe, Member
Representing Albany Capitals Representing Griffin
Lesley Leduc, Member Scott Springli Member
Representing Saratoga Youth Hockey Representing Clifton Park
Mike Falzano, Member John Carlin, Member
Representing Troy/Albany Representing CT Whalers
Lee Barsom, Member
Representing Columbia
Treasurer's Report
Start of 2003 / 2004 NEMHL Season
Beginning Balance (8/30/2002) = $ 1396.00
Income Received = 7920.00
Expenses Paid Out = (9199.30)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Ending Balance (9/7/2003) = $ 116.70
Income (Detailed):
League Fees (10 Teams x $500) = $5000.00
Div. 2 Playoffs (4 teams x $730) = $2920.00
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Total Income Received =
$7920.00
Expenses (Detailed):
NEMHL Board travel expenses = $519.14
Non-Profit Registration Fee =
$150.00
Food & beverage annual mtg =
$64.56
NEMHL Jersey Patches =
$2500.00
NEMHL Website Maintenance = $971.00
Trophies - Season & Playoffs =
$925.60
T-Shirts (all players in league) = $1350.00
Div. 2 Playoffs - Referee Fees =
$84.00
Div. 2 Playoffs - Ice @ BIG Arena = $2635.00
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Total Expenses Paid =
$9199.30
NOTES:
Division 1 playoff expenses (refs, ice) were paid directly to Riley Rink in
Manchester, VT by the 4 teams involved. Not accounted for here.
New League bank account opened at Key Bank.
NEMHL Annual meeting was held on September 7th with Albany Capitals, Clifton Park Eagles, Columbia Cougars, CT Whalers, Griffin Flames, Saratoga Blue Knights, SEC Seahawks, and Troy/Albany Rivermen represented. The League congratulates Dick Bernardo elected as VP, Joan Maxam returns as Secretary/VP Elect, John Leimonas as Treasurer, Brian Testani as Chair of Rules and Regulations, Ron Vajnar and Mike Falzano as Co-Chair of Advocacy Committee, and David Wiltey as Chair of Playoffs. Significant changes in the League Rules and Regulations include the definition of the attendance rule and a $50 fine for fighting penalties. Review the slides presented at the Annual meeting.
New NEMHL Logo

The NEMHL Annual Meeting scheduled for September 7, 2003 will be held at the Stewarts Headquarters in Saratoga Springs NY. All teams wishing to participate in the 2003-2004 season must be represented at the meeting. Representatives should bring an ice schedule for the season, $500 check for admission to the League made payable to the NEMHL, and signed commitment to the League. Additional information can be obtained from the League Secretary or League President. The League welcomes new member teams but most importantly, the League warmly welcomes those valued teams returning from previous seasons (to date, these include Albany Capitals, Clifton Park Eagles, Columbia Cougars, Griffin Flames, Manchester Thrashers, Saratoga Blue Knights, SEC Seahawks, and Troy/Albany Rivermen).
Archive files for the last 3 seasons of the League including Playoff statistics are now on the website (left panel under Archives). By end of summer, all games and statistics for the 5-year history of the NEMHL should be available for review.
2002 - 2003 Season Wrap-Up
Playoff Champion: CT Whalers
League Champion: CT Whalers
Scoring Champion: Tyler White, Manchester Thrashers
Goaltender Award: Will Lewis, Manchester Thrashers
Sportsmanship Award: Tyler White, Manchester Thrashers
Cleary Award of Courage: Neil Spelman, Coach of SEC Seahawks and Max Spelman, Goaltender of SEC Seahawks
CT Whalers
Will Lewis Neil and Max Spelman Tyler White Tyler White
CT Whalers 5, Manchester Thrashers 1 in Final game
Clifton Park Eagles 7, Albany Capitals 1 in Final game
Playoff Information Updated
Review update under "Game Information - Playoff Information" on left scrollbar. Teams and game times set for Playoffs. Also, playoff statistics are now being tabulated on the website. Refer to the left-side scrollbar for each individual player statistics.
Saratoga Blue Knights 4
Griffin Flames 1
Saratoga goes to the Division 1 Playoffs in Manchester
NEMHL Division 1 Playoffs
Top 3 Division 1 teams and top Division 2 team
Riley Rink, Manchester VT
March 7 - 9, 2003
Program Director: Bill Daiek
NEMHL Division 2 Playoffs
4th place Division 1 team and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th place Division 2 teams
BIG Arena, Albany NY
March 7 - 9, 2003
Program Directors: John Leimonas & Brian Testani
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Sportsmanship Leader statistics posted on website
The Sportsmanship Award leaders are now listed on the website in place of Penalty Leaders. The Sportsmanship Award points are calculated from the ratio of total scoring points (goals and assists) to penalties in minutes. Tyler White of the Manchester Thrashers leads the League for his second consecutive year.
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I have been meaning to write this letter since October when, after we played our game in Norwich, Coach Neal Spelman came into our dressing room after the game to commend our play (skating, passing, etc) in a very nice display of sportsmanship! Unfortunately, while I have good intentions, my work and this job, which has taken more effort than I thought it would, delayed my effort. Last weekend, in spite of some real hazardous conditions, the Coach and his players made the trip to the Capital district and played games and had to play us short and banged up in a yeoman display, I was reminded that this is something I wanted to do! So, please extend to them (Seahawks Coach and players) our thanks for their class and efforts!
Peter Coggan, T/A Rivermen

HAVE A SAFE &
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Report Details Night Of Fatal Glastonbury Crash
Published on 2/8/2003
Glastonbury — On a cold Friday night in early December, Mike Presta elected to be the designated driver after he and two friends went out for dinner. As he drove the group home that night, the car collided with a speeding BMW carrying three intoxicated teenagers.
The impact fused the vehicles, turned the mass of metal into an inferno and ultimately plunged a town into mourning.
On Friday, Glastonbury police released a detailed report on the crash that killed the three Glastonbury 17-year-olds — Daniel Palmer, the driver, passengers Wesley Clark and Eric Mahoney — and Presta's passenger Brian Sullivan, a 38-year-old father of three from Colchester.
Police found an open 30-pack of beer in the trunk of the Palmer's BMW and estimated the teens each drank six to seven beers in the hours leading up to the accident, the report said. Police also reported finding altered driver's licenses in the wallets of two of the teens. Police said they had not determined where the teens obtained the beer.
Police said the teenagers, all students at Glastonbury High School, were minutes away from a 10 p.m. curfew. At least one of them was scheduled to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test the next morning, witnesses told police.
The BMW was traveling about 70 mph in a 35 mph zone and Palmer was legally drunk when he lost control on Hebron Avenue, crossed into the oncoming lane and struck the Ford Escort carrying Presta, Sullivan and Brian Ciraldo, the report stated.
Palmer's blood-alcohol content was 0.12 percent, above both the legal limit for teenagers (0.02 percent) and adults (0.08).
“Had Palmer survived, enforcement action would have been taken against him,” wrote Glastonbury Sgt. David J. Cordone, who authored the report.
The Escort was owned by Sullivan, but Presta, 39, told police he was driving because Sullivan drank some beer earlier in the day.
The report also includes interviews with Presta and Ciraldo, who were both injured.
Police found an empty beer can in the driver's seat of Sullivan's Escort, and a small quantity of marijuana and a pipe in a passenger door compartment, the report said.
Presta's blood test indicated traces of alcohol and marijuana, although police said he was not legally intoxicated. The report said Presta's driving was not affected and he was not speeding.
“In order to establish probable cause for a violation ... where a blood-alcohol count of less than 0.08 or any quantity of drugs, legal or illegal, is present, there must be evidence that the individual's ability to drive was impaired,” Cordone wrote.
The accident jolted the town, a suburb of Hartford.
Sullivan grew up in Glastonbury and had family and several friends there. Hundreds of students had to be shuttled to the funerals for the three teenagers. A black bunting was hung across the school's sign and wall in the cafeteria was turned into a makeshift memorial as students tacked up dozens of personal letters.
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`Worst Nightmare'
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By COLIN POITRAS And LORETTA WALDMAN
Courant Staff Writers
December 8, 2002
GLASTONBURY -- Dan Palmer was driving his prized BMW, the one he purchased with
his summer earnings. Wes Clark was an outstanding tennis player headed for
national competition. Eric Mahoney was a popular student hoping to get
into Hobart College in the fall.
Three Glastonbury High School seniors. Three best friends. Three young lives cut
short in a fiery car crash on Hebron Avenue Friday night that left one other
person dead and two seriously injured.
As shaken police investigators looked for clues to the cause of the town's worst
car accident in decades Saturday, six families searched for strength to cope
with the devastating loss. An entire community seemed to join them in their
grief.
The three men in the other car involved in the crash, also best of friends who
grew up in the same neighborhood, were graduates of Glastonbury High School,
family members said.
Brian Sullivan, a 38-year-old computer programmer and father of three from
Colchester, was killed. Brian Ciraldo, 30, of Glastonbury, was in stable
condition at Hartford Hospital Saturday after undergoing hours of surgery on the
extensive injuries to his legs. Michael Presta, the 39-year-old owner of a
Glastonbury landscaping company, was lying in Hartford Hospital's intensive care
unit with tubes in his chest, a fractured leg and severe bruises to his ribs and
lungs.
"It's really beyond words," said April Presta, Michael Presta's mother and a
nurse for 25 years. "This is just very, very sad. I especially feel for the kids
who were just beginning their lives. They were all so very young."
The accident happened about 9:45 p.m. on Hebron Avenue under the Route 2
overpass near Sycamore Street. Police were providing few details Saturday, but
family members and friends of the victims said they believed that when Palmer's
BMW and the Ford Escort containing the three older men collided, the BMW flipped
on its roof and burst into flames.
A Glastonbury police officer who was the first officer on the scene was overcome
by smoke trying to get the 17-year-old boys out of their car, Glastonbury Police
Sgt. Dennis Woessner said. The department did not release the officer's name
Saturday. Woessner said the female officer was doing fine Saturday. The police
department is less than 2 miles from the crash site.
As word of the crash spread Saturday, students congregated in several homes
looking for solace. After dark, they descended on a student parking area behind
the high school for an impromptu memorial, placing candles and flowers in a
snowbank next to the adjoining parking spaces used by the three friends. With
spray paint, one student scrawled "MOHO" in a parking space reserved by Mahoney
and "WES" in the one next to it, where Clark parked his car.
Some students stared blankly, others hugged each other, and many wept.
A picture of the three best friends mugging for the camera at a dance last year
was propped up against the rear window of another student's car. Blaring from
the CD player were some of the trio's favorite songs, compiled for the occasion.
"They were really well-liked," said senior Kristin Schwarz, "really popular,
great kids. Everybody loved them."
Dan Palmer was an avid athlete who enjoyed wrestling, hockey, baseball,
snowmobiling and scuba diving, family members said. Wes Clark's father, Dr.
Bernard Clark, is a leading cardiologist at St. Francis Hospital and Medical
Center. Alan Bookman, principal of Glastonbury High School, said one of the
students taught Sunday school, another was a member of a church youth group, and
at least one belonged to the school Key Club.
Woessner said the accident was the worst he had seen in his 15 years'
experience. No charges have been filed. Palmer's BMW was virtually destroyed in
the fire. Police and family members said they still weren't sure who was driving
the Escort or to whom it belonged.
It was unclear whether icy road conditions or speed was a factor. Investigators
were waiting to talk to the two survivors to learn more about what happened.
"It's just a horrific accident and it's going to take awhile to sort this out,"
Woessner said. "Usually when there is an accident, we are able to interview the
occupants and the passengers. In this case, four of the occupants are deceased
and two are seriously injured."
At 1 p.m. Saturday, a community crisis team of educators, mental health
professionals, members of the police department and local clergy huddled at
Glastonbury High School to decide how best to help shocked, grief-stricken
students. Calls from parents and teens poured into the school after news of the
deaths began to spread Saturday morning, Bookman said.
"Obviously what happened here is the worst possible thing," Bookman said. "It's
the worst possible nightmare of a parent and the worst possible nightmare for
our school and the community. These were three wonderful students with great
promise and futures."
Officials opened a hot line at the school from 4:30 to 6:30 Saturday afternoon
and opened the school from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., making guidance counselors and
school psychologists available to students and families in the cafeteria. The
school will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. today, Bookman said.
A meeting was in the works for seniors Monday. During first period, seniors
attend a current issues class, Bookman said. Monday, the lesson plan will be
tabled to let students talk among themselves and with counselors. Area churches,
synagogues and the town's youth and family services department also were
responding, he said.
The loss was unprecedented in the history of the school, Bookman said.
"Students have died before, but never three at the same time," he said.
Ashley Brown, a senior, met Wesley Clark shortly after moving to Glastonbury
five years ago. The two weren't close friends, she said, but she and her brother
often saw Clark at the Glastonbury Tennis Club, where he worked.
"He was a good kid, helpful and sweet," Brown said. "He was kind of laid-back.
He was really cool."
Bunches of flowers marked the accident scene. The concrete wall supporting the
overpass was still scorched from the burning car.
In a town of 29,000, everyone is affected by a tragedy of this magnitude, Town
Manager Richard J. Johnson said.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone involved," Johnson said. "It's just
very difficult, and a very difficult time of year too."
The volunteer fire department is offering a critical incident stress debriefing
for its members at 7:30 p.m. today at the Company 1 firehouse.
"The tragedy is these kids were just planning to go out into a world of college
and excellence," said Fred Schwarz, Kristin's father.
Kelsey Smith, 17, was in a journalism class with Clark, who she said always
impressed his fellow classmates with his keen wit and academic prowess.
"He was a really smart student," Smith said. "He was the only kid in class who
used to always get an A. He was waiting for an early decision letter from
Fordham."
Dan Palmer was hoping to get into Providence College or the University of New
Hampshire, his uncle Shawn Palmer said. He bought the 10-year-old BMW with the
money he earned as a youth counselor at a summer camp in Woodstock, his uncle
said. He recently had a job at a local CVS but left it a few days ago, Shawn
Palmer said.
"We're absolutely devastated," Palmer said. "We've never gone through anything
like this before. ... Students have been stopping by the house all day. One
student ran out of his SATs this morning. He put his whole college career on
hold to come here."
Ciraldo is married and has two young girls, a 5-year-old, Corrine, and a new
baby, Sophie, who was born four months ago, his mother Cheryl Ciraldo said.
Ciraldo works for Kone Inc., an elevator company in Rocky Hill. Cheryl Ciraldo
said her son's prospects for recovery are good, but it will take a long time.
Presta owns Minnechaug Tree & Landscape Inc. on Commerce Street.
Courant Staff Writer Lee Foster contributed to this story.
Copyright 2002, Hartford Courant
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Albany Jr River Rats withdraw from the League. Reason unknown.
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To NEMHL Teams:
I was directed today to comments posted on the NEMHL website (www.NEMHL.org) by a concerned parent and coach within the League. I have reviewed the 16 pages of comments manufactured over the last 4 weeks and am appalled by the contents. The comments were littered with profanities, name-calling, and disrespect for each other and their respective teams. These comments and the ability to add comments have been removed from the website. This immaturity and lack of respect will not be tolerated within the League and any disciplinary actions taken by coaches, parents, and League officials will be supported with the inclusion of automatic expulsion of contributors to the comments section.
The contributors appear to be largely players of three or four teams, attempting to add bragging rights about their respective teams while doing harm to worthy opponents. There are three fundamental values which are the basis of the NEMHL: Rules, Responsibility, and Respect. The contributors violated the rules and respect values and now need to take responsibility for their actions. There is no anonymity within the website and every contributor is identified by his or her email or IP address. Thus, while assuming anonymity, each contributor should be accountable for his or her actions towards violating the tenants of the rules and respect; in other words, we know who you are.
In the meantime, each player within the League needs to re-consider his/her commitment to his/her fellow players, the coaching staff, the officials, his/her parents, and the League. Several comments posted on the website alluded to the League as being a hockey venue inferior to high school or other leagues. For those who contributed these comments, and for those who may think this is the case, I would offer you alternate places to play your hockey. The League was structured 5 years ago to provide a venue for midget-aged hockey players who wanted a structured system that allowed fair play and comparable competition. This has not always been achieved but stricter rules and regulations, careful deliberation of these rules by an elected Board of Directors, and development of a website for maintenance of statistics and other information have provided a valuable forum for midget-aged hockey players. Each of you who do not understand this has no place within the NEMHL and I welcome your leaving the League to allow opportunities for more deserving players.
Importantly, to all who did not contribute to the Comments section of the NEMHL, I applaud your maturity and security. This letter is not intended towards you, rather to those who do not embrace the hallmark of the League – good sportsmanship. Please keep playing hard, avoiding silly penalties, and having fun within the League. Your contributions are noteworthy and appreciated by the vast majority of those players, coaches, officials, and parents within the NEMHL, as well as myself.
Yours sincerely,
David R. Luke
David R. Luke
President/Founder, NEMHL
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Response to a parent's concerns re: 8-goal differential rule and game times by VP Bill Daiek.
First, the 8-goal rule. This has been the most talked about issue since I have been on the board of directors of the NEMHL. Our team, the Manchester Thrashers has been on both sides of 8+ goal games. Until this year, we have always been on the losing side. What the League is trying to do is keep teams from getting demoralized by opponents who run up scores for no apparent reason. Last year we played a team that was ahead 11-0 and had a 2-man advantage late in the game. The coach pulled his goalie to create a 6 on 3 power play. This was of course not well received by the losing coach. I know this was an isolated incident, but it happened. Most teams are not terribly offended by losing by more than 8 goals, but in the spirit of fair play all we are asking is that teams be aware that it does no good to run up scores. To combat this, we instituted a running time rule. A team should know very soon within a contest whether or not they can score at will. In these games, coaches should use the opportunity to give playing time to their lesser talented players who might not get much ice time in close games. This is a sportsmanship issue and all we are asking is that coaches be aware of what negative impact running up scores could have on opposing teams.I agree with you that it is ridiculous to drive 2 plus hours and then get cut short on game times. We cannot control scheduling at rinks, but do suggest that a minimum of 1 1/2 hours be allocated for NEMHL games. I am the general manager of Riley Rink in Manchester. What we found is that most games could be done easily in 1 1/2 hours if:
- Every time a penalty is called, you don't have a summit meeting at the box with players/refs/coaches screaming from the bench.
- Warm-ups were cut to 5 minutes or less.
- Teams are prepared to play immediately following warm-ups.
- The referees don't allow or get involved in so much banter at the benches.
We found that by watching these things, we can get games in easily.
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The NEMHL Schedule for the 2002-2003 season has been updated on the website effective 10-Nov-2002. Refer to the information at Game information: Schedule on the left task bar.
The first game of the new NEMHL season resulted in a SEC Seahawks 2-1 victory over the Columbia Cougars. The second game, CT Whalers 7-2 victory over Griffin Flames, was marred with penalties, including 3 major penalties and a taunting penalty. There are now 4 players being closely watched by the NEMHL Disciplinary Committee due to their lack of good sportsmanship - in particular the CT Whalers player who received the taunting penalty. This will not be allowed as we move into the season.
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On September 10th, just prior to the first anniversary of our national tragedy on 9/11, we lost a member of the NEMHL family. Coach of the Champion Southeastern Connecticut Seahawks in the inaugural year of the NEMHL (1998-1999), Dave St. Aubin lost his battle with cancer at the age of 50. As pictured below, Coach St. Aubin is reveling in the post-victory celebration beside his son, Eric, hoisting the first celebration of the NEMHL cup. Eric has been already featured in the NEMHL website with his salute to the NEMHL emblazoned on the walls of Ledyard High School. Coach Dave will be remembered for his spirit and intensity, hockey skills, and significant contribution to the development of the NorthEastern Midget Hockey League and, importantly, as a good friend to the founder. We have lost a pioneer to the League and a valued role model for all hockey players. He will be missed and our heartfelt best wishes are extended to Eric and Lisa.
Dave Luke

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