Northeastern Midget
Hockey League
NEMHL News
Updated 31-January-2012
Defenseman Award
The Best Defenseman standings are in
error and under evaluation as to the source of the error. We apologize
for any inconvenience.
Updated 1-January-2012
2nd Half of the
Season
2
12
Happy New Year everyone! We have
had an exciting first half of the season and now enter into the home
stretch. There are several follow-up items to complete the season:
- Have you submitted your scholarship application
yet? Please make sure you submit this application as we are
targeting four $500 scholarships to be awarded at the year
end banquet.
- There's a new poll as to who will win the Division 1
trophy this year - please select your choice.
- The playoffs are scheduled for March 9 through 11,
with the banquet scheduled for March 10th, in Saratoga
Springs. It is an expectation that all players, coaches, and parents
attend the banquet to reward those who will be receiving trophies and
banners. We also have an All-Star skills competition planned for
Friday night - a fun event for everyone. Don't forget to book your
rooms for Friday and Saturday nights.
- Who will win the Scorer's Championship, Defenseman
Award, Best Goaltender, and equally as important, Best Sportsman
Award? All of these will be awarded at the banquet.
Let's
have a safe and fun competitive 2nd half of the season! See
you in March.
Updated 24-December-2011
Friends of the League
Drs. Val Lawrence and George Melnik of
San Antonio TX - what can we say? On Christmas eve,
Val and George once again generously donated to the scholarship fund of
the NEMHL. With no children in the League but just believing in our
mission and vision, George and Val donate their hard-earned funds to support
the scholarship fund chaired by Director John Mishoe - year after year.
There are no words of thanks strong enough to accept their generous
donation. Thanks Val and George!
Updated 24-November-2011
Scholarship time
Who are these guys? William
O'Brien (Baystate/Griffin Sharks) and Christopher Hein (Saratoga Blue Knights)
(left - right) are being congratulated as scholarship recipients by John
Mishoe, Director of the Scholarship Fund and Chair of the Scholarship Application
Review Committee. The following from John Mishoe as it is not only hockey
season - it is also scholarship season:
This year, the NEMHL Scholarship
Committee is happy to offer up to 4 college scholarships in the amount of $500 a piece. In order to qualify, you must meet the
following criteria:
1.
A
player who is either
(a) a senior in high
school who plans to continue his/her education at an accredited college,
university, trade school, or technical school, or
(b) an existing college,
university, trade or technical school student
2.
The
applicant must be an active player in the NEMHL at the time of application.
3.
A
player can only be awarded one scholarship during his/her tenure within the
NEMHL.
4.
In
addition to completion of the NEMHL application form, the following items are
required in order to be considered for the Scholarship
(a) copy of SAT and ACT
scores
(b) class rank as of the
end of the fall semester
(c) an essay of no more
than one page briefly telling what you have learned from your participation in
the NEMHL and how it may have changed your perspective on life.
(d) 3 letters of
recommendation (one must be from the applicant’s NEMHL Hockey Coach)
(e) An official
transcript from your High School or College institution as of the end of the
fall 2011 semester
In the
past, we have communicated the required items and dates during the middle of
the season. This season, we are giving early notification. This will
allow each of you sufficient time to write out a well thought out essay, to
secure letters from your respective coaches and references, to request
transcripts from your schools, etc. We have found that the required items
and timing of these items will generally be consistent with the college
application process that many of you are following
(i.e., you can request transcripts or letters of recommendation for colleges
and the NEMHL scholarship at the same time.)
The completion and
submission dates and process of the above items will be communicated at a later
date on the NEMHL website (usually the first week of February).
If you have any
questions, contact John Mishoe (dehns@aol.com) or Mark Mansour
(mrkmansour@yahoo.com).
Start the application
process early, do not wait until the last minute!
John Mishoe,
Director NEMHL
Scholarship Committee
Updated 18-October-2011
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals win the
World Series in 7 games, 6-2 over the Texas Rangers. Congratulations to
Tony La Russa, GM of the Cards, Chris Carpenter
(former first draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays), and Scott Springli,
Director of the NEMHL Playoffs!
Updated 16-October-2011
Players: Take note!
Players: be aware of the
following who have displayed extraordinary talents in the early stages of this
season:
#24 Kevin Breen of TAYHA Jr River Rats
7 goals in 3 games
#5 Drew Bourdreau
of Troy Jr Engineers
5 goals and 9 assists in 2 games
#33 Tyler Limoges of
Baystate/Griffin Sharks
2 goals against, 0.935 save
percentage in 3 games played
There is definitely talent
out there in our teams.
Updated 31-July-2011
2011 – 2012 NEMHL Annual
Meeting
Hockey season is about to begin!
The NEMHL Annual Meeting will be held
on Saturday, September 10th at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in
Holyoke, MA -- starting at 10 AM and commencing by 2 PM.
http://www.hiholyoke.com/directions.asp
Please let me know whether you or
someone else from your team will be attending the meeting. We expect at a
minimum oif the Head Coach and the Team Manager for
each team represented at the meeting. And since we are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, anyone is allowed to
attend the meeting.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in September.
Joan Maxam
Updated 8-July-2011
Northern CT rejoins League
Northern CT
Griffins have rejoined the NEMHL for the 2011-2012 season.
Head Coach and General Manager, Mike Kingston, informed the League President
that the Griffins will be entering a full-season Midget team into League play
for the upcoming season. The Griffins were a welcome addition to the
2009-2010 season, enjoying a 22-game schedule and
4-game playoff. The Griffins are a welcome addition to the League for the
2011-2012 season.
Updated 15-June-2011
BRUINS WIN!!!
On January 18, 1964, when I was
10 years of age and a die-hard Leafs fan, my Dad took me to a Bruins game at
Maple Leaf Gardens - only 60 miles from my home town of Sutton Ontario. At
that time, the Leafs, led by George (the Chief) Armstrong, were the perennial favourites for the Stanley Cup. The Bruins were happy
if they won 10 games in the 70-game season. That night, however, was a 11-0 victory for the visiting Bean-baggers. I turned
to my Dad after the game and stated that either the Bruins were the most stupid
players ever to ice against an NHL team or the most courageous; nonetheless, I
was converted to being a Bruins fan. A few years later, the Bruins drafted
a young player named Robert G Orr, traded for Phil Esposito, and won cups in
1970 and 1972. They broke 38 NHL records in the 1970-71 season
and lost to Les Habs thanks to an outstanding rookie
goalie, Ken Dryden. The Bruins rebounded with a Stanley Cup in 1972 but
then waited 39 years to win it again this year. Coincidentally, the Bruins
lost the Cup to the Canadiens in 1971, the same year
that the Vancouver Canucks entered the League. There is no doubt that no
one expected the Bruins to win the Cup this year but we benefitted from a hot
goalie, Tim Thomas, not unlike 40 years ago for the Canadiens. Congratulations
to the Bruins for their gutsy three game-7 victories to win the Cup. This
old Bruins fan could not be happier.
Updated 26-March-2011
New Jr Hockey organization
Announcing the Formation of the Connecticut Junior North Stars
Midget Hockey Program
"Let us help you take your game to the next level"
Make it Happen with the Junior North Stars!
The Connecticut Junior North Stars Midget Hockey Program has opportunities
for skilled Midget aged hockey players to make history as inaugural members of
the newly formed Junior North Stars. Prior Tier II or III travel hockey
experience preferred, but not required for tryouts. The program will
include:
A minimum of two set practices a week
Off-Ice Instruction and Strength and Conditioning Training
Video Instruction/Game Analysis
Experienced USA Hockey Certified
Coaching Staff
40 to 60 Game Schedule
with one home game per weekend
Personal Player Development Plans
League and Tournament Competition
High School Community Service/Giving
Back to the Game Opportunities
Player Marketing/Promotion to Prep
School/Junior Programs
Spring and Summer Hockey Options
Open Ice Evaluation Session - Saturday, April 9, 2011 - 10:20 a.m.
at the Bolton Ice Palace. Informational meeting to
follow.
For more
information, please contact Mark McGrath, Director of Coach and Player
Development, ECHO by email
or (860) 490-5796 (cell).
Updated 13-March-2011
We are the Champions!
Division 1 Champions
Albany Jr Engineers - Ron Morello
(Head Coach)
Division 2 Champions
Clifton Park Eagles - Joe Moffre
(Head Coach)
Updated 28-February-2011
Playoff schedule
Friday, March 11
6:10 PM Clifton
Park Eagles @ Saratoga Blue Knights (W)
7:50 PM Albany Jr
Engineers @ Baystate/Griffin Sharks (W)
7:55 PM South
Windsor Knights @ Watertown Redwings (V)
9:30 PM Skills competition
(W)
Saturday, March 12
7:30
AM Baystate/Griffin Sharks @ South Windsor Knights (V)
9:00 AM Albany
Jr Engineers @ Clifton Park Eagles (V)
10:30 AM Saratoga Blue
Knights @ Watertown Redwings (V)
12:40 PM Baystate/Griffin Sharks
@ Clifton Park Eagles (W)
2:10 PM S Windsor Knights
@ Saratoga Blue Knights (V)
3:50
PM Watertown Redwings @ Albany Jr Engineers (V)
Sunday, March 13
7:30 AM Clifton Park
Eagles @ S Windsor Knights (W)
9:00 AM
Saratoga Blue Knights @ Albany Jr Engineers (W)
10:30 AM Watertown Redwings
@ Baystate/Griffin Sharks (W)
1:00 PM Division 2 Championships
(V)
3:00 PM Division
1 Championships (V)
V: Vernon Rink W: Weibel Rink
Updated 30-December-2010
League donation and
Scholarship time
The League is a recipient of a very
generous donation from Drs. Val Lawrence and George Melnik of San Antonio
TX. Long-time friends of the League, George and Val have donated towards
the NEMHL scholarship fund for graduating players who qualify for a $500
award. Please contact John Mishoe,
Chair of the Scholarship Committee, for any questions and/or the application
form. Thanks George and Val!
Updated 7-December-2010
NEMHL Store open in time for Christmas
NEMHL
hoodies and baseball caps available in time for the Holidays.
Baseball
caps = $12
Hoodies
(sizes M, L, XL) = $25
Hoodies
(size XXL) = $28
Shipping and
handling is $5 (free if pick-up at Saratoga or Clifton Park rinks)
Orders can
be made by email JMaxam@NYCap.rr.com
Updated 26-November-2010
League
update
The League
has suffered a catastrophic loss of web pages for unknown reasons.
Fortunately, we did not lose any of the player statistics over the last 13
seasons. We are also fortunate to have the six teams - two pioneer teams
(Griffin and Saratoga) - still part of the League. It has been an
interesting season so far: three teams have risen to the top of the League and
three other teams are playing competitively. This raises the question
about one or two divisions for our teams. Please vote your preference as
we still have time to split into two divisions or remain as one division.
We, as a League, are committed to keeping costs down for all teams, recognizing
the escalating costs of gas and accommodations, but also the best games for
each team. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and look forward to
a post-high school selection season.
Updated 5-October-2010
And
they’re off!
The 2010-2011 NEMHL season is off to a great start - one tight win (2-0) by the 2009-2010 D-1 champion Albany Jr River Rats over the Watertown Redwings and a 2-2 tie between S Windsor Knights and newcomer Baystate/Griffin Sharks.
Updated 11-September-2010
2010
- 2011 Season
Today, we
held the Annual Meeting of the NEMHL for the 2010-2011 season.
All voted unanimously for a 13th season, despite only 6 teams in the
League. We also agreed that the playoffs will again be held in
Saratoga on March 11-13, 2011, Friday night will conclude with a skills
competition, and the banquet and awards ceremony will be held on Saturday night
at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga. It's time to drop the puck and have a
great season. Good luck to all!
Updated 15-August-2010
New
season 2010 - 2011
Set
the date on your calendar:
NEMHL Annual Meeting
September 11 from 11
AM - 3 PM
Saratoga Springs, NY
The 2010 - 2011 season is coming up FAST. Where did the summer go?
With sun every day and children whining about no hockey,
time has flown by since we last dropped the black biscuit. The
NEMHL is proposing another season of Midget hockey and we are hoping that most
teams are returning. The League congratulates our returning
Executive Board members and legacy teams for our 13th season. Please watch for
an email from Secretary Extraordinaire Joan Maxam of the upcoming Annual
Meeting.
I
hope to see all coaches and team managers at the meeting.
Dave
Dave Luke
Founder/President
of the NEMHL
Updated 28-July-2010
An
opportunity for our U16 players
We have an excellent opportunity for our U-16 players (1994 and 1995 birthdates). The Boston Jr Rangers team is looking for six to eight U-16 players to play in 5 tournaments over the upcoming season (5 weekends over our 26 weekend season – one in the Boston area). The cost per player for the 5 tournaments would be approximately $100/player/tournament which includes 5 games and a boatload of Junior and NCAA College scouts watching the games. There is still a cost for travel and lodging for each tournament but I am convinced this is a great opportunity for gifted U-16 players. The Jr Rangers have also extended an opportunity to coaches if any of you would like the opportunity to coach this hybrid Stars team in the national tournaments. More information can be found at http://www.naphl.net or through direct contact with me (President@NEMHL.org).
Updated 16-June-2010
Players
needed
Watertown Youth Hockey has
notified us that they have low numbers and have openings for several players,
all positions. Watertown is a full season Midget program who has won the
Division 1 championship in the past. If there is any interest, contact
Head Coach Carl Bard at (860) 747-5955 (bardc@att.net).
The Eastern Connecticut Hockey Organization (ECHO; home ice is Bolton, CT) is attempting to start a full season Midget program for the 2010/2011 season and is looking for interested players. Anyone interested should contact Mark McGrath (ECHO travel VP) at (860) 490-5796 (mmcg25@gmail.com) or Bob Pilney (ECHO President) at (860) 402-3541.
Updated 19-March-2010
Playoff
gallery and Team enrollment
Photographs
of the playoffs and award recipients are now available under Photo
Gallery. One of the pictures captured the winning goal by Troy/Albany Jr
River Rats Ronnie Morello in the D-1 Championship game:
Team enrollment to the NEMHL 2010 – 2011 season is now open for returning
teams and new Midget teams from youth hockey organizations. Any team
interested in joining the NEMHL for the upcoming season should reach out to our
League VP, Joan Maxam, or League President, Dave Luke. We are looking at our numbers
to make discussions during our Executive Board meeting in late April more
meaningful. We are excited by the prospect of 2 to 3 additional teams
from Massachusetts and New York. We are also reaching out to teams in
Connecticut for inclusion into the 2010 - 2012 season.
If you have an interest or know of a team who would be a good fit with our
League, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Updated 7-March-2010
What
a weekend!
This was a great weekend for the
NorthEastern Midget Hockey League. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers and
their tireless efforts under the leadership of Scott Springli, all players,
coaches, family members, and officials were treated to great hockey, a fun
Skills Competition, an enjoyable banquet with award recipients, and two
outstanding final games. In Division 1, Troy/Albany Jr River Rats
prevailed in a tug of war, knock ’em
down, fast-paced 3-1 victory with an empty net goal over the Bay State
Buccaneers. Five minutes remaining in the first period, Zach Smith set up
Joey Vedovelli for the lone Bucs goal. Then, on
a tic-tac-toe play with 3 minutes remaining in the second period, Nick Lloyd
and Andrew Bourdeau teamed up for the Rats first
goal; Bucs goalie Cory Lignelli had no chance on this
goal. In the third, with only 3:27 remaining, Ronnie Morrello
scored, NEMHL Scholar Chris Budrow assisted, on the powerplay. Lloyd sealed the victory with an empty net
goal with 23 seconds remaining. Lignelli and
Jimmy Murnane had 15 saves apiece. Truthfully,
it was a shame that anyone had to lose this contest but boy! it
was fun to watch..
Equally exciting was the Division 2
game with Saratoga Blue Knights beating Clifton Park, 4-1, in a very close
contest. The Knights got off to a quick start 4 minutes into the game with
Joe Chiaravalle feeding Joe Bartoszek
for the first notch on the powerplay. Then the
score remained 1-0 until late in the second period when the Knights went up 2-0
off a goal by Sam Kelley, assisted by NEMHL Scholar Nick Florin and David Klapp. The BIG MOMENT followed: Timothy Holmes of the
Eagles was awarded a penalty shot and he scored! This is a first in NEMHL
history. The Knights sealed the deal with two third period goals from
Carson Salaway, assisted by Mark Kelley, and Florin,
assisted by Bartoszek.
But there were also very special
moments during the weekend. After the South Windsor Knights – Northern CT
Griffins D-2 bronze medal game, the two teams stood
around to chat with each other. When questioned why they did this, both
teams’ players stated that they got to know each other during the Skills
Challenge and realized that they actually liked each other. I only wish
that I had my camera to capture this unprecedented moment in League history.
The other bronze medal game today was played by the Seniors
of both teams (Watertown Redwings and Griffin Flames) against the
“Rookies”. Score was not recorded but from what I understand, everyone on
and off the ice enjoyed their fun event. I got to meet DJ Burke’s greatest
fan, his grandmother, and get a picture with her. I also got to meet the
Cleary/Beaudry Award for Courage recipient, Bucs Alan Filiault
– a remarkable young man deserving to be amongst all of the other recipients of
this cherished award. And then the two finals….
As I stated, what a great weekend! Thanks to everyone who helped bring the season finale to a successful conclusion.
Updated 5-March-2010
Skills
competition results
Thanks to
Scott Springli, Maria Morris, and Dave Goyer, we had a very successful 1st
Annual Skills Competition. Winners of the 5 categories are:
Team Relay:
D-1
Winners: Bay State Buccaneers (Tyler Demarco, Alex Herschenreder,
JohnGrunwald, and Zack Smith)
D-2 Winners:
Northern CT Griffins (Justin Dougherty, Zach Barbour, Andrew Mordasky, and Frank Duba)
NEMHL Fastest Skater
D-1 Winner:
DJ Burke (Watertown Redwings) 15.75 seconds
D-2 Winner:
Dylan Davis (Clifton Park Eagles) 16.53 seconds
NEMHL Accuracy Shooting
D-1 Winner: Kody Dunikowski (Watertown
Redwings)
D-2 Winner:
Sean Herlihy (S Windsor Knights)
NEMHL Hardest Shot
D-1 Winner:
Garrett Fortin (Griffin Flames) 76 mph - WOW
D-2 Winner:
Joey Bussiere (S Windsor Knights) 75 mph - WOW and he
is a goalie as well!
NEMHL Elimination Shootout Challenge
Best goalie:
Tyler Limoges (Griffin Flames)
Best
shooter: Ben Olszewski (Saratoga Blue Knights)
Congratulations
to all of the 72 competitors in this event. Also, congratulations to AJ Richards of South Windsor Knights for the win of the
50/50 raffle - $145 for AJ Richards and $145 to the
scholarship fund. This is a great and necessary fund-raiser for our
scholars moving on to post-secondary school systems. Thank you to all
fans and please let us know whether the Skills Challenge or the All-Star game
should be implemented for next year.
Updated 19-February-2010
Skills
competition
Our Playoff
Director, Scott Springli, has developed a very exciting Skills Competition -
our first at the NEMHL Playoffs - for Friday night at 9:30 PM in Vernon
Rink. Four skaters and one goalie from each team will be able to
participate in one of 4 events: Fastest Skater, Accuracy
Shooting, Hardest Shot, and Elimination Shootout Challenge.
The kick-off event will involve 4 other skaters from each team in a Puck
Control Team Relay. No player can participate in more than one
event. The event occurs on Friday night after the last playoff
game. Details of each event can be found in the sidebar under Skills
Challenge. Whether you are skating or not, it would be great if everyone
attended to cheer on your teammates.
Updated 14-February-2010
Playoffs
are here!
To
all of the Coaches, Team Managers, Parents, Officials, and of course, the
Players:
Welcome to the 2009-2010
NEMHL playoffs (schedule hyperlinked). This has been an
exciting year of Midget Hockey and we look forward to an exciting end to our 12th
season. Congratulations to the remaining founding member teams, the
Griffin Flames and the Saratoga Blue Knights, on their 12th season
in the NEMHL. Thanks to all of our volunteers, several who have no
children in the League, who have embraced the ideals of the League. Without
them, we could not have evolved as we have, celebrating the season with our
League awards banquet, offering scholarships, All-Star skills challenge, and
banners for championship teams.
As you
enjoy the games this weekend, please take time to thank a few of the
individuals I will personally thank here. Maria Morris, Director of Hockey
Operations, is a highly skilled, compassionate individual who has devoted
nearly all of her spare time during the season to the League. Joan and
John Maxam are pillars of our league who accomplish many events behind the
scene without recognition. Thanks to Dave Goyer for
taking on the chore of game scheduling this year, working tirelessly to
orchestrate our season. Linda Smith, our Chief Financial Officer is
primarily responsible for the success of the Awards Banquet, and the financial
responsibility of our league. John Mishoe manages the decisions on which
players are best qualified to receive the NEMHL scholarships. Ray Schmitz
is Director of Business Development, finding fund raising opportunities for our
league. And finally thanks to our newest directors, Joe Moffre and Mark
Mansour. Again, please take a minute to thank these individuals who are
dedicated to providing a venue of sportsmanship, fun, and development for all.
We
should also recognize the efforts of the coaches, managers, and parents who
volunteer throughout the season for the day to day and game to game duties that
make a youth hockey season a success. It is easy to neglect the
contribution by those who keep score and run the clock, and often miss much of
the game due to the demands of these tasks. Thanks to the dedication of
all the coaches who work every day to improve their teams, develop their players,
and advance life’s ideals from the game. Managers are the lifeblood of
every team. Without their efforts, teams would be in chaos. Please
take a moment and thank all of your team volunteers for their dedication to
your player’s sport.
Finally,
please make a point of thanking our League President and Commissioner, Dave
Luke. As the founder of the NEMHL, he and his family are truly the
champions of the League. This League would not exist without Dave’s
leadership. He is one of the few involved with the League who knows what
Midget Hockey was like in NY and NE before the League. Players without a
high school or junior option, had to spend the last 4
years of their youth hockey experience in what could only be described as
totally disorganized bedlam, if they had any team to play for at all. The
NEMHL has provided these players with a structured, meaningful end to their
youth hockey days, and helped to grow Midget Hockey in our region. It has
served as a model for other midget leagues which have formed in recent
years. Thank you Dave, for all you have done and all you continue to do
for each and every player who has participated in the League.
Please
enjoy this weekend as it is truly a celebration of our teams’ accomplishments
throughout the 2009-2010 season. Feel free to reach out to me anytime
during the weekend.
Sincerely,
Scott Springli
Vice-President and Director of NEMHL Playoffs
Updated 10-Januray-2010
A
worthy cause
It is rare
that anyone can leave me speechless. However, yet again, Drs. George
Melnik and Val Lawrence of San Antonio, Texas, have left me speechless with
their recent generous donation of $750 toward the scholarship fund.
Through their actions, Drs. Melnik and Lawrence have funded 1 and ½ seniors for
their costs at universities and colleges, and a total of $5,250 over the last 7
years for 11 seniors. Drs. Melnik and Lawrence give their hard-earned
funds to the League not for recognition but because they believe that the
League is doing the right thing in supporting education through hockey.
Have you ever wondered why professional hockey players never get into the same
social problems as those participating in the NBA, NFL, and baseball? It
is because we have more intelligent, responsible players and our League is no
different. Drs. Melnik and Lawrence recognize the potential of these
players and willingly support them through their wallet. Let’s all join in
thanking Drs. Lawrence and Melnik in their monetary generosity and commitment
to the development of players within the League.
Updated 26-December-2009
It’s
Scholarship Season
During the
2003 - 2004 NEMHL season, the League started offering
scholarships to our graduating League players who will be attending accredited
colleges and universities. To date, 29 NEMHL seniors have received
scholarships of $500 each to assist in their (and their parents’) academic
costs. This year represents the best chance of any season to win a
scholarship, and yes, this is a competitive process. With only 8
teams participating this season, chances are better than any other
year. John Mishoe, Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee, has again
authorized up to four $500 scholarships to be awarded at our Annual Banquet
during the playoffs in March. Criteria for a scholarship award include
scholastic achievement, involvement in community and charitable activities,
performance within the NEMHL, leadership capabilities, and an essay on what the
League means to you. The application can be found at this link: http://www.nemhl.net/Scholarship_Application_2010.pdf. We encourage all seniors to
apply for this scholarship. We also encourage all to help us with
continuing to fund the scholarship program. We, as a League, recognize
that the economy has hurt hockey programs in many fundamental ways, but it is
important and rewarding for all of us to help assist our scholars in their
pursuit of academic excellence.
Updated 20-December-2009
Weather
Conditions
This
weekend we experienced a severe Nor’ Easterner which
dropped up to 2 feet of snow in some areas of New York and New England.
Those along the coast seemed to be hardest hit. Because of these wintry
conditions, several games were cancelled. Congratulations to those teams
who played the scheduled games but also importantly, congratulations to
those teams who withdrew from the games due to weather-related hazardous
driving. The League fully supports teams withdrawing from scheduled games
due to arrhythmia-provoking dangerous weather conditions. Indeed, our
League scheduler, Dave Goyer, will work
with teams to either proactively reschedule games when we know that a
storm is imminent over the weekend or reactively reschedule games that
required cancellation due to weather conditions. The safety of our
players, coaches, parents, and officials is a primary focus of our League.
Updated 30-November-2009
Divisional
Breakouts
League announcement
of teams in two divisions:
Division 1
Watertown
Redwings
Troy/Albany
Jr River Rats
South Windsor
Knights
Bay State
Buccaneers
Division 2
Griffin
Flames
Clifton Park
Eagles
Saratoga Blue
Knights
Northern CT
Griffins
Congratulations
to all teams and more importantly, all players.
Updated 11-October-2009
Tribute
to a Goaltender with a League Record
It had to
happen: In our 12th season as a League, we focus on a goalie who scored the only goal for his team but not as a skater
but as a goalie. There have been 9 goaltenders in the NHL to score a
goal: Ron Hextall of the Flyers (2 goals), Billy
Smith of the Islanders, Damian Rhodes of the Senators, Jose Theodore of the Canadiens, Martin Brodeur of the
Devils (2 goals), Evgeni Nabokov of the Sharks, Chris
Osgood of the Red Wings, Mika Noronen of the Sabres, and Chris Mason of the Predators. None of
these netminders contributed the only goal for
his team's offense. On Saturday, October 10th, we witnessed the first
time a goalie was credited for a goal in the League and the
only goal for his team. Cory Lignelli of the
Bay State Buccaneers cleared the puck from the zone down to the other
end. The puck was touched by a Griffin player and inadvertently popped
into the Griffin goal. The game ended in a tie, 1-1, with the goalie
scoring the only goal. Congratulations, Cory Lignelli,
for making League history.
Updated 26-September-2009
Honouring our Friends
The League had the opportunity to honour long-standing retired Vice-Presidents: Ron Vajnar, former Director of Hockey Operations; Lee Barsom, former Head of Disciplinary Committee, Coaching Director, and Chair of Rules; and John Leimonas, former Treasurer and League Scheduler (presented by current Director of Hockey Operations, Maria Morris). Thanks to all three friends for their invaluable contributions over the many years.
Updated 4-September-2009
Let
the Games Begin
The first
game of the 2009 - 2010 season has been sceduled:
Griffin
Flames vs. Bay State Buccaneers @ Olympia Rink, Springfield MA
September 12,
4:30 PM
Good luck to
both teams!
Updated 26-July-2009
2009
– 2010 Season
Set
the date on your calendar:
NEMHL
Annual Meeting
September 12 from 10
AM - 3 PM
Holiday Inn, Holyoke MA
The 2009 - 2010 season is coming up FAST. Where did the summer go? With rain
every day and children whining about no hockey, time
has flown by since we last dropped the black biscuit. The NEMHL is
proposing another season of Midget hockey and we are hoping that most teams are
returning. The League congratulates Alex Holmes (Head Coach, S
Windsor Knights) and Erik Tondera (Head Coach,
Bay State Buccaneers) in their new positions as Coaches of the Kingswood-Oxford and Springfield Jr B Pics hockey teams,
respectively. The League laments the loss of two Executive Board
members, John
Leimonas and Brian Testani,
and honours their dedication to the League.
The League also recognizes the withdrawal of the West Hartford Wolves and
the loss of their leadership through Jen and John Ritchotte
over the past 3 seasons. On a positive note, the League is honoured to have a new Executive Board member, Dave Goyer,
who will serve in the capacity of League Scheduler - a vital yet never
appreciated role by many of us. Dave has experience as a Scheduler and
will be as exceptional as John in this role. Coupled with the
efforts of Maria Morris, Scott Springli, Linda Smith, Ray Schmitz, John Mishoe,
the incomparable pair of Joan and John Maxam, and three members of the
Luke clan (Shannon, Kaitlyn, and Tyler), the Leadership team of the League will
guide us through another successful season - our 12th since the 1998 - 1999
inaugural season.
I hope to see all coaches and team managers at the meeting.
Updated 1-May-2009
The
reason we play
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who revived the Olympic Games in
1894, said: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but
taking part… the essential thing in life is not conquering but playing
well.”
Updated 20-March-2009
We
are the Champions
Division 1 Champion Watertown Redwings
Division 2 Champion Albany Jr River
Rats
Division 3 Champion South Windsor
Knights
More pictures found in the Photo Gallery
Updated 15-March-2009
Beware
the Ides of March
From
Shakespearean Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 15 -19:
Caesar:
"Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue shriller than all the music cry: "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to
hear."
Soothsayer:
"Beware the ides of March."
Caesar:
"What man is that?"
Brutus:
"A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March."
Well,
substitute the South Windsor Knights for Brutus and you know what happened in
the Division 3 Championship game on Sunday, March 15th (the ides of
March). South Windsor, the underdog, was up 4-0 and the Troy Jr
Engineers fought back with 3 unanswered goals. However, South Windsor
prevailed and congratulations go out to Head Coach Gary Labelle and his
Engineers in a well-fought battle. But ultimately, the Knights prevailed
and congratulations go out to Head Coach Alex Holmes, goalie Robbie Swietek, and the South Windsor Knights for their first
Divisional title. More to come on the rest of the day's
events.
Updated 12-March-2009
NEMHL
Playoffs
It's that
time of the year which culminates in exciting and fun play!
Congratulations to the players, parents, and coaches in reaching the playoffs
and fighting out for the Division 1, 2, and 3 championships. This is when
the rubber meets the road, the teams pick it up, and all play for the
hardware. The team that plays as a team will win the hardware and
sportsmanship is a tie-breaker to the finals. Good luck to all teams.
I echo the
sentiment of the League Executive Board in welcoming everyone to Saratoga and
hope that we have a fun weekend of good, clean hockey with the outcomes as
they have been decided in the last few seasons - down to the wire, double
overtimes, shoot outs, and no losers in the contests. This year, we have
added consolation games for the 3rd and 4th place playoff teams as a positive
end to their season. Finals will be played later on Sunday to highlight
the weekend. Other highlights will be the All-Star game on Friday night
(recall: no hitting, no slap shots, and all penalties result in penalty shots),
a banquet and trophy presentations as a celebration of your success
throughout the year, and the explicit promise of three great final divisional
games on Sunday afternoon. This weekend promises to be a memorable
occasion with teams closely matched within each of the divisions.
I would ike to take this opportunity to
thank each and every one of you for your participation in the League. I
realize that this has been a challenging year with the economy and dwindling
rosters but you have demonstrated the very ideals of the League: providing a
forum for hockey players who may not have any other forum to play hockey.
Of course, we had some bumps and bruises along the way this season, as we have
every year of its 11 years, but by in large, most experiences were upbeat and I
look forward to seeing all back next season. Thank you and good luck this
weekend.
Dave Luke (on
behalf of Scott Springli, Director of the NEMHL Playoffs, and the
Executive Board)
Updated 8-March-2009
CVMHL
Results
Bobby Vitale
(Head Coach, above) and his Wallingford Hawks beat West Hartford Wolves, 2-1,
in the CVMHL (Connecticut Valley Midget Hockey League) Division 3 finals to win
the cup. Recall: the Wallingford Hawks won the D-3 championship
last season in the NEMHL. Middlesex Red Devils beat the CT Chiefs 5-4 in
a shoot-out, 2 overtime game to claim the Division 2 title in the CVMHL.
And the Southeastern Seahawks overwhelmed the Watertown Redwings,
4-1, to win the Division 1 CVMHL title. This is the first time a Midget playoffs had been held in Connecticut for CHC
teams. Congratulations to all teams in the CVMHL for making a fun and
rewarding weekend for the players and parents.
Updated 4-March-2009
All-Star
Announcements
The All-Star game will be played on Friday night
of the playoffs. Special rules apply:
- No hitting
- No slap shots
- All penalties
result in penalty shots
CT All-Stars
|
No. |
Name |
Team |
Position |
|
|
Carl Bard |
Watertown Redwings |
Head Coach |
|
35 |
Ross Mocko |
W Hartford Wolves |
Goalie |
|
29 |
Matt Giuffre |
Watertown Redwings |
Goalie |
|
30 |
Alex Vinarsky |
NE Jr Falcons |
Goalie |
|
0 |
Ryan Kelly |
S Windsor Knights |
Defense |
|
2 |
Pat Higgins |
W Hartford Wolves |
Forward |
|
3 |
Brian Allred |
W Hartford Wolves |
Defense |
|
6 |
Nathan Kilelee |
NE Jr Falcons |
F/D |
|
7 |
John Bacon |
Avon Chiefs |
Forward |
|
9 |
Frank Duba |
Avon Chiefs |
Defense |
|
12 |
Corey Lein |
Avon Chiefs |
Forward |
|
13 |
Andrew Fuller |
Griffin Flames |
Forward |
|
14 |
Cody Mordenti |
Watertown Redwings |
Forward |
|
15 |
Connor Michaud |
W Hartford Wolves |
Forward |
|
17 |
Toefe
Ziemnicki |
NE Jr Falcons |
Forward |
|
19 |
Anthony Amato |
S Windsor Knights |
Forward |
|
21 |
Brian Mansour |
Watertown Redwings |
Defense |
|
26 |
DJ Burk |
Watertown Redwings |
Forward |
|
26 |
Tyler Gaudreau |
Griffin Flames |
Forward |
|
55 |
Steve Allaire |
Griffin Flames |
Forward |
|
85 |
Jake Ginsberg |
S Windsor Knights |
Defense |
|
91 |
Alex Richard |
S Windsor Knights |
Defense |
NY/MA All-Stars
|
No. |
Name |
Team |
Position |
|
|
Erik Tondera |
Bay State Bucs |
Head Coach |
|
1 |
Jimmy Murnane |
Albany Jr River Rats |
Goalie |
|
30 |
Ned Torrico |
Albany Jr River Rats |
Goalie |
|
33 |
Ryan Lynch |
Saratoga B Knights |
Goalie |
|
2 |
Chris Cowan |
Albany Jr River Rats |
Forward |
|
6 |
Mitch Croce |
Clifton Park Eagles |
Defense |
|
7 |
Mike Geraci |
Troy Jr Engineers |
Defense |
|
8 |
Ethan Bleau |
CD Selects |
Defense |
|
8 |
Rob Peach |
Bay State Bucs |
Forward |
|
9 |
Alec Gladd |
Albany Jr River Rats |
Forward |
|
9 |
Pat Lance |
Troy Jr Engineers |
Forward |
|
10 |
Derek DiScanio |
Clifton Park Eagles |
Forward |
|
10 |
Andy Loffredo |
CD Selects |
Forward |
|
11 |
Zachary Kennedy |
Bay State Bucs |
Defense |
|
14 |
Brian Ullman |
CD Selects |
Forward |
|
22 |
Mike Nadoraski |
Troy Jr Engineers |
Forward |
|
23 |
Mark Mastin |
Albany Jr River Rats |
Defense |
|
26 |
Nino Burgess |
Clifton Park Eagles |
Forward |
|
73 |
Ben Olszewski |
Saratoga B Knights |
Forward |
|
77 |
Chris Aitken |
Saratoga B Knights |
Defense |
|
81 |
Ryan Greeley |
Bay State Bucs |
Forward |
|
96 |
Mike Aitken |
Saratoga B Knights |
Forward |
Updated 16-February-2009
A
team of woes
Near the
end of a season in any sport, a team will endure a number of injuries and
illnesses. To quote Mike Tomlin, Superbowl
champion Steelers' Head Coach: "I'm committed to winning. I’m committed
to playing a brand of football that I believe in. It’s a physical game.
You win by attrition.” However, I have never seen the injury
bug plague a team as much as it has with the Baystate Buccaneers. You all
recall what Ryan Greeley endured earlier in the season with a traumatic brain
injury (TBI) following a practice. He
subsequently suffered another TBI and then received a
blow to the head this weekend at a non-League tournament; medical report is
pending. Erik Cameron has been diagnosed with Chiari
1 malformation (CMI; technically, characterized by herniation of the cerebellar
tonsils through the foramen magnum into the cervical spinal canal) and his hockey career may be in jeopardy. Team
leader Rob Peach broke his thumb which required surgery for placement of
pins. Jonathan LaCroix had an infected elbow
which required surgery on Christmas Day. Josh Reno suffered a separated
shoulder, Cory Lignelli suffered a TBI, Alan Filiault fractured his
finger, and Zachary Smith fractured his femur (leg). To pile on to this
list, Trevor Bonnette has suffered two concussions
after recovering from a broken ankle earlier in the season; due to the TBI’s, Trevor is out for the season and his long-term
future in hockey is up for discussion. Throughout this season, Head Coach
Erik Tondera has been at the side of each of his
players, injured and healthy. The Buccaneers are a model for perseverance
and team play – isn’t that the pirate way to success?
Updated 31-Januray-2009
Playoff
program
To NEMHL Team
managers & players:
Please remember that we are
soliciting advertisements for the 2009 Program booklet. This is a significant
fund raiser for the league and will also benefit each team. The plan is similar
to last year’s where each team is responsible for three pages of
advertisements. The revenues obtained through these ads will be shared
with each team by crediting 50% of the revenues toward the team’s cost for the
end of the year playoffs. It is possible, with a little effort, to have the
team’s playoff cost completely covered by the ad revenues.
In addition the
advertisements from local merchants, each team is required to submit a team
photograph that will be published in the program book along with the team’s
roster. Each team will be responsible for checking their roster listed on the
website as this will also be used in the program book.
I certainly urge your
immediate attention as these ads must be collected, arranged, and formatted for
publishing very soon to ensure we have a complete draft to go to our printer by
the end of February. Your ads should be in Adobe format if at all possible,
otherwise they will need to be converted which takes additional
time.
The booklet will be 8.5” x
5.5”, printed in color with the ad fees as follows:
-Full page ad @ $150
-Half page @ $100
-Quarter page @ $75
If there are any questions,
please contact Ray Schmitz @ rgschmitz@gmail.com or at 518-369-0083.
Updated 3-January-2009
Upcoming
playoffs and banquet
Happy New Year everyone! We have enjoyed the first half of the season and are now in the home stretch towards the end-of-season playoffs. Our League banquet will be held on Saturday, March 14th at the Holiday Inn, 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY. It is our expectation that all players and coaches attend the banquet as it is a celebration of a great season on the eve of deciding the Division 1 and 2 Playoff champions. The banquet and auction also represent a significant fund-raiser to support the academic scholarships. The silent auction will begin at 7:45 PM and dinner will be served at 8:30 PM. It will be a sit down dinner with a choice of stuffed breast of chicken or roast top sirloin of beef. The meal includes mixed garden salad, baked ziti, corn, roasted baby red potatoes, dinner rolls, coffee, soda, and dessert. A children’s portion will be available for children 10 and under.
All players, coaches, and board members are invited to attend free of charge. Other family members must make reservations to join us at a cost of $25 per person, $18 for children. Dress is business casual (collared shirt with a tie and no jeans); inappropriately attired individuals will not be admitted into the banquet.
Reservations must be made by each team through the team manager. The team manager should send the attached form and one check payable to the NEMHL to:
Linda Smith, 106 Sycamore Ct., Niskayuna, NY 12309
Reservations must be received by Sunday, February 1st. Tickets will be distributed prior to your team's first game of the playoffs on Friday or Saturday. Reservations are limited and on a first-come basis; thus, please make your reservations with Ms. Smith at your earliest convenience.
We will be running a silent auction during the evening. All proceeds from the auction support the NEMHL Scholarship Program. As was the case last year, we are asking each team to donate at least one item, preferably hockey-related, for the auction. We raised about $2100 last year for academic scholarships. We need to continue to raise that amount each year in order to maintain at least four $500 scholarships for each season (five scholarships were awarded last season as well as in 2006) . Importantly, we anticipate another enjoyable, competitive auction again this year.
During the banquet, we will also award League trophies (good sportsmanship, best goaltender, top scorer, top defenseman, and Cleary award for courage) and announce our scholarship winners.
I encourage everyone associated with the League to support this banquet in honor of those graduating from the League and celebrate those continuing for another season. I look forward to seeing everyone on March 13th at the NEMHL Playoffs and March 14th at the NEMHL banquet. ... and… who will bring home the hardware?
Updated 17-December-2008
Scholarship
applications
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/Scholarship_Application_2009.doc. Any questions may be directed to John
Mishoe, Director of Scholarships, e-mail dehns@aol.com. Phone
(518) 583-4403.
Updated 2-December-2008
Divisional
Standings
After a minimum of 10 games played by each team, the two Divisions have
been set. Recall that the team that wins Division 2 after the regular season is
placed in Division 1 for the end-of-season playoffs. Also, all rankings
are retroactive to the start of the season based upon which teams have already
been played:
DIVISION 1
NE Jr Falcons
Griffin Flames
Watertown Redwings
Bay State Buccaneers
Clifton Park
Eagles
Saratoga Blue Knights
Albany Jr River Rats
DIVISION 2
South Windsor Knights
Troy Jr Engineers
Avon Chiefs
CD Selects
West Hartford Wolves
Updated 8-November-2008
Update on Ryan Greeley
The doctors
have given the OK for Ryan to go back to school for half days at most.
However, there's a catch.... no taking notes (they must provide them for
him), no quizzes, no test, no exams, no homework, no school projects.... he is
there only to participate in classes. No workouts or exercise of any
kind, not even raking leaves. His next evaluation is Nov 25th... if
things continue well, maybe they will start ading some light weight stuff. No driving, minimal TV
and video games (he has been over doing that).
We're hopeful that the symptoms will leave soon.... getting better, but
still gets headaches etc. I'm hope for his sake he gets back into action
this season, if it is in the cards and he has completely recovered. I
know how much he lives and breaths hockey... as
any parent, I want him to be happy, but healthy first.
I feel
the need to echo what Coach Tondera mentioned
regarding head injuries, and expand on it.
I am not sure whether this mailing list is for parents, players or
both... my hopes are that you will share this message with everyone...
players and parents alike. I'm not a medical person, just a proud
parent of some outstanding athletics, one of which is a member of his
Buccaneer organization. Ryan suffered a grade 2 concussion at practice on
October 6th. No one on the ice was aware of it or that he was
injured.... and until yesterday, listening to Ryan describe what happen
to staff at Elite Sports Medicine in Connecticut and hearing him say things
like "ya, I was dazed, but just kept right on
with the drill, that's what we do" did the seriousness of playing injured
hit me. In his case, the symptoms did not really start to manifest until
30 minutes or so after the hit that dazed him, and eventually put him in the
hospital for a week. Even more important are the moments when Ryan seems
like he is "feeling better" or "acting like the old
Ryan". It really is not time for him to be doing anything, let alone
playing hockey. As one person at Elite said, we can cast a broken bone,
we can't cast the brain. The scary part is second impact syndrome -
something I had never heard of - getting a second concussion on top of one that
is still in the healing process. Playing on after a hit that makes
you see stars can be worse than the original injury. Returning to play at
any time when you are still feeling the effects of any hit..
ANY symptom at all... slight head aches, dazed
feelings, still seeing the stars, nausea, light headed, not feeling yourself
100% and the list goes on are all times to stay seated. Second impact
syndrome can change a players life forever, or take it
away.
To the
players: only you know if you have the symptoms, don't cheat yourself and don't
cut yourself short and try to play through it because you are a tough guy (or
gal) or other players are calling you a wimp. Afterall,
IT IS a game, quality of life is not a game. You
might miss a few games, you might miss the rest of the season.... your
health is more important than anything. From a New York Daily News story
about Ryne Dougherty: "Varsity coach Ed Lebida told the Daily News on Wednesday that Dougherty, who
had suffered a concussion in practice Sept. 18, had been "cleared
medically" to resume playing, although classmates indicated the player had
told friends he was "obsessed with football" and had insisted on
playing Monday despite experiencing blurred vision and headaches". Ryne died October 15th because he came back too soon.
I urge you to read these articles:
Repeat concussions can lead to
coma High Price to Pay for Concussions
I could list dozens of more articles. The important message to
kids, parents and coaches alike is... don't play through the
pain. Don't hide a head injury, it just isn't worth it. There is no
game, no team, no one moment that makes it worth the risk. Lastly, I
am gathering more information on ImPACT
http://www.saratogahockey.org/tournaments.php for more information on
this exciting opportunity for your team. Bay State Buccaneers - Division 1 champions Griffin Flames - Division 2 champions Wallingford Hawks - Division 3 champions The All-Star game will be played at 9:30 PM this
Friday. Special rules apply:
NEMHL partners with Harrow Sports
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:
PAUL BEAUDRY #23 SCHENECATDY TEAM
and (from Maryanne Reidy, Team Manager of Schenectady)...
.jpg)
Attention Seniors and Parents thereof:
Bethlehem Eagles withdraw from NEMHL
Tournament update and divisional
breakouts
- The Pilgrim Classic Tournament is closing out the registration and putting together the brackets and schedule on Sunday. The organizers (Joel Jolles and Brandon Johnson) still have a spot available, but not after Sunday 11/4. If any team wants information, please log onto the CT Riptide website (www.eteamz.active.com/ctriptde) and review the "Pilgrim Classic" and/or "Tournament" pages. Also, the discounted ticket offers for the AHL games that weekend are detailed in the "AHL Tickets" page on the site (information sent by email to all Team Managers).
- In particular, this message is directed to those teams new to the League: As typically occurs at the start of each season, we have a number of 8-0 blow-outs as no one really knows the capabilities of their team relative to the strengths and weaknesses of other League teams. This is most obvious with new Midget teams or those teams who have lost a significant number of players from last season to the current season. And, with only one exception, there has been adherence to the 8-goal differential rule – and the one exception was completely by accident and the offending coach rendered an apology immediately following the game. For those players getting discouraged by the blow-outs, it is important to note that several years ago, we instituted a policy to divide teams into equal-strength divisions on January 1st. With rare exception, teams of equal strength will play all of their 2nd half games against each other. In so doing, we have significantly reduced the number of blow-outs for the second half of the season. Also, please participate in the ongoing poll as we are unclear whether a 2-division or 3-division split should occur on January 1st. Watch the standings and vote on the natural split into 2 or 3 divisions of equal-strength teams.
ALL-STARS for Friday night's game. Congratulations to everyone.
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)
6 James Stewart (Griffin) 2 Chris Cowan (Albany)