HOCKEY FEBRU W ARY 8, 2 E 012 E V K ol. 38, L Issue Y 13 $2.00 Hw w w . h o c k We y w e e k l y . c o m USA HOCKEY GIVES ADM RESPONSE - PAGE 3 YOUR #1 AMATEUR HOCKEY CONNECTION CHIEF RELIEF To the chagrin of Michigan Ice Dogs Hunter Ledgerwood and goalie Eric Matych, Motor City Chiefs Joe Close celebrates one of his four goals and two assists in the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League battle Jan. 29 for the East Division lead. Close came to the Chiefs in a trade from Kalkaska two days earlier. The Dogs lost 8-4, after beating the Chiefs the night before, 8-3. Story and photo on Page 26. Hockey Weekly photo by John Castine AALLSSOO IINNSSIIDDEE SILVER TOUCH: Michigan Ice Hawk Austin Levering scored twice in the team’s Bantam AA Silver Stick Championship. See story and photo on Page 5. CHAMPS GALORE: The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League congratu - lates its Travel Division Champions on the back page, including the Troy Sting Squirt AA, who also won the Silver Stick Regional title in December. URBAN HOCKEY : Two teams from the Hazel Park Labatt Blue Detroit Men's A Hockey League play in their third annual game at southwest Detroit's Clark Park, which they use to raise money to benefit the Clark Park Coalition hockey program. Hockey United and another picture are on Page 7. VVIICCTTOORRYY HHOONNDDAA AANNNNOOUUNNCCEESS 22001122--1133 CCOOAACCHHEESS -- PPAAGGEE 99 PAGE 2 HOCKEY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 8, 2012 Looking for SPRING hockey players? You’ll find them with Hockey Weekly Tryout Ads We deliver – to more than 18,000 subscribers in print and online Helping teams and associations fill their rosters for 38 years and counting UPCOMING SPRING TRYOUT ISSUES DEADLINE ISSUE DATE February 10 February 22 February 17 February 29 February 24 March 7 March 2 March 14 • No price increases from last season • No ad design charges • Place your ad in print, online or both • $99 per week Online ads only can be posted instantly • Your ad posted on Hockey Weekly Facebook, too (with 5,000 friends) Place your own ad with easy-to-follow instructions at www.hockeyweekly.com Call 248-477-1600 or email [email protected] for assistance. FEBRUARY 8, 2012 HOCKEY WEEKLY PAGE 3 USA Hockey gives its side of the ADM Mite story By Paul Harris Hockey. Many voted opposite of the wishes of their con - Many Mite teams left MAHA and USA Hockey for Hockey Weekly Editor stituents because they felt it was the right thing to do and Hockey Michigan or other AAU sponsored leagues in order USA Hockey still stands firmly behind the principle of that they would be backed by USA Hockey. to be able to play full-ice hockey legally. According to the entire American Development Program – not just the But that didn't happen. MAHA's figures, the number of Mite players is down 247 Mite full-ice/half-ice issue – but the organi - During the MAHA Winter Meetings at the from last season. zation also realizes it is not a one-size-fits- Southgate Holiday Inn on Jan. 20-21, one “If MAHA had not taken away choice from its members and all situation. “Is it required proposal was sent on to the Summer from its associations, then I wouldn't have approached AAU,” After being criticized by many members of Meetings in July in Sault Ste. Marie that wrote Keith Kloock, Hockey Michigan founder and Ice the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association that everybody would add a complete full-ice component to Hockey Director for AAU Michigan. “And it's highly proba - for not mandating the ADM principles at the do everything the the existing rule and another that would ble that an alternative wouldn't exist or be flourishing.” Mite level – which doesn't permit most 8 & take what little full-ice component there is Fischer said that there is no truth to the rumors that USA Under players to play full-ice hockey – at its exact same way? away from the existing rule. Hockey and AAU officials have met with each other. Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL., Jan. 12- No.” MAHA President George Atkinson said Kloock also wants to set the record straight. 15, USA Hockey says that each of its affili - he would put together a committee and “My main regret over the past year is that everything ates should apply the ADM principles as it – Dave Fischer, hopefully have a compromise proposal by keeps getting framed as Hockey Michigan vs. ADM. Many suits them and as they see fit. USA Hockey March 1. of our strongest AAU Mite supporters appear to like fram - “It (the ADM) is the recommended way for official, on the ADM “The American Development Model ing the issues in this manner as well,” he wrote. “However, developing hockey players,” said Dave included thousands of hours of research to please keep in mind that I had helped create an ADM-like Fischer, USA Hockey Senior Director, put a national program in place that guides Mini-Mite league even before ADM was published. Further, Communications. “Is it required that everybody do every - associations in helping kids reach their full potential in a most of our current coaches are totally devoted to concepts thing the exact same way? No.” fun environment,” Fischer said. “MAHA should be com - like age appropriate station drills, small area games and Some MAHA members were upset because the controver- mended for their leadership in the implementation of the skill development. sial ADM Proposal, that limited most Mites to half-and ADM and doing what is right for kids. We know there is vary - “Hockey Michigan was never about the ADM. Hockey cross-ice play, was voted into law at the MAHA Summer ing opinion in Michigan in regard to the Mite component of Michigan continues to be a rejection of any one-size-fits- Meetings at Grand Traverse Resort this past July, with their the ADM, and we applaud MAHA for listening to all stake - all mentality, an effort to create something better and of understanding that those rules would be mandated by USA holders and being open to discussing some variation.” course it's about choice.” Mite Development Program moving forward Contrary to a recent article in the last the program, 90 percent thought their play - ment model for next season. that following our world class development issue of Hockey Weekly, USA Hockey did ers improved their skill, and 54 percent said We have been given the research and the program is the key to developing the funda - not vote down a mandate setting the stan - their players developed much more than tools to do a better job of increasing young mentals and skills needed to maximize a dard for the playing surface at cross-ice or under the previous development players skills so they can have more fun young player’s long-term potential and to half-ice for Mite hockey system.These types of results show the pro - playing the game. I know we can find a allow them to follow their hockey dreams. games. In fact, there was not gram is effective and well received when solution that gets our associations to adopt LETTER a vote taken on the propos - implemented properly. at least the majority of those standards; we George Atkinson TO THE al at the winter meeting. The MAHA is concerned over the fact a com - can’t have groups ignore the development EDITOR final proposal will be voted peting organization with no development model under the excuse of choice. We need President on at the USA Hockey meet - standards seeks to undermine this new pro - to find a solution that lets our associations Michigan Amateur Hockey ing in early June. gram and the future of our associations. confidently communicate to the parents Association In January 2010, the presidents of the 34 Under the guise of choice, parents are being affiliates of USA Hockey unanimously stat - lured into programs where there are no stan - ed that they wanted a mandate for the stan - dards for coaching education, background dards of the ADM (American Development checks or player development. While prob - Model) to be incorporated into Mite hock - ably about 75 percent of those that played ey. The USA Hockey Youth Council was outside of MAHA this year also played with - then tasked to come up with what that in our organizations as well, I think we did should look like. They submitted their work a disservice to players and their parents, to be included in the proposed causing them to incur addi - rules changes to be consid - tional expense and a huge ered for 2012, which were time commitment to partici - presented at the winter meet - pate in both programs. ing a few weeks ago. The The rule change that Adray 2011/2012 Hockey Season Information majority of affiliates already passed by over a 2/3 majori - can be found on the web site. have some type of plan or ty last year sought to incor - requirements in place. During porate a combination of our meeting in Florida, the cross-ice and full-ice hockey www.adrayhockey.org presidents expressed concern to try and achieve a frame - that the way the proposed rule work that would follow a was written was not in keep - majority of the new stan - 2011-12 ing with what had been asked dards. There are those that for previously. Since that don’t feel that what was meeting the affiliates have adopted is the best solution Championship Locations asked the Youth Council to go we could come up with and back and revisit the wording feel there is more work to do.