2015~2016 ANNUAL REPORT USAHOCKEY.COM U.S. ENJOYS SUCCESS IN INTERNATIONAL PLAY SEE PAGE 10 MEGAN BOZEK, MEGHAN DUGGAN AND EMILY PFALZER LEAD U.S. TO GOLD MEDAL AT THE 2016 IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS A Great Culmination To The Season EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW – SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 14 EXCLUSIVE: USA Hockey’s ADM VOLUNTEERS: UNSUNG Continues to Help Shape HEROES Youth Sports Landscape OF USA HOCKEY PAGE 3 PAGE 15 OUR MISSION USA Hockey provides the foundation for the sport of ice hockey in America; helps young people become leaders, even Olympic heroes; and connects the game at every level while promoting a lifelong love of the sport. a Key Partners in Hockey 2015-16 Annual Report • USA Hockey, Inc. • LEADERSHIP • Page 1 We Have Much To Celebrate EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The 2015-16 USA Hockey season included a record number of players, and with other sports suffering declining participation, our growth is a tribute to the stakeholders involved, including the thousands of volunteers across the country that make our sport as strong as it is today. And with our focus on attracting kids at the entry level, we’re particularly proud of the fact that our totals included a record number of boys and girls at JIM SMITH President the eight-and-under age group. We continue to positively affect the landscape of our sport at the youth level through the American Development Model and its age-appropriate training curriculum. As you may know, USA Hockey launched the ADM back in January of 2009 and today it is widely applauded and emulated throughout the Olympic landscape and beyond. We can all be proud of that. Our use of technology continues to improve and be more robust as we strive RON DEGREGORIO WALTER L. BUSH, JR. to stay at the forefront of the digital world, with the primary goal to positively Co-Chairman of the Board Co-Chairman of the Board affect education and training of athletes, coaches, officials and parents. It was another special year on the international front for our teams, highlighted by gold-medal performances from our U.S. Women’s National Team at the IIHF Women’s World Championship; the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team at the IIHF Women’s World U18 Championship; and the U.S. Youth Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the Youth Olympic Games. Our DONNA GUARIGLIA BILL HALL teams also earned bronze at the IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship, Treasurer Secretary which we hosted at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the IIHF World Junior Championship. In addition, our U.S. National Sled Team captured titles at the World Sled Hockey Challenge and the IPC Pan- Pacific Championship staged in Buffalo, New York. There’s much to celebrate as we look back at 2015-16 and we invite you to enjoy many of the high points of the season in the pages ahead. JOHN BEADLE CHARLES FUERTSCH DAVE KLASNICK Vice President & Vice President & Vice President & Adult Council Chair Legal Council Chair Youth Council Chair Jim Smith Dave Ogrean President, Executive Director, USA Hockey, Inc. USA Hockey, Inc. GAVIN REGAN LARRY REID JOHN VANBIESBROUCK Vice President & Vice President & Vice President & International Council Chair Marketing Council Chair Junior Council Chair SHELLEY LOONEY KEVIN MILLER JENNY POTTER Athlete Representative Athlete Representative Athlete Representative MIKE BONISH DON MULDER MIKE MULHALL Director Representative Director Representative Director Representative Page 2 • PLAYERS • USA Hockey, Inc. • 2015-16 Annual Report PLAYERS The number of kids playing hockey in the United States continues to grow and that’s a credit to the passionate efforts of volunteers nationwide, as well as to USA Hockey’s focus on safety, skill development and, of course, fun. In terms of safety, USA Hockey emphasizes both on-ice and off-ice protection through numerous initiatives, resources and enforcement. On the ice, USA Hockey’s vigilance is exemplified in part by the creation and enforcement of rules, along with progressive coaching in the areas of body contact and injury prevention. Off the ice, USA Hockey has long had systems in place to protect its participants from physical and sexual abuse and other types of misconduct. USA Hockey SafeSport includes those long-standing policies, as well as additional enhancements like an electronic communication policy and a streamlined abuse-reporting system. Moving to player development, USA Hockey’s American Development Model, based on long-term athlete development principles, continues to positively affect the landscape of youth hockey in America. USA Hockey added nearly 2,000 new 8-and-under players to its ranks in 2015-16, and with the number of American 8U children playing hockey The number of kids playing hockey in in excess of 100,000 for the sixth straight season, the base of the game continues to strengthen. the United States continues to grow and “We’ve made great strides in exposing new kids to our sport,” said Pat that’s a credit to the passionate efforts Kelleher, assistant executive director of development for USA Hockey. “Whether through the ADM or events like the IIHF Girls Hockey of volunteers nationwide, as well as Weekend or our Try Hockey for Free Days, or the countless other to USA Hockey’s focus on safety, skill initiatives that make hockey an attractive option for kids and their families, we continually welcome new players to the game throughout every part of development and, of course, fun. the country. It’s exciting to see the momentum grow. The future’s bright.” Keeping children in the game is just as important, which is why USA Hockey’s youth initiatives emphasize fun, engagement, efficient “We’ve watched young hockey players thrive with the ADM,” said Bob skill development and a proper practice-to-game ratio. Each of these Bassen, Dallas Stars alumni director and 15-year NHL forward. “I love to components work to ensure that children have every opportunity to play, see the smiles on these players’ faces as they consistently touch the puck, love and excel, without the pressure of excessive financial burdens or and most of all, have fun on the ice.” misguided development priorities. 33% 2015-16 SNAPSHOT ADULT Youth Players PLAYERS 16% 365,489 YOUTH PLAYERS Adult Players 178,094 2% USA HOCKEY UNIVERSE Coaches OFFICIALS 56,515 5% More than a million strong Officials 23,735 44% Parents/Volunteers PARENTS & 498,412 COACHES VOLUNTEERS 2015-16 Annual Report • USA Hockey, Inc. • PLAYERS • Page 3 American Development Model: Doing What’s Best For Kids While it might be hard to believe, USA Hockey’s American Development Model has now been in use for seven full seasons. A nationwide player development initiative launched in January of 2009, the ADM emphasizes age-appropriate, age-specific training and competition, with a heightened focus on skill development. The ADM was founded on consensus sport science and child development research, the premise of which calls for creating fun, active environments focused on skill development and engagement – environments in which every child can excel and reach their full potential. In short, it’s doing what’s best for kids, while also delivering an ideal hockey education. The positive effect on American hockey is shining through from coast to coast. It’s not only evident in the budding skills of our nation’s youngsters, but also in championship performances by the 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team, led by head coach (and ADM manager) Scott Paluch, and the 2016 U.S. Under-17 Select Team coached by ADM advocate Cory Laylin. “The ADM has brought more kids to the game, kept more kids in the game and given them a more efficient pathway to develop their skills,” said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. “It’s great to see the leap forward in skill development nationwide, and it’s exciting to think about all the potential these players have to take American hockey to new heights.” Since its launch, the ADM has received national and international acclaim, gaining support from the NHL, the NCAA, the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Aspen Institute and hockey parents alike. Its success has also resonated with the United States Olympic Committee, which adopted USA Hockey’s ADM name and logo in 2015 to represent American athlete- development efforts across its entire sporting landscape. American Goaltending Makes History with Nationwide Development Initiative The 2015-16 season may well become a Excellence Fund, which uses monies raised skaters to become goaltenders in 60 seconds. watershed moment in American goaltending to help train and support a roster of new With the QuickChange pads, every player can history with the launch of USA Hockey’s most goaltending development coordinators at each experience the position and every 8U outing can aggressive nationwide goaltending development USA Hockey affiliate. Those coordinators are include goaltenders, which benefits goaltending initiative ever. comprised of the country’s top goalie gurus, development and shooting skills alike. “We’ve seen an improvement in the last eight all charged with a mission to create a bridge More than 1,500 orders for these pads were or nine years of American goalies making it to between youth goalies, parents and head placed in 2015-16, as USA Hockey affiliates the NHL, but our best days are still to come,” coaches through improved education and took the lead in overcoming one of the biggest said Phil Osaer, who was hired in 2015 as USA communication. obstacles in goaltending development – the need Hockey’s first American Development Model Another major piece of USA Hockey’s for specialized equipment.