LEAGUE STAFF Kathy Wynters is entering her 11th season as Associate Kathy Wynters Commissioner, 22nd year overall with the conference. As Associate Comissioner Joe Bertagna’s chief assistant, her primary responsibilities include the day-to-day operations of both the men’s and women’s leagues, along with the administration of the two championship tournaments, and special events like Frozen Fenway. She served as Tournament Manager of the 2015 Frozen Four, and oversees both the licensing and sponsorship programs. Prior to her promotion, Wynters served Hockey East as Director of Marketing and Special Events from 2001-06. Wynters was the driving force behind the creation of the “Road to the TD Garden” Tour, the Hockey East Kids Club, and “Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer” initiative. After ten seasons, the Skating Strides program has raised nearly $300,000 for grass roots breast cancer initiatives, while at the same time increased attendance at women’s hockey games and gave the student-athletes the opportunity to give back to the communities in which they study and play hockey. The Skating Strides program was recognized in May 2016 as a “100 Everyday Amazing” recipient. Sponsored by Mass General Hospital, this interna- tional award program honors individuals and groups — caregivers, researchers, philanthropists, advocates and volunteers from around the globe LEAGUE STAFF LEAGUE — whose commitment to the fight against cancer is inspirational. A native of Quincy, MA, the former Kathy Walsh earned a B.S. degree in marketing from in 1982. She began her career while an undergraduate, as a three-year intern with the men’s hockey team. Following graduation, she served the Friars in two capacities; first as Assistant Sports Information Director (primary men’s hockey contact) and then as Assistant Athletic Director, Athletic Marketing. While at PC, and before Hockey East had a full-time staff, Wynters worked with former PC athletic director, and then Commissioner, on the launch of the conference in 1983, and then coordinated the first three Hockey East championship tournaments (1985-87). She also served as Tournament Director for the 1986 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at the Providence Civic Center, co-hosted by Brown and Providence College. In 1988, Wynters left her position at PC and moved over to Hockey East on a full-time basis, where she served the conference as Assistant Com- missioner during the late 80’s and early 90’s, before going on to work for the Devils in the NHL, spending three years as a Marketing Director, coordinating licensing and souvenir merchandising. Among her earlier accomplishments at Hockey East, Wynters worked with Joe Bertagna in coordinating the first and only “Hockeyfest” events, combining the ECAC and Hockey East championships into single weekend events from 1989-91. Kathy and her husband Chuck (a retired on-ice official for Hockey East), reside in Waltham, MA. They have two grown children: daughter Annie (24), is a high school history/special education teacher, and son C.J. (23), is a certified athletic trainer (ATC).

Smith enters his third season as Director of Communications with the Brian Smith Hockey East Association. In this role, he is responsible for all marketing Dir. of Communications and public and media relations efforts from the league office. In his first two years with Hockey East, Smith has revitalized the digital presence of Hockey East, revamping the league website and social media channels to be the most heavily followed accounts in college hockey. Prior to joining the conference in July 2014, Smith spent two years with USA Hockey as the Brian Fishman Intern. Dividing his time with USA Hockey between the national office in Springs, Colorado, and the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, , Smith traveled extensively while assisting at numerous international tournaments with the U.S. National Teams. While with the NTDP, Smith served as the main media contact and managed both the U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams. Additionally, Smith played an integral role in the execution of the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Induction Ceremonies. Smith has also spent time working with the Bruins and Revolution in various roles. A former high school hockey player at Woburn Memorial High School, Smith is a 2012 graduate of where he earned four varsity letters while competing as a member of the men’s track and field team within the Atlantic Coast Conference. Smith resides in Charlestown, .

Dan Parkhurst Ryan Smith Geoff Dion Web Site Coordinator Graduate Intern Graduate Intern Parkhurst enters his Smith is a 2016 grad- Dion will primarily be 17th year of affiliation uate of Boston College, working with the Women’s with Hockey East as the where he majored in Com- Hockey East Association league’s web site design- munication and History, and American Hockey Coaches’ Association. Dion er and coordinator. and will serve duties pri- graduated from Merrimack Dan assists in the marily associated with the men’s league. During his with a B.S. in Business league’s public relations Administration and a con- four years at the Heights, efforts with multimedia centration in Sport Man- Smith worked in various solutions and day-to-day agement and Marketing. online efforts, including positions within BC’s Athletic Department, He was active on campus in several different an increased video presence starting with the including the Athletic Communications office areas, including serving as a Building Manager 2009-10 season. as a media relations assistant, and in Athletic for the Merrimack Athletics Complex. A large In November of 1997, Parkhurst helped Operations as an athletic event assistant. Smith part of his responsibilities included overseeing bring Hockey East into the digital age with the worked with various varsity sports, including the arena for hockey games. He was the Pres- launching of HockeyEastOnline.com, the official men’s and women’s , football, base- ident for Merrimack’s Sport Management Club web site of Hockey East. Since then, he has ball, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s and he volunteered with Hockey East at the constantly sought to improve the site through lacrosse. Smith also covered BC athletics as Women’s and Men’s Championships in 2016. innovations and multiple re-designs including a sports staff writer for the student magazine Dion has worked at Gillette Stadium, han- the most recent overhaul in the summer of 2015. The Gavel. dling a variety of on-field activities during New England Patriots games as well as assisting He is a familiar radio and TV voice for the A native of East Setauket, , Smith with other stadium events such as Copa UNH men’s hockey team, and also does occa- was a two sport athlete at Ward Melville High School, lettering in baseball and ice hockey. America Centenario. From 2011 to 2015 he sional play-by-play work for the NBC and ESPN was employed by the and Smith continued to play baseball as a team family of networks. worked as a hawker and then as manager of member and the communications officer of the Parkhurst is a 1993 graduate of UNH, where McCoy Stadium hawkers. In 2015 he received he served as the Wildcats’ team manager. He Boston College club baseball team. the Pawtucket Red Sox Employee Scholarship now resides in Conway, , with Smith is continuing his studies at North- award. his wife Lynn. They have two children, Jonny eastern, working towards a master’s degree in Dion intends to return to school to earn his (22) and Riley (16, an aspiring local musician. Business Administration with a concentration master’s degree in Sport Management. in marketing.

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Dan Schachte - Coordinator of Officials OFFICIATING In his fifth season with Hockey East, Dan Schachte handles all the day-to-day operations of the league’s officiating program. Schachte finished a 30-year career as an linesman in 2011-12. He worked 2,009 regular-season games in the NHL dating back to 1982, which ranks fifth all-time and first all-time among American-born NHL officials. He also worked 221 playoff games, which ranks eighth all-time among NHL linesman. He worked five (‘97, ‘98, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02) and worked Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. He was one of a select group chosen as linesmen for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, completing his duties with the Bronze Medal Game. Schachte also served on the NHLOA Discipline Committee from 2002 to 2010, as well as the NHLOA Executive Board (1991-1992) and the NHL Injury Analysis Panel in 2002. He has served as an Officiating Supervisor for USA Hockey since 2011, mentoring many of the top young officials in the United States with instruction and training at camps around the country. Schachte was a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and United States Hockey League (USHL) referee for two years (1980-1982), and co-founded the Elite Hockey League (WEHL) in 2006. Schachte studied Mechanical Enginering at the University of Wisconsin. He resides in Verona, Wisconsin, with his wife Kim and children, Danny, Ian, Lauren and Maddy.

ROSTER OF OFFICIALS Dick DeCaprio Chief Observer Name Years of Service Name Years of Service Chris Aughe 18 Tim Low 19 Dick DeCaprio enters his fifth season as Mike Baker 3 Josh Lupenik 3 Chief Observer for Hockey East, after serving as Shane Belanger 11 Curtis Marouelli 3 Supervisor of Officials for six seasons. DeCaprio Tim Benedetto 27 Steve McInchak 3 is a former on-ice official, who succeeded 12-year Bob Bernard 20 Chris Millea 15 veteran supervisor Brendan Sheehy in 2006. Brendan Blanchard 9 Jack Millea 16 DeCaprio, a native of Arlington, Massachusetts, Kevin Briganti 2 Geoff Miller 6 has enjoyed a wide range of hockey experiences Nicholas Briganti 2 Terrence Murphy 3 since his graduation from in 1968. Jeff Bunyon 27 Andy O’Brien 14 Following his playing days for , DeCaprio Steven Capraro 3 Barry Pochmara 4 became a referee, working high school and college games, including Paul Carnathan 3 Tom Quinn 20 Hockey East games, for more than two decades. Toward the end of Peter Catalano 4 Matt Riegert 12 his officiating career, he began assigning high school games in the Tom Cronin 12 Bob Ritchie 11 Greater Boston area. Jay Durfee 3 Joe Ross 2 Professionally, DeCaprio has been a teacher and administrator in Eric Frank 3 Rick Santilli 16 the Arlington Public Schools for nearly 40 years. After serving as an Tom Fyrer 19 Peter Schlittenhardt 2 assistant coach in both football and ice hockey at Arlington, DeCaprio succeeded the legendary Eddie Burns as head hockey coach of Ken Gates 3 Paul Scleparis 27 Arlington’s storied program in 1997. In that time, he has compiled Brent Gawlik 4 Jason Shattie 4 an outstanding record of 129-55-22, leading the Spy Ponders to six Tommy George 5 Kevin Shea 20 league titles and six appearances in the prestigious “Super Eight” John Gravallese 33 Robby Shintani 3 tournament. His contributions to high school hockey have earned him C.J. Hanafin 7 Wayne Silva 12 induction into the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association’s Dave Hansen 14 Andrew Spinali 4 Hall of Fame as both a referee and a coach. Scott Hansen 19 Alex Stagnone 3 Beyond these experiences, DeCaprio enjoyed two different stints Ryan Hersey 5 Marc Sullivan 11 as an assistant coach at UMass Lowell (1969-70 and 1989-91) and Marty Hughes 9 Peter Tarnaris 2 also served as a scout for the St. Louis Blues from 1985 to 1988. An Kevin Keenan 16 Pat Turcotte 4 outstanding teacher, DeCaprio has also directed the Spy Pond Power Brendan Kelleher 15 Cam Voss 4 Skating Hockey School and Clinic since 1980. Jamie Koharski 3 Steve Waters 2 He and his wife Marsha reside in Chelmsford. Jeremy Lewis 4 Charles Weber 2 Jeremy Lovett 15

Chuck Napoli - Observer

Chuck Napoli begins his sixth season as an observer for Hockey East. Napoli has worked part-time for the Boston Bru- ins as a video judge since 1991 in addition to his full-time job at Raytheon as an area supervisor since 1979. Napoli, a 1988 graduate of Northeastern Uni- versity, is a lifelong resident of Belmont and has a daughter Elena and grandson Jacob.

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