Volume 1 / Issue 1

OUR VISIONARY OUR MISSION Friends of Avon Old Farms Hockey was the vision of Jason Pagni. A 1990 The mission of the Friends of Avon Old Farms graduate and a member of the school’s first championship Avon Old Farms Hockey is to team in 1989, Jason was a fervent supporter of AOF Hockey. A fixture at promote, support and games, Jason was passionate about AOF Hockey. Friends of Avon Old Farms Hockey is dedicated to the memory of Jason Pagni. enhance the AOF Hockey program. With the growing Jason's name will forever be synonymous with Avon Old Farms Hockey. On costs of keeping Avon Old January 31st one of Avon’s truly great champions died in a car accident, Farms Hockey on pace with leaving his family and the Old Farms alumni community devastated. Pags, as other hockey programs, the he was lovingly referred to, was a member of the 1989 New England Championship Team, which was the first major title in school history. In Friends of Avon Old Farms 2004, the '89 team was formally inducted into Avon’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Hockey looks to help continue firmly cementing their place in school history. the lineage of great teams and great players. Today, Avon Old Farms School is widely recognized as the most prestigious prep school hockey program in the country, but that would not be the case if it was not for Jason Pagni. Since his team’s inaugural run in 1989, Avon hockey has collected a total of 8 New England Championships, four times as many as its closest competitor. On each and every one of those teams were impact players who chose to attend Avon because of Pags; there was no greater advocate for the school. As a youth coach and owner of Yankees Hockey Organization and Hamden House Hockey (H3), Jason was one of the most respected figures in CT hockey circles. His friendship and counsel meant something. When families came to Avon they knew that Jason had their sons' best interests at heart.

OUR TRADITION

Avon Old Farms is nationally renowned for its program, which has won a record eight Division 1 New England Championships (four between 2004 and 2008) and produced NHL players such as Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, as well as Jonathan Quick, Chris Higgins, , Nick Bonino and others.

In 2012 Jonathan Quick joined fellow Avon Old Farms alumni Brian Leetch (1994) as a winner of the making Avon the only American school to produce two NHL playoff MVPs. Coach John Gardner is in his 39th season as the team's coach and has guided the team to all eight of its championships. In addition to the record 8 New England Prep Division I Championships, Avon has produced numerous Division One College, NHL and professional players. Gardner's overall record at Avon is 685 wins, 221 losses, and 41 ties.

THE FUTURE OF THE FACILITIES

Construction of a new world class arena and renovations to the existing rink are on the horizon. This renovation and addition will put Avon Old Farms Hockey into the forefront of prep school facilities and help continue our rich championship history. Becoming a member of Friends

of Avon Old Farms Hockey will go directly into the rink fund. A proposed Contact Us rendering is below.

Avon Old Farms School Alumni and Development Office 500 Old Farms Road INCOMING PLAYERS FOR FALL 2014 Avon, CT 06001 Jon O'Donnell- 10th Grade - Goalie from Hillside School- Hull MA. [email protected] Andrew Cross-PG- D- Austin Prep Ben Mirageas- D- Soph- Marblehead, MA Tim Callahan- G- Soph- Lighthouse Pt., FL Brendan Killoy- Jr- D- Fairfield Prep Jamie Armstrong- Jr.- F- Bishop Hendricken RI Josh Vertentes- Soph Repeat- F- Portsmouth Abbey Patrick Harper- Soph- F- Fairfield, CT - Jersey Rockets Ben Sisokin - PG - D - Appelby College

NEW TO THE AOF STAFF

Leon Hayward will be joining the coaching staff. Leon is working in admissions comes to us from Governor's Academy. Leon played 4 years for Northeastern College. In 132 games he had 15 goals and 15 assists. He then went on to play 7 years in the East coast, and American hockey leagues. He then coached the Texas Wildcatters for 2 seasons. Last season he was the head coach of the Governors Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts

AOF TO PLAY SPLIT SEASON U16 & U18

Avon Old Farms will be forming split season U16 and U18 teams. The teams will play under the Avon Youth Hockey flag.

BECOME A MEMBER

Help Avon Old Farms Hockey continue its rich history. Log onto www.friendsofavonoldfarmshockey.com to become a member. By becoming a member you will help continue to support Avon Old Farms Hockey achieve its goals and continue the lineage of great teams and great players.

AN AVON FLAIR TO THE FINALS

Hamden Coach Remembered at Stanley Cup – Article courtesy of The Hartfordite – 6/11/14

It’s hard to see, and not talked about often, but a revered hockey coach from Hamden has been memorialized at the Stanley Cup Championship. On the back of the helmet worn by goalie Jonathan Quick, it says “Pags.”

“Pags” is Jason Pagni, who was killed in a crash this past winter near his home in Hamden. He was only 43, and left behind a loving wife and two beautiful children. Pagni graduated from Avon Old Farms some fifteen years before Quick, a native of Milford, but the two later became close friends. Pagni was a member of the 1989 AOF team that became the New England Championship Hockey Team and later devoted his life to hockey, owning the Connecticut Yankees Hockey Organization.

While many in Connecticut are undoubtedly rooting for the neighboring in the Cup, there is a big contingent of folks whose lives were touched by Pags, pulling for his pal Jonathan Quick and the Team from the other side if the country.

Courtesy of Jeff Jacobs – The Hartford Courant – 6/12/14

There's a gripping story to be told if the Kings do finish the Rangers. On the back of Jonathan Quick's goalie mask are the words, "Everybody rides. Pags." Those words are a tribute to Quick's good friend Jason Pagni, who was killed in a car accident in North Haven on Jan. 31. He was 43.

Pagni played at Avon Old Farms, a member of the school's first New England championship team in 1989. Quick later would, too.

As a youth coach and owner of Connecticut Yankees Hockey Organization and Hamden House Hockey, Pagni was a towering figure in Connecticut youth hockey. He coached. He assisted kids. He counseled them. He worked with Quick. He helped coach Quick, Cam Atkinson, Max Pacioretty, a number of young stars. Everybody rides, Avon Old Farms coach John Gardner said, is shorthand for keep pushing and everybody pulling together.

"I loved Jason Pagni," Gardner said. "I hope the Kings win and Quick honors a fellow Avon Old Farms alumnus with the Stanley Cup victory. Needless to say, I love them both."

Renderings of the Proposed New Rink