Monday, March 31, 2008

Today's News and Notes (3/31/08)

News & Notes for 3/31/08:

The Spring season of adult inline hockey is about to begin at Bridgeville Rollerplex (http://www.bridgevillerollerplex.com/) - with this season bringing the highest turnout yet at 54 teams spread across 3 tiers of skill levels for puck teams, and 2 tiers of skill levels for ball teams.

The facility's owner, Greg Horan, has done a great job in remodeling the facility by adding 5 locker rooms, replacing the old worn-out boards & glass, resurfacing the rink, and adding a full-service pro shop.

BRP will also serve as the host rink for spill-over games at the PGH Hockey 2008 Summer Classic tournament.

For more info on the PGH Hockey 2008 Summer Classic, please visit:
http://pghhockey.blogspot.com/2008/03/2008-summer-classic-inline.html

For more info on Bridgeville Rollerplex programs, please visit:
http://www.bridgevillerollerplex.com/

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Looks like I missed the mark on 2 of my Frozen Four predictions. Michigan and Boston College came through, but Denver and New Hampshire fell short in their efforts to become NCAA champions this year.

The semifinal matchups look like this:
Boston College vs. North Dakota (April 10, 6:00 PM EST, ESPN 2)
Michigan vs. Notre Dame (April 10, 9:00 PM EST, ESPN 2)

I'm picking a Boston College - Michigan Final, with Michigan taking the championship.

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USA Hockey Inline and One Goal have made a big step toward the goal of getting more youth involved with inline hockey by partnering to offer an affordable equipment option for learn-to-play classes and clinics.

For the full story, head to:
http://inlinehockeycentral.com/article.php?article_id=52481

Thursday, March 27, 2008

NCAA D-1 Tournament Faces Off Friday

Your office/school is probably overloaded with those infamous 65-team brackets every March, but those of us that prefer our game on ice know that the REAL March Madness begins this weekend.

The 2008 NCAA D-1 Ice Hockey Tournament begins Friday, March 28. The East and West Regionals will play their first games Friday, with the Midwest and Northeast starting on Saturday.

This year's field of 16 will feature all of the regular faces - BC, Minnesota, Denver, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan St., etc.

You can catch some of the action on ESPNU and ESPN360, with the Frozen Four being shown on ESPNU and ESPN2.

Here are my picks for the Frozen Four:
Michigan
New Hampshire
Denver
Boston College

Finals:
Michigan
Denver

Champion:
Michigan

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

2008 Summer Classic (Ice)

The 2008 Summer Classic Adult Ice Hockey Tournament is coming soon - register now!

July 26/27
Iceoplex at Southpointe (Canonsburg, PA)

FAQ:

1. How much is the registration fee?
$595/team

2. What do we get if we win?
All division champions will receive a cash prize of up to $1,000! The prize pool will be determined by the number of teams entered. All division champions will also receive a tournament champion t-shirt, and FREE entry into our next event. All division runners-up will also receive individual prizes. Leading Scorer, MVF, MVD, MVG awards will also be presented at the Awards Party.

3. We'll be traveling in from another city to play, what kind of deal can you give us?
It's always wonderful to have out-of-town teams come in to have fun with us at our events, so we will give a $50 discount for teams traveling from more than 50 miles from Canonsburg, PA 15317, and we are currently working on getting a discounted rate for local hotels and attractions.

4. What's the rink like?
Full-size NHL rink with some of the best ice around. Locker rooms with showers will be provided.

5. What skill levels are you having?
We are considering this an "Open" tournament. Teams of all skill levels from Rec to Pro will have a chance to compete with similar-skill teams at this event.

5a. How are you going to do that?
All teams will be entered into an open pool for the round-robin (prelim) games. Teams will receive points according to their performance in their 2 round-robin games. (Win=10 points. Tie=5 points. Loss=0 points. 1 point each for goal differential. 1 point for shutout.) All teams will make the playoffs. For the playoffs, we will split into skill level divisions according to point totals, depending on the total number of teams entered. Teams will then compete for 1, 2, or 3 championships (again, depending on the total number of teams).

6. How many games will we get to play?
Minimum of 3 games, maximum of 6 games.

7. What else can we do while we're in town?
Jay's Sports Bar and Restaurant is connected to the rink for all of your dining (and drinking!) needs. We will have drink specials for all tournament players over the weekend. The rink and hotels are also very close to the Meadows Casino & Racetrack, and a short drive from Kennywood Amusement Park and Sandcastle Waterpark.

8. What are the roster requirements?
Team captains must submit their rosters 1 week before the tournament. 3 changes are allowed before the team's first game. Minimum roster = 8. Maximum roster = 17. All players must sign a waiver before getting on the ice.

9. What rules will we be using?
We will follow the USA Hockey rulebook, except for a few minor changes - all of which will be clearly explained to teams entering the tournament.

10. What equipment do you require?
All players MUST WEAR FULL EQUIPMENT (Helmet, Shoulder Pads, Elbow Pads, Gloves, Hockey Pants, Shinguards, Socks, Skates). All players under 18 must wear full face protection. Goalies must wear full equipment.

11. Where do I send my payment?
Please send a deposit of $100 by June 13 (check or money order) made out to:
Bill Hecklick
703 Shady Ave.
Charleroi, PA 15022

Full payment will be due on July 12.

12. I know a few other teams that might want to play, should I have them contact you?
We are actually paying a $20 "referral fee" for anyone who is able to bring other teams to the event. Get in touch with the teams you think may be interested, tell them to contact me, and make sure they tell me that you referred them. If they register and pay in full - you'll receive $20 per referred team at the tournament.

For more information, or to register, please contact Bill Hecklick:
bhecklick@gmail.com
724-825-5438
www.pghhockey.com

2008 Summer Classic (Inline)

The 2008 Summer Classic Inline Hockey Tournament is coming soon - register now!

July 12/13
Iceoplex at Southpointe (Canonsburg, PA)

FAQ:

1. How much is the registration fee?
$450/team

2. Puck or Ball tournament?
We will be having both a Puck and a Ball division.

3. What do we get if we win?
All division champions will receive a cash prize of up to $1,000! The prize pool will be determined by the number of teams entered. All division champions will also receive a tournament champion t-shirt, and FREE entry into our next event. All division runners-up will also receive individual prizes. Leading Scorer, MVF, MVD, MVG awards will also be presented at the Awards Party.

4. We'll be traveling in from another city to play, what kind of deal can you give us?
It's always wonderful to have out-of-town teams come in to have fun with us at our events, so we will give a $50 discount for teams traveling from more than 50 miles from Canonsburg, PA 15317, and we are currently working on getting a discounted rate for local hotels and attractions.

5. What's the rink like?
Full-size NHL rink with blue sportcourt surface. Climate-controlled, fully indoor facility.

6. What skill levels are you having?
We are considering this an "Open" tournament. Teams of all skill levels from Rec to Pro will have a chance to compete with similar-skill teams at this event.

6a. How are you going to do that?
All teams will be entered into an open pool for the round-robin (prelim) games. Teams will receive points according to their performance in their 2 round-robin games. (Win=10 points. Tie=5 points. Loss=0 points. 1 point each for goal differential. 1 point for shutout.) All teams will make the playoffs. For the playoffs, we will split into skill level divisions according to point totals, depending on the total number of teams entered. Teams will then compete for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 championships (again, depending on the total number of teams).

7. How many games will we get to play?
Minimum of 3 games, maximum of 6 games.

8. What else can we do while we're in town?
Jay's Sports Bar and Restaurant is connected to the rink for all of your dining (and drinking!) needs. We will have drink specials for all tournament players over the weekend. The rink and hotels are also very close to the Meadows Casino & Racetrack, and a short drive from Kennywood Amusement Park and Sandcastle Waterpark.

9. What are the roster requirements?
Team captains must submit their rosters 1 week before the tournament. 3 changes are allowed before the team's first game. Minimum roster = 6. Maximum roster = 14. All players must sign a waiver before getting on the floor.

10. What rules will we be using?
We will follow the AAU/USARS rulebook, except for a few minor changes - all of which will be clearly explained to teams entering the tournament.

11. What equipment do you require?
All players must wear a helmet, elbow pads, hockey shinguards, skates (with all the wheels in place!), and hockey gloves. All players under 18 must wear full face protection. Goalies must wear full equipment, except in the Ball division, in which goalies are not required to wear skates.

12. Where do I send my payment?
Please send a deposit of $100 by June 13 (check or money order) made out to:
Bill Hecklick
703 Shady Ave.
Charleroi, PA 15022

Full payment will be due on June 27.

13. I know a few other teams that might want to play, should I have them contact you?
We are actually paying a $20 "referral fee" for anyone who is able to bring other teams to the event. Get in touch with the teams you think may be interested, tell them to contact me, and make sure they tell me that you referred them. If they register and pay in full - you'll receive $20 per referred team at the tournament.

For more information, or to register, please contact Bill Hecklick:
bhecklick@gmail.com
724-825-5438
www.pghhockey.com