Novi Youth Hockey Association 42400 Nick Lidstrom Dr. Novi, MI 48375 info@noviyouthhockey.org 248-735-0393 Angela Petty Program Administrator info@noviyouthhockey.org Inside This Issue Season Beginnings... 1 USA Hockey Registration... 1 NYHA Game Day 2011... 2 Travel Program... 2 Kroger s/hiller s Programs... 3 NYHA Goalie Clinic... 3 FAQ... 4 Learn To Play Hockey... 4 Pre-Season Clinics... 5 Required Equipment... 6 House League Dues... 6 House Evaluations... 7 Add us to your address book: to ensure that you receive future issues of the NYHA FactCat newsletter as well as important e-mails from the Novi Youth Hockey Association, we encourage you to add info@noviyouthhockey.org in your e-mail's address book. Note that some internet service providers (ISPs) treat e-mails that appear as mass e-mails as SPAM. Some of the NYHA s communications may not be getting to you. Adding info@noviyouthhockey.org to your address book will ensure that our e-mails get to you. 2011-2012 Season Beginnings It seems like summer vacation is just getting underway...can you believe it s time to think about hockey already!?! We are getting this summer edition of out so you and your player can plan for their big comeback! The 2011-2012 season begins in August. We have plenty of great programming to offer your player to prepare him/her for the upcoming season. Take a moment to review all of the opportunities. Prep Clinics, a goalie clinic, and conditioning skates are just a few ways to get ready. All players must register with USA Hockey (see the article below) prior to the House Program Evaluation Skates which are scheduled for August (see page 7 for specific days and times). Players are required to attend BOTH evaluation skates. The coaches will be evaluating the players for different skills during each session. Failure to attend both evaluations can result in a misleading evaluation of the player. Attending both evaluation skates helps to ensure that the draft is fair and equal. A dues payment is required prior to being allowed to participate in the House Evaluation Skates. Registration Fees must also be paid prior to the Evaluation Skate. Please remember to bring your checkbook or credit card - the NYHA now accepts credit cards for payments!! After the House Evaluation Skates, all players will be July 2011 drafted onto teams. The first assigned ice for house divisions is Friday, August 27th. The NYHA cannot honor requests for players to be drafted onto the same teams except for teams skating half ice (see our website for details). USA Hockey has changed the rules for body checking and delayed full body contact checking to Bantam beginning in 2011-2012. You can learn more at the USA Hockey website. MAHA has changed its rules for Mite hockey beginning with the 2011-2012 season stressing ADM implementation and half ice play. You can learn more at the NYHA and MAHA websites. Take advantage of all the great programming we offer! See you at the rink! Summer To-Do: Register Your Player With USA Hockey Parents and players need to be aware that USA Hockey requires all players (both House and Travel) to register with USA Hockey directly for the 2011-2012 season at www.usahockey.com. It is important to note that House players must register with USA Hockey prior to their on-ice evaluation with the Novi Youth Hockey Association in August. All players will be required to provide written proof of their USA Hockey registration at the evaluation check-in. Travel players should check with their coach about providing proof of registration. The NYHA has put together simple instructions to guide you through the registration process. These details can be found on the NYHA website The USA Hockey online registration takes about five minutes to complete. Be sure to select the 2011-2012 season during the registration process. House players should bring a copy of the confirmation page with them to their first evaluation skate. Note: There is a $30 USA Hockey fee and a $5 Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) fee that you will be asked to pay.
PAGE 2 Visit the Novi Ice Arena Pro Shop for a wide selection of skates, sticks, pucks, and more! Skate sharpening is available. Novi Game Day 2011 Mark Your Calendars!! In 2002, the NYHA started a tradition. The goal was to celebrate hockey for the love of the game. The NYHA Game Day has emerged as one of the key events on the Michigan hockey calendar. Game Day brings every player in the NYHA family to the rink on one day. Hockey games, contests, vendor booths, mascots, and celebrations of all types highlight this much anticipated event. Mark your calendars and plan to be there. You won t want to miss it!! TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH! Volunteers are needed! If interested contact Phil Coleman at pcoleman@noviyouthhockey.org or Pete Easson at peasson@noviyouthhockey.org NYHA Travel Hockey Program Update The NYHA has a strong travel hockey tradition. Last year, the NYHA teams achieved success in Little Caesars, districts, states, and regional tournaments. For the 2011-2012 season, there are 7 travel teams. Visit the NYHA website for tryout times, programming, and contact information. Travel players pay their NYHA dues in five installments. This payment schedule is determined based on the cash flow requirements needed to pay the Association billings, particularly for ice. Travel players will not be rostered until the first payment is made and they are registered with the NYHA. Additionally, no player can practice with their team until the first installment is paid. There is a $35 fee for dues not received by the payment date. Final dues will be set when the number of participants are known and the ice contracts and allocations are completed. The final dues schedule will be published on the NYHA website after the October Board Meeting. Tentative Dues Division 1st Payment 2nd Payment 3rd Payment 4th Payment 5th Payment Total Dues Due Aug 1 Due Sept 15 Due Nov 1 Due Dec 1 Due Jan 15 (Estimated) Mite AA $500 $500 TBD TBD TBD $2000 Squirt A & AA $600 $500 TBD TBD TBD $2400 PeeWee A & AA $600 $500 TBD TBD TBD $2500 Bantam A & AA $600 $500 TBD TBD TBD $2600 NOTE: Dues are based on a 16 player roster. Note: All players are also subject to a $150 resident/$175 non-resident registration fee upon acceptance of an offer to play for NYHA travel. The registration form and registration fee are due August 1st.
PAGE 3 What can I do to help reduce the cost to play hockey? Are you looking for ways to reduce the costs of hockey for your family? If so, you should check out the programs by both Kroger s and Hiller s that can help. These two programs allow you to earn dollars towards your Novi Youth Hockey dues by purchases that you make at Hillers and Krogers. Rewards earned this season apply to the 2012-2013 season. Kroger s Community Rewards The Kroger Community Rewards program works automatically when an associated Kroger Plus Card is used at the time qualifying items are purchased at a Kroger store. Monies earned are based on the amount of purchases made during the term of the program, subject to household, association, and program maximums. Information regarding qualifying items, program dates, household, association, and program maximums, and more can be found at www.kroger.com. Hiller s Scrip Card Program Through the NYHA, Hiller s will provide scrip cards to each interested NYHA player, family member, or friend. The scrip cards are pre-assigned to the NYHA and work like gift cards. Participants can load the cards with a balance at the store, and then use the cards to purchase items at any Hiller s market. The cards can be loaded and re-loaded as often as needed. Each time the card is loaded, 5% of the amount added to the card will be contributed to the NYHA, and will be reported with the associated card number. More information can be found at www.hillers.com. To sign up for either program please go to www.noviyouthhockey.org Free NYHA Goalie Clinics John Damrath will be joined by goalies from the high school and college level to offer this free clinic to get our NYHA goalies ready for the season. John Damrath is presently the head coach of Ohio State University Women s Ice Hockey Club. John previously played in goal for Ohio State and since his college career has gone on to start the Michigan Icebreakers Girls Hockey Program in 2001 and serve them as assistant coach and goalie coach. His various accomplishments include Head Coach for numerous boy and girl travel teams and practice goalie for the Detroit Red Wings. John has also worked with some great NHL players including Manny Legace and Phil Myre. All registered NYHA goalies, and those interested in trying out the position are welcome and encouraged to attend. Sessions at the Novi Ice Arena. Saturday August 6 from 9:00-10:30am Sunday August 7 from 9:00-10:30am Chalk talk will follow each session for approximately 30 minutes. Application forms can be found at and are due by July 28th! Websites To Bookmark www.lcahl.org www.usahockey.com www.maha.org www.arenamaps.com www.noviicearena.com The NYHA 2011-2012 Board of Directors The NYHA Board consists of the following elected volunteers: Bob DeSpirt (President) Stacey Cerroni Mark Berke (Vice President) Phil Coleman Joy Orlich (Secretary) Pete Easson Chris Mitchell Vince Lorelli (Executive Treasurer) Todd Martin Greg Antilla Dave Mueller (Associate Treasurer) Scott Novell NYHA Mission Statement The NYHA Organization is committed to cultivating and developing youths in the sport of Ice Hockey. This is achieved through dedicated volunteers teaching and improving hockey skills in an atmosphere that promotes good sportsmanship. This model provides each and every person within the Novi Youth Hockey Association, the opportunity to learn, grow and enjoy the game of hockey.
PAGE 4 FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions Why does my child have to attend both evaluation skates? The first skate evaluates skating ability, speed, etc. The second skate concentrates on hockey ability. Both aspects are reviewed in an attempt to bring equity to the draft process. What happens after the evaluation skates? After the evaluation skates all players are drafted onto teams using rules and guidelines drawn up by MAHA (our governing body) to ensure fairness. Once drafted, the new coach should contact you with the date of the first practice. All teams will have ice times over the Labor Day Weekend. Can my child be drafted on the same team as my neighbor or by a certain coach? MAHA (Michigan Amateur Hockey Association) stipulates that only siblings can be drafted onto the same team. Unlike other sports, requests for friends or neighbors to be drafted together cannot be honored; except for MiniMite and Mite teams playing half ice. Will my child skate on the same days each week? To ensure fairness, ice times are rotated through the entire house and travel Association. This allows every team to enjoy the infamous 6:00 am hockey practice! Why does the team need additional funds beyond the normal Association dues? The Association dues cover paying for ice time for regularly scheduled games and practices, home ice referee fees, and game jerseys. Other costs such as referee costs for scrimmage games, tournament fees, team-related equipment, or team social functions are not covered by the NYHA. These contributions are team coordinated. What is S.T.A.R.? The MAHAsponsored S.T.A.R. (Shared Tolerance Appreciation and Respect) program is designed to inform players and parents of the need to keep hockey fun. S.T.A.R. is designed to make sure everyone understands their responsibilities. What is the Little Caesars League (LCAHL)? All NYHA house (above Mite Division) and travel teams not only play other NYHA teams, but play teams from other local associations. The 33-year-old LCAHL administers this league. What is the I-275 League? NYHA House Mini-Mite and Mite Players compete against teams from surrounding associations such as Livonia, Compuware, and Farmington Hills. Why do Midget Division players have to pay their entire dues by October 1st? This is to financially protect the NYHA. In the past, players have committed to teams only to leave if the player makes a varsity or junior varsity team leaving the Association to make up the dues difference, or more drastically fold the team. Why does the NYHA begin skating in August? The NYHA purchases its ice primarily from the Novi Ice Arena. Stipulations from that negotiation require that the NYHA purchase ice from August 01 through March 31 even though that is not our desire. This is a common practice among all ice arenas. Since the ice is purchased, the Board has elected to begin programming recognizing that all families might not be able to attend all their scheduled sessions. Each hour that the NYHA contracts for costs the Association $260 over the contract duration. The NYHA also does not have consistent hours for each month. Beginning in late October through mid February, the Novi Ice Arena sells ice to Novi and Northville High Schools and tournaments significantly affecting the ability of the NYHA to provide consistent programming. Learn To Play Hockey Program The NYHA in conjunction with Tim Horton s is proud to bring our youngest hockey players this great program. Consider this the next step after players have completed a learn to skate program. The focus is on the fundamentals of skating and puck skills. The class is open to players ranging in age from 4 to 8. Players will be divided according to age and skill level. There are two sessions offered. All skates are on Tuesdays in the early evening hours. The first session begins on September 6th and ends on December 20th for a total of 16 skates and the second session begins January 3rd and ends March 27th for a total of 13 skates. Each session is 50 minutes in length and prorated based on start date. Please Note: Players must be current members of USA Hockey to participate (see article on page 1). Refer to the NYHA website at for information on how to register for USA Hockey. Dave Roberts is an All American and graduate of the University of Michigan. Dave played in the CCHA, IHL, AHL, UHL, and in Europe. Dave played for the Blues, Oilers, and Canucks in the NHL and was on the 94 USA Olympic team. All skates are at the Novi Ice Arena For a full list of dates, information, and enrollment form, please visit our website:
Novi Ice Arena Customer Appreciation Open House July 29, 5-9pm Free Hot Dogs from 6-8pm Free Open Skating and Lessons from 5-6:30pm Figure Skating Exhibition from 6:30-7pm Free Sticks and Pucks Program from 7-9pm Free Hockey Instruction Program from 7-9pm Snowplow Sam and Suburban Steve in attendance Pictures with Zamboni during Open Skating Raffle Prizes Pro Shop Specials Try Hockey For Free Clinic July 29, 6-7pm Call the Novi Ice Arena at 248.347.1077 to make your reservation. Boys and girls ages 4 to 9 will be loaned all the necessary hockey equipment for the event. In addition, on ice support will teach kids how to get dressed, stand on skates, hold a stick, and skate around. PAGE 5 Mite Hockey The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) Board of Directors voted to pass a revised rule change proposal that will substantially improve skill development for eight-and-under age hockey players. The rule change phases in a reduced playing surface size by the 2012-2013 season and does not affect those 2003 players who played full-ice in the 2010-2011 season. Once phased in, it allows associations the ability to fully adopt the American Development Model (ADM) for this age level. 2011 2012 Season Six-and-under Players - No Changes - Must play cross-ice / halfice games. 2004 Birth Year Players - Must play cross-ice / half ice games. No full-ice games or tournaments. 2003 Birth Year Players - May play cross-ice / half-ice games. Full-ice Mite AA and Mite B teams allowed. Mite A teams not allowed. These changes affect all MAHA programs in the State of Michigan. This rule change does not affect the NHYA MiniMite programming, but does affect Mite programming. Visit the NYHA website home page for more details and FAQ s. Continue to watch the NYHA website for programming information. The NYHA will provide programming competitive with surrounding associations. Novi Youth Hockey Association Mite, Squirt, PeeWee, and Bantam Divisions Prep Clinics A great way to get ready for the fall season! Skating, shooting, and passing drills run by a skilled instructor. All skates at the Novi Ice Arena Mite Clinics Tues. Aug 2nd & Wed. Aug 3rd 5:00 to 6:00pm Total Cost $45 Check here ( ) Squirt Clinics Tues. Aug 2nd & Wed. Aug 3rd 6:00 to 7:00pm Total Cost $45 Check here ( ) PeeWee Clinics Tues. Aug 2nd & Wed. Aug 3rd 7:00 to 8:30pm Total Cost $55 Check here ( ) Bantam Clinics Tues. Aug 2nd & Wed. Aug 3rd 8:30 to 10:00pm Total Cost $55 Check here ( ) Player s Name: Age: Date of Birth: Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: ( ) Contact Person: Day Time Phone: ( ) Email: Send completed form and check payment to: NOVI YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION 42400 Nick Lidstrom Drive, Novi, MI 48375 Those who choose to pay by credit card, please go to the website at for the proper authorization form. Please Note: Players must be current members of USA Hockey to participate (see article on page 1). Refer to the NYHA website at for information on how to register for USA Hockey
PAGE 6 Required Equipment Full protective ice hockey equipment is required for all NYHA players. Roller hockey equipment is not acceptable. All players require the following: Helmet with full face guard Mouth guard Neck guard Protective cup and supporter Shoulder and shin pads Hockey socks, hockey pants, gloves, stick, and skates Neck guards and mouth guards are mandated by the NYHA and are required every time an NYHA team takes the ice. Additionally, if a player wants to be evaluated as a goalie, the following equipment is required: goalie pads, chest protector, and trapper/blocker. (At the Mini-Mite, Mite, and Squirt levels, the NYHA provides each team with a set of goalie-specific equipment.) If your player requires goalie equipment for evaluation purposesplease contact Phil Coleman at pcoleman@noviyouthhockey.org. On the date of your first evaluation skate (see Page 7), prior to going on the ice, please check in near the Novi Arena lobby 45 minutes prior to your ice time. Each player will receive an Evaluation Number, needed for both evaluation sessions (this will adhere to the back of the jersey). Please be sure to keep this number adhered to your jersey until after the second evaluation skate. House dues for the 2011-2012 season will be divided into four installments. The first payment is due at the first evaluation skate. Remaining payments are due per the schedule below and collected by your team manager. The first installment of dues must be paid before the player skates in the evaluation. This payment schedule is determined based on the cash flow requirements needed to cover the Association s commitments, particularly the purchases of ice and jerseys early in the season. The NYHA accepts checks and credit cards for dues. Only one check per player. Credit card payments include a cost recovery fee. Make checks payable to NYHA and place the player s name on the check memo field. Those who choose to pay by credit card, please go to the website at for the proper authorization form. 1st payment 2nd payment 3rd payment 4th payment Tentative Division Due Eval Skate Due Oct. 21 Due Dec. 1 Due Jan. 15 Total Dues Mini-Mite $300 TBD TBD TBD $650 Mite $350 TBD TBD TBD $850 Squirt $400 TBD TBD TBD $1425 PeeWee $450 TBD TBD TBD $1500 Bantam $550 TBD TBD TBD $1600 Midget B $800 Due at Evaluation and $800 Due October 1st* Midget BB $800 Due at Evaluation and $800 Due October 1st* What s the difference between the NYHA, Novi Ice Arena, and Suburban Ice - Farmington Hills? The NYHA is a non-profit organization which administers and oversees several youth hockey teams - both house and travel levels and a Learn To Play Hockey program. The NYHA is managed by an all-volunteer elected board who work throughout the year to bring hockey to the youth of Novi and surrounding communities. Novi Ice Arena is the primary home arena of the NYHA. Every year, the NYHA purchases approximately 3,000 hours of ice at the Novi Ice Arena. Owned by the City of Novi, the arena is managed by the Suburban Sports Group. Suburban Sports Group is a private business entity providing full service consulting management and ice-sport programming services. Suburban Sports Group also operates Suburban Hockey which develops and operates instructional and competitive hockey programs. Suburban Ice Farmington Hills is a privately owned ice arena and is managed by the Suburban Sports Group. Tentative House Dues and Payment Dates Final dues will be set when the number of participants are known and the ice contracts and allocations are completed. The final dues schedule will be published on the NYHA website after the October Board meeting. *For Midgets, the entire season s dues are payable in two installments. These dues are tentative and will be re-evaluated based on the number of participants and ice assigned. Bring To Your First Evaluation Skate (Registration): Player s USA Hockey Registration (confirmation page) Check made payable to: NYHA with player s name in the memo field (only ONE CHECK per player) If paying by credit card, authorization form filled out (available at ) The alternative evaluation time for all divisions is: Thursday, August 4th from 6:00-7:00 PM. If you cannot attend either of the evaluation skates, you must contact the NYHA by July 28 to be scheduled into the alternative evaluation at info@noviyouthhockey.org. Your first payment is due at that time. NOT ATTENDING ANY EVALUATION SKATE PLACES A PLAYER AT A SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE IN THE DRAFT
Novi Youth Hockey Association 2011-2012 Season Conditioning and House Evaluation Skate Schedule PAGE 7 Below is the NYHA House Evaluation and Conditioning Skate Schedule. Conditioning skates are at the player s option, but are a great way to prepare for evaluations. Evaluation skates are held by division and last name of the player (check the evaluation date and time with bolded letters for last names). Each player has two (2) scheduled evaluations. Players need to make every attempt to attend both evaluation skates. ARRIVE AT LEAST 45 MINUTES EARLY TO COMPLETE CHECK IN AND PAY FEES. All conditioning and evaluation sessions are at the Novi Ice Arena Mini-Mite Division 2005 & 2006 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($10) - OPTIONAL 1 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 10:00-11:00am 1 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 12:00-1:00pm Evaluation A-K Mon. Aug. 8 6:00-7:00pm Evaluation A-K Mon. Aug. 15 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation L-Z Mon. Aug. 8 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation L-Z Mon. Aug. 15 6:00-7:00pm Mite Division 2003 & 2004 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($10) - OPTIONAL 1 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 11:am-12:pm 1 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 1:00-2:00pm Evaluation Skates-REQUIRED Evaluation A-E Tues. Aug. 9 6:00-7:00pm Evaluation A-E Tues. Aug. 16 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation F-MA Tues. Aug. 9 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation F-MA Tues. Aug. 16 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation MC-Z Tues. Aug. 9 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation MC-Z Tues. Aug. 16 6:00-7:00pm Squirt Division 2001 & 2002 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($10) - OPTIONAL 1 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 12:00-1:00pm 1 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 2:00-3:00pm Evaluation A-D Tues. Aug. 9 6:00-7:00pm Evaluation A-D Tues. Aug. 16 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation E-J Tues. Aug. 9 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation E-J Tues. Aug. 16 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation K-N Tues. Aug. 9 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation K-N Tues. Aug. 16 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation O-Z Tues. Aug. 9 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation O-Z Tues. Aug. 16 6:00-7:00pm FYI: Please Keep Numbered Evaluation Sticker for BOTH Evaluation Skates PeeWee Division 1999 & 2000 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($15 Each) - OPTIONAL 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 1:00-2:30pm 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 3:00-4:30pm Evaluation A-E Thurs. Aug. 11 6:00-7:00pm Evaluation A-E Thurs. Aug. 18 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation F-MA Thurs. Aug. 11 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation F-MA Thurs. Aug. 18 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation MC-R Thurs. Aug. 11 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation MC-R Thurs. Aug. 18 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation S-Z Thurs. Aug. 11 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation S-Z Thurs. Aug. 18 6:00-7:00pm Bantam Division 1997 & 1998 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($15 Each) - OPTIONAL 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 2:30-4:00pm 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 4:30-6:00pm Evaluation A-H Mon. Aug. 8 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation A-H Mon. Aug. 15 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation I-P Mon. Aug. 8 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation I-P Mon. Aug. 15 7:00-8:00pm Evaluation Q-Z Mon. Aug. 8 9:00-10:00pm Evaluation Q-Z Mon. Aug. 15 8:00-9:00pm Midget B Division 1995 & 1996 Birth Years Conditioning Skate ($15 Each) - OPTIONAL 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sat. Aug. 6 4:00-5:30pm 1.5 hr. Conditioning Sun. Aug. 7 6:00-7:30pm Evaluation A-J Mon. Aug. 15 8:00-9:00pm Evaluation K-Z Mon. Aug. 15 9:00-10:00pm Midget BB Division 1993 & 1994 Birth Years Conditioning Skates (See Midget B) - OPTIONAL Evaluation Skate- REQUIRED Evaluation A-Z Tues. Aug. 16 9:00-10:00pm If you cannot attend either of the evaluation skates, you must contact the NYHA by July 28 to be scheduled into the alternative evaluation at info@noviyouthhockey.org. Your first payment is due at that time. NOT ATTENDING ANY EVALUATION SKATE PLACES A PLAYER AT A SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE IN THE DRAFT
Your Preseason Edition of the NYHA FactCat has Arrived!!! Another Season of Exciting Hockey is Right Around The Corner... Look inside for: House League Evaluation Schedules Conditioning Skate Times NYHA s 10th Annual Game Day Prep Clinic Times The Popular Learn To Play Hockey Program Pre-Season Goalie Clinic! Return to: Novi Youth Hockey Association 42400 Nick Lidstrom Dr. Novi, MI 48375