Volunteerism is to the Cyclones - what breathing is to maintaining life. Sounds a little bit dramatic I know. But it is absolutely a fair analogy. Without volunteers the Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association would not exist. As you are all aware, this is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit “volunteer” organization. All of your Board of Directors, Associate Board Members (ABM), Committee Members, League Representatives, Level Coordinators, Team Managers, Assistant Coaches, etc…are 100% volunteers. They do not receive any extra consideration, reduced fees or compensation in any way. So why do these people go well above and beyond the norm, spending countless hours away from family, friends and even work? It is without question all done for the kids…with the goal to provide the best possible youth hockey experience in the State.

As in the past, as members of the Cyclones family you are also expected to volunteer some of your time and energy to help your youth hockey association and our kids. This starts first with your “team” requirements for volunteers. But it is not limited to just that. It must also extend to other “association” volunteer opportunities that will be presented to you throughout the year. We will carry on the tradition of hosting the Cyclones Holiday Hockey Classic, League playoff games and I’m very pleased to report that we are one of only 5 clubs from around the State to be selected to host the Blackhawk Cup State Tournament. For the BHC State Tournament, we will be the hosts for all the Round Robin games in the Squirt Division. This includes the AA, A and B levels. This is a tremendous honor. Hosting all these events provides numerous, very positive benefits for all our membership.

Without question, we have one of the best youth hockey facilities in the country. This is easy to see by all we have to offer - the Acceleration Clinic, Health & Fitness Center, Gear on Ice Pro Shop, Elliot’s Restaurant, Snack Bar and two outstanding rinks. But this was not enough to make the difference. I truly believe this organizations greatest asset is the quality of our membership – both the kid’s and you as their parents. Only through your volunteer efforts and those who went before us have we been able to create the atmosphere of warmth and hospitality that has become a Cyclones tradition in the eyes of the Illinois hockey community. This is evident by the fact that different leagues and the BHC Committee’s have a strong desire to partner with the Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association to host these highly visible events.

Each member, from every Cyclones team will be asked to contribute to our successful reputation as GREAT hosts. These duties will be distributed in a fair and equitable manner between all our teams. As parents in this wonderful Cyclones family, it is so important to continue the strong tradition of teamwork by stepping forward to volunteer when asked by your Team Manager. The ones who truly benefit the most are the kids…ours and those from the Illinois hockey community that we are all a part of.

Thank you for your volunteer efforts. Please know - you do make the difference.

See you at the rink,
Doug Becht
CAHA President

Associate Board Member Position Open

Do you feel the call to serve this wonderful membership?  Do you feel that you have more time to volunteer and something to offer to the continued success of your youth hockey association? 
If so, the Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association is now looking to fill a number of open Association Board Member (ABM) positions. 

Interested parties should put together a statement of why you want to serve this membership with a short resume of any applicable information.  This could be your hockey experience, sports experience, board experience, life experiences, skill sets or anything you want to say that gives us an understanding of how, where and why you feel you can contribute. 
 
Please email your resumes' by Friday, November 3rd to our Secretary, Mr. Jeff Heise at:  secretary@cycloneshockey.net or Jeff@jamarpkg.com You will then be contacted to scheduled a time for an interview.

Through the new standard of rules enforcement, our game will continue to allow the opportunity for improved skill development and a more positive hockey environment for all participants. The mission of USA Hockey is clear; through this new initiative a greater emphasis will be placed on skating, puck possession and the proper use of the body to establish position and a competitive advantage.

The goal of the enforcement standard is to reduce restraining infractions in the game and not to remove legal body checking or body contact. A hard body check or using body contact/position (non-checking classifications) to gain a competitive advantage over the opponent should not be penalized as long as it is performed within the rules.

The principles of this new enforcement standard include the following:

• The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck.
• The stick will not be allowed to in any way impede a player’s progress.
• The use of a free hand/arm will not be allowed to grab or impede a player’s progress.
• Players who use their physical skills and/or anticipation and have a positional advantage shall not lose that
  advantage as a result of illegal acts by the opponent.
• Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous nature.

Enforcement Standard
The following penalties are to be called with very strict enforcement

Hooking

• A player cannot use his/her stick against an opponent’s body (puck carrier or non-puck carrier) to gain a positional advantage.

Tripping

• A player cannot use his/her stick on the legs or feet of an opponent in a manner that would cause a loss of balance or for them to trip or fall.

Holding

• A player cannot wrap his/her arms around an opponent or use a free hand to clutch, grab or hold the stick, jersey or body on the opponent in a manner that impedes their progress.
  

Interference

• The use of the body (“pick” or “block”) to impede the progress of an opponent (no puck possession) with no effort to maintain normal foot speed or an established skating lane.

Slashing

• The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck. Any stick contact, as a result of a slashing motion, to the hands/ arms or body of the opponent will be strictly penalized. In addition, hard slashes to the upper portion of the stick (just below the hands) of an opponent, with no attempt to legally play the puck, shall also be penalized.

Other Infractions

• In addition to the above mentioned enforcement standards, all other infractions, including contact to the head, checking from behind, cross checking, high sticking and roughing (including late avoidable check) shall be penalized to a strict enforcement standard.

CONCLUSION

All members of the Cyclones share an equal responsibility to ensure the integrity of the game is upheld. The onus to incorporate change is not only on the officials, but also the administrators, coaches, parents and players, as well.

• Our Board of Directors are expected to hold players, coaches, officials and parents accountable for their actions in an effort to promote a safe and positive environment for all participants.
• Coaches are expected to teach proper skills and hold their players accountable for illegal and dangerous actions, regardless as to whether they are properly penalized, or not.
• Parents are expected to support the decisions of the officials and support the coaches in teaching the proper skills in a safe and positive environment.
• Officials shall enforce a strict penalty standard according to the guidelines that have been established.
• Players are expected to compete within the playing rules.

All Cyclones members must demonstrate awareness and support for the application, spirit
and respect of the rules in order for continued improvement in the game of hockey.

If you would like to learn more about the STANDARD OF PLAY AND RULES ENFORCEMENT, and view the video provided by USA Hockey, please click here:

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We all know the old saying “you should walk a mile in my shoes,” well some of the Cyclones moms have taken that saying to heart by forming The Blue Line Ladies. The BLL started this summer with a short trial run of open skates and clinics. As the popularity of the BLL spread amongst the women it became apparent that this fun “trial” was to be taken more seriously. The BLL boasts a roster of 18 women who gather every Wednesday morning for hockey boot camp with Coach Gus.

Coach Gus puts the ladies through the same drills he would any hockey player. They’ve learned to skate, shoot, pass but most of all they’ve seen for themselves what their kids go through practice after practice. There is no favoritism just because they’re women. “Linda Dhooghe, Christie Tierney and I laughed so hard, but when we got off of the ice we could not stop smiling.  It was a great workout and so much fun, I think we were a little surprised how much we enjoyed it” stated Sue Hoffman.

“I have always wanted to skate as a kid, but never had the chance” said Linda Dhooghe.  “My goal right now is to learn to hockey stop.”

Currently the women scrimmage amongst themselves but as interest peeks amongst the hockey mom circle there may be a chance of some competitive games against other clubs. “We intend to start to play against other ladies teams after the New Year.  We also plan on organizing a tournament team for any and all interested BLL players” said Michelle Kadlec. 

The most consistent comment amongst the women pertains to their empathy for what their kids go through during game situations. “I have heard most everyone out there say, I am never going to say anything again when my son shoots the puck wide or "how do they get up so fast".  It definitely gives you an appreciation for their talent” said Hoffmann.

Blue Line Ladies Team is comprised of:  Lisa McKeeby, Mary Clark, Sue Hoffmann, Denise Leucker, Karla Bellandi, Carol Lowe, Michelle Kadlec, Robin Krakauer, Pat McGee, Ateka Piper, Carloine Sweeney, Cindy Wilson, Pam Real, Christie Tierney, Rachelle Wiedenbach, Meagan Bogle, Beth Sterne, Julie Lake, Vicki Heire, Linda Dhooghe and Michelle Payne. Coaches for the BLL are:  Gus Liatos, Kristin Kratzner and Andy Kadlec

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Over the past 30 years, I have been involved in hockey at all levels, from pre-hockey to recreation, from travel to Junior, and from NCAA Division 1 to NHL. In addition to overseeing the development program here with the Cyclones, I have also worked with USA Hockey as an instructor with the coaching certification program. Needless to say, there are a lot of areas in my life that I struggle with, however I feel I have a pretty solid grasp on the game of hockey and know that skill development is the key to success at any level.

Game Facts:
If you consider that during a game a player is on the ice for less than 10 minutes, has 1 to 2 shots and has the puck for less than 8 seconds, you can quickly realize how games are not where kids develop or improve. It is also widely published that 1 session dedicated to skill development is the equivalent of playing 11 games. You need practice, and a lot of it! In fact, Hockey Canada has now determined that a player needs 10,000 repetitions before they can master a certain skill. Next time you see someone getting all worked up over winning or losing a single game, keep that in mind – it is a long road, but in my mind one that will bring more success to a child personally and professionally than any other activity.

On a national level, USA hockey and Hockey Canada are trying to encourage programs to practice at a minimum ratio of 2 practices for every 1 game; 2:1. With the Cyclones travel program, we are very fortunate to incorporate dry-land training, hockey treadmill training, power skating, and two team practices into our weekly development. We are currently at 5:1 or 5:2 ratio. Right now, 4 out of 5 practices are dedicated to individual skill development.

Focus on practice, not games:
Getting the Cyclones program to this point has been a challenge, but year after year we continue to attract people that hold this as a high priority. The problem is that the average parent would much rather watch games than spend another night at the rink to practice. Parents have to be educated on the paramount importance of skills development, when they truly understand this concept, there is no better place to be.

Frankly, I wish we were practicing more, if you look in recent news at the Minnesota ‘88 team that practiced at a ratio of 10:1, never played in a league from the time they were second year Squirts, only tournaments, and ended up with 12 players on Division 1 scholarships and 7 guys recently getting drafted to the NHL, I don’t know if there is a greater statement or proof of how unimportant games are and how paramount skill development is?

Hopefully enough people take notice and start to make improvements in their own teams and programs, in my mind it’s not implementing new rules that is going to do it, it’s implementing more skill development both on and off the ice. It’s such a great game and there are more resources available now than at any point in history, get educated and get practicing!!

Yours in sport,
Brad Layzell
CAHA Director of Hockey and FVIA GM

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Our tournament offers a great alternative to pulling you, your players and families out-of-town over the holiday season. With our world-class facilities and centralized location, we’re helping you to "Stay Home for the Holidays".

December 27, 2006 through December 31, 2006 No games played after 5:00PM on New Years Eve! No games played on week days before 5:30PM! Mite through Bantam B. Tournament Cost: $825.00 3 Game Guarantee with 4 Possible (5 games possible at Squirt level) Round Robin Format. Ask about our single club, multi-team discount program. For more information and registration visit our Web site at: www.cycloneshockey.net or e-mail Doug Becht at president@cycloneshockey.net. Tournament Features: USA Hockey Sanctioned event. Each participant will receive a commemorative pin. Sky box rentals and catering available. Team party catering available. Free admission to tournament games. Balanced competitive events. Team and individual trophies for champions and 2nd place in each division. MVP and MV Goalie in each division.

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The dedication of our coaches, families and volunteers definitely showed through their generosity at the Coaches for a Cure Charity Event on September 17, 2006.  Not only did they give up their time to partake in this event but together we’ve help raise over $6,000 (and still growing) to help benefit Dave Forbes as he continues his road to recovery from cancer. 

The Cyclones organization is truly proud of the selflessness of the coaches, players and families and will continue to pursue charitable endeavors on an annual basis.

.: A Letter From Dave Forbes

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August 20, 2006 brought beautiful weather and 18 foursomes to Bliss Creek Golf Course in support of the Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association scholarship fund. We were able to raise over $3,500 due to the generosity of the golfers, hole sponsors, people who donated prizes for the golfers, raffle prizes and silent auction prizes, and the volunteers who made the golf outing possible. Everyone had a really fun round golf of golf followed by a terrific steak dinner.

Each year the Cyclones organization provides a scholarship to one or more of our Midget players who will enter college the next year. The money from our scholarship fund comes directly from the money we raise at our annual golf outing. There will be up to two, $2,500.00 scholarships awarded annually to graduating seniors or players that are in their last year of midget eligibility. The scholarships can be used to offset educational expenses for post secondary education.

A very special thank you to Michele Kadlec, Robin Krakauer and Sue Hoffmann who worked so hard to put the event together, and to Edie Freund, Christina Berger and Karen Castillo who took the time to help us by selling raffle tickets and mulligans, taking pictures and generally lending a helping hand.

We would love to have an even bigger turnout next year. The golf outing is a scramble event so you don’t have to be a good golfer to participate, and we have prizes for all different categories. Please plan to join us next summer for the next outing!

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Cyclones Mite Gold – Chicago Cup Pre-Season Tournament Champs
By Karen Allen

Even the threat of tornadoes couldn’t impede the mission of the Cyclones Mite Gold team.  We drove out to Darien for the 1st game of the Preseason Tournament just as sirens were about to blare in Geneva.  There they took on their first opponent the Naperville Sabres and proved that they are a force to be reckoned with winning the game 5-3.  The Mite Gold team went on to beat the Northern Express (7-4) and the Wilmette Braves (9-2) and entered the championship game undefeated.  The Championship game against the Express kicked off on Sunday with the Express coming on very strong.  We ended the first period with a tie score.  But the Mites kicked it in gear during the 2nd and 3rd periods and overcame the Express to win their first tournament of the season (8-3). 

Congratulations to our Mite Gold Team: Sean Dhooghe, Trenton Fuerst, Quinn Green, Jake Hoffmann, Adam Kadlec, Chris Kocim, Graham Lillibridge, Nick McKeeby, Liam O'Reilly, Joey Papa, Evan Pike, Adam Scheel, Joey Smagacz, Sam Sterne, Jared Weaver, Martan Yelle.  Coaches:  Jim Allen, Brad Layzell, Josh Bletzinger, Andy Kadlec and Jeff Green.

Cyclones Squirt Silver – Chicago Cup Pre-Season Tournament Champs
By Cindy Wilson

The Squirt Silver Team is off to an exciting start!  They swept the Chicago Cup Preseason Challenge 4-0.  The overall team effort was impressive considering it was the start of a brand new season.  Strong positional play at both ends of the ice with emphasis on backchecking and forechecking contributed to winning the Championship!  Tournament Officials had a tough decision to make and ultimately named Goalie Bryan Tierney the tournament MVP!  He posted one shut out and allowed 4 goals against in 4 games.  Way to go Cyclones!  Congratulations Lee Barnes, Conner Bingham, Vitonio Brandonisio, Cody Esposito, Jeremy Forbes, Cale Hoffman, Corey Kurete, Andrew Lee, Frank Mullaghy, Matthew Romano, Bryan Tierney, Alex Vandenberg, Christopher Wiedbusch, and Bradley Wilson.  Congratulations to the coaching staff Ralph Brandonisio, Lou Esposito, Dennis Lee and Nick Smyth for a job well done! 

Cyclones Midget Minor CSDHL– Chicago Cup Pre-Season Tournament Champs
By Julie Huston & James McSpadden

The 2006 Midget Minor team scored an early victory by winning the Chicago Cup Pre-Season Challenge held on 9/22-9/24.  A 2-1 record in the 3 game series allowed the Cyclones to advance to the semi-final game.  This semi-final match up against the Mt. Clemens Wolves (MI) gave the Cyclones a chance to avenge their only loss in the tournament. 

The Cyclones and Wolves were evenly matched for the Sunday morning semi-final game.  The Wolves were the first on the board, but the Cyclones came back 50 seconds later to even the score with a top shelf goal by Luc Geier.  A trip to Oliver Bodmer on a breakaway led to a penalty shot at the end of the first period, which gave the Cyclones a 2-1 lead.  Mt. Clemens responded with a goal in the first minute of the second period to tie the score.  The Cyclones, once again, wasted no time as a mere 30 seconds later, David Moore scored to regain the lead.  The teams battled evenly until the end of the second period when Brian Cornick and David Moore scored power play goals just 30 seconds apart to close the period.  Cyclones allowed two power play goals in the third period but tough goaltending saved the 5-4 win.  Dan Rushcke got the win, saving 31 of 35 shots.

The championship game pitted the Cyclones against the Barrington Broncos, who had upset the Oakton Express earlier in the day.  The Broncos scored first but the Cyclones replied on the next shift as Rob Bock directed a pass into traffic in front of the net, bouncing it in for the score.  Early in the second period, Ross Heise took a pass from Blaik Doornbos and slapped a shot from the top of the circle to break the tie.  Brian Cornick’s powerplay wrister made it 3-1 a minute later.  That score held up for the rest of the second period and most of the third, as neither team could take advantage of numerous power play opportunities.  Finally, in the waning seconds, Vinnie Valenziano scored an empty net goal to cap the 4-1 Cyclones victory.  Corinne Boyles got the win, deflecting 21 of 22 Bronco shots in the championship game.

The Tournament win was truly a team effort.  Hat tricks were scored by: Brett Blondin and David Moore.  Other goals were scored by Archer, Bock, Bodmer, Cornick, Galardini, Geier, Heise, Leon, Mikulan, Sanzotti, and Valenziano with assists from Archer, Benda, Blondin, Bodmer, Boyles, Cornick, Doornbos, Geier, Heise, Huston, Leon, McSpadden, Mikulan, Moore, Sanzotti and Valenziano.  Dan Ruschke saved 89% of 63 shots taken and Corrinne Boyles saved 95% of 38 shots taken.  The Midget Minor team celebrated a great pre-season showing while building the skills needed to face a challenging CSDHL season.  The CSDHL Midget Minor team is managed by Jeff Heise.  Assistant coaches are Mike Cornick, Tom Boyles and Kirk Kruse.  The head coach of the team is David Glenn.

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