Roughriders Enter into Affiliation with Tier 1 Elite League

USHL ENTERS INTO AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH TIER 1 ELITE LEAGUE

Chicago, IL – The United States Hockey League and the Tier 1 Elite League today announced that they will enter into a national agreement that will make the Tier 1 Elite League the official youth hockey affiliate of the USHL. The Tier 1 Elite League, the top elite youth hockey league in the United States, is comprised of top-tier youth hockey organizations throughout the U.S. competing in multiple age groups – from Squirt all the way up to Midget Major levels.

From its base of 19 existing teams, the league recently granted membership to the D.C. Capitals, Milwaukee Junior Admirals, Oakland (Michigan) Junior Grizzlies, and the Thunder program based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Rocky Mountain RoughRiders AAA program and the Las Vegas Storm are now members of the USHL Member Club ownership, bringing the number of teams preparing for 2011-12 Tier 1 play to 25.

The Rocky Mountain RoughRiders program, based in Westminster, Colorado, is operated by Tony Sdao, owner of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders commence play in 2011-12 season along with the Las Vegas Storm, operated by Kirk Brooks, owner of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm.

In the initial phase of the agreement, the USHL will bring its marketing, public relations, player development and organizational assets to the Tier 1 Elite League, and will work with the league’s nationwide web of youth programs to develop enhanced standards of coaching, training, academic progress, cost controls, and stability – reflecting the standards observed by USHL Member Clubs. The USHL will have a consistent presence at the Tier 1 Elite League’s schedule of national showcases, and the two organizations will enter into a planning phase for more and enhanced events.

“This represents the culmination of a lot of hard work with some of the most important development partners in youth hockey in the United States,” said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. “As with any partnership of this potential magnitude, we want to walk before we run, and see where we can be most effective with each other – but as you can see, this represents not only a commitment by the USHL to elite youth hockey at the league level, but the direct participation of our owners in Tier 1 League competition. This is the most effective way we know to implement USA Hockey’s education-based development model at the elite level. We’re excited about what this can mean for the growth of hockey in the U.S.”

The strength of the Tier 1 Elite League programs was reflected in Monday’s USHL Entry Draft, when a total of 56 players were selected from the league’s programs, representing 26% of the 216 players drafted.

“The Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Board of Governors and the entire Tier 1 Elite Hockey League are excited to venture into a working relationship with the USHL,” added T1EHL Commissioner Larry Johnson. “The Tier 1 Elite Hockey players participate in the nation's premier youth hockey environment and a relationship with the USHL will afford T1EHL players the opportunity to develop their potential towards becoming a USHL player.”

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its ninth season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2010-11. With over 250 players from this season already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 18 NHL Entry Draft picks that were on League rosters this season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com.

It’s not just hockey. It’s the USHL.

United States Hockey League (USHL)

1327 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 3C, Chicago, IL 60607 312-546-7300 phone; 312-546-7330 fax Director of Communications: Brian Werger, werger@ushl.com

Chilliwack Bruins moving to Victoria, BC

The Tri-Cities Herald is reporting that the Chilliwack Bruins have been sold to  man investor in Victoria, BC and the team will be heading there for the 2011-2012 season.


According to the article Wednesday, the WHL announced the sale of the Chilliwack Bruins to Graham Lee, owner of RG Properties. Lee is the sole owner and will act as team governor.

Read more: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/04/21/1459319/victoria-back-in-whl-fray-after.html#ixzz1KYzhgoyK

According to a link followed from the WHL website to the new Victoria team:

WHL RETURNS TO VICTORIA FOR 2011-12 SEASON

VICTORIA, BC – It’s been almost 20 years, but the wait is over for hockey fans on Vancouver Island. The WHL will return to the City of Victoria next season, the Western Hockey League and RG Properties Ltd. announced today.

The WHL Board of Governors has approved the sale of the WHL franchise in Chilliwack and its relocation to Victoria effective starting with the 2011-12 season. Graham Lee, whose company RG Properties developed, built and operates the 7,000-seat Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, has purchased the franchise and will move the WHL franchise to the B.C. capital for the start of next season.

“We are very excited to bring WHL hockey back to Victoria,” said Lee. “From the day we first got involved with this building over a decade ago, our goal has been to look at all opportunities that will bring excitement and entertainment to the city as well as providing economic benefits. Bringing a WHL team to Victoria exemplifies that commitment.”

“We are very pleased to be in a position to announce the WHL will be returning to the City of Victoria and Vancouver Island next season,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison.  “Although any relocation is a difficult process, we know the Victoria market will be a great addition to the WHL.”

“The WHL is a part of Canadian hockey culture. The league is all about community, and our focus with the team is all about being a strong partner in the community,” said Dave Dakers, President of RG Sports and Entertainment. “Vancouver Island’s top young players will now have the chance to play at the highest level right here at home in front of a hometown crowd.”

“It is exciting to have a WHL team back in the Capital City. It is an opportunity to be part of building the future of hockey,” said Mayor of Victoria, Dean Fortin. “Our new team will greatly add to the diverse and family-friendly entertainment that makes our city great.”

Coach John Paris, Jr. to Host Classroom Instruction

Westminister, CO - Head Coach of the Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA, John Paris, Jr., is hosting a series of classroom discussions for the purpose of promoting hockey education off the ice.

THE PARIS WAY
John Paris Jr .com

ALL SPORTS AND LIFE CAREERS START WITH THE CLASSROOM AND HOCKEY IS NO DIFFERENT - JOIN ME AND OTHERS IN THIS IMPORTANT LEARNING SEGMENT OF THE "GAME". KNOW WHAT THE PROS HAVE BEEN TUTORED UPON AND WHAT THE MAJORITY OF PLAYERS & COACHES IN MINOR HOCKEY IGNORE OR REFUSE TO DO!

Before you read on, please understand that this is for a learning purpose only - hence the financial charges are minimal and the cost is $12.00 per person par session of 80 minutes. Payable before the start of each session. So for little more than cost of a "stick & puck session" you receive much more! This will be done on the week - end (Saturday AM) time TBA. location will be Total Hockey or elsewhere and special sessions at the promenade ice arena for ice surface & bench management comprehension without skates.

EVER ASK YOURSELF IF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION ARE A NECESSITY WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHING, CAN WE LEARN IF WE HAVE NOT BEEN PUT INTO A PROPICE SITUATION TO DO SO OR IF WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE SITUATION OR LEVEL OF EXECUTION WITHIN OUR INTENT, HOW CAN WE, IN REALITY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT! CAN WE TRULY EXPRESS THE CONTENTS OF REQUIREMENT? MOST CERTAINLY NOT, WE CAN ONLY HAVE AN OPINION WITHOUT A FOUNDATION OF HAND ON EXPERIENCE! SADLY THIS IS NOT OBTAINED BY BEING ONLY WITHIN THE MINOR HOCKEY WORLD, WHY? IT HAS LIMITATIONS!

Where do we sign up - by email to jpj0194616@yahoo.com
Players, Parents, Coaches & Adults may also sign up for this course!


Listen to what some players and parents who have already attended are saying:

Coach Paris,

Today's session was very intersting. I learned a lot today about the in-depth things that goes on with scouts, coaches, GMs, and players. I was very glad I decided to come today and I will definitly come back to upcoming sessions. Thank you very much.

 

Brendan Bilotta

Coach Paris,

      I really learned a lot from the last talk at total hockey, and I am excited to learn more about hockey.  I realized just how important it is to listen and respect your coaches and do what they say. It will help me be a much more coachable player.  I understand better now how being a positive player can really help your team succeed. You emphasized how I need to surround my self with people with the same goals as me. And also how important getting rest is, because it will give me my best chance to perform my best. This was all very good information that will help me in life as well as hockey.


      -Ben Gundry

U16 Veterans Get Invited to Chilliwack Bruins WHL camp

Westminister, CO - This past week has brought some exciting news to the Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA program. Three veterans from the U16 AAA team were extended invitations by the Chilliwack Bruins in the WHL to attend the summer tryout camp. Nathan Guymon, Lucas Blomquist, and Austin Shick were granted invitations from the team to attend camp. Congratulations to these three boys and be sure to check back for more exciting announcements. The U16 Veterans are going places!

Braiden Miller to anchor 2011-2012 Season

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team today announced the appointment of its newest captain, Braiden Miller. The only returning player to the U16 team, was appointed the captain spot by Coach John Paris, Jr.

Miller played in 66 games last season and tallied 18 goals and 10 assists for 28 points including 10 penalty minutes and 2 power-play goals. Miller is a 5'10", 155lb forward who spent most of his time on the left wing last season and is looking to transition to center this season.

Braiden Miller started the season on the 4th line and saw limited ice-time early on. Miller worked very hard all season and battled his way to the second line and made his way on to the power-play. Miller said he is looking forward to the responsibility and opportunity to build upon an outstanding first season.

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 Gearing up for 2011-2012 Season

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team is gearing up for next season. If you are a 1995 or 1996 player that is willing to commit himself to becoming a great hockey player, willing to commit himself to put in the effort necessary to develop, and willing to practice the mental discipline it takes to succeed, then you are welcome to come join the Roughriders.

The Roughrider U16 AAA team will once again be led by John Paris, Jr. If you are not familiar with coach Paris and The Paris Way, please feel free to learn more at his website here. Coach Paris led the Rocky Mountain Roughriders during their inaugural season to a very impressive 54-15-4 record including Tournament championships at the Nike Bauer Invitational, Colorado College Showcase Tournament, and the Richmond Classic in Vancouver, BC.

If you are interested in becoming a Roughrider, please contact Coach Paris.

If you have already spoken to Coach Paris about a spot on his roster, please remember that this spot is yours to lose and only through hard work, dedication and focus through the off-season will you be able to maintain this position.

Blog2Print Allows Published copy of Entire blog

If you are interested in having an entire book that chronicles the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA inaugural season, now there is an option! There is a website located at Blog2Print that will take the entire blog and print it to either a hardbound or softbound book. The price is reasonable at about $40 for the hardbound copy.

Team and Individual Pictures

Westminister, CO - Last week the team got together for team and individual pictures. Order forms should be hitting our Inboxes early next week. Here are two shots to give you an example of how the shots turned out.

Individual Picture

Team Picture

Roughriders take close game against Dallas Ice Jets, advance to semi-finals

Farmers Branch, TX - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16AAA played perhaps one of their best games of the year in the 4-1 victory over the Dallas Ice Jets. The game was battled hard on both ends of the ice. Each team had many opportunities and was terribly exciting to watch.

Please check back for complete game summary.

Game Summary

RJ Salvato gets the Roughriders on the scoreboard!

On a bright an early Saturday morning just off of the 635 expressway in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch, the Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 team got ready to play the Dallas Ice Jets. The two teams met at the wonderful Dr. Pepper Stars Center to play for a spot in the Rocky Mountain District semi-finals. The winner would advance and the loser would go home.

The Roughriders hit the ice determined to stay in the tournament. This was evident when Max Ross was called for the first infraction of the game. An Ice Jet player skated through the goal crease after the whistle blew and Ross took exception to the disrespect and promptly tossed the Ice Jet on his can. Ross's enthusiasm landed him in the penalty box, however it set a tone for the rest of the game that this was the Roughrider's ice and if anybody else wanted to play on it, they would have to earn that right.

At 12:30 of the first period Robert 'RJ' Salvato found the way to paydirt and buried the puck giving the Roughriders a 1-0 advantage. The Roughriders continued to dictate the pace of play through the first period and into the second period. At 9:54 of the second period, however, the Roughriders gave up a powerplay goal to Jason Cotton.

Michael Buonincontri responded with a brilliant goal from a brilliant pass from Adam Durkee. The textbook goal was setup by Adam Durkee when he fed the puck to Buonincontri at the last possible moment at the back door of the crease. The Roughriders were on fire from that point on. Yannick Crete and Adam Durkee netted insurance goals in the third period to seal the win and a chance to play in the semi-finals later on Saturday evening.

This had to be one of the most well played and enjoyable games to watch of the entire season. Action back and forth all game long. So fun!

The final shots on goal were 54-25 in favor of the Roughriders, however that seems a bit generous. Joakim Jutras got the start in net and played very sound between the pipes.


Official Gamesheet

Roughriders drop close game to Thunderbirds, 1-1 in Tournament

Farmers Branch, TX - This will be a brief update on the game, further updates will follow. In a very close game on Friday afternoon, the Roughriders drop a close and well played game to the Colorado Thunderbirds. The game ended 4-1, but was closely battled all the way through.

Thomas Jarman leads the Roughrider attack

The Rocky Mountain Roughriders have faced off against the Colorado Thunderbirds exactly 6 times this season with a 2-2-2 record. This game would tilt the scales one way or the other. Both teams were about as even as could possibly be. Whoever showed and made the least mistakes was going home with the win.

The Thunderbirds started out taking two back to back penalties, the first at 1:49 of the first period when Ben Hull was called for interference and then Griffin Foulk was called for roughing at 3:16 of the first, however the roughing was called as a matching minor as Hunter Clark was called for hooking also at 3:16 of the first. The Roughriders were unable to convert on the powerplay.

At 11:37 of the first period, Brad Donokowski beat Joakim Jutras on a nasty rebound giving the Thunderbirds the 1-goal lead. As a side note, and I try to be very objective and unbiased when watching the game, the officiating was down right horrible no matter which team you were rooting for. Penalties were called for plays that looked fine, penalties were not called for clear infractions...it was just mind blowing.

At 12:39 of the first period things went a little south for the Roughriders. Lance Pennington was involved in an altercation along the boards and was caught retaliating for a missed called and got called for a roughing. As Pennington was defending his case with the official he was nailed with an unsportsmanlike penalty resulting in a 4-minute double minor. The Roughriders managed to kill off the penalty.

The Roughriders skated into the second period and got things back under control. The Roughriders were leading the play and putting up more shots than the Thunderbirds. At 1:20 of the second period Nate Guymon was called for cross-checking and managed to get a 4:00 double minor. The Thunderbirds were able to convert on the power play when Jacob Slavin grabbed a 2-0 lead for the Thunderbirds at 2:50 of the second period.

At 5:46 of the second period the Roughriders found themselves on the powerplay courtesy of a Gustav Olofsson trip. Robert 'RJ' Salvato razzled and dazzled his way across the blueline, dangled a few Tbirds and beat the netminder for the opening score for the Roughriders trimming the Thunderbirds lead back to one.

The rest of the game was a back and forth battle with each team swapping scoring chances. The Thunderbirds earned one more goal late in the third period and then grabbed an empty net goal with time expiring in the third to win the tilt 4-1. However the score is not entirely indicative of the tough, close game that we watched on the ice.

The Roughriders outshot the Thunderbirds 24-19 and played a great game. In the end too many penalties and too many missed scoring chances kept the Roughriders from victory.


Official Gamesheet