Seven New Members Join the Hall of Fame

Master of Ceremonies, Bob Norton, and the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Board of Directors inducted seven new members into the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame, as a record crowd of more than 220 family members, friends, dignitaries, and guests looked on.  The Legends also paid tribute to Nashua Royals who played from 1948 through the 1966-67 season.  The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Luncheon was held on October 25, 2015 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord and marked the NH Legends’ fourteenth year hosting the event.

   
President John Normand welcomes the crowd

John Normand, current President of the Legends’ Board of Directors, welcomed the large audience and thanked them for supporting the 2015 Hall of Fame inductees and the Nashua Royals. Normand offered special thanks to Bauer Hockey, whose Global Headquarters is in Exeter, NH.  It marked the fourth straight year that Bauer has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Hall of Fame event, and Normand thanked Bauer for its continuing support of the Legends’ mission.  Normand also recognized significant financial contributions from Vachon Clukay& Company, PC. and St. Paul’s School the Co-Title Sponsors; and New Hampshire Distributors, Inc. which again hosted the pre-event Social Hour.

Normand also thanked the 31 other sponsors who helped make the Hall of Fame ceremony possible through their Gold, Silver, and Bronze-level sponsorships.  Those sponsors are:

Gold Sponsors: Banks Chevrolet-Cadillac, Inc; Bellavance Beverage Company, Inc; Christian Party Rental; Fay’s Boat Yard; Great State Beverages, Inc. and Speedy Printing & Copying

Silver Sponsors: Amoskeag Beverages, LLC; API of NH; Bogacz Photography/Digital Media; Brine & Capital Sporting Goods; Capital City Paving; Corriveau-Routhier, Inc; De Niro Construction; Holloway Motor Cars of Manchester; Milestone Engineering & Construction; Morgan Storage; PretiFlaherty; Pro Ambitions; Rene LeClerc Insurance Agency Inc. and Triplet Computers.

Bronze Sponsors: Central Paper Products Co.; Dwyer, Donovan & Pendleton; EVR Advertising; Granite State Glass; Label Tech, Inc.; L.A. Brochu, Inc; Law Offices of Roland E. Olivier, PLLC; Legacy Financial Solutions; Northway Bank; Town and Country Motor Inn and Zero Waste.

State Senator Lou D’Alessandro, longtime Legends supporter, and a former Legends Board member delivered a letter from The Honorable Governor Maggie Hassan and delivered State Senate Resolutions and State of New Hampshire Citations honoring the Hall of Fame Class of 2015 and the Nashua Royals.

Concord Mayor, Jim Bouley, extended a welcome on behalf of the Capital City and briefly traced the history of ice hockey in the City of Concord, from the first hockey game played in 1883 at St. Paul’s School to the more recent Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship at White Park.  Bouley remarked that the Black Ice event will be held at Concord’s White Park again this year in late January, and he encouraged everyone to attend.

Those attending the luncheon saw a 5-minute highlight of the Black Ice Pond Hockey documentary which was produced by Jeff Reagan on Concord.  Anyone wishing to purchase the 16 minute documentary can contact Jeff at jeffreagan@gmail.com or 603-568-9932.  Copies are $5.00

Key Note Speaker Joe Bertagna

Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna addressed the room, sharing insights into how the game of college hockey has grown and its culture has changed. Bertagna spoke of how the leaders of college hockey today need to stay true to educational values and be wary of becoming too much part of the entertainment business.

 

The Legends recognized the Nashua Royals senior amateur team who began play in 1948 and In 1952, the Royals beat the Rye Seahawks for the New Hampshire Amateur Class B title.  The Royals were instrumental in the success of the Granite State Hockey League.  In the 1960’s, they were coached by Ron Peters, Hall of Fame ’08.  The Royals played in three straight GSHL Championships, winning in the 1965-66 season over the Tam O’Shanters of Manchester.  The Royals concluded play after the 1966-67 season.  For more information of the Royals history read page 6 and 7 booklet, Click here to view Induction booklet.


Former Royal standout George Marineau with Executive Director Jim Hayes 

The jerseys shown above were auctioned at the ceremony.  If you are interested in purchasing one, please email hayes743@comcast.net    Numbers available are 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 15, 16 and two can be adorned with a number of your choice.  Each jersey is selling for $100.


John Normand with Head Coach Steve McIsaac, Jerimey Braley, Blaine Cardali, Zach Bradanick, Dylan Palmer and Sean Leahy.

The Legends, and Bauer Hockey made a special presentation to the UNH Club Hockey team.  John Normand presented the Silver (Bauer) Stick with an inscription on the blade recognizing the 2013-14 UNH Club Hockey team winning the ACHA D 2 National Championship.  In winning the title, the Wildcats posted and overall record of 27-7-0.  Head Coach Steve McIsaac and several members of that team were in attendance.


2015 Hall of Fame members:  CJ Ficek, Taylor Chace, Ron DeGregorio, Dan Houston, Paula Colgan Heath, Denny Houston, Elizabeth Colgan Knowland, Ryan Weston and Russ Bartlett.

Treasurer Jim Rivers recognized all current Hall of Fame members in attendance shown in photo below.


All Hall of Fame members in attendance:  Front Row L to R: Dick Boucher, Bruce Parker, Roland Lavigne, Ken McKinnon and Dick Roy. Second Row L to R: Jim Tufts, John Normand, Rene LeClerc, CJ Ficek, Merrill Fay, Brian Stone, Taylor Chace, Peter Maher, Ron DeGregorio, Dan Houston, Paula Colgan Heath, Denny Houston, Elizabeth Colgan Knowland, Bill Dennehy, Russ Bartlett, Bob Norton, Ryan Brandt, Ryan Weston.  Missing from photo: Pierre Belanger, Ken Cail, Bruce Crowder, Mark Evans, Steve Murphy, Andre Prefontaine, Jim Rivers, Brian Stone.

President John Normand announced the team that will be honored during the 2016 Hockey Hall of Fame Ceremony.

The Legends have selected a school that has both men’s and women’s teams.  Their men’s program began play during the 1969 season for men and they’ve won more than 500 games since that first season.  since 2004 they have amassed a very impressive & successful history winning the Northeast 10 regular season title 8 times and NE-10 Championship 7 times.

This school has two individuals who have been inducted into our Hall of Fame.  The first was enshrined in 2004 and the second, in 2012.

The women’s team has played Meanwhile the women’s team has won more than 200 games in just eleven seasons with an amazing seven 20 win seasons and 6 Championships in the ECAC Open Division in 9 games.

Normand asked everyone to help him welcome next year’s honored team, the St, Anselm College Hawks.  By the way those two Hall of Famers are Hubie McDonough and Kathleen Twomey.

Shown below with John Normand is Ed Seney, Head Coach of the men’s team along with Assistant Coach for the women’s team, Karilyn Pilch.

2016 Induction Ceremony is slated for next October so please mark your calendar.

Next year, The Legends will honor the St. Anslem College Hawks.  Shown below is Ed Seney, Head Coach of the men’s team along with Assistant Coach for the women’s team, Karilyn Pilch.

2016 Induction Ceremony is slated for next October so please mark your calendar for our Fifteenth Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.  If you’d like to become a sponsor for next October, please email hayes743@comcast.net or call Jim Hayes at 603-731-4168.

2016 Nominations can be submitted on-line beginning January 1 and continuing through the end of February.

Video of Today’s Event can be purchased by contacting David Pearl at www.videonh.com or email info@videonh.com.  DVD’s of the Induction Ceremony, as well as Interviews, may be purchased for $15.00 through Spotlight Video Productions, Hooksett, NH.

 

Photographs of Today’s Event were taken by Matt Parker Photography and are posted on his website. Click here to view or purchase photographs.   If you have any questions contact Matt at mparker3011@gmail.com

Tenth Annual Golf Classic Another Huge Success

Manchester NH

Thank you to everyone that supported our Tenth Annual Golf Classic, presented by Bauer. Our event was held July 10 at the Stonebridge Country Club in Goffstown.

The event was kicked off with a message from John Normand, President of the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey (Legends). He gave special thanks and recognition to our “Presenting Sponsor, Bauer (Global Headquarters) of Exeter, NH and our Gold Sponsors, St. Paul’s School of Concord and Charles Schwab of Nashua”.

He told those in attendance “we are extremely grateful to all the players, sponsors, contributors (gifts in kind) and volunteers that help make this event one of the best in the state, each and every year”.

Once again we were blessed with marvelous weather and it was a great way to spend time with our hockey family and friends. We enjoyed another near-capacity field (127 golfers) and, with generous contributions we exceeded our 2014 sponsorship totals, ranking this year’s Golf Classic one of the most successful events we’ve run in the past decade!

Bauer foursome including left to right CJ Ficek, John Davidson, Tory Mazzola, and Brad James

Listed below are our twelve Silver and twenty-two Bronze Sponsors.

Silver Sponsors: Amoskeag Beverages, LLC – Beauchamp Estate Services – Bogacz Photography/Digital Media – Gamache Enterprises – Great State Beverages, Inc.- Law Offices of Roland E. Olivier, PLLC – Morgan Self Storage – North Country Tractor – PretiFlaherty Greg Moffett & Dan Luker – Rowley Insurance Agency – Triplet Computers, LLC – Vachon Clukay & Company PC.

Bronze Sponsors: Ackerson State Farm Insurance Agency – Arcomm Communications – Banks Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick-GMC – Berlin Youth Hockey Association – Capital City Paving – Christopher Cahill Construction, Inc. – Christian Party Rental – Corriveau-Routhier, Inc. – EVR Advertising – Fay’s Boat Yard – Karr & Boucher PLLC – L. A. Brochu Inc. – Manchester 40+ Hockey League – Milford Lumber Co. Inc. – New Hampshire Distributors, Inc. – Northway Bank – Pro Ambitions – R & T Electric Inc. – Rath, Young & Pignatelli – Rene LeClerc Insurance Agency Inc. – Sleepnet, Tom Moulton – The Houston Family

More than 100 businesses and individuals donated gifts in kind for the tournament. To view complete list, click on Contributors (Gifts in Kind)

In addition, Greg acknowledged five of the two of the seven members from the Class of 2015 who will be honored this October 25 at Concord’s Grappone Center at the Fourteenth Annual Legends of Hockey Induction Ceremony. Those playing today are CJ Ficek and three members of the Jim Houston Family. The Legends will be paying tribute to the Nashua Royals Senior Amateur teams of days gone by.

Volunteers
Our volunteers worked very hard all-day long keeping the registration, raffle and on course contests running smoothly. Many thanks again: to Dave Beauchamp; Mark Bogacz; Dick Boucher; Monique Chauvette; Dave Corriveau; Dave Elliott; Jay Hauser; Bruce Parker; Cory Philbrick; Arlene Robbins; Lucien Roy; Dick Roy; Dick Theriault; Bob Vachon and Kathy Vachon

Players gather and catch up with one another prior to the Shot-Gun start. Pictured from left to right are: Michael Martin, Roland Martin and fore-ground Tom Brown, Tom Philbrick, Tom Foote, Brian Smith and Tom Painchaud

Champions!
Congratulations to this year’s Champions The Rene LeClerc group scored a 11 under 61 and on a match of cards edged the group of (Steve Tempesta, Jim Cotter, Mike Desmond and Brain Caldwell.

 

2015 Champions L to R: Rene LeClerc, Steve Grzywacz, Dave Kuhman and Pete Ackerson

All Champions
2015 – Rene LeClerc, Pete Ackerson, Steve Grzywacz, Dave Kuhman
2014 – Todd Philbrick, Tom Otto, Jim Corbett, Jerry Collins
2013 – Dick Dodds, John Dodds, Scott Peters, Dean Cashman
2012 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, Pat McNicholas
2011 – Casey Kesselring, Jeff Graham, Mike Beliveau, Trevor Smith
2010 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, Pat McNicholas
2009 – Mike Castagna, Paul Lemire, Doug Leppart, Doug Snyder
2008 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, TJ Whitelaw
2007 – Mike Castagna, Mike Ladouceur, Johnna Lory, Rich Tombs
2006 – Ken Roberge, Mike McGinn, Glen Williams, Dwayne Robinson

Celebration: Just after Lee Hayes holed a long birdie putt, team-mates Matt Junkin (right) and Brian Mirek (fore-ground) mobbed Hayes as Colin Sheen tended the pin.

On Course Contests
Long Drive # 18 – Tamara McAllister
Closest to the Line #1 – Al Gilbert
Closest to the Pin # 4 – Roland Martin II
Closest to the Pin # 6 – Ken Collins 8’9″
Closest to the Pin # 13 – Rene LeClerc 6’1″
Closest to the Pin # 16 – Dana Barbin
Closest to the Pin #18 Second Shot – Peter Houston
Putting Contest Champion – Jon Ruggles *

* Ruggles defeated Mike Dubeau, Lee Hayes, Tom Grant, Gerry Bergeron and Jon Dowst in a one-chance putt-off.

Left to Right is Ryan Brandt, Steve Arndt, Randy Blossom and Bob Blood

From Left Hugh Barrett and Bill Gould watch Tamara MacAllister drain a putt. Tending flag was Jeanne Canty.

John Normand (H of F) recognized all Hall of Famers in attendance. They were as follows: Steve Arndt; Dana Barbin; Lee Blossom; Dick Boucher; Ryan Brandt; Dick Dodds; Mark Evans; Rene LeClerc; Steve Murphy; Bruce Parker; Dick Roy; Dick Theriault.

2016 Golf Date
Next year’s Golf Classic is scheduled for Friday July, 15, 2016, so please mark your calendar, grab your players plan on joining us!

2015 Golf Photos
More than 500 terrific photographs were taken by Matt Parker Photography and are available to view and or purchase. Click here to view. If you have any questions contact Matt at mparker3011@gmail.com

just some of the auction items sold at the Golf Classic including a Grey Goose hat signed by Wayne Gretzky.

On-Line Auction Items
We are offering the following six items for auction to our entire contact list. We will update current high bids along with the initials of the bidder approximately twice a week beginning with Monday August 17, 2015 and continuing to 5:00 Eastern time on Friday August 28th. If you are interested in bidding on any item(s) email hayes743@comcast.net.

Item One
Nashua Country Club 4-some and 2 carts Value $ 360.00
Opening Bid $175.00 JH $175
Item Two
Executive Health Club 3 month membership Value $300.00 / Opening Bid $100.00
Item Three
Computerized Putting Analysis from Ken Collins Kustom Clubs in Manchester
Value $75.00 / Opening Bid $25.00
Item Four
NH Motor Speedway 4 Seats NHMS Sylvania 300 on Sunday September 27, 2015
Value $180.00 / Opening Bid $100.00
Item Five
NH Motor Speedway 4 Additional Seats NHMS Sylvania 300 on Sunday September 27, 2015. Value $180.00 / Opening Bid $100.00
Item Six
Marvel Universe Live SMG / Verizon Wireless Arena – Suite 17 with 12 tickets and 3 parking passes October 29th, 2015. Value $1,200.00 / Opening Bid $500.00 CL $500

Each year, the Legends hosts the Annual NH Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Luncheon, honoring players, coaches, builders, and media representatives for their outstanding achievements and significant contributions to the sport of ice hockey in New Hampshire. We also collect and display hockey-related artifacts in our on-line Museum of New Hampshire Hockey and we support the growth of the sport through various activities, including our youth hockey equipment donation program and our sponsorship and support of the NH High School Senior All-Star hockey games as well as All-State recognition for both New Hampshire high school and prep school teams.

We continue to search for artifacts and film from the old days. Anyone wishing to donate either is welcomed to do so.

All-Star Results / All-State Teams Announced

Exeter, NH – Last Saturday afternoon, at the Rinks of Exeter, the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey (“Legends”) hosted both Senior All-Star Classic Hockey games. The 1:00 pm game featured the very best players from Division I and II, while the 1:30 pm game was for Division III players only.

Seniors were selected by the New Hampshire High School Hockey Coaches Association. At the conclusion of each game, a reception hosted by the Legends took place in the lobby of the Rinks of Exeter for players and their families. Click here to view 1:00 Rosters and here for the 1:30 Rosters

 

Players gather after the 1:00 pm Senior All-Star game.

At the conclusion of each game, all Senior players were announced individually and received a certificate for their participation of the Senior All-Star Classic from John Normand Vice President of the Legends.

Ryan Damren (10) Lebanon skates the puck away from Ben Acker (7) Hanover and Justin Jewell (13) Spaulding.

Those Senior players in attendance who had been selected for All-State recognition by the NH High School Hockey Coaches Association each received a framed All-State certificate from the Legends.

President Greg Moffett, Executive Director Jim Hayes and Vice President John Normand.

For the fifth straight year, the Legends provided framed certificates for each member of the various All-State teams. In addition, for each division, the Legends awards certificates to the Player-of-the-Year and Coach-of-the-Year. Click on each Division to view the list of this year’s All-State recipients for Girls, Division I, Division II and Division III. Certificates for those underclassmen and girls recipients not in attendance were taken by team mates or coaches in attendance for disbursement.

Division I Player of the Year – Paul Antkowiak of Salem with John Normand

Many thanks to the following DI and DII coaches for their time and effort to help make this event a great one. Jim Tufts – Exeter; Jerry Manchester – Windham; Kurt Mithoefer, Matt Davis – Merrimack; Gary Smith – Lebanon; Steve Riker – Dover; Mark McGinn – Salem; Gary Bishop – Bishop Guertin and Paul George of Spaulding.

In addition, many thanks to the following DIII coaches for their time and effort to help make this event a successful one. Michael Lane – Kennett; Jay Londer – Belmont-Gilford; Dave Saball – Belmont-Gilford; Denis Kolehmainen – John Stark-Hopkinton; Matt Thompson – West; Chuck Yeager – Moultonborough-Inter Lakes; Dan Belliveau – Souhegan and Kevin Merrick of Sanborn.

Participating players from only the 1:00 pm game were eligible to be selected by the New Hampshire High School Hockey Coaches Association for the Annual Make-A-Wish team. That game against Vermont is scheduled for June 26-27 at the University of Vermont. Those players will be contacted shortly. Click here to view roster. In addition, the list should be posted on the Coaches Association website.

Now for the game recap. Two large crowds of family members and friends watched the Red All-Stars and White All-Stars in the 1:00 pm game and light, dark in the 1:30 game. To view rosters, click team names to left.

A random drawing took place for each game and selected was Andrew Stevens from the first game and Erik Leger from the second. Each player won a Bauer composite stick of a standard stock pattern of their choice. They should contact our Executive Director Jim Hayes hayes743@comcast.net with their choice.

1:00 pm All-Star Game
The highlight of the first period featured perfect goaltending by Zane Angelopoulus (Team Red 14 saves) and Matt Brewster (Team White 10 saves) which thwarted the All-Star scorers.

In the second period Kyle Svenson gave Team White the lead on assists from Soucy and Burgess. It didn’t take long to even the score as Kyle Nagri scored with helpers from Antkowiak and Monahan. White retook the lead on a goal from Devon Sprague with assists going to Jacob and Stephens. Team Red then scored three straight on goals from Dakota Pidgeon, Ryan Damren and Casey Glynn. Team White rebounded with a goal by Cam Crowley to close out the scoring after two periods with Red holding a slim 4-3 lead. Brandan Mackenzie made four saves for Team Red while Sam Macdonald stopped 8 for Team White.

In the third stanza, Brett Silva scored for Team Red assisted by Palker and Devito and late in the period The Red Team struck again as Jin Kim closed out the scoring for a 6-3 final score. Mike Doyan made 7 saves for Team Red in the third while Brendan Murphy stopped 5 for Team White.

Andrew Putney (9) Manchester Memorial and Asa Palker (7) Bedford of Team Red battle for puck with Jeremy Duhamel (18) Bow

1:30 pm All-Star Game
The Dark All-Stars overmatched the Light All-Stars by the final score of 8-4. This game consisted of two halves with a skills competition at the break. In the first half, Team Light took a 3-2 lead into the break, Kyle Kolehmainen, Alec Medic and Matthew Pickman provided the goals while Team Dark had a pair of goals from Cooper Bourque. Brayden Harriman played the entire game and made 36 total stops while Bobby Davis stopped 15 for Team Dark.

In the second half, Andrew D’Amour struck first for Team Dark to even the score at 3 all. Less than a minute later, Tristan Rowe scored for Team Light to give them the lead again. However, another goal by D’Amour, two by Robby Moody and another by Zack Allard ended the day’s scoring. Josh Kondrat made 15 saves for Team Dark in the second half.

Players gather after the 1:30 Senior All-Star game

All photos were taken by Matt Parker Photos. To view all photos from the doubleheader, click HERE to view and or purchase.

More About New Hampshire Legends of Hockey
The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey, a New Hampshire non-profit organization, is dedicated to preserving New Hampshire’s ice hockey history, maintaining the state’s Hockey Hall of Fame, and promoting the sport to New Hampshire’s youth. “In keeping with our mission, the Legends is proud to celebrate the achievements of our talented high school and prep school athletes, who represent the future of the sport,” said Greg Moffett, President of the Legends.

“The Legends recognizes the important role high school hockey plays in the state’s rich ice hockey history,” said Jim Hayes, Legends Executive Director. “In addition to supporting high school hockey with various events, we have compiled and documented the results of all high school hockey championship games – and coaching records – dating back to the 1946-47 season.” To access this information, simply click on the High School Archives link at our website: www.nhlegendsofhockey.com.

The Legends actively solicits historical, hockey-related artifacts for preservation and display to the general public. The Legends online museum catalogs the state’s hockey history and heritage gathered from periodicals, game film, trophies, photos, uniforms, other clothing, etc. The museum is searchable by the number of fields such as team, player, jerseys etc. While there are several hundred photos currently available for viewing, new ones are added on a ongoing basis, so be sure to check back frequently. For more information on the Legends of Hockey, visit our web site at nhlegendsofhockey.com.

Seven Enshrined into Legends Hall of Fame

Concord, NH

Master of Ceremonies, Bob Norton, and the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Board of Directors inducted seven new members into the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame, as a record crowd of more than 350 family members, friends, dignitaries and guests looked on. The Legends also paid tribute to Hanover High School’s Boys’ and Girl’s ice hockey programs and their tradition of excellence, including a combined thirteen NHIAA State Championships. The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Luncheon was held on October 26, 2014 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord and marked the NH Legends’ thirteenth year hosting the event.

Gregg Moffett welcomes the crowd

Greg Moffett, current President of the Legends’ Board of Directors, welcomed the large audience and thanked them for supporting the 2014 Hall of Fame inductees and the Hanover High hockey programs. Moffett offered special thanks to Bauer Hockey, whose Global Headquarters is in Exeter, NH. It marked the third straight year that Bauer has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Hall of Fame event, and Moffett thanked Bauer for its continuing support of the Legends’ mission. Moffett also recognized significant financial contributions from the Boston Bruins, the 2014 Luncheon Sponsor; Vachon Clukay& Company, PC. and St. Paul’s School the Co-Title Sponsors; and New Hampshire Distributors, Inc. which again hosted the pre-event Social Hour.

Moffett also thanked the 33 other sponsors (a record 38 number for the Hall of Fame event) who helped make the Hall of Fame ceremony possible through their Gold, Silver, and Bronze-level sponsorships. Those sponsors are:

Gold Sponsors: Banks Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick-GMC; Christian Party Rental; Corriveau-Routhier, Inc.; Great State Beverages, Inc. and Speedy Printing & Copying

Silver Sponsors: Amoskeag Beverages, LLC; Buffalo Wild Wings; Casella Recycling LLC; Holloway Motor Cars of Manchester; Milestone Engineering & Construction; Pro Ambitions; Rene LeClerc Insurance Agency Inc; Triplet Computers; Fay’s Boat Yard; De Niro Construction; Bogacz Photography/Digital Media; Brine & Capital Sporting Goods and Morgan Storage.

Bronze Sponsors: Berlin Marketplace; Capital City Paving; Central Paper Products Co.; Dwyer, Donovan & Pendleton; EVR Advertising; Granite State Glass; Label Tech, Inc.; Law Offices of Roland E. Olivier, PLLC; Northway Bank; Plodzik & Sanderson, PA; PretiFlaherty; Tardif Contracting & Landscaping, Inc.; Town and Country Motor Inn; Zero Waste

Lastly, Moffett congratulated Past President Roland Olivier for his service for the Legends and presented Roland with a token of the boards appreciation.

A number of former Boston Bruins players — including Ray Bourque, Terry O’Reilly, Ken Linseman, Frank Simonetti and of course Keith Crowder – were on hand to see their former teammates, Rick Middleton and Bruce Crowder, inducted into the Hall of Fame.

L to R: Karen Wonoski – Alumni Coordinator; Rick Middleton; Frank Simonetti; Keith Crowder; Bruce Crowder; Terry O’Reilly; Ray Bourque; Ken Linseman and Kerry Collins – Director of Community Relations.

State Senator Lou D’Alessandro, longtime Legends supporter and a former Legends Board member, delivered a letter from The Honorable Governor Maggie Hassan and delivered State Senate Resolutions and State of New Hampshire Citations honoring the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 and the Hanover High Boy’s and Girl’s teams.

Key Note Speaker Taylor Chace

Taylor Chace, of Hampton Falls, NH, was the Keynote Speaker at this year’s Ceremony. He spoke of his days learning to skate with Jim Tufts “Learn to Skate” program at the Phillips Exeter Rink in Exeter, NH. The Tufts family has had a huge impact on youth hockey in the seacoast of New Hampshire and its grassroots programs.

Taylor was a standout New England hockey prospect when, at 16 years old and playing for Sean Tremblay and Chris Grassie with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs, he suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury. Taylor spoke of how the injury changed his life, as he learned to live with his injury. Taylor described how met Tom Moulton, who introduced him to Rick Middleton and the sport of sled hockey. Taylor described how he regained his passion for hockey through the sport of sled hockey and was once again motivated to compete in athletics. Taylor has since represented Team USA at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, winning a Bronze (Torino Italy 2006) Gold (Vancouver, Canada 2010) and Gold (Sochi, Russia 2014). Today, Taylor continues to coach sled hockey with the Northeast Passage Sled Hockey Team out of the University of New Hampshire. Click here to watch 3:17 trailer for the upcoming PBS beginning November 10th, titled ICE WARRIORS – USA SLED HOCKEY.

The Legends recognized the Hanover High School Marauders, whose Boys’ team played its first season in 1933-34 and the Girls’ team, which began play in 1987. Click here to view Induction booklet.

Jack Turco addresses the huge crowd

Jack Turco, former Boys’ Coach at Hanover High gave a brief recap on the history of the Hanover High Boys’ team which began play in the state in 1932-33 and was the first team outside of Berlin to win a state title in 1970. The Hanover Girls’ team started its successful tradition in 1987.

Hanover High School’s tradition of success is evidenced by the fact that the Boys have won 8 NHIAA State Championships since 1970 and the Girls have won 6 of 7 NHIAA State Championships that have been contested.

Paramount to the success of Hanover’s High School teams has been the development and continued success of a feeder program that develops the next generation of high school players. This program has been sustained by youngsters in Hanover learning to skate on Occom Pond, growing up watching and cheering for the Dartmouth College Women’s and Men’s Hockey Teams and, the continued success of a strong Youth Hockey program.

Finally, the Hanover community continues to embrace, support and nurture a strong high school hockey tradition. The entire Hanover community was particularly proud of Steve Shirreffs, Hanover High Scholl Class of 1994, and Princeton University Hockey All-American, being chosen this year to be inducted into the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame since Steve represents all that is best in the long Hanover hockey tradition.

Hanover players, coaches and hockey alumni gather on stage

Vice President John Normand recognized all current Hall of Fame members in attendance shown in photo below.

Front Row L to R: Peter Maher, Leo Gould, Rene LeClerc, Jim Tufts, Ryan Brandy, Roland Lavigne and John Normand. Second Row: Dick Dodds, Bob Norton, Rick Middleton, Bruce Crowder, Steve Shirreffs, Merrill Fay, Bill Dennehy, Steve Murphy, Mark Evans, Ken McKinnon, Dick Boucher, Bruce Parker, DeDe Villeneuve, Dana Barbin, Dick Roy, Frank Roy, Lee Blossom and Steve Arndt. Missing from photo Dana Barbin, Pierre Belanger, Albie Brodeur, Ken Cail, Ray Champagne, Andre Prefontaine, Brian Stone, Dunc Walsh and Wally Tafe.

MC Bob Norton left, with Class of 2014 Rick Middleton, Bruce Crowder, Steve Shirreffs, Bill Dennehy, Mark Evans, Steve Murphy and Bruce Parker.

Executive Director Jim Hayes announced the team that will be honored during the 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame Ceremony. Next year, The Legends will honor the Nashua Royals, a team that began play in 1948. The Royals, whose first two captains were named Dionne, originally began play as a boys team, in the 16 to 21 age bracket, eventually becoming a men’s team. In 1952, the Royals beat the Rye Seahawks for the New Hampshire Amateur Class B title. The Royals were instrumental in the success of the Granite State Hockey League. In the 1960’s, they were coached by Ron Peters, Hall of Fame ’08. The Royals played in three straight GSHL Championships, winning in the 1965-66 season over the Tam O’Shanters of Manchester. Two of their top scorers were Buzz Littell, Hall of Fame ’06 and Pete Merrill in addition to the Legends own Leo Gould, Hall of Fame ’06. One of the Royals’ most notable players was Bobby Sheehan, who played for the team at age 16, and eventually went on to play for 14 years in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens and several other teams. The Royals concluded play after the 1966-67 season. Hayes asked everyone to help him welcome next year’s honored team, the Nashua Royals.

So please mark your calendar for the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday October 25, 2015 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord and if you’d like to become a sponsor for next October, please email hayes743@comcast.net or call Jim Hayes at 603-731-4168.

As a reminder, on-line nominations for 2015 can be submitted beginning January 1 and continuing through the end of February.

Contact David Pearl at www.videonh.com or email info@videonh.com. Copies of the Hanover High Hockey tribute are also available for $10.00. DVD’s of the Induction Ceremony as well as Interviews may be purchased for $15.00 through Spotlight Video Productions, Hooksett, NH.

Photographs at our event were taken by Jim Paiva Photography and are posted on his website. Go to http://jimpaiva.zenfolio.com/, to view or purchase photographs. Accepted cards are VISA, MC, AMEX, and PayPal.

To view or purchase photographs taken by Jim Paiva Photography of the 2014 Golf Classic, go to: http://jimpaiva.zenfolio.com/2014_golf_classic/

2014 Golf Classic Another Big Success

Manchester, NH

Thank you to everyone that supported our Ninth Annual Golf Classic, presented by Bauer. Our event was held July 11 at the Stonebridge Country Club in Goffstown. As Gregg Moffett told those in attendance “we are extremely grateful to all the players, sponsors, contributors (gifts in kind) and volunteers that help make this event one of the best in the state, each and every year”.

Once again we enjoyed marvelous weather and it was a great way to spend time with our hockey family and friends. Golfers who arrived early were provided free chair massages prior to tee off by Andrea Kuhman of Arias Spa in Manchester.

L to R: Teammates: Former teammates Bruce Parker, Roger Letourneau, Chuck Kyle, Greg Wright and Steve Murphy reunite.

The event was kicked off with a message from Greg Moffett, President of the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey (Legends). He gave special thanks and recognition to our “Presenting Sponsor, Bauer (Global Headquarters) of Exeter, NH and our Gold Sponsor, St. Paul’s School of Concord”. In addition thanked our nine Silver and twenty-five Bronze Sponsors which are listed below.

Auction Legends of Hockey

Silver Sponsors: Amoskeag Beverages, LLC – Bow; Bogacz Photography/Digital Media- Concord; Gamache Enterprises – Manchester; Great State Beverages, Inc. – Hooksett; Morgan Storage – Manchester; Pro Ambitions – Dover, MA; Rowley Insurance Agency – Concord; SERVPRO of Manchester and Triplet Computers – Concord.

Bronze Sponsors: Ackerson State Farm Agency; Arcomm Communications; Banks Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick-GMC; Berlin Youth Hockey Association; Capital City Paving; Christian Party Rental; Corriveau-Routhier, Inc.; EVR Advertising; Fay’s Boat Yard; Hanover Hill Insulation and Siding; Karr & Boucher, PLLC; Kelly’s Auto Parts; L.A. Brochu, Inc; Law Offices of Roland E. Olivier, PLLC; Legacy Financial Solutions, Inc.; Manchester 40+ Hockey League; Milford Lumber; New Hampshire Distributors, Inc.; Northway Bank; North Country Tractor; PretiFlaherty-Concord; Rath Young Pignatelli; R & T Electric Inc.; Rene LeClerc State Farm Agency and Sleepnet.

In addition, Greg acknowledged five of the seven members from the Class of 2014 who will be honored this October 26 at Concord’s Grappone Center at the Thirteenth Annual Legends of Hockey Induction Ceremony. Those playing today are Mark Evans; Steve Murphy in the Player Category and Bruce Crowder; Rick Middleton and Bruce Parker in the Coaches Category. In addition, the Legends will honor the history of the Hanover High School Boys and Girls Hockey teams and we’re pleased to have both Head Coaches, Dick and John Dodds with us today.

L to R: 2014 Inductees in Attendance: Bruce Crowder, Rick Middleton, Mark Evans, Bruce Parker and Steve Murphy

Contributors (Gifts in Kind) click to view

Volunteers
Our volunteers worked very hard all-day long keeping the registration, raffle and on course contests running smoothly. Many thanks again to Pierre Belanger, Joni Bertolami, Dick Boucher, John Cassidy, Monique Chauvette, Barney Colgan, Dave Corriveau, Stats Elliot, Tom Gagne, Jay High, Roland Martin, Mat Myers, Sam Paquette, Dick Roy, Dick Theriault & Bob and Kathy Vachon.

Champions!
Congratulations to this year’s Champions Todd Philbrick, Tom Otto, Jim Corbett and Jerry Collins. The Philbrick group scored a 12 under 60 and on a match of cards edged the two groups of (Ken Roberge, Glen Williams, Steve Smith and Marc Morin) and (Dave Masinick, Joe Vallieres, Al Gilbert and Dennis Murphy).

2014 Champions L to R: Jim Corbett, Todd Philbrick, Tom Otto and Jerry Collins.

All Champions
2014 – Todd Philbrick, Tom Otto, Jim Corbett, Jerry Collins
2013 – Dick Dodds, John Dodds, Scott Peters, Dean Cashman
2012 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, Pat McNicholas
2011 – Casey Kesselring, Jeff Graham, Mike Beliveau, Trevor Smith
2010 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, Pat McNicholas
2009 – Mike Castagna, Paul Lemire, Doug Leppart, Doug Snyder
2008 – Chris Chisholm, Jim Hayes, Ray Martin, TJ Whitelaw
2007 – Mike Castagna, Mike Ladouceur, Johnna Lory, Rich Tombs
2006 – Ken Roberge, Mike McGinn, Glen Williams, Dwayne Robinson

Holed out: As Dave Masinick holes the birdie putt on the way to a 60, teammates from L to R celebrate: Dennis Murphy, Al Gilbert and Joe Vallieres.

On Course Contests
Long Drive # 18 – Dwayne Robinson
Closest to the Line #1 – Lee Blossom 6″
Closest to the Pin # 4 – Matt LaBelle 5″
Closest to the Pin # 6 – Tom Maher 7’3″
Closest to the Pin # 13 – Greg Moffett 1’10”
Closest to the Pin # 16 – Jerry Collins 5’0″
Closest to the Pin #18 Second Shot – Dan Fawcett (holed out)
Putting Contest Champion – Gregg Goodwin

L to R: Hall of Fame Members in Attendance: Steve Arndt, Pierre Belanger, Dick Roy, Rene LeClerc, Ken McKinnon, Lee Blossom, John Normand, Dick Theriault and Ryan Brandt.

2015 Golf Date

The 2015 Golf Classic is scheduled for Friday July, 10, 2015, so please mark your calendar, grab your players plan on joining us!

Golf Photos
All photos were taken by Jim Paiva Photography and are available for purchase. Click on Jim Paiva website to view and or purchase photos. All photos are available at a reduced rate.

On-Line Auction Items

We are offering the following items for auction to our entire contact list. We will update current high bids along with the initials of the bidder approximately every 3 days beginning Friday August 22, 2014 and continuing to 5:00 Eastern time on August 29th. If you are interested in bidding on any item(s) email hayes743@comcast.net.

Item One
Two tickets for the September 2014 NASCAR Sylvania 300 Race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Opening minimum bid $100.00

Item Two
LA Kings puck signed by two-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender Jonathan Quick
Opening minimum bid $50.00

L to R: David Backes, TJ Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Patrick Berglund

Item Three
Puck Signed by St. Louis Blues Captain David Backes
Opening Minimum Bid $15.00

Item Four
Puck Signed by St. Louis Blues forward TJ Oshie
Opening Minimum Bid $10.00

Item Five
Puck Signed by St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk
Opening Minimum Bid $10.00

Item Six
Puck Signed by St. Louis Blues forward Patrik Berglund
Opening Minimum Bid $10.00

Item Seven
Sherwood G9950 goalie stick signed by St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak
Opening Minimum Bid $50.00


The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey gathers nominations for election to the Hall of Fame, and raises money to preserve the donated archives, including historical literature, records, photos, film, clothing, equipment, trophies, etc. Many of these collected artifacts are available public viewing via our display cases in Berlin, Concord, Manchester and Nashua and on our on-line museum. We continue to search for artifacts and film from the old days. anyone wishing to donate either is welcomed to do so.

2014 Prep School Hockey News

Manchester, NH

The Prep School Hockey Coaches of NH announced their 2013-14 All-State selections for both the boys and girls divisions. The eight prep schools in New Hampshire are: Brewster Academy; Holderness School; Kimball Union Academy; New Hampton School; Phillips Exeter Academy; Proctor Academy; St. Paul’s School and Tilton School.

 

Certificate shown above is Senior Forward J.D. Dudek of Kimball Union Academy. Dudek was selected for his performance during the 2013-14 season. The Auburn New Hampshire native will be attending Boston College this fall.

Dana Barbin, long time head coach of Phillips Exeter said “we are extremely pleased to continue our partnership with the NH Legends of Hockey”. The Legends have provided framed certificates signed by their President Greg Moffett and Executive Director, Jim Hayes. The certificates should be delivered to the Athletic Directors this week.

Click on year to view 2013-14 All State Teams

Top Prospects

There are many top prospects in Prep School Hockey, including top players Kevin Neiley and Henry Hart of Phillips Exeter Academy and David Storto of St. Paul’s School. However, it is very unusual for one school to have three top level performers. Meet J.D. Dukek, Tyler Bird and Brendan White of Kimball Academy. Click here to view article on the trio from the New England Hockey News.

Tournament Results for NH Schools

Boys Hockey – In the NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Association) Division I Elite 8 Tournament, Phillips Exeter Academy lost in the Semi Finals of the Stuart/Corkery Tournament to eventual champion Salisbury School. P.E.A. ended the season with an overall record of 23-5-3.

In the Division I Large School Tournament, St. Paul’s School defeated Choate 2-0 in the Semi Final before bowing to Loomis Chaffee in the Finals of the Martin/Earl Tournament 3-2. SPS ended the season with a 20-9-1 record.

And in the Division I Small School Tournament, Kimball Union Academy won the Simmons/Piatelli Championship 3-2 over the Dexter School and ended the season with a 26-6-5 record.

Girls Hockey

In the two girls divisions, just two New Hampshire Prep Schools qualified for the tournament.

In Division I, St. Paul’s School won their Quarter Final match handily before losing in the Semi Final to Westminster, 1-0. St. Paul’s ended their season with a 23-2-2 overall record.

In Division II, Proctor lost in the Quarter Finals to Gunnery 3-1, finishing their season with a
19-9-1 overall record.

Around the Boards..Bruins, Monarchs and More

Bruins Canadiens

The hometown Boston Bruins will host their arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens tonight at the TD Garden with face-off scheduled for 7:30 pm.

It’s a dream matchup for the second round as two Original Six NHL teams go at it for the Atlantic Division title, in their 34th playoff meeting in a storied history.

The Canadiens have the all-time edge, but it’s the Bruins who have won seven of their last 11 battles, including the last two in 2009 and 2011. Click here to view series schedule.

Auction

Haven’t joined a club yet for this season, well the timing couldn’t be better. The Legends are auctioning off a 2014 Season Membership at Stonebridge C.C. valued at $1995.00 and Opening bid is just $500.00. For course information visit the Stonebridge Country Club website by clicking here. Stonebridge is home of the NH Legends of Hockey Annual Golf Classic which is being held on Friday July 11, 2014.

Bidding is open though Friday May 9, 2014 at 6 :00 pm. We will update the highest bid with the bidders initials and amount at 5 pm on a daily basis.

Current Bid $

Email Jim Hayes at hayes743@comcast.net with your bid and good luck.

Monarchs battle on in Best of 5

With the series tied at 1 all, the #1 seeded Manchester Monarchs traveled to Norfolk to take on the 8th seeded Admirals last night. With the game scoreless at the end of regulation, the Admirals scored at 14:51 of overtime to give the Norfolk Admirals a 1-0 victory over the Manchester Monarchs. Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at the Norfolk Scope Arena on Wednesday night.

With a 2-1 lead in the series, game 4 is slated for Friday night in Norfolk and if necessary the final game would take place Saturday night, also in Norfolk.

Catch all of the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on Monarchs Radio Network WGIR AM 610, WGIRAM.com, and at manchestermonarchs.com presented by Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. For all Monarchs news click here.

The Los Angeles Kings,

After losing the first three games to the San Joe Sharks in the best of seven in round one, , the Kings battled back to win four in a row by the score of 5-1 last night in San Jose.

With the series win, the Kings have became only 4th NHL team to overcome and win a playoff series after trailing 0-3.

The Kings will face the Anaheim Ducks (and NH’s own Ben Lovejoy) in the Western Conference Semifinals which begins on Saturday at Honda Center in Orange County.

For all Kings news click here.

2013-14 Supporters Drive Update

On October 1, 2013 the NH Legends of Hockey began our Annual Supporters Drive for the period running through September 30, 2014.

Our Supporters List as of 3/17/2014 can be viewed by clicking here. For all who have already joined, we thank you and for those who have not, we hope you will consider doing so.

You may send a check, made payable to the NH Legends of Hockey, PO Box 777, Manchester, NH 03105-0777. If you prefer to use your credit card to support the Legends click here: Select the Support Level of your choice and please include your mailing address, phone and email information.

Please visit our NH Legends of Hockey Facebook Page and “Like Us” to receive our upcoming Facebook posts.

2014 High School Hockey News

2014 State Champions
Congratulations to the four Division Champions from last weekends NHIAA State Championships held at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester on Saturday March 15, 2014. To all the players, coaches and staff members, we salute you for your most recent success. To read the related stories from the New Hampshire Sunday News (Union Leader), click on headlines listed below.

Division I – Central shuts down Londonderry 3-1
Division II – Bedford stays perfect, shuts out Bow 3-0
Division III – Souhegan edges John Stark-Hopkinton 5-4
Girls – Hanover takes 5th straight, 5-1 over Berlin-Gorham

All-State Teams Announced
The New Hampshire High School Coaches Association (NHHSCA) today announced their 2013-14 All-State teams for Girls and Boys Div. I, II and III. The NHHSCA is comprised of high school coaches from across the state. “We are pleased to continue our partnership with the NH Legends of Hockey,” said Dunc Walsh, President of the NHHSCA and Head Coach of Concord HS Hockey team.For the fourth straight year, the Legends will provide framed certificates for each member of the various All-State teams. In addition, for each division, the Legends awards certificates to the Player-of-the-Year and Coach-of-the-Year. Click on each Division to view the list of this year’s All-State recipients for Girls, Division I, Division II and Division III.

Any All-State award recipients who attend the Boys Senior All-Star Classic (details below) will receive their certificates at a reception to be held after the game.

2014 Senior All-Star Teams Announced
On Saturday March 22, 2014, the Legends will host both Boys Senior All-Star Classic Hockey games, which will be held at the Rinks of Exeter. These games at this beautiful dual rink facility will feature the very best players from Division I, II, and III in the 3 pm game and a separate game for Division III players only to be held at 3:15 pm. Players should arrive approximately one hour before taking the ice. Players for both games were selected by the NHHSCA. Rosters may be viewed by clicking on 3:00 pm Game and 3:15 Game.

In the 3:00 pm game, players will wear the Legends jerseys pictured to left. Replica Kamazu jerseys are available for players to purchase through Brine – ESC Team Sports in Concord for the players in both games, with jerseys are available in RED only. Jerseys may be ordered with the players choice of name and number. Orders must be placed between Saturday March 22 and before Sunday April 6, 2014. Go to Brine Everett Sports website for ordering.

Chris Fortin (6) of Merrimack screens Tyler Briand (30) of Dover in the 2012 Senior All-Star Classic in Concord.2014

For reference, sizes worn in the 3:00 pm game are as follows: 1, 30, 31 All Goalie Cut; 2-11 extra large and 12-21 were large. Cost of the jersey is $82.00 plus shipping if necessary. Use CC or your PayPal account. If you have any questions, contact Bob Palisi at 603-228-5976 ext. 204 or 603-231-1446.

The NHHSCA will select players from the 3:00 pm game to participate this July in the Annual Make-A-Wish Game at the University of Vermont in Burlington. The Girls Senior All-Star team will also compete in Vermont, and the Boys and Girls teams will wear the Legends uniforms.

More About New Hampshire Legends of Hockey
The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey, a New Hampshire non-profit organization, is dedicated to preserving New Hampshire’s ice hockey history, maintaining the state’s Hockey Hall of Fame, and promoting the sport to New Hampshire’s youth. “In keeping with our mission, the Legends is proud to celebrate the achievements of our talented high school and prep school athletes, who represent the future of the sport,” said Greg Moffett, President of the Legends.

“The Legends recognizes the important role high school hockey plays in the state’s rich ice hockey history,” said Jim Hayes, Legends Executive Director. “In addition to supporting high school hockey with various events, we have compiled and documented the results of all high school hockey championship games – and coaching records – dating back to the 1946-47 season.” To access this information, simply click on the High School Archives link at our website: www.nhlegendsofhockey.com.

The Legends actively solicits historical, hockey-related artifacts for preservation and display to the general public. The Legends online museum catalogs the state’s hockey history and heritage gathered from periodicals, game film, trophies, photos, uniforms, other clothing, etc. The museum is searchable by the number of fields such as team, player, jerseys etc. While there are several hundred photos currently available for viewing, new ones are added on a ongoing basis, so be sure to check back frequently.

For more information on the Legends of Hockey, visit our web site at nhlegendsofhockey.com.

Around the Boards – Supporters Update and NE Hockey Journal

2013-14 Supporters Drive Update

On October 1, 2012 the NH Legends of Hockey began our Annual Supporters Drive for the period running through September 30, 2013.

Our Supporters List as of January 8, 2014 can be viewed by clicking here. For all who have already joined, we thank you and for those who have not, we hope you will consider doing so.

You may send a check, made payable to the NH Legends of Hockey, PO Box 777, Manchester, NH 03105-0777. If you prefer to use your credit card to support the Legends click here: Select the Support Level of your choice and please include your mailing address, phone and email information.

New England Hockey Journal

This month, the NE Hockey Journal is packed with wonderful articles: Three of those stories which may be of particular interest to our readers include: the cover story on Jon Gillies; Mark Morris, Head Coach of the AHL’s Monarchs and the history of hockey in Manchester, NH.

Due to the size of the Journal, it will take several minutes to load. Click here to view the January edition of the New England Hockey Journal.

Please visit our NH Legends of Hockey Facebook Page and “Like Us” to receive our upcoming Facebook posts.

NH Legends of Hockey, Bauer Hockey Donate Equipment

NH Legends of Hockey, Bauer Hockey Donate 30 Sets of Equipment to Local Associations – Support Geared Toward Goal of Continuing to Grow the Game in NH

MANCHESTER, NH – December 9, 2013 – The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey, a New Hampshire non-profit organization dedicated to preserving New Hampshire’s ice hockey history, maintaining the state’s Hockey Hall of Fame, and promoting the sport to New Hampshire’s youth, today announced a donation of approximately 30 sets of new hockey equipment to the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association (MRYHA) and Berlin Youth Hockey Association.

L to R: Steve Tempesta, President – MRYHA; Bill Houghton, MRYHA coach; Tory Mazzola, Bauer and Legends Director; Mike Williamson, MRYHA coach; Jay High, Legends Director; Brian Caldwell, MRYHA’s Mite Director; and John Normand, Legends Vice President

“Hockey has such a rich history in New Hampshire, from the first organized hockey game played in the U.S.at St. Paul’s School in 1883, to the expansive hockey landscape that exists here today for players of all skill levels,” said NH Legends of Hockey President Gregory Moffett. “We’re proud to be partnering with Manchester and Berlin Youth Hockey to help continue NH’s hockey tradition and attract even more kids to this great sport. With these two communities as our starting point, we hope to expand this effort in the coming years to support youth programs in other parts of the state.”

The donation, having a retail value of approximately $12,000, will help to grow the game of hockey in the Granite State by providing equipment to kids who want to try the sport and participate in learn-to-play programs. The equipment presented today includes a variety of sizes for kids aged 5 – 10 and includes goalie equipment for those wanting to play net.

The equipment will be made available in Manchester at West Side Arena and in Berlin at Notre Dame Ice Arena. These learn-to-play programs will be locally administered by the MRYHA and Berlin Youth Hockey Association.

“As MRYHA’s Mite Director, one of my main priorities for my organization is to grow the game, which starts at the youngest of levels. In order for us to be successful, we need to move to different, non-traditional demographics in our society and offer children who are not brought up around hockey a chance to play this great game. With this help from Bauer Hockey and the NH Legends of Hockey, we can now reach out to children and families in our community who may not have given hockey a chance,” said Brian Caldwell of MRYHA.” Our program was once one of the largest not-or-profit hockey organizations in the country, and we are celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, making us one of the oldest as well. We’re looking forward to expanding this to many more families next season.”

The NH Legends’ equipment donation program is made possible through its partnership with Bauer Hockey, a New Hampshire company with its global headquarters in Exeter. Bauer Hockey has been a long-standing sponsor of the NH Legends and has notched another assist by helping to provide the new gear.

“As a New Hampshire company we’re happy to support this local initiative and help grow the game in communities around the Granite State,” said Tory Mazzola, Global Communications Manager for Bauer Hockey.