2016 was another great year on the ice. Running hockey camps in 10 states again reminded us just how awesome this sport really is in the U.S.
Here are our some of the stats – and a black bear – behind the great states that we enjoy working in each summer!
We started out our hockey camp in Alaska with a black bear greeting us at our cabin. Hockey is alive and well in the Last Frontier. There are nearly 9,000 players in Alaska and the state currently has 16 men’s Division 1 players and 8 women playing Division I hockey.
Connecticut is one of our favorite spots with more than 13,000 players registered with USA Hockey. The also have a nice roster of Division I players including 30 on the men’s side and 15 on women’s teams.
Illinois is a hotbed of “Blackhawk’s hockey” with 84 Division I men’s players (5th most) and 35 women (3rd most). Illinois also has more than 31,000 total hockey players and is always a fun place to train aspiring young athletes!
New Hampshire hockey families are passionate about the game. With around 6,000 players in the state this season, they have the same number (13) of both men and women playing Division I.
New Jersey loves their Devils and has just under 20,000 players in the state. They also have 45 men’s Division I players this season and 4 on the women’s side.
New York is always among the leaders in the U.S. registering just under 50,000 players! We love our camps in the state that has 94 men’s Division 1 players this season and 33 women.
There are just over 30,000 players in the great state of Pennsylvania, all admiring the recent Flyers winning streak, or wanting to grow up and be like the incredible Sid Crosby. 47 men’s players and 9 women Division I players hail from Pennsylvania.
Vermont registers just under 5,000 players and has 3 men and 10 women playing Division I hockey this year.
Virginia has just over 10,000 registered players and 5 men and 2 women playing Division I hockey.
Finally, we close with our home state of Massachusetts, where we love the Bruins; and the Red Sox! Massachusetts (113) ranks third only to Michigan (145) and Minnesota (203) in producing Division I men’s hockey players. There are 72 women from Mass. playing Division I hockey this season, second only to Minnesota (147). As our friends at Mass. Hockey would say, we are #MassProud!
We hope you enjoyed your year of hockey as much as we did.
From our team to yours, have a very happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you on the ice in 2017!
The Ham & Egger: This is for the every day player that isn’t necessarily the standout on the team, but every practice and game is consistently good and you just know what to expect from them. Every team has and needs players who may not have the top end talent and skill, but they have a drive and desire to win the battles in the corner and the races to the puck. Will over skill.
The Pick Me Up Fist Bump: A pick me up player is important to the team. The fist bump is for the player that is always a good teammate and not only loves to celebrate the big moments with a fist bump, but to also use it in the difficult times to say ‘I got your back’.
The Highlight Reel Movie Camera: This is for the players who have the ability to make moves on the ice that other players try to emulate. They are silky smooth with the puck, can stickhandle through a crowd and can deke goalies to score highlight reel goals.
The Exhausted Dog Tongue: This describes complete exhaustion, think of your dog after throwing the ball with him for a half hour. Dog tired! When we run conditioning drills at our hockey camps it’s always fun to see the top players working the hardest. If your hockey emoji is both the highlight reel and the dog tongue, you should be proud of yourself!
The “Whine”, Cheese and Violin: This describes the player who constantly whines about what position they are playing, not getting the puck enough or which line they are on. The violin emoji is often accompanied by the goblet and piece of cheese emoji’s.
The Riverboat Gambler. This is the player with talent and the confidence that the chips are stacked in their favor. A dangerous combination that can win championships, but also a risk factor that puts gray hair on coaches. The Riverboat Gambler is willing to risk it all for the big play, and win they score, they win big. But there is always the chance of losing it all with their mid-ice dangle with no safety valve.
The All-In, All The Time 100: This is for the player that gives 100% in everything they do. They are a good teammate in the locker room, have a 100% positive attitude, are always working their hardest and love the game 100% of the time!
Training hockey players and helping in their development is very rewarding. We’d like to introduce some of the best players we met and had the privilege of working with this summer.