Chicago Blues Hockey

NIHL releases 2010-11 Calendar of Events
The Northern Illinois Hockey League (NIHL) has released its 2010-11 Calendar of Events. Click HERE to access all the information.
- posted on 09-04-10
Former Blue Johnny Doherty @ USHL camp
Former Chicago Blue Johnny Doherty is photographed at the recent tryout camp for the USHL team in Dubuque, Iowa. The 1993 birth-year winger will suit up for the Fighting Saints for the 2010-11 season.
- posted on 08-21-10
Are you following the Blues via Facebook?
There's a new way to stay current with what's happening at the Chicago Blues Hockey Club, now that we have our own Facebook page. The Facebook site will be used to provide updates on club events, host Chicago Blues-related photos and drive traffic to our website. It's also a chance for club members to congregate in a digital fashion. If you're already a Facebook member, simply click on the icon in the right-hand column of the home page and click the Like button when you arrive on Facebook. If you are not a Facebook member, click the Sign Up button to open an account.
- posted on 07-23-10
Congratulations to the Cup-winning Blackhawks!
On behalf of the Chicago Blues Hockey Club, a hearty congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the 2010 Stanley Cup! The Chicago Blues salute you!
- posted on 07-23-10
A theory by Marc Kapsalis: The culture of hockey
Kap’s theory No. 2: The degree to which a region, state or country has developed a “culture of hockey” is the primary indicator of the number of high-level players they will produce, because that “culture” attracts better athletes to the sport. It’s not just numbers that dictate, it’s the number of good and great athletes. I was thinking about Illinois and wondering how we do as a state in placing athletes in the professional ranks. I knew Illinois does not advance a lot of players into the NHL, but I wondered about the three other major sports. So, like we all do, I went on line and started to Google! It took some time but I put the below chart together with the help of Mr. Excel. Observation #1: Of the 12 states that were analyzed, Illinois ranked eighth when comparing the percentage of population to make it into the NHL. However, we ranked fourth behind only Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts when looking at the percentage of population to all four major sports. Conclusion: It’s not that we don’t have good athletes or don’t develop them well in hockey, it’s that a majority of the best athletes are choosing football, baseball and basketball before hockey. Observation #2: Illinois, while paling in comparison to Canada in total NHL players (4,549 for Canada and only 42 for Illinois), actually outperforms Canada in percentage of population playing elite pro sports (.00017 for IL and .000147 for Canada). Observation #3: Sweden, often regarded as an “elite hockey development” nation, has placed a smaller percentage of players in the NHL than has Minnesota. Minnesota has a population of 5 million and has placed 200 players in the NHL. Sweden has a population of 9 million and has placed 192 players in the NHL. So, in my humble opinion, the NHL would do better to go to states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois and get some of those good young athletes in skates and out of their cleats! Or better yet, help states like Illinois, in association with NHL clubs like the Blackhawks, conduct an athletic talent search of kids ages 6-9. Come up with some incentive, financial or otherwise, to get these good athletes in skates and with sticks in their hands. While all of the things the ADM is doing are great and will help the increase the percentage of American-born players in the NHL, my argument is that it pales in comparison to the results the NHL would have if they go find the best young athletes they can and get them to get in and stay in our great game. So in the end, does this mean you should not pursue hockey if you are not an elite athlete? Is that the only reason we should have kids in hockey? Not at all. The life lessons that sports like hockey teach are invaluable. The extra time in the car builds relationships between parents and kids (or should). And most importantly, the time in the locker room before and after every practice and game and on every road trip forges relationships between teammates that are often as strong as those of siblings and many times last a lifetime! This is a big part of what makes hockey the greatest game on earth. Click on the Excel document attached to the bottom of this article for more information on the culture of hockey theory. If you have any comments about the theory, you can send them to mkapsalis@comcast.net. Marc Kapsalis, a former Division I defenseman at West Point, is one of the Chicago Blues' hockey directors.
Analysis of pro athletes by birthplace.xls (Click to download) - posted on 06-05-10
Tallies of USA Hockey youth champions by state
The growth of hockey in the United States can be charted in a small way by the number of youth national champions hailing from new states as the years progress. Between 1949 and 1972, all of the national champions hailed from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan or Minnesota. The 1970s saw Illinois, New York and Washington join the list and then New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and Wisconsin won their first titles in the 1980s. From 1990 to 2008, 10 new states joined the champions list. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Pennsylvania had teams win titles in the '90s and then Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Texas and Vermont won championships since 2000. The 2010 tournament was a boom year for states winning their first titles, when the Tier 2 division expanded to four classes. Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and Oklahoma brought home championships that year to add their states to the list. Following are the states and their number of titles at the Tier I and Tier II levels. Of course, one of those Illinois championships belongs to the Chicago Blues Hockey Club and the Pee Wee Major CSDHL team, which won the 2010 Class 4-A title. Alaska 3 Arizona 1 California 18 Colorado 4 Connecticut 18 Delaware 1 Florida 2 Georgia 1 Illinois 25 Indiana 1 Massachusetts 72 Michigan 111 Minnesota 25 Missouri 7 Montana 1 Nebraska 1 Nevada 1 New Hampshire 1 New Jersey 6 New York 24 North Dakota 4 Ohio 2 Oklahoma 1 Pennsylvania 2 Rhode Island 6 Texas 3 Vermont 1 Washington 4 Wisconsin 4
- posted on 05-31-10
Toronto Globe & Mail: A hockey dad's last ride
The following article appeared in the Toronto Globe & Mail newspaper. By Peter Cheney pcheney@globeandmail.com Of all the fates I imagined for myself, hockey dad was at the bottom of the list. I never played the game - I grew up as a downhill skier, hang glider pilot and car nut. But the gods had a new plan: At the age of four, my son Willie announced that he was taking up Canada’s national game. The next 14 years were a blur of early-morning practices, circling Zambonis and maxed-out credit cards. We lived like carnival roustabouts, constantly on the road. Our vehicles smelled like rolling locker rooms. At its peak, my son’s career ran virtually year-round: I drove to Ottawa in a January ice storm, and to a summer training camp with the air conditioning set on max. Every Friday, I had to schlep Will to a rink on the edge of the Toronto suburbs at the height of rush hour, battling the worst traffic in Canada. Then it was off to Pickering, or maybe Pittsburgh. For a hockey dad, the road was endless. There was always another rink, another tournament, another hockey horizon. So when the end came, I wasn’t ready. And I didn’t see it coming. It was a Wednesday, just one more evening at the rink. Will was 18, the last year for minor hockey. But we hadn’t thought about that – as always, we were focused on the next game. Now Will’s team was playing for the divisional championship. I stood behind the other team’s net, praying that we would score. I took out my car key and scratched Will’s player number on the scarred ledge that rimmed the boards, then circled the number with hearts, a ritual I had started more than a decade ago. Over the years, I’d left Will’s mark on most of the rinks in southern Ontario, a hockey dad’s offering to the Gods of hockey. And it seemed to work. Will had grown into a gifted power forward who helped propel his teams to a long series of wins. Now he was trying for one more, but the odds were against us – the other team was good, we were taking too many penalties, and Will’s hand was broken after a graduation trip to the Dominican Republic. I’d tried to keep him from playing injured, but he laced up his skates and cut a glove to fit over his cast. I remembered a time when he had been a little boy in the back seat. Now he was as tall as I was, with a wrist shot that cannoned off the glass like a howitzer round. Hockey had defined our lives. For nearly a decade and a half, we had cruised the road together. We talked. We listened to music. We were father and son, travelling together on a mission that I thought would never end. We went through four vehicles. I started with a rusted-out Honda Civic, moved up to an Accord, then on to a minivan that could hold six players and their equipment. Then it was back to an Accord again, after a house renovation that tested our financial limits. Now I was at a rink again watching my son. The buzzer sounded. The other team had won. And then it hit me – this was my final trip to the rink as a hockey dad. The championship had been decided, and Will’s minor hockey career was over. In a few months he was heading off to university. There had been a time when a post-secondary education had seemed unlikely. At the height of his hockey career, Will was one of the top players in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. But there had been a price. As his point totals climbed, his school marks plunged. In grade nine, his average bottomed out at 52. When Will turned 15, he saw a fork in the road: He could try for the NHL, or become a better student. He elected to drop down from Double A to the Select level, so he could focus on academics. It worked. A few days ago, Will graduated at the top of the honour roll. He was accepted at every university he applied to, and won an entrance scholarship. He’d made a smart choice. In September he’ll be at Guelph or Queens. But I felt a lump in my throat as my wife and I walked out of the cold arena and into the warmth of the crowded lobby. The smell of popcorn hung in the air, and the space was packed with people we knew – after 14 years of hockey, we were part of a tribe. But now it was finally over. My wife and I hugged some friends and walked out the door toward our car. We rode in silence. The back seat was empty - Will had driven to the rink himself. When he first got his license, I gloried in staying home for an extra hour while he schlepped himself to the game. Now I longed for him to be small again, playing Pokemon in the back while we cruised to a distant arena. I wondered how many times my wife and I had stood in a rink since Will took up the game. A thousand? Maybe. Now our long ride was over. So if you ever notice the number 97 scratched on the boards of an arena, surrounded by a ring of hearts, you will know how it came to be there. My son became a champion. And I became a hockey dad.
- posted on 06-23-10
Are you up to date on all your hockey rules?
Can a team stack three players on top of each other in front of your own net in an effort to cover the 24 square feet of twine? Click HERE to access the 2009-11 Official Rules of Ice Hockey from USA Hockey.
- posted on 05-21-10
Zero Tolerance Policy reminder; USA Hockey videos available
Now that the spring 2010 season is upon us, it's a good time to reminds parents that the Chicago Blues Hockey Club adheres to USA Hockey's Zero Tolerance policy. We all know that hockey can bring out both positive and negative emotions in players, coaches and parents. If we all work together, we can ensure that the season is a positive experience for all teams, from Mites to Midgets. Click HERE to review the full Zero Tolerance Policy on the Blues' website. You can also click on the following links to view some poignant videos produced by USA Hockey: "Hide & Seek" "Potato Sack" "Pin the Tail" "Relax. It's Just a Game."
- posted on 06-23-10
A theory by Marc Kapsalis: Nature versus Nurture
Theory: God-Given Giftedness, Character and Time are the three key elements that decide the professional success a person will have, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. (A little luck, money and who you know, will also play in.) I developed this theory after years of working with Top AAA players and seeing where they peaked at the top of their game. The hypothesis I am trying to prove is that talent will always play the largest role in what level an athlete achieves. I am also trying to prove that talent alone is never enough, and that character and time spent on your craft can often make the difference. God-Given Giftedness (60%) -- We can not control how gifted we are as athletes, and yet this is the most important indicator of how far a player can go. Character (20%) -- Our character is primarily formed during our youngest years of upbringingm but we can work on becoming a “Character Person” throughout the rest of our lives. A player that lacks in character but has a lot of talent could severely limit the level they can achieve. Time (20%) -- This is the area that every player can completely control. How much time a player spends developing and perfecting his or her craft. “The extra!” Following is a summary of the rating needed to achieve a certain level of play. Level / Rating needed • National Hockey League / 9.2 • International Hockey League or European pro / 8.8 • Major Division 1 college / 8.5 • Minor Division 1 college / 8 • United States Hockey League (USHL) / 7.5 • North America Hockey League (NAHL) / 7 Let’s look at the following three hypothetical players. Player 1 is an absolute stud athlete. He is clearly in the top 5 athletes in his large high school. He plays baseball, football and hockey. He starts in all sports and wins awards every year. He would be rated a 9 athletically. This would be multiplied by .6 (60%) to yield a 5.4. His character is excellent. He is a leader, competes hard, has physical and moral courage, thinks not just about himself but about the team, etc. He would rate a 9 in character, because he is not quite perfect! This would be multiplied by .2 (20%) to yield a 1.8. This player also does “The Extra” -- he stickhandles and shoots at home, grabs extra ice in spring and summer, works on the slideboard, runs hills, etc. He is very committed, so he gets a 9 in the time category. This is multiplied by .2 (20%) to yield another 1.8. When all three ratings are added they yield a 9.0. This player has a legitimate shot to play professional hockey, but perhaps not in the NHL. Player 2 is also a stud athlete, rated a 9. However, he is lacking in the character areas. He does not like to work hard at practice, is not a great teammate, smokes and drinks occasionally so he is rated a 4 in Character, yielding a .8. He does an average amount of work, meaning he shows up at his practices. In the summer he likes to rest and enjoys hanging out with his buddies to take a break from hockey (nothing wrong with that, by the way!). So he gets a 5 in time, yielding a 1.0 in Time. His total is 5.4 + .8 + 1.0 for a 7.2. He could play in the NAHL, just on talent alone. Player 3 is a “just above average” athlete, and is rated a 6. However, he is a 10 in character and “kills” himself in and out of season to be the best he can be and is rated a 10 also in “Time”. His total is 3.6 plus 2.0 plus 2.0 for a total of 7.6. While it not likely he will get a scholarship, he might play in the USHL. If this same player was just slightly more talented, he would probably earn a scholarship. The point of the theory is 1) to play high-level hockey you have to be at least an above-average athlete, and 2) if you are an above-average athlete but lack character or don’t put in extra time, you can severely limit the level you may achieve. Click on the Excel document attached to the bottom of this article for more information on the Nature versus Nurture theory. If you have any comments about the theory, you can send them to mkapsalis@comcast.net. You can rate yourself in these three areas and see if you think the theory works. Marc Kapsalis, a former Division I defenseman at West Point, is one of the Chicago Blues' hockey directors.
Hockey_Assessment_Chart.xls (Click to download) - posted on 05-10-10
Do you have any Blues hockey photos to share?
The Chicago Blues Hockey Club is looking to create a photo archive. Do you have any digital photos for possible use on the club's new website? If the answer is yes, send them in .jpg format via e-mail to onthemark@ameritech.net. Please limit your e-mail to five photos. Also, please include a short description or caption for each photo.
- posted on 11-11-09