USA Hockey reports record number of players

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By @StefanKubus –

USA Hockey held its Annual Congress from June 5-8 at the organization’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., and among the highlights – which included Jim Smith’s election as president – was the report of an overall growth in the game since 2014.

The 2014-15 season finished with 533,172 registered players, with increased participation at all age levels. That’s a number that continues to trend upward, as the 2013-14 reported number of players in the country was 519,417, an increase of 13,755. The previous year, the country saw an increase of just over 9,000 (510,279).

The participation in its entirety – players, coaches, officials, administrators, parents, team managers and volunteers – comprised a record total of 1,103,867. That’s a trend that continues to rise, as last year’s reported total was 1,075,424. In 2012-13, that total was 1,061,130.

“We’re in a great position, but never satisfied,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “Our volunteer base across the country is second to none and those volunteers are the unsung heroes of our sport. We continue to grow, and through the efforts of our American Development Model, our retention is better with kids having more fun while reaching their full potential like at no other time before in our sport.”

That increase includes Michigan, too, albeit a slight one.

Michigan remained in the No. 2 spot in USA Hockey membership with 50,602 participants – up this year with a slight 0.03-percent increase (17 players) compared to last year’s reported 2.5-percent decrease, a fall from 51,929 (2012-13) to 50,585. Michigan currently trails only Minnesota’s 55,450 participants in the U.S.

Rounding out the top seven states in terms of total players in 2014-15 include Massachusetts (49,591), New York (48,580), Illinois (30,553), Pennsylvania (30,078) and California (26,383).

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USA Hockey also celebrated its success on the international stage, where it earned gold medals in the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship, the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship and the International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championship and a bronze medal at the IIHF Men’s World Championship.

“We’re to the point where we expect to be in contention for the gold medal at every world championship,” said Ogrean. “We’re proud of the fact that no nation won more gold medals this year than the United States and that’s a credit to our athletes, coaches, and staff as well as all those across the country at the grassroots level that contributed in the molding of our athletes through their youth hockey years.”

USA Hockey’s Annual Congress included the President’s Gala on Friday evening (June 5), which celebrated outgoing president Ron DeGregorio and his 40-plus years of contributions; honored players and staff of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team on their 35th anniversary of winning gold in Lake Placid, New York; and featured the presentation of the Wm. Thayer Tutt Award to Teddy Cunniff, the Builders Award to Peter Lindberg and the Distinguished Achievement Award to Butch Johnson. Rene’ Fasel, president of the IIHF, Scott Blackmun, chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL, were among the featured speakers at the event, which included a sold-out audience of more than 800.