To close out communication on last weekend's Fire & Ice Tournament, WYHA would like to recognize the support of the following for making our 11th Annual Tourney a fun, competitive, and profitable event.

- The Amelia Park staff & Carole Appleton
- Springfield Falcons
- Larry Monahan & the Parent family
- Westfield Vocational Technical High School Graphic Arts department
- Our rink DJ's . . . Amber Danahey & Todd Jensen
- Carolyn Jarvis
- Callaway Golf & the Kowalski family
- Fire & Ice Committee members, including co-chairs Bob Jacques & Martha Mastroberti and WYHA President, Paul Labbe
- Fire & Ice Program . . . Kristen Koziol
- Haessly Photography
- WYHA teams that contributed raffle baskets
- WYHA families for your baked goods
- WYHA volunteers manning the various tables throughout the weekend
- Coca-Cola, Powerade & Dasani
- National Anthem singer . . . Julia Bussell
- The Rokosz family & Green Meadow Lumber
- Charlie Bonatakis and Raymond James & Associates
- The Ackerman family & Sodom Mountain Campground
- The Scanlon family & Innovative Business Systems
- Jake's Construction
- The Tavern Restaurant
- The WYHA "Bantam Cleaning Crew"

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Here are what some of our visiting teams had to say about their 2012 Fire & Ice experience:


" . . . this is the best traveling tournament that our team has been participating in over the years.

The competition is evenly matched, the organization is great, and facilities are best around, and most of all the kids had a blast."

Northern Rhode Island Vikings Squirt B Team


" . . . the Amherst Mite team had a wonderful time at the tournament!  We loved the music, raffles, souvenirs, baked goods etc.

Photos from each of the games at last weekend's Fire & Ice Tourney are available online to preview and purchase from Haessly Photography.

Photos are available for preview and purchase until Monday, February 6th. 

Click here to access WYHA Fire & Ice photos

. . . or cut and paste the link below into your web browser

http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?user_id=66209&tmpl=125&event=967731&album_id=967731

Westfield Youth Hockey will be hosting "The Social" on Saturday, Feb 25th at Shaker Farms Country Club from 6:30-11:30 pm.  The purpose of this event will be to create an environment for our members and the local community to socialize and celebrate our organization and the great game of hockey.  All proceeds from this event will be utilized to offset the costs of the new WYH jerseys for the 2012-2013 season.

Tickets are $25/person and all ticket requests should go through your team rep.  There will be raffles, dancing, appetizers, entertainment, and a cash bar.  Each family will receive a form to place all their ticket orders on.  Please start asking family, friends, neighbors, potential hockey families, former hockey families . . . anyone who might enjoy a night out!

We are tasked with developing one of the largest events that Westfield Youth Hockey has ever experienced.  If you wish to serve on the "The Social" planning committee and aide in the event's success, please reach out to WYH President Paul Labbe at plabbe@westfieldhockey.org. 

Westfield Youth Hockey is pleased to announce online registration is now available for our "House League" which will kick-off its inaugural season on January 29th.

Link to WYH 2012 House League Registration 

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Call to Action for WYH Families!!!


Passion and interest for hockey in Westfield is at an all-time high with the success of our hockey teams at the professional, High School and youth levels.  WYH families are asked to reach out to 2 or 3 family members or friends who have skaters aged 9 to 13 that have expressed an interest in youth hockey but have chosen not to try hockey because of the cost and time commitment.  This House League program would be ideal for them.  Please forward this link/e-mail to your 2 or 3 family members or friends and make them aware of the program and that online registration is now open.

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Our House League is geared for skaters with birth years between 1998 and 2002 who are looking to get exposed to the sport of youth hockey at a reasonable cost with a reasonable time commitment.

The House League will include 9 sessions that will run Sunday nights from January 29th to March 25th.  The sessions will be held at Amelia Park from 6 pm to 7 pm each of the nine weeks.  Each session will include a combination of instruction and cross ice games overseen by USA Hockey certified coaches from the association.

The cost of the session is $100, not inclusive of the $35 USA Hockey fee.  The $100 fee for the House League includes a Westfield Youth Hockey jersey and socks.  Stay tuned for more information regarding House League online registration and payment.

The House League program will be made available to the WYH served area - Westfield, Southwick and the surrounding hill towns.  Our targeted enrollment for the program is 32 skaters.  We will accept "out of served area" registrations should less than 32 skaters sign up for the House League program.

Full equipment is required for skaters participating in the House League sessions.  WYHA has a surplus of equipment available from the equipment swap in August.  On Saturday, January 21st from 10 am to 11 am at Amelia Park, WYHA board members will be on hand to answer questions on the House League program as well as distribute surplus equipment to players who can put it to good use.

Click here for information on the WYHA House League

December's Trivia Question

Boston's Tim Thomas had an impressive November and early December, going 10-0-0 in the Bruins 14-0-1 stretch that vaulted them back to the top of the NHL Eastern Conferences.

As impressive as it was, it pales in comparison to an undefeated streak this Bruins' goaltender put together in the 1971-1972 NHL season . . . a streak that not only stands as the top unbeaten streak for a Bruins' goalie, but all-time in the NHL.

Answer:

Former Boston Bruins goaltender Gerry Cheevers notched a 32-game unbeaten streak during the 1971-1972 NHL season . . . the last time the Bruins took home the Stanley Cup prior to their 2011 run.

Ironically, Cheevers left the Bruins after their 1972 Cup Finals victory to play for the Cleveland Crusaders in the World Hockey Association.  Cheevers played nearly four seasons in the WHA before returning to the Bruins in 1976. 


January's Trivia Question

Philadelphia Flyer Hall-of-Fame goalie Bernie Parent was the last goaltender to win both the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies in the same season in 1973-1974 & 1974-1975 before Tim Thomas achieved the feat this past year; the Vezina trophy being given out to the most outstanding NHL goalie  and the Conn Smythe trophy being given out for Stanley Cup playoff MVP.

With what NHL team did Bernie Parent play his first NHL game?

Answer in next month's WYHA trivia message!