USA Hockey Magazine

January 2013

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on the fly USA Hockey people & Programs SmashMob Leaves Youth Hockey Players Stunned, Excited It started out as just another Peewee House League game for members of the Blizzard and Cyclones. But by the time it was over, players and their parents were left with a memory that will last a lifetime. The Nashville Predators surprised the teams by staging a SmashMob to give them a taste of what it���s like to play in front of the typical NHL fanfare while at the same time thanking fans for their support during the NHL lockout. ���This type of event speaks volumes as to how far hockey has come in Middle T ennessee and how the fan base has grown over the past couple of years,��� Predators Executive Vice President Chris Parker said. The idea was hatched under the veil of secrecy at the Predators��� team offices in hopes that the surprise would add to the atmosphere at the A-Game Sportsplex. Warm-ups began as the teams stretched while parents found their seats in the stands for what seemed like another night at the rink. Then, as the clock ticked down on the warm-up skate, the doors of the rink burst open and in rushed a drum line, the Predators mascot Gnash, Preds Dancers and Ice Girls, and more than 200 fans decked out in Predators gold. 12 January. 2013 The Nashville Predators and head coach Barry Trotz (above) gave a little NHL advice to local youth hockey players. Music erupted from the speaker system, as the teams looked around in awe while Predators coaches Barry Trotz, Peter Horachek, Lane Lambert and Brent Peterson stood with their normal coaches on the benches. Once the puck dropped, both teams seemed to feed off the atmosphere inside the building as they skated harder than normal. There were smiles all over the bench as the customary Preds chants and in-game music echoed through the rink. ���It was an incredible experience for the boys,��� Blizzard Coach Matt Dunn told reporters afterward. ���You could see the adrenaline flowing through them; they couldn���t keep the smiles off their faces. They were flying all over the ice. Having all that enthusiasm with the crowd noise really made it special for these kids.��� Following the Blizzards��� 2-0 victory, both teams posed for a group picture with Gnash, the Predators Dancers and the coaches as a keepsake of a night they won���t soon forget. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM Movember Momentum It was a Movember to remember as people from around the hockey world let it all grow out in support of men���s health. Above, the Rochester (N.Y.) Edge U12 girls��� team may not be able to cultivate their own mustaches, but that didn���t stop them from supporting the cause. Below, November was also a hair-raising month for the men and women of the Membership Development Department at USA Hockey, who earned more than $3,500 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Livestrong and the Movember Foundation. For more on the movement, check out Page 20. Chicago Mighty Mite Continues To Skate For A Cure E ven though Danny Stanton and Nick Curley were the same age and both came from the same area of Chicago, the two never met. Yet when Danny passed away on Dec. 12, 2009 from a seizure he suffered in his sleep, it had a deep affect on Nick. So much so that the 8-year-old began a campaign to ice skate 100 miles in Danny���s name to raise awareness and funds to combat epilepsy, a neurological disorder that approximately 1 in 26 people will develop at some point in their lives. Through his ���100 Miles For Danny��� campaign, Nick skated in five-mile increments at 20 different ice rinks. Along the way the Mite player with the Glenview Stars NIHL organization has skated with a who���s who in Chicago hockey, including Hall of Famer Dennis Savard, Stanley Cup winner Brett Lebda, Congressman Mike Quigley, as well as Wendell Young, the general manager of the Chicago Wolves. More importantly, he has raised more than $17,000 towards his $25,000 fundraising goal and is still going strong. If and when the lockout ends, Nick hopes to take a ���victory lap��� during intermission of a Chicago Blackhawks game. In the meantime, Nick is determined to reach his goal, one stride at a time. For more information on how to donate to the cause, go to Dannydid.org. For more information on how to donate to the cause, go to Dannydid. org. Photos courtesy of the Nashville Predators (2); Dave Newton; Norman Hayward; Tom Stanton (3)

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