USA Hockey Magazine

April/May 2013

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STOPs & STARTS USA Hockey News & UPDATES Jeff Sauer's coaching experience at all levels of the game made him the perfect candidate to lead the U.S. Sled Hockey Team into the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Sauer Sleds To Sochi I f the selection of the head coach for the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team were based on experience alone, Jeff Sauer would be a natural choice based on his 31 years of coaching experience in college hockey. Add his time behind the bench of U.S. National Teams at various levels, and it would be an open-and-shut case. But Sauer is more than just one of USA Hockey's most accomplished coaches. He is also a person who cares deeply for the principles associated with disabled hockey, dating back to his earliest days of volunteering at the Stan Mikita Hockey School for the Hearing Impaired. "I've been dealing with disabled athletes for a number of years," Sauer said during his announcement on Feb. 14. "It's been very rewarding to see the type of athletes that we have and the commitment that they make to work toward the goal of being an Olympic athlete. We've had a number of fun wins in international competition." Now in his second season serving as the head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, Sauer has taken a powerhouse program to another level as the U.S. looks to defend its Paralympic gold next March in Sochi, Russia. "I've probably learned more from Coach Sauer in the past year than I had in 04 April/May. 2013 the previous eight years in this program," said Taylor Lipsett, who is looking to compete in his third Paralympic Games. In addition to his sled hockey duties, Sauer remains committed to the U.S. Deaf Ice Hockey Team, which he will coach at the 2013 World Deaf Hockey Championship in Vantaa, Finland. Sauer has served as head coach of the last three Deaflympic Ice Hockey Teams, including a squad that won the 2007 Winter Deaflympics in Salt Lake City. Sauer's illustrious college coaching career featured 655 wins (seventh alltime) and two national championships with the University of Wisconsin (1983, 1990). Sauer has coached a wide array of U.S. teams throughout his career, including the U.S. Men's National Team at the 1995 IIHF World Championship, and at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. "With his ability to communicate and so much background in so many parts of hockey, and also dealing with a unique sport such as sled hockey and the things that players face on and off the ice, Jeff is a natural fit for us," said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of Hockey Operations for USA Hockey. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM World Junior Schedule Released The U.S. National Junior Team will be pitted against a familiar foe when it defends its gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in Malmo, Sweden. The defending champs will be joined by Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany in Group A. Host Sweden, which lost the U.S. in the gold-medal game, 3-1, will play in Group B, along with Finland, Russia, Switzerland and Norway. According to the schedule released on the IIHF website, the Americans will open their title defense on Dec. 26 against the Czech Republic, followed by Slovakia (Dec. 28) and Germany (Dec. 29) before a New Year's Eve tilt against Canada to close out the preliminary round. The bronze- and gold-medal games will be played on Jan. 5 at Malmo Arena. Fans Tune In To NBC's Hockey Day Coverage The NBC Sports Group's coverage of Hockey Day in America scored with viewers as the second game of its doubleheader on NBC was up 31 percent compared to last season, while NBC Sports Network's evening game was up 200 percent against a comparable 2012 game. Local market ratings were also impressive, highlighted by the Chicago Blackhawks vs. the Los Angeles Kings game, which posted the market's best rating for an NHL regular-season game on NBC, excluding Winter Classics. NBC Sports Group celebrated the third annual Hockey Day in America on Feb. 17, by delivering nine hours of coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network, including numerous features that told the story of America's passion for hockey, weaved within an NHL tripleheader that featured six U.S. teams. Hockey Day in America coincided with Hockey Weekend Across America, USA Hockey's annual three-day celebration to engage the hockey community in celebrating the sport at all levels and exposing hockey to new audiences. Photos courtesy of Gregg Forwerck; Getty Images; Images on Ice

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