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USA HOCKEY PRESIDENTS Ron DeGregorio 2003 – Present A hockey innovator in New England and throughout the United States for almost 40 years, Ron DeGregorio became just the fourth president of USA Hockey in June of 2003. DeGregorio's first appointment with the organization came in 1973 when he was named registrar for the New England District. In 1975, he was first elected to the USA Hockey board of directors and was the organization's first vice president of Youth Hockey. DeGregorio served as treasurer of USA Hockey in the 1980s, and in 1995 became vice president and International Council chairman, positions he held until becoming president. The former Middlebury College goaltender represented the United States as team leader of Team East at the 1979 U.S. Olympic Festival, from which the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team was selected. DeGregorio also served as team leader for the 1994 U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team. He was a recipient of the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 2002 in recognition of his outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Walter L. Bush, Jr. Wm. Thayer Tutt 1986 – 2003 1972 – 1986 USA Hockey president in June of 2003, at which time he accepted the position of chairman of the board. A member of the organization's board O of directors for 53 years, Bush managed the 1959 U.S. National Team, the 1964 U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team, and served as president of the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. He led a group of businessmen in securing an NHL team – the Minnesota North Stars. As a member of the IIHF Council and as a vice president of the IIHF, Bush was instrumental in organizing the first IIHF Women's World Championship in 1990 and led the charge to make women's ice hockey a medal sport in the Olympic Winter Games. In 1999, USA Hockey dedicated its national headquarters as The Walter L. Bush, Jr. Center. He was also distinguished with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 1973 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Bush was elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980, the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000, and received the Olympic Order, the highest honor given in the Olympic movement, in 2002. ne of the most respected leaders in hockey, Walter L. Bush, Jr. completed a 17-year tenure as A devoted visionary who worked to enhance competitive opportunities for athletes in a variety of sports, Wm. Thayer Tutt served as president of USA Hockey from 1972-86. Tutt, who passed away in 1989, also spent 27 years as a member of the IIHF's World Council and was president of the organization from 1966-69. Generally regarded as the father of the NCAA Ice Hockey National Championship tournament, Tutt was also instrumental in bringing the first U.S.-hosted IIHF Men's World Championship to Colorado Springs in 1962. In 1978, Tutt was the recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy, and in 1987 he was presented with the International Olympic Committee's highest honor, the Olympic Order. He is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. Presented annually, USA Hockey's most prestigious award is named in Tutt's honor. It is given to a volunteer who has, over many years of service, displayed a selfless dedication to the enhancement of ice hockey at the grassroots level in the United States. Tom Lockhart 1937 – 1972 O ne of the true pioneers of ice hockey in America, Tom Lockhart was among the founding fathers of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) in the 1936-37 season. Lockhart and other hockey enthusiasts realized the need for a national organization to administer hockey programs and responded by creating AHAUS, known today as USA Hockey. Under Lockhart, AHAUS enjoyed a period of significant growth, and helped stage the first national youth hockey tournament in 1949. He also supervised the New York Metropolitan Amateur League, coached and managed the New York Rovers of the Eastern Amateur League, and served as a business manager for the NHL's New York Rangers. Lockhart also held leadership roles with the U.S. Ice Hockey Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation. In 1965, Lockhart was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and eight years later, was among the first group honored by induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn. Born on March 21, 1892, Lockhart passed away in June 1979. 46 USA Hockey 75TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM