Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/73787
WELCOME LETTER I There's A Lot To Celebrate t's hard to believe that what started out of a shoe- box in Tom Lockhart's New York City apart- ment more than 75 years ago has grown into an organization that proudly serves nearly 600,000 ice hockey players, coaches and officials. Our continued growth and evolution is due to the passion and dedication of all involved in the game, particularly the volunteer coaches and administrators who help the game thrive at the grassroots level. We're in a better position today than ever to get more kids on the ice to develop their own passion for the game. Some of the innovative programs that have been recently put in place, thanks in part to support from our friends at the National Hockey League, are already producing terrific results that bode well for our future. Our history is rich with many significant accomplishments. ey on home ice in 1960 and 1980 and Paralympic gold with our sled hockey team in 2002 and 2010, to the meteoric rise of the women's game, thanks in large part to the gold-medal performance of our U.S. Olympic Women's Team in Nagano, Japan in 1998. From winning Olympic gold in men's ice hock- tory at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey to the gold medals captured at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2004 and again in 2010. And with our domination of the IIHF World From our thrilling come-from-behind vic- Under-18 Men's Championship, where we've won seven gold medals since the event began in 2002, to the success we've enjoyed at the IIHF World Under-18 Women's Championship, we indeed have much to be proud of. The American influence at the highest level of the sport on the men's side – the National Hockey League – continues to become more prominent as well. In 2012, close to 25 percent of players in the NHL have American birth certificates. That num- ber was at 15 percent less than a decade prior. And in 1969, as esteemed hockey writer Kevin Allen points out, we sent more men to the moon (6) than there were Americans playing in the NHL (5). While we do have much to celebrate as USA Hockey turns 75, we have the opportunity to be even better and continue to grow. As Herb Brooks liked to say, "the wider the base, the higher the pyramid." The good news is that our base continues to get wider. In 2011, we surpassed 100,000 kids at the 8 & Under age level playing the game. And with the introduction of the American Development Model, our programs to make sure kids stay in the game and have a great experience are better than ever before. There's a lot to like about USA Hockey. Together, we've done magical things in the first 75 years of our history and with the passion and commitment of those involved in our great sport, the future is indeed bright. N We're in a better position today than ever to get more kids on the ice to develop their own passion for the game. I Ron DeGregorio President, USA Hockey Dave Ogrean Executive Director, USA Hockey 6 USA Hockey 75TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM