The Methuen School Committee is meeting on Monday, Nov 24 at 6:30 at Searles Building, Great Hall. Among the topics being discussed are the proposed sale of ice time that was previously committed to MYHA for skills sessions and Cross-Ice program.

All members are asked to attend the meeting to participate in this open, public meeting. Please contact Mike Foreman at clerk@myha.com or Matt Halaby at pres@myha.com with any questions. Your attendance will send a message of unity and solidarity for the program and for our continued use of the rink. We spend over $50,000 on fees every season and are owed an explanation if ice is being made available to other programs.

This Monday, Nov 24 at 6:30 at the Searles Building in the Great Hall.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town and we want to make sure he gets a warm welcome from MYHA !

Come One ...Come All to the Annual Methuen Santa Parade Saturday, November 22, 2008.

Wear your Team or Clinic jersey, or a jacket with a sweatshirt underneath if you want ...show your pride !

All are welcome ...no sticks, pucks or balls please ! Meet at the Pelham Street "Park and Ride" by 12:30pm (look for the MYHA sign !) ...parade is about an hour long and ends at Malden Mills on Rt 28 so plan rides accordingly !

Parents and siblings encouraged !!!

Minutes from the October General Meeting have been posted at About MYHA under Minutes and Reports.

The November General Meeting is scheduled for the last Tuesday of the month - November 25.

Kudu’s to Eric Lester from the Mite 1 team. He earned the Fuddrucker's player of the week award for the week ending November 2nd. Eric contributed 8 goals and 3 assists in a Mite 1 tie and loss. Congratulations to Eric and the Mite 1 team!

MYHA would like to offer our thoughts to the Pickles and McDermott families in their time of need. Your loved ones are in your coaches, fellow parents, and teammates prayers.

It is that time of the year again, and we are holding our 4th Pampered Chef fundraiser. Packets are being passed out this week and people can order directly online at http://www.pamperedchef.biz/kennedy - simply click on `order products` and then enter MYHA under organization name. People can have their orders shipped directly to them (or anywhere in the US), or to me, and we will distribute them in plenty of time for Christmas. We have earned over $3,800 over the last three years for the MYHA and this year hope it will be even better!

Orders can be submitted anytime, but this year`s deadline is November 28th, and I`ll be at the rink from 9-11am on Saturday, November 22nd to collect the orders. Orders can also be placed in the Treasurer`s box at the rink anytime up until the 28th for them to count.

New England Sports Photo will be coming out to take pictures in less than two weeks. The final dates are as follows:

Saturday Nov 8 - LTS clinic photos will be taken from 9:00AM to 11:00AM at the rink. Order envelopes will be available on Nov 1 and on the day of the photos.

Monday Nov 10 and Tuesday Nov 11 - Team photos will be taken during regular team practices. All team members are required to attend practice and to bring both blue and white jerseys. Envelopes have been sent to all the coaches and more will be available at the concession stand.

Please contact Mike Foreman at clerk@myha.com for any questions.

All of our monthly meetings will be on the last Tuesday of the month and will all be in the cafeteria. There is plenty of room and we can bring in coffee.

Next MYHA General Meeting is Tuesday, October 28, 7:30PM-9:00PM, MHS Cafeteria

Updated: The meeting start time is 7:30PM.

USAHockey.com has some updated information on patch clinics in our area. If you are new to the program with kids in the LTS clinic or on a Mite or Squirt team and want to be more involved in on-ice activities, you need to attend and complete a Level 1 patch clinic run by USA Hockey. There is a patch 1 clinic scheduled in North Andover on December 20. More information and registration is available at www.usahockey.com.

Patch 2/3 clinics are being held this Saturday in North Andover and Salem, MA.

Please contact Mike Foreman at clerk@myha.com if you cannot attend the December patch 1 session but are interested in becoming Level 1 patched.

Tuition Statements have been mailed and should arrive shortly. Please note that payments may have crossed in the mail and may not be reflected on this statement. If you are all paid up you will not receive a statement.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact treasurer@myha.com

This schedule avoids Thanksgiving week, Veterans Day, Christmas Vacation and February vacation. The first session and last session will be on Methuen Ice from 6-8pm. There will be at least 1 to 2 more on Methuen ice. (Dates TBA)

The skills take place at Ed Walsh's house. The address is 13 Jamil Lane, Salem, NH 03079. Phone number is 603-898-8533.

Please park out on the street, go down the driveway behind the garage. There is a door to go through and just continue straight through. You will hear the skill session going on, just follow the sound.

Any questions, please call Matt Halaby at 508-740-8736.

Goalie schedule for teams can be found on the MYHA Schedules webpage.

Over the long Columbus Day weekend, the Methuen Rangers Mite 1 team participated in the Future Stars Tournament put on by the Lowell Devils. Read about this championship match-up at 2008 Future Stars and click the picture for a larger image of the Mite 1's championship team.

MYHA is obligated to form a committee to review the by-laws of the association every two years. We are calling for volunteers to work on a committee to ensure that everything is in order. The committee will use the existing by-laws and compare them with the USAH by-laws - the committee will be empowered to recommend any changes necessary which will be voted on by the membership at our annual elections.

This is your opportunity to participate in the running of the association. Focus will be on defining by-laws, rules, and policies. Topics include a definition of membership in good standing, qualifications and conditions for holding or seeking office, disciplinary procedures and more.

This work is important but not exceptionally time-consuming. Please contact Mike Foreman at 978-257-0486 to participate on the committee.

We will still accept registration for Learn-to-Skate clinic at the rink on Saturday, Oct 18.

Please be sure that if you are planning to participate in the clinic that you have registered your child with USA Hockey and that you bring your printed proof of registration to the rink with you. Register with USA Hockey even if you have not yet registered for the clinic and bring the printout with you on Saturday. Everyone on the ice needs to be registered with USA Hockey!

If you plan to pay with a credit card please fill out the registration form in advance to save time. You can download a copy of the form here on our website.

Please contact Mike Foreman at 978-257-0486 with any questions - thank you!

We have arranged with Tom from New England Sports Photos for pictures to be taken on Saturday Nov 8 for the LTS clinic. The team pictures will be taken during that week, but we don't yet have the dates finalized. Basically the first week of November for everybody and definitely Nov 8 for clinic.

There will be order envelopes available at practice and at the clinic prior to the photo dates. Also, teams need to bring their game jerseys to photo day.

October 14 & 22 practices have been updated. The revised schedule is on http://www.myha.com/schedules.asp

The MYHA BOD is proud to announce the return of Skater Skills by High Skills Hockey. Skills this year include Mites, Squirts, Peewees and Bantams. The first session is Tuesday 10/07. The instructors will be former UMASS-LOWELL Assistant Coach Bob Ware and current Masconomett High School Hockey Coach Bill Blackwell.

October 14 practices have been changed. The revised schedule is on http://www.myha.com/schedules.asp

At the general meeting with the membership on Tuesday night, several members expressed their concern on the overall the condition of the ice rink. As paying customers, we deserve a better product. A call was placed to the Athletic Director, Mr. Jim Weymouth, who now oversees the ice rink, on Wednesday morning. Within an hour, a call back was received, stating the rink was closed, and a service call was being placed to have the entire system checked. It was found that 3 of the 4 dehumidifiers were not working. These are used to help regulate the temperature inside the rink. The fourth one was fixed on Friday morning, 10/03. The rink is much colder and most of the moisture is gone, including on the boards. The city assured MYHA that they will continue to address other small problems within the facility. This is a direct reflection of the MYHA BOD, listening to the concerns of the membership, and addressing them in a timely fashion. Once again, the MYHA BOD is here to improve your overall hockey experience.

Methuen Ice Rink is Open October 2nd for all Practices.

Checking Clinic

A checking clinic will be held on Saturday, October 11th @ 11:50am to 12:50pm. The Clinic is open to all current Peewee and Bantam players. The Clinic will be run by Bantam 2 coach, Brian Mcdonough. Any questions please feel free to contact Brian @ greatstick@comcast.net.

Ice Rink Closed Today

The Ice Rink is closed for today Wed 10.1.08 due to a problem with the chillers/condensation - The problem will be addressed and hopefully repaired today and it will be confirmed if the rink will reopen on Thursday.

Help Wanted

We are looking for Concession Stand Help. Persons 17 years and older are needed for nights and weekends. All persons will be paid an hourly wage which can be used to reduce their tution cost or, this year anyone without children in the program will be paid weekly. We can be very flexible but would prefer anyone intrested in working nights work the 4 hour shift we are open 6-9:30pm.

For more information or to apply, please contact Tom Couture at 978-794-5335 after 7pm or email concessions@myha.com.

Board Meeting Reminder

The MHS Media Center Science Room (first floor adjacent to the teachers entrance) has been booked for the last Tuesday of every month from September through March. In April, the meeting will still be on the last Tuesday but will be held in the cafeteria for our end-of-year banquet.

MYHA Learn-to-Skate Clinic

Begins on Saturday, October 18 2008 and runs every Saturday morning through the middle of April 2009.

Sign-ups will be held at the ice rink at Methuen High School on Saturday October 4 and Saturday October 13 from 9:00AM – 12:00PM. You can also register at the rink prior to the start of the clinic or complete this Registration Form and mail it with payment to MYHA P.O Box 431 Methuen MA 01844.

For more MYHA Learn to Skate information visit the Clinic website at http://www.myha.com/teamsites/clinc.htm.

Tuition Reminder !

Tuition must be paid off in FULL by the following deadlines to qualify for the $300 per player discount ($225 discount for Mite 3)
1 player families - November 1, 2008
2 or more player families - January 1, 2009
Unless other arrangements have been made.
Timely payments allow us to run our program !

click here to download the pdf file

Lowell Devils Fan Fest, Presented by Lowell Five, Set for September 27

Free event to take place 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Tsongas Arena

LOWELL, Mass. - The Lowell Devils, American Hockey League affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, in conjunction with Lowell Five, will host the Lowell Devils Fan Fest on Saturday, September 27 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. in Lot B at Tsongas Arena.

This event is open to the general public and is free of charge. Devils` players will be on hand to greet fans in attendance. Complimentary food and beverages will also be provided and there will be games and face painting for children at the event. Free parking will be available in Lot A of the Tsongas Arena on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lowell Devils Opening Night, presented by Eastern Bank is Saturday, October 11th, as the Worcester Sharks visit Tsongas Arena at 7:00 p.m. Every fan in attendance will receive a Lowell Devils Magnetic Schedule, courtesy of Eastern Bank, and a Lowell Devils Bang Stick, courtesy of Pepsi. Contact the Devils at (978) 458-PUCK (7825) for more information or log on to www.lowelldevilshockey.com for a complete 2008-09 schedule.

Information Update.

The 2008-2009 MYHA season is underway! The MYHA Board of Directors, as well as the entire Coaching Staff welcomes all new and returning players and wishes everyone the best of luck this season. The Methuen High School rink is slated to open the week of September 15th. We are waiting on the City for the actual opening date. Jerseys and Socks will be in this week and will be handed out to the coaches for this weekend.

The practice schedule will be out as soon as we have the actual opening date. The next month our teams will be playing in Parity Round games where the results do not count in the standings. These games are to try to place our teams competitively within the proper division.

A special Thank You to all who made the opening weekend a success. Don’t forget to get your USA Hockey registration to your Coach if you have not already done so.

Methuen BOD

Go Rangers !!!

Tuition Reminder

A Tuition payment is due ...
$325 per player or $550 per family

Midget Program

We are now accepting applications for the Midget program ... practice only or practice plus a half season of Valley League games ...application is online at Midgets_Form.pdf

All Day Power Play

click the image for a larger view

Bruins Alumni to appear at Methuen Cooperative Bank 85th Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday June 21 at 10:00AM former Bruin great Rick Middleton and Bob Sweeney will be on hand to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Methuen Cooperative Bank. There will be raffles for all ages and a display hosted by the Methuen Historical Society.

For more information, contact Erica Hadley at 978-682-5271 x100 or go to http://www.methuencoop.com/news.asp
to learn more.

Bruins Alumni signing autographs

Methuen Co-op Bank is celebrating its 85 years by having the Bruins Alumni, Rick Middleton and Bob Sweeney, sign autographs June 21st and June 28th from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to come!!! They wanted children of Methuen Youth Hockey to come and meet the Bruins!!!

Registration for USAHockey

This year skaters need to register themselves online for the upcoming USA Hockey season; dates are September 1 through August 31. The USA Hockey Registration fee is $30 per person (exception, birthyear 2002 or later), plus an Affiliate fee of $5. If a participant plays and coaches he/she pays only one registration fee.
To register goto www.USAHockey.com and click on the Membership link.
For USA Hockey questions, email memberservices@usahockey.org or call 1-800-566-3288 ext 123. To contact customer support regarding the online registration process email support@active.com or call 1-877-228-4881 ext 2, select 3.

Ice Players and/or Coaches: Upon completion of the registration process print the page or save the file to your hard drive. You must bring a printout of this with the barcode when you receive your game jerseys from your coach. MYHA must have a printed copy of this registration to scan to allow you to participate in on-ice activities and to ensure that all USA Hockey benefits are in place. You may go online and request an additional copy of this page at any time.

Thank you,
MYHA Board of Directors

Shirt and Sock Fittings

Shirt and sock fittings will take place from Monday, June 16th through Saturday June 21st from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM at TSR in Salem NH. TSR is located at 5 Kelly Rd. in Salem NH. Their website is www.tsrhockey.com. Please bring your children`s shoulder and shinpads to ensure proper fitting. Please make sure to go in by June 21st so MYHA can get the shirt order in on time.

Team Placement

Teams have all been picked and approved and the letters have been sent to all families.

Please contact the appropriate age-level coordinator if you have any questions or concerns with the information you receive.

Thank you,

MYHA Board of Directors

Team placement letters will mail this week

The board of directors has approved the final version of the team rosters for 2008/2009. Letters will go out to each player`s family informing them of their team, level, and coach.

Please contact the appropriate age-level coordinator if you have any questions or concerns with the information you receive.

Thank you,

MYHA Board of Directors

Lowell Devils Summer Hockey Camp runs in August and includes lunch, special guests, lots of free tickets, and more.

Results of Last Night`s Coordinator Eelection

- Mite Coordinator: Heather Fusco
- Squirt Coordinator: Tony O`Rourke
- Peewee Coordinator: Paul Giordano
- Bantam Coordinator: Tom Couture

Head of Coaches

MYHA is accepting candidates for position of head of coaches. Any interested party should contact Mike Foreman, clerk.

There is a list of non-voting board positions that are also available if anyone is interested.

Our four remaining teams made a strong showing in Saturday's Championship games.

The Mites 2s gave Haverhill all they could handle. After a full overtime period, Haverhill edged out the M2s, 4-3 in a shootout.

The Mite 1s took an early lead and played strong for 3 periods, falling 4-3 in regulation to Masco

The Squirt 2s finished regulation tied at 2, only to score with 2:30 left in overtime for a 3-2 victory and the Squirt Green American Championship.

The Bantam 2s finished with a 2-1 victory over a strong Peabody team, clinching the Bantam Red Division Championship.

Congratulations to all 5 teams for a strong showing in the Valley 07-08 Championships.

Strong showing by Methuen in Valley Playoffs

Five Methuen teams have made to their respective Division Finals, including our entire Mite Division! The Mite 3s lost a close game late in the 3rd period to # 2 seed Marblehead, 1-0. Most of the players on the team are playing organized hockey for the first time. The Mite 3 players, coaches and parents should be extremely proud of making to the finals!

The Mite 2 team overcame a 3 goal deficit to #1 seed Wilmington in the 3rd period to tie the game and force overtime. In the end, the M2s prevailed, winning 6-5 to advance to the finals Saturday, 4/12 @ 7:00 am in Haverhill against #3 seed Haverhill.

The Mite 1 overcame a 2 goal deficit in the 3rd period to rally to a 4-3 victory over # 5 seed Lexington/Bedford. They advance to the finals to play # 2 seed Masco Saturday, 4/12 @ 8:20 am in Haverhill.

The Squirt 2 team fought of # 3 seed Wakefield for a 4-2 Victory this past Sunday in Wilmington. They play #1 seed Lexington/Bedford on Saturday 4/12 @ 10:40am @ Merrimack College.

The Bantam 2 team, flying high of their silver medal performance at Lake Placid, scored 5 times in 3rd period to beat #3 seed Lexington/Bedford, 5-2. They will play Peabody on Saturday 4/12 @ 6pm in Lawrence.

The entire MYHA board is proud that 5 of our teams entered in the Valley League full season schedule have advanced to the Finals.

We wish you the best of Luck on Championship Saturday!

Congratulations Methuen Bantam 2's for winning the Silver Medal at the CAN/AM Tournament in Lake Placid, NY.

The Bantam 2's traveled to Lake Placid where they won the Silver Medal, just missing the gold in a hard fought championship game losing 2-1. The team played awesome hockey giving up just 4 goals in 5 games due to the outstanding goal tending from Cam Conway and strong defense from Adam Neel, Brandon Blum, Erik Gillespie, and Joey Francis. Forwards Matt Gregg, Matt Bauchman, Jordan Blatti, Ryan Andrews, Mike Hovnanian, Kory Lubinger, Dustin Lubinger and Tony DeSimone provided the offense that resulted in 11 goals scored.

The team was awarded the "Fair Play Award" for being the least penalized team which is a tribute to the dedicated coaching staff lead by head coach Steve Costa, assistant coaches, Mike Hovnanian, Dan Finley and Steve Costa Jr. In addition, Erik Gillespie won the Essay Contest which awarded him a $1,000.00 scholarship and Kory Lubinger came in second place in the shootout competition.

The achievements awarded this weekend are the results of hard work, team effort and dedication. Lake Placid is an exciting place to play hockey and the Bantam 2 team represented Methuen very well. Congratulations to Coach Steve Costa and the entire Bantam 2 team.

Bantam 2's in Championship Game

.

The Bantam 2's traveled to Lake Placid this weekend and have played awesome landing them in the championship game this morning at 11:30.

Good Luck Bantam 2's and to all of our teams competing in the Valley League Playoffs.

REGISTRATION CONTINUES ON THURSDAY AND SATURDAY

Registration for the 2008/2009 season will continue over the next two Thursday nights at Cross-Ice and the next two Saturday mornings at Learn To Skate clinics.

A skater must be registered by April 13 2008 to be placed on a team at his/her tryout level. After the deadline a player will be placed according to their age group on the bottom team.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT....

Thank you to everyone who participated in Monday nights annual election. Although the turnout was very good there were many irregularities in the electoral process. The election will be reheld on Thursday April 17 at our year-end banquet.

Nominations from the floor will be accepted up to the time when the voting begins. No nominations will be accepted after the voting starts.

Members in good standing are allowed to vote.

To request a copy of the bylaws contact the clerk at clerk@myha.com.

Voting and Registration Reminder

Voting for 2008-2009 board members will take place Monday March 31, 2008 from 7-8PM in the rink lobby.

If you have not registered for the 2008-2009 season, registrations will also be accepted at this time.

Year End Banquet

Thursday, April 17 7:00PM-9:00PM in the MHS Dining Hall.

Come and help us ring out another successful year! Snacks will be provided and we will be recognizing contributions by team members and coaches.

Contact the Mike Foreman, Clerk or Heather Fusco, Fundraiser with any questions.

Teams, Tryouts, and Registration

The bottom line is we need registered kids so we can pick teams.

- New/Current players should register in the Spring (by April 13) if they want to be placed on a team. We can't pick teams based on kids who are not registered.

- We are going to pick teams over the next few weeks. Teams will be set before the April General Meeting (Thursday, April 24)

- The door is always open. We have circumstances where parents wait to register in the Fall. We will deal with them on a case-by-case basis.

Coordinators Election

The election will take place in the rink lobby on Monday, March 31 2008 from 7:00-8:00. The candidates are:

MITES - Heather Fusco
SQUIRTS - Ray Donovan, Anthony O'Rourke
PEEWEES - Vincent DiBiasio, Paul Giordano
BANTAMS - Bryan McDonough

Any write-ins should be immediately sent to clerk@myha.com.

March 25 General Meeting

No regular meeting format - voting and registration will take place in the Dining Hall from 7:00PM-9:00PM

6:00-7:00 Registration begins for 2008/2009 season (deposit due with registration)
7:00-8:00 Meeting
          - Notification of year-end banquet date/location
          - Team placement/selection to take place in May 2008
8:00-8:30 Voting - Election of coordinator positions
          - Vote on whether or not to allow individual teams to participate in Dual State games next season

Try Out Schedules

Skaters do not need to attend both sessions; they must attend one or the other but not both.

(changed 3/17/08)

ALL PLAYERS MUST ATTEND BOTH AGE LEVEL SESSIONS IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER FOR NEXT SEASON

Round 1

March 10th
Mites and Squirts
6:00 - 7:00pm for Mites
7:10 - 8:10pm for Squirts
March 12th
Peewee and Bantams
7:10 - 8:10pm for Peewees
8:20 - 9:20pm for Bantams

---

Round 2

March 17th
Mites and Squirts
6:00 - 7:00pm for Mites
7:10 - 8:10pm for Squirts
March 19th
Peewee and Bantams
7:10 - 8:10pm for Peewees
8:20 - 9:20pm for Bantams

---

A $50 tryout fee is due at sign up. This fee is non-refundable.

Date-of-birth guidelines for each level:
    Mites - born 2000 or younger
    Squirts - 1998 to 1999
    Peewees - 1996 to 1997
    Bantams - 1994 to 1995

No player with an unpaid balance for 2007/2008 will be eligible to register for 2008/2009.

Deadline for applications for next season's board positions

Deadline for applications for next season's board positions of age-level coordinators ends March 15, 2008. Please contact Richard Harmon at criminv@comcast.net or John DiMaggio at jdimag@gmail.com if you wish to be considered as a candidate for coordinator.

Meet the Lowell Devils

Feb 19 from 10:30am till 3:00pm MYHA players are invited to go see the Lowell Devils practice, have lunch at the rink, then meet the players and coaches for $15. Also included is a ticket to the Sunday Feb 24 4:05pm game vs. Hartford Wolf Pack @ Tsongas Arena .
For info Contact Heather Fusco at Fundraiser@myha.com or 978-683-9052.

Calendar Fundraiser Winners 2007/2008
(updated 2/5/2008)

Coaching Position 2008-2009

Dear MYHA Members:
Methuen Youth Hockey is accepting applications for coaching positions in all age levels for the 2008-2009 hockey season.
Please submit your resume along with a brief cover letter explaining your background, age-level preference, USAH patch level, and any other relevant information to:
MYHA
P.O. Box 431
Methuen, MA 01844
Attn: Head of Coaches

Player Evaluations
We will be conducting player evaluations and tryouts during the remaining Tuesday night skills sessions at the Methuen High School rink. Please refer to the calendar at www.myha.com for specifics.
Any questions can be sent to headofcoaches@myha.com or clerk@myha.com.
Thank you for your interest and participation.

Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Methuen Youth Hockey Association

Past-due Balances

Letter to MYHA members with Past-Due Balances - Tuition_Ltr_CC2_2008.doc

OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATION COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS

The positions of age-level coordinators are renewed every year according the MYHA charter. A committee is needed to nominate new- or incumbent candidates for each of the four coordinator positions.
This committee cannot include a member of the current board or a candidate for the position.
Please contact clerk@myha.com if you can volunteer your time to participate on this committee.
Thank you -

Board of Directors
Methuen Youth Hockey Association

January General Meeting Notice
We will be having our monthly general meeting on Thursday, January 24th from 7:00PM-9:00PM in Media Center at MHS.

The upcoming dates for season monthly General meetings are as follows
     Thursday, February 21
     Thursday, March 20
     Thursday, April 24
All sessions are from 7:00-9:00PM in the Media Center at MHS.

Second Half Signups for Learn-to-Skate

$50 for January through April
9:30AM for brand new skaters
10:40AM for more confident skaters (hockey stick required)
All skaters need a helmet with a cage, gloves, knee and elbow pads as required equipment.
For more information email clinic@myha.com or call 978-257-0486

Colin Dunn from the Mite 3 team is a repeat winner for the Fuddrucker's player of the week award. Colin scored 3 goals in a 7-2 victory over Newton. Congratulations to Colin and his whole team !

Fundraiser Reminder
The MYHA coaches will be hosting the Boston Bruins alumni for a family fun night of hockey, raffles, door prizes, and sports show on Saturday, January 19 from 4:00PM to 8:00PM at MHS. More information will follow on this huge event!

Cross Ice Sessions Reminder
MYHA is still accepting skaters for the Thursday night Cross Ice sessions....$60 per skater, sessions start at 6:00. These sessions are only offered to skaters who do not participate on organized teams: Mites, Squirts, etc are not eligible to participate in Cross Ice.

Jason Hadad had a strong showing in Methuen's win over Beverly to earn the Fuddrucker's player of the week award. Jason scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Mite 3 victory. Congratulations to Jason and his whole team!

Santa Clause Visits Learn to Skate Clinic
Santa Visited the Learn to Skate Clinic kids on Dec 15. Below is one of the pictures taken with Santa.

December General Meeting Notice
We will be having our monthly general meeting on Tuesday, December 18th from 7:00PM-9:00PM in Room DR1, MHS.

click on the image for a larger view

Cross Ice Sign ups

Cross Ice Sign ups are this Saturday, Dec 8th from 9:00-11:00am.
MYHA Cross ICE Flyer

Eric Lester from the Mite 1 team earned the Fuddrucker's player of the week award for the week ending November 25th. Fresh from his team capturing the 3 on 3 tournament, Eric "Hurricane" Lester contributed 6 goals and 7 assists in a pair of Mite 1 victories. Congratulations to Eric and the Mite 1 team!

A last reminder about the fundraiser:

The MYHA/Pampered Chef fundraiser will close this Saturday, December 1st. We will have a table at the rink from 9am to 11am to collect orders. You can also leave any orders in the Treasurer's box at the rink.

To order online, go to www.pamperedchef.biz/kennedy and put in MYHA under organization name. All orders must be in by the end of the day on Saturday, December 1st.

Please help us make this fundraiser the best yet! Remember that if each player brings $100 in orders from their friends and family, we'll make the MYHA over $5,000 profit from this fundraiser alone! And don't forget about the prizes!

General Meeting Notice (Room Change)

We will be holding the general meeting on Thursday, Nov 29 at 7:00PM but the room has changed - it is now in the Media Center at MHS, not the ROTC room.

Also, we have a fundraiser coming up in January that we are going to be doing a lot of work to coordinate due to the holidays. The MYHA coaches will be hosting the Boston Bruins alumni for a family fun night of hockey, raffles, door prizes, and sports show on Saturday, January 19 from 4:00PM to 8:00PM. More information will follow on this huge event!

MYHA hosted its 3rd annual Thanksgiving 3 vs. 3 Shootout on Friday November 23rd. Methuen welcomed teams from Burlington, Saugus, Lynn, Amesbury, Chelmsford, and Newton. Also making a special appearance was Devil Dawg, the team mascot for the Lowell Devils! There were also raffles, face painting, pizza’s and homemade soup throughout the day.

Some great Hockey was played in the Mite bracket with most games being decided by one or two goals. Saugus, who lost a few close games, came back to win the Bronze in a shootout over Burlington. Methuen then faced off against a very strong Lynn team. A back and forth game went Methuen’s way for a hard fought 3-2 championship. Congratulations to Coach Joe Kaczynski and his whole team.

The Squirt bracket was equal in its excitement with very close games. Methuen played to a close one goal game against Amesbury and met them again for the bronze medal. Methuen pulled it out again winning another hard fought battle against Amesbury for the win. The championship game pitted two excellent teams from Chelmsford and Newton. This one went to a shootout with Chelmsford burying the puck with their 4th and final shooter. Congratulations to Chelmsford for winning the gold medal.

MYHA would like to thank all the people who volunteered their time to make this a very successful event. Without them the tournament would never have been so much fun. The kids and parents had a great time and this also served as an important fundraiser for MYHA. Stay tuned for some exciting happenings in the very near future!

November General Meeting Notice

We will be having our monthly general meeting on Thursday, Nov 29 from 7:00PM - 9:00PM in the ROTC room at Methuen High School. Note: Location subject to change - check back as MHS has not yet guaranteed us the room.

Please stop by and check out our 3rd annual 3 on 3 Tournament. Not only is there exciting hockey to watch, there will be CRAFTS, BAKED GOODS, HOMEMADE SOUPS, AND RAFFLES! Try your luck out with the 50/50 Raffle. Hope to see you Friday November 23rd from 9AM-4PM.

The streak continues with our Mite players winning player of the week awards. This weeks winner is Jason Hadad from our Mite 3 team. Jason netted a hat trick in a tightly played game against Marblehead. Jason is scouting out the new Fuddruckers in Methuen to have a postgame feast someday Congratulations to Jason and his whole team!

I am looking for donations of craft and baked goods to benefit MYHA for our Thanksgiving 3 on 3 tournament Friday Nov. 23rd. If you would like to donate please contact me at info@myha.com or 978-794-0194 so I can accomodate space.

Also check out the link at the top of the page for the 3 on 3 Tournament. Welcome Lynn, Saugus, Burlington, Chelmsford, Amesbury, and Newton.
Thank You

The Valley League awarded the Fuddruckers player of the week award to a player on the Mite 3 team. This weeks winner is Anthony DiMaggio who potted 5 goals with 3 coming in a span of 2 minutes in a victory over Newton. Congrats Anthony to him and his whole team!

Pampered Chef Fundraiser

It's that time of the year again, and we're holding our 3rd Pampered Chef fundraiser. Packets are being passed out this week and people can order directly online at www.pamperedchef.biz/kennedy - simply click on 'order products' and then enter MYHA under organization name. People can have their orders shipped directly to them (or anywhere in the US), or to me, and we will distribute them in plenty of time for Christmas. We have earned over $2,500 over the last two years for the MYHA and this year we are offering some prizes to earn some more!

Orders can be submitted anytime, but this year's deadline is Dec 1st, and I will be at the rink from 9-11am that Saturday to collect the final orders. Orders can also be placed in the Treasurer's box at the rink anytime.

Monday, November 5
5:30 Pee Wee 1, Squirt 2
6:40 Bantam 1 , Bantam 2

Thursday, November 8
5:30 Mite 1, Mite 3
8:00 Bantam 3

Friday, November 9
5:30 Squirt 1, Mite 2
6:40 Pee Wee 2, Pee Wee 3

Saturday, November 10
9-11am Clinic (individuals only)

For the third week in a row a Methuen Mite player has earned the Fuddruckers player of the week award. This weeks winner is Alex Graves from the Mite 2 team. Alex had 12 points in two games including two hat tricks in action last week. Great job Alex and the entire Mite 2 team!

For the second week in a row, a Methuen Mite 3 player earned the Fuddruckers player of the week award. This weeks winner was Andrius Kublis-Marino who scored and added 3 assists in Methuen win over Newton. Congratulations Andrius, job well done by you and your entire team!

October General Meeting Notice

We will be having our monthly general meeting on Thursday, October 25th from 7:00PM-9:00PM in the Assembly Hall in Methuen High School. The doors to the Assembly Hall are in the same lobby as the Rink entrance.

In addition to general business we will be distributing calendar fund-raising materials. Also, New England Sports Photos will be taking team and individual pictures during the first week of November. Order packets will be available at the meeting.

All coaches, team parents, and coordinators need to attend to get this information back to their respective teams.

Regular Season Schedules

The first round of the regular season schedule is now available online at http://www.valleyhockeyleague.com Good Luck all!

Congratulations to Colin Dunn from the Mite 3 team for earning the Fuddruckers player of the week award. He had 2 goals and 5 assists during a Mite 3 victory over Beverly. Colin is already asking his father Mike when they can go for his free Burger and Shake ! Congrats Colin and great job to him and his whole team!

Learn to Skate
Signups are Saturday Oct. 6th and Saturday Oct. 13th at the Methuen High School rink from 9-12AM.
Learn to Skate is a fun and exciting program that teaches children the proper way to skate.
It will begin Saturday October 20th. For more details please look under the clinic section of our website.

MYHA will hold a general meeting on Thursday September 27th in the ROTC room at Methuen High school from 7:00-9:00 PM.

The meeting is a forum for the board to present issues, policies, and etc. to the membership and also for the membership to raise and discuss issues of concern to them. Every member of MYHA has the right to speak at the monthly meeting and to make suggestions regarding any issue that concerns them.

MYHA will also conduct an annual meeting in October.
More details to follow.

The Valley League Schedule is now posted at http://www.valleyhockeyleague.com/

Good luck everyone !!

The season is quickly approaching! Here is an update on practices and other information.
We have been informed by the City that the rink should be ready by September 15th.
This is normally the time the rink has been opened by Methuen High.
Practices should start on the 15th or the week of the 17th at the latest.

The Valley League schedule is being released tonight. We should have the information to the coaches by the end of this week. The parity round is expected to be 5-7 games this year and is used to determine competition levels for the teams.

The shirts have been delivered and they look very sharp. We will update everyone very soon on when you can pick up your game shirts and socks.

As always if you have any questions please email your age level coordinator or any board member. Let the season begin !

This year MYHA will have two Midget teams coached by Tim Moore and Dan Finley. Coach Jerry August will be running practice for both teams and also players who wish to practice only. As soon as we hear officially when the rink will open we will post the first practice for all Midgets. Coach Moore and Coach Finley will hand out team assignments soon after the first practice. Any player that has not registered yet please email Mike Foreman at clerk@myha.com

MYHA also has a few skater openings and a Bantam Goalie open position. If interested please email vp@myha.com or any board member.

For the 2007/2008 season MYHA is asking all players to register online with USA Hockey. Instructions can be found with the recent statement that was mailed out. USA Hockey will require this next year and this will give our league a head start.
Please go to http://www.usahockeyregistration.com and register as an Ice Player. The cost is $35.00. You will receive an email from USA Hockey. Please hold on to the email and forward to your coach. The $35.00 fee will come off your tuition when the registration email is confirmed. If you do not have an email account please contact a board member for assistance.

MYHA Board is pleased to announce that Mark Lester has joined the Board as the Mite Coordinator. We are very pleased to add Mark to the Board as he brings a lot of Hockey experience to MYHA. If you have any questions about the Mites please email Mark at mitecoordinator@myha.com

Methuen Youth Hockey Shirt Fittings
Shirt fittings will be held at TSR (Total Sports Repair) in Salem NH from Monday June 11th to Friday June 15th from 10AM to 7PM each day. Please bring your shoulder pads to ensure proper fitting. TSR is also giving a 20% discount on gloves, pants and helmets. TSR is located at 5 Kelly Rd. Salem NH. Their phone number is 603-898-7777.

Methuen Youth Hockey is accepting registrations for the upcoming 2007 – 2008 season. Signups will be held at
Baskin Robins, Rte 28
Saturday, June 16th
1pm - 4pm
If you have any questions, or can’t attend on Saturday,
Please contact: Mike Foreman
Email: clerk@myha.com
Phone: 978-257-0486

Mites: 2000 & 1999 DOB
Squirts: 1998 & 1997 DOB
Peewees: 1996 & 1995 DOB
Bantams: 1994 & 1993 DOB
Midgets: 1992 & 1991 DOB

* We are looking for 93 – 94 goalies for our Bantam Division *
*We are looking for 97 – 98 goalies for our Squirt Division *

Methuen Youth Hockey
Salutes it’s Local Soldiers

Welcome Home Jamie Begin from US Naval Academy in Pensecola, FL

and Congratulations to Mark Mozdiez , on Graduation from US Air Force, Texas

Take a moment to listen to this moving tribute of the Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag, by Red Skeleton

The new Methuen Youth Hockey Board of Directors is pleased to welcome you to the 2007-2008 season. We look forward to continuing the proud tradition of Methuen Youth Hockey for another year.

A new year means new faces and fresh changes – and this letter is intended to make you aware of what is new for 2007-2008.

New Board Members

It is important that you know who the board members are and how to contact them with any questions or concerns.

The new board members are:

President	Matt Halaby	508-740-8736
Vice President	Paul Cioffi	978-794-0194
Secretary / Clerk	Mike Foreman	978-257-0486
Treasurer	Alice Armstrong	978-682-6950
Head of Coaches	Joe Kaczynski	978-682-1042
Bantam Coordinator	Jeff Regan	978-689-9660
PeeWee Coordinator	Mark DeChirico	978-683-4229
Squirt Coordinator	To Be Determined
Mite Coordinator	Ray Donovan	978-683-0395

Schedule Changes

For the 2007-2008 season, Methuen Youth Hockey teams will only be playing in the Valley League. There will be no Dual State involvement.

This change was voted by the membership last year and goes into affect this season.

We will be playing a 42-game Valley League schedule, with the majority of our games at Methuen High School, Lawrence Valley Forum, Haverhill Valley Forum, Cyclone Arena (plus a couple of other rinks local to Methuen). We are excited about this change. Less time spent traveling to rinks means kids should have more energy for games - this may also give some teams time to play in tournaments. (Tournament involvement is at the discretion of the coaching staffs and the parents.)

Tuition

A registration fee of $55 is due from all families participating in the upcoming season. Tuition payments are also due:

# of Children in Program	Payment Amount	Due Date
1	$200 (first payment)	Tuesday, May 1
2	$400 (first payment)	Tuesday, May 15
1	$325 (second payment)	Friday, June 1
2	$550 (second payment)	Friday, June 1

A letter will be sent in mid-June explaining tuition details for the rest of the year for each individual family.

Toward the end of the summer, coaches will contact parents about any pre-season practices that are scheduled.

The new board is very excited about this upcoming year and we look forward to working with parents, coaches, and players to keep our hockey program strong and successful.

Sincerely,

MYHA Board of Directors

Registration will close on 4/15/07

Any player who wants to be considered for the 2007/2008 season needs to fill out a registration card and drop it in the Treasurer's mailbox at the rink or mail it to PO Box 431, Methuen along with a $255.00 check ($55.00 non refundable registration fee plus $200.00 deposit)

Registration cards can be picked up at the concession stand. If you are unable to retain a registration card, please email a board member. If you know of anyone outside of MYHA who is interested, please forward this email as well.

Anyone who registers after this date will be considered after the teams have been picked.

Thank you.

Board of Directors

Comedy Night Fundraiser

Place:    K of C, Gaythorne Hall
          462R Broadway
          Methuen, MA

Date:     Friday, April 27, 2008
 
Time:    Doors open at 7:00 pm, 
         Show starts approx 9:00 pm 
         Doors close Midnight

Staring Boston Headliners:
 
         Paul D`Angelo
         Joey Carroll

Cost:    $25.00 per person
 
Hosted by:  Methuen Youth Hockey Association
 
Contact:        
Alice Armstrong 
armstrong_hockey@comcast.net, 978-682-6950
  
Details of hall:   
5-foot round tables - seat 8-10 people  
(tables may be reserved with deposit for 
8-10 people)
Guest are welcome to bring appetizers 
and/or snacks to share with table.
 

Monday March 26th @ MHS cafeteria
6:00pm-7:30pm registration for Mites,Squirts,Peewees and Midgets for the 2007-2008 season.
Elections will also be from 6:00pm-7:30pm
General Meeting 7:30pm-9:00pm