2011-12 DIVISIONAL ALL STAR TEAMS

ALL STARS GAMES AT ALICE NOBLE ARENA WOOSTER OHIO

SATURDAY JAN 14 2:30P.M. WEST VE EAST FOLLOWED BY DIVISIONAL SKILLS COMPETITION

SUNDAY JAN 15 10:30 11:00 A.M. GAME EAST VS WEST

HAMPTON INN WOOSTER OHIO $79.00 RATE

G.L.J.H.L. GRANTS NEW TEAM FRANCHISE TO S.S.M.

The G.L.J.H.L. gave final approval to the Firehawks Hockey Club of St. Ignace Michigan for a Junior program in Sault Saint Marie Michigan and will play their games at the Big Bear Arena beginning September 2012 season. The Soo area enjoys the reputation that this is the place where Hockey started in the USA and Pullar arena has the ghosts that roam the arena to prove it. Some of the greatest player to have ever played the game came thru Pullar arena during their career building years to reach the professional ranks.

The Firehawks junior program will be managed and operated by Doug Goudreau and coached by Joe Essons, a native of the Soo area. We are excited, said Lullove President of the G.L.J.H.L. to bring our level to such a hockey enriched area with such an outstanding history of hockey development. We expect that the Firehawks will be competitive with the rest of the league as they begin their inaugural season this September 2012".

The G.L.J.H.L. is a Tier III USA Hockey sanctioned program and will be beginning their 5th season this September with 12 teams split into 2 divisions, with scouting showcases, early bird tournaments, exhibition weekends, and a spectacular Final Four Playoff for the League Championships. This addition along with our recruiting partner and Head Canadian Scout Chris Morton we now have built the foundation unlike any other league to provide the much needed player development and an avenue to go to the next level,stated Lullove.

The entire G.L.J.H.L. Board of Directors extends its welcome to the Firehawk organization to our family of teams, players and families.

WEEKLY STARS X 3

This weeks 3 Stars- 12/5-12/11/2011

1st Star-

Cody Hess- Ft Wayne Federals

The GLJHL’s leading scorer added 11 more points to his total this weekend with 5 goals and 6 assists. Hess has 54 points in 21 games so far this season.

2^nd Star-

Dan Kerr- Wisconsin Rampage

Kerr makes his first appearance in the 3 star selections, thanks in large part to his play making abilities. He had two goals and six assists in three Rampage wins. He sits 3^rd on GLJHL scoring list.

3^rd Star-

Trevor Sabo- Wisconsin Rampage

Sabo earned a Hat Trick this weekend and lit the lamp 4 times total. He also added 4 assists to total 7 points on the weekend. It is also Sabo’s first trip into the 3 star selection.

AROUND THE LEAGUE IN A WEEKEND

It was a weekend where the GLJHL rivalries grew a little bit closer, with 12 of the 15 games on the docket being part of a 3 game series. As we head down the stretch, much is up for grabs and every point seems to matter.

The Wooster Oilers knew they needed a big home weekend in order to keep pace with the red hot Motor City Chiefs, as they welcomed a pesky Kalkaska Roughnecks squad to the Alice Noble Ice Arena. In game one of the set, the Oilers threw 54 shots towards Roughneck net minder Calvin Burkhart, scoring 6 times en route to a 6-3 victory. Offense came from a multitude of angles as 5 different Wooster players recorded multiple points. Saturday saw a sea saw affair throughout the evening, as both teams traded goals. In the end it was Mike Branhem and Billy Blanset’s shootouts goals that catapulted the Oilers to their 5^th win in their last 6 tries. Sunday’s finale was a chippy one that Wooster took control of early. They scored 4 times in the opening period on their way to a 6-0 shootout. Blanset again led the offensive charge with 2 goals and an assist. Ryan Wickiser was perfect in between the pipes, stopping all 32 shots that were sent in his direction. The Oilers cling to that 2^nd slot in the East Division standings, only a point behind Motor City.

The Chicago Bulldogs took their impressive play north to take on a rejuvenated Central Wisconsin Saint club. After losing 9 of their first 10 games, the Saints have rebounded playing 9-5 since. The class of the GLJHL proved why they were, sweeping the Saints in 3 straight in spite of the recent performance.  Game 1 saw the Bulldogs score twice in the opening 2 minutes and never look back. Luke Morin scored a pair for Chicago in a 4-2 win. The Saints battled hard in game two outshooting Chicago by a 45-30 margin, but Lee Satran was too strong in goal. Bulldogs were 5-1 winners. Game three was played on Sunday. Chicago scored 3 in the first, 4 in the second and 1 in the third for an 8-3 sweep of the Saints.

Fort Wayne came into the weekend hungry and looking for a win after losing their last 3 games. It was the only time all season that had happened. The Federals took out their frustration on the hosting Indianapolis Inferno to the tune of 28 goals in three games.  Ian Harris notched a Hat Trick on Friday as the Federals were victorious by a score of 12-2. Dustin Buchanan got the nod in goal for Fort Wayne in Game 2 of the weekend series, making 20 saves along the way to his 9-0 shutout win and Cody Hess added 4 more points to his GLJHL’s leading point total. Sunday saw the Inferno jump out to a 1-0 lead, but Fort Wayne would not be denied the weekend sweep. The Federals would score 7 of the next eight goals in the game and finished with a 7-2 win. They are still in pursuit of the Wisconsin Rampage and the 2^nd seed in the West Division.

St Louis hit the road to take on the Wisconsin Rampage, who were not very gracious hosts. Dan Kerr and Trevor Sabo both had 5 point nights for the Rampage to open things up with a convincing 12-2 win. Games 2 and 3 would be much tighter affairs, but the same result as Wisconsin earned the sweep.  St. Louis took a 2-1 lead into the 3^rd on Saturday, but couldn’t hold on.  The Rampage scored 3 times in the third en route to a 4-2 win. On Sunday, the Frontenacs of St. Louis would score twice in the waning moments, but it wasn’t enough; they fell by a 5-4 final. It was a big 3 road wins for Wisconsin as they try to keep pace with Chicago.

                The Michigan Ice Dogs were the only team to see two different opponents this weekend. The Dogs have been playing extremely well of late, quietly sneaking into the rear view mirror of the East Divisions 1^st place. They had a home and home with the Tri City Ice Hawks and then it a short drive to the Canfield Ice Arena to take on their rival, Motor City Chiefs. In their only home contest of the weekend, it was Michael Diaz who proved to be the different. His goal was the game winner scored with just under 7 minutes to play in the 3^rd period. He also added 2 assists earlier in the game as the Dogs won 6-5. Saturday saw the two teams head north for a rematch, this time on Tri City’s home ice. The Dogs built a 6-0 lead after two and that’s when things got sloppy. The teams combined for 80 penalty minutes in the final period, including 4 ejections. The Ice Dogs skated away with an 8-1 win when all was said and done.  Michigan had won eight of nine going into Sunday’s match up with Motor City. That only loss came at the hands of the Chiefs. It was a very entertaining game that saw both teams lock up defensively. The Ice Dogs held a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes. It was the first time that the Chiefs had trailed after 2 periods on home ice. Motor City would score 4 times in the final period to earn the 5-2 win. Michigan remains in 3^rd place in the East Division standing.

G.L.J.H.L.CHANGES WITH THE TIMES

A Great and powerful venture

Great Lakes Junior Hockey League rebrands with new direction in Tier-3 market

By Joshua Boyd

Waves crashing against sheer cliffs, lighthouse beacons flashing their reassuring light, and an endless horizon of blue water.

The Great Lakes are considered “inland seas” for a good reason. Add in their sheer size and importance to commerce and you’d think you were talking about the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. The lakes are like a sovereign state in and of themselves, and the people are similarly independent-minded folk not afraid to express their opinions.

Gerry Lullove, a native of the Great Lakes region spending all of his life in Michigan, has some strong opinions about the Tier-3 junior league that calls this region home, the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League.

“In 2008, I had a Tier-3 Jr. A team in the Central States Hockey League [now the NA3HL] and I wanted to start a feeder system for these CSHL teams,” said Lullove, owner of the Motor City Chiefs. “Nine of the 12 teams weren’t interested. So, myself, Mark Hammersmith, owner of the Chicago Hitmen at the time, and Terry Kucharski, owner of the Michigan Ice Dogs moved on.”

The GLJHL, of which Lullove is also commissioner, has recently seen its Jr. B classification fall away with USA Hockey’s cancellation of the “sub-classification” of the three tiers. Now, the league carries the same classification as longtime leagues such as the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL), Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and Western States Hockey League (WSHL).

With this new identity as simply Tier-3, the GLJHL has rolled out a new look logo and wants to start over, in one sense, but to also illustrate the experience in junior (and even pro) hockey its Board of Directors can offer to a hockey player looking to move up in his career.

“The great advantages of the GLJHL is the proximity of play for the players,” said Mark Vichorek, coach of the Central Wisconsin Saints. “A lot have been overlooked by the USHL and the NAHL and this gives them an opportunity for great exposure. Several Division 1 schools as well as Division 3 schools now have a greater opportunity to see these kids play and it is close to their campuses.”

The league actually started out as a Jr. C circuit, jumping out with seven teams in Year 1, the 2008-09 season. That was also the first season four former Jr. B leagues across the country (WSHL, CSHL, Minnesota Junior League and Northern Pacific League) became Tier-3 Jr. A circuits.

The GLJHL made sure not to get lost in the junior hockey shuffle, as one of its member teams, the Chicago Huskies, went out and won the USA Hockey Jr. C National Championship right off the bat in 2009. 

USA Hockey had seen enough. In January of that first season, before the Huskies even went to Nationals, the Junior Council recognized that these teams were operating at a much higher level than Jr. C. They were granted Tier-3 Jr. B status well ahead of the 2009-10 season and, Lullove points out, exempted from the usual waiting period of two years at the Jr. C level.

For that second year and its first as a Jr. B league, the GLJHL added two more teams and stood at nine. Two of its teams, the Chicago Huskies and the Lakes Cup (league playoff) champion Michigan Mountain Cats, made their Jr. B Nationals debut. The Huskies were able to tie Maksymum Hockey for the first Jr. B Nationals points by a GLJHL team, not to mention putting a great showing for the infant league against a team from the well-established Empire Junior Hockey League.

More teams wanted what the GLJHL had to offer, leaving other leagues to join the circuit and bring the membership to 11 teams for 2010-11. The Michigan Ice Dogs and Lakes Cup winner Chicago Hitmen (now known as the Bulldogs) made the trip to Marlboro, Mass., for the Jr. B Nationals. There, the Hitmen earned the league’s first Jr. B Nationals win, an 8-2 defeat of the Walpole Express, a team from another well-established Jr. B circuit, the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League. 

New look, same ideals

With the approach of the 2011-12 season, the GLJHL’s first as simply a Tier-3 junior league, the league welcomed its 12th team, the Kalkaska Roughnecks.

As evidence of its junior hockey “cred,” one of the Roughnecks owners who were attracted to the league is Reid Simpson.

A former Chicago Blackhawk with 301 NHL games to his name, Simpson’s pro hockey acumen and Rocky Trottier, who played 7 season with 2 seasons with the New Jersey Devils. Rocky’s 2 brothers Monte and Bryan also played in the NHL should help to show prospective junior players this league is serious about player development and advancement by the hundreds.

They, the league are also committed to not taking players and their parents for a financial ride down a slippery slope.

“We’re doing this for a lot less. We control costs by controlling our travel, only allowing teams in states bordering the Great Lakes,” said Lullove. “We use our scouting showcases as crossover games between the divisions. The average price for a season is anywhere between $4,500 and $6,000 per year. There are teams out there charging $9,000 or more – for what?”

Lullove projects that the league will stay at 12 teams, allowing the league to pick up more quality players and enhance its reputation among the junior hockey leagues. No more “alphabet soup” in Tier-3 will be a big help toward that end, Lullove said.

“We’re very happy the letter labels are off,” Lullove added. “This new format puts the burden back on the leagues to sell what they do. We’ve been very successful the last three years selling what we do and backing up what we say we will do.”

Chicago Jr. Bulldogs owner Ken Kestas likes the number of squads in the league.

“The mere fact that there are 12 teams in the GLJHL this year is a great reason. Some of the older, established leagues only have four or five teams in their division which means, in a 44-game schedule, these teams would play each other 10 times,” said Kestas. “The more teams in your league and divisions establish a greater diversity of talent and coaching philosophy.”

With the new letter-less format, the league decided to move forward with a new logo. The Board of Directors felt the league is now strong enough it doesn’t need to “put the Great Lakes states logo in people’s faces anymore.”

Taking out the states image, the league also shows it is welcoming players from all across the country, not just the upper Midwest.

“We’re letting people know in other parts of the country, this is what we do – we’re cost-effective and we’re still teaching the game,” said Lullove. “We’re lucky to have former NHL players who are either owners or coaches, as well as former NCAA Division 1 players as coaches.”

“We’ll brand ourselves and people will know what to expect, just like they see a soft drink logo and they know what that taste is by the brand,” he added.

The GLJHL has recently added a Director of Canadian Scouting to bring some players from north of the border into a system that could eventually deliver them to U.S. college hockey.

“There are 730 [amateur] American players in Canada and only something like 275 Canadians playing in the U.S. There’s something wrong with that,” Lullove said.

The GLJHL is also, for now, staying independent of any direct affiliations with other leagues. Individual teams may have affiliations, but the GLJHL is not a feeder for any one league.

“We felt that an affiliation restricts the players in their movement,” said Lullove. “We’ll promote players to any league they want to go to.”

Every owner of a team in the league is a member of the Board of Directors. Wherever the league goes from here in the future, every team will have a say.

In an area of North America that was once the frontier for two countries, the GLJHL sees itself as a pioneer in manufacturing its own success on its name, and no longer on “alphabet soup.”

G.L.J.H.L. ADDS MEDIA RELATIONS DIRECTOR

NEWS RELEASE

G.L.J.H.L. today announced that they have added a Director of Media Relations to the G.L.J.H.L. staff. Brenden Thomas will be responsible for all Media communication for the league which will include our new advertising campaign, writing and publishing articles about the league as well as highlighting each team on a weekly rotating basis and placing them in media print such as Hockey Weekly, Let’s Play Hockey & Hockey Stop etc.

Brenden, besides playing the game, was the radio show host for the Avalanche 2 years ago in Denver. He produced and wrote the pre-game shows for them.

Brenden will be responsible for all advertising for the G.L.J.H.L. as well as being involved in publicizing our league events.

Brenden contact info is: media@gljhl.com

G.L.J.H.L. GOES INTERNATIONAL

The G.L.J.H.L. today announced that the league has turned a long standing relationship into an affiliation and connection into the Canadian Junior hockey scene by naming Chris Morton as Director, Canadian Scouting.

As Head Coach of the Toronto East Enders Hockey Club, Chris and his program continue to attend a number of U.S. Showcase events throughout the year.  Not only with the Motor City Chiefs exhibition weekend and the annual G.L.J.H.L. Ironman Showcase but they also recruit teams for and participate in the annual Mercyhurst College "Homecoming Weekend" Showcase.  The East Enders continues to expose their players to teams from various junior leagues throughout the U.S.

Chris also serves as the Tournament Director for the Gardner Cup Challenge Showcase event held annually in Toronto. Chris has developed strong relationships with many teams playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). Through several team affiliation agreements, continued player placement and development, Chris has nurtured a strong network of contacts.  These new G.L.J.H.L. recruitment initiatives will now provide greater access to our players to a new avenue of player development.

The East Enders program has been a participant of the annual Motor City Chiefs Exhibition Weekend in August since its inception and has been a great competitor and friend to many teams that have attended this event, over the years. It has created several fun rivalries amongst the teams playing Chris' program.

"This event has become our Early Bird start up to each season and a definite focal point of our year," said Chris, “our players look forward to this trip every year and playing this spirited brand of U.S. Junior Hockey. The energy and structure surrounding the G.L.J.H.L. that has been brought forth as a new league, with a sound ownership group, solid Team Management, and group of quality Coaches, has created an exciting environment to play in. I'm very excited to be part of the league’s new development initiatives. Watching this league develop from its simple beginnings and being part of its annual Showcase event, has created a definite buzz with our affiliates north of the border. Hockey is not that different in Canada, than the U.S., in that everyone is looking to improve on player development. Exposure to all levels of this game is as important to players striving to live out their dream and we find the G.L.J.H.L. mission and direction best fits our needs as well as that of our players."

This relationship will now open the door for Canadian players to have a direct link to U.S. Hockey and the additional scouting opportunities we can provide," said G.L.J.H.L. President Gerry Lullove,"as we look to provide and expand our opportunities for all our players. This gives the G.L.J.H.L. a two-way direction for players to have the outlets to move up in the game."

We welcome Chris Morton, as well as the East Enders Hockey Club to our league and to our family.

KALKASKA ROUGHNECKS ADDS NHL STAR TO OWNERSHIP

Dev DelCore owner of the Kalkaska Roughnecks announced that former NHL Reid Philip Simpson (born May 21, 1969) is a Canadian and former professional ice hockey left winger who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins has joined the ownership of the team. Reid brings the knowledge, professionalism and the desire to be the best not only to the Roughnecks but to the G.L.J.H.L. "We are thrilled to have an owner of that caliber, said Lullove President of the G.L.J.H.L. who brings the desire as well as the heighten performance to the G.L.J.H.L. We look at Reid with his interest to become a member of our family, that we are doing it the right way with the right vision that he wants to align with us. This gives us more credibility than some of the other leagues who do not have this kind of expertise and professional knowledge of the game from the highest level".

We welcome Reid to our league & to our family

USA HOCKEY DROPS TIER III LABELS

         OPEN LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

On a Junior Council conference call last week the council voted to drop the letters that separated the A, B, C levels for a smoother flow of the teams. This was suppose to happen 4 years ago but the A leagues asked for an extension to promote the A level to all players especially the players that migrated to Canada to play A hockey. After two more years of extensions, the council felt that enough time was given to the leagues to market themselves and educate the public to their specific brand. In essence what this change does is put all tuition based programs (teams) on an even playing field to attract higher level players to all teams and in fact raises the level of play in all leagues.

                  In the past, B leagues were the development arm to higher levels such as the Tier III A, Tier II NAHL and the Tier I USHL, developing and moving players as they became proficient with  their skills to the next level, Tier III A, and then upward and doing it for far less cost to the player and his family and in some cases the B leagues were doing it for $2,000 to $3,000 less than the A leagues, players were missing less school & work and were playing the majority of their 42-48 games on weekends and while still providing scouting showcases and all star weekends.

                  The popularity of Tier III hockey where all levels are developing players to the next level enjoyed great success at giving the 15-18 old opportunities at the Tier I & II levels but

                  also the College level D-1 thru III, ACHA programs for the 18-20 year old player. Because of the hard work by all the Junior operators, coaches and players, the competitive balance between all Tier III teams has reduced itself to such a point that the players will now have a greater choice in the selection process of where to get what they need at a

                  cost that is not prohibitive in this economy.

                  No one is claiming to be something they are not, no one is claiming to be better than anyone else, what we are saying, is that you don’t have to spend large amounts of money to achieve an opportunity to excel in this game when you will get the same amount of activity or more, the same opportunities or more and be seen by scouts more often because you will be playing more for a lesser expense.

                  Leagues, to be successful will market themselves to you, explaining what they provide, what opportunities you will have if you participate in their programs and will tell you

                  the cost without a hidden agenda and your responsibility will be to absorb all this information good or bad and decide what the best opportunity is for YOU. This is why the G.L.J.H.L. was created and why we are successful.

                   President

                   G.L.J.H.L. 

PLAYER SCOUTING SHOWCASE A SUCCESS

This years Ironman Scouting Showcase, so called because each team played 4 game in 3 days was a successful event for the 40 scouts that were in attendance. The scouts had an opportunity to see 265 players from the GLJHL & 25 players from our guest team the East Enders from Toronto Canada. The Scouts and College representatives had a menu of talent, skill and Hockey sense to choose from and that they did. Players from all 12 teams were spoken to, business cards and team brochures were passed out and committments were offered, giving players the opportunity to set their course and plan their future in hockey for the 2011-12 season. Some players, 9 to be exact, were offered opportunities to start college this January and begin playing their college careers. " This is what we do, said Lullove, GLJHL President, we develop, make them better and move them on, we don't hold back like others may do to win titles or banners, it is important for them to get their college life going and we support their decision to leave now or stay to the end of the current season. Our philosophy is that we want 25 new players every year on every team, that doesn't happen but it's a league goal to have it happen.

Wright College Head Coach Gary Sands said, " this is a wonderful opportunity to see 300 players under one roof in one event and have a selection of talented and skilled hockey players to choose from. It's cost effective and gives us a great start in recruting for next season. We look forward to signing some players from the GLJHL and we look forward to returning next December 2011.

We couldn't agree more with Coach Sands and our players appreciate the opportunity to have been able to perform for all the scouts in attendance.

SHOWCASE SCOUTS IN ATTENDANCE

G.L.J.H.L. WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PROGRAMS, LEAGUES & SCOUTS FOR ATTENDING THE 2010 SCOUTING SHOWCASE

Hope College-ACHA

Adrian College-ACHA

Wright College-ACHA

Northern Illinois-ACHA

Cambridge Winter Hawks-CANADA

Eastern Michigan University

Cardinal Sports Group

Northern Arizona University

Northern Cyclone-AJHL

Eugene Generals-NORPAC

Flint Generals-CSHL

Eastern Michigan University-

University of Michigan - Flint

University of Michigan -Dearborn

John Carroll University

University of Georgia

Davenport University-ACHA

Grand Valley College-ACHA

Northwood College

Johnson Wales College

University of Akron

Oakland University-ACHA

Cambridge University

USAHOCKEY.COM RECOGNIZES MCFARLAND & G.L.J.H.L.

McFarland on a RUN

G.L.J.H.L THE PLACE TO BE!

The Great Lakes Junior Hockey League is the place to be if you need that little extra work to improve your talents on the ice. Our League wide coaching staffs include former Pro & NHL players, WHL, AHL, D-1, D-3 college players who all believe that development is the most important part of the game. Our extensive list of college Scouts, Coaches, Junior A Coaches has enabled us to advance players as soon as they are ready to move up to the next level. We don't hold players back like other leagues do just to win trophies, in the G.L.J.H.L. the player is the important entity, not egos.

Consider any of the G.L.J.H.L. organizations as a perfect avenue to reach the next level. Contact any of the Owners listed on the contact page for information about their teams. In our league, the Owners or Head Coach will talk to you not a representative of the team who has no authority to say anything. The difference between playing at the next level or playing for a G.L.J.H.L. team if you are not ready is playing on a 3rd or 4th line maybe or getting extensive ice time to develop.

Some teams will take you in just to fill roster spots or revenue committments, the G.L.J.H.L. will not, we will be truthful and honest with you, what your role will be and what you can expect to gain if you work hard during the season.

Please contact any of the teams in the G.L.J.H.L. for more information thru the contact page at the top of this page or the G.L.J.H.L. logo is a link to that page.   or or the G.L.J.H.L.ORoooo44

G.L.J.H.L. FORMS DEAL WITH HERTZ RENT A CAR

As a member of the G.L.J.H.L. through a player and his family you are entitled to use the Hertz Discount Plan that the G.L.J.H.L. has gotten from Hertz. By reserving an automobile, you will receive a free 1 year membership in their  #1 gold club, daily, weekly & weekend discounts and the dependability of an international service plan.

When reserving a car, please use 1887589 as your CDP discount code.

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Huskies - 2009 National Champion!