Before you jump in with both skates... if you haven't read part one, I'd recommend it first. It's not a long piece, but it does lay an important foundation for the next three parts of the series. Here's the link to Part One. Go ahead. We'll wait.
Part 2 - The Good...
In a nutshell, our current state of hockey is a mixed bag: some good, some... not so much. It all depends upon where you live. Here in Indiana, we’re cursed with bad weather - for pond hockey. Very few parts of our state get cold enough for the ponds and rivers to freeze over for more than a week or so. If they did, you’d be sure to see far more players around here. Alas, weather is one thing you can’t control. So it’s to the indoors we go!
The larger towns tend to have a thriving hockey market due to the existence of one or more ice rinks. They draw in a few hundred players and are able to decently fill the ranks from mites to bantams. I mean, 6U to 14U (Thanks, USA Hockey). The smaller burgs and boroughs, though, don’t seem to give hockey much consideration. Too far from the rinks... too expensive compared to other sports… the excuses are plentiful unless you’re one of the few die-hard, rabid puck heads out there with parents crazy enough to log all those miles back and forth to practice and games.
In addition to the rising participation numbers mentioned in Part One, the skill level is starting to improve as well. “The ADM (American Developmental Model) has been a huge benefit,” states Irish Youth Hockey League President Brian Troester. “It hasn’t been implemented for that long, but we’re really starting to notice a difference.” This sentiment is echoed across the state as more and more associations slowly embrace the ADM.
Up north, the IYHL boasts around 500 members and fields several house, select, and travel teams in each age group. The Irish teams compete in the Northern Illinois Hockey League as it is more convenient to those teams that others within our own state. With such close proximity to Chicago, the IYHL teams face stiff competition year after year. So far, the Irish have done well this year and most are near the top of their divisions. Still, Troester knows that his teams must continue to develop or they will be quickly left behind.
"We can't compete with the numbers and resources in some of those powerhouse programs from Chicago, but adopting the ADM seems to have helped leveling the playing field a bit."
South Bend is also the home for the state’s only NCAA Division I hockey program, the University of Notre Dame. Recent years have been good to the Irish. They’ve been competitive in the Hockey East Conference and have faired well in the post-season. With the move to the Big 10 Conference next season, the excitement surrounding Fighting Irish Hockey will be amplified and should boost participation numbers in the IYHL.
The Michiana and Illiana high school leagues are thriving as well. Playing up near hockey hotbeds such as Chicago and Detroit has only helped develop the prep talent level, and at least a couple teams are routinely in the hunt for a state championship. Add independent powerhouse Culver Academy to the mix and you’ve got the makings of a seriously competitive hockey landscape.
Things are looking brighter a bit further to the northeast as well. Starting with their announcement his past summer, Trine University will increase the number of collegiate hockey teams in Indiana by three in 2017-18, including the state’s first women’s program. While the coaching staffs are busy traversing the country to build that first recruiting class, construction is well underway on the new Thunder Ice Arena (Thunderdome??). In addition to serving as a home for the Thunder hockey teams, the new arena also will host club and youth hockey programs for the Steuben County YMCA and local school corporations, and will be open to the public for skating at designated times.
Tom Hofman, Head Coach of the Trine University Women's Hockey program, is eager to begin not only his season but to start working with the area youth programs as well. "We plan to be very much involved in the community programs," stated Hofman. "We're going to look for any number of ways to grow the game here. And hopefully our program will help to grow the game as well."
Until recently, Valparaiso University also fielded a team in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) but have recently undergone some organizational changes. With interest in skating and youth hockey growing as a result of the beautiful new ice rink at Central Park Plaza, we hope the Crusaders are back in action soon. Hockey in the northeast is gearing up for some huge growth!
Just a short ways down I-69, Fort Wayne has a long hockey tradition. The ECHL Komets are celebrating their 65th anniversary this season, the Fort Wayne High School Hockey Association has become a model organization for the state, and the youth programs are seeing a rise in both participation and development. Not one to rest on their laurels, a December announcement was made regarding the formation of the Fort Wayne Hockey Association (FWHA).
This new governing body is drawn from an alignment of the Fort Wayne Youth Hockey, the Fort Wayne Area High School Hockey Association and Canlan Ice Sports Fort Wayne. Bolstered by the support of Parkview Sports Medicine, the FWHA will create a more coordinated structure where all parties are working in unison and the environment fosters greater involvement in all parts of the program. Along with access to doctors and therapist at Parkview, the unified structure will allow for a greater coordination of coaches and specialists to make for a solid developmental model. Other programs would be wise to take note… Fort Wayne is positioning itself to be a dominant force in Indiana hockey for years to come.
Fort Wayne is also home to two collegiate programs. The most notable is the Indiana Tech Warriors, who play in Division I of the ACHA. The Warriors, lead by Coach Frank DiCristofaro, have been in and out of the Top 25 this past season, reaching as high as #18 before dropping to the 20’s in recent weeks. Indiana Tech fields an ACHA Division III team as well, providing additional opportunities for homegrown players to continue their hockey careers. Indiana University/Purdue University-Fort Wayne, otherwise known as IPFW, also compete in the ACHA Division III with a roster comprised entirely of Hoosiers. The Mastadons have had an up and down season but a strong run in the Indiana Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff led them to the championship game, only to be blitzed by a surging Indiana team.
Down in the capital, a once-fractured hockey market is slowly becoming less so. And in our opinion, it’s about darn time!! The Indy Metro hockey community has seen more than it’s fair share of changes, with organizations coming and going like the breeze. At one point there were upwards of seven different associations vying for both players and ice time, which led to a strain on coaching and officiating resources and an ineffective management framework.
With the arrival of new ECHL franchise Indy Fuel, things are starting to evolve in the Circle City. The consolidation of the Coliseum and Fishers youth hockey associations under the Jr. Fuel banner has given rise to more competitive travel teams, additional AA programs, a stable home for the AAA Tri-State Spartans, and more resources for player development.
Although there remains some lingering hostility toward the Jr. Fuel in certain quarters, the organization readily admits that they made some missteps during the consolidation process and have vowed to adopt a more thoughtful approach moving forward. After suffering through some first-year growing pains, the dust has begun to settle and the focus has turned to providing a quality hockey experience for players and their families.
While no formal announcement has been made at the time of this writing, word on the street is that the South Indy Youth Hockey Association will be merging with the Jr. Fuel organization starting with the 2017-18 season. While the Sharks initially took a wait-and-see approach to a merger last fall, the relationship remained cordial and cooperative, which will lend itself to a much smoother transition should the merger take place. Again, our opinion is that this would be a solid move for both organizations, as it would certainly result in more opportunities for player development and an increased interest in hockey on the south side.
On the northern side of Indy, another merger was just recently announced that will also alter the hockey landscape in the state capital. The Indianapolis Strong, an upper level travel hockey organization, revealed its intention to join forces with the Indianapolis Youth Hockey Association for the upcoming season. In teaming up, the IYHA will now offer a full range of programming from recreational to AAA Tier 1 travel hockey. Similar to the Fort Wayne merger, the intention is to improve development through a better utilization of shared resources and a more complete spectrum of hockey instruction.
Some might view these moves with some disdain, citing a loss of history or identity as their organizations adopt new leadership and new logos. It is always an uneasy truce when rivals become allies. Yet those who are deeply involved in and committed to growing the sport tend have a different perspective. Without the competition for the same players, the same elite coaches, the same officials, and often the same ice, organizations gain flexibility in how they allocate both their personnel and their financial resources. While not quite to the level at which the Fort Wayne Hockey Association will be operating, having only two youth programs in Indianapolis instead of seven should indeed serve to improve the quality of programming across all ages and levels.
The high school scene tends to mirror the youth market, with strong numbers on the north side and slow, steady growth to the south. The Hoosier League stretches from the north side of the metropolitan area to the furthest southern reaches . With nine teams in the upper division and five more in the lower bracket, it’s the largest of the Indiana State High School Hockey Association leagues and often the most competitive.
Little seems to have changed on the southern edge of the state, with one notable exception. Columbus still operates as a house divided, with the travel and high school programs working under the leadership of Columbus Youth Hockey, and the recreational programming being run by the city Parks & Recreation Department. Both groups run effectively and manage to coexist fairly easily, but the suggestion of merging the programs is routinely brought up by those who feel the current arrangement is an impediment to growth.
Bloomington hockey functions in much the same way, although there is a tighter relationship with the City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation department. The club programs are governed by the Bloomington Blades Youth Hockey Association, but players are also required to register with the Parks & Rec department’s house hockey program.
As with Columbus, the system seems to work for them. Both youth programs are typically well-represented in their leagues and the various tournaments they attend, and the high school teams remain competitive year after year. Yet the murmurs about operating independently from the city and having more control over the recreational and instructional programs persist.
Evansville is the exception to the Southern status quo. With the beautiful Swonder Ice Arena as their home, the Evansville Youth Hockey Association offers everything from true house hockey to elite travel. Their partnership with Total Package Hockey provides opportunities for elite level players to compete in the NA3HL with the Jr. Thunderbolts program. When not on the ice, hockey fans can cheer on their new professional franchise, the Evansville Thunderbolts. While very few people even know about the franchise outside of Evansville, let alone about Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), the pro team and their Junior cohorts are slowly building a solid following by putting forth a tremendous amount of energy both on the ice and in the community.
On the collegiate circuit, four schools compete in the ACHA. In Division II, the state flagship school Indiana University continues to try and attract enough talent to remain in the playoff conversation. Fresh off their ICHC victory over the IPFW Mastadons, the Hoosiers also netted their first-ever appearance in the ACHA Division II tournament. Coupled with the push for the BIG 10 Conference to add hockey to it’s full list of varsity offerings, the Hoosiers have a slight leg up on rival Purdue University (ACHA Division III).
Unless you happen to be deeply involved in the game, you're probably not aware of just how much is happening in our fair state. Small but thriving youth programs dot the landscape. High School hockey is alive and well with over 30 teams getting ready to battle for that elusive state championship. Elite programs are available for the ultra-talented. Colleges are starting to draw attention from prospects around the country, and they continue to mine the local talent as much as possible to stock their ranks. And although it's not the NHL, our three pro teams offer an exciting brand of hockey that even pickiest of fans can appreciate.
Still, we have a lot of growing to do. In farmer's terms, our state of hockey isn't quite "knee high" yet. Along with youth, though, comes missteps and errors in judgement. In Part Three of our series, we will delve into the "dirty areas" of Indiana hockey.
Stay tuned...
