Outlaw parents and players

This is an update from the Board of Directors pertaining to progress within the sport of ice hockey for the upcoming season. Registration for travel teams will begin as scheduled due September 5th thru our sportsengine (website) registration process. You will need to have completed the USA hockey membership before beginning the registration process.

House programs will begin for Initiation and Mites October 8th and 9th.   Registrations for these programs have also been open and are due by October 5th. Same procedure required and USA hockey membership must be completed before registering.

 NYSAHA Hockey has submitted a recent phased in request to the governor’s office for consideration by NYSAHA president Joe Baudo. This request will allow for phase 1 low to no contact practices reflecting a clinic like atmosphere to begin officially October 1. Phase 2 will allow for competitive practices, games, scrimmages, and tournaments to exist within the state of New York. Phase 3 will allow for games and tournaments to exist outside of New York.   These phases will have to be approved by state officials with specific timelines, however if successful we can return to a somewhat normal hockey season.

We as the board would like to inform you that currently the sport of hockey can and does exist thru clinics and camps following New York State guidelines of high- risk sports. Therefore we have asked Community Recreational Center and Speedskills Hockey to volunteer their services and offer our membership complimentary free clinics during your regular pre-determined practice sessions until NYSAHA allows Associations to begin operations. We would like to thank both companies for their generous donation, allowing the kids to begin hockey clinics starting September 14th and continuing until NYSAHA permits regular season activity.

You will find your clinic times posted on the Outlaw website and to participate you will need to be fully registered thru the sportsengine registration portal at fingerlakeshockey.com. Speedskills Hockey and CRC will be conducting temp checks at the door for all participants and parents. Face coverings are required at all times, until players enter the ice surface and everyone is asked to follow arena safety protocols.

One parent per family regardless the quantity of children is permitted to enter the facility as of September 14th while clinics are in session, parents are required to wear face coverings and observe social distancing. Temp checks of parent will be performed and strict guidelines of viewing from the bleachers and along glass area enforced. It is strongly suggested however parents do not enter the facility, please remain outside and wait for clinic sessions to end, to ensure any unnecessary or additional exposure of COVID -19.

Thank you

Central Outlaws – Board of Directors

57 Countrygate Lane  I Tonawanda, NY 
Phone & Fax 716-694-0I82   joe.baudo@nysaha.com

August 6, 2020

Amanda Mays:
Kathy Wylde
Joseph Tazewell:
Cara Longworth:
Linda Cooper:
James Kostenblatt:
Michael Yevoli
Stephen Hunt:
James Fayle:
Donna Howell:
Vincent Esposito:
Michael Reese:

Dear Committee Members:

I write as President of the New York State Amateur Hockey Association, Inc. (“NYS Hockey”), a New York not-for-profit corporation.  NYS Hockey is the sole corporate affiliate of USA Hockey, Inc., in the State of New York, with exclusive jurisdiction over the sport of amateur ice hockey as sanctioned by USA Hockey within the State.  NYS Hockey has approximately 55,000 members, comprised of ice hockey players, coaches, managers, officials and volunteers throughout New York State.

By this letter we are requesting statewide guidance for our members and their ice hockey associations regarding the phased resumption of the sport.

So far this season, NYS Hockey has followed the Guidance provided to us by the State of New York, suspending the play of ice hockey in the State pending the reopening of the sport.  We seek permission for our membership to begin playing a limited version of ice hockey for both minor-age players and adults, subject to the safety precautions contained in the Department of Health’s Guidelines for ice hockey as a higher-risk sport, as follows:

• Immediately resume what the Guidelines refer to as clinics, comprised of individual or distanced group training and organized no/low contact group training.  For ice hockey purposes, clinics would include team practices and other drills performed on a non-competitive basis.  Travel outside of the “home” rink would not be permitted.  Non-competitive means that ice hockey “checking” will not be permitted; and that individual players, and groupings and teams of players will not engage in scrimmages or games.  All activities would be conducted in a manner that conforms to the safety measures mandated in the Guidelines for higher risk sports.

• The above opening phase of ice hockey would be followed with a limited version of more competitive ice hockey; safety and the Guidelines then in place permitting.  We suggest a target date of October 1, 2020.  This next phase of resuming hockey activities would permit checking where it ordinarily is permitted.  For example, youth hockey does not permit checking until the player is 13 years old which we refer to as the14U classification; and girls-only hockey does not permit checking at all. This second phase of hockey would include competitive team practices, tryouts, drills, scrimmages, and games and tournaments, and would allow for travel by players and teams to other rinks but only within the State of New York.  All activities would be conducted in a manner that conforms to the safety measures mandated in the Guidelines.

• A final phase of hockey resuming would involve all hockey activities being permitted, including travel outside of the State of New York, but respecting the safety mandates of the Guidelines then in place.  We do not suggest a date for this, and would await further guidance from the State. 

In the initial and 2nd phases no locker rooms will not be available as the players will to arrive at the rinks dressed to go on the ice, unless a variance is granted for these phases. The assocaitions shall work with the rinks to make sure that all cleaning shall follow the guidelines as set forth by the NY State Health Department.

I am available to speak with your staff at any time about this.  Thank you for your kind attention to this request.

Respectfully,
Yours in Hockey
New York State Amateur Hockey Association, Inc.

   Joe Baudo

Joe Baudo
President
District Director

    cc: NYSAHA Board of Directors

New York State Amateur Hockey Association is an Affiliate Member of USA Hockey Inc.