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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 | M H J O N L I N E . C O M 09 MINNESOTA HOCKEY NEWS & NOTES HIWAY HOCKEY KIDS4KIDS IS BACK FOR A THIRD SEASON! Help raise funds for Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare by participating in Hiway Hockey Kids4Kids and your team could win a once in a lifetime prize at a Minnesota Wild game! Hiway Hockey Kids4Kids encour- ages youth hockey players throughout Minnesota to raise funds for kids with disabilities and complex medical con- ditions. This innovative program is a collaboration between Hiway Federal Credit Union® (Hiway), the Minnesota Wild, Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Hockey and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in Saint Paul. Since inception, Hiway Hockey Kids4Kids has raised more than $40,000 for Gillette Children's. Teams that raise $500 or more will be qualified to win a one-of-a-kind team party in a suite at the Minnesota Wild game on Sunday, February 23, 2020. The winning team will also be treated to an exclusive pregame tour of Xcel Energy Center, meet members of the Minnesota Wild and more. To register and find out more, visit hockeykids4kids.org IMPROVE AWARENESS & REDUCE INJURIES WITH INTELLIGYM As it is still relatively early in the season, this is a great time to put players in a position to be healthy throughout the campaign and get the most out of this year on the ice. Safety is para- mount. For that reason, using a tool like Hockey IntelliGym is a proactive way to prevent injuries. The IntelliGym is a software tool used by thousands of players in Minnesota to hone hockey sense. In addition to improved on-ice per- formance, IntelliGym has also shown to decrease the potential for head and other on-ice injuries. In 2018, a study out of the University of Delaware found that players who used IntelliGym saw a significant reduction in the number and magnitude of head impacts, compared to a control group who used a placebo program. IntelliGym, according to the author of the research, reduced injuries by up to 50 percent. HARD ICE DIVIDER PROGRAM CONTINUES Minnesota Hockey, in partnership with Rink Systems, Inc., will continue to offer the Minnesota Hockey Hard Ice Divider Subsidy Program for the 2019-20 season. The hard ice dividers, along with junior size goal frames, have been instrumental in the growth of cross- and half-ice games across the country as more and more youth programs have embraced age-appropriate skill development. Minnesota Hockey affiliated associations that register to purchase a "hard divider" system during the 2019- 20 season can apply for a $2,500 subsidy through the program. Associations that take advantage of the hard ice divider subsidy will also be able to purchase the junior goal frames at the following prices: two goal frames for $440, four goal frames for $880 or six goal frames for $1,320. A total of 75 associations from all over the state have taken advantage of the discount and now utilize more than 100 sets of dividers in their community arenas. MINNESOTA HOCKEY BY SAUCE In need of some new hockey swag? Sauce Hockey has you covered with their officially licensed Minnesota Hockey themed apparel! In addition to the typical staples of hats, sweat- shirts and jogger sweat- pants, limited edition "We Wear Breezers" T-shirts are also available. Proceeds will be used to fund "Grow the Game" grants to benefit associations and players throughout Minnesota. Full collection available under MNHCKY at saucehockey.com.