USA Hockey Magazine

40 // JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM ONE ARE THE DAYS when it was rare to find ice in the summer to try and skate a few times before the win- ter freeze. With the expansion of ice hockey to warmer climes throughout the United States, USA Hockey talent is being discovered everywhere. Look no further than Toronto Maple Leafs alternate captain, California-bred and Arizona-raised Auston Matthews as an example of how far USA Hockey has laid down ice. You can also look at this year's NHL Draft, and the 49 American- born players selected from 18 different states, as an example of the growth of hockey in the United States. While warm weather states are producing notable talent, devel- opment from traditional Northeast and Midwest areas have been a mainstay since the birth of the original governing body of USA Hockey — the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) — in 1937. With the inception of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in 1996 and its success in identifying and developing excep- tional players, regional summer camps throughout the country have remained a vital part of developing USA Hockey's future talent. One regional camp that has been identifying U14 talent in New York for the past 10 years is the New York State Select 14 Camp, which once again took place at the State University of New York at Oswego. Ed Gosek, men's ice hockey coach at Oswego State and longtime USA Hockey member, oversees New York's In-District Select 14 Camp. "The program is patterned after the national (development) camps," Gosek said. "We start with an intro- ductory meeting. Parents drop their sons off and the players move into the dorms and locker rooms. They have a skate on Sunday night and then it's full tilt after that." There is no let up as the players train in week-long sessions that provide the best U14 players with the opportunity to work on and off the ice against other talented peers from New York. "The days feature a skate in the morning, followed by a lecture, or reverse order because there are four teams," Gosek explained. "After lunch, the players have an afternoon skate, which is usually a skilled- based session. Later in the afternoon they have a system-based prac- tice followed by another lecture or instruction on nutrition, weight room (training), mental health, and then dinner." Two games are played in the evening and feature USA Hockey and New York officials. These crews attend the camps to gain experience that will help them potentially officiate at higher levels in the future. At the end of the evening games, the day concludes with a camp meet- ing. Then they do it again the next day. "It's four long days for them, not just physically, but mentally as well," Gosek concluded. "We bring in a lot of good speakers that are very knowledgeable to assist them. We've had great leadership at our district camps and our U14 camps have affected a lot of young men that have been able to attend and move up the national development programs and beyond." Regional camps are considered short-term events in which the 80+ players chosen to participate are continually evaluated. At the end of the camps, district coordinators—who have been charged with identi- fying the highest-level performers in each camp by virtue of criteria established by the national office — recommend players for advance- ment for future development towards a spot in USA Hockey-BioSteel Player Development Camps. Players like Trevor Zegras and Adam Fox both passed through this U14 New York camp in the past, and the U.S. Men's National Team, U.S. colleges and the NHL are splashed with players who got their start proving themselves for a higher level of play at regional camps through- out the United States. Today, ice in the summer isn't just for cold drinks. P Tom & Jerry Caraccioli are the authors of STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America's Forgotten Hockey Team. I N T H E CO R N E R S H E R O E S & H I S T O R Y g By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli Summer Skating with a Purpose G VIDEO COURTESY OF Steve Cibelli We've had great leadership at our district camps and our U14 camps have affected a lot of young men."

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