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AUGUST 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 7 3 The 13th annual Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships return to Dollar Lake in Eagle River, Wis., Feb. 9-11, 2018. Information on team registrations will be available soon on USAHockey.com. MARK YOUR CALENDARS ADULT ACHA As a school with less than 10,000 students and a hockey team that plays in the shadow of the Pittsburgh Penguins, it would be easy to overlook Slippery Rock University's men's hockey program. Despite these challenges, Slippery Rock has found success on the ice. In addition, the program has given back to the Western Pennsylvania community by organizing yearly campaigns to help local charities. Slippery Rock started this effort during the 2015-16 season when the team played a game wearing special pink jerseys to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. This past season, Slippery Rock captain Alex Shimoloens helped organize a game that supported It's About The Warrior, a local group that helps those who have served our country cope with everyday challenges. The team sported camouflage jerseys, which were auctioned off. In total, the team raised more than $2,000 for the organization. Even though it's the offseason, the team is already working on plans to support a local organization during the 2017-18 season. "I think this shows that hockey players care about the community and help whenever possible," said Rich Shimoloens, Slippery Rock's director of hockey operations. "We're a small operation, but these kids are impressive when it comes to raising money." ACHA Program Rockin' Its Role In The Community k The National Hockey League furthered its support for development efforts around the country by teaming with USA Hockey and the United States Hockey League to launch a multi-year partnership aimed at maximizing developmental and business opportunities for the nation's only Tier 1 Junior hockey league. Under terms of the new deal, the NHL will provide financial support and other resources to aid in the develop- ment of players, coaches and officials in the USHL as well as improve market- ing, communications and community engagement efforts among the league's 17 member clubs. "We depend on amateur hockey orga- nizations all over the world to develop the players, coaches and officials that aspire to matriculate to the NHL," Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in announc- ing the partnership. "The USHL has consistently demon- strated an ability to produce outstanding talent. Going forward, it is our continued intent to focus resources on the USHL's developmental efforts." The 2017 NHL Draft marked the fifth consecutive year that 30 or more play- ers have been selected from the USHL. In addition, more than 400 players on team rosters last season committed to NCAA Division I schools. NHL ASSIST AIMED AT UPPING USHL'S GAME JUNIOR -Auston Matthews after winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie for the 2016-17 season You want to perform individually but you want to do what you can to help the team win. I think I did a pretty good job of that and at the same time having fun out there." THEY SAID IT