Our youth hockey partner the Chicago Blackhawks are inviting any teams interested to participate in their HockeyFest Tournament.  For more information here is the link-  https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/fans/hockeyfest

It will be  hosted at the United Center on June 22-23. Players of all skills and ages are invited to attend – including adults.

• Tournament participants will receive a voucher for (1) complimentary ticket to one of the Blackhawks three preseason games leading into the 2019-20 season
• Division winners will receive an exclusive Blackhawks retail item and will be invited to a VIP reception at Fifth Third Arena that includes a tour of the Blackhawks Locker Room.
• Each registered team is guaranteed to play at least four games
• 70% of teams will make the playoffs.
• The surrounding family-friendly festival will offer music, ample food and beverage options, player and alumni appearances, and interactive games such as the hardest shot, mini stick rinks, and shooting accuracy.

They are giving all rink partners and local teams a $50 discount if you use the code “PARTNER” when registering.

For additional tournament information and to register click here.

Last but not least…this month we will be shooting a HockeyFest commercial to promote the tournament.  We will choose a couple registered teams from various divisions to participate in this shoot. These teams will also have the chance to meet the Blackhawks player featured in the promotion.  Name will not be announced ahead of time.  If you’d like to be considered for this event, please register by Friday, May 10!

Please contact Sam Ratty at sratty@blackhawks.com with any tournament questions.

Thanks

Brad Windsor

A Huge Thank-You to the Blackhawks and Stanley Cup alumni Jamal Mayers

Last Saturday the Little Hawks Learn to Play sessions had a special guest coach on the ice helping with lessons.

Jamal Mayers, Blackhawks alumni from the 2013 Stanley Cup winning team and his son Crew visited Peoria to help with the PYHA and Blackhawks Little Hawks program.

During the sessions Jamal went back and forth between groups and worked with the kids on group skill sessions and took time with each kid individually.

It was a great experience for the kids (and parents).  His son Crew jumped right into one of the groups and practiced his skills along with everyone else.  At the end of the session Mr. Mayers spent a few minutes talking to the kids letting them know how impressed he was with them.

After the  on ice session, Mr. Mayers stayed and signed autographs then had to head to Chicago for a Hawks game where he is the NBC Sports Chicago Blackhawks analyst.

The Peoria Mustangs are getting ready to start their season and they are in need of some more billets. Billets are host families that the families live with during the season. For more information please see the flier below.

PYHA would like to identify and track our former players who are playing at the "next level". Please let us know if you or your child has played or is currently playing at the junior, college, or professional levels. We would like to post the names of these players as well as the organizations they moved on to on the website and at the rink. Please contact Brad Mitchel at bmitchell@pyha.org.