Welcome to the Whalers Youth Hockey Association
The Whalers is a youth ice hockey organization for boys and girls from locations in Middlesex County and other surrounding towns in the Middletown & Cromwell, CT area. We offer instructional (Learn To Play & House League) and competitive levels of play for children from four years of age through high school.
We are located at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT. We are members of the Connecticut Hockey Conference, CT Valley Midget Hockey League and USA HOCKEY. Our Tier II, III, and IV level Travel Teams play games with similar teams from other organizations around the state and occasionally travel to other locations throughout the region for tournament competition.
Join our Facebook group - Whalers Youth Hockey Association- to get the latest updates.
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HEADLINES  | | | Little Whalers Rookie Program Has your child completed Learn to Play and ready for more -- but not quite ready for a travel team?
We are excited to announce that our Little Whalers Rookie Program is gearing up for another session beginning in September. Our Rookie Program will run 2 days per week -- Sunday mornings and Tuesday nights. This program will feature both skills and scrimmages.
For more information or to register, please email whalersinfo@whalersyouthhockey.org
| Season quickly approaching We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying your summer. Before you know it, we will all be heading back to the rink for another very busy and successful season!
Before we do, however, there are a few things that need to be done in the following weeks.
1. All players will need a current USA HOCKEY number. To do this, please go to usahockey.com and register. USA HOCKEY numbers expire 8/31/2022 so make sure you renew before the season. For those new to travel hockey, players are not allowed on the ice without this number as it serves as their insurance.
2. All team managers, Coaches and volunteers (for score box, penalty box, helping with the boards for Mites, etc) must register for a USA hockey number. This number is FREE for volunteers and is required by USA Hockey.
3. Coaches, Team managers and volunteers: you will also need to complete your SafeSport Training. Safe Sport is a required FREE annual Training. There is a core course (which takes roughly 90 minutes). The refreshers take roughly 30 minutes. If you are a returning volunteer, you will be able to login with your new USA HOCKEY number and resume with the next course. If you are a new volunteer, you will begin with the core course for this season. Safesport training can be found at usahockey.com/safesporttraining. You will need your USA HOCKEY number in order to register for this course.
4. Background Screening: all Coaches and volunteers must complete the screening. This is done every other year. If you completed the screening for the 2021-22 season, you are all set and do not need to do anything else. Please make sure you complete this in a timely fashion. This is a USA HOCKEY requirement as well, and the company they use has a 2-3 week return rate.
5. Coaches: be sure you are up-to date on all your certifications and courses. Remember, if your certifications expire 12/31/2022 and you do not renew, you will not be able to get on the ice or bench after 1/1/2023. Returning Coaches can do a search of their current credentials at www.usahockey.com
**for those returning to the Whalers, if you are unsure if you need the background check for this season, please email
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6. Tuition payments now go through Black Bear's AthleteTrax system. If payments are not made by the contracted invoice date, the total is automatically withdrawn from the card you have on file. (This information was included in your contract when enrolling your player). If you choose to make a payment prior to the due date, send an email to info@championsskatingcenter.com so they can cancel the auto withdrawl for that month. Checks can be made payable to Champions Skating Center. To log into your account, you will need your Player's Club information which was sent to you at registration. If you need your invoice resent, please email
Finally, when getting your gear ready, make sure neck guards are included: "Effective March 1, 2022, all players registered to a USA Hockey member program governed by
the Connecticut Hockey Conference as the local Affiliate, whether part of the CHC league,
independent, spring/summer program, etc. are required to wear an unmodified, BNQ Certified,
neck protector specifically designed for the purpose of preventing or lessening the severity of
lacerations to the neck. This requirement applies to any participant in any sanctioned on-ice
event, including but not limited to games, practices, tournaments, jamborees, etc. It is the
obligation of the coaches of any team to enforce this requirement at all times. This rule will be
interpreted as an Affiliate modification of USA Hockey Rule 304(g), as follows:
“All players, including goalkeepers, at any level through Youth 18 & Under (including high
school) or Girls 19 & Under age classifications are required to wear an unmodified, BNQ
Certified neck laceration protector, choosing a design that covers as much of the neck area as
possible.
For the first violation of this rule, the team shall be issued a warning. A misconduct penalty
for an equipment violation shall be assessed to any player or goalkeeper of that team for a
subsequent violation during that game.”
CHC does not endorse any particular manufacturer or model, but joins with USA Hockey in its
recommendation to choose the guard that provides the most neck coverage possible for each
particular player. Substitution of non-conforming alternatives such as skate towels or socks
worn around the neck will not constitute compliance.
USA Hockey officials in Connecticut will be charged with enforcement of this CHC rule, and it
will be treated as required Protective Equipment under USA Hockey Rule 304.
In games involving non-CHC teams whose affiliates do not require neck guards, those teams will
not be subject to this rule. CHC teams playing outside of Connecticut will be expected to follow
this rule, regardless of official enforcement. It is the obligation of the coaches for each team to
enforce this rule for their players."
See you all soon!
Whalers Board of Directors
| Looking for a place to play? Looking for a place to play for the 2022-2023 Season?
The Whalers have spots available at the Mites(U8), Squirts (U10) and PeeWee(U12) levels. Email whalersinfo@whalersyouthhockey.org for more information!
| PeeWee A Wins Pot O’Gold Tournament Whalers PeeWee A ended the season this weekend in Woodstock, Vermont. The team went undefeated to bring home the Pot O Gold Championship banner and trophy!
Congratulations!!!
| Squirt AA - Tier III Champions; Regionals Bound Squirt AA went 6-0 in the Tier III State Tournament. Next stop: 3/18-3/20 Maine for Regionals
Congratulations to all our players and coaches on a terrific season!
| Whalers Youth Hockey Press Release 
Whalers Youth Announce Long-Term Partnership with Champions Skating Center
Bobby Ferraris Named Coaching Director, Rob Belger named Skills Director
Champions Skating Center (“Champions”), Whalers Youth Hockey and Black Bear Sports Group are pleased to announce a long-term partnership between the rink and the youth hockey club with the shared goals of growing the youth club, enhancing youth hockey offerings within the club and at the rink, and offering more development opportunities for rink and club participants. This new partnership establishes the Whalers as a long-term home club at the Champions Skating Center along with the Hartford Jr. Wolfpack AAA.
Champions and the Whalers have also named Champions Skating Center / Hartford Jr. Wolfpack AAA Hockey Director, Bobby Ferraris as Coaching Director. Coach Ferraris brings an accomplished hockey pedigree to the arena and its clubs and programming. He spent 12 years coaching NCAA Division I hockey, most recently serving as the Associate Head Coach of Mercyhurst University before relocating to New York in 2015 to serve as Head Coach of the Boys Varsity Hockey team for the Trinity-Pawling School, where he will remain the Head Coach. Coach Ferraris has established the Pride as a consistent contender in the Founders League, which is widely considered to be the premier prep school hockey league in the United States; this success included a championship in 2018. Coach Ferraris has also effectively developed his players and helped them earn college roster spots. In 2021-2022, Trinity-Pawling featured freshmen alumni on three Division I rosters and seven Division III rosters. In 2022-2023, another three Trinity-Pawling hockey alumni will be Division I freshmen at Army, Boston University, and Merrimack College. “I’m thrilled to have the Whalers join the Black Bear and Wolfpack family at the rink,” said Bobby Ferraris.
Coach Rob Belger, Assistant Hockey Director at Champions Skating Center, will serve as the Skills Director. Coach Belger played juniors for the Hartford Wolfpack before moving on to play NCAA hockey for Nichols College.
Cat Cirillo was named Director of Operations for the Whalers and will continue to oversee the administration and scheduling of the club.
Tryouts and team alignments for 2022-23 will be announced soon on the website! Go Whalers!
About Black Bear Sports Group, Inc.
Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. is a privately held company formed by Murry Gunty and Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC in 2015 that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities, teams, and youth sports events. Black Bear arenas are clean, professionally managed, and offer world-class recreational programs. Black Bear focuses on ice arenas in metropolitan areas with compelling demographics, markets with a National Hockey League club presence and arenas with existing youth hockey clubs. Black Bear not only features the ability to acquire healthy and stable arenas, but also the expertise required to turn around mismanaged or under-performing facilities. The largest owner/operator of ice rinks in the U.S., Black Bear’s footprint totals 30 facilities across the United States with 55 sheets of indoor ice, four indoor turf fields, 23 youth hockey clubs, three youth hockey leagues (Atlantic Hockey Federation, Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation and National Girls Hockey League), the nation’s largest adult hockey organization (Foundry Adult Hockey) and three Junior “A” hockey franchises with membership in the United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League and Eastern Hockey League.
| CT Christmas Classic Runners Up: Squirt B Squirt B finished the CT Christmas Classic, hosted by GNH Warriors, as runners up. Great effort for a mighty short bench!
| SIMSBURY HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT: PW A CHAMPIONS Congratulations to PWA on an undefeated championship in the Simsbury Holiday Tournament!
| Squirt AA Wins Green Avalanche Tournament Congratulations to Squirt AA who went undefeated to bring home the Green Avalanche Tournament Championship from Jay Peak, Vermont!
| NRI Thanksgiving Classic: Squirt Division Congratulations to Squirt B Players and Coaches on an undefeated tournament run, bringing home the trophy with a 6-1 victory!
| NRI THANKSGIVING CLASSIC: PeeWee Division Congratulations to PeeWee B players and coaches who went into the Championship game with a 2-0-1 record; and won the Championship by a score of 3-1!
| USA Hockey Changes to Play TO ALL WHALERS MEMBERS (PARENTS, PLAYERS AND COACHES)
Please take the time to read, review and familiarize yourself with USA HOCKEY’S NEW CHANGES TO PLAY for Mites through Bantams. These rules include changes in penalty minutes, checking at the Bantam level, and more.
Please note: Referees are being trained on these new changes and will be enforcing them once the season begins. Again, these are changes coming down from USA HOCKEY, not the Whalers Organization.
USA HOCKEY NEW CHANGES TO PLAY – EFFEECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
- No more tag up offsides—the new rule eliminates tag-up offsides at ALL youth levels. Immediate offside is now applied except HS and Adult. This rule has been in place for 12 and under but it is now all age groups.
- NO MORE LEGAL ICING WHEN SHORTHANDED – Prohibits ALL Youth Levels of play to legally ice the puck during shorthanded situations. The only exceptions are HS and Adult classifications.
- After a penalty is called, the ensuing faceoff will take place in the zone of the offending team.
- New rule allows for attack zone face-off any time an attacking team attempts a shot on goal and puck goes out of play off of the posts, boards or glass.
- Less tolerance for penalties -- players to be assessed a game misconduct after 4 penalties (used to be 5) in the same game and a coach receiving a game suspension when the team accumulates 12 (used to be 15) penalties during the same game.
- New rule establishes SHORTER MINOR PENALTY recommendations for periods less than 20 minutes in length (excluding Adults).
- For periods 12 minutes or less= 1 minute penalties.
- For periods 12- 17 minutes = 1.30 minute penalties.
- For periods 17+ = 2 minute penalties.
- MAJOR PENALTIES
- 12 minutes or less = 3 minutes for major or match
- 12-17 minutes = 4 minutes for major or match
- 17 minutes = 5 minutes for major or match
- An Unsportsmanlike penalty will be called for banging on the boards after a LEGAL OR ILLEGAL hit.
- Body Checking is now called Competitive Contact. Contact must be made on the puck. Any physical contact that is made with an opposing player without an attempt for control of the puck will be penalized. (Bantams)
- Delayed body checks will be penalized. Once a player passes the puck, contact CONNOT be initiated. (Bantams)
The complete list of changes can be found at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.leagueathletics.com/Text/Documents/1978/75701.pdf
Whalers Board of Directors
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