The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) is pleased to announce the individuals who will receive the 2007 AHCA Major Awards in April in Naples, FL, at the 2007 AHCA Annual Convention:

THE JOHN MACINNES AWARD: Established by the AHCA in 1982 to honor former Michigan Tech coach, John MacInnes, this award recognizes those people who have shown a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. The recipients have had high winning percentages, as well as outstanding graduating percentages among their former players. The winners of this award have helped young men grow not only as hockey players, but more importantly, as men.

2007 Recipient: Tim Taylor, Yale University and USA Hockey

A native of Natick, MA, Taylor played at Milton Academy and Harvard University, where he captained the 1963 ECAC Championship Team. His playing continued in the old U.S. Senior Hockey League and on the 1965 U.S. National Team.

Before launching a college coaching career, Taylor set up the Boston Neighborhood Hockey League for the youth of the City of Boston, and established the premier summer hockey school of its time in his hometown of Natick. At this camp, he gave a coaching start to many who went on to become fulltime coaches.

His college coaching began at Harvard University where he served as freshman coach and assistant varsity coach for seven seasons under Bill Cleary, until he accepted the Yale position in 1978. In 28 seasons in New Haven, Taylor won 337 games for the Bulldogs and coached more games than anyone in the history of the ECACHL. Perhaps his most rewarding season came in 1997-98, when he guided a Yale team picked for 10th in the pre-season to the ECAC regular season title and the school’s first NCAA berth since1952. Taylor has been involved with USA Hockey for more than three decades in a variety of positions, most notably as head coach of the 1994 U.S. Olympic Team and Acting Head Coach of Team USA in the 1991 Canada Cup (silver medal).

Earlier this season, he served as the volunteer coach with the University of New Hampshire, before taking a scouting position with the New Jersey Devils. Said one of his nominators, AHCA Executive Director Joe Bertagna: “One of the most respected men ever to coach ice hockey, Timmy has developed so many players and won a ton of games. But it is his passion for the game and his total devotion to learning and teaching that separates him from his peers. He has always been willing to share his knowledge with others. And he has never lost the thirst for even greater knowledge of the game. I don’t know of anyone in our game who is more respected, across the country and internationally, as Tim Taylor.”

TERRY FLANAGAN AWARD: Named in honor of the former UNH player and Bowling Green Assistant, this award honors an assistant coach’s career body of work.

2007 Recipient: David Lassonde, University of New Hampshire, Miami University, U. of Wisconsin

David Lassonde is being honored for 18 years of service as a successful assistant coach. A native of Rochester, NH, Lassonde played goal for Lou Lamoriello at Providence College, graduating in 1983. His college coaching career began as a volunteer goaltending coach at the University of New Hampshire from 1988-1991. He left UNH to serve as a fulltime assistant a Wisconsin from 1991-1994. That was followed by three years at Miami. He returned to Durham in 1997 and was promoted from Assistant Coach to Associate Head Coach in 2002 by UNH Head Coach Dick Umile.

Lassonde works with goaltenders and defensemen and coordinates all of UNH’s video work, in addition to sharing recruiting responsibilities. In his 18 years of coaching, Lassonde his led teams to five NCAA Frozen Four berths and 12 NCAA appearances in general.

In addition to his college work, Lassonde has been active with USA Hockey through summer festivals as well as serving on the staff of the Under 18 Team at the 2005 World Junior Cup in Slovakia. Lassonde is active in the summer months directing a camp at UNH and working Stan Mikita’s School for the Hearing Impaired in Chicago.

THE JOHN MARIUCCI AWARD: Presented annually to a secondary school coach coach in memory of the “Godfather of Minnesota hockey,” John Mariucci.

2007 Recipient: Tom Fleming, The Northwood School (NY)

One of the greatest three-sport athletes in Dartmouth College history, Tom Fleming launched his coaching career by taking over the Acton-Boxboro (MA) high school hockey program in the late seventies. In five years, his record was 103-6-5.

Said nominator Tim Whitehead of Maine: “Sometime during Northwood’s glory years of the late eighties, Herb Hammond, former Brown coach and then an NHL scout, leaned over to me in the stands during a Northwood rout of a frustrated college JV squad. Laughing, he said, ‘You guys don’t play games; you give clinics. That Fleming is a hell of a coach.’ That moment was repeated countless times during Tom Fleming’s 21-year tenure. Various scouts would note different strengths: ‘Flem’s teams always come ready to play hard.’ ‘You’re not only the best team in the tournament, you’re the best disciplined and most sportsmanlike.’ And so on.”

He moved to Lake Placid, NY, and over the next decades established Northwood as the premier prep venue for future college and even professional hockey players. Studying the numbers of his years at the helm here offers some impressive proof of his achievement:

Winning percentage - .753
Number of collegiate players coached - 250
Number of NHL players/Olympians coached - 8/6
Number of seasons with at least twenty wins - 20
Number of college captains coached - 62

Adds Tim Whitehead, “Number of players made aware of the importance of sportsmanship and fair play - every single one.”

Current assistant, Mike Payne, describes on exemplary moment:

“Two seasons ago, when one of our players disgraced the team and the school during a game at Culver Military Academy, I witnessed one of the worst displays of sportsmanship followed by the most astonishing acts of coaching I have ever seen. As I was ready to completely lose my cool and lambaste the player as he returned to the bench, Tom walked out onto the ice, grabbed the player by the jersey, walked him to the opposing team’s bench and made him apologize face-to-face with each member of the Culver coaching staff. This on-the-spot thinking and level-headedness saved face for the Northwood program that day.”

THE JIM FULLERTON AWARD: Named in honor of the former Brown University hockey coach and AHCA spiritual leader, this award recognizes an individual who loves the purity of our sport. Whether a coach, administrator, trainer, official, journalist or simply a fan, the recipient exemplifies Jim.

2007 Recipient: Bill Brophy, Wisconsin and UM-D Media

Bill Brophy has covered college hockey for 30 years. He started his career at the Duluth News Tribune in 1973, covering the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and high school hockey in northern Minnesota five years.

A Minneapolis native, whose father George was scouting director and vice-president for the Minnesota Twins for 25 years, Brophy moved to Madison in 1978 and covered the University of Wisconsin hockey team for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1978 through 1996. He was a beat reporter for Bob Johnson’s “Backdoor Badgers” national championship team in 1981 and the Badgers’ title team in 1983 in Jeff Sauer’s first season as coach.

Brophy was sports editor at the State Journal from 1984 to 1996 and was columnist in Detroit when Sauer’s Badgers won the national championship in 1990. He also served as a color analyst on the Badgers’ radio network from 1991 until 2003, hosted college hockey radio shows in Madison for 10 years, and was a weekly contributor to Sauer’s TV show from 1990 until 2002.

A 1973 graduate of St. Thomas, Brophy has also served as the communication director for the Catholic Diocese of Madison since 1996 and this year, is serving as Public Relations Director for the Women’s WCHA.

Said former Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer, one of the many nominators, adds: “Brophy is truly the all time ‘Friend of College Hockey.’ He is a bad softball player, but enjoys it. An awful golfer but fun to play with. And most importantly, a great person to be with.”

THE JOHN “SNOOKS” KELLEY FOUNDERS AWARD: Named after the famed Boston College coach, this award honors those people in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

2007 Recipient: John Matchefts, U.S. Air Force Academy and Colorado College

A native of Eveleth, MN, Matchefts was a member of three Eveleth H.S. teams that won the Minnesota State High School Championships. He went on to be a captain and two-time All American at Michigan, playing varsity hockey from 1951-53. His playing career also included a number of years on the U.S. National Team, including the 1952 and 1956 (silver medal) Olympic Teams.

Following his playing career, he returned to Minnesota and spent more than a decade as a high school coach, at both Thief River Falls and Eveleth. In 1966, he began a five-year stint as head coach at Colorado College (Matchefts earned WCHA Coach of the Year honors in 1969) followed by 16 years at Air Force. In all, he won 207 games in 21 seasons. In addition to a distinguished playing and coaching career, John served on the rules committee for years. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in.

In nominating Matchefts, St. Olaf women’s coach John Bazzachini had this to say: “John was way ahead of his time as a coach. I have had the pleasure of talking hockey with many great hockey people. I would put John at the top of the list. John took the job at Colorado College over some other jobs because he wanted to do the same thing John Marriucci was doing at Minnesota. He wanted to give the American born player an opportunity to play college hockey.”

THE JOE BURKE AWARD: Presented annually to the person who has given outstanding contribution, support, and dedication to women’s ice hockey.

2007 Recipient: Sue Ring-Jarvi, Minnesota Girl’s & Women’s Hockey

Said Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson, one of many coaches forwarding this nomination: “Sue was, in my opinion, THE pioneer in girls’ and women’s hockey here in Minnesota. She began the University of Minnesota’s club team back in the early 70’s, conducted numerous camps and clinics to promote the sport in its infancy, organized and starred for the Blue J’s senior women’s team (which even traveled out East to play college teams), coached a high school girls’ team, and still plays women’s hockey today! She is the daughter of Jane Ring who won the award in 2003; however, I believe that Sue has made an even bigger impact on the sport than her mother. Her dedication, hard work, passion and love of the game are incredible. Had women’s hockey been an Olympic sport in Sue’s prime playing days, she would have been the team captain. She was way ahead of her time.”

Augsburg coach Jill Pohtilla is another of the nominators. She says, “She has made the most contributions to women’s hockey of anyone I know of. Her work has not only been significant in Minnesota, but has had significant impact across the country. Everyone in the State of Minnesota women’s hockey knows of Sue Ring-Jarvi. She has been a tireless worker, advocate and player for nearly 30 years.”

All of the awards will be presented at the AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet on the evening of April 28, except the Joe Burke Award, which will be presented at a special women’s coaches reception on April 25. Both events will take place at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club in Naples, FL.

Click here to view all past winners of these awards