Amateurism Update: Changes Continue

Following the AHCA Convention in May, the College Ice Hockey Commissioners Association agreed to pool resources and take out a $5,400 centerspread ad in the Draft Issue of The Hockey News, to explain where the NCAA stood on deregulating amateurism. Before the printing bill was even paid, the commissioners learned that the committee studying the issue had recommended changes that made much of what appeared in The Hockey News inaccurate.

In mid-June, the commissioners learned that the latest of many re-writes being advanced to the Management Council will recommend that for every year of Major Junior hockey a PSA plays, he will lose a year of eligibility in college. And this, for the first time since the issue was aired publically, includes Major Junior participation before high school graduation.

Regardless of whether this is good or bad, it is frustrating to those in the hockey community who have taken great pains to explain this situation to those thousands of members of the hockey community who are somewhat distant from the decision-makers. Where this latest change came from is somewhat unknown.

Advice to all concerned: don't make any plans until the final version is voted on, discussed, and voted on again (spring/summer 2001).

NCAA Committee Slots Open For Women

With the advent of the first NCAA Ice Hockey Championship for women in 2001, the sport will be recognized with its first representatives on NCAA hockey committees. The first NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Committee has been formed and it consists of Jackie Barto, Head Coach, Ohio State University; Carolyn Campbell-McGovern, Senior Associate Director, the Ivy Group, Karen Kay, Head Coach, the University of New Hampshire; Shannon Miller, Head Coach, the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Frank O'Brien, Director of Athletics, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point; and Russell Reilly, Director of Athletics, Middlebury College. It is interesting to note that this six-person committee will oversee a four-team tournament, while the men's committee, which requested an increase from its current four-person status and was denied, oversees a 12-team event.

As for the rules side of things, rather than form a separate women's committee, the NCAA has opted to replace current members of the rules committee with representatives of women's ice hockey interests as current members' terms expire. This will be done until a 50-50 split on the committee is attained. This September, Mike Sertich of Minnesota-Duluth and Glenn Thomaris of Elmira step down, to be replaced with women's ice hockey representatives from Division I and Division III, respectively. The NCAA is currently seeking nominations for these openings.

More All-American Teams Discovered

A helpful and anonymous letter turned up some additional All-American teams not listed in our research from a year ago. Credit goes to our helper and The Sporting News for coming up with AHCA Second Team Titan University Division All-Americans from three seasons. They are:

There is reason to believe that a second team was also chosen in 1983-84. If anyone has information supporting that, as well as any information pertinent to the above names, please contact Joe Bertagna.