New Playoffs Please Crawford
Bob Crawford was smiling this week when he arrived at the Bolton Ice Palace to conduct a hockey clinic. The former Hartford Whaler, who operates the Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, has added the Ice Palace to his organization's holdings and sees a bright future for youth hockey in the region.The immediate reason for Crawford's optimism was the announcement that USA Hockey's Junior Council has approved a national championship for Tier III Junior A teams. The first finals, matching two teams each from the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and the Eastern Junior Hockey League, will be March 26-27 at Iorio Arena in Walpole, Mass.
"That's something I really wanted to see," said Crawford, who has worked for a national playoff since becoming a regional administrator for USA Hockey in New England. "We think there will be more leagues involved in the future. This is just the start."
USA Hockey has long run national championships for its Junior B and lower level programs, while the two Junior A leagues, labeled Tier I (United States Hockey League) and Tier II (North American Hockey League), conduct their own championship playoffs. The AJHL and EJHL were granted Tier III Junior A status last spring.
Crawford credits USA Hockey vice president Dave Tyler for the major changes in Tier III.
"He is the driving force, nationally, behind the Tier III A movement and the national championship," Crawford said. "If not for all his work, it wouldn't have happened."
The two leagues' playoffs are next month. The EJHL semifinals will be at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass., while Holy Cross hosts the championship game at the Hart Center in Worcester. The AJHL championship game is scheduled to be played at Harvard.
For Crawford, the confirmation of a national championship came on the heels of a successful AJHL President's Weekend Showcase in Cromwell.
"We had an outstanding turnout from colleges," Crawford said.
Crawford attributed the attendance of many Division I college representatives to the rapid growth and acceptance of the 3-year-old AJHL. The EJHL is the older, more established circuit.
Crawford also has plans for more hockey at the Ice Palace. One goal is establishing a strong, split-season Midget League program that would commence in late August. The split-season format allows high school players to compete offseason in quality leagues, then play with their high schools before resuming Midget play in the spring.
