It seems like the 2022-23 season just ended, but we are ready to get back onto the ice at IHONC.  Our 2023-24 Applications for New and Returning members are now in the forms library.  Please fill them out as soon as possible and send them in to Steve Levins via USPS. 

Please note, this season we will not be charging a registration fee to join IHONC.  What we will require is that all members attend at least 2 meetings during the season (September through January).  Please also note that many of these meetings if not all will be via Zoom.  We are hoping this makes it easier for us to gather all members together for 1-2 hours a month and put forth a unified message for the membership.

On the other side of this, if members can not make the 2 meeting minimum, they will be assessed a $25.00 fine, which was the old registration fee amount.

If anyone has any questions, they can reach out to me.  I hope you all have a great remaining of the off season and can't wait to see you all back on the ice.

Fellow Officials,

 

I hope your last days of summer are going well and you are ready to start the 2021-2022 youth hockey season.   Here are some pieces of information that will be important for anyone who will be officiating this season.  

 

IHONC Monthly Meetings 

 

Our first membership meeting will occur on the zoom platform in September.   More details to follow.  

 

 

New Rules

 

Effective for all games on or after September 1, 2021 the New USA Hockey rule book and all its applications must be used in all games.  No exceptions.   Be sure to familiarize yourself with all the changes as some are significant.  These changes will be gone over thoroughly at each USA Hockey seminar as well as at our first membership meeting in September.  However, if you are going to work games you are responsible for proper rule knowledge and application.  I have uploaded in the Forms section of our web site a presentation Kevin Redding is using with organizations that covers the rule changes for this season.

 

Seminars

 

Seminars have been uploaded to the USA Hockey page.  Do not worry there are more seminars to come.  There was an issue at the last minute with venues that had been secured to host seminars.  Those venues determined no outside groups would be able to utilize their facilities.  Other facilities are being secured that will host the USA Hockey seminars.  Stay tuned for a blast communication from Kevin Redding in the near future.

 

USAH/CHC Covid-19 Guidelines

 

The USAH/CHC Covid-19 Guidelines are uploaded in the Forms section of our web site.  Masks are required by all players, coaches, officials, off ice officials, and spectators for all USA Hockey sanctioned contests that are played in the state of Connecticut.  All rinks in the state of Connecticut are on board with this policy regardless of mandates or lack thereof in different cities and towns across the state.  Every game you accept from Steve Levins in the Arbiter is a USA Hockey sanctioned event.  Teams from out of state are also subject to the same mask mandates regardless of the rules they may play under in their home states.    As far as officiating is concerned, we are treating the mask as a piece of required equipment and penalizing infractions as necessary.  This is the same policy as last season.  Good news is the CCM Game On Masks that were not allowed last season have now been approved for use by all players and officials.  Officials may use their standard whistles as long as they can blow the whistle while wearing their mask.  Officials are not permitted to lower their mask to blow the whistle.   The use of Electronic whistles is also permissible while officiating USA Hockey games.    

 

Contact Tracing and Quarantining

 

Last season we alerted all officials if they were potentially exposed to a participant that had reported testing positive for Covid-19.  We will continue to do the same thing this season.  The CHC Guidelines attached define what a close contact is, define quarantine periods for those deemed to have been exposed, and define actions steps to be taken by those individuals who are fully vaccinated versus not vaccinated.  If you are deemed to be a close contact here is what to expect:

 

1.  A phone call from the IHONC President telling you that you were a part of a contest where an individual has reported testing positive for Covid-19.  You will be provided with the date and time of the game and your quarantine period will be determined based on those factors.  We can not disclose to you the person or persons who are reporting that they have tested positive.

 

2.  Each phone call is followed up with an email from the IHONC President as well as from Steve Levins.  Even though we always make every effort to communicate the information over the phone, an email is also sent so we have everything in writing.

 

3.  When you are eligible to work games because either your quarantine guidelines have been met or you are reporting that you are fully vaccinated and are not subject to quarantine we will need to have that in writing.  An email to the IHONC President and Steve Levins stating you are fully vaccinated, or you have tested negative on the required date, or you have completed your quarantine period and are symptom free, etc.  Once that email is received the official will be activated in the Arbiter as ready to be assigned.   

 

Things are sure to change this season as far as mandates and protocols are concerned.  We will keep the membership informed of any changes as soon as they are brought to our attention.  If you have any questions of concerns please don't hesitate to reach out for clarification.  

 

Good luck this season.  Work hard and stay safe.

 

 

 

Peter Egan

IHONC President

CT RIC Kevin Redding hosted a Town Hall via Zoom video on February 1st for all CT USA Hockey officials.  This article will provide a summary of the important topics discussed pertaining to the re-opening of youth hockey in CT in lite of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Should you have any questions, please direct to IHONC President Pete Egan.

 

  1. Officials MUST wear an ear looped medical or double layered cloth mask at all times when you enter the rink (including the dressing room).
  2. All players and team officials must be wearing a ear looped mask that covers their nose and mouth while on the player's bench, penalty bench or while on the ice.  There are no medical exceptions.  A face mask is considered proper equipment, and failure to wear the face mask needs to be penalized in the same manner as the rule book addresses mouth piece equipment violations.  This is a team violations, so the first warning is a team warning, subsequent violations are penalized.
  3. If a player's mask becomes dislodged during play, stop play and treat it just like if a player's helmet's becomes dislodged.
  4. Only active players and USA Hockey certified coaches are allowed in the bench area.
  5. Penalty bench tenders, scorekeepers and timekeepers are required to wear appropriate face masks at all time.
  6. Players and coaches are prohibited to spit and/or discharged an liquid from their mouth onto the ice.  If you see it, issue a warning (team violation just like the mouthpiece rule) and penalize for subsequent violations.  If you see it, but cannot identify the player or team official, a team violation bench minor will be appropriate penalization.
  7. Please ensure you have a electronic whistle (e-whistle) for use.  E-Whistle is required for all USA Hockey games.  We encourage you to carry a spare battery.  Also bring your legacy finger whistle with you on the ice if the event that your e-whistle malfunctions.
  8. Games are no longer consider curfew games, therefore you cannot cut the 3rd period unless the rink requires shortening of the game.
  9. There is not any interstate play between teams, meaning no out of state teams can play in CT.  The exception is the Pawling and Putnam organizations, which are both members of CHC.
  10. Do not get involved with any questions regarding whether there are too many spectators, whether spectators are social distancing, or whether they are wearing appropriate PPE.  That is the rink's responsibility.

 

To view Kevin's pdf slides, please go to ihonc.org/Forms Section--the file name is Feb 1st Town Hall.  Should you have any questions, please reach out to IHONC President Pete Egan.

Thanks, stay safe.

If you are a USA Hockey certified official new to the northern CT area, a new USA Hockey certified official, or interested in becoming a USA Hockey certified official, you will need to join a Hockey Officials Association.  IHONC services USA Hockey youth programs for the northern CT area (Cromwell and north).

To join IHONC, you will need to complete a new member application form, which you can download from this web site from the Forms section (2020-21 New Member Application).  Complete the form and send via mail with your membership fee to the address provided on the form.  Once your application is processed, you will be notified by email with additional information and instruction.  Please make sure that you provide a valid email address and your cell phone number.

If you are a new official, you may submit your application prior to completing your USA Hockey certification; however, we encourage you to complete your USA Hockey certification requirements in advance as you will not be eligible to work games until you are certified.  If you are a certified official for the 2019-20 season in good standing with USA Hockey, you may submit your new member application at any time and you will be immediately eligible to work games until December 1, 2020, at which time you must have completed your 2020-21 certification to work games thereafter.

You may visit CHC web page (chchockey.org) for additional information as to what you need to do to become certified with USA Hockey.  That site also provides information regarding USA Hockey CT seminar locations, dates and times.

Thank you for your interest and should you have any additional questions, you can email IHONC's Commissioner Steve Levins at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone should have received their Officials Registration 2018-19 Season email from USA Hockey.  You can begin your 2018-19 USA Hockey registration process now.  A couple quick reminders

1.  All officials MUST complete registration with USA  Hockey for the 2018-19 season.
2.  All officials MUST register to attend a USA Hockey seminar, attend the seminar and take a closed book exam at the seminar. Please visit chchockey.org web page, click on Referee menu and Seminar Information on the left side panel for a complete listing of CT seminar dates and times.  You must complete your USA Hockey registration before you can regisiter for a seminar. Note Level 1 officials are exempt from taking a closed book exam...but everyone renewing should be registering as a level 2 or higher I hope!
3.  All officials MUST complete and pass USA Hockey's open book exam on line.
4.  All officials that did not complete SAFE SPORT training for the 2017-18 season MUST complete that training (your USA Hockey account profile page will indicate whether you need to complete SAFE SPORT training).
5.  All officials MUST complete all required USA Hockey on line training modules.
6.  All officials that did not complete a SCREENING/BACKGROUND CHECK for the 2017-18 season MUST submit a screening request.  Please visit CHC.org web site, click on the Referee menu item, and then click on the Referee Screening Process link on the left side panel.  This page will provide all the necessary information you need to know.  In addition, if you're unsure whether you submitted a screen request last season, there is a link provided where you can check.  IMPORTANT;  do not submit a screening request if you are not required to--so please check before you proceed.  Here's the CHC.org link:  http://chchockey.org/Page.asp?n=109835&org=CHCHOCKEY.ORG.  You must complete your USA Hockey registration before you can submit a screening request.
7.  All officials MUST submit to IHONC a membership renewal application with payment.  The renewal application pdf document is now available on the ihonc.org web page under the Forms section.  This is available for public viewing, so even if you forgot your IHONC web account id or password, you can still download the form to print.  We will again require all renewal applications be mailed with payment (do not send cash).  Please don't wait until the last minute to get this accomplished!  

All 7 of the above steps need to be fully completed by November 30, 2018.  If you do not complete all 7 action items, you will not be eligible to officiate USA Hockey sanctioned games starting on December 1st until IHONC receives confirmation from USA Hockey (via CT RIC Barry Zalcman) and/or until IHONC receives your renewal application with payment.