Author: Amanda Thornton

Concussion Discussion

Concussions are serious, cumulative and a risk in hockey. Here’s what to watch out for in your teammates after any impact, particularly involving the head:

USA Hockey – Concussion Signs https://www.usahockey.com/safety-concussions:

  • Appears dazed or stunned
  • Is confused about assignment or position
  • Forgets sports plays
  • Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
  • Moves clumsily
  • Answers questions slowly
  • Loses consciousness (even briefly)
  • Shows behavior or personality changes
  • Can’t recall events prior to hit or fall
  • Can’t recall events after hit or fall

What happens when signs are noticed

Captains and HOps will bench skaters after a concerning impact out of an abundance of caution.

If you lose consciousness as a result of an impact, we will call your emergency contact and/or the ambulance.

Concussions alter a person’s perception temporarily and can compromise their judgment of the situation – thus the person involved is not a reliable witness. We encourage teammates to speak up on behalf of each other.

We will not require a doctor’s note to return, but we encourage you to get evaluated by a medical professional if possible and take all the time you need to return.

For more info, read the CDC website https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/index.html

Team Practice Schedule 11/14 and 11/21

These next two weeks are going to be focused on practices. It’s the perfect time to bond with your team and get to know the fine people you’ll be playing hockey with for the next several months! After these two weeks, we’ll have one week of challenge games on Thanksgiving weekend (more to come on that later) then we’ll start our season games on December 5th.


Here’s the practice schedule (pay attention to L1 and L2 and remember that L1 is the lower level and L2 is the upper level):


November 14:

Rink A:

  • 5:00 PM: L1 Green and L1 Orange
  • 6:10 PM: L1 White and L1 Purple
  • 7:20 PM: L1 Light Blue and L1 Red
  • 8:30 PM: L1 Black and L1 Yellow

Rink B:

  • 4:30 PM: L2 Yellow and L2 Black
  • 5:40 PM: L2 Light Blue and L2 Red
  • 6:50 PM: L2 White and L2 Purple


November 21:

Rink A:

  • 5:00 PM: L1 Black and L1 Purple
  • 6:10 PM: L1 Green and L1 Red
  • 7:20 PM: L1 White and L1 Yellow
  • 8:30 PM: L1 Light Blue and L1 Orange

Rink B:

  • 4:30 PM: L2 White and L2 Red
  • 5:40 PM: L2 Yellow and L2 Purple
  • 6:50 PM: L2 Light Blue and L2 Black

Membership Applications and Board Nominations for 2021-2022 Season

Hello everyone! It’s that time of year again! Time to call for new members and nomination for the 2021-2022 board. Membership is the next level of involvement in the MGHA community. Members apply, get voted in, and then can vote on board members and referendums. More details below.


TL;DR: Want to be a member? Go here and apply by April 27th. You’ll need a sponsor, there is a list of current members on the page. We will confirm your application so if you don’t hear from us after 24 hours, please email board@madisongayhockey.org. Last year we noticed a few applications went missing.

Want to be a board member or know someone who should be? Send an email to board@madisongayhockey.org with “Board nomination” as the subject. Remember the nominee needs to be a member by May 16th.

Voting for new members by current members will take place online from April 29th – May 9th

Voting for board members will occur at the annual member meeting via Zoom on May 16th (tentative)
Questions? Email the board anytime and/or attend the Board/Membership 101 session on April 25th at 6:30pm – details to follow.


Longer version: For those unaware, about a month after the season ends, we have a membership season wrap-up meeting. This is where we welcome new members, elect board members, and vote on any referendums that will likely affect the coming season.   


What we are looking for: Membership Nominations for Membership! Membership application is open to anyone who has completed a season with us (no, the 2020-2021 season does not count). If you would like to become a member, you will need to have an existing member sponsor you. If you don’t know who is a member or you haven’t heard of this already, please go here: https://www.madisongayhockey.org/resources/membership/ That is the explanation of membership, the list of current members, and the form to apply, how convenient!
We will be taking membership nominations up to the end of day April 25th, so you have some time, but do it sooner rather than later! This is so members have time to vote on new members to confirm if they can be board nominees or not. Membership voting will be from April 29th to May 9th.

Board Member Nomination Second, we are looking for Board Member nominations! If you’d like to nominate someone other than yourself, please do so by April 25th. This will allow nominees some time to consider and accept or decline.  Please note, you MAY nominate yourself. If you are currently not a member or the person you are nominating is not, that is okay, just note that you/they must be voted in as a member first to be considered for the Board (ie, fill out the membership application form above).   Please submit your nominations via email to the Board with the subject “Board Nomination.” We will inform nominees and if they wish to accept, they can submit a written statement to be placed on the website. Nominations are allowed up to and including the member meeting.

Voting Membership voting will be done as usual through the website by current members from April 29th-May 9th.
Board member voting will be done in person remotely at the End of Season Meeting. This is tentatively May 16th remotely. A confirmation of this will follow as well as reminders of voting and the meeting. With the current pandemic, attending the remote meeting will need to suffice as “in-person” for purposes of voting for the board.
Accepted new members and the board nominees (if they accepted the nomination) will be placed on the website on the 9th of May. Listed board nominees will only be posted if they were accepted as a member. Please review their statement on the website and be prepared before the meeting. The goal here is to remove the nomination/discussion piece that elongates the end-of-season meeting and has been a source of discomfort in the past. This removes some of the social engineering and allows for more careful consideration of all nominees. We will still permit in meeting nominations to the board. We will still permit a short speech by each nominee if they wish to have the floor (the Whip will keep this on a time limit equal to all). This structure may of course be discussed at the meeting during open floor discussion.

2020-2021 League Deposit Now Open

Returning player registration deposit is now open! https://www.madisongayhockey.org/product/2020-2021-league-deposit/

We are proceeding as though we will have a “normal” season but we are lowering the deposit to $5 to not tie up funds for folks in the case that we have to cancel (all deposits and dues will be refunded if there is no season).

We will be following all USA Hockey https://www.usahockey.com/playersafety and Capitol Ice Arena guidelines for COVID at minimum, and may add more safety requirements.

We may look at starting the season a little differently, possible later start, fewer skaters on the ice for clinics, but hope to be able to start the league games in November as usual while following safety guidelines.

We understand not everyone will feel comfortable playing at all and may wish to sit out this season. We respect that choice and it will not compromise any eligibility for future seasons.

Registration Details:

– Dues will be $300 total. $5 deposit plus $295 due at season start. Goalies will also have $5 deposit and have $95 due at season start. Financial assistance will be available, you can fill out the form here: https://www.madisongayhockey.org/joining/financial-aid/

– We will keep our Sunday evening time slot at Capital Ice, September(??) through March, so mark your calendars.- All last season’s players will be able to register. Alumni (previous players that didn’t play last season) in good standing will be able to register in the returning player registration window provided they email recruiting@madisongayhockey.org to have their status updated.

– Choose your league preference. Subbing across leagues will be allowed. You can also update this field in your user profile: login, go to your account info https://www.madisongayhockey.org/account/ and scroll to the bottom.

– End of business day July 19th is the deadline for returning players. After that date, returning players will be treated as new recruits and subject to waitlisting.

– USA Hockey registration still required by season start https://membership.usahockey.com/

We do have some folks with outstanding balances from last season. Our new treasurer is still working through the list. If you know you did not pay the amount you had arranged to pay, please do so or fill out the financial aid form, or contact Gene at treasurer@madisongayhockey.org to make arrangements. Failure to do so may risk your ability to play with us in the future.

Looking forward to seeing you on the ice!

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. Unequivocally. Inarguably.

To all Black lives: We stand with you. We condemn the murderers of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and so many others, and the white supremacist structures that enabled and emboldened them. It is not enough, however, to condemn these murders as a singular moment in time; our league strives to be an anti-racist organization and we have more work to do to make hockey – and our country –  accessible and welcoming for all folx, most acutely our Black and POC friends within the organization and beyond.

To the MGHA Family: We stand together. We cannot stay silent or turn away and continue to claim we are an inclusive community serving groups traditionally marginalized in hockey.

“…We are especially committed to providing opportunities for those who have historically felt uncomfortable in traditional sports settings to learn and teach ice hockey in a safe, supportive, and fun environment. We aspire to the highest standards of sportsmanship and promote integration of the wider Madison community into the gay community.”

This is the mission. This is what we all signed up for, to stand and support each other and reach out, support, include, and ensure the safety of those who have historically felt uncomfortable in traditional sports settings. Right now that means focusing on the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community shouting for their humanity and right to not be murdered by the unjust structures in which we are all complicit. It means making systemic updates in our league processes to intentionally include more Black owned business and reach out to more QTPOC communities. It means educating ourselves and each other, and taking action against racism in our community.

As an all-white board, we feel it important to acknowledge that our organization is not as diverse or inclusive as it could be at present, and we want to ensure our intention of making an organization that is inclusive for all queer and trans folx matches our impact in making hockey an inclusive and accessible space for everyone including BIPOC folx. We have more work to do.

We will commit to being more intentional with our dollars and time prioritizing Black owned and QTPOC businesses and community organizations for our events and fundraisers. In addition, we will continue to educate ourselves and our community on injustice and inequity, and how each creates barriers to entry and participation in our league, and re-commit to doing the work of making our community more inclusive and welcoming for people of color.

Recruitment will continue to prioritize POC applicants and we will work with QTPOC community organizations to improve our recruitment strategies. Financial aid resources will continue to be allocated specifically to ensure that finances are not a barrier for participating in the sport in acknowledgement that hockey has historically excluded POC from playing.

Finally, in the first week of Pride, it is important to acknowledge the origins of Pride. We must not forget that Pride was not a parade – it was a riot that fought the perpetual violence against BIPOC, specifically trans women of color. We need to center the needs and contributions of our QTPOC players, and our white folx within the league need to spend time listening and learning. Human rights are not negotiable. If we are to combat the systemic nature of racism and the racist structures in our society, it will take each and everyone one of us to do our part to dismantle those systems in the search for justice.

It takes all of us listening, standing up, and taking action.

In solidarity,

The 2020-2021 MGHA Board

2019-2020 MGHA All the Way Award Winners

Here are this year’s winners and the nice things their teams had to say about them! Lots and lots of you were nominated for wonderful and encouraging efforts. Props to everyone.

Avalanche Avengers Keith Westpfahl Keith brought laughter, confidence, and compliments to everyone on the team. He was always looking for ways to get the new players the opportunity to score their first goal. He kept connections with teammates off ice as well and was always available to jump in and help other teams fill sub spots. He is the perfect example of a model teammate.

Black Mirror Sean Hubbard He was always encouraging and coaching from the bench and on the ice. He was generous with the puck as well.
His play was inclusive and cooperative and he was encouraging and supportive of players of all skill levels. Sean is a great teammate!

Blue Moons Paul Weber His game-time cheering gives the entire team (and the opposing team!) a punch of energy and sense of fun, but it’s his genuine appreciation of his teammates and never-ending willingness to provide both complements and help off-the-bench that makes Paul above-and-beyond the embodiment of the MGHA way.

Cordon Blue Laur Rivera Laur always came to every game with a positive mindset and ready to do her best. She goes the extra mile to check in on teammates and make sure everyone feels comfortable and accepted. Laur exemplifies all MGHA values and exceptional sportspersonship!

Dumpster Fire Jen Lawrence Jen only ever has encouraging and supporting words for her teammates and opponents. She plays hard, but still in a way that it makes it a safe environment for everyone. Super helpful and a great team player!

It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Cheesy Lori Prechel Lori was a consistently positive, hard-working presence on and off the ice. Even after suffering an injury that kept her off the ice for what turned out to be the rest of the season, she continued to come to each and every game, put on her helmet and cheer on everyone from the bench. She represents the best of what the MGHA is about, and it was a joy to be her teammate.

Wild Things Rob Kalejta Rob was an invaluable asset to the team this year. He was a constant source of helpful guidance on the bench and on the ice, he had a great attitude for every game, and he consistently played thoughtful, inclusive hockey. Rob leverages his knowledge and experience in the league to mentor the less experienced players, and to provide guidance during intermissions between periods.

Yellow Submarine Doug Haltinner He was a great presence on the team — always positive in the locker room (and fun), always enthusiastic, and always working to improve his and the entire team’s game.

Monsters Matty Brausen Matty was new to the league this year, but immediately took to the concept of playing the MGHA way. As an experienced player, he quickly learned how to adjust his play style, and always worked collaboratively with his linemates to help create plays. On the bench and in the locker room, he was always upbeat and inclusive. He even dyed his hair blue to match our team’s jerseys!

Sacre Bleu! Daniel Burkhardt Daniel is an unselfish player, willing to play anywhere the team needs him. He always makes an effort to include everyone on the team; in the locker room, on the bench, and on the ice.

The Devils Wear Prada Chuck McKain In this new world of divisions, he was always positive, never really was overly physical or upset when the other team was,  and he helped many others on the team learn to play at a higher level.

The Juice Sarah Bottjen She constantly brought good vibes to the team and was the impetus behind the squirt squirt patch!

The Shrek Republic Ryan Ziltner Ryan was so positive socially and played the MGHA way, contributing to an overall excellent experience for everyone on our team. He organized our team holiday party, brought everyone holiday gifts of rainbow hockey tape, and volunteered to perform at the MGHA Classic Drag Show fundraiser.

Ugly Pucklings Gabby Grandin Gabby was a great captain – she spent time each game teaching us something about how we could be playing as a team, she had great spirit and infected the rest of us with it, all while also keeping us rowdy ducks in check. She not only co-led the team, she did it with panache.

CANCELLED – Remainder of the 2019-2020 MGHA Season

Due to the Mayor and Dane county officials’ announcement today banning gatherings over 50 people due to COVID-19 and our wish for the safety of our hockey family, we are going to cancel the remainder of our season (3/22, 3/29, and 4/5). It’s a disappointing end to our season, for sure, and it is the best decision we can make to help keep folx healthy and safe.

We don’t want anyone to have to decide between their own health and their hockey team. Lots of us (including myself) view hockey as family and would do most anything to keep from feeling like we’re letting that family down. This cancellation is so you don’t have to make that call.

What we did manage to do this season!

6 weeks of clinics including a 4 week spirit tournament

2 weeks of team practices

2 challenge weeks

14 weeks of league games

(That’s a total 24 weeks of hockey we squeezed in!!)

14 fantastic teams and team names (and like a bazillion clever jersey names)

Taught over 40 people how to play hockey (whaaat?!?)

Grew to the largest gay hockey league IN THE WORLD with 196 players (take that, Toronto!)

Participated in Hockey is for Everyone events with the Capitols, Milwaukee Admirals, and Chicago Blackhawks

Raised a bunch of money for Vivent at our Blades Against Aids fundraiser

Three new league sponsors

Made new friends/connections/teammates

Countless actions big and small by a TON of people that made this season happen, thank you all

What’s coming up?

Essay entries and winner announcement soon (you might cry, sorrynotsorry)

More rainbow sweatshirts available soon (I hope, haven’t heard from the printer, but they were in process a week ago) – shipping options will be available

Lots of practice time at home (we’ll add a page of resources and your recommendations)

Maybe some virtual hangouts (researching now if folx have ideas?)

A super fun party/championship night at some point

Summer scrimmages (as soon as we get the all clear, we will get those scheduled)

What’s also delayed/on hold?

Classic Tournabout show will be postponed to a later date (TBD)

TeamTrans Friendship Series will also be postponed until a later date (TBD)

Classic Tournament is cancelled, hoping to reschedule. Refunds will be issued as soon as we can.

Other stuff

Membership applications are still open. We will discuss the logistics of the end of season member meeting (where the board gets voted on) at our upcoming virtual board meeting this week.

What we will be looking forward to, when the infection curve is sufficiently flattened and manageable for health care workers and facilities, is renting ice on an upcoming Sunday (TBD) and hopefully having our championship night complete with potluck and league picture. We realize the later into the year that we push, we will be bumping against other sports leagues, long awaited travel, and other fun things. Subbing and such will all still be in place.

To the health care and sanitation workers, medical researchers, daycare workers, Epic folx, and everyone else in our family that continues to work to keep things running, thank you for putting yourselves in harm’s way to help others. To the rest of us that can stay home, thank you for doing what you can to lower infection rates and keep the load on those other folx as manageable as possible.

With gratitude for a successful (yet somewhat abbreviated) season,

Amanda

on behalf of the Board

2019-2020 Essays: What Madison Gay Hockey Means to Me

As the season enters the home stretch and we’re all a little sad thinking about hockey ending and not see our teams and friends on the regular, it’s time to reflect on what hockey has meant to us as individuals. We all are changed in some way by being a part of this league and community. Writing and sharing our experiences helps others learn and grow and new players see a potential path for themselves. Our Lives Magazine runs an essay contest on this subject each season and the winner gets published in the magazine as well as their dues paid in full for next season.

All are encouraged to write an essay. All 2019-2020 league participants are eligible for this contest except previous winners.

More explanation of this as well as previous essays can be found here https://www.madisongayhockey.org/about/what-gay-hockey-means-to-me/

Please send your essay submission to president [at] madisongayhockey.org. Essays will be read and voted on by members of the current board and captains who do not enter this year’s contest.

Deadline is Tuesday March 3nd!

Milwaukee Admirals Pride Night Feb 5th 7pm in MKE

The Milwaukee Admirals are having a Pride night February 5th, 2020 and we’re going! Anyone interested can purchase tickets through the link below (send to your friends if they would like to go as well) and a portion of the proceeds come back to the MGHA.

Two ticket options available $20 and $30 (includes a beanie) https://fevo.me/mgha

We can buy more than 5 tickets but if you’d like to buy more the 5 AT ONCE, give Colton a call (contact info at the link). He set aside a few rows of 5 for us so we can sit together and if we need more, he’ll get it done.

If you plan to go, can you also please fill out this quick poll Hafner put together to see how many we’re sending, possible carpooling, and see if we can get anyone there for the high five tunnel as the players take the ice before the 7pm game (6:30pm-ish)?

If you’d like to go and need assistance with a ticket, email president [at] madisongayhockey [dot] org

Missing ice time? (Local info)

Of course you are!
We have a page on our website (#RandiIsMagic) that lists the open skates and open hockey around town that have an RSS feed. 

https://www.madisongayhockey.org/hockey/local-ice-rinks/

Sun Prairie also has some stick and puck times that don’t show up in their public skate calendar (and therefore don’t get picked up by our page) https://www.sunprairieice.com/page/show/1012411-calendar

The Shell has some as well: link

Wondering what to do when you get there? Check out our Skills and Drills page from Libs and Chuck https://www.madisongayhockey.org/hockey/ice-hockey-skills-and-drills/

Stick and Puck time usually requires helmet and gloves at minimum protection, full gear is also great. Most places require you bring your own puck as well. Please review the policies for the venue and session you plan to attend.

See you on the ice!