Author: k8 walton

My parents saw Wayne Gretzky play in his first professional game, and all i got was this lousy toque. (Also, i am way less cool than my profile picture makes me appear.)

2018 Membership Voting

The following people have applied for membership in the MGHA. Please click on their name to see each person’s application. Once you’ve read the applications you can click on the boxes to the side of their names to vote; voting “Yes” means you are voting for this person to become a member, while voting “No” means that you are voting against their becoming a member.

Voting will be open from now until Friday, May 18th, in order to allow time to notify applicants prior to the Annual Member Meeting. You may change your votes at any time until voting closes.

You must log in to vote.

As a reminder, the Annual Member Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7pm at Glass Nickel East.

2018 Annual Member Meeting

Annual Member Meeting
Wednesday May 23rd
7pm
Glass Nickel East
2916 Atwood Avenue

The 2018 Annual Member Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7pm at Glass Nickel East. This meeting is for members of the league; the primary purpose of this meeting is for the election of a new board of directors. 

If you are not a member but would like to be one: New applicants may go to the Membership page and fill out an application by Sunday, April 29th. In order to become a member, you must have played at least one year with the league, be aligned with the MGHA mission, and have sponsorship from a current member. We also ask for a commitment to serve the league, either formally or informally. Membership is your way to be involved in making decisions for the league. 

If you would like to run for the Board of Directors or nominate someone to run: Please email president@madisongayhockey.org with an email stating your intention to run or your nomination. You may choose to declare your intentions any time between now and the start of the meeting; nominees will have until the start of the meeting to accept or decline a nomination, but may do so at any time. Per the Bylaws, voting for the Board of Directors must be done in person at the Annual Member Meeting–in other words, you must be present to vote. 

A formal agenda will be sent to members prior to the meeting. If you have anything you would like to see discussed, please email the Board or President. 

On behalf of your 2017-18 Board (Matthew, Shelly, Sara, Tim, Randi, Amanda and myself),
-k8, President
they/them

2018 MGHA All the Way Award Winners!

Hi friends! The season may be over, but there’s plenty more to come. Keep your eyes on your email, as we have several important announcements to come over the next couple of weeks.

Before we get too far into the summer, though, we wanted to share the text for the MGHA All the Way Award winners. The text was written by that team’s captain(s). We’re really proud of how everyone played this year–it was a great season and we’re sad it’s already over. Also, a giant thank you to Anna Cates for captain-herding and getting the trophies ordered. <3

Congrats to our All the Way Award winners, and to everyone for their contributions this year!

Ghostbusters:
The ghostbusters nominate Nick Raffa for the all the way award.  This is Nick’s first season, and he came onto the ice ready to learn and have a great time.  He always has a positive attitude and has a real love for the game. In fact, just tonight he said it’s one of the best decisions he has ever made.  He has really improved a lot (and even scored his first goal!) since we began back in October, and he works hard at it.  He really does embody what the MGHA is all about.

Blue Oxen:
Heather Dzick. Heather is a player who was consistently in high spirits no matter whether we were winning or losing. Her positive attitude made her a delight to play with and brought lightness and levity to our team.

Pumpkin Disorderly:
Natalie Miller. Natalie has been an awesome player from the start. She constantly shows up to games with more energy than anyone else. She is positive and motivating throughout and always pumps people up. On top of that Natalie is a good friend and often sticks around to support those that need it. There are few people that embody the MGHA spirit as well as Natalie!

Blunicorns:
John Stephany.  John is eternally positive on the bench and in the locker room before and after the game.  On the bench John’s cheerleading is so loud and infectious that occasionally the other team joins in.  In the locker room after the game the first thing we routinely hear, win or lose, is John’s pronouncement that”…well, that was a hoot.”

John is always welcoming to everyone, plays inclusive hockey, and is the league’s loudest in-game cheerleader. He has also worked tirelessly both on the ice and off to make the MGHA a welcoming place to play. (And…he’s totally not a spy.)

They Might Be Ducks:
Molly Costello: Whether on the ice or in the stands Molly’s bright smile and positive attitude can be felt throughout the arena. Her determination and encouragement for all her fellow teammates can be seen in the fun her team has with her. This MGHA all the way recipient embodies all that’s is the MGHA.

Basic Bees:
Our award winner is Connor Hagen. Connor always has a smile on his face. On the ice he’s constantly commending other players, is very supportive to everyone and is an amazing positive influence to all. He has grown so much from the beginning of the season and is always willing to try new positions. Off the ice he is genuine to not only his fellow teammates, but to everyone. He has been a joy to play with and get to know. BUZZ BUZZ!!!

Redrum:
Gene Zadzilka. A new addition to our league, Gene quickly proved that he fit right in. He was the brightest presence in the locker room. Always upbeat, win lose or tie, and the first to complement everyone else on a job well done.

Merlot:
Maggie Augustin. Maggie never gives up, and she does it with a smile. Her effort inspires those around her.  She has come so far as a player in a very short time. A great friend to all, on and off the ice!

Raisin’ Trouble:
On behalf of the Raisin’ Trouble team, we’d like to nominate our captain, Amanda Thornton.  In addition to the typical/expected duties of every captain, she goes above and beyond to support the team and reflects the true spirit of MGHA. Weekly team emails that include a new raisin meme each time, baked goodies for the locker room almost every week, making sure everyone, including our subs, feels welcome and is feeling good about their experience, facilitating awesome team curling event, hand decorating the pucks of the game for player recognition each week. She has earned lots of respect for all she gives — All The Way.

Black Sheep:
Nat Carlston. This award goes to someone who is always positive on and off the bench!  Was caught numerous times encouraging and putting up fellow teammates and other MGHA players during games most often right when you needed it most!  Willing to sub, share gear, listen to your every need, always around the rink wanting to learn as much about the game of hockey possible!  Nat is a cover story for the MGHA Hockey League!

MGHA Championship Night!

Hi friends!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, even hockey seasons. To celebrate all the fun we’ve had and to wrap up our twelfth season, we’ll be holding a Championship Night celebration on April 8th. We’ll have five games, so all teams will get to play; we’ll do player recognition, including 5 and 10 year players and each team’s MGHA All The Way Award winners, take a league photo on ice, and to cap it off we’ll have a potluck. We encourage you to attend the whole event if possible, and bring your friends and family to cheer you on!

Please note that we will start one hour earlier in order to have time for player recognition and the league photo. The schedule below has been updated and is as follows:

3:40pm: The Blue Oxen vs Ghostbusters
5:00pm: Blunicorns vs Pumpkin Disorderly
6:20pm: They Might Be Ducks vs Basic Bees
7:30pm: League photo!
8:00pm: Merlots vs Redrum
9:20pm: Raisin Trouble vs Black Sheep

We encourage the teams in the 6:20 and 8pm games to stay dressed after/be dressed before their games, and everyone else to wear their jersey before the photo.

Please sign up for the potluck on the Google Docs potluck sign up sheet, available in your email. We always need folks to bring things like paper plates and silverware as well as food. We’ll provide tables, but if you bring a crock pot or anything needing electricity, we recommend you bring an extension cord.

Finally, it’s time to choose your team’s recipient of the MGHA All The Way Award. The All the Way Award recognizes the player on your team who contributes something special to your team’s season. Who encourages everyone on the ice? Who learned everybody’s names and pronouns and made them feel welcome? Who has a great attitude in a game you’re about to lose 7-1? This isn’t about skill level, but someone who went out hard and had fun, and set a tone for the whole team with that example. Please send your nominations to your team captain ASAP.

Thanks everyone! It’s been a great season and we’re sad to see it come to an end.

On behalf of your Board, Social Team and Hockey Ops,
-k8-
they/them

MGHA Town Hall!

Hi Friends,

It’s time for our annual MGHA Town Hall!

The Town Hall is an informal gathering in which we talk about the state of the league. It’s your chance to talk to the board and your fellow players, get an update on some of the behind the scenes things going on in the league, and spend some time off ice with league folks.

The Town Hall will be held Monday, February 5th at 7pm at Glass Nickel Atwood We’ve reserved the basement room and will have it all to ourselves. Pizza will be provided by the board and there will be bar service available.

If you have anything you’d like us to discuss, please email us at board@madisongayhockey.org and we’ll add it to the agenda!

Also, good luck to those folks taking part in the pond hockey tournament this weekend! If you’re not playing, we encourage you to head out and cheer on your teammates and friends.

On behalf of your board (Randi, Amanda, Sara, Shelly, Matthew, Tim and myself),

-k8-

they/them

OMG Ten Spots Left!

Hey all! There are only ten spots left in the league, so if you know someone who’s thinking about signing up, or if you haven’t paid your deposit, now is the time. Log in and pay your deposit HERE. As a note, we will continue to prioritize players who meet our mission until the start of the pre-season on September 10th; at that time, we will open up to waitlisted players if there are spots available.

As a reminder, USA Hockey registration is due for returning players, and can be paid here.

Please let us know if you need assistance or have any questions!

On behalf of Recruiting (Randi, Amanda, Matthew, Logan, Patrick and yours truly),
-k8-
they/them

p.s. In writing this message, two more people have signed up, so we now have eight spots available. Get those deposits in!

USA Hockey Registration 2017

It’s time to register with USA Hockey! For liability reasons, all players must register with USA Hockey. Registration covers one year of play (September 1 to August 31).

IMPORTANT: You will NOT be allowed to step on the ice at a MGHA skills clinic, practice, scrimmage, game, etc., without being registered with USA Hockey.

How to Register with USA Hockey

  1. Go to: www.usahockeyregistration.com.
  2. Click the red “REGISTER NOW” button.
  3. For Registration Type, select “Ice Player/Coach.”
  4. Complete the form. Include payment of $45.
  5. You will receive a registration confirmation email with a confirmation # and bar code. Please forward this email from USA Hockey to k8 walton (registrar@madisongayhockey.org).

MGHA needs the entire email in order to scan the bar code and register you with our league.

(Note: If you play in more than one league, you only need to register with USA Hockey once per season.)

Email k8 with questions or concerns!

25 Spots Left!

Hi Friends!

We hope you’re having a great summer, and that your dreams of slicing across the cool surface of the ice are getting you through these August doldrums.

I am happy to announce that we have 125 players who have paid their deposit for next season, securing their spot. That means we only have 25 spots left in the league for 2017-18. If you’re hoping to return but haven’t paid your deposit, get on it! Log in and pay your deposit HERE.

If you know someone who’s thinking about joining us, get them moving! The new player application and FAQ can be found HERE.

And as always, if you want to return but need a little leeway on the money side of things, or if you know an alum or tournament player who wants to join up for this year, please email recruiting@madisongayhockey.org. Thanks, and we’ll see you on the ice!

 

-Recruiting-