15 #TPHTrained Selected in 2020 OHL Priority Selection

The 2020 OHL Priority Selection took place yesterday, seeing 300 players being selected to join OHL member team organizations. Yesterday’s selection saw 15 Total Package Hockey current student-athletes and alumni selected.

Round 1

Spencer Sova /// Erie Otters /// Detroit CoE

Round 4

Cutter Gauthier /// Kitchener Rangers /// Detroit CoE
Hunter Brzustewicz /// Barrie Colts /// Detroit CoE
Evan Konyen /// Sudbury Wolves /// Nashville Jr Predators Alumi
Rutger McGroarty /// Soo Greyhounds /// Detroit CoE

Round 6

Tyler Duke /// Saginaw Spirit /// Detroit CoE

Round 7

Nathan Lewis /// Kitchener Rangers /// Detroit CoE

Round 8

Seth Constance /// Flint Firebirds /// 8 Week Summer Program Alumni

Round 9

Zach Filak /// Sarnia Sting /// Detroit CoE

Round 10

Landon Macdonald /// Mississauga Steelheads /// 8 Week Summer Program Alumni
Brian Robertson /// Owen Sound Attack /// Detroit CoE

Round 11

Ryan Transit /// Sarnia Sting /// 8 Week Summer Program Alumni

Round 11

Keegan McArthur /// Sarnia Sting /// Nashville Jr Predators Alums

Round 14

Owen West /// Soo Greyhounds /// Tri State Spartans/Indy CoE Alumni

Round 15

Nick Sofikitis /// Flint Firebirds /// Detroit CoE

Total Package Hockey Cancels Jr Predators/Tri-State Spartans AAA Invitational and Suspends Access to Center of Excellence Campuses

Nashville, Tenn. – Total Package Hockey (TPH) announced this morning it has cancelled the Jr Predators/Tri-State Spartans AAA Invitational set to take place in Nashville this weekend, March 13-15. In addition, TPH has taken precautions with the TPH Center of Excellence as well, requiring all student athletes to work from home.

The health and well-being of our student-athletes and their families has always been a top priority and with the current coronavirus (COVID-19) circumstances, the decision to take these precautions has been made.

All seven of our operating Center of Excellence locations have suspended access to campus interaction. Considering the unfortunate situation, we are glad that our student-athletes will not fall behind academically. Although student-athletes are not permitted on our campuses, they will easily be able to maintain their course work through our online academic program.

As the coronavirus situation evolves, TPH will put safety and well-being first and follow the advice of medical professionals and USA Hockey.

One team! We got this!

Dear TPH Student-Athletes, Coaches, Volunteers and Parents,

What a past week it has been for all of us!  You are receiving this message because of hockey because hockey has connected us with you in some way at some time.  But this message really has nothing to do with hockey.  It has to do with being a team and taking care of one another our family, friends and the people in our community, to beat this virus, and win over the challenges it is laying out in front of us.

The formal message is below.  Please read it and please use it as a resource if you need it.  But today, we want to talk directly to you.  

We have cancelled tournaments, training and all TPH events over the past week, and will do so for at least the next 30 days.  All of this has been done to be proactive and to take precautions. Our heart goes out to all of you who will miss out on a chance to compete for a national championship, play your last game as a senior or compete in that end of the year tournament you were so looking forward to competing in.  This is extremely tough to accept, but with each door closed, a new one opens up to us, so take this time to think thru the next door, to look for that next opportunity, and when it opens up, maximize it and take advantage of it to the fullest.  You never know when that door may close.  As coaches, we always preach to play the game like its your last, train in the spring like its your last season and see opportunity and a chance to grow in all you do!

My good friend Brandon Walker who works for the Nashville Predators, recently posted this on his Facebook page:

“One thing to remember today – we are in charge of our kindness and attitudes.  We are gearing up for some weird and tough times.  No idea how long – days, weeks, months.  Either way things will happen that we have never experienced before.

To you it may just be an overreaction.  It may just be “the flu”.  To someone else it may be much more.  They may have a love one effected.  They may have financial implications with their employment.  They may not have the resources to be in their homes for several days or longer.

We never know what each other are going though and that needs to be respected.  Think before you speak.  Think before you post, none of us are experts.

Our compassion, staying positive together and showing kindness to others will help make today better.  We got this.”

Walks, you could not have said it any better, and thank you for sharing this with the world.  You are so right. We absolutely got this, together!  One team!  We got this!

Nathan Bowen

Chief Executive Officer

Additional Information:

TPH is committed to the safety and well-being of all our student-athletes, their families and our staff.   In the past 24 hours we have made decisions to physically close our Centers of Excellence (CoE), temporarily, and have cancelled the Jr Predators/Tri-State Spartans AAA Tournament scheduled for the weekend of March 13 – 15, 2020.  This is an unprecedented time and situation.  We felt that this was the best method to safe-guard our student-athletes and those who participate in, anddeliver our programming.  

The TPH vision is to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey.  Because of the virtual and on-demand nature of our business, specifically our Center of Excellence model, there is no reason why we will not be able to execute our vision moving forward, despite not having ice to execute it on.  In short, it’s business as usual for TPH, with a few necessary tweaks, alterations and additions on the way starting Monday.  

In reaching the decision to cancel tournaments, training and all TPH events for 30 days, we relied on information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization and other health officials.  It was apparent that one of the most effective means of reducing or slowing the spread of the virus was to take mitigation steps that keep people further apart.  The decision was not made because we had received notification that an infected person was in direct contact with anyone associated with any of our CoE’s or other programs or teams.  If we learn that someone in our program has had contact with an infected person, we will notify those who could be impacted.  We are in close contact with the facilities we operate in and gain information and guidance from them as to how they are responding to the situation.  Prior to making the decision to temporarily shut down the CoE’s, we had instituted a protocol in each of them that had a number of components.  Those included education of the students on the nature of the virus, symptoms to be aware of and to stay home if they exhibited any, heighten emphasis and awareness of the importance of frequent hand washing and other hygiene habits, increased sanitation of surfaces in our classrooms and other facilities, having a plan for continuing to support and monitor academic performance in the event of a temporary closure, and increased communication.  The source of this guidance and recommendations was the CDC.

We will continue to monitor the recommendations of the CDC as well as that of local health officials in the various communities in which we operate and keep you updated of relevant operational decisions as they occur.  Because the safety and wellbeing of all who participate in our various programs isour top priority, we have been recommending the following precautionary guidelines from the CDC to help keep peoplehealthy and prevent the spread of the virus:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer
Keep yourself and your children away from others who are sick
Stay home if you are ill, or if you are not feeling well
Teach children to cough and sneeze into their arm or elbow, not their hands
Clean and disinfect household objects and surfaces in your home
Avoid travel to destinations where the outbreak is prevalentor known

If you have symptoms or if you or your child are feeling ill, it is recommended you contact your doctor. You may need to be tested and told to stay home for up to 14 days to prevent the spread of the virus, even though you may not show immediate symptoms. Additionally, if you have traveled to affected areas, please be sure to follow the CDC guidelines and recommended quarantine protocols.

We encourage everyone to stay up to date about this information – See the resources below for the latest developments from the CDC.

 

Because this is a fast-moving and ever-changing situation, we want to assure you that we will be diligent in monitoring updates and following official recommendations from the public health authorities. Please stay tuned for further information from our team on this matter as the situation warrants.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Multiple #TPHTrained Athletes Named to 2020 NAHL Top Prospects Rosters

Yesterday the North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the rosters that will represent each team at the 2020 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Ten #TPHTrained alumni made these rosters and will compete in this event next month at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Below is our alumni by roster:

Central

Jed Pietila /// Michigan Hockey Advancement

East

Cannon Green /// 8 Week Program, Detroit CoE

South

Matt Hutton /// Nashville Jr Predators

Ryan Dickinson /// 8 Week Program, Detroit CoE, OHL Cup

Richie Parent /// Tri-State Spartans, Indy CoE

Nick Trela /// 8 Week Program

Selects Blue

Carson Riddle /// Detroit CoE, OHL Cup, World Selects Invite

Selects Blue

Tiernan Shoudy /// 8 Week Program

Selects Red

Samuel Brennan /// 8 Week Program, World Selects Invite

Grant Hindman /// 8 Week Program


About NAHL Top Prospects

The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is one of the most highly-scouted events in junior hockey.  Last season, over 220 scouts attended the event, which featured almost every NHL team and NCAA Division I school. It continues to be an important part of the NAHL event model, which includes the NAHL Showcase in September and the NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship in May.
The number of players each NAHL team is sending to the tournament, in which teams from the four NAHL divisions: Central, East, Midwest and South and two NAHL Selects teams, was based on each team’s winning percentage within their group as of January 21, 2020. Each team is comprised of 18 players (10 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies).
One of the things the NAHL does better than any other junior league is seeing their players earn an NCAA opportunity while playing and being showcased in the NAHL. To date, 175 players have already made an NCAA commitment during the 2019-20 season. The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament plays a big role in that success, with over half of the players who played in last year’s Top Prospects Tournament, earning an NCAA opportunity following their participation in the event. The event continues to provide the hundreds of NHL and NCAA scouts in attendance with a look at the best, uncommitted players the NAHL has to offer, as well as, some potential NHL Draft picks.

2020 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament Schedule (all times eastern)

Monday, February 17th 
12:00pm: South vs. NAHL Selects Red
2:30pm: Midwest vs. East
5:00pm: Central vs. NAHL Selects Blue
Tuesday, February 18th 
10:00am: NAHL Selects Red vs. Midwest
12:30pm: East vs. NAHL Selects Blue
3:00pm: South vs. Central

TPH and Sequoia Choice Strike Academic Partnership

Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce a partnership with Sequoia Choice, an Arizona public charter school that will help deliver the TPH-Edmentum NCAA-accredited, customized, blended academic learning experience to student-athletes at its eighth Center of Excellence, which will open its doors at the Ice Den Scottsdale for the 2020 school year.

 

“We feel extremely fortunate to be entering into an academic partnership with Sequoia Choice,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said.  “Sequoia will implement the same rigorous, robust Edmentum curriculum and CoE learning experience provided across all of our Centers of Excellence, to our student-athletes at our TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence.  The leadership within Sequoia schools are passionate about student success.  Their motto of ‘every child is individually known’ makes them a perfect partner for us and Edmentum, and a perfect fit for our future student-athletes, who seek a flexible yet customized learning experience.  We are very excited about working with Sequoia to positively impact the lives of student-athletes at our Phoenix CoE.”

 

Sequoia Choice is a tuition-free Arizona public charter school and Legal Educational Agency of Edkey, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Sequoia was one of the original schools authorized by the Arizona Department of Education to provide distance learning services to Arizona students in grades K-12, and have continued to innovate and advocate for Arizona online schools since 1998.

 

Sequoia Choice will work alongside TPH and Edmentum to provide the CoE learning experience, one that is built on individualizing and customizing the learning experience based on where, when and how each individual learns best.  The Academic Site Coach and Sequoia leadership will push TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence attendees to produce positive academic outcomes, which Bowen says, is one of the primary goals with the Center of Excellence model.

 

“We always say that hockey training is the intrigue that drives interested families to the front door.  Hockey is what gets them interested in the model.  But we believe it is our responsibility to give student-athletes every opportunity to not only achieve their hockey goals, but their academic goals as well.  The CoE model allows our student-athletes to dream big and chase hockey, academics and career all at once.  This announcement puts us in a great position to ‘exceed expectations,’ which is the mission of Total Package Hockey.”

 

Interested in learning more about the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence?  Click here.