Posts by TPH
Widelski adds Leadership and Infrastructure to TPH Team
TPH is proud to announce that Riitta Widelski has joined the company in a newly created position titled Manager of People, Culture and Development. In her role, Riitta will be responsible for strengthening Human Resources-related infrastructure as well as working alongside TPH’s executive leadership team to improve synergy across the company, and innovate new ways for its team members to grow as leaders.
“Riitta is detailed, experienced and most importantly, passionate about her work,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “With our company growing at an accelerated pace, we felt it would be important to identify someone like Riitta to bring onto our team to help us improve what is currently in place, but also help us prepare to take another step forward. We are also excited about what Riitta is going to do to help our people improve. If the leaders and mentors in TPH grow and develop, we feel we will be in that much better of a position to make the student-athletes under our direction better. We hope our families, partners and prospective partners view Riitta’s hire as us further committing to our vision, which is to become the world-leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through sport.”
A native of Finland, Riitta brings 15 years of experience managing employee relations activities, employee hiring and training, leadership training and mentoring, as well as first-hand work in administration, compliance and policy implementation to TPH. She received Master of Human Resources and International Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of South Carolina. In addition, she holds Human Resources certifications and is a certified life coach.
“I am excited about the opportunity to join the TPH Team and contribute to the growth and development of the company. I look forward to working with the team to provide the best possible programs and sharing my passion for my work and youth development in this new role.”
All of us in TPH join CEO Nathan Bowen in welcoming Riitta to the team.
Two TPH Alumni Nominated for Hobey Baker Award
The 2021 Hobey Baker Nominees were announced Monday and TPH is excited to see both Declan Carlile and Zach Solow as two of the 50 nominees.
Named after Hobart Amory Hare Baker, the Hobey Baker Award is considered the top award in all of college hockey. The honor is bestowed on the student-athlete who exhibits strength and character, both on and off the ice; while additionally contributing to the integrity of the program, displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game and shows great scholastic achievement, and sportsmanship.
Just understanding the type of character and drive it takes to be considered for this award, it is an honor to be nominated. Now factor in that there over 4,300 NCAA Division I hockey players, which statistically puts these players in the top one percent.
In his second season at Merrimack, Carlile has displayed his ability on the ice leading Hockey East and second in the nation in blocked shots while also leading his team in plus/minus. Coming off a season where he was named to to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, the Business Administration major looks to help his team move up the Hockey East standings. Carlile is a TPH Detroit Summer Progression Program alumni.
As a senior at Northeastern, Solow was named captain this season and leads the team in scoring (11gp, 6g, 7a, 13p). Last season was memorable for Solow who was awarded the Beanpot MVP helping Northeastern win their third consecutive Beanpot title. Solow looks to continue helping the #14 Northeastern Huskies climb in the rankings. Solow is a Nashville Jr Predators alumni.
The Hobey Baker Award winner will be selected via a voting process. Anyone can submit their vote online. Click here to place your vote.
TPH Brings CoE Model to Chicagoland
TPH is pleased to announce the launch of its fourteenth Center of Excellence at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, IL. TPH will team up with the Windy City Storm to bring its Study, Train, Play academy-style model to all hockey players across Chicagoland, regardless of what club program they play for.
“This is an exciting day for TPH,” CEO Nathan Bowen said. “Not only is Chicago a hockey hot bed that we are thrilled to be expanding to, but today, we announce a partnership with an organization in the Windy City Storm that is committed to putting the athletic and academic needs of its players first. The Storm organization and its leaders are passionate about developing young hockey players, are progressive in their thinking and are eager to offer Chicago area hockey players an experience that will impact them on the ice, in the gym, in the classroom and most importantly, in life. We are fortunate to team up with the Storm to play a role in positively impacting the Chicago hockey landscape.”
Mark Jalcovik, minority owner and President of Business Operations for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, the parent club of the Windy City Storm, is enthralled to be adding what he calls “an educational training program” to the Chicagoland area.
“Everyone on our team is extremely excited to be partnering with TPH,” Jalcovik said. “I think the strongest reason for our excitement is the opportunity to create a full-time, skills and details-focused hockey program for kids who are serious about their sport and are looking for a full-time development experience. On our end, it has always been the educational part of what TPH provides that makes this relationship really enticing because we’re not experts in the education field. TPH really has that missing piece, and they give us the confidence that when the kids come into the program, not only are they getting a great experience through hockey, but we also trust that a quality academic experience will be delivered. We all know this is critical to helping aspiring elite hockey players take the next step in their career.”
TPH National Advancement Numbers as of January 2020
Anthony Noreen, President of Hockey-Operations and Head Coach of the Tri-City Storm says, “We are very excited to be partnering with TPH in bringing a Center of Excellence to Chicago. Over the past year, our group has set out to change the landscape of the Chicago hockey community by putting an emphasis on player development through high end training both on and off the ice. The TPH-CoE model allows us to provide the necessary resources to cater to an elite level student-athlete. This trusted model resembles the one we have used with Tri City in the USHL over the last few years and we expect it to maximize the development of the student-athletes in the program in the same fashion.”
The “educational part” that Mark Jalcovik previously referenced centers around TPH’s unique academic learning platform provided by Edmentum. The TPH-Edmentum platform will offer 6-12 grade Chicago hockey players a private school education and is designed to meet the demands of the aspiring elite male and female hockey player who desires structure, discipline and accountability, but requires the flexibility to pursue his or her hockey and career goals without the fear of missing school. The “blended learning environment” shaped by TPH includes academics on demand, with 24/7, fully accessible NCAA courseware and full-time instructors who are dedicated to the student-athletes across all Centers of Excellence. CoE attendees have access to their instructors as well as a virtual tutoring service, in the event academic assistance is needed after-hours or right on the spot during the CoE school day. A full-time Director of Academics will be on-site daily and will ensure that all student-athletes are held accountable, are studying in a positive learning environment and are receiving an experience that is tailored to when, where and how the individual learns best.
2020 TPH Center of Excellence National Academic Outcomes
“The CoE model is the way of the future for hockey players who want to pursue the game at the highest levels and also receive a quality education that will allow them to attend any university, regardless of whether or not hockey is the catalyst,” Jalcovik added. “It’s very important that our organization stays current and offers not just our own members, but all dedicated hockey players across the Chicagoland area an opportunity to be part of a program that allows them to pursue all their goals at once.”
The dedicated hockey players who attend the TPH-Chicago Center of Excellence will have the opportunity to Study, Train and Play on a mini-college campus in Palatine that will not only include an ice arena and locker room space, but a brand new, state-of-the-art training facility that is scheduled to open by the summer. In addition, TPH-Chicago will secure academic space that will allow its Center of Excellence to offer the individualized, customized learning experience that is synonymous with the CoE model.
“We say this all the time in TPH: culture beats cosmetics. That said, when you have both, the opportunities to positively impact the lives of student-athletes are endless,” Bowen added. “That’s something we really respect about Mark Jalcovik, Anthony Noreen, Ryan Ward and all the members of the Windy City Storm leadership team. They want the student-athletes who attend the Chicago CoE to have everything they need and a lot of what they want. Their goal is to provide a first-class, holistic experience to area student-athletes, and we are so grateful that they chose TPH to help deliver that.”
• Click here to apply to the TPH-Chicago Center of Excellence, which is the first step in securing your spot for the 2021-2022 school year.
• Click here to download our Center of Excellence brochure.
• Click here to request more information on TPH-Chicago and the Study, Train, Play experience.
TPH Wraps Up Big Tournament Weekend with 12 Champions
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has past and Total Package Hockey wants to thank the 75 teams that joined us at our two tournaments over the weekend. This past weekend we hosted the 2021 Bob O’Gorman Freedom Memorial Tournament in Huntsville, AL and the 2021 Jr Predators MLK Showdown in Nashville, TN. Across the two tournaments we hosted 205 games, saw 1269 goals, and crowned 12 champions. We would like to thank all of the players and their families for helping keep the rink a fun, competitive, and safe environment for these two event.
Congratulations to the teams that were victorious in their respective divisions as seen below:
2021 Bob O’Gorman Freedom Memorial Tournament Champions
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- 14U Division – Aftton American
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- 10U Division Jr. Revolution
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- 12U Division – Nashville All-Stars
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- 8U B Division – Atlanta Fire
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- 8U A Division Atlanta Bandits
2021 Jr Predators MLK Showdown Champions
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- 10U A – PEORIA JR RIVERMEN
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- 10U AA – ATLANTA FIRE
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- 11U AA – ST. LOUIS STING
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- 12U AA – CLEARWATER ICE STORM
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- 13U AA – CHICAGO HAWKS
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- 14U AA – ST. LOUIS EAGLES
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- 16U AA – WEST DUNDEE LEAFS
TPH to “Power Up” Seacoast Performance Academy
Exeter, NH: TPH is pleased to announce that it will be entering into a partnership with Seacoast Performance Academy (SPA) to power up the athletic, academic and life learning experience delivered to the 100+ student-athletes who are expected to participate in the SPA model for the 2021-2022 school year. TPH will provide operational, hockey and academic support from its existing Center of Excellence (CoE) model, to the staff at SPA, to maximize the impact made on the individuals and teams who attend the program located at The Rinks at Exeter in New Hampshire.
“TPH is honored to play a role in positively impacting the lives of the hockey players who attend Seacoast Performance Academy,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “The Seacoast Performance Academy’s brand, reputation and standards are already set. TPH is thrilled to simply step in and work alongside the entire team in Exeter, NH to raise an already high bar, add value and improve all-around quality, whether that be on the ice, in the weight room, or in the classroom. The goal here is to implement a structure that connects hockey, academics and mentorship, and synergizes the SPA experience. Our Center of Excellence Study, Train, Play model aligns perfectly with SPA’s focus of improving individual hockey development, offering life skills and learning experiences, and growing each individual to become a more mature, well-rounded person.”
“I have been watching TPH’s growth and increased commitment to quality from afar for the past few years and have been nothing but impressed with what I have heard from respected people in the hockey industry, and what I have experienced first-hand in getting to know Nathan and his great staff,” says Travis Bezio, the co-owner of the SPA program and The Rinks At Exeter. “TPH’s Center of Excellence model has played a critical role in helping hockey players advance to the Junior ‘A’ and college levels, and have the opportunity to attend top universities, whether hockey takes them there or not. Most importantly, like our model, the CoE prepares kids for the opportunities that await them in life.”
The one area SPA families can expect to see some change is in the academic experience and operational structure delivered to all student-athletes. As part of this partnership, TPH will bring its completely individualized, customized, NCAA-accredited learning experience, delivered by its academic partner Edmentum, to the classroom at Seacoast Performance Academy. Middle school and high school-age students who study at SPA will do so through Edmentum’s school, Ed Options Academy, and will receive a private school level education within TPH’s blended learning environment, which Bowen says, creates a “best-of-both-world’s scenario.”
“Student-athletes complete their coursework online and have the option to take school home or on the road with them every day,” Bowen said. “At the same time, when student-athletes are on-site, they study under the direction of academic leaders who are focused on fostering a positive culture, maintaining accountability and putting a learning plan in place for each individual based on where, when, and how he or she works best. Our layered academic approach ensures that when it’s time for our student-athletes to focus on hockey, whether its training at SPA or jumping on a plane to travel to games, they are on-pace or ahead in their courses.”
TPH Center of Excellence academic results nationally.
The TPH-Edmentum learning model offers students with live and on-demand lessons, accessible content-area instructors and virtual tutors who are available during and after the academy day, to support students in their core subject areas. Like in TPH’s Center of Excellence model, all core courseware will be individually tailored to the student-athletes who study at SPA. Honors, AP and foreign language courses are offered, and when not studying their core subjects, SPA students will have the opportunity to choose from a bank of over 80 elective courses and will also have access to Coach FA’s Mentorship Program, TPH’s very own fifteen-week leadership series, built for aspiring-elite hockey players like those who attend SPA.
While Bezio looks forward to Seacoast Performance Academy taking what he calls “the next step in our evolution” in utilizing the TPH-Edmentum education model, he expressed gratitude to the U.S. Performance Academy (USPA) for helping SPA grow its internal program over the past few years.
“I want to thank USPA for helping us build a solid academic foundation at our academy,” Bezio stated. “They have been great partners who have provided a quality learning platform for our student-athletes to study on. We are excited about the holistic learning model that the TPH platform provides and we are confident families will be impressed with the new level of support our student-athletes will receive in the classroom and building overall, not just virtually, but on-site as well.”
Bezio went on to say that “TPH has devoted a lot of time to building an education program that is specifically designed for student-athletes like ours. The TPH academic model allows for flexibility and freedom, but also maintains strong oversight and has accountability measures built in, so that our kids will be on track to perform to their highest standard. TPH also takes pride in creating social and real-world experiences within their Center of Excellence model that we will adopt here at SPA. Our students can expect guest speakers, community service projects and field trips that will help expand their perspective and assist them in becoming future leaders. Take what TPH does and mix it with what we presently do to develop our student-athletes, and you have a better, more well-rounded experience for all.”
TPH National Advancement Numbers as of January 2020.
As part of “powering up” SPA, TPH will make all components of its Hockey-Athlete Development Model available to all Seacoast Spartans and SPA coaches and instructors. Current Seacoast hockey staff members will have access to TPH’s Hockey Development library, which includes over 6,000 CoE, junior, college, European and NHL training clips, various player and team development presentations and resources, direct access to TPH’s Hockey Development Team and will be offered full participation in all TPH hockey staff development activities.
For Nathan Bowen, opening up “the TPH playbook” is the only possible way to create an experience that everyone involved in the TPH-SPA partnership will be proud of.
“Today, TPH and SPA become one family,” Bowen said. “We are an open book to Travis and his team, and we will provide access to anything and everything that they feel makes their operation stronger and makes their student-athletes and teams better. The TPH mission is to exceed expectations, and it is our hope that families will feel that Seacoast Academy, Powered by TPH, does just that.”
To learn more about TPH and the Center of Excellence mode, click here.
To learn more about Seacoast Performance Academy, click here.
TPH St. Louis adds staff, continues to see success through pandemic
(ST. LOUIS) – TPH and its Center of Excellence (CoE) in St. Louis are thrilled to add two more staff members to its family. Molly Porfidio has joined the team as an Academic Success Coach, and Ryan Hurston has been added as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
“For the development and growth of our student-athletes, Molly and Ryan will add an extra layer of accountability and instruction that will allow our students to take ownership for their development and be the best they can be,” said Philip McRae, Director of Hockey-Operation at TPH St. Louis.
Molly earned her Bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University where she double-majored in Secondary Education and English. In addition to being a licensed teacher in Missouri, Molly is also currently pursuing a Master’s degree in higher education from Lindenwood University. In her previous role, Molly worked for Lindenwood Athletics within the Academic Success Center, helping to mentor and monitor the academic progress of their student-athletes.
Ryan Hurston joins Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Bret Kelly in TPH St. Louis’ off-ice training of its students. Ryan will be assisting Bret and TPH’s student-athletes in the gym a minimum of twice a week. Ryan attended DePauw University and earned a degree in Kinesiology. He’s also on staff at Mercy Sports Performance in Maryland Heights.
“It’s going to be more hands-on training and instruction for individual student-athletes, which will only help them improve their off-ice training that much more,” said McRae on the addition of Hurston. “We’re excited to add Ryan to the off-ice training staff.”
Success in year one
In its first full year, TPH St. Louis saw tremendous success with its student-athletes.
“We had 37 students in this year, and it’s worked out really well with small groups of on and off-ice training,” said McRae. “The kids have been working hard and having fun with the training, but more importantly, it’s been great to see the kids putting in the same effort in the classroom academically. They finished strong in the first semester with academics, and that’s the most important thing. It’s been awesome to see the students grow and develop as hockey players, students and as people in general.”
It hasn’t been easy for anyone in education to work through a pandemic, but the staff and students in St. Louis have found a way to be successful and to overtake any obstacle thrown their way.
“We’ve taken it day-by-day just like the rest of the world,” said McRae. “We’ve had to go through some challenging times and adversity, but the staff and students have found a way to get the training and schoolwork that the kids need during this difficult time for everyone. We’re looking to keep battling through this to get the kids really what they need, while at the same time being safe and following all the guidelines that we need to.”
As the school has grown with its student-athletes, the goal in St. Louis is to always put the kids first and add the necessary staff members to support them. With the addition of more staff members, the student to staff ratio will continue to be at a level where each and every child at TPH St. Louis receives one-on-one attention to help them reach their goals as an athlete.
Interested in learning more about the TPH Center of Excellence St. Louis? TPH St. Louis will be hosting an on-site open house February 8th. Attendees must register to attend but the open house is FREE. Click here to reserve you seat.
Learn more about the Center of Excellence in St. Louis.
Bauer Music City Invitational crowns champions
Sixty two teams rang in the new year at the Bauer Music City Invitational in Nashville. From December 30 to January 3, these teams participated in 152 games between three different facilities: Ford Ice Center Bellevue, Ford Ice Center Antioch and Centennial Sportsplex. A tremendous thank you to all of the players, staff and parents for helping make the 2021 Bauer Music City Invitational a success. Congratulations to all of our division champions!
Watch 12 of our streams from the event here.
Division Champions:
10U – Madison Capitols
11U – CarShield AAA Hockey Club
12U – Nashville Jr Predators AA
13U – Fox Motors Bantam Minor
14U – Detroit Honeybaked
15U – Oakland Jr Grizzlies
16U (A Division) – Detroit Honeybaked
16U (Division B) – Tri-State Spartans
18U – Rocky Mountain RoughRiders
TPH alums set to represent Team USA at World Juniors
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The 2021 IIHF World Junior is set to kick off December 25 in Edmonton, Alberta, and representing Team USA will be three Total Package Hockey (TPH) alumni. Goaltender Logan Stein, defenseman Hunter Skinner and forward Arthur Kaliyev will wear the red, white and blue at World Juniors.
Logan Stein
Logan Stein – Source: Twitter @loganstein29
Stein, a native of Suwanee, Georgia, spent three seasons with the Nashville Jr Predators program before moving to Michigan and playing for the Oakland Jr Grizzlies. He went on to play in the USHL for the Waterloo Black Hawks and is awaiting to begin his freshman year at Ferris State. He’s the first player from Ferris State to make the World Juniors roster.
“It’s an honor representing your country,” said Stein. “It’s the biggest honor in hockey, and I’m proud to represent Ferris State as well.”
Stein credits much of his success in being able to reach the next level to TPH.
“TPH did a great job in Atlanta, Nashville and Huntsville,” said Stein. “They really helped my development playing on those teams. They did a great job developing me, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Then I moved up to Detroit and played up there. Then I made a jump to the USHL. TPH deserves all the credit for that. The development I received from them when I was young made me who I am, and I can’t thank them enough.”
As hockey continues to grow in previously non-tradition areas, it’s wonderful to see players from the south receiving recognition and going on to play at high levels.
“I’m huge on hockey in the south,” said Stein. “Anytime you can promote it, it’s always a great cause. I hope this opens eyes for many other kids from my area in that they can make it to where I am.”
Stein joins Spencer Knight and Dustin Wolf as the guardians of the crease for this year’s tournament.
Hunter Skinner
In round four of the 2019 NHL Draft, defenseman Hunter Skinner was selected 112th overall by the New York Rangers. His junior career consists of playing for Little Caesars, Belle Tire and Honeybaked before going on to play in the USHL for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Lincoln Stars. Most recently, he made the big jump to the Ontario Hockey League and joined the London Knights where he posted 32 points in 62 games in 2019-20. Now, he’ll join Team USA and step into the spotlight of the hockey world.
“It was a big jump and I’m super honored to be a part of this team,” said Skinner on being selected to Team USA. “There’s a lot of talent and a lot of skill here.”
While training to get to this point in his career, Skinner credits TPH with their immense amount of off-ice training, specifically utilizing video work.
“They work on skillset stuff and watching video so much,” said Skinner. “It helped me make the adjustment from 15 years old to 16 and playing in the USHL with a lot of video. They helped me get to where I am today. They have more video than anyone will. They have every video and clip of whatever you want. It’s a great resource to be able to use.”
Arthur Kaliyev
This year will be Arthur Kaliyev’s second time joining Team USA for the IIHF World Junior Championship. Kaliyev was selected 33rd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Prior to joining the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, where he most recently put up 98 points in 57 games in 2019-20, Kaliyev played for Little Caesars and Compuware where he also trained with TPH. This will be his second time donning the Team USA jersey, but he’s represented them on multiple occasions, including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018-19.
“It’s always an honor to wear the USA jersey at every event I’ve been to,” said Kaliyev. “It’s always really exciting and a big honor to play for them.”
Kaliyev has obviously had a very successful junior career and is preparing himself for the next step very soon. For him, training with TPH with he was with Compuware was pivotal to his development.
“TPH helped me big time when I was playing at Compuware,” said Kaliyev. “To do those morning skates every weekday helped me prepare for my games in minor hockey before going to the OHL in doing a lot of skills and video. You just see the things you could fix and get better at and make sure the next game you do things the right way.”
TPH wishes Logan, Hunter, Arthur and the rest of Team USA the best as they represent their country at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. View the Team USA schedule here. All games will be broadcast exclusively on the NHL Network.
To learn more about training at TPH click here.
CoE student in Nashville steps up for friend battling cancer
Nichol and Schmuck receive tenders; excited for next step in their careers
Hayden Nichol and Landry Schmuck, both of the TPH Center of Excellence in Nashville and the 18U AAA Jr Predators, received tender offers. Nichol singed a tender with the NAHL Shreveport Mudbugs and Schmuck was tendered by the Aberdeen Wings. Watch as both speak with TPH’s Justin Bradford about the exciting next step for their careers, their experience at the Center of Excellence and some fun “get-to-know-you” questions.
Learn more about the Center of Excellence here.
Learn more about the Nashville Jr Predators here.