Catalyst Street Hockey is pleased to have reached a multi-year agreement with the newly renovated, and reinvigorated, Fitchburg Street Hockey League. Catalyst will bring their New England Classic Lower Weekend presented by Bauer Hockey, Inc., to Fitchburg. Catalyst will offer C/D Divisions, Novice, Co-Ed and Women’s B divisions. The tournament will mark the 7th season Catalyst has offered street hockey events around Massachusetts.
The 2017 New England Classic tournament will take place June 2-4. All Division Winners will receive BAUER Hockey, Inc., prizes and Runner-Up teams will receive t-shirts. All tournament teams will be selected across all divisions. More information regarding entry fees and an official tournament hotel will be released as the event nears.
Please note that all division rosters are looked at strictly to ensure fairness. A list of “A” level players will be put together and released months before the event. Please note that “C” teams only have a limited number of “A” players allowed on their roster and Novice/Rec players have none allowed. Co-Ed will split into “A” and “B” if there are enough teams.
While the event has been held in Leominster the past two years, this was an opportunity for Catalyst to expand their footprint, while remaining active in Leominster. The Fitchburg Street Hockey rinks have been around for decades, however the rinks fell into disrepair following the mid 2000’s, with participation reaching an all-time low. A few years ago, a revitalization took place, led by Past President Lisa MacMaster (2011-2013) and current FSHL President (2014-Present) Tom MacMaster. The revitalization has led to a sharp increase in participation, across four youth and two adult divisions, including the formation of a women’s league.
As for the rinks themselves, a third rink has been added, the boards have been repaired, blockhouse received a new roof, and, perhaps most importantly, the rinks now all come equipped with state of the art Mateflex decking surface. The old FSHL used to operate on a asphalt top, but the significant investment into decking has made the rinks one of the top destinations in Massachusetts for street hockey.
“FSHL, a 501(c)3, has worked tirelessly in the past few years to fundraise in order to rebuild two existing rinks, and in the past twelve months have built a new third rink, in part from material saved from the Landry Ice Arena. FSHL also installed three full size Mateflex modular playing surfaces this past August, mostly done by league volunteers. FSHL is growing rapidly each season which included an additional six men’s league teams this fall and the creation of a women’s league. FSHL has many more projects on the horizon including sound system, security cameras, rink lighting, fencing, and expanding blockhouse capabilities and with this partnership with Catalyst and Bauer, we look forward to reaching that goal. For those interested in helping or joining the league, or for information on our Raider Cup Tournament June 22-25, 2017, the league can be reached by email at information@fitchburgstreethockey.com or via our Facebook page.” – Tom MacMaster, FSHL President
In addition to bringing their largest tournament to FSHL, Catalyst will also be running their Grow the Game Initiative out of the facility. This will include multiple clinics and the potential to run other youth events with AHL and NHL team involvement.
“We are excited to come back to where we originally started our organization 6 years ago. Scott and I grew up playing in Fitchburg and I can tell you the rinks have never been in better shape. Additionally, the organization is thriving under Tom’s leadership and we are proud to bring our largest event to the facility.” – Anthony Cornacchia, President of Catalyst Street Hockey, LLC
In addition to bringing their largest tournament to FSHL, Catalyst will also be running their Grow the Game Initiative out of the facility. This will include multiple clinics and the potential to run other youth events with AHL and NHL team involvement.
Three years ago Catalyst and BAUER, Inc. started the Grow the Game Initiative to foster growth of the sport of street hockey at the youth level. “Our goal has been, and will continue to be, growing the sport with traditional, and non-traditional hockey players,” said Cornacchia. “For much of the United States, street hockey is just an informal recreational activity. With are working with BAUER to change that perception.”
“We have been lucky enough to grow as an organization because of our partnerships with our host rinks. We have hosted events at Leominster Dek Hockey Center, Dracut’s Breakaway Sports and Deck, Fitchburg State’s Wallace Civic Center, Westfield’s Amelia Park Arena and BAUER Inc. Own The Moment in Burlington, MA, but we expect our partnership with FSHL to be among the most successful due to all the hard work their volunteers put into the facility.” – Anthony Cornacchia, President of Catalyst Street Hockey, LLC
For more information regarding the Grow the Game Initiative or to register for the New England Classic please contact Catalyst directly at 617-767-1625 or anthony@catalyststreethockey.com.
