Fall is in full effect, and October has been an eventful one with the Twin Cities Classic and Duluth Classic Tournament Series wrapped up. Congratulations to the Champions, and a huge thank you to everyone who joined in the fun—whether on the ice, cheering on rivals, or enjoying good times in the parking lot with friends and family. AHA is looking forward to seeing everyone next year! The AHA Tournament Series is a fun experience, from playing, watching rivals, and enjoying the parking lot with friends and opponents alike. Some unique highlights of this year's tournaments were the RV suburb, teams traveling to play from across the border, and a marriage proposal on ice.
AHA Player Spotlight
Our player spotlight of the month, Geoffrey Kozen, is a perfect example of the fun stories that take shape at these tournaments.
Name: Geoffrey Kozen
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
# / Position: 56 / Defense
Team / Tier: Wildcats C2 & C3
I played hockey growing up in upstate NY until the beginning of middle school. Because it was a small town with only one rink, all the practice times for youth hockey were terrible. 4 am and the like. And so, my parents signed me up on my older brother's team to make it logistically more manageable for them. When you're growing up, being two years younger than everyone else always means you're the worst skater, get very little playtime, etc. Unsurprisingly, I was not too fond of it and quit at the first opportunity. Fast forward 19 years, and I moved to Minnesota in January 2016. I didn't know anyone in the state; I hadn't so much as set foot in the state before. And I know I need to make friends somehow. So, I went to the evaluation and signed up for the 2016 AHA summer league as a free agent. I was picked up by a team that needed a couple more skaters. After the first game, they asked if I wanted to skate with their Wildcats winter team. And I've been skating with them since. That included a lot of turnover and long-standing players with whom I've developed strong friendships. I eventually became captain and oversaw splitting the single team into two teams, C3 and C2.
I always go to the Duluth Tournament. I like the group of people I play with, just fun people. While we enjoy the games, it's almost as fun to hang out, watch Team Poland (how often do you get to see real, official national teams that close???), and play yard games in the parking lot between games. 2020 was the COVID year. The rules were pretty strict. We had to change in the parking lot and could only put our skates on inside. I was also concerned about COVID, so I elected to bring my backpacking tent and camp in the parking lot. It seemed like a cheap, COVID-safe way to stay up there. I pitched the tent in the grassy area in the middle of the parking lot. It was my bad luck that it snowed about a foot that weekend. Not ideal, but survivable. In any event, come Sunday morning, I heard someone tapping outside my tent. I wasn't sure what they wanted, but I figured I should pull myself up and see what was happening. It turned out to be some guys from another team who had brought a stove to make breakfast in the parking lot. I believe pancakes, eggs, and bacon. And seeing my tent, they had thoughtfully offered me a hot breakfast because of how cold and snowy it was in the parking lot. I've joked for years that they thought I was homeless, but I don't technically know if that was true. They may have just recognized that it was a shit morning to be waking up in a tent covered in snow. It was very kind of them, and I wish I knew who they were.
Winter Season Begins!
AHA Hockey Winter Season has started, and teams have hit the ice with teams set for the excitement ahead. This season brings a new twist with the "no-division" rule—every team within each tier will face off against every other team, adding fresh matchups and even more competition. Get ready for a season packed with skill, teamwork, and some thrilling hockey action!
Parking Lot Photos Wanted
AHA Hockey is still looking for pictures to include in The Parking Lot and wants to showcase our community. To make things more enticing, if your image is selected for a particular month, you will receive a $25 credit on your AHA account for any future program! I'm looking forward to seeing all the fun teams are having this winter season!