2020-2021 Fall/Winter Season

COVID-19 and the HIGH-RISK (of spread) classification and LEVEL ONE (activity restrictions) imposed on hockey (essentially no competitive game play, including scrimmages) that are the result of the State’s Guidelines for Youth Sports has forced LZMW Hockey to modify our registration for the 2020-21 season to account for an uncertain IHSHL season start with no clear indication as to when things might change.  Based on this, the LZMW board of directors has decided that we will enter the season promoting/planning for what we know we can accomplish rather than trying to plan for an unknown (a return to competitive league play) which may or may not come this season. 

Please use the link below to indicate if your player plans to join LZMW Hockey for the Fall/Winter Season 2020-21.  Our goal will be to afford our players the opportunity to get on the ice for 2 (possibly 3) times per week to continue to hone their skills and maintain conditioning for what will hopefully be a return to competitive league play in the not too distant future.  The fee to participate this season will open at $1500 ($750 due on August 15/16 and the remaining $750 on September 16).  We will assess the additional fees required when/if league play returns later in the season (and after knowing how long the season will be).  Given all of the uncertainty this season we did not want to commit families to the upfront expense of a traditional season's fees without having any firm indication that anything will change.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4FAFAD2BA7FC1-lzmw

Player evaluations (for rostering) will take place on the following dates/times:

August 15, 16, 22 and 23

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Barrington Arena

These evaluations will be used to determine the roster assignments (JV or V) in the event we can return to competitive league play.  Ideally, your player should attend at least 2 of the sessions.  Rosters are fluid and can be changed as the season progresses but we have to submit a roster for USA Hockey/AHAI certification by August 31.  All players will require a new 2020-21 USA Hockey number so please complete that process before signing up (you will need to provide this number on the sign-up).

https://membership.usahockey.com

If you participated in the Summer Skates and already completed the required waivers (see below) then you do not need to complete them again.  If not, please complete prior to arriving and submit them at the evaluations.

We sincerely appreciate your patience as we have navigated this most difficult period which has made the more traditional registration processes simply not applicable.

LZMW Hockey is very excited to announce several new additions to our coaching staff for this fall that will significantly enhance the quality, intensity and vision of our high school hockey program.

James Brooks will be joining LZMW Hockey as our Coaching-Director and Varsity Head Coach.  James is very familiar with our club and our league, the Illinois High School Hockey League-North Central Division, after serving as Head Coach-Varsity Hockey with St. Patrick’s High School in Chicago.  For the past four seasons James led their program, both on and off the ice, and was focused on instilling a hockey culture into St. Patrick’s High School Athletics.

James grew up on Chicago’s northwest side and has an extensive hockey background.  As a teenager James played high school hockey with Loyola Academy and also played with the Chicago Blues in the CSDHL before attending Robert Morris College to study Business Management and play Division II Hockey in the ACHA.  Before going pro James did an international stint with Hammerby IF of Sweden’s J20 Super-Elite League which then led to playing his first pro hockey with Sweden’s 2nd Division for Karlskoga HC.  James would later return to the USA and represent several teams while playing in the AAHA/AAHL and FHL/FPHL.

As Coaching-Director, James will be directing all LZMW Hockey coaches and will be responsible for developing all aspects of player-development.  He will manage all team rosters, develop all practice plans, develop off-ice conditioning programs, manage player recruitment and serve as our Varsity Head Coach.  This will ensure greater synergy between our Junior Varsity and Varsity programs.  James will bring to our high school athletes the same high-intensity, discipline and sportsmanship that clearly contributed to his own hockey success.

Joining James and our returning Junior Varsity Head Coach, Matt (Gurklis), will be two new coaching assistants Matt (Lundgren) and Ryan Geils.  Lundgren is an alumnus of Mount Carmel High School where he was a 3-time All-Star before going on to play Division II Hockey at Robert Morris and DePaul.  Ryan grew up playing for the Chicago Blues and represented Team Chicago in international competitions in Norway, Sweden and Germany before helping the Hinsdale Central Ice Devils play in back to back High School Championships. Lundgren and Ryan both assisted James over the past four seasons and will also bring high levels of intensity, enthusiasm and vision to LZMW Hockey.

We will post details in the coming days regarding a limited enrollment high-intensity “Return to the Ice and Meet LZMW’s New Coaching-Director and Varsity Head Coach” summer program for July.  Be on the lookout for the registration link!

Please join the LZMW Board of Directors in welcoming our new coaches!

LZMW is a combined High School organization representing  Lake Zurich, Mundelein and Wauconda school districts.  We are part of the Illinois High School Hockey League - North Central Division  

Our mission is to promote, and develop High School Hockey in the communities of Lake Zurich, Mundelein and Wauconda through core values including sportsmanship, integrity and the pursuit of excellence through competition and teamwork. It is our goal to develop our players, both as athletes and individuals. We strive to compete with any high school and midget program in the state.

LZMW Hockey is a 501(c)(3) corporation under the governance of USA Hockey and AHAI and is responsible for its own revenues and expenditures. 

The Fall/Winter season runs from August through March.  We target an average of two practices and two games a week per team as well as 2-3 tournaments. In the Spring and Summer LZMW runs sessions including spring league games and scrimmages with an emphasis on practice and skills.