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HOCKEY AT THE SKATIUM ICE ARENA

Gene Razdolsky Scholarship Fund 2023-24 Applications EXTENDED

The application process has been EXTENDED for the 2023-24 Gene Razdolsky Scholarship Fund.

UPDATED TIMELINE

July 15 – Applications Released
August 31 – Applications Due
September 8 – Winner Announced

September 15 – Award disbursed (to cover Fall Expenses)

Gene Razdolsky was a beloved coach at the Skokie Skatium who passed away after a long battle with cancer on February 6, 2022. Gene was a man of extraordinarily remarkable character, patience, empathy and kindness, who celebrated victories and losses with equal passion. The Gene Razdolsky Memorial Fund, created in his honor, will provide one $1,000 scholarship to a Skokie house player. All levels may apply. 

TIMELINE

July 15 – Applications Released
August 15 – Applications Due
September 1 – Winner Announced
September 15 – Award disbursed (to cover Fall Expenses)

Past Winners

2022-23 Aiden Straky


2023 Spring A Champions Nighthawks


2023 Spring B Champions Golden Mounties

Skatium Welcomes New Hockey Director

The Skatium is happy to announce that they have hired Ben Fiddler as their new Hockey Director. Ben has been an active member of the Skokie hockey community since the age of five. As a teenager, he worked at Jerry's Pro Shop (right here in the Skatium) while playing for the Niles Nighthawks and went on to play for Robert Morris College. Ben has coached every level from mites to high school. Outside of hockey, Ben is a devoted husband and father of three girls. 

Full of creative energy, Ben is here to give back to the institution that gave him so much. Ben will begin the week of July 24th, please stop by and say hello. 

SummerStars Hockey Camp

SummerStars Hockey Camp: Registration Open

Our SummerStars Hockey camp is being lead this year by Max Braidman, who has been part of the SummerStars camp since he was 8, and Gideon Bernstein, who has been with the camp for the last 5 years.

This is an inclusive camp for all players 6-13years old, beginners to AAA. The camp runs for 10 weeks (June 12 - August 18) and campers may register by the week. 

Some of this summer's off-site visits include: swimming, bowling, Chicago Dogs baseball game, mini-golf & Santa's Village.

You can register in person at the Skatium, online by clicking the SummerStars logo or over the phone at 847-929-7900

SUMMER HOCKEY

The Skokie Park District offers several options throughout summer for every level hockey player and most ages (3 - adult).

SummerStars Hockey Camp is an inclusive sports camp for hockey players of various levels of play, ages 6-13, operating for 10 weeks from June 12 – August 18.  Full equipment is required. Playing levels can range from Learn to Skate (two full sessions required) to AAA travel. Campers are split into age and playing levels to get the best experiences. Sign up by the week but do it soon as weeks are filling up.

Classes: Learn to Skate are available throughout the summer. Classes are available for various levels and ages.
Future Flyers (beginner) Ages 3-13, 40 min classes, Sunday and Thursday (broken into ages 3-6, 7-13).
Fearless Flyers (intermediate) Ages 5-13, 1 hour classes, Sunday and Thursday.
Powerskating (intermediate/house league) Ages 6-12, 1 hour Sundays.

Adult Hockey Class: Ages 16+, 1 hour, Tuesday. A great way to get exercise and work on your hockey

Please be sure to check your team page for your events calendar.

SportsEngine app

PLEASE check your email for an invite to SportsEngine. These invites were recently sent out on April 4th. 

To add a family member in your account, once you have an active app account, go to bottom right "Account" > select your child's name in "Household information" > at the bottom of the page you will see a "pencil" looking icon. Click on the icon to "Add Guardian" or edit profile.

More practices and games will be added in the next few days. See the general Calendar page to see current game schedule - which can change over time due to conflicts.

Playoffs 2022-23

Congratulations to all the teams at Skokie Hockey on a fun season!
Here are the results from teams in championship games.

6U-2 (Yellow) CHAMPIONS!

8U    CHAMPIONS! 

12U   CHAMPIONS! 

14U-1  Silver CHAMPIONS!

14U-2  Gold CHAMPIONS!

18U-2  Runner Up!

More ice time: Open Hockey

For those looking for more ice time, please consider attending Open Hockey. See the "Classes & Clinics" tab

2022-23 Gene Razdolsky Memorial Scholarship winner

Aiden Straky

HOCKEY NEEDS REFEREES

Become a

REF

"Do More With The Sport You Love!"

Minimum Age Requirement-12 Yrs Old

Great Exercise & Great Pay

 

http://ihoa.com/

SKATIUM RINK FLOOR DEMO

In March, the Skatium began a renovation to replace its aging mechanical equipment. Above is a brief video of the demo of the concrete rink floor which began on March 14th. The Skatium re-opened in October 2022.

GLICKMAN TO RETIRE MAY 1ST

Skatium long-time Director of Hockey Operations – Steve Glickman will retire effective May 1, 2022. 

After growing up in Skokie and playing for the Skatium’s first ever hockey program as an eleven year old when the facility opened in 1973 Steve was hired by the Skokie Park District as a Hockey/Golf Program Supervisor in 1987. As the hockey program continued to grow and with spring and summer hockey becoming more popular Steve’s golf responsibilities were removed from his job in 1997 and his title was adjusted to Director of Hockey Operations.

Steve (60), left the Skokie Park District in 1999 for another park district, but returned in 2006 and continued completing 28 years with the Skokie Park District and a total of 35 years as a Hockey Director in the Illinois Municipal Parks and Recreation System. 

“I am forever grateful to the Skokie Park District and Mr. Mark Schneiderman for initially hiring me and allowing me to work in the place that has always been ‘my home away from home’,” Glickman said. “I am also very appreciative to have met and worked with so many great people within the hockey community over the 35 years of my career. I am one fortunate guy.”

"District Hockey Director Retires After Five Golden Decades"

(CLICK ON LINK ABOVE) Enjoy the article written by Skokie Park District's Director of Communications and Marketing Jim Bottorff about the May 1st retirement of Skatium's Hockey Director Steve Glickman.


Congratulations to Flyers Midget 2 - 2022 NWHL MIDGET DIV.2 CHAMPIONS


Congratulations to Flyers Bantam 1 - 2022 NSYHL BANTAM SILVER CHAMPIONS


On March 10th an All-Flyers NSYHL Bantam Silver Championship Game featured Flyers #1 defeating Flyers #2 4-3 in an overtime thriller!


Congratulations to Flyers PW2 - 2022 NSYHL PEE WEE GOLD CHAMPIONS


Congratulations to 18U Midget #1 Coach DAVE POPP. 2021-22 NWHL COACH OF THE YEAR!

ANNOUNCING THE GENE RAZDOLSKY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Gene Razdolsky was a beloved coach at the Skokie Skatium who passed away after a long battle with cancer on February 6, 2022. Gene was a man of extraordinary remarkable character, patience, empathy and kindness who celebrated victories and losses with equal passion. To honor Gene's memory, we are establishing a fund in his name that will be awarded to one player annually. The goal is to make this award available so that Gene - and all that he embodied - remains part of the Skokie Park District's hockey program.

WE ARE COLLECTING DONATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THIS FUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.  Our goal is to make this a scholarship that exists for the years Gene would have otherwise been at Skokie.

To contribute, payments can be made to the following:

Youth Foundation of Skokie

C/O Skokie Skatium

9300 Weber Park Place

Skokie, Illinois 60077 

Be sure to include in the “notes” section that the donation is for the Gene Razdolsky Scholarship Fund.

The Youth Foundation of Skokie is a 501c3 and donors will receive the full benefit of a charitable tax donation. Unfortunately, credit card payments may not be accepted at this time.

We anticipate awarding the first year’s recipient prior to the 2022-2023 fall season at the Skatium.  Additional details to follow.

Questions about the fund can be directed to Nicole Seidlitz (nseidlitz@msn.com).

GENE RAZDOLSKY

We are very saddened to report that longtime Flyers Coach Gene Razdolsky succumbed to cancer and passed away on Feb 6th. He was 52 years old. Coach Gene was a favorite coach with our Flyers program coaching teams that his boys Robert and Liam played for throughout their seasons with the Flyers. A one-time Flyer himself as a kid, Gene and his wife Eileen were extremely loyal to our Flyers program most recently living in Lake Villa, yet travelling the extra miles to the Skatium to make sure his boys continued to play for the Flyers. Coach Gene will be sorely missed.


Congratulations to our 12 graduating High School Seniors on our two Flyers 18U Midget teams. To see pictures from this event please click on the "PHOTOS" tab at the top of this page and then click on "2022 18U Senior Nights"

SKATIUM TO CLOSE FOR RENOVATION IN 2022

   December 1, 2021 

IMG_04501

Due to the critical need to replace aging ice and mechanical systems, the Skatium Ice Arena will be closed March 2 to September 12, 2022. 

Several components of the main rink refrigeration system are original from 1973 and are obsolete. 

Both compressors utilized by the main rink date to 1989, one of which has a cracked head casing and is on borrowed time. 

The main rink concrete floor was replaced in 2004, however in a cost savings attempt, outdated refrigeration components were not repaired and only the rink floor was replaced.

Boilers that supply the water to the system have corroded, with the boilers and pipes needing to be replaced. This is also true of the original 1973 air handlers.

The entire project is estimated at $4.78 million, which will be offset by a recent $2.5 million Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The remaining balance of $2.28 million will be paid with a bond issue that will be sold in March 2022.

Although internal Skatium 2022 spring and summer classes, camps, as well as our spring adult league will be on hiatus during this project, discussions are in the works for the Skokie Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) youth travel program to adopt the park district's youth house league for the 2022 spring season. Details about this will be announced as more information becomes available. 

If you have any questions regarding this project please contact Jon Marquardt, Superintendent of Facilities, at (847) 929-8520.


Congratulations to Flyers Bantam 2 MLK Windy City Tournament 2022 Champs

Sponsored by Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks

Visit Website

 

 

 

 

 

Official Rink Partner of the Chicago Blackhawks


LiveBarn is now available at the Skatium. Go to www.livebarn.com to sign up. Use Promo Code 76d7-82pd to Save 10%

AHAI Concussion Testing

AHAI, Athletico Physical Therapy, the Chicago Blackhawks, and NorthShore University HealthSystem have come together to create the AHAI: A Step aHead Baseline Testing initiative to combat one of the most common head injuries: concussions. The program includes free baseline concussion testing and educational programs, to youth hockey players in the AHAI program. For more information and to register for a free baseline screening please go to the A Step aHead website.

Former NHL Star and Skokie Flyer Mike Brown is interviewed by Sal Barry on this Puck Junk Podcast. Mike talks, among other things, about his start in hockey with the Skokie Flyers and at the Skatium Ice Arena.

 

Enjoy listening to the podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/puck-junk/mike-brown-interview-36-12132019

 


Congratulations to Pee Wee #1 & Flying Cats Goaltender Olive Ryan (far right)- honored by the Blackhawks as November, 2019 BMO Youth Player of the Month!

OUR CHAMPIONS

Thanks to Stanley Cup winning former Chicago Blackhawks player and current television analyst Jamal Mayers and the Blackhawks for offering a Rink Partnership Clinic on December 30th where all participants had made generous donations to the Village of Skokie Holiday Giving Program to help out the needy people of Skokie for the holidays.

Blackhawks Legend Stan Mikita played at the Skatium in the very first Chicago Blackhawks Alumni Game in 1988. Here he battles for a loose puck against Dale Tallon, as Keith Magnuson backs up Tallon. The referee was an active playing Denis Savard and the goalie was Skatium's Hockey Director Steve Glickman.


January 9th marked the 30th Anniversary of the first ever Chicago Blackhawks Alumni Game that was played at the Skatium back in 1988

Former Chicago Blackhawks player and Stanley Cup Champion Jamal Mayers visits the Skatium to assist with the Blackhawks/Total Hockey sponsored "Little Blackhawks" class on March 26th.

FLYERS APPAREL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking to buy Flyers Hockey Apparel?

Go to the link below

http://www.jerryshockey.com/apparel/team/skokie-flyers-hockey-club.htm

MIKE BROWN, former Skokie Flyer and current NHL star, most recently with the Montreal Canadiens, comes back to his original home and visits the Skatium and the Summerstars Hockey Camp on July 25th signing autographs with his son Axel looking on.

Flyers Coach Tom Pappas enjoys a beautiful day on the water with his friend Stanley

Flyers Coach Tom Pappas enjoys a beautiful day on the water with his friend Stanley


Former Chicago Blackhawks player and current television analyst Steve Konroyd, along with Blackhawks mascot Tommy Hawk, visits the Skatium to conduct a skills clinic with proceeds benefitting the Village of Skokie Community Holiday Giving Program

FUTURE FLYERS

Learn to Skate for Hockey  

IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS 

    Our classes offer players who want to eventually play on a Flyers hockey team, however have little or no hockey or skating experience. This program takes the beginner skater from standing on skates to executing basic forward and backwards skating skills. Protective equipment is required and provided as part of this class. This includes helmet with facemask, elbow pads, shin guards, hockey gloves and stick. Skate rental is $3 per session.

For 3-6 year old classes only we allow one parent to accompany their child on the ice during the class. Parents must have their own skates. Please arrive 20 minutes prior to the start of class to put on equipment.

Please click on CLASSES at the top of the

page for more information.

To register, please call 847-674-1510 or for more information contact Skokie Park District’s Hockey Director Steve Glickman at 847-929-7926, or email Steve at steveg@skokieparks.org

OUR SUNDAY FUTURE FLYERS

CLASS.

COME BE A PART OF THE SUNDAY

MORNING FUN!


photo courtesy of Patrick Long


Chicago Blackhawks Great and NHL Hall of Famer Denis Savard has been one of many special guest instructors who have conducted skills clinic at the Skatium.