COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey announced today the two referees and two linesmen who will officiate the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. The event will take place Sept. 29 at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The referees include Tom Chmielewskis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Chris Pitoscia (Edison, N.J.). The linesmen are Alex Stagnone (Boston, Mass.) and Brian Oliver (Rochester, N.Y.).
"USA Hockey is proud of these young men to have established themselves as our brightest stars in the officiating profession and have earned their assignments to this special event through hard work and commitment over the last few seasons," said Matt Leaf, USA Hockey's director of officiating education program. "They continue to represent our officiating program at the highest standard and we are pleased to honor them with this opportunity to showcase their skills in Buffalo."
Chmielewskis refereed in the American Hockey League and the ECHL during the 2011-12 season, while Pitoscia called games in the ECHL, United States Hockey League, Central Hockey League and Southern Professional Hockey League.
Oliver officiated in the AHL, ECHL, CHL and USHL last season and Stagnone was in the AHL and ECHL a season ago.
The CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game will boast 40 of the top American prospects eligible for the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Represented are 31 players from the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in America, including 22 from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Additionally, at least 28 of the 40 are future NCAA Division I college players. For the complete roster, click here. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, visitAllAmericanProspectsGame.com. Follow @USAHockey and @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information regarding the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game and join the conversation by using #AAPG. Notes: Players selected to compete in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting ... Players selected to partcipate represent 13 different states. Minnesota leads the way with seven and Illinois and Michigan bring six apiece. Other states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin ... Four players from the USHL's Waterloo Blackhawks are among the players selected, including two goaltenders ... Of the 40 players, 31 played their most recent season in the USHL, five come from U.S. high schools, two are from the Ontario Hockey League, one comes from the Western Hockey League and one represents the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. |
