1. Minnesota Special Hockey Open Board Positions - Deadline May 1st

The Minnesota Special Hockey Board of Directors has two openings for volunteer board positions. The open positions are Ice Coordinator and Treasurer. Both positions are voting board member positions and three-year terms. The positions will be voted on at the annual meeting this August.

Minnesota Special Hockey relies on its volunteers and both of these positions are very important in the successful operation of Minnesota Special Hockey. Brief descriptions of both positions follow. If you are interested in either of these positions, please send inquiries to Holly Tchida (holly.tchida@mnspecialhockey.org) by May 1st.

Ice Schedule Coordinator 

The Ice Coordinator coordinates the ice schedule for all MN Special Hockey events.  Responsibilities include completing the game schedule, working with team managers to secure ice and coordinating ice for practices and games, assisting in rescheduling or sharing ice as needed, and helping team managers identify new ice when a new team is forming.  

Treasurer

The Treasurer ensures MN Special Hockey completes all required documentation to maintain 501c3 status with the State of Minnesota. The Treasurer also manages the association account receivable, accounts payable, and vendor contracts. 

2. Hendrickson Foundation Festival – Register by April 20th

The Hendrickson Foundation Festival is on May 30th - June 1st at the Blaine SuperRink. If you have never attended here are the highlights:

• Three games for every player.  Six Metro teams (Blaine, Burnsville, Edina, Maple Grove, New Hope and Woodbury) will play on Friday evening.  The Outstate teams and Metro teams that did not play on Friday will have 2 games on Saturday.  The six Metro teams that played on Friday will have 1 game on Saturday.  All registered players will play jamboree style games on Sunday morning/afternoon. 
• Celebrity game is scheduled for around 5:00 on Saturday.
• Party with food, drinks, games and music on Saturday evening.
• Swag bag filled with cool stuff.
• HF apparel for sale.
• Volunteer opportunities.

Because the festival organizers require rosters for this event, all players that are attending must register before April 20th.  If players do not register before this date, they will not have access to the list of highlights mentioned above but will still be able to attend your team games.  Your registration will also help organize the jamboree style games on Sunday.

MN Special Hockey will also be looking for volunteers at all of our games!  You do not have to be a registered volunteer to volunteer in off the ice/bench roles.  This is very important to ensure a successful event for our players.  More information on this will be coming soon.

Travel reimbursement will be available for those who qualify based on their mileage to the Festival in Blaine. More information will be sent to those teams who qualify for the reimbursement for their travel expenses for the Festival. You will be required to fill out a form and send receipts to the MN Special Hockey Treasurer.  

More information about the entire festival can be found here:  https://www.hendricksonfoundation.com/national-hockey-festival/

More information about MSH participating in the festival can be found here:  https://www.mnspecialhockey.org/hendricksonfestival

Each team participating will be required to create a donation gift basket or item for auction.  Please think of some great ideas!  Contact Jane Cashin at jane@mnspecialhockey.org if you are willing to take the lead on this for your team.

Please fill out this registration to ensure a fun filled hockey weekend in May/June!  If you do not get an email receipt that you registered you did not complete the registration.

https://mnspecialhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/011589472

3. Volunteer Scholarship Applications 2024-25 - Application Deadline April 7th

Minnesota Special Hockey is excited to again offer its Annual Volunteer Scholarship for the 2024-2025 season to recognize and show appreciation for its outstanding volunteers.  The amount of the scholarship is $1000. Volunteers are free to apply themselves, and coaches/managers/anyone else in the organization can also nominate volunteers for a scholarship.

The deadline for submitting this application is April 7, 2025.

The application guidelines are as follows:

1.  Applications are open to all Minnesota Special Hockey volunteers who are at least in their junior year of high school and have been a registered and active volunteer in the MSH association for a minimum of two full seasons.

2.  Applicants must be taking courses, or plan to take courses, at an accredited institution of higher education (e.g. Junior College, Technical College, Community College, College or University).

3.  Volunteers can apply for, and may be awarded, a MSH Volunteer scholarship in more than one year.

Apply here:  https://mnspecialhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/434518115

4. Idea Box