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CAHA Plays Unassuming Role in State’s Success A committed group of board members help Colorado’s youth hockey scene flourish


By Paul Willis T


he joke is that Phil Paolilli and his people only come around when something bad hap-


pens.


When you’re the president of the Colorado Am- ateur Hockey Association (CAHA), that misper- ception comes with the territory. As an affiliate of USA Hockey and the governing body of Colorado youth hockey, Paolilli and his organization have to drop the hammer from time to time. “We’re there to make certain rules to follow when it comes to games and making sure coaches are certified,” Paolilli said. “But we also take care of suspensions, so when someone is suspended for being a bad boy in hockey, we set up the hearing and do the suspending. So oftentimes, the individ- ual member doesn’t see us until they’re in trouble and in front of our disciplinary board.” Let’s be clear: Paolilli and the CAHA aren’t bad guys. Almost all of what they do can be con- strued as positive. They share a relationship with youth hockey in the state similar to the Colorado High School Activities Association with high school sports. They set the dates for the champi- onship games. They disperse the trophies. “Most of our interaction is with the individual associations of the state,” Paolilli said. “You’ve got 40 or 50 hockey clubs in the state in vari- ous leagues, and they fall under our jurisdiction. We’re the ones who make sure the leagues follow their own rules and that sort of thing.” Paolilli, 60, migrated to Colorado from Maine


in the 1970s and worked his way up the admin- istrative ladder at various posts, an ascent that began with a stint with the Boulder Hockey Club. He has witnessed the hockey boom in Colorado, which most prominently rocketed skyward in the mid-1990s. That’s when the Colorado Avalanche uprooted from Quebec and promptly won the Stanley Cup in 1995-96, the team’s first season in Denver.


“When my boys started playing in Denver in the ‘80s, I don’t know if we had even half a dozen sheets of ice,” Paolilli said. “Now, I want to say we have more than 30. In the state, we’ve seen our player numbers in- crease at least fourfold, maybe more, from the time my boys were playing.” When Paolilli arrived in Colorado, there was no need for the position he currently holds, although CAHA was around in the ‘70s in a lesser capac- ity.


new programs being introduced each season. That keeps CAHA a booming commodity and further magnifies the value of Paolilli’s position. While CAHA might be noted for its disciplin- ary decisions and ho-hum administrative stuff (making sure coaches are registered with USA Hockey, mandating guidelines for air quality inside of rinks, etc.), consider that the organization also assists in the helping associations get started, often provides gear for new players and oversees the program, “Growing the Game,” which helps get kids in- volved in the sport. The CAHA Web site has links for coaches, officials, seasonal rules and Colorado tourna- ments.


CAHA president Phil Paolilli


Places such as Steamboat Springs and Glen- wood Springs were bereft of hockey facilities. Other now-booming hockey towns such as Aspen and Fort Collins were relegated to a single rink. Then the Avalanche arrived and the demand for facilities erupted. Soon, there was an increased need for a governing body overseeing the entire state and its sprawling leagues.


The player numbers have flat-lined some in recent years, as very few facilities have a wait- ing list. But the sport is still on the upswing with


One of the most notable develop- ments in recent seasons has been CAHA’s thriving relationship with the Avalanche.


“It started off nice, but was noth-


ing particularly special until recently,” Paolilli said. “Now we have a great relationship with the Colorado Avalanche. It’s fitting, because it seems like the Avalanche has had a tremendous influ- ence on hockey in our state.”


Now, every league and age level under CAHA’s jurisdiction plays its championship games on Pepsi Center ice, the same sheet Avalanche play- ers Milan Hejduk and Paul Stastny call home. So much for the notion that CAHA is only a


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