AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES PROSPECT SHOWCASE SERIES
TROY, MI (Dec. 5, 2023) – The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the governing body for non‐NCAA men’s and women’s hockey in the United States, today announced it will launch a Prospect Showcase Series beginning in the spring of 2024.
The ACHA Prospect Showcase Series will be held at three sites across the United States in 2024:
April 19-21, 2024 in Middletown, New Jersey;
June 21-23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada; and
August 2-4, 2024 in Adrian, Michigan.
The ACHA Prospect Showcase Series is intended to help educate prospective student-athletes and their families about the ACHA as the largest collegiate hockey association in the world, while also providing exposure for those prospective student-athletes to ACHA teams and coaching staffs.
The 2024 ACHA Prospect Showcase Series will focus on High School and Junior Hockey prospects (i.e., student-athletes with 2004-2008 birth years) that are looking to continue their competitive hockey careers while attending college.
The ACHA has partnered with Capper Hockey Services to plan and develop the ACHA Prospect Showcase Series and will be joined by many of the 475-plus ACHA college hockey programs to conduct each event. The ACHA Prospect Showcase Series “weekend experience” at each site will consist of:
- Competitive hockey
- Ladder of hockey development options
- Education of college hockey landscape
- Academic preparation for college hockey
- Exposure to coaches from all 5 divisions of ACHA hockey
Prospective student-athletes will play three (3) games as well as one (1) practice run by ACHA coaches. ACHA coaches will also be coaching on the benches and communicating directly with prospects during the games.
An educational seminar for prospective student-athletes and their families on the ACHA will take place on Day Two of each ACHA Prospect Showcase to discuss options for prospective student-athletes to consider including all levels of ACHA hockey, junior hockey, NCAA Division 1 hockey, and NCAA Division 3 hockey. The ACHA will also conduct a College Fair at each ACHA Prospect Showcase to permit prospective student-athletes and their families the opportunity to speak directly with ACHA coaches and university representatives.
“The ACHA has enjoyed great success over the past five years working with NHL communities such as Chicago, Anaheim, and Washington, and we look forward to growing our reach to other communities across the country on the benefits and considerations of the ACHA,” said ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett. “Our ability to help Educate and provide Exposure to so many talented college hockey prospects is vital as we all work together to grow our game. I see a great value in this type of showcase geared toward male and female prospects looking to navigate through the college hockey recruiting process.”
“Capper Hockey Services is proud to partner with the ACHA to bring the ACHA Prospect Showcase Series to life,” said Joe Caprio, Owner of Capper Hockey Services. “We could not have imagined of having better partners than the ACHA. Our locations of New Jersey, Las Vegas, and Adrian, Michigan will give our athletes and families a great representation of the ACHA. These showcases were started to help educate and inform players and families that there are many great opportunities to play college hockey besides the NCAA route. We are excited for the opportunity and cannot wait to open the door to all our athletes who attend!”
“The Middletown Sports Complex and New Jersey Titans are proud to host the first showcase in the ACHA Prospect Showcase Series,” said George Haviland, Owner of Middletown Sports Complex and New Jersey Titans of the North American Hockey League. “The ACHA has continuously matched the increase demand for college hockey for young male and female athletes. The wide variety and number of schools that participate in the ACHA cannot be rivaled in the hockey community. This is a great event to get educated about the ACHA and create an opportunity for players to showcase their interest and talents in front of top ACHA programs.”
“We are excited to bring an ACHA Prospect Showcase out west to Las Vegas,” said Anthony Vignieri-Greener, Head Coach of University of Nevada-Las Vegas, ACHA Men’s Division I. “The ACHA has been a valuable resource for many athletes to continue their hockey careers while receiving a great education. We are excited to partner with Capper Hockey Services and Joe Caprio to continue the growth and education of the ACHA and open the door to many new opportunities for athletes.”
“We could not be happier to host one of the ACHA Prospect Series Showcases, here on the campus of Adrian College,” said Gary Astalos, Head Coach of Adrian College, ACHA Men’s Division I. “Joe Caprio has done a wonderful job with not only the ACHA Prospect Showcase, but the ACHA Chicago Classic tournament as well. With such a strong ACHA membership presence in Michigan, we feel that this will be a great opportunity for coaches in our area to identify potential student-athletes for their collegiate teams.”
Additional information about the ACHA Prospect Showcase Series, including registration instructions is available at the ACHA website at www.achahockey.org and the Capper Hockey Services website at www.capperhockeyservices.com.
For more information, please contact ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett at cbarnett@achahockey.org.
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 460 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 13,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 33rd season in September 2023. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
