TROY, MI (July 27, 2022) – The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the governing body for non-NCAA men’s and women’s hockey in the United States, announced today that Executive Director Craig Barnett has agreed to continue leading the organization by signing a five-year extension with the ACHA. Barnett has been the Executive Director of the ACHA since 2018.
As Executive Director, Barnett will continue through at least 2027 to direct the ACHA, which governs almost 500 men’s and women’s college hockey teams at hundreds of colleges throughout the U.S. and Canada.
A native of Oakville, Ont., Barnett played college hockey at Plattsburgh State then in the New York Rangers organization. Barnett has coached or directed programs at colleges and high schools, including the University of Findlay, Lake Forest Academy, Becker College, Mercyhurst University, the American Lacrosse Conference, the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League. In addition, Barnett has been the NAHL’s Director of Compliance and Education since 2012.
“I’m honored to have the support of the ACHA to serve in this capacity for five more years,” said Barnett. “I thank the ACHA Board of Directors for their leadership and for allowing our staff to manage and work with our members on a day-to-day basis. More importantly, I enjoy and look forward to providing our student-athletes with a safe and positive environment to play a high level of hockey during their college years.”
“Craig has done an outstanding job as Executive Director of the ACHA,” said ACHA President Paul Hebert. “He has represented the ACHA with dignity and class throughout North America. Craig has never lost sight of the fact that the ACHA is comprised of student-athletes who are choosing to play at the collegiate level due to their love of the game while also pursuing their higher education and all the stress and academic rigors that come with obtaining a college degree.”
“Craig also recognizes and supports the coaches, managers, and other administrators who sacrifice their time and energies for ACHA teams and makes them feel appreciated,” Hebert continued. “This was never more evident than during the past few years as Craig and his staff guided the ACHA through a worldwide pandemic while at the same time increasing the number of teams involved in the ACHA, creating more awareness of the ACHA and its partners nationwide, and cultivating new partners for the ACHA. We are thrilled to have Craig leading the ACHA for the next five years and hopefully beyond.”
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) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of more than 450 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and will enter its 32nd season in September 2022. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
