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USA Hockey Recognizes 48 Minnesota Associations

By Minnesota Hockey, 06/29/17, 9:45AM CDT

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Minnesota Hockey is excited to join USA Hockey in recognizing 48 youth hockey associations in Minnesota who completed the 2 & 2 Challenge during the 2016-17 season, including 24 programs that achieved gold status.  The 2 & 2 Challenge is a national program that encourages associations to host a series of retention, acquisition and transition programs over the course of the season with the goal of growing youth hockey.

The continued dedication of Minnesota's youth hockey associations to growing the game at youngest levels has led to a four consecutive year of growth and new state and national records at the 8 & Under (8U) level.  The holistic approach taken by 2 & 2 Challenge participants helped Minnesota break 18,000 players at the 8U level for the first time ever, while also setting a new record for the number of retained players for the second straight year.

The 2 and 2 Challenge was launched in 2010 by USA Hockey with the goal of assisting associations in retaining two additional players and acquiring two more players each season.  Over the course of the season, associations are required to host a series of events and programs that facilitate the three primary areas of growth: retention, acquisition and conversion.

The first event is Welcome Back Week which includes a series of phone calls and emails that aid associations' player retention efforts. Then, Try Hockey for Free Days are held in early November and late February to assist in acquiring new players. Finally, the associations provide low cost, low commitment programs following the Try Hockey for Free Days to ease the transition for those new players into becoming full-fledged association members.

For complete details on the program, including 2017-18 dates for each of the components, visit 2and2challenge.com.   Then, accept the 2 and 2 Challenge for the upcoming season and see how your association can reap the rewards on and off the ice!

Association Name 2+2 Achievement
Andover Gold
Apple Valley Gold
Armstrong Cooper Gold
Becker-Big Lake Gold
Brainerd Gold
Chaska Chanhassen Gold
City of Lakes Gold
Delano Gold
Ely Gold
Faribault Gold
Fergus Falls Gold
Hibbing Chisholm Gold
Johnson Como-NSP Gold
Little Falls Gold
Mounds View Gold
Northfield Gold
Osseo-Maple Grove Gold
Princeton Gold
River Lakes Gold
Roseville Gold
Sartell Gold
Sibley Gold
Two Harbors Gold
Waseca Gold
Cambridge-Isanti Silver
Mora Silver
St. Michael-Albertville Silver
Albert Lea Bronze
Bemidji Bronze
Burnsville Bronze
Eastview Bronze
Eden Prairie Bronze
Edgcumbe Bronze
Farmington Bronze
Hallock Bronze
Hopkins Bronze
Inver Grove Heights Bronze
Bloomington Kennedy Bronze
La Crescent Bronze
Mound Westonka Bronze
Northern Lakes Bronze
Orono Bronze
Park Rapids Bronze
Red Lake Falls Bronze
Rogers Bronze
South St. Paul Bronze
St. Francis Bronze
St. Peter Bronze