(November 2012) - Celebrating its 10th season, the Capital Hockey Conference (CHC) continues in its quest to be the best high school hockey conference in Ohio. The conference has also achieved great stability, continuing to be comprised of 13 Columbus-area schools and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, one of Ohio’s better known high schools.
The 2011-12 season provided great thrills as 4th year program Olentangy Orange defeated Dubline Jerome in 4 overtimes to advance to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Frozen Four at Nationwide Arena. Jerome, in the meantime, won the upper division regular season title and Blue Jackets Cup.
The Conference has enjoyed great growth, more than tripling since 2002 and mirroring the phenomenal growth in Columbus youth hockey. The last three years have been particularly successful for the CHC as:
1) conference members Dublin Coffman (2010), Olentangy Liberty (2011) and Olentangy Orange (2012) advanced to the Ohio Frozen Four
2) St. Francis DeSales and Thomas Worthington were vastly improved, winning 20+ games in 2012, and
3) Jerome’s Blue Jackets Cup victory was the 5th in its history.
This year, the Conference has remained in a three (3) division format based on expected squad size and historical success. The divisions feature: :
RED |
WHITE |
BLUE |
| Archbishop Moeller | Olentangy Orange | Bishop Watterson |
| Dublin Coffman | St. Charles | Dublin Scioto |
| Dublin Jerome | St. Francis DeSales | Gahanna Lincoln |
| Olentangy Liberty | Thomas Worthington | Olentangy |
| Upper Arlington | Worthington Kilbourne |
Teams will play home-and-home against teams in their division, and 1 game against each non-division opponent.
Teams in the Red and Blue Divisions will play 17 CHC games; schools in White Division will play 16.
Moving forward, teams will be reshuffled every year. The winner of the White division will swap divisions with the last place Red team. The winner of the Blue division will swap divisions with the last place White team.
The post-season Blue Jackets Cup will be formatted as follows:
Championship Division (8) |
Consolation Division (6) |
| #1 Red | #5 Red |
| #2 Red | #4 White |
| #3 Red | #2 Blue |
| #4 Red | #3 Blue |
| #1 White | #4 Blue |
| #2 White | #5 Blue |
| #3 White | |
| #1 Blue |
A constant in the CHC is the fierce competition among its members. Conference highlights include:
• Continued success by
Dublin Coffman (3 regular season titles, 3 Blue Jackets Cups and a Frozen Four appearance);
Dublin Jerome (2 regular season championships, 5 Blue Jackets Cups);
Upper Arlington (4 regular season titles);
Olentangy Liberty (2 regular season titles, 1 Blue Jackets’ Cup and a Frozen Four appearance); and
Olentangy
Orange’s 2012 District Title and Frozen Four Appearance.
• Quick success by Olentangy Liberty, posting a 15-1 record in 2008-09 as a 2nd year team, a regular season championship in 2009-10, and the “hat trick” (regular season champ, Blue Jackets Cup, Frozen Four) in 2010-11:
• Upper Arlington reaching the state Frozen Four in 2006 and 2007, followed by Dublin Coffman in 2010, Olentangy Liberty in 2011, and Olentangy Orange in 2012.
The 13 Columbus-area schools are: Bishop Watterson, Dublin Coffman, Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Gahanna Lincoln, Olentangy, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, St. Francis DeSales, St. Charles, Thomas Worthington, Upper Arlington and Worthington Kilbourne. Cincinnati is represented by Cincinnati Moeller. The Conference is an outgrowth of the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League (SWOHSHL), which continues to thrive in the Greater Dayton/Cincinnati area.
Team |
Year team joined CHC |
Year team became OHSAA Varsity |
| Upper Arlington | 2003 *founding member | 1977 |
| Thomas Worthington | 2003 *founding member | 1998 |
| Worthington Kilbourne | 2003 *founding member | 1998 |
| St. Charles | 2003 *founding member | 1999 |
| Dublin Coffman | 2003 *founding member | 2002 |
| Dublin Scioto | 2003 *founding member | 2002 |
| Gahanna Lincoln | 2003 *founding member | 2002 |
| Dublin Jerome | 2004 | 2004 |
| St. Francis DeSales | 2006 | 2006 |
| Olentangy Liberty | 2007 | 2007 |
| Olentangy | 2008 | 2008 |
| Olentangy Orange | 2008 | 2008 |
| Bishop Watterson | 2009 | 2009 |
| Cincinnati Moeller | 2009 | 1982 |
Historically, Upper Arlington is the Conference's oldest OHSAA team, becoming a varsity sport in 1978. In the 1990's, programs began at Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne (1998), followed shortly thereafter by St. Charles (1999). Teams formerly played in SWOHSHL, then a Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati league.
In fall 2002, the SWOHSHL experienced rapid growth with the addition of Dublin Coffman, Dublin Scioto, and Gahanna Lincoln. As a result of having 7 teams, those schools banded together to form the CHC in 2003. The Conference then added Dublin Jerome in 2004 and St. Francis DeSales in 2006, Olentangy Liberty in 2007, Olentangy and Olentangy Orange in 2008, and Bishop Watterson and Archbishop Moeller in 2009.
The Conference has also been part of an OHSAA shift to Columbus, the home of the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets. Originally, Columbus-based teams were sent to their regional tournament at Bowling Green or Toledo. The tournament then moved to Troy, Ohio. Finally, in 2006, the Regional Tournament was moved to the Blue Jackets' practice facility, the Ohio Health Ice Haus in Columbus, and remains there. The Ice Haus is also the site of the annual Blue Jackets Cup Tournament.
The highlight of the Regional Tournament's move to Columbus has been the Regional Final, consistently played before SRO overflow crowds.
The Conference and its teams have a rich history of success. Olentangy Orange (2012), Olentangy Liberty (2011), Dublin Coffman (2010), Upper Arlington (2006, 2007), and Thomas Worthington (2003) have made Frozen Four appearances.
The CHC also has great depth in coaching, as head coaches Jay Graham (Upper Arlington) played NCAA Division I hockey for The Ohio State University; Jack Hoogeveen (Olentangy Liberty) played for Bowling Green University; and Pat Murphy (Dublin Jerome) played at Hamilton College and professionally in Europe.
The Conference in 2012-13 welcomes Rob Sangster as the new head coach at St. Charles. Rob played for the ECHL Columbus Chill, the precursor to the NHL Blue Jackets, in 1991-92 and chose to remain in Columbus to raise his family.
League Contacts |
||
inquiries should be directed as follows |
||
| Adam Smith Commissioner - (Scheduling, Hockey issues) |
614-223-8800 | asmith@kaynelaw.com |
| Greg Kirstein Commissioner - (Administration, OHSAA/CBJ Liason) |
614-246-4052 | gkirstein@bluejackets.com |
| Bruce McClary Asst. Commissioner - (Treasury) |
614-729-5400 | bruce.mcclary@alliancedata.com |
| J.J. Stallsworth Asst. Commissioner - (Website) |
614-769-4617 | jj_stalls@hotmail.com |
| Gary Wilkins Asst. Commissioner / Head Referee |
740-965-5004 | gary.wilkins@mt.com |
| Chris Khan JV Commissioner |
614-832-3647 | genghis59@yahoo.com |
| Doug Cathis JV Assistant Commissioner - (Website) |
614-266-8988 | dcat@dublinhockey.org |
| Joel Siegman Blue Jackets Cup Director |
614-246-4158 | jsiegman@bluejackets.com |
| JD Kershaw (ex-officio) Columbus Blue Jackets Vice President of Marketing |
614-246-4159 | jkershaw@bluejackets.com |
Previous Varsity Champions |
||
| Season | Regular Season Champion | CBJ Cup Champion |
| 2012-13 | RED - Olentangy Liberty | Dublin Jerome |
| WHITE - Olentangy Orange | ||
| BLUE - Gahanna Lincoln | ||
| 2011-12 | RED - Dublin Jerome | Dublin Jerome |
| WHITE - Upper Arlington | ||
| BLUE - St. Francis DeSales | ||
| 2010-11 | co-Champs -Liberty + Jerome |
Olentangy Liberty |
| 2009-10 | Olentangy Liberty | Dublin Jerome |
| 2008-09 | Dublin Coffman | Dublin Coffman |
| 2007-08 | Dublin Coffman | Dublin Jerome |
| 2006-07 | Upper Arlington | Dublin Jerome |
| 2005-06 | Upper Arlington | Dublin Jerome |
| 2004-05 | Dublin Coffman | Dublin Coffman |
| 2003-04 | Upper Arlington | Dublin Coffman |
| 2002-03 | Thomas Worthington | |
| 2001-02 | Thomas Worthington | |
| Varsity |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| JV |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |