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Commissioner
Tom Anastos
Tom Anastos, recognized by The Hockey News in each of the past three years on the list of the 100 most influential and powerful people in the sport (No. 85 in 2008), is in his 11th season as the Commissioner of the CCHA, having been named to the post on March 18, 1998. His unrequited passion for the game and savvy blend of administrative, business and communication skills, combined with a Who’s Who list of connections, provide progressive vision and dynamic leadership for college hockey. This season, the CCHA will become the first college hockey league since the NHL introduced the concept to adopt a three-player shootout to settle ties in regular-season games. The drama and excitement of a shootout is a ‘natural’ for college hockey where players, for the most part, are graduates of junior hockey and aspire to play professionally, and the shootout is immensely popular at those levels. The conference will also play host to the NCAA Midwest Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich., on March 28-29 as a prelude to the 2010 Frozen Four in Detroit. The CCHA Commissioner was instrumental in helping the Motor City and Ford Field secure the bid for college hockey’s most prestigious event. It will mark the first time that the national championship tourney returns to Michigan since 1990 and first time in a non-traditional hockey arena. The national leadership provided by Anastos was fully evident last season when, in his capacity of President of the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA), he spearheaded a college hockey delegation that traveled to Florida to meet with the 30 general managers of National Hockey League teams. Anastos also played a prominent role in 2008 as the HCA took the lead in launching playcollegehockey.com, a web site dedicated to showcasing the college game to potential student-athletes in North America and around the world. The HCA, comprised of the six commissioners from NCAA Men’s Division I Hockey, addresses common issues and concerns at a national level. The group’s efforts include ongoing discussions with the NHL’s corporate office in New York, sponsorship of the annual Ice Breaker Tournament and funding of playcollegehockey.com. The CCHA Commissioner’s commitment to growing the sport has resulted in an annual statewide celebration known as ‘Hockey Day in Michigan’. The grassroots initiative, which includes the live broadcast of two CCHA games on FSN Detroit, has been successfully imitated by USA Hockey to encourage fans, players, coaches and officials to unite in their passion for their sport and help introduce others to the game. In 2009, Hockey Day in Michigan will truly be a day for hockey lovers as it takes place on February 14th and will be incorporated into the national celebration, ‘Hockey Weekend Across America’, occurring February 13-15. Television has been a focal point for the CCHA under Anastos. The CCHA was the first hockey conference to sign television agreements with CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV) and Toronto, Canada-based Leafs TV. Expanded media coverage under his watch includes a weekly show, CCHA All-Access, on FSN Detroit, and a radio show, Inside the CCHA, that is widely distributed in league markets. Anastos facilitated the entry of the highly successful University of Nebraska-Omaha program into the CCHA in 1999-2000. He also transformed the annual CCHA Awards Banquet into a glamorous affair staged at Detroit’s historic Fox Theatre and overseen the evolution of the CCHA Championship Weekend into a festive event that’s added numerous entertainment options to the championship hockey that’s played. Prior to his appointment, Anastos served as president of the North American Hockey League, a Tier II junior league, for four seasons. During that time, the NAHL attracted strong ownership groups and developed into one of the top leagues for college-bound players in the United States. An active member of USA Hockey, Anastos is one of two NCAA representatives on the organization’s board of directors. He is also a member of USA Hockey’s Junior Council, which guides the direction of junior hockey, as well as the International Council, which oversees U.S. international programs. Anastos was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State (1981-85) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction management. His Spartans won four CCHA Championships and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, he earned second-team all-conference honors and was named to the all-tournament teams at the CCHA Tournament and Great Lakes Invitational. Anastos, a 2000 inductee into his hometown Dearborn, Mich., Sports Hall of Fame, played junior hockey for the Paddock Pools Saints of the NAHL and was the first player ever drafted from the league by an NHL team when the Montreal Canadiens selected him in 1981. After a season in the Canadiens organization, he joined the coaching staff at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and served as head coach from 1987 to 1990, compiling a 68-37-7 record. Anastos returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach to Ron Mason from 1990 to 1992. Anastos, 44, lives in Farmington Hills, Mich., with his wife, Lisa. They have five children — Lauren (19), Jenna (18), Alyssa (15), Andrea (13) and Drew (11). WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT TOM ANASTOS:
"Tom Anastos has been relentless in building the scope and scale of the CCHA. His enthusiasm and vision are reflections of his commitment to the conference and the game."
"There are few people that have as solid of a grasp of the overall hockey industry as Tom. The thing that impresses me most about him, however, is that he puts the overall well-being of the game ahead of any personal interests. He’s a true champion of our sport and works tirelessly at doing what’s right for hockey."
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