League Commissioner
League Commissioner
Tony Zasowski is the League Commissioner of the Tier 1 Hockey Federation and Atlantic Hockey Federations. Tony comes to us from the NAHL where he was Commissioner of the NAPHL and led all aspects of NAHL Combines, NAHL Central Scouting and Education Initiatives for the NAHL, NA3HL and NAPHL including General Manager for Team NAHL at the 2019 World Jr. Club Cup in Sochi, Russia.
Prior to his position with the NAHL, Zasowski has served as Head Coach and General Manager for the NAHL’s Springfield Jr. Blues from 2012-16. Zasowski was also President and Goaltending Coach of the San Jose Jr. Sharks along with Head Coach of Tier I teams. Tony was one of the founding members of the NAPHL back in 2009.
As a player, Zasowski grew up playing goaltender winning Championships under the USHL. From there, he earned a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame where he was named Freshman of the Year for the Irish. He finished up his playing career with the Dayton Bombers in the ECHL.
Zasowski and his wife DJ have a daughter, Esmee.
Director of Scheduling
Matthew Kiernan is Vice President of Hockey for the Atlantic Hockey Federation. Matt oversees all aspects of the AHF. Matt is the co-founder and co-owner of the New Jersey 87’s, a member of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) where he serves as an Executive Committee member and is also on the league’s Board of Directors. He has held various coaching titles including Associate Head Coach of the EHL and EHLP teams and Head Coach at the U18 AAA level. Matt is a graduate of the University of Scranton. Prior to shifting his career to youth and junior hockey, Matt was an equity derivatives trader for 20+ years.
Referee in Chief
As the Referee in Chief, Kevin Keiper will be responsible for all the officials and assignors for the AHF/THF. Kevin has a wealth of officiating experience, 16 years as a USA Hockey official and over 10 years as a member of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association. Kevin has worked many finals and county championship games in his time at USA Hockey and NIHOA Metro NY/NJ. During Kevin’s time as a member of NIHOA Metro NY/NJ Chapter, He was selected on multiple occasions to officiate the New Jersey High School finals at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Kevin is also on the NIHOA Metro NY/NJ membership committee where he recruits and mentors officials looking to further their officiating careers. In his free time, he enjoys spending it with his wife and two children and coaching his son's travel hockey team.
Deputy Commissioner
Brent was born and raised in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Brent played 3 years of Junior A hockey for the St. Albert Saints before receiving a scholarship to NCAA D1 Merrimack College in North Andover Massachusetts; a member of the Hockey East Conference. Brent served as captain for 2 years with Merrimack Warriors and has recently been named to Merrimack’s All-Decade Team. After completing 4 successful years with the Warriors and graduating with his BA in Business Administration and a concentration in Organizational Behavior he signed a contract to play professionally in the UK. Brent retired in 2010 and began his coaching career with the Junior A West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. He spent 5 seasons with the West Kelowna Warriors as the Associate Head Coach and Assistant General Manager. Following West Kelowna, Brent and his family moved to Arizona to join the Arizona Bobcat Program. In his time with the Bobcats he has coached U18, U16, and U14 AAA Teams. In the 2021-22 Season his team won the U 18 Tier 2 National Championship.
Director of Operations
Laura Cahn, a prominent figure in hockey administration, has dedicated over two decades to shaping and elevating the sport. Her journey began in 1998 with the San Diego Jr Gulls, where she held key roles such as President, Treasurer, Registrar, and Tournament Director until 2011. Laura served on the Board of the Southern California Amateur Hockey Association (SCAHA) from 2002 to 2011, contributing significantly to the Discipline and Playoff Committees.
In 2008, Laura's influence expanded statewide as she became associated with the California Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). Over a decade, she evolved into the role of 2nd VP and Youth Council Chair/Tournament Director from 2012 to 2019. Laura managed various youth leagues, league weekends, and State Championships, ensuring standardized and equitable playing fields through her review of League Rules & Regulations.
Transitioning to Northern California Amateur Hockey (NORCAL) in 2012, Laura served as the SafeSport Coordinator until 2019, maintaining member compliance and effectively liaising with USA Hockey. Her leadership ascended in 2019 as General Manager, overseeing all league operations, playoffs, dispute and discipline hearings, and providing crucial support to the league scheduler and registrar.
Simultaneously, from 2008 to 2023, Laura made her mark in corporate realms at Iceoplex as the Director of Tournaments, coordinating holiday tournaments, overseeing league weekends, and managing playoff events, showcasing her talent for seamless event execution and management.
In her current role with the Vacaville Jets since 2011, Laura continues to showcase her expertise as Registrar and Tournament Director, adeptly coordinating holiday tournaments, league weekends, and playoff events. She now resides in South Florida with her husband Larry, the Hockey Director for the Florida Panthers, and their daughter.
Director of Administration
Nikki Miller is the League Commissioner for the Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation, as well as the Atlantic Hockey Federation’s and Tier 1 Hockey Federation's first Director of Administration. Nikki handles all league communication, league rules, and bylaws, invoicing, discipline enforcement, and administrative affairs of the league. In addition, Nikki is Manager for the Princeton Tiger Lilies, in her 8th year as Manager for the New Jersey Stars and Manager of Black Bear Selects. Nikki also is in her 5th year as the Director and Tournament Coordinator for the VSK Wings Spring hockey program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Stockton University.
Marketing Manager
Julia Duncan is the Marketing Manager for the Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation, AHF, THF, and NGHL. With a specialization in social media, photography, and graphic design, Julia has a keen eye for detail and a talent for creating captivating visuals. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management and Advertising from the University of Georgia, where she honed her skills as the social media manager for UGA Hockey. It was there that she grew her passion for the sport.
Director
David Gibson is the owner of the New Jersey Rockets Hockey Club and is the Managing Member of Molokai Partners LLC; a New Jersey based private investment firm that manages in excess of $50 million of committed and invested assets. Previously Gibson served as a Partner at Socratic Fund Management LP; a $250 million energy-focused hedge fund based in Short Hills, New Jersey. Prior to Socratic, Gibson was a Managing Director at Tremblant Capital LP, a $4.5 billion retail-focused hedge fund, where he held the position of Head of Trading from its inception in 2001. He started his career as a trader at William Trading. Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from St. Lawrence University.
Director
Murry Gunty is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc.
A lifelong hockey fan, Gunty grew up in Portland, Maine, where he spent countless hours playing hockey and watching the former Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League. He has coached and managed his sons’ AA and AAA hockey teams from Mite through Midget and is passionate about growing the game.
Gunty is also CEO and founder of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC and Blackstreet Capital Management, turnaround investment businesses. His vision for Black Bear was to combine his turnaround experience with his passion for the sport of hockey, and to bring professional management to the rink industry, turning around poorly run facilities and investing badly-needed capital in 20-30-year-old rinks, thereby saving them for their respective communities.
Director
Jim Hunt has been with both the Ice Vault and the Hitmen organizations since their inception, serving as the first Hockey Director and Head Coach/General Manager of the expansion EJHL Junior team. After starting the Bandits program and acquiring the Hitmen as part of the Ice Vault brand, he was promoted to Vice President of Hockey Operations and President of the Hitmen in 2006 and charged with overseeing the growth of the program in the youth Tier I market while ensuring the culture of the building remained a player first development driven atmosphere. Jim has represented the United States in nearly a dozen international events and has served as an Assistant Coach and Assistant Director of Player Personnel to the original National Team Development Program established by USA Hockey in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2000, he accepted the position as an NCAA Division I Head Coach at Fairfield University, where he led the program to its first ever playoff appearance. Under his direction, the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association Player Development Program was established in 1993 to provide players within the Atlantic Affiliate an opportunity to compete on national and international stages. From 2009-2012, he served as the first regional ADM Manager for USA Hockey’s National Player Development Model launched in cooperation with the NHL. While cultivating his hockey knowledge and gaining valuable experience, Jim also served as a police detective in his hometown of Fort Lee, NJ, where he retired after twenty-five years of distinguished service.
Director
With over 38 years of experience in junior hockey, he provides valuable leadership to the PAL Ice Hockey
Organization and Principal Owner of the Florida Jr Blades. I’ve helped lead teams to 12 USA Hockey
National appearances and won it all in 2008. I have been lucky enough to produce numerous NHL,
professional, and over 650 plus collegiate players, and he continues to dedicate his time to the development
of USA hockey. Currently Hockey Director for PAL Ice Hockey and Owner of the Florida Jr Blades
Graduate of New England College played 4 years at the D3 level-1980-1985 with a degree in Business Administration.
Director
Robert “Bobby” Reiss spent 48 years in New York City’s Garment District. Reiss was a partner in the billion-dollar jean brand, Gitano. Purchased the No Excuses Jean brand in 1993 which provided apparel sportswear to Wal-Mart and Target stores. In 2003, Reiss built the Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, NJ seeing a major void in the hockey marketplace. In 2016, it was expanded into a 3-sheet facility. The Ice Vault has hosted 5 USA Hockey National Championships from 2010-2018. Reiss also owns the New Jersey Bandits Tier II youth hockey program as well as the Jersey Hitmen, Squirt thru Junior (NCDC) Tier I programs, in the USPHL.
Director
Steve attended the 1983 USA Hockey National Select Camp in Colorado Springs where he landed a spot on the D1 University of Maine (NCAA) hockey team; In his senior year the Black Bears made it to the Elite 8 of the Frozen Finals. After graduation in 1987 he worked with his father Bob to open the Long Beach Arena and create the flagship NY Apple Core Hockey Club which they operated there for 20 years. In 1997 they opened the Brewster Ice Arena and founded the Brewster Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs organizations, later welcoming the Westchester Express program, and migrating the Apple Core up from Long Beach in 2012. Steve continues to own and operate the "BIA" and teams at every age group under all four banners. Through his thirty-five year tenure he has coached the following birth years at the AAA or Junior Levels: 1977, '83, '85, '87, '89, '94, '95, '98, 2001, '03, and '07, bringing many of those teams to compete at the NY State Championships and onto the National Championships. In addition to his experience in travel hockey, Steve volunteered as Head Coach of the NY Empire State games three times and coached Kennedy Catholic High School's varsity team for seventeen years. He takes great pride in helping players develop through coaching and providing positive experiences. Hundreds of players Steve coached have reached their goals in the NCAA, with several more going on to play professionally.
Rob Broderick is the General Manager of the Mercer Chiefs hockey program and Ice Land Arena. He is the Head Coach for our NCDC team. For the past 3 years, he was the Head Coach for our U16 National and U18 Premier teams. Prior to his role with the Chiefs, Rob had served as President of the New Jersey Rockets, Managing Director of the Midget Program and Head Coach of U18 team for 14 years. Rob is the Head Scout for the Maryland Black Bears in the NAHL, and Northeast scout for Youngstown in the USHL. He was the U.S. Scout for Ottawa Junior Senators in the CCHL for last 8 years.
Rob was drafted by and played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL and he was captain of his ECAC hockey team his junior and senior years at SUNY Potsdam. Over the past sixteen seasons, his teams have averaged thirty five wins per regular season and have made the District playoffs every season in the AYHL and USPHL. Prior to joining the NJ Rockets, Rob was the head coach of Team Carolina, with that team being the first in the organization’s history to win the AAA Regionals.
Ferraris is the Hockey Director for Hartford Junior Wolf Pack and the current Head Coach of Trinity-Pawling School.
Jim Hunt has been with both the Ice Vault and the Hitmen organizations since their inception, serving as the first Hockey Director and Head Coach/General Manager of the expansion EJHL Junior team. After starting the Bandits program and acquiring the Hitmen as part of the Ice Vault brand, he was promoted to Vice President of Hockey Operations and President of the Hitmen in 2006 and charged with overseeing the growth of the program in the youth Tier I market while ensuring the culture of the building remained a player first development driven atmosphere. Jim has represented the United States in nearly a dozen international events and has served as an Assistant Coach and Assistant Director of Player Personnel to the original National Team Development Program established by USA Hockey in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2000, he accepted the position as an NCAA Division I Head Coach at Fairfield University, where he led the program to its first ever playoff appearance. Under his direction, the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association Player Development Program was established in 1993 to provide players within the Atlantic Affiliate an opportunity to compete on national and international stages. From 2009-2012, he served as the first regional ADM Manager for USA Hockey’s National Player Development Model launched in cooperation with the NHL. While cultivating his hockey knowledge and gaining valuable experience, Jim also served as a police detective in his hometown of Fort Lee, NJ, where he retired after twenty-five years of distinguished service.
Chris was named Director of AAA Hockey- Philadelphia Region in November 2021. Previously, Chris spent 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Revolution. His coaching resume spans 3 decades and includes stops at the Youth, Junior, NCAA, and Professional Levels. He has served as the Philadelphia Revolution’s President and General Manager for the past 10 years. Chris is a demanding coach who stresses the covenants of accountability, trust, and teamwork to achieve his goals. A true developer of the elite athlete, Chris is driven to enhance his players' self-discipline and skill sets through repetition and self-sacrifice.
Chris resides in Southampton, NJ with his Wife Melissa and their 3 Children.
