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 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.
Deputy Commissioner
Blake MacNicol is the Director of Leagues and Tournaments for the Black Bear Sports Group. In his role, MacNicol is the Deputy Commissioner of the Atlantic Hockey Federation.Blake MacNicol served as the Director of Hockey Operations for the North American Hockey League since 2017. He also served as Commissioner of the North American 3 Hockey League for multiple seasons. In these roles he oversaw all aspects of league operations as well as overseeing youth hockey events. He also served as a member of the USA Hockey Junior Council for 3 seasons. Prior to these positions, he served in other roles with the North American Hockey League as well as Associate Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League.MacNicol attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He appeared in two NCAA tournaments for the men’s ice hockey team as well as earning an all CHA tournament team selection. He graduated with a degree in Sports Management and Business from Ohio University.
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.
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.
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.
Referee in Chief
As the Referee in Chief, Kevin Keiper will be responsible for all the officials and assignors for the AHF. 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.
Director
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
Jake Geverd is a Philadelphia native who earned his MBA from Wharton School of Business as a Joseph Wharton Fellow in 1969. After a distinguished career in the theater business, Jake sold his company to AMC and retired in 1987 to spend more time with his wife, Terrie, and children John and Tim. In 1997, he invested in the Oaks Center Ice facility. Oaks Center Ice is a 3 sheet facility in Phoenixville, PA that is home to the Valley Forge Colonials Tier II organization as well as the Valley Forge Minutemen Tier I organization. Since his investment in 1997, he has been instrumental in establishing the Oaks Center Ice facility as one of the best-run facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region along with growing the Valley Forge Colonials and Valley Forge Minutemen into one of the best organized Tier II and Tier I organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Director
James “Jim” Mackey is a former Managing Director with the multi-billion dollar hedge fund D.E. Shaw and is the current owner of the Hollydell Ice Arena along with the Philadelphia Hockey Club and Hollydell Hurricanes. Mackey played Division I college hockey at Yale University and was a Boston Bruins NHL draft pick.
Director
John Graves is the founder & owner of Ice Line a premier 4 sheet facility in West Chester PA Home of Team Philadelphia Tier II youth teams, as well as The Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Tier I Youth plus Tier I and Tier II Girls teams. Graves has spent over 35 years in youth hockey and serves on several hockey boards. He is a longstanding board member of the Atlantic District of USA Hockey and currently sits on the board of the AYHL, serves as Executive vice-president of MAWHA, and is president of the ICSHL Eastern PA High School league. Graves has been instrumental in helping grow youth hockey in the Atlantic District and has brought many innovations to rinks and leagues.
League Chairman
Keith Primeau is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 15 years in the NHL, finishing the last 6 years of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers. Primeau is involved in the ownership and operation of a number of ice rinks and teams in the Philadelphia area. As Chairman of the AHF, Primeau will oversee the Commissioner and ensure that the league brings the highest level of competition and integrity to the ice. Primeau coached his children throughout their youth hockey career at local Philadelphia hockey rinks and now has a son who is a goaltender in the NHL. In addition to Primeau’s responsibilities as Chairman, he is the President of Hockey Operations with USHL’s the Youngstown Phantoms.
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
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.
Dave Ball is the current Hockey Director for the Rockets Hockey Club based in Bridgewater, NJ. Dave grew up playing youth hockey in Pawling, NY. In addition to club hockey, he played for 3 years at the New England Prep School before going on to play NCAA Division III college hockey at Nichols College in Dudley, MA. Ball has coached youth sports for the past 14 years including football, baseball and ice hockey. Coaching at the Rockets and Protec Ducks, Dave has been a Tier I and Tier II Head Coach at many levels from U8-U18, winning a league championship at the U16 level. This season, Dave is the Head Coach for the Rockets’ U18 AA, U12 AA, and U10 Minor AAA teams.
Eric Wolf is the General Manager for the Team Philadelphia Youth Hockey Club in West Chester, PA. Eric is also the club’s Master Scheduler and Head Coach of the 18U AA team. He has been coaching for over 25 years in the Eastern Pennsylvania area. In addition to coaching several successful 18U AA teams, Eric was the Head Coach for the West Chester University ACHA Division I team from 2017-2020 and is the current Head Coach for West Chester East High School. Eric considers hockey one of the greatest teachers of life lessons and works to prepare his players to be successful on the ice and as they move on to college and the next journey life has for them.
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.
John grew up in the Philadelphia area and played for the Valley Forge Minutemen and LaSalle High School before going to prep school at Lawrence Academy (Groton, MA). Upon graduation he played a year for the NH Jr. Monarchs in the EJHL and then attended Babson College where he was a 2 year Captain. After a brief stint in the minors he returned home to help his Dad run Oaks Center Ice and coach the Valley Forge Minutemen. He has been coaching with Minutemen for over 10 years and has worked for the Atlantic District Player Development Program. John’s teams have achieved team success (AYHL Championships, District Championships and a bid to Nationals) as well as individual success (individual development, advancement to prep schools and Juniors as well as D1 commitments).
Keith Krem is the current Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth. He has been playing and coaching hockey for the past 35 years with over 30 years spent locally in the Atlantic District. He started at age 5 with the Lehigh Valley Comets and continued his passion with the Valley Forge Colonials and Junior Flyers before moving onto the Hill School. After graduating from the Hill School, Krem attended the Rochester Institute of Technology where he transferred his goaltending talents to play for the National Roller Hockey Championship winners. Krem has spent the last 14 years coaching for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth and is the longest tenured Head Coach in the organization. He has been a Head Coach at every level of play U8-U18, coached both boys and girls teams, as well as coached the Phantoms Youth Tier I teams at U10 and U14 levels in the AYHL. In addition to coaching, Krem is responsible for the creating and growth of the Phantoms Youth U8 Development Program which currently has over 85 players and is the future of the Phantoms organization. For the 2021-2022 season, Coach Krem heads up 3 Phantom Youth teams (U18 AA, U14 B, U8 Lite Travel), assists the U15 AA team, and continues to run the U8 program. Away from the Phantoms Youth, Krem is the owner of Kremmer’s Community Kitchen in South Allentown, an off-site institutional food service company serving 15,000 meals daily to non-profit organizations across the Eastern Pennsylvania region.
Mike Dianora is the current Hockey Director for the Jersey Shore Wildcats based in Wall, NJ. Dianora grew up playing youth hockey in Monmouth County, NJ. In addition to club hockey, he played for the Peddie School before going on to play Junior Hockey for the Rochester Mustangs and NJ Rockets followed by a successful career at Monmouth University where he also coached. Mike has coached youth hockey for the past 23 years at all levels from Tier II U10 to Tier I Midgets. In addition to the Wildcats, Mike is also entering his 21st season as the Wall High School coach where he has coached since the program’s inception and is a two-time Shore Conference Coach of the Year. Dianora also serves as the President of the Shore Conference Ice Hockey Coaches Association.
Nick has been the Hockey Director for the Jersey Colts for the last 6 years. He has been coaching for the organization for the last 12 years. He grew up in New Jersey playing youth hockey at the AAA level. Nick then went on to win 2 High School State Championships and played at the Junior level. With his time at the Colts, he has coached numerous teams of all levels to League Playoffs and Championships. In 2022 Nick coached his u18 AA team to a District Championship and a trip to USA Hockey Nationals, he was named the Atlantic District Coach of The Year. Nick likes to not only help his players grow and develop on the ice, but he also helps his athletes mature off the ice.
Tom Bunting is a local hockey coach that shows pride in his teams. He is one of the most successful coaches in USA youth hockey history with his 2005 Philadelphia Hockey Club team. His coaching experience ranges from the well-respected Gloucester Catholic Varsity high school hockey team, Philadelphia Hockey Club 2005 and 2009 teams, and working on skills and private lessons. Tom also serves as Director of Hockey Operations at Hollydell Ice Arena. Tom coaches winners and he shows passion for what he does on and off the ice.
