PRO-AM DIRECTORS BEGIN 25th SEASONWhen brothers Bob and Mike O’Connell, Directors of the New England Pro-Am Hockey League, began operations in the Fall of 1983 at Quincy Youth Arena, they had visions of being in the hockey business for years to come.
That vision has since become a reality as they enter their 24th summer of league play in 2006 at Iorio Arena in Walpole, Massachusetts. There have been some big moments over those summers with memories that have made Bob and Mike extremely proud.
In 1988 they were the first amateur organization to bring the National Junior Team from the former Soviet Union to the city of Quincy. This was a momentous occasion, as the Soviets had never gone anywhere in the United States but straight to Lake Placid. In 1989, the Pro-Am Hockey League hosted the United States Junior National Team at Boston University in a "Friendly Games Series" against the Soviet Junior National Team before the start of the World Junior Tournament at Lake Placid. The Soviets also played a second friendly game versus an All-Star team from the Pro-Am League. With this background, the Pro-Am was chosen to host the 1990 World Select 16 Tournament in Boston featuring team from Russia, Finland, Canada, and our own United States Team. They are still the only amateur organization in Boston ever selected to host a sanctioned World Tournament.
Since 1984, Bob and Mike have conducted the prestigious Chowder Cup summer Junior Tournament as well as the annual International Pre-Draft Tournament which began in 1989. This coming summer the Men's Chowder Cup will consist of 80 teams, Women's Chowder Cup will consist of 36 teams, Junior Chowder Cup will consist of 80 teams, the International Pre-Draft will be comprised of 48 teams and the latest tournament will be the Mini-Chowder Cup consisting of 24 teams. Entries will come from the United States, Canada, Siberia, Latvia, and Belarus.
Today, Mike, who recently retired as a teacher in the Boston Public School System, works solely as Co-Director of the Pro-Am with his brother Bob. Bob, retired from IBM, is in his 11th year as a Sports Agent heading Global Sports Advisors. Players currently represented by Bob come from the United States, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.