Dear Thunderbird Families, 

This Monday we were notified by the CAHA Hearing Panel that our Tier 1 National Tournament Bound status in USA Hockey has been restored. On behalf of everyone at the Thunderbirds we want to say THANK YOU for all of your support through this process. Just like anything in life, when we face adversity it is hard, but anything is possible when you stick together, and that's exactly what we did and we are grateful for our Thunderbird Family. We are also truly grateful for the support we received across the country from the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) as well as the Tier Hockey Federation, the support we received from both leagues was invaluable. Now we get to focus back on what we all love the most, ice hockey! Our commitment to you, families and players, remains steadfast in the pursuit of excellence to help our players maximize their development and achieve their goals! We look forward to seeing many familiar, and new, faces at tryouts! Have a great spring and summer, the future is bright!  

Sincerely, 

Jordan Pietrus

******

Please see the statement directly from the Hearing Panel regarding their decision: 

"After carefully considering the written submissions and arguments of the parties, the Hearing Panel concludes that the Local Organizations satisfied their burden of proof (more likely than not likely). It is the decision of the Hearing Panel that CAHA’s decision to reject the applications of the Colorado Rampage Hockey Association and Colorado Thunderbirds AAA Hockey Association, Inc. for Tier I applications for Tier I National Tournament Bound status was both arbitrary and capricious and in certain instances was not supported by the facts.

As a result of our decision, CAHA’s decision relative to the Local Organizations is reversed. The Local Organizations standing is reverted to that which existed prior to CAHA’s decision to reject their respective applications for Tier I applications for Tier I National Tournament Bound status. The Hearing Panel recommends that CAHA wait two seasons to implement the Tier I policies and use that time to truly evaluate the Tier I organizations against the proposed Tier 1 Policy."