Kathy Wynters is entering her seventh season as Associate Commissioner, eigthteenth year overall with the conference. As Joe
Bertagna's chief assistant, her primary responsibilities include the day-to-day operations of both the men's and women's leagues,
along with the administration of tournaments and special events, marketing and branding initiatives, and the licensing and sponsorship
programs. Prior to her promotion, Wynters served Hockey East as Director of Marketing and Special Events from 2002-06.
Wynters was the driving force behind the creation of both "Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer" and the Hockey East Kids'
Club. In five years, the Skating Strides program has raised almost $200,00 for breast cancer awareness and research, while
at the same time increased attendance at women's hockey games and gave the student-athletes the opportunity to give back to
the communities in which they study and play hockey. In 2012, the league raised a single-season record of $45,215 for breast
cancer charities. "Skating Strides" was nationally recognized twice (2007 & 2009) by NACDA/NACMA with medals for "Single Day
Attendance Promotion of an Olympic Sport".
During Kathy's tenure, the Hockey East corporate sponsorship program has grown to include several new partnerships, many
breaking ground beyond traditional hockey companies. In addition, the Hockey East licensing program has also expanded to include many new licensees, as
well as increased revenues from licensed merchandise, including an expanded offering at the conference championships. Kathy is instrumental in both the
marketing efforts and logistical operations behind Hockey East's special events, including two Frozen Fenway events and the 10th Anniversary celebration.
Wynters previously served Hockey East as Assistant Commissioner during the late 80's and early 90's, before going on to work for the New Jersey Devils
in the NHL, spending three years as a Marketing Director, coordinating licensing and souvenir merchandising. Wynters also spent five years as marketing
manager for PictureTel Corporation. A native of Quincy, MA, the former Kathy Walsh earned a B.S.
degree in marketing from Providence College in 1982. She began her career while an undergraduate,
as a three-year intern with the men's hockey team. Following graduation, she served the Friars in two
capacities; first as Assistant Sports Information Director and then as Director of Athletic Marketing.
While at PC, and before Hockey East had a full-time staff, Wynters worked with former PC athletic
director, and then Commissioner, Lou Lamoriello on the launch of the conference in 1983, and then
coordinated the first three Hockey East championship tournaments (1985-87). She also managed the
1986 NCAA Men's Frozen Four at the Providence Civic Center, co-hosted by Brown and Providence
College. In 1988, Wynters left her position at PC and moved over to Hockey East on a full-time basis.
Among her earlier accomplishments at Hockey East, Wynters worked with Joe Bertagna in coordinating
the first and only "Hockeyfest" events, combining the ECAC and Hockey East championships into
single weekend events from 1989-91.
Kathy and her husband Chuck (a retired on-ice official for Hockey East), are the parents of two:
daughter Annie (20), a junior at the College of the Holy Cross, and son C.J. (19), a sophomore at
Bridgewater State University. The Wynters family resides in Waltham.
Pete Souris enters his sixth season with the
conference office and was promoted to Assistant
Commissioner in the
summer of 2010.
Souris has played a
key role in securing a
regional radio contract
with 98.5 The Sports
Hub in Boston and was
instrumental in the signing
of a national television
agree with the CBS
Sports Network in the fall of 2010.
He was very involved in the 25th anniversary
celebration, as he oversaw the production of the
league's 25th anniversary DVD and has played an
integral role in the improvements to hockeyeastonline.
com over the last two years.
Souris had been affiliated with the UNH
athletic department for 12 years since he was
a student in the mid-1990's. After earning his
BS in Kinesiology: Sport Studies in December
of 2001, Souris was promoted to the post of
assistant director of media relations the following
summer, and three years later was named
associate director. In 2006, he also assumed
responsibility for managing the department's
web site (unhwildcats.com).
In addition to serving as the primary media
contact for the UNH men's hockey team for
seven seasons, Souris was the lead contact
for the school's women's volleyball team for 10
years. Souris also served as primary media coordinator
for the NCAA men's hockey Northeast
Regionals in Manchester, NH, in 2004 and 2007.
He has also worked the last 11 Frozen Fours,
dating back to 1999-2000.
Souris is was a member of the New England
Patriots gameday media relations staff from
2008 to 2011, working as a member of the
statcrew. He also does freelance television work
as a associate producer- graphics coordinator,
scorebug operator and statistician. Souris is
currently in his third season serving as the video
replay technician for the Boston Bruins.
Souris, a 1995 graduate of Beverly High
School, resides in Beverly, Mass.
Blake, a 2012
graduate of Northeastern
University, will assist in dayto-
day operations in both the
men's and women's league in
the Wakefield office.
Blake, a Canton, Mass.
native, was a standout
midfielder on the Huskies'
women's soccer team for
four seasons (2007- 2010),
including the 2010 season
as team captain. She finished her Northeastern
career playing in 76 games, recording five goals
and six assists. In 2010, Blake was honored
as a CAA Second-Team selection and was also
bestowed CAA Third-Team honors and in 2009.
While at Northeastern, Blake served on the Student
Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and was named
to the Dean's List six times. She graduated in
May of 2012 with a bachelors degree in Political
Science. She was also named a National Soccer
Coaches Association of America All-East Region
Scholar in 2011.
In the summer of 2011, Blake was the voice
behind "Huskies Unleashed", a mini series following
the lives of the Northeastern women's soccer
team during their two-week long preseason. The
series allowed for an inside look into the different
elements necessary for the team to be fully prepared
for their 2011 season. Blake also served
as a color commentator for two Huskies' regular
season games in the fall of 2011.
History of Hockey East's Intern Program
1st – 2006-07: Scott Donnelly (Providence); now Director of Athletic Marketing at UMass-Lowell
2nd – 2007-08: Andrew Bartlett (Providence); now working at St. Sebastian's
3rd – 2008-09: Elizabeth Fierman (Boston University); worked as SID at UMass-Lowell, now working at ESPN
4th – 2009-10: Stephanie Bambury (St. Mike's grad, but worked at Vermont as a jr & sr); also did an internship with Red Sox after HE; now Interim Director of Athletic Marketing at Dartmouth
5th – 2010-11: Greg Rosa (Boston College); now Director of Marketing for Manchester (NH) Monarchs (AHL Hockey)
6th – 2011-12: Andrew Zagorianakos (Maine); now Asst Equipment Manager at Boston College
7th – 2012-13: Kristen Blake (Northeastern)
Dan Schachte, who will handle all the day-to-day operations of the league's officiating program, just finished a 30-year career as an
National Hockey League linesman. He worked 2,009 regular-season games in the NHL dating back to 1982, which ranks fifth all-time
and first all-time among American-born NHL officials. He also worked 221 Stanley Cup playoff games, which ranks eighth all-time among
NHL linesman. He worked five Stanley Cup Finals ('97, '98, '00, '01, '02) and worked Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. He also
served as a linesman in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which included the Bronze Medal Game.
Schachte also served on the NHLOA Discipline Committee from 2002 to 2010, as well as the NHLOA Executive Board (1991-1992)
and the NHL Injury Analysis Panel in 2002.
He has also served as an Officiating Supervisor for USA Hockey since 2011, mentoring many of the top young officials in the United
States with instruction and training at camps around the country. Schachte, who was a former Western Collegiate Hockey Association
(WCHA) and United States Hockey League (USHL) referee from for two years (1980-1982), co-founded of the Wisconsin Elite Hockey
League (WEHL) back in 2006.
Schachte studied Mechanical Enginering at the University of Wisconsin. He resides in Verona, Wis. with his wife Kim and children, Danny, Ian, Lauren and
Maddy.
Dick DeCaprio enters his first season as Chief
Observer, after serving as Supervisor of Officials for
six seasons. DeCaprio is a former on-ice official, who
succeeded 12-year veteran supervisor Brendan Sheehy
in 2006.
DeCaprio, a native of Arlington, Mass., has enjoyed a
wide range of hockey experiences since his graduation
from Boston University in 1968. Following his playing
days for Jack Kelley, DeCaprio became a referee,
working high school and college games, including Hockey East games, for
more than two decades. Toward the end of his officiating career, he began
assigning high school games in the Greater Boston area. Professionally,
DeCaprio has been a teacher and administrator in the Arlington Public
Schools for nearly 40 years. After serving as an assistant coach in both
football and ice hockey at Arlington, DeCaprio succeeded the legendary
Eddie Burns as head hockey coach of Arlington's storied program in
1997. In that time, he has compiled an outstanding record of 129-55-22,
leading the Spy Ponders to six league titles and six appearances in the
prestigious "Super Eight" schoolboy tournament.
His contributions to high school hockey have earned him induction into
the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association's Hall of Fame as
both a referee and a coach.
Beyond these experiences, DeCaprio enjoyed two different stints
as an assistant coach at UMass Lowell (1969-70 and 1989-91) and
also served as a scout for the St. Louis Blues from 1985 to 1988. An
outstanding teacher, DeCaprio has also directed the Spy Pond Power
Skating Hockey School and Clinic since 1980. He and his wife Marsha
reside in Chelmsford.
