HockeyEastOnline.com - Hockey East Staff

KATHY WYNTERS - ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

Wynters has been affiliated with Hockey East for fifteen of the conference's twenty-five years. She is currently entering her eleventh year as a full time employee, third as associate commissioner. Prior to her promotion, Wynters most recently served as director of marketing and special events from 2002-2006. As Commissioner 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.

Wynters was the driving force behind the creation of both "Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer" and the Hockey East Kids' Club. The inaugural Skating Strides event raised more than $20,000 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. That fundraising figure increased to $33,000 last season, and once again, all proceeds were split and donated to local breast cancer charities including the Friends of Mel Foundation and the American Cancer Society. "Skating Strides" was nationally recognized in June 2007 by NACDA/NACMA with a gold medal for "Single Day Attendance Promotion of an Olympic Sport". The Kids' Club program provides free admission to selected Hockey East games, along with Meet & Greet autograph sessions, photos with mascots, and other special events throughout the college hockey season. Over 500 youngsters from throughout New England registered for, and participated in, the kids' club program during the initial three years.

Also during Kathy's tenure, the Hockey East corporate sponsorship program has grown to include several new partnerships, many breaking ground beyond traditional hockey companies. Wynters continue to oversee the sponsorship program working closely with John Mathews and his team at Eident, a sports marketing firm located in Providence, R.I., hired by the conference to increase sponsorship sales.

Wynters previously served as Hockey East's Assistant Commissioner from 1988 to 1991, before going on to work for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. She spent three years with the Devils as 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 as both Assistant Sports Information Director and then as Director of Athletic Marketing. While at PC, before Hockey East had a full-time staff, Wynters worked with former PC AD and then HE Commissioner Lou Lamoriello on the launch of the conference in 1983, and then coordinated the first two Hockey East championship tournaments in 1985 and 1986, as well as the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in 1986. In 1988, Wynters moved to Hockey East full-time. 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.

Wynters and her husband Chuck, an on-ice official for Hockey East from 1988-2006, are the parents of two children, daughter Annie (17) and son C.J. (16). The Wynters family resides in Waltham.

PETER SOURIS - DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Pete Souris enters his third season as Hockey East's Director of Public Relations. 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 brings 14 years of experience to the post, and had been affiliated with the UNH athletic department 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 nine Frozen Fours, dating back to 1999-2000.

Souris is also a member of the New England Patriots gameday media relations staff. He also does freelance television work as a graphics coordinator, scorebug operator and statistician. He has also worked in a media support capacity for the Boston Red Sox at the 2003 ALCS and ALDS, as well as serving as a statistician for Fox Sports National for the 2007 ALCS at Fenway Park.

Souris, a 1995 graduate of Beverly High School, resides in Beverly, Mass.

Andrew Zagorianakos - 2011-12 Intern

Andrew Zagorianakos will assist in day-to-day operations in both the men¹s and women's league in the Wakefield office throughout the season.

Zagorianakos, a Lincoln, Maine native, worked in the UMaine athletic department for the last five years, most recently as a student supervisor at Alfond Arena in operations office. His responsibilities included maintenance of the ice surface, as one of five Zamboni drivers to make ice at Alfond. In 2010-2011, Zagorianakos was nominated for the Maine Student Employee of the Year Award for his efforts as part of the Alfond Arena operations staff.

Zagorianakos also worked in the event management office in the Maine athletic department with all varsity programs. He assisted with the game day setup of scoreboards and instant replay equipment, along with preparing event timelines and the scheduling of the student work staff throughout the season. He also served as assistant equipment manager for the men's team at Maine from 2007-2009, dealing with the day-to-day equipment needs of the Black Bears program, which included sharpening skates, equipment repair and the inventory and ordering of new equipment.

DAVE LEZENSKI - SUPERVISOR OF OFFICIALS

Dave Lezenski begins his first season as the SUpervisor of Officials for Women;s Hockey East. Lezenski worked with Hockey East for the past four seasons, assisting Supervisor of Officials, John Gallagher. Starting as an observer, Lezenski became invaluable to Gallagher. Lezenski also works for the NCAA during the men's and women's national tournaments.

The former NIHOA and ECAC veteran official is a native of Lynn, Mass. Professionally, he serves as a Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Health in Billerica Public Schools and is actively involved with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Lezenski resides in Lowell, Mass.

JOHN GALLAGHER - ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF OFFICIALS

After five years as Supervisor of Officials, John Gallagher has stepped down but will remain an important part of the league as the Assistant Supervisor of Officials for the Hockey East women's league. A 1979 graduate of Boston College, Gallagher has built a rich resume in the world of college hockey officiating. A veteran of 16 years on-ice for the ECAC and four for Hockey East, he has five Beanpot tournaments to his credit, including one on the women's side. He has also served in high profile assignments with the NCAA and the NHL.

Gallagher's experiences have naturally guided him into a development role. He served as the Director of the National Ice Hockey Officials Clinic for four years and has been supervising college hockey officials for the past eight, first with the ECAC Division-III Men's League (1998-2000) and then with Division-I (2000-03).

Gallagher's full-time job is as a sales representative for Glen Falls Lehigh Cement Company. He and his wife Christine reside in Reading, Mass., and have three sons – Jay, Ryan and Matthew.

JIM PRIOR - COORDINATOR OF MINOR OFFICALS

Jim Prior joined Hockey East at the start of the 2000-01 season as the Coordinator of Minor Officials. He assists in the assigning of goal judges and other off-ice game officials, and is always the "voice of the championship" as the PA announcer at the Hockey East tournament every March. Prior has long served as the PA announcer for Boston University, Arlington and Arlington Catholic high schools, and recently added Wentworth College. He has also filled the role at the Beanpot for several years and has worked many NCAA regional events as well as the 1998 and 2004 Frozen Fours.

Prior lives in Arlington with his wife Anne. The couple has two sons, Dennis and Michael, and four grandchildren (two boys and two girls).