Earlier this week, USA Hockey announced its 2017 award winners, who will be honored at the 2017 USA Hockey Annual Congress from June 7-10 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Amongst the honorees is Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna, who will receive the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award.
Bertagna joined Hockey East as commissioner in 1997, after serving as the Executive Director of Ice Hockey and then Ice Hockey Commissioner in the ECAC. He is currently the longest serving ice hockey commissioner in the NCAA. Bertagna recently signed a contract extension with Hockey East through the 2019-20 season.
Some of Bertagna’s biggest accomplishments (some good, some not so great) include the successful hosting of the 2015 Frozen Four in Boston (which helped Boston to earn the 2022 Frozen Four), multiple Frozen Fenway events, TV deals with ASN and NESN, the addition of UConn to Hockey East, and the addition and subsequent departure of Notre Dame.