Posted: Aug 16, 2023
ADRIAN, Mich. -- Chris Zills will step down after 21 years with the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and former Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). He oversaw all publicity for one of the premier collegiate hockey conferences in the country.
"I want to thank Chris not only for his dedication and hard work, but also for his friendship," said interim commissioner Jim Olson. "He has served the NCHA, student-athletes and teams through his storytelling of their successes on and off the ice. Chris was able to give the fans an inside glimpse into the life of a collegiate student-athlete. It's been an absolute pleasure to work with him for the past 17 seasons."
Zills' tenure dates back to the 2000-01 season when he was the Director of Public Relations for the former MCHA, maintaining all statistics, producing the weekly report, and administering the website. The MCHA later merged with the NCHA into what it is today.
"It has been a great run and it's hard to step away from the league, but it's time for the next person to carry the torch for the NCHA," Zills said. "I was able to watch this league grow up in front of my eyes and it will always have a special place in my heart. When I started this job, the league was in its infancy and I was able to be along for the ride as it grew into the best hockey league in the nation at the NCAA Division III level. Dan Harris gave me the opportunity to tell the stories of the student-athletes over 20 years ago and I will always be thankful to him – and all the commissioners that followed – for that opportunity. I will miss the NCHA but will always feel blessed to have had this opportunity."
During Zills' time publicizing hockey in the Midwest, he has covered three NCAA DIII National Champions (Adrian in 2022/St. Norbert in 2014, 2018), along with countless student-athletes winning national awards. He has also helped the league transition through website redesigns and the addition of social media accounts. Zills was also instrumental in helping the MCHA and NCHA merge, along with helping to elevate the exposure of women's hockey in the NCHA.