Bob O’Connell is the Founder of Challenger Tours and Co-Founder of the New England Pro-Am Hockey League.  For 28 years Bob had a successful career working for IBM.

Born in New York City, Bob started playing roller hockey in Manhattan before his family moved to Boston where he helped organize the amateur hockey teams Lynchmen and Clovers.  In addition, he assisted in the development of one the best hockey schools in Boston; the John Cunniff Hockey School.

In 1980 he helped Gold Medal Winner Mike Eruzione obtain his first major corporate speaking engagement for IBM at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.  Several years later, in 1988, Bob was responsible for bringing the Soviet Union National Junior Team to the historic city of Quincy for a few “Friendly” games.  Some of the best players from New England were selected and coached by John Cunniff, one of the foremost coaches in USA Hockey and the NHL. Later he had the privilege of working with hockey legend Bobby Orr at Woolf Associates specializing in evaluating players from Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, Latvia and Ukraine.  

Bob became involved with women’s hockey when he first met Angela Ruggiero, another Gold Medal winner, whose dynamic personality and success inspired Bob to formulate the North American Stars.The North American Stars offer players an opportunity to play at a high level internationally as well as receiving an excellent cultural experience where they have been competing in Europe since 2009.

Please contact bob at challengertourshockey@gmail.com or +1 617-901-9139 with any questions.