Most Canadians are crazy about their national sport. They begin playing at a very young age. Hockey rinks can be found in just about every hamlet. The Canadian climate fosters the sport with long, rather cold winters. Most private schools in Canada offer hockey at the intramural and varsity level. The coaching tends to be of a pretty high standard.
But what about south of the border? The expansion of the National Hockey League into southern and western states has created a whole new following. Thousands of young people suddenly want to be professional hockey players. They love the fast pace and excitement of Canada's national sport. So, if your son or daughter (yes, many coed and girls schools mount girls' hockey teams) is clamoring to go to a 'hockey' school, you can't do much better than some of the schools on the list below. These fine American private schools enjoy a great reputation for excellent hockey teams and superb academics. Who knows! Maybe your kid will end up on an NHL team.
From Head Coach Brett Riley:
A sound attitude and advanced level of skill are pre requisites for a position on the varsity team, as is the realization that a varsity sport may require a six day a week commitment. This commitment may extend into vacation periods for sports seasons. The dedication and commitment needed to conduct a successful varsity program must be taken seriously by all student/athletes, and coaches' efforts need to be supported by parents. While contest participation over the course of the season is desirable a specified amount of playing time at the varsity level is never guaranteed. Preparing to win, striving for victory in each contest, and working to reach the groups and individual's maximum potential are worthy goals of a varsity team.
Opened in February 2002 and later officially dedicated on June 8, 2002, the Harrison Rink is the home of Andover hockey. This state-of-the-art facility sports two sheets of ice – the Harrison Rink (200' x 94'), which is the main arena with seating for 400, and the smaller but NHL-sized Gurry Rink (200' x 85'). It also includes locker rooms for all four PA hockey teams and visiting squads, plus an athletic training room, spacious lobby and viewing areas, and locker space for teams using the nearby Phelps Stadium during the fall and spring seasons. The facility is utilized year-round for Andover teams, hockey camps, town youth hockey, and ice skating.
All practices and home games take place at Jennings-Fairchild Rink which is a well-maintained facility. Large locker rooms, training rooms, and physical therapy areas serve the teams well. There is a newly renovated video room for teams and coaches to use to evaluate and improve their performance. A state of the art weight and fitness center is used to maintain and gain strength and flexibility during the season as well as during the off-season. The student body embraces the sport of ice hockey and all games are well attended events that help to make the atmosphere at Jennings-Fairchild rink special.
Boys in all grades, no matter what their athletic talents, learn lasting lessons: the value of teamwork, the importance of sportsmanship, the rewards of giving any task their best effort. With only a few exceptions our coaches are teachers at the School, making athletics an extension of the classroom.
In a typical season, Berkshire will play around 25 games. The Bears play one of the most competitive schedules in New England with games against the top Div. I teams in Eastern and Western New England. The members of this program pride themselves on building a foundation where character and teamwork are the focus. Players develop their skill sets while working within a team and learning how to play the game at a faster pace. The skills the players learn on and off the ice will help them attain their aspirations of playing at the next level while also setting them up for success outside of the ice rink.
At Choate we're always interested in excellent postgraduate candidates or multi-sport student-athletes who can come in at the varsity level, but at the same time we are committed to building a program in which we grow our own.
The interscholastic athletic program at Phillips Exeter Academy embodies the school’s core values: knowledge and goodness integrated. Our program, grounded in integrity, promotes character development and collaboration. We believe that athletic competition is a powerful teacher. Physical and mental challenges in a team context offer athletes the opportunity to develop leadership skills, self–confidence and a commitment to others that will inspire them to lead productive and active lives.
Linen rink is home to Gunnery’s ice hockey teams. There are locker room facilities for the boys’ and girls’ varsity programs and two locker rooms for visiting teams. The rink is also available during the winter for students, faculty and the Washington community to use for skating, hockey, or broomball. In the spring season, the space is used for baseball batting cages.
Built in 2002, the 212,000-square-foot Forrest E. Mars Jr. Athletic Center buzzes with activity, not only during the school year but also throughout the summer months. The entire Hotchkiss community uses the Mars Center, affectionately referred to as the MAC, for swimming and water polo, playing basketball, squash, hockey and indoor tennis, and staying fit by running on the indoor track or working out in the Chandler Fitness Center. The state-of-the-art facilities include:
Ice Hockey Rinks (two) – the Thomas Schmidt Rink (NHL, 200 ft. x 85 ft.) and Andrew K. Dwyer and Martin Dwyer III Rink (Olympic, 200 ft. x 100 ft.)
For more than one-hundred years, Kent School has enjoyed a successful tradition of ice hockey, with its first team dating back to 1911. In 1986, the first girls team competed, and for nearly three decades now, young women have represented Kent on the ice.
A member of the Founders League, which is regarded as one of the highest levels of hockey competition available to high school-age players in the country, Kent gains remarkably from an incredibly strong schedule. With an emphasis on individual player development, our girls prepare for their futures as college athletes.
Loomis competes at the highest level of New England prep hockey. A member of the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association and the Founders League, Loomis plays a competitive, 26-game schedule. The Founders League, widely accepted as one of the best high school leagues in the country, makes up the lion’s share of our schedule. We offer players significant exposure to college and professional scouts, and our student athletes earn the opportunity to continue their hockey careers at top Division I and Division III programs. Several Founders League veterans and Loomis alumni have gone on to successful professional careers as well.
From Head Coach Vincent Sorriento:
The Millbrook varsity hockey program plays an extremely competitive 32-game schedule in the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association. The team plays in three tournaments throughout the year: The Brooks School Tournament, The Belmont Hill-Nichols Tournament, and the Empire Cup (co-hosted with Trinity-Pawling).
In our recruiting process we seek out student athletes who are serious about becoming part of a community where they will be more than simply hockey players. Being a member of the Millbrook community means pushing oneself in the classroom, being a leader in the community, and carrying oneself with dignity while treating others with respect.
Since the founding of the School, athletics has played a key role in each student’s Pomfret experience. Many life lessons are taught through the athletic program. Character building, fair play, and appreciation for being a part of a team are goals that we expect every student to experience. The Pomfret athletic program helps students develop self-esteem, promotes their health and wellness, and allows students to develop meaningful relationships through team experiences.
The hockey rink "features a large (200'x 87') skating surface, an indirect lighting system, state-of-the-art refrigeration equipment, and an oversized dehumidification system to provide an optimum ice-making environment. Coupling this with the newest addition to the "Ted," an Engo 200SX electric ice resurfacer, Proctor has become the best ice skating facility in New England."
Hockey arrived as an interscholastic sport during the winter of 1904-1905 when twelve boys turned out for practice on frozen Lake Washinee. Early opponents included nearby teams like Searles, Kent, and Lakeville. Play was suspended in 1913 due to the difficulty in maintaining acceptable playing surfaces. By 1922, matches had moved to a new hockey pond located next to Route 44. Interscholastic hockey was suspended during most of the 1930s but returned in 1939, when the old boards were resurrected and played on a rink built on the football field. The true "Father of Salisbury Hockey" was coach Roswell "Hop" Rudd, who arrived on the Hilltop in 1948. His teams won the Connatonic League Championship in 1956, 1965, 1966, and 1967.
Constructed in 2005, the New Rink is home to seven Shattuck-St. Mary's Hockey teams as well as the Figure Skating team. Students have exclusive use to the arena for practice as well as games. The New Rink holds 600 fans and uses geothermal technology to maintain high quality ice all of the time. Connected to The Barn as well as the locker rooms and training facility, the New Rink is the place to be on game night. Outside of the arena you'll find the Sabre Cafe where fans can grab a snack or some coffee during long tournaments.
At South Kent School, athletics are part of everyday life. The school expects that each boy who spends time on the Hillside participates in a fitness oriented athletic offering at least two seasons of the year; the third season, he may participate in an extracurricular activity. The Physical Fitness option is limited to VI Form and Post-Graduate students. Each student is asked to contribute to a program designed to challenge him as well as build his selfesteem and confidence. The athletic program engages our students in developing teamwork by driving toward a common goal and learning that personal sacrifice can benefit the whole.
The Taft Boys’ Hockey program is not only proud of helping their student athletes improve their individual skills and hockey “sense,” but also helping them to foster their leadership skills as well. Taft Hockey boasts a rich history of preparing their players to become “Captains” of their respective teams. Because Taft has two ice surfaces (Mays and Odden Arena), we are equally as pleased to celebrate hockey as an inclusive sport for Taft students, as we do our most recent graduates winning the Stanley Cup (Ryan Shannon ‘01 / Anaheim Ducks), being picked 22rd overall in the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft (Max Pacioretty / Montreal Canadiens), being a 2007 Hobey Baker Finalist (John Curry ’03 / Boston University), or winning the 2006 Lawrenceville School Christmas tournament. Hockey at Taft can be played by the student-athlete that aspires to play from the recreational to professional level.
Trinity-Pawling's athletic facilities include a synthetic turf field, football field, four soccer fields, three lacrosse fields, two baseball diamonds, an enclosed hockey arena, an all-weather track, tennis courts, and five international squash courts. Also on campus, a basketball gymnasium, wrestling room, and weight training center which includes a weight-lifting and cardiovascular room.
Westminster School plays a very competitive varsity ice hockey schedule in arguably the best high school hockey league in the country, known as the Housatonic Conference. The ultra-competitive nature of the league, coupled with the high quality of Westminster’s games and players, attracts coaches from Division I and Division III colleges as well as professional scouts.
Westminster was the Founders League Champion three times in the 1990s and advanced to the semifinals and finals of the New England Championship as recently as 2013. Out of 62 New England Prep programs, Westminster is consistently in the top 16 teams that compete for a New England Championship at season’s end.
The Williston-Northampton School
Athletics is an integral part of our education and community. Williston has always taken pride in its ability to be both highly competitive and inclusive. For the serious athlete, our outstanding facilities and excellent coaching staff provide a wonderful opportunity for students to compete at the highest levels of New England prep school sports. We have a record of success supporting students who aspire to play in college—our student-athletes are recruited by Division I, II, and III institutions in New England and beyond.
The Jason Ritchie ‘05 Ice Arena serves as home to Winchendon’s very successful hockey teams as well as those from Franklin Pierce University and the local communities. The state-of-the-art rink, which was completed in 2008, provides locker rooms for fall and spring teams and includes the facilities for our athletic trainer. During the off-season, students from around the globe can be seen playing very competitive badminton!
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