EYHA Information

EYHA is home to over members with a passion for the game of hockey! Travel, House, Cubs, Select, Girls and Adult…it’s all here! Hockey, the fastest game on earth, has been thriving in Erie for more than 40 years. It has never been easier to get started than right now.

HISTORY
Youth hockey in Erie began in 1964 by founders Al Ziebarth, Wally Walworth, and Bob Williams.
With the building of the Glenwood Ice Rink (now called the John M. Cochran Arena after the founder of the Erie Zoological Society) the youth program took residence in what was one of the first year round indoor rinks in the USA. Taught by the Erie Lion's pros, the youth program amassed many laurels. In 1970, the Erie Midgets Lions team , was the first U.S. team to win a Silver Sticks Midget Championship. The favorite son of Erie Hockey is Rick Chartraw , who played his way through amateur hockey in Erie all the way to 5 Stanley Cup Championship rings in his pro career with Montreal, Los Angeles, New York Rangers, and Edmonton.

In 1978, the Erie Youth Hockey Association became independent from the Zoological Society and continued to grow to one of the largest amateur youth organizations in the United States. Erie Youth Hockey offers a diversity of programs for boys and girls ages 4-17.

CUB PROGRAM
Cubs, under the direction of Doug Wagner , offers learn-to-skate and game opportunities for those players new to the ice. This program was the prototype for the USA Hockey Initiation Program.

HOUSE LEAGUE PROGRAM
House allows players to experience competitive play locally. Competition between other in-league teams provides a fun and learning experience. The House League Division also offers a Select Team program which gives House players "a taste of travel hockey" with it's limited travel schedule.

TRAVEL PROGRAM
These accelerated programs offer Erie’s finest players the chance to play against teams from the Pittsburgh Amateur and the Western New York Amateur Hockey Leagues.

GIRL'S HOCKEY
Erie Youth Hockey offers one of the nation’s premier girl's hockey programs. Whether it's travel or house, there is something for all girls regardless of their experience. The "Erie Lions" are Erie's first girls team since the Lionettes in 1967.

TOURNAMENTS
Tournaments have flourished in the Erie Youth Hockey Program since its inception. The Erie Invitational Christmas Tournament (1970-2005) was one of the first holiday tourneys in the nation. In the Fall of 2006 we began the Fall Face-Off which later got renamed the Hunter Faulkner Fall Face-Off Travel Hockey Tournament and has been a huge success since it started. The Select/House teams enjoy the fun of competition at the House Select/Travel B Tournament held every February.