USA Hockey began the National “Try Hockey for Free” day in February, 2010. Since then, almost 150,000 children have been able to take advantage of the program. For the past three or four years, one of the host rinks for the program is the Island Sports Center. The rink will be partaking in the event once again this year this Saturday, along with several others in the Pittsburgh area.
Introducing children to the game of hockey at a young age is something that the staff at the RMU Island Sports Center has been doing for a number of years. The opportunity to introduce children to the game, for free, proved to be mutually beneficial.
“We pretty much used to do something similar on our own where we would have a free ‘come to learn to play hockey (event),’ which was kind of a lead in to our regular learn to play hockey classes,” explained Dave Hanson, the ISC’s director. “It gives the families and the kids an opportunity to come out and get on the ice and get a taste of what we do for free and then if they wanted to sign up for our program then they could make that commitment.”
Once the ISC partnered with USA hockey for the annual event, which is also supported nationally by the NHL and locally by the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was able to increase the opportunities even more. The Penguins have made it a point to invest in the local youth hockey scene, which has been a tremendous factor in growing the game.
While the national and regional support from larger organizations is extremely helpful, Try Hockey for Free day would not be possible without individual efforts at the rink. Hanson gives credit to the ISC’s hockey director with carrying out the program.
“We have a fellow who we call Coach Bob — Bob Arturo, — who’s been our hockey director since we opened our doors,” Hanson said. “In our eyes he’s the premier youth hockey director in the area. He’s part of the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, so he’s instrumental behind putting the mechanics of it together and doing it on site for us.”
Penguins forward Bryan Rust takes a selfie with fans during Kraft Hockeyville — JENN HOFFMAN
Aside from financial assistance, the Penguins have been a tremendous help in spreading the word about youth hockey opportunities in the area. This, along with the overall increased popularity of hockey as a result of the team’s success has been essential in growing the game at the youth level.
The Penguins’ success in recent years, notably since the lockout and draft of Sidney Crosby has allowed hockey to really emerge as a much more popular sport in Pittsburgh. Similar to the “boom” in rinks that came after the success of the team led by Mario Lemieux in the early 1990s, Hanson thinks that hockey is really growing in the area today.
“As soon as the NHL came out of that lockout and the Pens got Crosby in the lottery, we saw an immediate spike,” he shared. “So, it’s evident to us and everyone else that when the Penguins continue to be front page news, and you’ve got superstars like Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin and [Kris] Letang, and the kind of product that they put onto the ice and the product they put into the greater Pittsburgh neighborhoods, that that is one of our best marketing tools for not only growing the sport but sustaining the sport at the youth level.”
The Penguins appear to be doing their part in helping with the initiative in growing the game of hockey from a young age in the area. This has been evident with things like The Pittsburgh Penguins Powerplay Project, which Calem Illig detailed in his article about Tyler Kennedy. The team’s involvement with Kraft Hockeyville can also be chalked up as significant effort towards this initiative.
Along with the Penguins, USA Hockey has been an effective, essential partner for efforts to grow the game. Last year, the rink hosted the boys under-16 and under-18 USA Hockey National Championships. USA Hockey’s principles guide all of the rink’s leagues.
“[USA Hockey is] the national organizing governing body and their mandate is to grow the sport of hockey,” Hanson said. “They have a full-time organization dedicated to that.”
Maggie LaGue skates with some young fans during Skate with the Colonials — BRIAN MITCHELL
The presence of the Robert Morris Division I men’s and women’s teams at the rink are another variable to the equation. RMU men’s players and coaches volunteer with teaching skills to local youth teams during their practices. The women’s team has a little sisters program, which pairs a Colonial with one or more members of Pens Elite girls teams. During a “Skate with the Colonials” event, players are always skating with young hockey-playing fans.
The Try Hockey for Free event could be considered the “marquee event” that kicks off the effort of allowing kids to like the sport. There’s obviously a lot for Hanson and the rink staff to look forward to this weekend. Much of that stems from the joy that the participants will be able to feel getting to play hockey for the first time. In the end, it really comes down to having fun.
“What I’m looking forward to quite frankly is just seeing a lot of new faces, a lot of little kids, there’s nothing greater than having a little boy or a little girl out here with a hockey stick in their hand and a hockey helmet on their head and going out and trying to skate around for the first time,” Hanson said. “So we will have a building full of that, and just the smiles, not only on their faces but the smiles on their parents’ faces, that’s just a treat that is difficult to express until you see it in person.”
Dave Hanson skates at a charity event in Johnstown. — BRIAN MITCHELL
“But that’s what we do here,” Hanson continued “As my hockey department director says, ‘We sell fun here.’ Well on this day, the fun’s for free. So my message is to come down and have some free fun.”
To register a child, age 4-9 for the event at the ISC, go to this link. Other local rinks hosting events include Brady’s Run Park Ice Arena in Beaver, UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, The Ice Mine in Connelsville, Center Ice Arena in Delmont, Kirk S. Nevin Arena in Greensburg, Alpha Ice Complex in Harmar, Belmont Complex in Kittanning and Pittsburgh Ice Arena in Lower Burrell.
