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Greater Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey is looking to start an in-house youth program.
Greater Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey, also known as HP Thunder, board of directors’ member Fred M. Bishop says the program is hoping to start an under-eight league where all the games will be played at the Veterans Memorial Rink at Haverhill High School. Bishop said the goal is to “have teams play against each other and not have to worry about the travel program.”
In regular season news, the Haverhill, Pentucket Youth Hockey season has been in full swing for about a month. Bishop gave his take of how the players have been doing so far.
“From what we have seen, our top teams are very strong within the valley hockey league. They’re in, either, the elite, or triple-A type hockey programs, and as we scale down the different skill levels, the teams are doing very well playing within the appropriate teams in the Merrimack Valley and the Valley Hockey League.”
The teams play in the Valley Hockey league throughout different Merrimack Valley rinks.
Bishop tells WHAV, the volunteer run, nonprofit program has about 200 skaters this year, with ages ranging from under-18 teams, to under-eight teams. Bishop says one of the program’s purposes is to train players for high school play.
“We’re a feeder system into Haverhill High School, Pentucket High School, Whittier Tech, and we do have some kids from southern New Hampshire who are allowed to play in our program,” explains Bishop. “As they age out of our youth program, they go into high school programs.”
Practices are typically held three times per week, with one or two games being played on the weekends. Bishop said players are usually on the ice about four days a week, those being Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Those interested may sign-up at hpthunder.org.
An HP Thunder learn-to-play event. (Courtesy photograph.)