Hello '23/'24 Rising 14U Families!

Woodstock Youth Hockey and The Upper Valley Hockey Association (UVHA) are thrilled to announce a collaboration at the 14U Bantam level, beginning in the 2023-24 season!  If your player is birth year 2009 or 2010, this applies to you!

The goal of this long-term commitment is to promote community access to hockey by: 

• Providing a high quality opportunity for older players to stay in the Upper Valley, and,

• Providing appropriate team placement to foster long-term development and enjoyment of hockey for all of our players.

There is tremendous opportunity for youth hockey in the Upper Valley. Our players are incredibly skilled and passionate, and our coaches and volunteers are knowledgeable and dedicated. With the appropriate collaboration, our area can provide a youth hockey experience that is second-to-none. The UVHA and WYH believe that this partnership is the beginning of that journey; one that is focused on player development and engagement, regardless of where our players live in the Upper Valley.

This change brings a lot of excitement, but we acknowledge that it also brings questions. Hopefully the following helps clarify some questions you may have:

What league will the teams play in?

It’s expected that the top level team will play in NHAHA’s Granite State League, under the UVHA “banner.” The next level team will play in VSAHA under the WYH “banner.” If applicable, a third team will play in NHAHA’s Granite State League, under the UVHA “banner.”

Where will the teams practice and play their games? 

While it will depend on the composition of each team, we expect that ice time and skill sessions will be equally distributed between Union Arena and Wendell A. Barwood arena. It’s important to note that the consistency of our practice times and locations is a critical component of this partnership, which has been a staple for both associations in years past. In other words, the day, time, and location of our practices will be consistent for the entire season just like in seasons past for both UVHA and WYH.

What are the registration fees?

Registration fees will be the same, regardless of team, and will be determined in the near future.

When are the 2023-24 tryouts?

1st Skate: Tuesday, April 4th at 8:10pm at Campion Arena

2nd Skate: Wednesday, April 5th at 3:50pm at Campion Arena

3rd Skate: Thursday, April 6th at 8:40pm at Campion Arena 

FYI: We’re hoping to improve the times, but we will inform you of any changes.

Try-out registrations are now active on the UVHA Homepage or directly at the UVHA Tryout Registration page. Please make sure to register your players before March 31st.

Who are the coaches for the 2023-24 season?

We have identified a core group of coaches: Evan Lombardo (9 years of coaching experience - hockey and lacrosse, Jay Zanleoni (8 years of coaching experience), Josh Obar (8 years of coaching experience), Scott Fletcher (20+ years of coaching experience). We expect to add other coaches to this group, and we will communicate those updates as they occur.

What about jerseys?

Although the teams will play under separate UVHA and WYH “banners,” there will be new jerseys for the 2023-24 14U teams. Exciting news: Be on the lookout for a contest/survey to help decide our new look!

What about the other age groups?

The UVHA and WYH will continue to offer separate programs for 8U, 10U, and 12U. However, both organizations will be looking for opportunities to informally collaborate at these younger age levels.

WYH Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 402, Woodstock VT 05091