It is July 29th right about lunch time when I look at my phone and see a text from our House League Commissioner Rob Levoy. I will spare you the details, but the message was clear; the hockey season we had hoped for was in danger. After months of successfully and safely playing, hockey (and many other sports) was suddenly the problem. Outbreaks at area High Schools that occurred at social gatherings were attributed to sports.

Close to eight months have passed since that July day. I think of the old introduction to Wide World of Sports: “The thrill of victory/the agony of defeat”. The simple is complicated; suddenly the words “games” and “scrimmages” are not acceptable, at least in Illinois. They are replaced with “special events” and “shared ice”. Instead of playing our neighboring programs, we play other Winnetka teams. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave the kids an opportunity to play against some of their school friends.

Early October comes around and after six weeks the kids are getting antsy to play. Instead of driving 10 minutes down Willow Road to play Northbrook, we drive 90 minutes to Mequon, WI to play. It was OK to play hockey in Wisconsin. Drives to Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie became common place. Cheap gas and Spotted Cows are a side benefit!

Congratulations to the Warhawks 16U and 19U teams who have been selected to represent the great state of Illinois at the USA Hockey Central District Championships in Omaha, Nebraska March 26-28th!

Temperatures are rising and days are getting longer. We’re in the last week of our extended winter season and while each of us is still focused on maximizing the last games and practices., this is also a time when we’re making plans for Spring.

I always enjoyed Spring hockey. There’s a different feel to it that seems to arrive with packing the heavy jackets away and seeing some grass again. It’s a time for moving up in level and getting a feel for going from first year to second year (or vice versa) over the shorter Spring season. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the winter, lessons learned and things to work on in the future. Spring always seemed great for that; working on some of the individual things I’d lost sight of over the course of the longer Fall/Winter season. Spring was also a time to dust off my baseball glove or lacrosse stick and spend some time away from the rink. Hockey was always my favorite, but I have some great memories of little league baseball and youth lacrosse. Those other activities were a lot of fun and made me eager to get back on the ice.

The Winnetka Hockey Club has put together a great program for Spring based on many of the things that make this time of year unique. It should be a time for development, creativity, fun, camaraderie and competition. The schedule should allow for the pursuit of some other activities and leave our hockey players excited to return to the rink, play hard, and work on their game. All of this will be guided by an impressive Spring line-up of coaches, including much of our winter staff along with some new additions.

I hope everyone is enjoying the recent thaw. Let’s have a great finish to the winter season and we look forward to seeing you at the rink this Spring.

Go Warriors!

We know that many of our club members love golf… so, here is your opportunity to play some of the best private clubs in the Chicago area (and beyond!) with your friends and help support the WHC!

Here's how it works. You have the opportunity to bid on any number of courses. In some cases, we have more than one opportunity to play certain clubs. The auction is currently open and will close Friday, April 23rd. Click button below to view courses available and to make a bid!

If you are a member at a club and would like to contribute a group, please contact Tom Gullen at tom@winnetkahockey.com.

A couple of months ago I broke my stick. After the game I went out to buy a new one. While this obviously wasn't my first-time shopping for a new stick, I realized that it's not this easy for everyone else.

After all the struggles and tough times people have faced over the last year, I have become more aware of how fortunate I am to play an awesome, but very expensive sport like hockey. After I broke my stick and asked my parents if I could get a new one, they told me that I could, but I would have to give my time and commitment to figuring out how to help other kids who might be in a different position get the equipment they need. After doing some digging I found two great organizations, Chicago Hockey Initiative (CHI) and Inner City Education (ICE). Both organizations help disadvantaged kids in Chicago play hockey.

After reaching out to the WHC and New Trier, I collected a ton of equipment. Everyone has been extremely generous, with some people dropping off multiple bags full of gear.

I've organized all the gear and completely surprised myself with the amount of equipment collected. On Saturday, March 20th, I am going to take all the gear down to the city and deliver it to both organizations. I really hope that the kids who receive the gear end up loving the sport of hockey as much as I have.

Thank you for your generosity,