Frequently Asked Questions

I didn't play hockey and don't know much about it. Where can I learn more?

That's what HYHA is here for! Feel free to reach out to anyone on the Board or a coach with questions. Also check out this great Hockey walkthrough that the Seattle Kraken did for their fans.

How do I get started?

Most kids start our Learn to Play program after they know how to skate or have skated a handful of times. Learn to Play is geared for kids 3 & up.

If my child cannot skate, is HYHA still for them?

While we recommend that kids joining our Learn to Play program have either had skating lessons or been on the ice a handful of times, we realize that is not always an option nowadays. HYHA will try to work with any family that has kids interested in hockey.

For Learn to Play, does my child have to take skating lessons first?

No, but we recommend that kids should be close to comfortable with skating with holding onto anything and with limited falling. We recommend 2-3 sessions of skating before starting.

For Learn to Play, what equipment is required?

All Learn to Play participants will need, at the minimum, skates and a helmet. We also recommend shin pads, elbow pads, hockey pants, and gloves. This is especially useful for younger kids that will fall and hit those sensitive areas - nothing turns a young player off more than a hard fall on an unprotected elbow!

Once a child starts progressing through Learn to Play & gets into game situations, full hockey equipment is required. 

One of our HYHA sponsors, Hamden Sport Center, has a ton of hockey gear available. This includes a low cost Learn to Play package that includes most things your player will need.

We've done Learn to Play, what do we do next?

As your child completes Learn to Play its a good time to reach out to HYHA & our Grow the Game Coordinator and see what the next steps are. Usually your player will move onto our Mite Development program where they play weekly games inhouse against other HYHA players and don't need to travel.

In some cases your child may have progressed enough to jump right to Travel hockey, usually to one of our 08U Mite teams.

What does 08U Mite, Squirt and all that even mean?

The numbers you see before each level of hockey are set up by USA Hockey and designate the age group of the kids involved. 08U means 8 and under, meaning anyone 8 and under when the season starts could be in that group. Likewise 10U means anyone 10 and under, 12U means the same, etc. Players usually progress through each level (depending on when you start) and stay at each for 2 years. There are of course exceptions and some players may jump ahead or start later and miss 08U Mite years.

The names (Mite, Squirt, Peewee, etc) were introduced before USA streamlined the numbering above, but they are still used by most programs. The full groups are:

  • 08U Mites
  • 10U Squirts
  • 12U Peewees
  • 14U Bantams
  • 16U+ Midgets

Once you get to 16U and above youth hockey changes a bit as these kids are usually high school age. For 16U and above the season usually starts earlier (around April in some programs) and ends around November or December so these players can play for their high school teams. It should be noted that there are exceptions and some 16U+ players player full season.

You may also see some programs with odd numbered team names, some like "13U". This follows the same logic as above and means anyone 13 or under can play on that team.

Where do we play?

Most of our home games and practices are at the legendary Louis Astorino Ice Arena in Hamden. The rink is owned by the Town of Hamden & is managed by a third party via a management service agreement with the town. HYHA buys ice from that third party, we don't own or operate the rink itself & so may not be able to answer all questions regarding ice time or rink maintenance.

Likewise, employees of the rink are usually not associated with HYHA and may not be able to help you with specific questions about HYHA and our programs or events.

As players grow and join Travel teams they will travel to other rinks in Connecticut throughout the year & will usually start to participate in yearly tournaments out of the state.

Rink Address

Louis Astorino Ice Arena

595 Mix Ave

Hamden, CT 06514

How much does it cost to play hockey and how often will my child be on the ice?

Hockey is unfortunately not a cheap sport to play. For most programs the cost to play changes by age group and the specific program your player is in. A general outline of costs is shown below. Note these are 2024 prices and vary widely by program across the state:

  • Learn to Play: prices here range from free to $1,000 depending on the program and players usually are on the ice 1-3 times a week.
  • Development / House league: anywhere from a couple hundred to $2,000 and ice time here will vary. These programs are usually meant to get players used to game without the travel that will come later.
  • 08U Mite: $2,000 - $4,000
  • 10U Squirt: $2,500 - $5,000
  • 12U Peewee: $3,000 - $6,000+
  • 14U Bantam: $3,000 - $6,000+
  • 16U Midget: $4,000+


In addition to the cost shown above there is also the cost to purchase equipment (hockey gear is expensive), a USA Hockey cost to register each year, jersey costs, & for travel teams you will likely do 1-2 out of state tournaments which will require hotel costs.

Check out our individual program pages for more information on specific age levels & tuition.

Why is it so expensive to play hockey?

Ice time in CT is one of the most expensive in the country, especially for rinks closer to NYC. The cost per hour of ice time during the season is anywhere from $400 - $600. Depending on the number teams a program has the total cost of ice can be a huge expense. And after ice there are the cost for referees, league memberships, equipment, etc.

In any given year 85-90% of HYHA's expenses, which as a non-profit we try to match to our revenue, go to buying ice time. After that there are referee fees, equipment fees, tournament fees, & finally the cost of maintaining HYHA as business (usually less than 3%).

What is USA Hockey?

USA Hockey is National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. USA Hockey’s mission is to promote the growth of hockey in America and to provide the best possible experience for all participants. For us at HYHA that translates into a handful of very important things, one of which is insurance for the association and our players.

What is a USA Hockey number and why do I need it?

Your USA Hockey number is your verification that you've registered with USA Hockey & is required each season. This number verifies you are a member of USA Hockey and provides important insurance coverage that not only protects each individual, but also allows our programs and rinks to operate.

What is The Connecticut Hockey Conference (CHC)?

The Connecticut Hockey Conference (CHC) is the USA Hockey affiliate for CT. Think of them as the governing body of USA Hockey certified hockey in CT. They are the folks that will set the State Tournaments at the end of the year, they establish rules for each of the CT leagues to follow, and they are in charge of handling disciplinary issues that can come up (bad penalties, issues at games, etc.) As a CHC member we (HYHA) follow the CHC guidelines and policies for games that are under their jurisdiction.

Do you require players to get certain color helmets, gloves, pants, etc.?

Other than jerseys, hockey socks, & shells (for pants) HYHA does not require any specific colors or gear. We want your players to be as comfortable as possible as they enjoy hockey.

Do you have girls play hockey with boys?

Yes we do! We have girls at all levels at HYHA.

When does the season start and end?

HYHA's season starts in September and usually ends with playoffs in February or March of the next year. Like most programs in CT the league also holds tryouts right as the season is ending in March/April.

Can my player play up or down a year in age?

Players can rarely play down (usually reserved for the mite level), but you can play up an age level. HYHA considers each request for this individually & requests are are also based on number of kids trying out and ice allocations.

Once your child has been rostered for a team they then must abide by USA Hockey's Play Up Stay Up rule, which includes among other things the following: "Once a player is included on a roster in a higher age classification, he/she may not go back down to play at the lower age classification for the rest of that season. Such player must be added to the roster of the higher age group team prior to playing on."

At what age do players start body checking?

Under USA Hockey rules, players can start body checking at the Bantam (14U) level.

Where can I find information about what’s going on with HYHA?

Our site, which you already found, plus our social media sites all linked below. You can also reach out to our Board members or coaches!

I need help using the HYHA Crossbar website, where can I find information on that?

Crossbar has a great site with walkthroughs on must things, it's linked here for you. And you can always reach out to the HYHA board.

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