Press Release
he Portland Winterhawks are overseeing high school hockey in the
Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area with the formation of the Les
Schwab Winterhawks Varsity Hockey League (LSWVHL), which begins play
this season. Along with title sponsor Les Schwab, AllSport Body
Quencher, Fred Meyer and the Oregon Army National Guard have signed on
as presenting sponsors for the league.
Under the umbrella of the
Winterhawks Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA), the organization has
absorbed the region’s two high school hockey programs previously run by
the Junior Hawks and the Oregon High School Hockey League. The goal of
the LSWVHL is to provide league play and continued skill development and
growth for high school-aged players who advance from the bantam level
and choose not to play Tier II “Rep” hockey.
The LSWVHL is a
sanctioned USA Hockey program operating under the Oregon State Hockey
Association (OSHA), the state’s governing USA Hockey board.
“The
formation of the LSWVHL will give high school-age hockey players a new
opportunity to pursue their goals in the sport,” said Winterhawks
President Doug Piper. “High school hockey was once a prestigious varsity
sport in Oregon, and our goal is to return it to that level.”
“The
Les Schwab Company is excited to be title sponsor of the new
Winterhawks Varsity Hockey League. It's a chance for us to support the
growth of an exciting sport within our state, and to provide more
opportunity for students to get involved in activities outside of the
classroom,” said Les Schwab Vice President of Marketing Brian Capp.
Initially,
the program will bring together high school-age players and form teams
based on both players’ current schools, as well as competitive balance.
Eventually, with increased participation, schools will field their own
teams. The season began Sunday, with most games to be played at
Winterhawks Skating Center.
The Winterhawks Amateur Hockey
Association was launched in 2009 with the goal of increasing
participation in the sport. Through WAHA, the team currently runs free
floor hockey programs throughout the Portland metro area and Southwest
Washington, Learn to Skate classes and many other initiatives to
encourage kids to play hockey.
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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