From Humble Beginnings
Like many things in Columbus, organized hockey originated with Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ 1956 club team laid roots for an eventual varsity program, which first laced up the skates in the 1963-64 season. Opponents varied from fellow Buckeye State schools like Ohio University – the Buckeyes’ first-ever contest – and Denison to rival programs up north.
This catalyst opened up a path for professional hockey to stake claim to the region. Columbus first hosted the IHL in 1966 before the ECHL’s Columbus Chill ignited the area’s love of the sport in the 1990s, and high school hockey slowly found its away alongside.
For decades, the Cleveland and Toledo schools dominated high school hockey in Ohio. Being closer to hockey hubs – not to mention the Canadian border – gave those areas a head start. But Columbus being awarded the state’s first NHL organization kickstarted an interest in the sport unlike years prior.
“I think the Blue Jackets have a lot to do with growing those youth levels and having coaches with the experience and obviously the pedigree of (Chill coach and former CBJ player) R.J. Umberger,” Graham said. “It just brings a lot of pride to Ohio hockey for sure but Ohio high school hockey in general.”
Central Ohio remained the home of only one high school hockey team for two decades: Upper Arlington, which first hit the ice in 1977 to immediate success. Finally, in 1998, Worthington Kilbourne and Thomas Worthington established varsity programs, bringing local competition to the Golden Bears.
As kids grew up with the highest level of hockey in their backyard, the Blue Jackets cultivated a new wave of love for the sport. A longtime host of teams at all levels, Central Ohio finally had the interest and resources to produce home-grown talent, including long-term support from the McConnell Education Foundation.
Blue Jackets vice president of operations and development J.D. Kershaw, a former coach at St. Charles and longtime supporter of high school hockey, has seen the growth up close.
“When (founder John H. McConnell) got involved with bringing the team here, he was smart enough to know that he had to invest in the infrastructure to allow the sport to grow, meaning the rinks,” Kershaw said. “So, if we didn't have all the rinks, we wouldn't be able to have the growth that we've had. And him being so community-minded and ingraining that in all of us from the beginning, it was about giving back to the community and growing the game of hockey.”
Once there were rinks, the teams followed. Learn to Play programs sponsored by the Blue Jackets introduced kids to the sport, local youth hockey organizations started to bloom, and the bar just kept getting higher and higher. And with this increased demand, the doors opened for more varsity programs to be established.
Buoyed by extensive growth in the 2000s and 2010s, the Capital Hockey Conference boasted 15 teams this past season, 13 of them in Central Ohio. The league is now one of the largest in the state, hosting both varsity and JV teams across its divisions. Eight different schools have advanced to the state tournament since Thomas Worthington became the first in 2003.
“Jerome has three teams, (Olentangy) Orange had three teams two years ago. Like, that is mind-boggling,” Kershaw said. “To me, it just shows that what we're doing is working. That to me is awesome, and I don't know if it could have gone any better.”
On top of the OHSAA-recognized teams, the Columbus region is also home to a variety of successful Ohio Scholastic Hockey League club programs, including the 2022 Buckeye Cup state champion Hilliard Wildcats.
With 37 different teams competing this past season across varsity and junior varsity levels, high school hockey now comes in all shapes and sizes in central Ohio – a phrase likely unbelievable if said 30 years ago.
Adding A National Crown
There can be an uneasy relationship between varsity programs and AAA hockey, as young, highly talented players must choose one or the other to play for at a certain point.
The highest ends of the talent pool naturally gravitate toward the AAA squad, especially for players who want to commit to year-round ice time and try to make it to the highest level. But that commitment eliminates the opportunity for high schoolers to play for their school, if that’s what they choose.
The Columbus Chill program has offered a solution to that problem with his pre/post program. The Chill schedule essentially sandwiches the high school season, allowing athletes to train at the club level while still honoring OHSAA rules.
“(The Chill has) done a lot for high school hockey. With the OHSAA rules, they're not allowed to play on a club team at the same time,” Umberger said. “It's more ice opportunities for them in a structured environment that allows them to continue developing and play the sport that they love, and by the time they get to the start of their high school season, they're in shape and ready to go. And we've seen the level of high school hockey continue to improve.”
And thanks to the Chill, the strength of high school hockey was stamped on the national map this spring. Four months ago, an overtime goal scored by Upper Arlington’s Ben Spence captured the USA Hockey U18 Youth Tier II 3A national championship for the Chill. The accomplishment done by a bunch of high school players from Central Ohio makes it that much sweeter, as they defeated programs from typical hockey hotbeds along the way.
“Seeing their performance peak at the right time and all the work they put into it continues to put this Columbus area on the map in a national landscape,” Umberger said. “It’s something special, and this was the first national championship at the youth level for any of the boys' leagues, whether Tier I or Tier II. So it’s definitely a historic achievement and something that I'm proud of those kids for.”
Looking Back
Nearly 50 years ago, Upper Arlington threw its name into the hat, becoming the first Columbus school to sponsor a varsity hockey program. It watched pro teams come and go, traveled across the state to compete and spent countless years battling the northern powerhouses.
Now, the Golden Bears sit in a huge conference, battling local rivals just as hotly as those from across the state. The times have certainly changed, but it’s the change the coaches, players and schools hoped for.
Graham would certainly know, as he spent 17 seasons in charge of the UA program before heading to Bishop Watterson.
“I'm really proud of the fact that I've been able to see over the course of 30 years where we only had the handful of teams that were here up until now,” Graham said. “We've got the most teams of any of the districts, and I think some of the higher quality teams of anywhere in the state comparatively. So it's been a real rewarding experience to see that.”
Columbus hockey is no longer playing catch-up. It’s no longer an unlikely source of talent. And it’s certainly no longer a place to underestimate. Playing in central Ohio, a winning culture is evident in every skate, every celebration and every bond between teammates.
