Amateur hockey development has been a major focus on Long Island since the Islanders were founded in 1972. In those 40 years, the development programs have grown exponentially. Today, there are year-round clinics to teach kids of all ages the essential skills needed to play hockey.
The Islanders also help to develop youth hockey on an international level by hosting foreign teams for a tournament every January and by sending Long Island Pee-Wee players to a world-renowned tournament in Quebec City.
The Islanders are committed to growing the sport of hockey on Long Island and around the world. These programs, funded by the ICF, are the building blocks of that growth.
This partnership with 43 Oak Foundation demonstrates UBS's, the New York Islanders' and UBS Arena's commitment to supporting the local community in and around the Arena and helping further the growth and accessibility of hockey and diversity within the game.
Former Islander Arron Asham is giving out pro tips on how to work on your game from home. Watch his videos and complete weekly assignments to give yourself a home-ice advantage!
The New York Islanders want you for the 2020-21 New York Islanders Quebec Team. Here's your chance to try out for the team we're sending next year to the Quebec International Hockey Tournament, also known as the "World Championship of Pee-Wee Hockey."
The Islanders have teamed up with the NHL to bring a new Learn to Play initiative to Long Island and Brooklyn. The Future Islanders Program will provide kids ages 5-8 with Islanders branded equipment and eight on-ice sessions led by Islanders alumni.
Every year, the Islanders host several youth hockey tournaments geared toward local in-house teams on Long Island. The Jamboree is a day-long event that features cross-ice games for mini mite and mite teams. This past season the Islanders Jamboree was held in November and featured 16 teams from across Long Island. It was a day of smiles, sportsmanship and hockey for all the young participants.
The High School Hockey League of Nassau County (HSHLNC) was established in 1993 (replacing predecessor leagues) as a not for profit organization that works with young men and women in Middle School through High School to foster and promote, honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship, good fellowship, self-discipline, fairness, self-reliance, teamwork, self-confidence, leadership skills, and positive decision making through the sport of ice hockey.
The Islanders are proud partners with the Long Island Blues hockey team, a member of the American Special Hockey Association. A division of the ASHA, the Blues is the only official special-needs hockey team on Long Island, accommodating a range of disabilities including Autism, Down syndrome, ADHD and Asperger's syndrome.
In conjunction with Charles B. Wang's Project Hope, the Islanders annually host an international youth hockey tournament. The Islanders hosted the 11th Annual New York Islanders Charles B. Wang Hope Cup - previously called the Lighthouse International Tournament - in January 2019. Teams representing China, Japan, Slovakia, Canada and the United States competed in tournament games, an international skills competition and learned about different cultures.
The Islanders are proud to support the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" initiative. The Islanders have a variety of programs that cater to hockey players of all types and abilities. The organization believes that everyone who wants to participate in the game of hockey should have that chance. For more information on the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone program.
The Islanders support USA Hockey's effort to grow the game of hockey in the United States. As part of this initiative, the Islanders has hosted Try Hockey For Free Days. This initiative was started by USA Hockey in an effort to develop and grow the sport within the United States from the ground up. Participants receive loaner equipment and instruction.
Many young children across Long Island have experienced a hardship in their lives. Despite life's struggles, these kids have overcome obstacles to get where they are today. The "Courier of Courage" program acknowledges these children for the battles they have face and the hardships they have overcome. The "Courier of Courage" becomes an Islanders VIP for day and is invited to attend Islanders practice.
The Girls Elite Hockey Program was created to provide opportunities for the young girls' hockey player. The program created by women for women, is designed to foster partnerships that support and promote the growth of girls' hockey by developing skilled ice hockey players and well-rounded athletes on and off the ice. The program encourages young girls that they too can progress their skills playing a game they love.
The Islanders believe that everyone has the abilities to pay the game of hockey. The Islanders have a partnership with the Long Island RoughRiders Sled Hockey team. Long Island Sled Hockey promotes and encourages sportsmanship, teamwork and camaraderie through the sport of sled hockey, specifically aimed at a juvenile and adolescent population of physical and/or mentally challenged athletes.
Hockey Weekend Across America will run from February 22-24, 2019. The effort is aimed at two major objectives with a weekend of events at the local and national level to promote the game of hockey. The weekend's festivities are used to celebrate the game of hockey and all involved in the sport throughout the nation using all means possible.
