2025-2026 Annual Update

Dear Grizzlies,

The Nashoba Youth Hockey 2025–2026 Annual Meeting was held on January 13^th. This season’s highlights include:

• The COED Program entered 4 Mite teams and 3 Squirt teams in the Valley Hockey League (VHL). Registrations at these age levels have continued to grow over the last 3 seasons.
• The Girls Program fielded a U10/12 and a half-season U18 teams in the Middlesex Yankee Girls Conference League (MYGCL), welcomed many first-time players, and drew U18 athletes from across the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. NYHA was also selected as one of nine organizations to partner with the PWHL to host the Ready, Set, Skate program starting in March 2026.
• The Middle School Program successfully transitioned to the New England Sports Center (NESC) Middle School Hockey League, where our two Jr. Ghost teams are competing in a 16-game season with overall positive feedback from coaches.
• The High School Development Team took part in skills sessions, practices, scrimmages, and a tournament to prepare players for their high school teams, with many freshmen and sophomores earning call-ups to Varsity this year.
• For the second year, the weekly Goalie Clinic was offered to all Nashoba players for FREE. Thank you to Shield Goalie Academy for their phenomenal work with our players.
• Over 40 skaters, some first timers, have taken part in our Initiations Program. We continued our partnership with the Bruins Academy and are looking ahead to a re-launch of our In-House Mite Program offering local non-competitive cross-ice games this March.
• To date, our fundraising efforts have raised more than $15,000, thanks to the generosity and hard work of our members. We aim to raise an additional $20,000 at the 2026 Golf Tournament in May. All funds raised directly support our programs and help offset costs, reducing the impact on tuition rates.

Looking ahead to the 2026–2027 season, we’re excited to welcome back returning players and introduce new families to our programs. Registration will open on February 1, and placement evaluations will be held in March to determine team numbers, roster sizes, and playing levels before league registration. We’re excited to announce that we expect to offer a U12 Peewee team next season.

None of this is possible without the dedicated work of our volunteers. We truly appreciate the ways in which our members give back to our organization and our local community. The Board is pleased to welcome John Foley as our new Registrar. We continue to seek volunteers for the Director of Resources and Player Safety Coordinator positions and encourage interested members to reach out to learn more.

As I reflect on this time with Nashoba, I am humbled. Having recently watched my son dress and play his first Varsity game along with many of his long-time teammates of this very program, I know Grizzly Hockey is the right place to call home.   

Micah O'Malley, President

micah@nashobahockey.com