From First Strides to Student Athletes: Our Heroes Keep Coming Back
Hasek’s Heroes celebrates a record season of returning players, young volunteers, and kids who are growing on the ice and in the classroom
Every hockey journey starts with a single wobbly step onto the ice. At Hasek’s Heroes, we’ve built a path that turns those first steps into a lifelong love of the game, and this year more kids than ever are staying on that path.
A Journey Built for Every Child
Our program gives families a simple, step-by-step route into hockey: no cost. full gear. professional USA hockey certified coaching.
Learn to Skate: Six weeks of building balance, confidence, and the basics on the ice.
Learn to Play: A six-week program with the Buffalo Sabres that follows right after Learn to Skate, introducing sticks, pucks, and the fundamentals of the game.
Cape Day Graduation: On the final day of Learn to Play, our kids earn their Hasek’s Heroes cape. It’s one of our proudest moments of the season and marks the official start of their hockey careers.
Team Play HHL: Our development league, combining weekly practice and skill development with recreational games.
Competitive Teams: For players ready for the next level, our 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U teams compete in a local league.
Returning Players, Growing Skills
This season, we’ve seen an incredible number of kids return to continue their journey in Team Play HHL. For players who have completed Learn to Skate and Learn to Play with us, HHL is the perfect next step. Every week they keep sharpening their skills in practice, then put them to work in real games alongside friends and teammates.
HHL is also where players who don’t make one of our limited competitive rosters keep developing, so every kid has an opportunity to play.
Kids Helping Kids
Some of our best coaches this year are kids themselves.
High school volunteers have been joining us on the ice, lending their skills and their patience to help our youngest skaters find their footing.
Our Team Play HHL players are stepping up too. Each week, they come out to volunteer and coach our rookie skaters, and they earn Hero Bucks for every hour they give. Those Hero Bucks can be spent at the Hasek’s Heroes team store. Watching players who were once rookies themselves now teaching the next group is one of the most rewarding parts of our season.
The Gold Room: Student First, Athlete Second
At Hasek’s Heroes, our focus is on developing student athletes. That’s why our Gold Room study room has quickly become one of the busiest spots in the building.
Before and after practice, our Team Play kids are using the Gold Room to get homework done, study, and read. Players can earn extra Hero Bucks through volunteer hours and by completing book reports, rewarding the effort they put in off the ice just as much as on it.
Powered by Volunteers and Parents
None of this happens without the people who show up for our kids. This year, volunteer support has been remarkable, with helpers joining us on the ice to guide our newest skaters through Learn to Skate. And many parents have laced up their skates too, stepping onto the ice to help.
“I’m so thankful for all the volunteer support we’ve been getting,” said Program Director Joe LoTempio. “Seeing volunteers out there helping kids through Learn to Skate, from our high school students to our own Team Play players, and so many parents stepping up and joining us on the ice, means everything. And seeing our kids in the Gold Room before and after practice tells you what this program is really about. We’re raising student athletes. We are so proud of our kids, and so grateful for everyone who makes this possible.”
Our Goal Is Simple
At Hasek’s Heroes, we focus on what’s best for our kids’ development and on helping them love the game. Every returning player, every Cape Day graduate, every young coach, and every book report in the Gold Room is proof that it’s working.
Want to get involved? Whether your child is just starting out or ready for the next step, or you’d like to volunteer on the ice, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to Joe at joe@Haseksheroes.org. We also offer advanced skill clinics, open to all ages, with registration on our website.