Youth hockey in the DMV is booming! Ever since the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, we’ve seen a massive uptick in fans, including the newest younger generation of future hockey players. A large part of our mission is to help grow and nurture that community. I created this section to help those who may not know what options are available and explain the various complicated world of youth hockey in the DMV. Please note this list primarily encompasses the lower levels of hockey and does not include information about Junior Hockey or National Level Programs.

Local Tier I AAA Hockey

Tier I AAA Hockey:

Let’s define the different Tiers of Youth Hockey in the DMV. At the very top, we have what is called Tier I AAA hockey. These are the top hockey programs in the area and come with significant obligations and financial considerations. We have two organizations in the DMV. The Washinton Little Capitals (Little Caps) recently relocated to Ion International Training Center in Leesburg. Before being at Ion, the Little Caps were collocated with the Washington Capitals at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Some other websites may not have been updated from the 2019-2020 season, making you think they are still at MedStar. Another term you might hear associated with MedStar is Kettle. Kettler used to own the building, and the name became synonymous with the rink. The second Tier I AAA team in the area is Team Maryland. Team MD primarily uses Rockville Ice Area as its home rink. However, they will sometimes use Piney Orchard Ice Arena if needed.

Here are a couple of important notes about Tier I AAA Hockey in our area. First, both organizations start at the 12U level. Second, both organizations structure their respective teams by birth year. This means for the 2022-2023 season. The starting birth year is 2011. Most teams do not allow younger players to “play up,” meaning a 2012 player generally cannot play with the 2011 team. A few exceptions have been made, but it is extremely rare.

The Washington Little Caps and Team Maryland play in separate leagues, but they still compete and play games against one another and have quite the rivalry going. Team Maryland plays in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), and an independent showcase series called Eastern Exposure Series (EES). Due to these factors, Team Maryland schedules their games and ensures a similar compete level due to these factors. The Little Caps play in the Atlantic Youth Hockey League (AYHL) and join the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League as a showcase in the upcoming 2022-23 Season.

Tier I AAA Cost:

I’ve sampled some of the costs associated with Tier I AAA hockey in our area. Pricing is constantly fluctuating, but it is a good reference point. All prices shown pulled from public access information and the 2021-22 season. The Little Caps did not publish their previous season dues, but they are most likely in line with the information below. Something to think about, Tier I AAA hockey travels father than Tier II AA clubs. Most travel for AAA may require plane tickets if the player is in public school.

• TM MD Peewee: Cash upfront cost: $6,000 | Credit Card or Three checks during the season: $6,125. Pricing shown does NOT include Player/Parent Travel, Game Jerseys and Socks or other equipment (gloves & helmet), or Peewee Quebec Expenses.

• TM MD Bantam: Cash Upfront: $6,200 | Credit Card or Three checks during the season: $6,300. Pricing shown does NOT include Player/Parent Travel, Game Jerseys and Socks, or other related equipment (gloves & helmet).

• TM MD Midget: Cash upfront cost: $7,900 | Credit card or three checks during the season: $8,150. Pricing shown does NOT include Player/Parent Travel, Game Jerseys and Socks, or other related equipment (gloves & helmet).

• TM MD Midget (18U): Cash upfront cost: $8,500 | Credit card or three checks during the season: $8,750. Pricing shown does NOT include Player/Parent Travel, Game Jerseys and Socks, or other related equipment (gloves & helmet).

Local Tier II AA Hockey Info

Next, we have Tier II AA hockey. AA hockey is the primary means for youth players to begin the travel hockey experience. Most clubs in the area start at the 8U level and go up to the 18U level. I have made a list of the AA hockey programs in the local area listed below. My suggestion is to find the nearest rink to your house and see what clubs are nearby. I get many questions regarding the quality and competitiveness of the various clubs. While everyone has their opinions, I believe that each year is different, and there are way too many variables to answer that question. All the clubs in the area have their pros and cons, just like anything else in life.

Tier II AA Costs:

Like AAA hockey in the area, AA hockey comes with its costs. The club dues are similar to AAA hockey. Last year my son played 10U AA, and our club dues were around $3,500, and we had a “Team Assessment Fee” that came out to about another $1,000. Altogether, the season cost without gear was $5,000. Two tournament fees were NOT included in the price. The first is a tournament hosted in February in Tampa. The second is the Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice” CAN-AM tournament. Then there was the travel. A HUGE headache when getting into the travel hockey world is the hotel monopoly monstrosity. Most tournaments are categorized as “Stay to Play” tournaments. This means that when the team manager registers the team to play in tournaments, you are told what hotel you have to stay in and how much it will cost. You have zero say in the decision or the cost! Take our Tampa tournament, for example. We were forced to stay in a Holiday Inn Express. That’s not bad in itself. What was bad was the amount of mold and how dirty it was and how much we were forced to pay, $189 a night, and that doesn’t include tax!

Travel Hockey Cost Summary: Be prepared to spend thousands of dollars for one season of travel hockey. I would budget around $10,000 a year for younger (Peewee & below) travel players and $15-20,000 for older (Bantam & up) players.

Local House Hockey Info

House hockey is where it’s at! Costs are much more reasonable, and it fits into more parents’ and players’ skill sets and attitudes. House hockey is where you have the chance to learn the game, enjoy the game and not spend every waking moment at an ice rink! House is fundamentally where players will start once they know how to skate well enough. There are some excellent house programs out there, and believe it or not, they travel! They don’t travel far like AA or AAA hockey, but due to the lack of players here in the DMV house, they are forced to play other local rinks. In this case, the farthest you might have to travel is about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, with traffic. These programs are central to the rinks and usually are affiliated with a AA travel hockey program. Find a rink near you on the map and call and ask about house teams for more info. Costs for these are much more reasonable, with it usually running a few hundred dollars for the season. You might hit $1,000 if the program decides to enter some local tournaments.

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