Yorktown Head Coach Tom Newman doesn’t have to tell his players how much of a difference the Kettler Capitals Iceplex makes. In order to secure precious ice time prior to the $42 million facility, Newman conducted practices at 5:30 a.m. His Patriots now practice at a more manageable 4:30 p.m.

“We’re home for dinner,” Newman said. “It makes a huge, huge difference.”

The rink, which was built atop a parking garage adjacent to Ballston Common Mall was funded by Arlington County and is being leased long term to the Washington Capitals. The Capitals practice at the rink, but the two National Hockey League-size rinks are also benefiting the high school, college and community teams.

“It’s easier to get to,” Newman said. “You don’t have to go to Reston or Ashburn or Mount Vernon. It makes it really nice and convenient. The kids need ice time and it’s a matter of getting hours on ice.”

Bishop O’Connell also started playing its home games at the Iceplex last season.
“Besides the physical facilities, which are beautiful, the big thing is that we are getting more of the kids to come to the games,” said first-year O’Connell Head Coach Peter Hannums.

Approximately 50 students from O’Connell showed up to the Knights season opener — a 5-4 victory over St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes.

“Number two is it’s an NHL rink. It’s better lighting, it’s so much more fun to play.”

O’Connell now plays in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, which has 26 varsity teams and 14 junior varsity teams. The Maryland-based league, of which O’Connell was a member for the past decade “disintegrated,” according to Hannums.
Other teams in the Knights’ new division are Paul VI, Hayfield/South County, Woodbridge and Battlefield/Brentsville.

However, teams like Yorktown and Washington-Lee/Fairfax are grouped at the junior varsity level. Because the teams are listed at the club level, the schools offer their names, but don’t help the teams financially. Yorktown, for instance, has dues upwards of $600 — and their season goes from Labor Day to mid-March.

Public schools like T.C. Williams, Langley, McLean, Oakton, Lake Braddock and Woodson, among others, have teams.

“In general, [the quality of play] is improving,” said SSSAS Head Coach Joel Layton. “I have seen the level of play increase, and is some cases exponentially. It’s now getting to the point, especially with the private school programs, that every team you play is going to be solid.”

Hannums, who is from Upstate N.Y., has a son on O’Connell and has been watching the area hockey for years.

“The ice hockey at the high school level is growing,” Hannums said. “High schools have grown in the last 10 or 11 years. The quality varies…but overall, the more kids you get on the ice, you’re going to build it up bigger and bigger.”

But despite the $42 million commitment from Arlington County to the Iceplex, Layton doesn’t think there is enough of a movement for the public schools to carry varsity teams.

“I think it will take some amazing ground swell for that to happen…how it’s going to work with public schools in Virginia would be a tough call,” Layton said. “I think that would be a major leap. You’re probably about 15 or 20 years away from that.”