For the Love of the Game

By Rachel Dutil • Photos Supplied

Matt LeClair was recently named board president for Plattsburgh Youth Hockey — the organization where he learned the sport as a kid growing up in Plattsburgh. It is a full-circle moment to be able to give back to the organization that taught him to love the game and where his daughter is now developing that same devotion to the sport.

Plattsburgh Youth Hockey (PYH) started in 1974; the 2024-25 season was the 50th for the organization. Hockey is a fast-paced, competitive game and those are the aspects that LeClair admits he enjoyed most as a player. “As a coach, I still love the competition, but the growth of the kids is what drives me. It’s rewarding to see them develop their skills within the organization.”

Opportunity to play

The primary objective of Plattsburgh Youth Hockey is to give everyone an opportunity to try hockey. The organization’s mission is “to provide an improved grassroots foundation for the growth and development of USA Hockey, designing programs aimed at increased participation, improved skills and a responsible environment for the conduct of youth hockey.”

PYH operates under the governance of New York Amateur Hockey Association (NYAHA) which is a part of USA Hockey. The local group uses the national association’s American Development Model (ADM), an athlete-centered framework that helps the kids achieve their athletic potential and use sport as part of an active and healthy lifestyle.

The team of volunteer coaches and staff aim to make it fun and teach the young athletes values that can be applied both on and off the ice, LeClair explained. “We try to foster a love of the game and also teach the kids about sportsmanship.”

In addition to the physical exercise in the game, hockey improves hand-eye coordination. “Players need to be able to shoot with the same motion they receive the puck,” LeClair explained. Hockey also develops a different set of muscles than other sports. “There is a lot of growth and development with muscle groups and coordination that you don’t necessarily see in other sports, Hockey is similar to biking in some ways.”

Each season, Plattsburgh Youth Hockey offers opportunities to try skating or hockey without the financial commitment of registering for a full season. “There are numerous things out there for anyone to try. There are free skate days where you can come out and try it. If you like it, great and if you don’t like it, those skates will be available for someone else in the future,” LeClair noted.

Plattsburgh Youth Hockey’s home ice is at AC North on Sharron Avenue in Plattsburgh and the Plattsburgh State Field House on Rugar Street. “Having access to two rinks within a couple miles of each other is important for our organization. It allows all the teams to get a lot of ice time at a reasonable hour on school nights and every team gets home games on the weekends,” LeClair explained. The organization is also fortunate to have an arena that maintains its ice year-round, allowing for affordable ice rental even in the off season so that players can keep skating if they choose to. 

Nearly 400 kids participated in programs with Plattsburgh Youth Hockey last season. The Learn to Skate level typically starts with three- and four-year-olds. Sometimes a six- or seven-year-old decides to join and they start with the Learn to Skate group and as they progress, they move up to their age group. The organization has also added a Junior Cardinals program for older, more advanced players in recent years and last year’s 16U (16 and under) girls team made it to Nationals.

PYH has a long tradition of welcoming girls into the program. Currently girls play on co-ed teams and sometimes put together an all-girls team to play on a weekend when their co-ed team has no scheduled games. “What we found is the girls really love the sport.” LeClair said. In the 2025-26 season there will be all-girls teams at the 8U, 10U and 12U levels as well as co-ed teams at the 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U levels. 

The North Country’s proximity to Canada — the birthplace of modern hockey — provides a unique opportunity for North Country hockey teams to play in Canada. Plattsburgh Youth Hockey teams often travel north of the border for tournaments. “The relatively short travel time to play teams in Canada helps with development,” LeClair noted. “It gives our kids exposure to a different style of hockey and due to the popularity of the game in Canada, you can typically find teams that match the skill level of your team. That leads to having some close and competitive games.”

Although some of the PYH teams are “house” teams and tend to play locally, many of the teams travel frequently to play in tournaments. The travel builds camaraderie among the players, but also among their families. One Plattsburgh Youth Hockey Squirt team vacationed together last year in Florida during February school break and played in a hockey tournament.

Easing the financial burden

The sport of hockey is notoriously expensive with equipment, registration fees that help to cover the cost of ice time and the travel all adding up. LeClair admitted that one of the organization’s biggest challenges is finding ways to ensure there are opportunities for families who find the costs a burden.

In an effort to help families afford the sport, PYH has initiated a scholarship fund named after long-time Learn to Skate Coordinator Cazzi Rosoff, who was also the original donor to the fund. “Rosoff has been a huge asset to our organization and has helped so many kids fall in love with the game,” LeClair offered. “Anyone who has financial hardship can apply for one of these scholarships and all applications are reviewed by our Board for approval,” LeClair explained. Although the scholarships are a relatively new endeavor, two or three families have benefited each year over the past three years. The organization hopes to grow the fund and increase the annual scholarships awarded. “Hockey is becoming more popular and hopefully, as we try to make it more cost effective for families, it will grow even further,” LeClair said.

“Hockey was life for me and I got to experience a lot of things that many other kids did not,” LeClair reminisced. “My hope is to be able to provide similar experiences for the younger generation. The hockey bug is addictive for sure.”

Plattsburgh Youth Hockey

PO Box 1849

Plattsburgh, NY 12901

www.plattsburghyouthhockey.com