The Northern Lakes Youth Hockey Association supports and serves youth in the communities of Aitkin, Backus, Breezy Point, Crosby, Crosslake, Deerwood, Ironton, Jenkins, Pequot Lakes and Pine River.

Mission:

The Northern Lakes Youth Hockey Association works to promote a fun, fair, and safe environment that maximizes participation and improves players' skills while developing sportsmanship, teamwork and self-confidence.  These actions will result in a tradition of excellence at the highest level possible, including the high school level as player’s transition from the NLYHA to the next level of play.

Core Values:

Respect: Treat others better than you expect to be treated.

Sportsmanship: Foster a sense of fair play, humility in victory and graciousness in defeat, as well as friendship with teammates and opponents alike.

Integrity: Demonstrate honest and fair play, beyond simple strict adherence to the rules and regulations of the game.

Academics: Demonstrate the ability to perform at the highest level possible in order to prepare yourself for off-ice success.

Excellence: Pursue the highest level of personal achievement as a player, and collective achievement as a team and and organization.

Teamwork: Learn the value of working together. Hockey is a team sport. Success on the ice, as in many aspects of life, is best achieved working as a team, towards a shared goal.

Loyalty: Develop a loyalty to the ideals of the sport and the fellow members of the hockey community.

Enjoyment: Have fun, and have satisfying and rewarding experiences that benefit all participants.

Operating Philosophy:

The primary purpose of the NLYHA is to educate our student athletes of the fundamental skills and strategy needed to excel at the game of hockey.  In order to foster a tradition of excellence; sportsmanship and athletic development will be the cornerstones of our operating philosophy.  We will provide a disciplined and competitive environment that will encourage each athlete to perform to the best of their ability, while having fun learning the game.  Additionally, we will promote the development of on and off ice accountability while fostering confidence within those individuals who understand success and reward come from commitment, effort and enthusiasm.  

Ultimately, we will prepare our athletes with the skills, values, and discipline needed to smoothly transition into the high school program.  With a strong commitment from the athlete, parent, and association leadership, competing at the highest level within the MSHL system will be possible.