By Juliette Connors
Boston Hockey Academy will be moving its facilities to Tewksbury, MA.
The Academy is going into its third year, and the program has had massive success. It has sent players to each of the major North American Junior Hockey leagues, including the USHL, NAHL, BCHL, and NCDC.
The move to Tewksbury promises exciting new things for the program. The state-of-the-art facilities will allow for off-ice training, physical therapy, and concussion rehab centers as well as a video room and synthetic goalie and shooting sheets. The route from the dormitories in Medford to the new location will also be more direct.
The Academy will maintain its involvement in the Beast League, E9 Prep and is also joining the Power Prep Hockey League (PPHL) this year. This will add new variety to the schedule, giving kids the opportunity to play both US and Canadian Prep teams they normally wouldn’t see.
Boston Hockey Academy will continue its partnership with the Cambridge Matignon School, which provides players with a strong education and a day-to-day school experience. BHA students get to enjoy classic high school activities like prom, homecoming, and a large graduation ceremony. Over the past few years, players have integrated smoothly into the school, with many students choosing to participate in school clubs and sports in the off season. For example, last year 28 Academy students joined the Matignon lacrosse team.
“We make sure that our players get to have a life outside of hockey,” said Nate Bostic, director of the Academy. “They are playing a more elite schedule than high school, but they still get a high school experience and get to be kids.”
There’s a tight bond that grows between all participants between ice time, dorm living, and the school experience.
“It’s truly a brotherhood,” said Bostic.
BHA is committed to the development of all its players, past and present. This summer, the Academy left the doors to its dormitories open, multiple players who had graduated in the past few years came back to stay in the dorm while training on and off the ice with Academy staff.
“It’s a great thing that kids feel like this is home and continue to come back, even when it’s over. That support over the next 10 years is going to continue to strengthen our program through building a passionate group of alumni.”
