SWHC - FAQ

A New Era for Youth Ice Hockey in Westchester



Following a successful 2025 - 2026 season, the South Westchester Blackhawks (“SWB”) and Scarsdale Youth Hockey Association (“SYHA”) are proud to announce our official partnership as the South Westchester Hockey Club (“SWHC”).

As both legacy associations prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversaries as volunteer-run non-profits in 2026, this partnership provides an even stronger foundation for accessible and competitive youth hockey in Westchester.

Beginning with the 2026 – 2027 season, the South Westchester Hockey Club will feature:

• Blackhawks Teams. Our most competitive teams. We expect Blackhawks teams to compete at the HVHL AA and HVHL A levels, elite EJEPL and LIAHL divisions and/or declare to compete in the New York State Tournament (“Tournament Bound”)
• Raiders Teams. These will be both competitive and developmental teams. We expect the Raiders teams to generally compete at the HVHL A1 and B levels
• Lady Raiders. Our dedicated all-girls program, with teams at 14U/12U and 19U/16U participating in the Connecticut Girls Hockey League (CGHL).

Across all players and teams, our mission remains clear: we want to offer the most accessible and comprehensive youth ice hockey program in Westchester.

• Accessible: High-quality travel hockey shouldn't require a fortune or a two-hour round trip to a different state. We seek to bring the elite experience to your backyard.
• Comprehensive: We serve players from 8U through 18U (including a dedicated all-girls program) across a wide range of competitive tiers.

We believe this structure ensures that every player - from beginner to elite - has a place to learn, grow, and compete. We endeavor to provide opportunities for youth hockey players to learn the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and personal growth that are achieved through fair but tough competition. We strive to promote fun and enjoyment, physical health and fitness, efficient skills development, high-level competitive opportunities and community engagement.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm as we embark on this new chapter together.

How will 2026 - 2027 tryouts work?

Like last year, we will run one set of tryouts for each age level (including tryouts by age level for the Lady Raiders) and then make Blackhawks, Raiders and Lady Raiders teams, as appropriate. Erik Nates will once again run tryouts and provide player rankings for purposes of making teams.

Will anything significant change in terms of home ice rinks or practice/game times?

No, the primary home rinks (for practices and games) will remain WSA and EJ Murray. We expect to have substantially the same practice and game time slots going forward as we have in the past (subject to typical year-to-year adjustments).

My player was a Raider last year and is a Blackhawk this year (or vice versa) – do I need to buy new jerseys, socks etc.?

Yes, you will need to buy a new jersey. For all existing members that move between a Blackhawks and Raiders team (in either direction), the organization will offset 50% of the cost of a new jersey. The jersey ordering process will typically happen in June.

Will my player keep his/her number even if they move between Blackhawks and Raiders?

Yes, the jersey numbering system is done organization-wide; your player will be able to keep his/her number regardless of whether they are a Blackhawks, Raiders or Lady Raiders player.

Are the same people running the combined organization?

Yes, Zack Kaplan and Greg Zerafa are Co-Presidents of the combined organization, and Jason Mannering and Jon Gerardi are Vice-Presidents. We will also remain a volunteer-run, non-profit. The current SWHC Board can be found here. We are always looking for more volunteers on the Board, so please reach out if you’re interested in getting more involved.

Are dues different for goalies?

Yes, goalies across our organization, 10U and up, do NOT pay standard dues. Goalies must make a $1,000 deposit, which is returned at the conclusion of the season (or rolled forward to the next season) assuming a goalie does not leave the team and organization during the season.

Is anything changing with the 8U Development Program (LTP and 8U Development Team)?

No, we intend to keep the same structure for next season, which will include LTP sessions weekly at EJ Murray and 8U Development Team sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays at WSA. Coach Paul Stuetz is returning to lead both programs.

Are you playing under one charter, or keeping the SYHA and SWB charters?

We are keeping both the SYHA and SWB charters, with Zack Kaplan as the SYHA registrar and Greg Zerafa as the SWB registrar. We do intend to apply the SWB charter for Tier II status, which will allow Blackhawks teams to compete for NY state championships at the AA level (if appropriate).