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Special Hockey Program

Special Hockey Staff

Gerry Letourneau

Director

Greater Providence Youth Hockey Junior Bears Logo - Bear with hockey sticks

ABOUT SPECIAL HOCKEY

The GPYHA/RI Special Needs Hockey program offers Learn to Skate/Instructional Hockey for children age 4 to young adult with Down Syndrome, Autism, or any other developmental disability.

Ice sessions are held Saturday mornings at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, RI, starting in late October and ending in March. No previous skating experience is required; enrollment is open throughout the season.

The program is open to any boy or girl who is physically able to play, but would be unable to participate in any other organized program due to his or her developmental disability. Players must be free from any physical or medical condition that could cause them to do harm to themselves or to other participants during participation.

The minimum equipment required for the program will be skates (single blade hockey skates) and a hockey helmet with face mask. We have historically found that players who have elbow pads, knee pads, hockey pants (with the standard tail-bone pad) tend to get up smiling when they fall – a great motivator for new skaters!

Private individuals have generously donated some used hockey equipment for participants in the program.

For more information email: RISpecialHockey@aol.com

Special Hockey News

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Registration for 2023-24 GPYHA - Learn to Skate, House League and Special Hockey programs is now open.  Please register as soon as possible.

Program schedules are posted on the website - all three programs will run from the middle of October through the middle of March at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, RI.

Please note: for the safety and enjoyment of all participants full hockey equipment is required for all three programs.  

To learn more about GPYHA programs, please visit our website.

The steps to register are as follows (you must complete both and log in separately for each player being registered):

  1. Register with and get a number from USA Hockey for the 2023-2024 season.  Please note that this is an annual registration requirement, so your 2022-2023 number will not work. Register with USA Hockey.
     
  2. Register with GPYHA and select the registration link to House League-Instructional-Special Hockey Registration.

Should you have questions please feel free to call or email the GPYHA President Mike Meech at (443)-691-8558 or mikemeech@gmail.com.

Registration for 2021-22 GPYHA House League, Instructional and Special Hockey programs is now open. PLEASE register as soon as possible.

Program schedules will be available soon - all three programs will run from end of October through the middle of March at Lynch Arena.

To learn more about GPYHA programs, please visit our website HERE.

Steps to register are as follows (you must complete both and log in separately for each player being registered):

  1. Register with and get a number from USA Hockey for the 2021-2022 season.  Please note that this is an annual registration requirement, so your 2020-2021 number will not work. To register with USA Hockey click HERE.
     
  2. Register with GPYHA. To register with GPYHA click HERE and select the registration link to House League-Instructional-Special Hockey Registration.

Should you have questions please feel free to call or email the GPYHA President Mike Meech at 443-691-8558 or mikemeech@gmail.com.

RI Special Hockey featured in Providence Journal!
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