Our Story

The South Anchorage Hockey Association, known throughout the community as SAHA, provides youth hockey opportunities for players and families in Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska. Through recreational and competitive programs, SAHA helps young athletes develop their skills, build confidence, form lasting friendships, and learn lessons that extend beyond the rink.

SAHA operates within the Alaska State Hockey Association and follows the rules and standards of USA Hockey. Its programs support players at multiple ages and stages of development, from children learning to skate to athletes participating in competitive hockey.

Our Beginning

SAHA was founded in 1999 by Mike Walsh, Mike McAleese, and Mona McAleese. Their vision was to create an organization through which young people could learn, play, and grow through hockey while being supported by families, coaches, and volunteers committed to their development.

The association’s bylaws formally recognize Mike Walsh, Mike McAleese, and Mona McAleese as founding members and grant each of them lifetime regular membership. The bylaws also recognize John Bishop and Jim White as founding honorary members, acknowledging the broader group that supported the association’s establishment.

The three founding members continue to serve on SAHA’s Board of Directors, maintaining a meaningful connection between the organization’s beginnings and its ongoing work within the hockey community.

What began in 1999 as a shared vision among dedicated hockey families has grown into a community committed to providing opportunity, development, and belonging through the game of hockey.

Our Mission

SAHA’s mission is to provide Anchorage youth with opportunities to develop the skills necessary to play hockey at the level appropriate for each individual player.

The association believes that hockey teaches more than skating, shooting, and teamwork. It also teaches fair play, sportsmanship, personal responsibility, perseverance, and the life skills young people need to become contributing members of their community. These principles are established in SAHA’s governing documents and continue to guide the organization today.

Hockey for Every Stage of Development

SAHA offers a progression of youth hockey programs designed to welcome new players, support recreational participation, and create competitive opportunities. Current programs featured by the association include:

Learn to Skate

Learn to Skate introduces children to the fundamentals of skating in a positive and encouraging environment. It provides an entry point for young athletes who are new to the ice and creates a foundation for future participation in hockey.

8U Mite Hockey

The mite program helps young players continue developing foundational skating and hockey skills while learning how to participate as part of a team. SAHA identifies 8U Mite Hockey as one of its core youth programs.

Drillers Recreational Hockey

The Drillers recreational program provides players with an opportunity to learn, compete, and enjoy hockey in a team environment. SAHA’s website identifies the Drillers as the association’s recreational hockey program.

Oilers Competitive Hockey

The Alaska Oilers program provides competitive hockey opportunities for players seeking an advanced level of training and competition. SAHA and the Alaska Oilers participate in recreational and competitive hockey through the Alaska State Hockey Association under USA Hockey rules.

Together, these programs create pathways for players with different experience levels, interests, and hockey goals.

A Community Built by Volunteers

SAHA has always depended on the commitment of its hockey community. Coaches, board members, team managers, parents, sponsors, and volunteers provide the time and leadership required to operate teams, coordinate ice, organize tournaments, support player development, raise funds, and create memorable experiences for young athletes. Approximately 300 children participate in the association annually.

This support allows SAHA to continue creating opportunities for players while strengthening the connection among families throughout the Anchorage hockey community.

Developing Players Beyond the Ice

SAHA’s commitment to player development extends beyond traditional practices and games. The Hockey House Training Facility, located on the second level of the Kelley Connect Ice Center, provides an additional environment for advanced training and skill development.

The facility supports SAHA’s broader goal of giving players opportunities to improve through focused, year-round development. Its use complements the association’s on-ice programs and reinforces the importance of preparation, discipline, and continuous improvement.

More Than a Game

Hockey brings young people together, but its impact reaches far beyond the scoreboard.

Players learn to work toward shared goals, respond to adversity, respect teammates and opponents, and take responsibility for their preparation and conduct. Families build relationships with one another, coaches become mentors, and volunteers help create experiences that players can carry with them throughout their lives.

This belief has been part of SAHA’s purpose since the organization was established. The association’s mission specifically connects hockey participation with the development of physical abilities, life skills, sportsmanship, and responsible citizenship.

Honoring Our History. Building Our Future.

Since 1999, generations of players, families, coaches, and volunteers have contributed to the story of South Anchorage hockey. Each season adds a new chapter as players take their first strides, teams pursue new goals, coaches share their knowledge, and families become part of the SAHA community.

The organization remains grounded in the vision established by our founders: provide young people with meaningful opportunities through hockey and help them develop both as athletes and as members of their community.

As SAHA looks toward the future, that commitment remains unchanged.