Youth Hockey Booming as Inaugural Coppinger Court Hockey League Starts Sunday at Fallon Field

Hockey is huge in the Parkway area! Evidence of the slap-shooting sport's popularity was apparent when signups for the inaugural season of the Coppinger Court Hockey League reached maximum capacity within 75 minutes of registration opening.  

The summer league kicks off this Sunday at Fallon Field in Roslindale with opening day festivities starting at noon. At 1 p.m. the league's lead sponsor (and decent street hockey coach) state Rep. Ed Coppinger, D-West Roxbury, will drop the ceremonial first ball before the first game between the Boston Braves and the Providence Reds. Participants ages range from 5- to 14-years-old and the league’s three divisions accommodate 255 players across 15 teams.

"This league was the brainchild of Joe Donahue, Bob Stowe, and some other local parents," said Coppinger. "They had the great idea of starting a summer street hockey league for children ages 5 to 15. They said that they needed sponsors so I offered to purchase all of the t-shirts for the kids. The parents were so grateful that they offered to name the league after me."

While Donahue knew hockey is popular with today's Parkway youth, he did not know how popular it was until registration opened.

"I thought the interest would be there for a summer street hockey league for local kids. However, what I completely misjudged was the level of interest. I hoped to get 115 children to register but the demand absolutely blew me away with 255 total participants," said Donahue.

Donahue credits the annual Parkway Shamrock Shootout for bolstering the sport's local popularity in recent years.

"The number of 5- to 12-year-olds in Coppinger Court Hockey is staggering and I completely credit the organizers of the Shamrock Shooutout for that. Street hockey was king in the 70s and 80s but then went into a deep sleep until the creation of the Shamrock Shootout woke it up. Now, with Parkway Youth Hockey, the Shamrock Shootout and Coppinger Court Hockey, hockey, hopefully, will always be front and center in the minds of Parkway residents."

The founder of the Parkway Shamrock Shootout, Mike O'Brien, is also coaching the Hamilton Tigers, in the Attorney Rob Stowe age division.

Like O'Brien and Coppinger, Donahue recalls a time when the sound of hockey sticks on Parkway streets was rampant.

"During the early to mid 70s, Parkway Boy's Club had an indoor street hockey league played out of the gym of the Shaw School - now the Lyndon - and the Stratford Street United Church and those were some of the best memories of my childhood. The person who organized and ran the league, Butchie Sculley - a great guy, passed away about three years ago and it got me thinking about how much I enjoyed that league and wishing my own son had the same experience," said Donahue.  

While the first ball hasn't been dropped yet, there is hope the league will be able to grow next summer.

"I truly believe that the league will grow in the next few years but, as of right now, we're limited to the one rink at Fallon Field in Roslindale which makes scheduling difficult. Parents often approach me and ask if we need a street hockey cout in West Roxbury and I kind of surprise them when I say 'no.'  Then I pause a second before saying, 'we need two.'"

Also, not to be forgotten, the winners of the championship games will receive the Gormley Cup, the league's version of the Stanley Cup, generously donated by Lord Mayor of West Roxbury Richie Gormley.

For more information on the league, check out its website here.