Spring seems hardly the time to be thinking about ice hockey in Wayland, nonetheless the Wayland Hockey Association (WHA) has been busy.   

In April, the WHA held its annual meeting to elect a new slate of candidates to its board of directors.  Elected were Spencer Ball, Stu Cartwright, Charles Cope, Bill Curry, Joseph Fargnoli, Bill MacDonald, and Paula Nicholas.   In May, officers were appointed, and Spencer Ball was chosen as President of the Association.   

Ice hockey has been played in Wayland since the early twentieth century.  In the 1930s and 1940s, outdoor arenas were constructed in Cochituate, and a semi-professional team, The Huskies, entertained fans with a fast-paced style of play.   Throughout New England, frozen winter ponds typically lead to laced-up skates and impromptu hockey matches, and Wayland ponds are no different.  Mill Pond and Dudley Pond have long been popular winter skating venues.   

Various teams have come and gone through the years, and in the Bobby Orr era of the 1960s and 1970s, interest in hockey boomed.  Dozens of skaters sought formal ice hockey programs and training in nearby towns.  Wayland school teams formed and disbanded through the years.  In the 1980s and 1990s, families who wished to see Wayland represented in local high school leagues formed the Wayland Hockey Association.   Together with the school department, they reached an understanding that if the WHA could organize and fund teams, the schools would endorse ice hockey.   

Today, WHA organizes competitive training and play for over 120 local youth.  Multiple teams represent Wayland High School and Wayland Middle School in both boys and girls hockey.  Parents and skaters bear most of the costs of this highly expensive sport.  They are aided by crucial contributions from local businesses, private benefactors, and the hard work of fundraising by families.   

To learn more about the Wayland Hockey Association or how to become involved with the fastest game in town, visit the association’s website at www.waylandhockey.org.

Photo Credit:  Wayland Historical Society

Photo Credit:  Wayland Historical Society