About SHL

About Shawano Hockey League

Shawano Hockey League (SHL) is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created solely for the purpose of promoting youth hockey in the Shawano County region. SHL is governed by the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) and USA Hockey. We are classified as a Division 3 level club playing in WAHA Region 3. All SHL Teams (Squirt level and higher) are entered in regional playoffs to qualify for WAHA State Tournaments held in March.

SHL serves girls and boys ages 4 to 14 and we are a 100% volunteer organization. Parents manage the rink and the hockey organization on a volunteer basis, which keeps our player fees much lower than neighboring associations.

We invite you to join Shawano Lightning Hockey. We hope your child will have a fun learning experience while playing an exciting sport! If you have any questions please feel free to Contact Us.

Shawano Hockey League Boundary Statement

The Shawano Hockey League serves the youth in the following school districts, Shawano, Bonduel, Gillett, Gresham, Bowler, Menominee Indian, and Tigerton. Families with students in Clintonville, Marion, Pulaski, Wittenberg/Birnamwood, Suring and Oconto Falls school districts are considered undesignated by WAHA and may register with the Shawano Hockey League as their home association but also have the option to join other area leagues. Once you are part of a USA Hockey team roster with that association, from then on it will be considered your HOME association.

The Mission of the Shawano Hockey League

The Mission of the Shawano Hockey League (“SHL”) is to provide a safe, fun, and affordable hockey atmosphere. SHL emphasizes skill development, hard work, dedication to set goals, good sportsmanship and discipline. These achievements are to be attained through the guidance of our youth hockey coaches, parents, and the Board of Directors.

Core Values

The following core values, as adopted from USA Hockey, guides the Shawano Hockey League in planning, programming and play:

Sportsmanship: Foremost of all values is to learn a sense of fair play, become humble in victory, and gracious in defeat. We will foster friendship with teammates and opponents alike.
Respect for the individual: Treat all others as you expect to be treated, including your coach and game officials.
Integrity: We seek to foster honesty and fair play beyond mere strict interpretation of the rules and regulations of the game.
Pursuit of excellence at the individual, team and organizational levels: Each member of the organization, whether player, parent, coach, volunteer or staff, should seek to perform each aspect of the game to the highest level of his or her ability.
Enjoyment: It is important for the hockey experience to be fun, satisfying and rewarding for all participants.
Loyalty: We aspire to teach loyalty to the ideals and fellow members of the sport of hockey.
Teamwork: We value the strength of learning to work together. The use of teamwork is reinforced and rewarded by success in the hockey experience.

Business of the Year

Raddant Electric - 2023

- 2022

Titletown Wealth Management - 2021

WTCH - Bruce Grassman - 2020

Knope Heating and Cooling - 2019

Pidgeon River - 2018

Doc’s - 2017

El Tequila’s - 2016

Twig’s Beverage - 2015

Charlie’s County Market - 2014

B&J Custom Graphics - 2013

Rick Stautz Hall of Fame

Jeff Huntington - 2023

- 2022

Jason and Jamie Specht - 2021

Andrea Blanke - 2020

Greg and Beth Rush - 2019

Eric and Laurie Johnson and Paul and Sarah Gagnow - 2018

Jen Meisner - 2017

Greg & Liz Wittman - 2016

Tony and Sally Steffens – 2015

Pauline Forrest - 2014

Diane Carlson – 2013

HISTORY

Fall of 1991
Tom Marlier sets up a meeting at the Shawano County Courthouse to see if he can generate any local interest in hockey.

September 1994
Rick Stautz approaches Tom Marlier to try again to generate some local interest in hockey.

October 1994
Rick and Tom head to Antigo WI to get some ideas.

Another meeting is setup at City Hall and the list of people interested hockey starts to grow.

November 1994
Shawano Hockey League is incorporated and first board of directors are appointed.

December 1994
Wooden boards are built at the City of Shawano Recycling Center and approval from the Fairgrounds Board gives them a place to construct the rink near the fairgrounds. The City of Shawano Parks and Recreation starts to make ice.

January 7th 1995
The first official hockey in the city of Shawano begins.
(56 kids total - 9 coaches) One team for each age group, One practice on weeknights and one on the weekends. No warming rooms or locker rooms.

December 1995
Rink is moved to an outdoor location near the river that was once the old City of Shawano Water Treatment Plant at the south end of Smalley Street.

Season begins late because of warm weather. December 27th the season begins with 76 total players on 5 teams and with 15 coaches. Work begins inside old city building for locker rooms and concessions area. Games start to be played outdoors.

January 21st 1996
Open house at the new location, Mayor Lee Schrader proclaims it "Shawano Hockey Day"

December 1996
Not on the ice until Dec 29th due to making the rink larger (full 200' x 100') Thanks to Mike Dobratz for lending his tractor with snowblower and scraper to clear the ice. Much faster than a bunch of parents with shovels.

January 1997
Merrill Hockey Association donates a used scoreboard to SHL. Shawano Hockey League enters the Northern Exposure League.

February 1997
The first (used 1975 model) Zamboni is donated to SHL from Aarrowcast Inc.

March 1997
Long range planning committee starts to actively planning for an indoor facility. Board decides to change name to "Wolf River Hockey Association" Members at the annual meeting vote it down.

1999
Shawano County ($200,000) and the City of Shawano ($100,000) agreed to help fund the new $1.2 million dollar Expo Center along with a large private donation from the Pat & Ruth Crawford Family.

August 2000
Construction begins on the new Shawano Expo Center (Crawford Center) near the Shawano County Fair Grounds.

February 2001
Volunteers start installing the used batter boards and chiller coils in the sand floor.

March 4th 2001
First hockey game held inside the new Shawano County Expo Center (Crawford Center).

October 3rd 2001
The rink receives its concrete floor after after having only a sand the first season.

March 2004
Shawano Bantam's team wins Shawano's first ever WAHA State Championship in Div 4.

September 2010
Shawano's first High School WIAA Hockey team was created with the help of the Lewis family and with a generous donation from the Mielke family.

September 2018
Shawano Hockey League raises enough money to purchase a refurbished Zamboni from R&R Specialties.

September 2019
With a very generous matching donation from Shawano Chamber of Commerce, Shawano Hockey League raises enough money to purchase a much needed new set of rink boards and glass from Becker Arena Products.

September 2020
WAHA (Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association) decides to move Shawano Hockey League from Division 4 to Division 3 level for State Tournament play.

WAHA State Tournaments

2002 - PeeWee C1 - Consolation Champs

2004 - Bantam 4A - 1st

PeeWee 4A - 2nd

2010 - Bantam 4A - 2nd

2012 - PeeWee 4A - 6th

2013 - Squirts 4A -5th

2014 - Squirts 4A - 8th

PeeWee 4A - 4th

Bantam 4A - 5th

2015 - Squirts 4A - 2nd

Bantam 4A - 4th

2016 - Squirts 4A - 5th

PeeWee 4A - 7th

Bantam 4A - 3rd

2017 - Squirts 4A - 5th

Bantams 4A - 3rd

2018 - PeeWee 4A - 3rd

Bantam 4A - 6th

2019 - PeeWee A 4A - 3rd

PeeWee B 3B - 3rd

Bantam 4A - 3rd

2020 - Bantam 2B - 5th

Bantam 1C - 8th

2021 - PeeWee 2B - 6th

2022 - Squirt 3A - 7th

Bantam 3A - 8th