Philadelphia Little Flyers accepted into NAPHL

May 7, 2014

The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has announced that the Philadelphia Little Flyers have been accepted as members of the NAPHL for the 2014-15 season. The organization will field full-time teams at both the 18U and 16U levels.

 

“We are excited to add the Philadelphia Little Flyers as a new member to the NAPHL and believe that their addition to the league adds significantly to the depth and strength of our league at both the 18U and 16U levels,” stated NAPHL Director Denny Scanlon. “Philadelphia is one of the great hockey cities in the United States and the Little Flyers have a deep talent pool to chose from. They are backed by solid leadership and coaching and we look forward to having them as a full-time member in the NAPHL for the 2014-15 season.”

 

While the current membership stands at 15 different organizations, there are still some applications being considered and reviewed for the 2014-15 season. A final number of teams, a list of accepted members and the 2014-15 NAPHL event schedule will be posted in the near future.

 

“We are very excited to join the NAPHL, which is one of the premier Tier I Leagues in the country. This is a great start to our 45th anniversary as an organization, as we are the oldest Tier I organization in the Philadelphia area,” said Little Flyers Chairman of the Board and President John Giacobbo. “The amount of competition and exposure that the league will provide for our young men is going to be second to none. This is a great opportunity for the Little Flyers organization to be part of this league.”

 

Heading up hockey operations for the Little Flyers organization is Rocky Russo.  Russo is a familiar face in NAHL and NAPHL circles as he frequented many NAPHL events while he was an assistant coach with the Amarillo Bulls, St. Louis Bandits and the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. “Our acceptance into the NAPHL gives the Little Flyers organization a wonderful opportunity to take the next step in regards to player development and exposure, not only to junior programs, but to NCAA teams as well,” said Russo. “Based upon my experience as an NAHL coach and having an understanding of the league’s credibility, the NAPHL events have a great track record of proven results for their players, which is backed by a documented and visible scouting presence. They are the most well-run events of their kind in the country and we can’t wait to be a part of the developmental process and organization.” 

 

The Little Flyers organization plays out of the IceWorks Arena in Aston, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.  IceWorks Twin Rinks of Aston opened its doors to the public in October of 1997. The building consisted of two ice surfaces, a full-service restaurant, full-service pro shop, arcade, and banquet/party rooms. Since opening, IceWorks has been busy with games from local school teams, in-house teams, which include the Philadelphia Little Flyers. IceWorks is the only public rink in the United States or Canada that has a professional coaching staff. In the fall of 2001, the IceWorks Skating Complex opened two more ice rinks to accommodate more hockey teams and figure skaters.