Sioux Falls hockey programs continue to grow

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Hockey across South Dakota and in Sioux Falls has continued to grow over the last several years as the Scheels IcePlex has seen a massive surge in new players as the city continues to get bigger.

“It’s pretty amazing the number of families that recently have moved here in just the last year and are pursuing hockey at a higher level through the Sioux Falls POWER and the flyers benefiting from entire families moving here in order to play,” Sioux Falls POWER 16U Head Coach Noelle Needham said.

The record number of hockey players in Sioux Falls is not just because of the cities increasing population as several high-level programs are responsible for the growth as well.

“Kids move here from all over North America and even Europe as our program holds kids from 13U-18U and they come here to train and pursue juniors like the Sioux Falls Stampede,” Needham said.

Many of the players go on to play college hockey as several kids currently in the POWER program already have division 1 offers.

Increased interest in hockey is not just coming in one age group though as the Sioux Falls Flyers are seeing an increase in players across the board.

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“We have skaters from ages four all the way up through high school as we offer different levels of play within those age ranges,” Sioux Falls Flyers Director Dan Houck said.

The growing number of hockey players in the city may not be slowing down any time soon as more interest sparked by the Winter Olympics could be on the way.

“I would say that it’s probably going to get even bigger than what it is now as you come in here on a Monday night and you can barely walk through the lobby,” Houck said.

For more information on hockey in the Sioux Falls area click here.

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