Celebrating 20 Years

Ed Snider announced the creation of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation at the Class of 1923 Arena, surrounded by our first Snider students. Since that day, the Foundation has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of students and their families.

In October 2017, a group of #SniderHockey & Education girls were invited to Boston to meet members of the @US Women’s National Ice Hockey Team. After our student-athletes watched Team USA take on Team Canada in preparation for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, they met with the players to ask them questions and hear more about their experiences playing hockey at the national team level.

In February 2019, a team of Snider alumni took on the Flyers Alumni at Class of 1923 Arena for an Alumni Showdown. Over 2,500 fans packed the rink to support both teams as this friendly competition was held in anticipation of the Stadium Series game taking place at Lincoln Financial Field the same weekend. Thanks to the great support of the Flyer Alumni, this event raised $75,000 in direct support of Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education programs.

The Fit to Lead: Student-Athlete Leadership Conference began in 2022 as an in-person leadership conference for high school and college student-athletes. For the last three years, hundreds of student-athletes have participated in discussions with sports industry leaders at Neumann University. The conference has given student-athlete leaders the opportunity to discuss contemporary issues in large and small-group settings led by outstanding motivational speakers, professional and Olympic athletes, college facilitators, and Snider alumni.

Snider student-athletes will make their 16th annual appearance at the Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend March 27 – 30, 2025 in St. Paul, MN, joining individuals from other #HockeyIsForEveryone organizations across North America for a weekend of on and off-ice skill development and life skills lessons. Snider hosted the event in Philadelphia from 2014-2019, welcoming Mr. O’Ree to share his experiences with all attendees.

Over 25 Snider student-athletes traveled to Hamden, CT in March 2019 for the National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship. Along with experiencing the highest level of collegiate hockey during the women’s Frozen Four, our students also toured Yale University!

During the 2016-2017 school year, Snider launched our first scholarships, the Game Ready Scholarship and the Breakaway Scholarship. The following school year, the Goals + Assists Scholarships was introduced to provide Snider alumni with the opportunity to attend postsecondary school debt-free. Since the 2016-2017 school year, Snider has awarded 1,733 individual Game Ready, Breakaway, Goals + Assists, and SHOT Scholarships, totaling over $4,000,000 in funding.

“The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, visited with a group of Snider students at the Wells Fargo Center in December 2007 while he was Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Gretzky shared important life lessons he learned over the course of his storied career with our students, along with answering their many questions. We are grateful to the Hockey Hall of Famer for taking the time to meet with us, take pictures, and sign autographs during an unforgettable visit.

Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell invited 11 Snider students to travel to Brainerd, Minnesota and participate in a week of hockey camp with players from across the country! Along with his one-on-one work with the students on-ice, Hartnell helped create lasting memories for our students by sharing important life lessons from his experience as an NHL player.

Prior to the 2014 NHL Draft, held in Philadelphia, top prospects visited our students at Scanlon! The six future selections, including 2025 The Stanley Cup Finals participants Sam Bennett, Leon Draisaitl, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Reinhart, took our students through drills on the ice, signed some gear, and gave our students an unforgettable experience!

The first Snider Summer Camps began in 2007, and since then, over 3,000 student-athletes have attended a camp across over 250 total weeks of camp. Each summer, Snider students create more memories through on- and off-ice skill development, creative life skills and academic activities, field trips and more!

Since 2015, six Snider student-athletes are selected each season to participate in the prestigious Quebec International Peewee Tournament. This tournament, which has seen over 1,200 of its participants go on to play professional hockey, provides our students with an opportunity to compete at the highest level of youth hockey alongside their peers.

Snider is fortunate to receive support from the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association. We are proud to highlight Bernie Parent who has been involved for all 20 years of Snider with his annual Family Fishing Day fundraiser and continues to create special moments for our student-athletes and our families.

Since 2009, Snider girls have traveled to New York City to attend the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports Gala. At this evening, which celebrates the power of sports, our student-athlete leaders met monumental figures in the industry, including Billie Jean King, Julie Foudy, and Jessie Vetter, and were featured on stage as leaders of tomorrow. Thanks to the Women’s Sports Foundation for creating impactful opportunities for our female students and helping to advance our mission.

At the start of our 5th full season of programming, #SniderHockey & Education launched our travel hockey program and joined the Delaware Valley Hockey League. Since then, Snider teams have captured numerous League Championships, League Playoff Championships and Atlantic Affiliate Championships. For the 2025-26 season, we will have 16 Snider teams competing in the DVHL, EJEPL, and AGHF.

Snider partnered with the Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers Charities, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to construct a brand new outdoor street hockey rink and playground at Scanlon Recreation Center. Flyers Captain and Snider Ambassador Sean Couturier was on hand to cut the ribbon and celebrate with our families. Over the last two years, the rink has not only introduced new students to Snider’s programs, hundreds of youth have made great use of this space, enjoying the fresh air while working on their hockey skills and having fun with their peers. We are grateful to have the continued support of important partners such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers Charities, and PPR!

Since 2013, Snider has celebrated the classroom accomplishments of our high-achieving students at our annual Academic All-Star games. Every Snider student with all A’s and B’s, no attendance issues, and no negative behavior marks on their report cards are invited to skate at this event, which features competitive games on the ice, off-ice activities, book fairs, and more. We hope all Snider students are starting their school year off strong and we hope to see you at Academic All-Star Weekend this season!

Thanks to our partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers, Snider students have made some unforgettable trips to the Winter Classic and Stadium Series events over the last two decades. Our student-athletes have hit the ice at Fenway Park, Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field, and MetLife Stadium, gaining once-in-a-lifetime chances to play the sport they love in front of thousands of NHL fans.

During our 20 years of building lives and uniting communities, we have collaborated with numerous local partners, including Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. In a November 2010 press conference, Ed Snider, former Mayor Michael Nutter, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that Snider Hockey would refurbish the Scanlon, Simons, Sims, and Tarken Ice Rinks allowing for year-round operation. Since then, Snider and PPR have enjoyed a unique public/private partnership that provides daily programming and community outreach events, including our upcoming Anti-Violence Fair, food and book distributions, Fall Festivals, and more!

Snider has been distributing hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to families in need during the holiday seasons. We have also distributed thousands of books to young readers in our community. Thanks to the support of our donors and partners, we have been able to help create everlasting holiday memories during this special time of year. In addition to Snider staff and volunteers, Flyers captain Sean Couturier and Flyers legend Bernie Parent have joined us In distributing meals!

Check out our social media (@sniderhockey) for more memorable moments!