AURORA – The Warriors Hockey Club will begin the 2024-2025 season with a new team and a new look. On April 1, the club merged with Wheaton West Hockey to form a new Warriors Hockey Club.
Wheaton West Hockey consisted of Wheaton North High School, Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, West Chicago High School, St. Francis High School and Wheaton Academy, while the Warriors Hockey Club was made up of student-athletes from Waubonsie Valley High School and Metea Valley High School.
The new merger will now include players from Waubonsie, Metea, Wheaton North and Wheaton-Warrenville South.
“This was a merger of two successful clubs that needed to do this to keep high school hockey alive for years to come for Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Wheaton North, and Wheaton Warrenville South High School hockey athletes,” said hockey club president Jim Houlihan, “who want to represent playing for their respective high schools and in front of their respective fellow student fans.”
“The newly merged group of players have already gotten along great in the locker room and on the ice in a short time period,” said Houlihan. “We expect to continue to be a welcoming, fair, and competitive club this year and beyond.”
“Winning breeds success and attracts players to our program, and we want to continue that legacy that both clubs have established,” said Houlihan. “This allows us to keep players playing and growing the game of hockey for those athletes that desire to represent their high school with the Warriors Hockey Club.”
The club changed their logo from the green, gold and black ‘W’ to a sky blue, white, black and grey ‘W’ and Warrior, while the name will remain the Warriors Hockey Club. The club will also continue to be part of the Illinois West High School Hockey League and Amateur Hockey Association Illinois.
The Warriors Hockey Club won the state combined hockey championship in 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2024. For more information, visit warriorshockeyclub.org.