Wissahickon Skating Club (abbreviated to WSC) is a non-profit skating club in the Chestnut Hill section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. The club was organized in 1954 for the purpose of supporting amateur and professional athletes for ice hockey and figure skating competitions. Construction began in 1955, and in 1956, the doors opened. The original building, which was thoroughly renovated in 2019, still stands today.

Club history

WSC was started in 1954 by a group of Chestnut Hill residents who believed their community would benefit from a skating rink. With the contributions from many families, the rink was opened in 1956. Originally, the club only operated for seven months per year. However, by the late 1950s the club was operating year-round due to the availability of new rink cooling technology.

Ice hockey

The Wissahickon Skating Club's Youth Hockey Program is one of the longest-standing hockey programs in the greater Philadelphia area. In the early years, the club operated as an independent organization, competing against clubs similar in structure to WSC. Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the club produced many of the area's elite players. Many of these players advanced to prominent boarding schools and NCAA Division 1 hockey programs. The program's most notable alumnus is two-time Olympian and New York Rangers Stanley Cup Champion goaltender, Mike Richter. Brian O'Neil (Yale University ECAC, Manchester Monarch's AHL) is another notable alum. In the early 1990s, WSC became a member of the Delaware Valley Hockey League and has since represented the DVHL and the Atlantic District at local and national championships. Typically, the club fields between 10 and 12 youth hockey teams (6–18) and four levels of senior hockey teams (19 and older). The Wissahickon Senior "A" team has been particularly strong in recent years, winning its very competitive league three years in a row and four of the last 6. 300px, Exterior of WSC 300px, Interior of WSC 300px, Wissahickon Merritton Logo during the 40th Annual Tournament in 2006.

WSC vs. MAA

For the past 53 years, WSC and The Merritton Athletic Association located in St. Catharines, Ontario have operated a Peewee and Bantam level exchange tournament (alternating as hosts). This is a truly remarkable event and one of the oldest American/Canadian hockey exchanges between two clubs in North America. The tournament is for the Peewee A and Bantam A levels. Each player is assigned a

billet A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier. Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...

, to stay with during the tournament. The tournament location alternates yearly between

and

Merritton Merritton is both a distinct community within and a council ward of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It was named after William Hamilton Merritt, a prominent local entrepreneur and founder of the Welland Canal Company. Until 1858, Merritton was n ...

and is held during

President's Day Presidents' Day, also called Washington's Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all persons who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879 ...

weekend or Family Day weekend in Ontario. There is a skills competition, exhibition game, and championship game at the Peewee and Bantam levels. In addition there is an alumni game held for past participants. In 2017, mixed team competitions, a trade of players between teams, replaced the skills competition at the conclusion of the tournament.

Figure skating

WSC has a very strong figure skating program, thanks to the many veteran professional figure skaters that give daily instruction. Several members have competed and placed in the United States Figure Skating Association's (USFSA) South Atlantic, Eastern and National Competitions. WSC held the 1998 US National Figure Skating Championship. The club is also home to The Philadelphia Symmetry synchronized skating teams.

Wisscapades

Every two or three years the club presents an ice show called Wisscapades. The ice show, always tied to a theme, is designed to showcase WSC skaters and give the community an opportunity to see high-level skating talent. Each show has several guest stars and is a popular yearly attraction.

Pro shop

WSC has a pro shop with hockey/figure merchandise and club apparel. Custom sharpening and repairs are also available in the pro shop.

Public sessions

WSC is open for public skating every Friday night from 8:30-10:30 as well as Saturday afternoons 12:45-2:15pm. There are also additional skating slots around the holidays. In addition to public sessions the ice can also be rented depending on availability. There is also space for birthday parties and private events.

Notable Hockey Players

* Mike Richter * Brian O'Neil
Grace Dwyer

References

External links

Wissahickon Skating Club
Official website

Chestnut Hill Local article {{United States figure skating clubs Figure skating clubs in the United States Sports clubs established in 1956 Sports in Philadelphia 1956 establishments in Pennsylvania Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia