BEHIND EVERY GREAT SHIFT IS A GREAT DAD: APHL CELEBRATES FATHER’S DAY

June 16, 2025 — APHL Headquarters

From tying skates in cold rinks at 6 a.m. to cheering through overtimes and long road trips, fathers and father figures have always played a vital role in shaping the hockey community. This Father’s Day, the American Premier Hockey League (APHL) tips its helmet to the dads who make it all possible.

Across the league—from Clayton, NY to Lincoln Park, MI to Gaylord, MI—you’ll find proud fathers standing in the corners of rinks, coaching from behind benches, running team drills, or simply being a steady presence in the lives of young athletes. Whether they're blood relatives or billet dads, uncles or mentors, these men carry the spirit of the game forward one life lesson at a time.

“The APHL was built on more than just competition,” said League President Joshua Way. “It’s built on community—and at the heart of that are the families who support our players. Today, we’re proud to celebrate the fathers who help guide our athletes both on and off the ice.”

Many players in the APHL grew up watching the game through the eyes of their dads, learning not only how to shoot, skate, and pass—but how to lead, how to work, and how to believe in something bigger than themselves.

So today, whether you're a hockey dad, stepdad, granddad, coach, billet parent, or mentor—we say thank you.

You’ve been there for the victories and the heartbreaks, for the early mornings and late-night road trips. You’ve helped raise not just players—but good people.

From all of us across the APHL:
Happy Father’s Day.

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