New Hope Arena, Our Valued Host

The New Hope Ice Arena is the host of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. It is centrally located in the metro area which makes it easily accessible to players, parents and scouts. It gives athletes in the Elite League a chance to stay home and finish their varsity high school careers with their friends. The truth is that NHL and college scouts are far more likely to attend games in the Twin Cities than in small towns located hundreds of miles away.

The Elite League has moved full-time to New Hope Ice Arena as years of experience has conclusively shown that players are happier and more productive when they stay home and in their communities to develop their game than they are when they leave to play junior hockey.

“One of the main reasons we settled in on New Hope Arena was the condition of the ice and the cleanliness of the two ice sheets and multiple locker rooms. The responsibility of the ice and customer service is under the guidance of Scott Stephan,” said Mark Phillippi, a Director of Elite League. “Scott’s keen eye and his attention to detail is incredible. This staff makes it a valuable experience for players, parents, coaches and scouts.”

Scott Stephan himself then added that “We have a great staff here with management Matt Remore and Mark Severson and our fan experience person, Chris O’Toole. It is a pleasure to watch these kids develop from High School to the NHL. We love hosting the Elite League games at New Hope Ice Arena.”

“Working with the staff at New Hope Arena makes our job in operations of the Elite League so much easier,”  added Phillippi. “Mark Severson, the Arena Manager, oversees the complete operation of the arena and makes sure we are provided what is needed on our game days. Planning and developing our schedule starts in early January and Matt Remore is the go to person for the schedule. Matt is very responsive to our scheduling needs to run 100-plus games at Hew Hope.”

If you haven’t been out to a game yet in New Hope, there is still plenty of time to get in on all of the action. You can view a full schedule of the games here. 

Elite League Mission:

Hockey Development

The High School Elite League is a proven path to critical exposure.  Colleges, Junior leagues, and professional scouts attend every one of our games.  Players can expect to receive feedback from colleges, Junior Leagues, and professional scouts regarding their own progress. 

Personal Development

The league also provides something that is less tangible than achievement, but, we believe, equally critical. The player gets to experience high school, just like everybody his age. There is merit in these regular high school activities to balance out the dedication, determination, and sometimes even stressful pressures of hockey at this Elite level of hockey.