CLEVELAND — Girls hockey is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the United States, seeing a participation increase of 65% since 2010 according to USA Hockey. 

What You Need To Know

  • Girls hockey is on the rise in the Midwest with a 7-8% increase in participation each year

  • Cleveland is hosting the 2025 USA Hockey Girls Hockey Tier II National Championships this weekend 

  • Tournament director John Stojak said the event will boost the economy in Northeast Ohio and help the sport continue to grow in Northeast Ohio 

USA Hockey is hoping to see the sports continue to grow in northeast Ohio by hosting its 2025 Girls Hockey Tier II National Championships in Cleveland this weekend. 

"We're building women's hockey here," Tournament director and Cleveland Suburban Hockey League board member John Stojak said. "We have teams across the country. There are 28 teams representing 18 different states. The furthest away is Anchorage, Alaska.”

Stojak said hosting the event will provide a boost to the economy as players and families from across the country experience Cleveland for the first time. 

"We’re going to be bringing them into 12 different hotels on the east and west side of Cleveland," Stojak said. "They will be staying here and eating at our restaurants. We have great restaurants in Cleveland. This is a vibrant city and we want people to understand that and see it.” 

More importantly for Stojak, it’s a chance to bring awareness to girls and women’s hockey in Northeast Ohio. He has been doing that for more than 53 years as a board member of the Cleveland Suburban Hockey League. 

"We’re looking for this to bring people into the rink, let them see what women’s hockey can be," Stojak said. "I’m personally committed to women’s hockey as my daughter played all the way through Ohio State.”

USA Hockey Mid-American Council representative Ladd Wagner thinks that hosting the national championships will help the growth of girls hockey in Ohio.

"We’ve invited some of the local organizations like the Cleveland Barons and other local teams to bring their girls as a chance to see the steps they can take towards playing in a tournament like this," Wagner said. "It’s exciting because we’re one of the fastest growing districts in USA Hockey seeing 7 or 8% of growth amongst our girls each year.” 

Stojak agrees and hopes more girls in the Cleveland area lace up their skates not only just to play the sport but to learn life lessons on the ice as well.

"We hope that we see more of these women not only playing the sport but taking what the sport can give them so that they can build it into their life and their career around what they’ve learned in the sport," Stojak said. 

The tournament will take place through Sunday at Brunswick Auto Mart Arena in Strongsville and Mentor Ice Arena. Admission to the games is free to the public.