BETHESDA, MD — The Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation (BBYHF) today announced that it has awarded new need-based scholarships for 73 youth hockey players for the 2026-27 season. Black Bear has now awarded a total of $280,000 to help families keep their kids on the ice as they grow and learn the game of hockey.
Each year, BBYHF scholarships are open to any eligible player 18 and under, regardless of rink or club affiliation. This year’s recipients represent a wide range of youth hockey associations, development programs, and competitive teams nationwide. They come from 21 states, from Florida to Wisconsin to Nevada, and a majority of recipients skate at rinks that are not affiliated with Black Bear Sports Group.
“Every one of these families made the decision to keep their kid in hockey, and the Foundation exists to make that decision a little easier,” said Kevin Kuby, CEO of Black Bear Sports Group. “Hockey teaches lessons that kids carry with them long after they stop playing, and no family should be priced out of that. We’re proud to support 73 players this season, and we’ll keep looking for ways to grow the game and make it more accessible.”
The Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020, is part of Black Bear Sports Group’s broader effort to remove cost as a barrier to the game, alongside free entry-point programs like Take a Shot at Hockey, which introduces kids ages 4-9 to hockey at no cost, and Learn to Play Hockey, which has provided 5,600 kids across the United States with free equipment as they learn the game. Families can learn more about the Foundation and future scholarship opportunities at blackbearsportsgroup.com/scholarship. The names and home rinks of this year’s recipients are embedded below. Where a player chose to remain anonymous, only their home rink is identified.
2026-27 Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation Scholarship Recipients
Virginia
Ada Arias – Capital Clubhouse
Fabian Jessel – Ashburn Ice House
River Morrow – Richmond SkateNation
Nevada
Caleb Green – Hylo Arena
Nicolette Gentile – City National Arena
America First Center Player
Colorado
Charlee Tschida – Sports Stable
Sebastian Gallegos – River City Sportsplex
West Virginia
Finnley Satake – Spencer Family YMCA Ice Rink
Annelise Satake – UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex
California
Alyssa Lee – Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena
Florida
Liam Kearney – Pines Ice Arena
Indiana
Joey Wilk – Midwest Training and Ice
Kentucky
Chyna Taylor – Lovell Arena
Massachusetts
Ares Renner – Enfield Twin Rinks
North Carolina
Scarlett Renkosiak – Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex
Oklahoma
Grayson Sandoval – Ford Ice Center Bellevue
South Carolina
Carolina Ice Palace Player
Texas
Taylor Floyd – Plano
Wisconsin
Ara Landskroner – Madison Ice Arena
Pennsylvania
Zachary Chiffens – Bucks County Ice Sports Center
Daniil Koshlachev – Ice Land Skating Center
Michael Edelstein – ProSkate Ice Arena
Chase Hughes – Tarken Rec Center
Colten Tencer – Printscape Arena
Bentley Sadowski – Printscape Arena
Tavin Simonik – cfsbank Event Center / Palmer Imaging Arena
Madison Mankus – Steel Ice Center
Tyler Mankus – Bucks County Ice Sports Center
Chase Mankus – Bucks County Ice Sports Center
Nathan Mankus – Steel Ice Center
Yahor Putau – Pennsauken Skate Zone
Samuel Mecchia – Frozen Pond Arena
Tyler Volgraf – Revolution Ice Garden
Taylor Volgraf – Revolution Ice Garden
Shaun Kolczynski – Pittsburgh Ice Arena
Marcus Duffy – Roy McKnight Hockey Center
Victor Demaio IV – Pennsauken Skate Zone
Kolby Brightbill – Steel Ice Center
Jack Burke – Lancaster Ice Rink
Arona Jones – Oaks Center Ice
Northeast Skate Zone Player
New Jersey
Russell Brunkovsky – ProSkate Ice Arena
Brayden Houser – Iceland
Igloo Ice Rink Player
Maye Carney – SportsCare Arena – Randolph
Bucks County Ice Sports Center Player
East Brunswick Arena Player
Illinois
Haydn Warfel – Canlan Ice Rink – Romeoville
Vincent Liss – Center Ice of DuPage
Matteo Velazquez – Center Ice of DuPage
Gavin Allen – Seven Bridges Ice Arena
Patty Braudy – Rosemont Ice Arena
The Edge Player
Darien Sportsplex Player
Maryland
Joey Escobar – Piney Orchard Ice Arena
Michael Poresky – Ice Works
Two Piney Orchard Ice Arena Players
Maksim Zabrodotskii – The Gardens Ice House
Kenzie Correa – Columbia Ice Rink
Logan Correa – Columbia Ice Rink
Michigan
Jacob Napier – Toledo Ice House
Maddox Lamb-Venecia – Holland Ice Arena
Vincent Lamb-Venecia – Holland Ice Arena
Charlotte McEwan – BIGGBY® COFFEE Ice Cube – East Lansing
BIGGBY® COFFEE Ice Cube – East Lansing Player
Greyson Gill – BIGGBY® COFFEE Ice Cube – Ann Arbor
Braeden Knoph – Wexford Civic Center
Ohio
Fox Stoll – Deep Freeze Ice Arena
Goggin Ice Center Player New York
Julien Peever – City Ice Pavilion City Ice Pavilion Player
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Founded in 2015 by lifelong hockey supporters, Black Bear Sports Group is a premier owner and operator of ice arenas and youth hockey leagues across the United States. Dedicated to strengthening hockey communities and expanding access to the sport, the company manages dozens of rinks, teams, and leagues, including the Atlantic Hockey Federation, the Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation, and the Tier 1 Hockey Federation. Black Bear also offers elite training programs, tournaments, and Black Bear TV, a dedicated streaming platform that increases visibility for athletes. By preserving community rinks and creating development opportunities, Black Bear ensures that hockey and other ice sports remain accessible, competitive, and positioned for long-term success. For more information, visit www.blackbearsportsgroup.com.