Ojibwa Eagles Goal

The goal of the Eagles program is to provide a strong developmental environment for elite hockey players to improve their talents and receive the necessary exposure to higher levels of hockey. Opportunity to further one's career, regardless of the nature, is grounded in the ability to be seen by the right person at the right time and to demonstrate that the player has the skills necessary to jump to a higher level. The Eagles players will get exposure to Junior 'A' and college scouts. We are home to Michigan Technological University (Division I) and Finlandia University (Division III) hockey teams. This provides a unique environment where scouts at all levels frequent the Eagles home ice arena.

The Eagles play a very competitive and well-traveled schedule year in and year out. The team plays around 60 games against teams from all over the United States and Canada. Highlights of the season include several major tournaments, regional home-and-home series, and, in early September, the Superior Cup in Houghton. The regional series and especially the major tournaments offer many opportunities for Eagle players to be seen by scouts throughout the nation.

For 2008/09, the Ojibwa Eagles association will assess a $4,500 yearly fee  for participation. This fee covers transportation, motels, ice, and weight room.  Non-resident players also pay room and board fees of $250 per month fee to host families and a one-time $150 court fee for guardianship papers. Our annual fee is well below average of most Midget AAA teams due to the generosity of our sponsor- the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

The Ojibwa Eagle players are very busy. They have three, 1.5 hour practices at the SDC from 6:00 - 7:30 am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before school. After school, they have dry-land (2 days), weight training (4 days), study groups (1 day). They are normally home before 6:00 pm every night.

Eagles Transportation 

The Eagles find themselves traveling very often throughout the season, but whether it is a two hour drive, or 12 hour drive the team rides in comfort. The Eagles own their own luxurious bus that they travel to all games in. The bus has a private restroom, and six televisions for movies. The bus is also rented out around the community to help keep team expenses more affordable.

The John MacInnes Ice Arena is where the Eagles call home. The arena is located in the Student Development Complex (SDC) on the campus of Michigan Tech University. The SDC is where the Eagles play home games, practice every morning, and host the Superior Cup Tournament. The team shares the rink with the Michigan Tech Division One hockey team. Inside of the rink the Eagles have their own spacious locker room, complete with private swipe-card access and a separate coachs office. The facilities also give the Eagle players access to a world-class weight room and gym.

Eagles Housing Policies

Non-resident players are housed with families from the greater Houghton/Hancock community. Most housing families participate in local hockey programs and volunteer to host student athletes for the hockey season. Temporary guardianship papers are filed with the local district court, giving the housing parents responsibility to act in the players best interest, while not removing custody from the legal parents. Bonds created between housing families and student-athletes are often times life-long friendships.

Eagles Educational Opportunities

The Eagles organization stresses the athlete's education. Most players attend school at Houghton High School, while others may go to Hancock Central High, or Michigan Tech. An education advisor will be assigned to the team to act as a liaison between the local school, the Eagle's organization, and parents. The student athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.20 to play for the Eagles. The students grades will be monitored throughout the season.