TEAMS

HISTORY

The Pittsburgh Aviators Hockey Association was founded in 2005 and joined the PAHL the same year.  The team formed after the Airport Ice Arena in Moon Township had lost its youth program to another rink in 2001 and needed an anchor youth organization after trying to house other types of youth programs for a few seasons.  The Aviators nickname came in relation to the arena's name and its proximity to the Pittsburgh International Airport.

But then the Airport Ice Arena closed in 2016, leaving the club without a home.  No other rink in the area was in need of a youth program, so the Aviators were essentially nomads for a few seasons.  Their teams made use of available ice slots at the Lemieux Sports Complex, SSA McKnight Hockey Center, RMU Island Sports Center, Baierl Ice Complex, Pittsburgh Ice Arena, and even the Mercyhurst Ice Center.  In 2020, the Aviators temporarily settled into the Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville for all of its home games.  That renewed stability led to some growth within their organization in the years to follow.  The solidified program then moved to the McKnight Hockey Center on the campus of Shady Side Academy in 2024, becoming the primary youth team playing out of that rink.  The move finally allowed the Aviators to settle into a new home of its own and gave the program a place to continue to build.