The Mt Lebanon Hockey Association was founded in 1977.  The Hornets were named after the previous American Hockey League team in Pittsburgh, which folded when the NHL placed a team in the city in 1967.

Several rinks opened in Western PA from the late 1960s thru the 1970s as the result of the Penguins joining in the NHL.  Mt Lebanon boasted the nicest of those new rinks, opening in 1977 and forming the Hornets that same year.  The addition of the Hornets into the PAHL placed another organization in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, permanently solidifying youth hockey in that area.  The Hornets have remained one of the model programs in PAHL ever since.

The strength and prominence of the Hornets organization produced several outstanding players in its history.  Six Hornets alumni ultimately advanced their hockey careers to the NHL: Matt Bartkowski, Grant Lewis, Ryan Malone, Eric Meloche, Dylan Reese, and Patrick Wey.