BUCKEYE TRAVEL HOCKEY LEAGUE
The AYHA participates in the Buckeye Travel Hockey League, which brings together teams in different age divisions and skill levels across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Each AYHA team participating in the BTHL is required to participate in both home and away games as well as potential out-of-league games and an end-of-season BTHL tournament. Registration on an AYHA team participating the in the BTHL requires a commitment to play out-of-town away games.
crossbar help
If you have a pre-existing Crossbar account, please ensure that your password is current and you can log into Crossbar before attempting to register. Need assistance setting up a Crossbar account for registering your youth player? Please see the link below for helpful guides on accounts, the Mobile App, and more.
ages
Each season, the AYHA forms BTHL travel teams for each of the following age divisions based on players' ages as of December 31 of that year:
10U - children aged 9 and 10
12U - children aged 11 and 12
14U - children aged 13 and 14
Regardless of age division, parents should expect that all players are given equal ice time at both practices and games throughout the season as the AYHA's emphasis is on development of each player and not a "win at any cost" approach.
In the 10U age division, you can still expect to see a variety of skill levels among the children as some have skated for several years, while others are new to the sport. 10U continues to place an emphasis on the basics of skating and hockey, while development exercises and on-ice games become more challenging to reflect the increasing abilities of the youth players, while still emphasizing fun.
In the 12U age division, skill levels between players begin to narrow, but there are players on the ice who are new to the sport. As they mature, an increasing emphasis on athleticism is introduced on the ice, while maintaining a focus on sportsmanship, skill development, and on-ice games. Players begin to develop a more thorough understanding of how to play various positions during games and play with competitive contact.
In the 14U age division, the emphasis is for players to put together their skills and hockey knowldge together on the ice. Players continue to develop the understanding of how to play their positions on the ice, and checking is introduced. Players in this age division who are both 14-years old and 9th graders may have the opportunity to play on the High School team.
Where
Practices and home games are held at Ohio University's Bird Ice Arena in Athens, Ohio. Away games may be at various rinks in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Charleston (WV), and other venues in Kentucky and/or Indiana.
Practices
Travel teams practice twice a week on weeknights. Practices are typically in the early evening with the 10U team usually getting on and off the ice the earliest, and 14U the latest.
Games
During a typical season, teams participating in the BTHL may play between 16 and 20 league games on weekend, plus an end-of-season BTHL tournament. The travel teams also routinely schedule non-league home and away games throughout the season as well as participate in non-league tournaments to increase their competitive level.
Jerseys
All players on each travel team must purchase a home and away jersey through the AYHA, and the AYHA generally takes orders before the beginning of the season. Players may select their own number, as long as no other player within a four-year span of age, older or younger, already has that number. Numbers may be kept by each player from 10U all the way through High School.
Order a jersey using the link below starting July 1, 2025.
AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS
The following discount codes are available at checkout during the registration process:
FIRSTYEARPLAYER - this is a 50% discount code for players who will be playing their first full season (October through March) with the AYHA.
MULTIPLAYER - this is a $100 discount code for families with more than one player registered. Apply this code to the second player's registration checkout to receive this discount. Have a third player? Apply this discount code to both the second and third players' registration checkout for a total $200 discount.
GOALIE - this is a 50% discount code for players who will be playing goalie full time throughout the entire season and play half the games during the season.
EXTRA COSTS
The cost of home and away jerseys are not included in the registration fee. Additionally, there may be costs associated with non-BTHL away games to cover ice time and referees, which is typically collected by the team manager. Non-BTHL tournament entry fees are also the responsibility of the player's family. Families are responsible for all travel costs for all games and events throughout the season, including meals and hotel arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a child who is old enough to be on one of the travel teams but is new to hockey. Can my child be on a lower age-division team?
No. USA Hockey and the MidAm district have strict rules the generally prohibit playing down to a lower age division, and the AYHA has policies that reflect these rules. Please refer to the AYHA handbook for more information.
10U BTHL Travel Hockey 2025/26
Registration for the 2025/2026 season is now open!
Before registering, you must have a USA Hockey number for your player. See the Current Season & Registration page under the Resources/Parents menu for more information.
Please note that American Express is not accepted by Crossbar in the checkout at this time, even though it is listed as an option.
If you have an outstanding account balance from a prior season, that must be addressed in your Active account before registering for this season.
Register12U BTHL Travel Hockey 2025/26
Registration for the 2025/2026 season is now open!
Before registering, you must have a USA Hockey number for your player. See the Current Season & Registration page under the Resources/Parents menu for more information.
Please note that American Express is not accepted by Crossbar in the checkout at this time, even though it is listed as an option.
If you have an outstanding account balance from a prior season, that must be addressed in your Active account before registering for this season.
Register14U BTHL Travel Hockey 2025/26
Registration for the 2025/2026 season is now open!
Before registering, you must have a USA Hockey number for your player. See the Current Season & Registration page under the Resources/Parents menu for more information.
Please note that American Express is not accepted by Crossbar in the checkout at this time, even though it is listed as an option.
If you have an outstanding account balance from a prior season, that must be addressed in your Active account before registering for this season.
Register