Steven Hejna, manager of the St. Louis Blues Warriors B team, remembers when the organization started in 2020 with just four members. Within seven months, participation ballooned above 100 and now there are six teams and more than 200 players within the organization.
“We’re one of the fastest-growing organizations in the nation,” Hejna said. “We pride ourselves on everything we’ve been able to do and being respectful when we go to tournaments.”
St. Louis won its third national championship this Sunday by defeating the Panthers Warriors 1 in the Tier 3 title game at the 2025 USA Hockey-Long Drink Warrior National Championships. St. Louis scored three goals in the first two periods and added two more in the third for a 5-0 shutout.
“It’s a great honor to show how hard we worked over the last few months and how much effort we put in as a team and an organization,” said Hejna. “The defense showed up, and when we had opportunities, we made sure we were able to bury goals.”
St. Louis went a perfect 5-0 at nationals and advanced to the championship with a 3-2 win against Minnesota in the semifinals, with Hejna scoring the winning goal in the final minute of the game.
“We were coming off a pretty big high in the semifinals and that gave us the confidence to know that we could do it,” Hejna said. “We accomplished the goal we’ve been pushing toward for the last few months.”
St. Louis was one of six teams to secure a title this past weekend during the Warrior National Championships, which took place at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida.
To begin their run at nationals, the Pittsburgh Warriors Gold lost 4-1 to in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers Warriors C1. Pittsburgh, though, bounced back from that loss on Thursday to win its next three games by a combined score of 18-6, setting up a rematch with Philadelphia in the Tier 4 championship game.
Pittsburgh got its revenge on Sunday and won the national title with a 5-1 victory over Philadelphia.
“Any time we can take a championship away from Philly it’s an amazing feeling,” said Dwayne Hinkle, Pittsburgh’s team manager. “It was fantastic and a great fight between both teams.”
Three goals in the first period helped set the tone for Pittsburgh, which won its fourth national title as an organization since it started in 2018.
“We don’t have a set team, so a lot of these guys haven’t played together, and they have to bring everything together pretty quickly,” Hinkle said. “The mentality was quick shifts, positional hockey and sticking to the fundamentals. They did very well, and it worked out for us.”
The Colorado Warriors defeated the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors to claim the Elite title. The Washington Capitals Warriors topped Philadelphia Flyers Warriors Bravo for the Tier 2 national championship.
Minnesota Warriors North won the Tier 6 title with a victory against Colorado Warriors D, and the Motor City Warriors topped the Lightning Warriors to go a perfect 5-0 and win the Tier 5 championship.
“It was awesome and a great tournament,” said Nathan Hayes, manager for Motor City. “We had some tough games. It was an incredible experience winning the title. I saw nothing but smiles from our guys. We’re very proud to bring the title back to the state of Michigan and Detroit.”
This weekend, 34 teams representing 16 different organizations competed for a national title.
Motor City sent one team this year, but there are more than 85 members within its program. Motor City came back from an early deficit to win in the semifinal and then exploded for a five-goal second period in the championship game against the Lightning Warriors.
“We had a shift where we were in their zone for some time, cycling the puck and putting shots on net,” Hayes said. “We finally scored to make it 3-1 and it was that one goal that kind of pushed us over the edge and really got that momentum swing for us.”
The Warrior Hockey Discipline is dedicated to injured and disabled U.S. military veterans who have served their country and play hockey. While some participants played hockey prior to their injuries, many try it for the first time for therapeutic reasons.
To be eligible to compete in Warrior Hockey, participants must have an honorable discharge with the ability to provide official documentation from their designated branch of service.
“We use hockey to help veterans, whether they’re disabled or not disabled,” Hayes concluded. “We use this sport as a recreational therapy tool. It really helps getting veterans connected in the community and reconnected to other veterans. It gives structure and camaraderie, which is needed and very special to a lot of veterans.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com