How to start playing hockey as an adult in Pittsburgh
11 programs across the Pittsburgh area · last checked 2026-10-17
- Learn to skate (2)
- Learn to play (4)
- Beginner league (2)
- Next steps (3)
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1. Learn to skate 2
Adult skating classes. Most beginners start here.
AdultOfficial source ↗
Adult Learn to Skate
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex (UPMC Penguins Rinks) · Cranberry Township, PA
Ages: Adults
Price: $161 for 7 weeks (includes skate rental)
Schedule: Fall II: Saturdays 8:35-9:05 AM, Oct 17 - Dec 12
Learn to Skate USA classes. Helmet required (bike, hockey, ski or skating). Learn to Skate USA membership ($17.25/year) required.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Adult/Teen Beginner/Intermediate
Mt. Lebanon Ice Center (Frank Gill Ice Rink) · Mt. Lebanon, PA
Ages: 8th grade - adult
Price: $144
Schedule: Sundays 1:40-2:20 PM, Nov 8 - Dec 20; online registration opens Oct 19
Beginner group is for skaters who have never been on the ice or taken lessons: forward skating, balance and beginning backward skating.
Last checked 2026-10-17
2. Learn to play 4
Hockey clinics for adults who have never played.
What to expect in a learn-to-play program
AdultOfficial source ↗
Foundry Get in the Game
Pittsburgh Ice Arena · New Kensington, PA
Ages: 18+
Schedule: Fall 2: Oct 29 - Dec 10; Winter 1: Jan 7 - Feb 11; Winter 2: Feb 18 - Mar 25
Foundry's adult learn-to-play program for adults who have never played, including how to skate: basics, puck skills, skill development, then gameplay. Full gear required.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Foundry Get in the Game
Printscape Arena at Southpointe · Canonsburg, PA
Ages: 18+
Schedule: Fall 1: Oct 22 - Jan 14; Winter 1: Jan 21 - Mar 25
Adult learn-to-play for beginning players: skating, passing, shooting and stickhandling, preparing for the Novice Draft League. Full equipment required and not supplied. Online pre-registration only.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Adult Learn to Play (Beginner/Novice)
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex (UPMC Penguins Rinks) · Cranberry Township, PA
Ages: Adults
Price: $243.99 (9 weeks)
Schedule: Fall II: Mondays 9:10-10:10 PM, Oct 26 - Dec 21
For players who can already skate forward and backward (at least a bit) and do a hockey stop. Covers puck skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling and edges, ending with small-area games. Rental skates available; helmet, pants, shins, elbows, gloves and stick required.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Adult Drills and Skills
Mt. Lebanon Ice Center (Frank Gill Ice Rink) · Mt. Lebanon, PA
Ages: 18+
Price: $144 (Summer 2026 session)
Schedule: Page currently shows the Summer 2026 session (Mondays 7:10-8:30 PM, June 8 - July 13); check for the next session
Skating, stickhandling, passing and shooting with controlled scrimmages, at a "go at your own pace" level ideal for skaters just starting out. Full equipment required.
Last checked 2026-10-17
3. Beginner league 2
Novice, instructional and D-level leagues.
AdultOfficial source ↗
Foundry Novice Draft League
Pittsburgh Ice Arena · New Kensington, PA
Ages: Adults
For players who just finished Get in the Game. Sign up with friends or individually and be placed on a team.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Foundry Novice Draft League
Printscape Arena at Southpointe · Canonsburg, PA
Ages: Adults
For Get in the Game graduates who feel intimidated about joining their first adult league. Individual sign-ups are placed on a team.
Last checked 2026-10-17
4. Next steps 3
Open hockey once you can play.
AdultOfficial source ↗
Ice Hockey Stick Time
RMU Island Sports Center · Neville Island, PA
Ages: All ages
Price: $10 morning / $15 peak (evening, weekend, holiday); goalies free
Schedule: See the weekly stick time schedule
Limited to 30 skaters and 2 goalies, first come first served. Hockey helmet required; bring your own pucks. No pickup games.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Stick Time
Ice Castle Arena · Castle Shannon, PA
Ages: All ages
Price: $10 (parent with child 10 and under $7)
Schedule: Mornings and after school; see the stick time schedule
Helmet and hockey gloves required; full equipment highly recommended. No pickup games or instruction.
Last checked 2026-10-17
AdultOfficial source ↗
Pick Up Hockey
Alpha Ice Complex · Harmar Township, PA
Ages: 18+ (Wed/Fri), 16+ (Sat)
Price: $20 per skater; goalies free
Schedule: Wednesdays and Fridays 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Saturdays 7:00-8:50 PM
Pickup games for once you can play.
Last checked 2026-10-17
For kids 4
Youth learn-to-skate, learn-to-play and intro hockey programs at or near the rinks above.
Learn to skate
YouthOfficial source ↗
Learn to Skate USA: Snowplow Sam & Basic 1-4
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex (UPMC Penguins Rinks) · Cranberry Township, PA
Ages: 3+
Price: $161 for 7 weeks (includes skate rental)
Schedule: Fall II: Fridays 6:05-6:35 PM (Oct 16 - Dec 11) and Saturdays 8:00-8:30 AM (Oct 17 - Dec 12)
First-time skaters start in Snowplow Sam 1. Helmet required. Learn to Skate USA membership ($17.25/year) required.
Last checked 2026-10-17
YouthOfficial source ↗
Hockey 1-4 (hockey skating)
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex (UPMC Penguins Rinks) · Cranberry Township, PA
Ages: Youth
Price: $161 for 7 weeks (includes skate rental)
Schedule: Fall II: Fridays 6:35-7:05 PM and Saturdays 8:35-9:05 AM
Learn to Skate USA hockey levels, offered alongside Snowplow Sam 1 and 8U Power Skating.
Last checked 2026-10-17
YouthOfficial source ↗
Basic Levels 1-3
Mt. Lebanon Ice Center (Frank Gill Ice Rink) · Mt. Lebanon, PA
Ages: 1st-7th grade
Price: $144
Schedule: Sundays 1:00-1:40 PM, Nov 8 - Dec 20; online registration opens Oct 19
Introductory class for kids with no or limited skating experience. Skaters 10 and under need a parent in the building.
Last checked 2026-10-17
Learn to play
YouthOfficial source ↗
Little Penguins Learn to Play
Pittsburgh Penguins (20+ local rinks) · Pittsburgh area, PA
Ages: 5-9 (first-time players)
Price: $249-$299 depending on the rink, plus processing fees
Schedule: Fall, Winter and Spring sessions; 8-10 weeks
Head-to-toe equipment to keep, including helmet with cage, skates, stick and bag. A learn-to-skate session first is strongly recommended.
Last checked 2026-10-17
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Starter gear
Most programs need full equipment: helmet with cage, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, pants, shin guards, skates, stick, and a jock or jill.
Starter gear guideFAQ
I can't skate at all. Where do I start?
Start with an adult learn-to-skate class (step 1). Mt. Lebanon's Adult/Teen Beginner group is for skaters who have never been on the ice, and Foundry's Get in the Game says it teaches skating to adults who have never skated.
Do I need my own gear?
Yes for hockey programs. Get in the Game requires full gear, and the UPMC Penguins Rinks Adult Learn to Play requires a helmet, pants, shin guards, elbow pads, gloves and a stick (rental skates available). See the starter gear guide.
Is a 'D league' for beginners?
Look for Foundry's Novice Draft League first. Pittsburgh Ice Arena and Printscape Arena describe it as the next step for Get in the Game graduates. Ask about the level before you sign up.
Are these details current?
Each card shows the date we last checked it and links to the official source. Schedules and prices change, so confirm with the rink.
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