The Northwest Chargers Hockey Organization offers programming for beginners (minimum age 3) who want to learn to skate and transition into hockey players.  Boys and girls will be evaluated and placed into appropriate skating groups (Learn To Skate or Pre-Hockey). Then our professional skating and hockey staff, led by Future Chargers Director Peppi Laboy, will guide your child along the road map that leads to hockey. 

We also offer our In-House Mite League program to aide in the transition to travel hockey and full-ice games.

Use the buttons below to learn more about the programs offered and register.

All lessons will be held at the Mount Prospect Ice Arena, and players receive a Chargers jersey with their registration.

Peppi Laboy, Jr. was born and raised in Chicago and started skating at the age of 8. He played various sports growing up, such as hockey and football during the winter and baseball and swimming in the summer. McFetridge Sports Center was where Peppi started playing, and he went on to play High School Hockey at Niles West.

Peppi has been coaching for many years and has focused on hockey since 2015. He has coached Mites through Bantam-aged players and is proud to be coaching the Northwest Chargers. In addition, he is the Future Chargers Director, offering Learn to Skate, Pre-Hockey, In-House Mite League, and Little Blackhawks programming for kids aged 3-8 who are just starting with the game of hockey.

Peppi's primary goal as a coach is to promote skill development, personal growth, and enjoyment throughout his practices. To achieve these goals, he has conducted private skating sessions and small group training suitable for children of all ages and skill levels. He has found no greater satisfaction than seeing his players develop and love the game even more.

Apart from hockey, Peppi spends his time as a Youth Minister. This role has allowed him to express his love for God and demonstrate what genuine love and compassion for others look like. He has even been able to combine his passions for God and hockey by coaching for Hockey Ministries International (HMI), Youth Bible camps, and similar programs.

Peppi's life revolves around three main passions, namely God, his family, and hockey.

Kevin Vrahnos was born in Glenview, Illinois. He started playing hockey at age ten and has coached Northwest Chargers teams since 2018. In the Fall of 2023-24, he led his Mite 4 team to the CUHL Super Sunday Championship game. Kevin is passionate about hockey and focuses on developing the skills of young Chargers players.

Apart from coaching the Northwest Chargers, Kevin has also been coaching the Future Chargers since 2019. He loves teaching new skaters the basics, such as standing up on the ice, marching, and getting up properly after falling.

Dawn Mroczek, born and raised in Glenview, IL, has been passionate about sports since childhood. During her time at Glenbrook South High School, she played soccer and basketball. In college, she coached AYSO soccer in her free time. Dawn also played soccer at a junior college, but her playing career was cut short due to an injury. After the injury, she began coaching soccer at the college level for a few years before deciding to work full-time for her family's business, GVS Heating and Cooling.

As time passed, Dawn realized that coaching kids was the one thing that was missing from her life. She has always had a passion for working with kids on and off the ice, and coaching them has brought much joy back into her life.

Ryan Glad played various sports during his childhood, including baseball and soccer, but nothing compared to his love for hockey. He began playing roller hockey at six and continued until he was eleven. At that time, he transitioned to ice hockey and met Peppi, one of the coaches for the Patriots. Despite struggling with the switch from roller to ice hockey, Peppi had faith in Ryan, motivating him to persevere in his hockey career. 

Ryan went on to play at Glenview and later joined the BG/H/W high school hockey team, which was a combination of Buffalo Grove, Hersey, and Wheeling. Throughout high school, he maintained contact with his favorite coach, Peppi. When Peppi asked him to help with some summer skates, Ryan discovered his passion for coaching. Since 2018, Ryan has been assisting Peppi, sharing his love for the game and inspiring the younger generation. 

Ryan finds the most joy in coaching when he witnesses the improvement of the kids during practices. Knowing that he has helped a child get better and continue to enjoy the game of hockey is a great feeling for him. In 2023, Ryan became an assistant coach for the first time, and he enjoyed it so much that he is looking forward to doing it again for many seasons to come.

Tyler Hardy started skating when he was six years old and discovered his love for hockey while skating with Coach Peppi. Over the years, he played for several teams, including the Patriots, Bolts, Northwest Chargers, Ice Dogs, and Falcons, and currently skates for St. Viator.

Tyler tries to spend as much time as possible on the ice because he loves it.

At 11, Tyler began assisting Coach Peppi on the ice, helping younger children learn the sport. He finds it enjoyable to share his love of hockey with others and believes that a good coach can instill confidence in a child. Tyler also understands that a coach is not just a coach but also a role model for a child.

Mannix Glass started his journey in the world of hockey by joining Little Blackhawks at the age of 5. His older brother played as a goalie, and watching him sparked Mannix's love for the sport. However, his passion for hockey ignited when he first put on a pair of skates and stepped on the ice.

Mannix's first team was the Bolts, under the guidance of Coach Peppi, and later on, he joined the Northwest Chargers. He has been involved in junior coaching with the Future Chargers and Little Blackhawks since age 9. Coach Peppi has been a significant role model in Mannix's life, both on and off the ice.

Mannix finds it very rewarding to give back to the community and mentor young hockey players. He believes in the importance of having role models and mentors to help guide one's journey in life, and he hopes to be that for others, just as he has been fortunate enough to have had role models and mentors who have helped him along the way.

Blake Mroczek began skating at the age of three at the outdoor rinks. His parents would also take him to watch Chicago Wolves games, where he continued to learn about the sport. Not long after that, his passion turned to becoming a hockey player. At age 5, he started with the Learn to Skate program at Mount Prospect. He continued through the program and eventually joined the Mount Prospect Bolts In-House team, playing on that team for about a year before joining the Northwest Chargers. Currently, Blake is going to be a first-year Bantam.

In his free time, Blake enjoys assisting Coach Peppi with the Future Chargers, Learn to Skate, Little Blackhawks, and In-House programs. Additionally, he likes to spend time outdoors, rollerblading, shooting pucks, golfing, or fishing with Pops and Amma.