We’re moving into fall, and teams across the region are starting to hit the ice for a new season of youth hockey. Young athletes from a variety of age groups competing for club and school teams across Northern Virginia, Maryland and D.C. are getting ready for a run at their respective league title.
Hockey benefited from an explosion in popularity across the region over the past 20 or so years. This can largely be credited to the success of the Washington Capitals. As the Capitals brought in dynamic talents such as Alexander Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom over the years, more and more youth wanted to strap on the pads and take to the ice like their Capitals heroes. The benefit to this is obvious: hockey is an amazing game and the explosion in popularity has only led to a greater exposure of the sport to more kids.
As we covered the Ion ITC controversy in Leesburg, VA earlier in 2025, it became clear that the biggest loss if the rink had shut down would have been to the youth athletes of the area, as a shutdown would have forced the Loudoun Knights and Washington Little Caps to either relocate or cease operations. Thankfully, this was avoided with an ownership change at the facility, and the Knights and Little Caps will continue playing at the facility.
Among the Knights and Little Caps, there is another squad that was equally as excited to get back on the ice in Leesburg. A group of young women who work together to both grow their skill set, and grow the game of hockey for young girls in the region.
The Killer Queens
Hockey is for everyone is a catchphrase you hear thrown around a lot in the hockey community, and especially by the NHL and other professional leagues. It’s a true statement; the sport is, and should remain, accessible to everyone and anyone who wants to grab a stick and put on a pair of skates. Some groups like the Stay in the Game Foundation work to make the financial burden easier to handle for those who need it. Another group has aimed to help young girls who play hockey to sharpen their skill set, all while working to build the appeal of the game to more girls who may want to give it a try.
The Loudoun Killer Queens began life as a single line on an existing youth team- a line of all girls who were dubbed The Killer Queens by one of the coaches. It didn’t take long to blossom into something bigger, and what started with four girls in 2021 has expanded to 30 (and growing) for this upcoming season, ranging in age from 8u to 12u. “So many girls want to play hockey,” Organization Founder and Director Jessica Huff remarked in a recent interview. She has helped expand the program to its current status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
The Killer Queens are not a team, per se. Rather, they are an organization of young women who get together to play, hone skills, and have fun in an inclusive, all-female group. While the Killer Loudoun Killer Queens Instagram, Queens do field teams for a variety of tournaments throughout the region (they are winners of multiple tournament championships over the course of their four years of existence), they are not a full-time team in PVAHA (Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association, the governing body of the local youth teams).
“The goal is not to steal players,” Huff said, but rather to offer another space on the ice for female athletes to continue building their playing abilities. It is supplemental to the other teams in the area. “The real meat of it is practices and skill sessions." Many of the girls who play with the Killer Queens are already on other teams in the area (the Loudoun Knights iced a female team up until this season, which is only due to the ownership issues and uncertainty surrounding hockey at Ion in general). While the Killer Queens are not directly affiliated with the Knights organization, Huff has worked with the Knights and they have been gracious enough to donate ice time to the Killer Queens.
Huff is an experienced and accomplished hockey player in her own right. A longtime player on both ice and inline who played locally for the Reston Raiders, as well as captained the University of Virginia women’s team, Huff has served as a coach of the Knights coed and girls teams over the years. And her excitement regarding the Killer Queens and the growth of the organization is palpable.
Looking Forward
Huff’s vision for the Killer Queens is simple: keep it fun. She wants the organization to continue being a haven for girls to try the game, learn how to play and have fun. She also noted the opportunities for the older girls in the organization to help grow and mentor the younger, newer players, while also teaching life lessons and learning resiliency.
“My goal is for your child to grow into a beer league player... hat they love the sport so much, they’ll keep playing into their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s,” she said, adding she wants to "provide them the tools to have a great hockey experience.”
Joining the Killer Queens
If you’ve read this far and want to sign your girls up to join the Killer Queens, check out their site here. Enrollment is continuous, and more information is available on their site.