Did you know the Steamfitters have a hockey team? And you can support them on the weekend of March 27th as they compete in the 2nd Annual North American Pipe Trades Hockey Tournament at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. The tournament is free and open to anyone who wants to come out and cheer these union brothers on!
Local 449 Steamfitters Hockey Club will have two teams competing in the tournament. The hockey club has grown significantly since the team first formed in 2015 by Mark Rovnanand Bob Jones.
Rovnan and Jones played on the 449 Softball team, and while at a tournament in Cincinnati, Local 67 suggested they send a team to their UA Hockey Tournament in Hamilton, Ohio. The Steamfitters pulled together a team and have played in Local 67’s tournament every year since.
“The first couple years were tough,” said Local 449’s Cory Pelligreno. “As the team has grown and developed over the years, more players have joined, and the team has gotten more and more competitive.”
They now have two full-rostered teams that compete, and even more Steamfitters who play casually.
In 2023, the 449 team won the Open B Division Championship at Local 67’s tournament, which moved the team to Division A the next year. They also sent a 35+ “Old Timer” (Open C) team to the tournament in 2024 that won the championship in their division. Both trophies are on display at the Steamfitters Technology Center.
Last year, the Steamfitters Hockey Club decided to host their own tournament, and because of its success, it was brought back for the second year in a row. The competition has two divisions, the Open Division (8 teams) and the Old Timer Division (6 Teams).
Participants at this year’s competition include:
- Boston Local 537
- Hamilton Local 67 – 2 teams
- Detroit Local 636
- New York City Local 638
- Toronto Local 46
- SW Ontario Local 527
- Ontario Local 853 – 2 teams
- Buffalo Local 22
- Pittsburgh Local 1 (Firefighters)
- Pittsburgh Lodge 1 (Police)
- Pittsburgh Local 449 – 2 teams
Follow the Local 449 hockey team on Instagram (@steamfitters449hc) to see the tournament in action March 27-29.