Shinny is a Canadian term that refers to a type of hockey played casually with friends. It is often associated with pick-up hockey or pond hockey. Shinny is a game that all levels of hockey enthusiasts can play because it requires no formal hockey training. Shinny is non-competitive and recreational by nature, and scoring is secondary to the camaraderie among our participants.

ShinnyUSA™ was founded in 2001 by Jim Malesich and Dave Lane, two West Chester residents who had a vision of creating an environment where hockey enthusiasts can play the game of ice hockey in a friendly, "low-pressure" atmosphere. Because ShinnyUSA™ is a grass-roots type of program, it attracts local players who look forward to sustaining friendships more than the game itself.  With access to multiple sheets of ice, ShinnyUSA™ is able to offer varying levels of play to accommodate players with different levels of ability and experience.  

ShinnyUSA™ programs are currently being offered at the following locations and times:

• Ice Line in West Chester, PA,  Morning Shinny on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting at 6AM
• Center Ice in Oaks, PA, Morning Shinny on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 6AM
• Power Play Rinks in Exton, PA, Morning Shinny on Tuesdays starting at 5:45AM
• IceWorks in Aston, PA, Morning Shinny on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 6AM  
• Hatfield Ice Arena in Colmar, PA, Morning Shinny on Thursdays starting at 6AM
• Skating Club of Wilmington in Wilmington, DE, Morning Shinny on Saturdays starting at 7:15AM
• The Skatium in Havertown, PA, Morning Shinny on Mondays and Fridays starting at 6:00AM
• University of Penn Class of '23 Rink, Morning Shinny on Fridays starting at 6:00AM

In addition to the above-listed morning programs, Shinny USA runs  a series of Friday evening events known as the Friday Night Specials.  These mini-tournaments are offered at various times throughout the year at many of our current rink locations.  All games are played with the same recreational format as our morning shinny, offering several hours of hockey in a party-like setting, featuring food, beverages and giveaways.  It's like Poker Night, only on ice and without the cards! 

If you are interested in joining ShinnyUSA™ complete the form on our Contact Us page.

Jim Malesich

Jim is the President and co-founder of ShinnyUSA™.  In the late 90's, Jim was introduced to a small group that rented ice weekly in the early morning hours to play pick-up hockey. Prior to this time, Jim hadn't been on ice skates in nearly ten years.  But like many of us, he caught the bug!  Soon after getting involved, Jim took over the group's organizational role and quickly turned the AM Hockey group into a well-run, highly organized hockey program that played several mornings per week, and that would eventually become ShinnyUSA™.

Jim is a graduate of Drexel University.  He started his career in public accounting where he spent several years with two of the then "Big 6" accounting firms.  A CPA, Jim left the public arena in the late 90's to become the controller of a real estate company.  He would advance to Vice President and held senior positions in both Finance and Operations.  Jim went on to serve as the Senior Vice President of Finance for a pediatric special care company for several years, prior to returning to real estate as the Vice President of Finance for a Marlton, NJ based student housing development company.  Jim resides in West Chester with his wife and two daughters.

Dave Lane

Dave and his wife, Cathy, are expatriate Canadians who moved to the states in '81 for grad school and never made it home. When their youngest son expressed that he wanted to play hockey, Dave and Cathy decided that they would also begin to play. Cathy had never played before and Dave hadn't played in more than 35 years. Now they both play 4 or more times a week, and their son Mike has gone on to play college hockey. 

Dave is a graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He has a private counseling practice in Newtown Square, Pa. Cathy is a graduate of Carleton University, and West Chester University in West Chester, Pa. She is a statistician for RMMC in King of Prussia, Pa.