Before he could even tie his own skates, the rink already felt like home. For Luke Haftel, whether it was playing, watching, or learning about hockey, he loved it all from the day he was introduced.

Haftel, a standout senior assistant captain for the North Penn Knights varsity ice hockey team, was introduced to the sport at a very young age.

“My dad. He played all the time growing up in Philly. He got me into ice skating at 3 years old, took me to Flyers games, and signed me up for learn-to-play hockey clinics, and ever since then, I fell in love with the game,” Haftel said.

Although it might not be very popular in the states, Haftel knew hockey was his sport from a young age.

“My parents constantly took me to hockey clinics and Flyers games,” Haftel added. ‘I would say I fell in love with the game around when I was 5 years old, which is when I actually began to play for a team.”

As he grew through the sport, he faced challenges and mastered the most demanding aspects of the sport. He touched on the toughest moments he has encountered in the game.

“Being able to react quickly in-game. You are always reading and reacting to what’s going on during the play,” Haftel said. “When bounces occur, things can go sideways or in your favor, you never really know what could happen. You just have to adjust on the fly.”

Hockey creates many memories on the ice, but often the more important ones happen off it. Haftel reflected on what has been most meaningful to him throughout his journey.

“I think there have been a lot of moments during my time playing hockey that have stood out to me, but I would say the most important things that have stood out to me are the friendships I’ve gained over the years with coaches and friends,” Haftel said.

From the minute he joined the elementary school team, Haftel knew reaching high school varsity was his goal. He opened up about his journey through the levels of the school program.

“When I was in elementary and middle school playing for North Penn, I always looked up to all the kids on varsity and always thought about playing at that level,” Haftel said. “Once I started my high school career, I was just very excited to be a part of the varsity team.”

Luke recalled his early seasons, and how the team was perceived, saying, “In our first couple years, we were alright. We made a couple of playoff pushes, just kind of floating around. No teams were really concerned or saw us as a big threat.”

Haftel explained that winning became a must his junior year, and that is when everything changed for him and his team,

“My junior year is really when that all changed. We set our goals high, we knew who we were as a team. We ended up exceeding those goals by a mile and we are now defending Flyers Cup Champions and State Champions. Being a part of it all was something special. Going from a team no one looked at, to a team everyone talks about.”

Coming off a historic season, Haftel knew the standards were now much higher than before, and being a senior, he knew he had to be a leader.

“I believe me and the whole team had the same mindset going into this year. The message is clear, last year is in the past and to do it again we have to take it one game at a time and prove it once again,” Haftel said. “We know we are one of the biggest threats in this league and our opponents know that too, but being overly cocky is something we don’t do. Anything can happen at any given moment. As long as we stick to our game and play with poise, we know no one can beat us.”

As it stands now, North Penn holds a 12-1-0 record, with Luke playing a vital role in their success. With just under 2 months remaining, Haftel and the Knights look to carry their momentum through March, and finish the season and his career with another state championship.