For Twin Pilots, Hockey Is a “Family Affair”

By: Allison Stevens

The Kids Hockey Club is “a family first and a hockey club second”—and team leaders mean that literally.

The team’s founders Matt (“Matty”) and Johan (“Hansy”) Suyderhoud are brothers. Identical twins, in fact, boasting the same shade of dark blond hair, the same light eyes and the same easy smile. And, the similarities are more than skin deep.

Decades ago, their grandfather—a member of the Netherlands’ national ice hockey team—introduced the boys to the stick sport via roller (not metal) blades. The pair took their skills to the mainland when they both enrolled at St. Louis University, where they studied aviation (another shared passion) and played on the school’s hockey team.

When terrorists attacked US soil in 2001, the Suyderhoud boys channeled their skills into service; a few years later, they joined the US Navy—and flew off together into the storied blue yonder, sometimes flying in formation alongside each other.

Flying on ice

Now commercial pilots, these “wombmates” live blocks away from each other in Virginia Beach, a coastal town not far from the largest naval complex in the world.

They still fly on ice and in air.

And, they relish their relationship on National Siblings Day (April 10) and every day.

A decade ago, the brothers founded The Kids Hockey Club, a team that comprises Active Duty, retired, reserve and prior service military from all branches of service, along with a few civilians in law enforcement and emergency response. Members hail from all over and come together once or twice a year to attend tournaments, with all manner of loved ones, from kids to cousins and friends to friends of friends, in tow.

Named for its youthful spirit (reflected in jerseys that reflect vintage video games) and a strong family vibe, the team was one of four chosen to play in Navy Federal Credit Union’s fifth annual Veterans Showcase, a one-of-a-kind military hockey tournament.

As the official military appreciation partner of the National Hockey League, the credit union hosted the tournament alongside the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ in March. In addition to the tournament, the all-expenses-paid weekend included a welcome reception and dinner and tickets to the game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Other participating teams—chosen from some 200 applicants—included Marines Ice Hockey, a civilian Marine hockey team; the Chattahoochee Valley Warriors from the Georgia-Alabama border; and the Guardians Hockey Club of San Diego.

The Suyderhouds all-military team is “pretty special,” says Matty, adding that Navy Federal’s support for the once-in-a-lifetime tournament deepens bonds not only among brothers but among the larger “brotherhood” within the military community.

A “natural, authentic fit”

These deep bonds are what make Navy Federal’s partnership with the NHL “a natural, authentic fit,” says retired Navy Captain Keith Hoskins, Navy Federal’s executive vice president of branch operations and, like Matty, a one-time Blue Angel pilot. “We’re like-minded organizations both in terms of our shared passion for the sport and our shared values of service, integrity and community,” he says. “We’ve also seen firsthand how our Veterans love the sport of hockey, and that’s how the Veterans Showcase came to be.”

For their part, the Suyderhoud brothers joined 13 others from their team at the Vets Showcase, while loved ones cheered them on from the stands. Such tournaments are “a family affair,” Hansy said, noting that, in addition to the twins, more than one father-son duo has played for the team. “Hockey is our bond,” he said.

Matty echoed the point. “We are a family first and a hockey club second,” he said, adding that the good feelings extend into the community. Off the ice, players coach kids and Veterans looking to learn or refine their skills. Hansy, meanwhile, serves on the board of the Armed Services Hockey Association, and Matty coaches youth hockey.

“While competing well and winning is important to us as athletes, the camaraderie we share as a group that has been playing together since 2007 is the highest priority.”