BUTLER TWP — Hockey isn't just a sport for the Gilliland family.

It's a way of life.

Tanner Gilliland, a senior, leads the Butler High School varsity team in scoring this season with 21 goals and 23 assists. He is third in points with the Pittsburgh Viper Stars traveling team, tallying 32 goals and 39 assists.

Younger brother Trevor, a seventh-grader playing for Butler's freshman team, leads all of the WPIHL freshman players in scoring this season with 46 goals and 33 assists in just 15 games. He also has 35 goals and 30 assists for the Amateur Penguins Elite travel team.

Twin brothers Trey and Troy, age 10, play for the Butler Valley Dawgs and are among that team's scoring leaders.

“We've had 10 years of traveling hockey now and we've got a few more ahead,” Doug Gilliland, their father, said. “It gets pretty crazy. It's what we do from September through March.”

One recent weekend, Tanner was playing in a tournament in Detroit, Trevor was in a tournament in Chicago and the twins were in a tournament in Jamestown, N.Y.

“My wife (Chris) was with Tanner, I was with Trevor and my wife's parents were with Trey and Troy,” Mr. Gilliland said. “They help us out quite a bit. We could never do this without them.”

Tanner has played hockey all over the country. Trevor has gone as far as Chicago and Detroit to play tournaments. The travels are producing plenty of talented hockey players in the family.

While he graduates from Butler this year, Tanner has another year of eligibility with the Viper Stars and is considering playing for them. He has also been accepted to Indiana (Pa.) University and plans to prepare for a career in respiratory therapy once his hockey days are through.

“It's a tough decision,” Tanner said. “I've been playing hockey since I was 5, when I went with my dad to public skates at Belmont Arena and got involved with the Armstrong Arrows.

“I'd love to take a shot at maybe playing pro hockey one day, but that's such a long shot. Still, I wouldn't mind playing in the NAHL a couple of years from now.”

Butler varsity coach Mike Guentner said Gilliland likely would get picked up by a NAHL team — a Tier II junior hockey circuit — which could lead to an opportunity to play collegiate hockey.

“Hockey isn't like most other sports, where you go from playing in high school directly to playing in college,” Guentner said. “You pretty much have to play junior hockey first. That's where college programs are grabbing their players from.”

Tanner and Trevor Gilliland, both centers, describe themselves as playmakers. Tanner is 5-foot-10, 165 pounds while Trevor is 5-6, 120.

Trevor's 79 points in freshman hockey this year are 11 more than the league's second leading scorer. He also led Butler's freshman team in scoring as a sixth-grader last year, tallying 17 goals and 25 points.

“His skill level is good enough to play varsity right now, but his body hasn't had a chance to develop enough yet and my fear would be the pounding he'd take physically,” Guentner said. “Right now, league rules won't even permit him to play JV next season, which is where I want him to go.

“Forcing that kid to play another year of freshman hockey would be wasting a year of development for him. We're petitioning the league to make an exception and allow him to play JV next year.”

If Trevor does return to freshman hockey for Butler next season, he will likely center a line for his younger brothers, who will play on the freshman team as sixth-graders.

“That would be a pretty cool thing,” Trevor admitted. “Other than some 3-on-3 stuff and messing around in the basement, we haven't played much hockey together. But I am looking for more of a challenge.”

His older brother agreed.

“He's averaging five points a game. He's just dominating down there,” Tanner said of Trevor's freshman level play.

While Trevor said Tanner is a faster skater than he is, “I have a harder shot than he does,” he said, chuckling.

Both boys play plenty of hockey. Tanner will play more than 100 games between high school and travel hockey this year while Trevor will play 75 or more.

“Tanner's taught me a lot about the game over the years,” Trevor said. “He's worked with me on different things and I learn from just watching him play.”

Guentner's just grateful all of the Gilliland boys are playing.

“It bodes well for us,” the coach said. “These boys are intelligent, passionate and skilled hockey players.”

Butler's varsity finished 10-12 this season and reached the PIHL playoffs after winning only one game last season.

“I wish I had another year to play at Butler,” Tanner said. “The program's turned the corner and there's a bunch of guys who will build off the success of this season.”

His brothers included.