HOCKEY SCHOOL vs U7 (TYKE)

WHAT IS BEST FOR MY CHILD?

Hockey school

Hockey school is 40 minutes of on ice instruction every Saturday around the same time – usually between 11am and 2pm. The children must wear full equipment and have a stick. It is a learn to skate, learn skills entry-level program.

Our hockey school will focus mostly on skating skills. The skaters are grouped based on individual skills and abilities, depending on abilities – there may be a puck involved. Generally in the past, we typically have about 60 participants on the ice. Each group of skaters has a minimum of 1 -2 instructors with the addition of Parent and Student volunteers. We take kids starting at the age of 4 and some cannot skate at all, we even have a small group at the beginning of the year that uses walkers. The abilities are all sorted out the first few weeks of the season, and as each skater progresses they are moved to the appropriate group. Typically, if you have participated in our hockey school, you will be placed in HOCKEY SCHOOL 2 the second year. As the skaters are better, they run drills with pucks.

The season runs from Mid-October thru to the end of March. We break for 2 weeks at Christmas. The season culminates at the end of a year with a game on Little Stanley Cup Day (Championship Day). It is the cutest thing ever!

Our hockey school runs at the same time every Saturday. The time may change once or twice throughout the season, but it is generally between 11am and 2pm. You will be given a schedule on the first day.

U7 (TYKE)

With the new Hockey Canada mandated IP program, players registered in our TYKE Division will be introduced to game play with an emphasis on skill development in a cross ice setting on half the ice surface.

Our house league (TYKE) division plays on Saturdays. They are scheduled anytime from 6am to 7pm. We attempt to equally rotate the schedule throughout the season. This way not one division/team is stuck all year getting up early or at the arena late on a Saturday night. Typically, the schedule rotates in 4/5 week blocks. For example, you may play the first 5 weeks from 6am – 9am, then the next 5 weeks from 10am to 12pm, then the next 5 weeks from 2pm to 4pm and the last 5 weeks from 4pm to 7pm. You will know all of this information for the season on the first day.

As well as the Saturday session, our TYKE Division is provided with practice ice. The schedule for this is not known until October. Generally our league teams practice every Second to Third Sunday. The practices will either be at East York Arena from 6am to 11am or at another arena (not yet known) from 2pm to 6pm. These times are not fully confirmed and may change.