Happiness is a new hockey season

[irv]

Originally Posted by todeen

They are not mandatory for skate lessons. Maybe 80% of the kids wear them though. My son has one but chooses not to wear it. No sticks or pucks are allowed on ice during skate lessons. However, learn to play hockey is mandatory which is why he has a helmet.

It's likely the "trainer" in me and all the courses I've taken to obtain that title that is coming out in me and why I asked?
Just knowing our rules are different, I was just curious on yours is all.

Speaking of the Seattle Kraken, my old supervisor, John Goodwin, is now scouting for them. He is great friends with Ron Francis, which started back in their playing days for the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was also the assistant coach/coach of the Oshawa Generals for a few years.
I met "Goody" back in 89 at DNGS (Nuke plant) and worked with him for around 2-3 yrs.
He was a heck of a hockey player during his day but his stint in the NHL didn't work out as planned as he got drafted by Montreal, and because of the play the French guys first attitude, he never had an opportunity. Too bad as I honestly think he would have made a great NHL'r.
https://www.facebook.com/OHGOntario/...990657/?type=3
https://soogreyhounds.com/article/mo...dwin-was-great

Anyways, sorry for getting off track here. All the best to your son and his hockey dream.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by irv

It's likely the "trainer" in me and all the courses I've taken to obtain that title that is coming out in me and why I asked?

Just knowing our rules are different, I was just curious on yours is all.



Speaking of the Seattle Kraken, my old supervisor, John Goodwin, is now scouting for them. He is great friends with Ron Francis, which started back in their playing days for the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was also the assistant coach/coach of the Oshawa Generals for a few years.

I met "Goody" back in 89 at DNGS (Nuke plant) and worked with him for around 2-3 yrs.

He was a heck of a hockey player during his day but his stint in the NHL didn't work out as planned as he got drafted by Montreal, and because of the play the French guys first attitude, he never had an opportunity. Too bad as I honestly think he would have made a great NHL'r.

https://www.facebook.com/OHGOntario/...990657/?type=3

https://soogreyhounds.com/article/mo...dwin-was-great



Anyways, sorry for getting off track here. All the best to your son and his hockey dream.

That's a cool association!

I got an update about learn to play hockey and why it's on the back burner. As NHL moves into our Eastern WA region, they are creating a tiered system of approval. They don't want Spokane Youth Hockey to be like the YMCA, where young kids without training and skating skills are the majority. So new recruits must be "invited" to move up the ladder. They must be invited/approved out of learn to skate, then invited out of learn to play. I was originally told this would start in December, but now the date is pushed back to February. Supposedly this is more like the Canadian system.

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[irv]

Originally Posted by todeen

That's a cool association!

I got an update about learn to play hockey and why it's on the back burner. As NHL moves into our Eastern WA region, they are creating a tiered system of approval. They don't want Spokane Youth Hockey to be like the YMCA, where young kids without training and skating skills are the majority. So new recruits must be "invited" to move up the ladder. They must be invited/approved out of learn to skate, then invited out of learn to play. I was originally told this would start in December, but now the date is pushed back to February. Supposedly this is more like the Canadian system.

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

That's not a system I am familiar with here in Ontario but it could be different in other Provinces?

Here in Ontario, or at least in my neck of the woods in Southern Ontario, we have house league/church league where any player can sign up and play no matter what their skill level is. All kids are welcome, including girls.

We also have a Rep system, AE, A, AA and AAA which are all based on skill level/acceptance to the team via tryouts.
If you're an excellent player, of course your chances of making AAA are great and it goes down from there.

Some kids in house/church league, due to the costs of rep, among other things, may decide to stay there despite their skill level and skip rep.
With church/house league, all kids are supposed to get equal ice time despite their skill level, and for the most part they do.

Within the house/church league, for those that can't afford Rep hockey or choose not to play, we have a "Select" system where players, who choose to sign up, can try out. Each team is only allowed 20 players so of course not all that tryout make it.
This select team, obviously, has more games/tournaments and practices and is a cheaper way, despite the added costs of course, for house/church league kids to play at a higher level.

My son didn't start playing hockey until he was 8 yrs old, and only decided to because the vast majority of his friends did. Despite his late start, compared to many kids, he was determined to catch up so we signed him up for whatever he wanted, including hockey camps, 4 on 4 and of course stick and puck once to 3 times a week. School always came first though.
I miss those days bigtime now and still wish he was playing but when he turned 18, due to his age, and his interest waning, he was no longer eligible for rep or house league hockey.