This year 'Minor Novice' (2011 birth year) will look different than a traditional full ice program of the past. Hockey Canada has mandated age groups under 8 years old to run modified ice programs. This is new....and is regulation for every association governed by the Ontario Hockey Federation.
The focus of these age groups will be development and fun, with emphasis on skill development. Our goal is to maintain the advancement of skills and competitive nature of the STMHA program with players of similar skill and desire to play a more advanced game. The TYKE program will build for future years, particularly the transition into Minor Atom which brings the return to traditional full ice hockey in the Alliance Seeded League.
Some of the key takeaways for parents for the upcoming season are:
NOVICE (2010 Birth Year)
As is past seasons we will be holding tryouts for Novice A travel hockey starting Tuesday September 4 @ 5:15pm. Shamrock Hockey will NOT be hosting a Novice AE divisoion this year therefore there will be NO STMHA Novice AE for 2018-2019. Alternatively STMHA will be playing out of the LMLL (Lambton Middlesex Local League) for 2018-2019. There will be NO STMHA House League this year.
TYKE (2011 Birth Year)
We are hoping to carry 5/6 teams with 9-10 players on each Team. Games start in October and will average one a week. The format will be modified ice games with 4 vs 4 skaters and goalies. There will be no score kept in any games and no set positions. Our plan is to run an in house program with 4 teams. There will be 2 Teams involved in a Local League format (similar to Novice LL) that will include travel. The majority of ice will be in St. Thomas and nearby OMHA centres.
IP1 / IP2 (2012-2014 Birth Years)
IP1 AND IP2 will be cross ice hockey separated into 3 sections on the ice. All ice times will be in St. Thomas arenas for the IP program.
Total Package Hockey
STMHA is happy to announce that we have secured the services of Total Package Hockey to provide on ice skill and skating development instruction to Peewee House League down to IP 1 for the 2018-2019 season. This on ice instruction will take place over a period of 10 weeks starting the week of October 15th
**INFORMATION SESSION**
We are hosting an information and interest session for parents: September 5 , 2018 at 6:30 pm, at the Joe Thornton Community Centre (Upper Lobby) Please join us - everyone is welcome!
Please direct questions to Ron Fish ([email protected]) Mike Moore ([email protected]) James Sutherland ([email protected])