Additional ice time is NOT just for 'elite' and AAA hockey players! Everyone can benefit from getting out on the ice and practicing! At Extra Ice, we aim to make additional ice time more accessible to house league and lower level competitive-stream hockey players that want to work on their skills in a friendly and fun environment. Our instructors teach not only hockey-specific skills, but also mix in drills to benefit the overall athletic ability of the player. You won't find us doing NHL flow drills in our sessions - we're more likely to be playing tag or ice soccer! Come out and get some Extra Ice!
Shake the rust off those skates and get ready for the season! Pre-season and summer sessions run from May to September and are a great way to get back into - or stay in - the game. We concentrate on skating and puck handling, as well as overall fitness, as we prepare for the start of the regular season. All sessions are run with the Extra Ice's focus on learning while having fun.
The Original! These sessions are exactly what they sound like...extra ice for practice during the season. You can drop in for one, or sign up for the whole season to keep your game improving constantly. Our focus here is still on skating and puck handling, but we'll add more game situations, mostly as small area games and drills. As always, we strive to improve the whole athelete, so we'll also mix in some drills that don't look like hockey, but will do wonders for your game.
HPXI is our high performance training session. Generally directed toward A and Select-level players that would like to move up to a higher skill category, HPXI sessions are a little more fast paced, and just a little more serious. We take things up a notch here and aim to develop the skills that these players need to be successful as they move up toward more competitive levels of hockey.
We can customize training sessions for teams of all levels, from house league to AA. Coaches/Managers, let us know what you have in mind and we'll work with you to make it happen.
We're always adding new dates to our schedule. Here's what's coming up in the next few weeks. Click on a session to register.
Monday April 10th - 6:00pm-7:00pm - Ed Sackfield Arena
SOLD OUT! (email Coach Chris to get on the waitlist)
Session focus: general training, skating, agility, puck control, passing, shooting, small area games
Birth years: 2012, 2013
Cost: $20
Monday April 24th - 7:15pm-8:15pm - Tom Graham Arena
Session focus: small group training - 15 skater limit!
Birth years: 2012, 2013
Cost: $25
Hockey was once a game that was played for free on a frozen pond. Now, it's become a game where only the wealthiest can afford the buy ice time and so the only ice that is bought is used for 'elite' players. This creates a loop where the best get better while everyone else stays the same. Over time, the disparity between those who had access to ice and those who didn't is more pronounced. We aim to break that cycle and strive to allow anyone who loves hockey to get out for more ice time.
Many times, if you do get on the ice, you get an ex-junior hockey player barking orders at 7 year olds. You can't blame him - he's coaching like he was coached. But he's also doing the drills that he did - drills that are great for 15 year old AAA players, but less appropriate for younger kids learning the game. We go back to basics. Individual coaching. We observe and correct. And we try to teach by sneaking it into some fun.
We teach physical literacy through hockey. Overspecialization is a disease that leads to 15 year old elite hockey players not being able to catch a football or do a somersault. We are all for extra ice sessions - it's what we do - but we can teach athletic skills, not just hockey skills, while kids are on the ice. It also turns out that this is a lot of fun. And ironically, it makes better hockey players in the long run.
Chris MacDonald is the founder of Extra Ice Hockey. He has been involved with minor hockey for more than 12 years and is currently coaching with the Richmond Hill Hockey Association. Chris has coached AA, A, Select and House League teams over the years and has led teams to Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and North York Hockey League (NYHL) championships. He served on the board of the Unionville Minor Hockey Association as Vice President, Hockey Programs and has run hockey training programs in Markham, Unionville, Richmond Hill and Oakville. Chris has a strong belief that hockey should be fun and accessible to all.