Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:59 am My kid can kinda skate, he’s stall, slowly learning to stop and skate backwards, intense compete
Anyone else find the Learn to Skate programs aren’t that great, ie its just ice time
We are lucky to live near a solid centre in East Toronto so there’s private skate schools and other opps for ice time
Wondering if there is a point to registering for a house league next year (the sat/sun morning times are just awful)
One benefit is the select team but at U7 its banger hockey at best and really dependent on 1-3 players who can wheel around and they don’t even pass
Do they even keep score?
The thought of driving to the 401 or even to North Toronto for 6pm sounds like a nightmare

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:17 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:59 am My kid can kinda skate, he’s stall, slowly learning to stop and skate backwards, intense compete
Anyone else find the Learn to Skate programs aren’t that great, ie its just ice time
We are lucky to live near a solid centre in East Toronto so there’s private skate schools and other opps for ice time
Wondering if there is a point to registering for a house league next year (the sat/sun morning times are just awful)
One benefit is the select team but at U7 its banger hockey at best and really dependent on 1-3 players who can wheel around and they don’t even pass
Do they even keep score?
The thought of driving to the 401 or even to North Toronto for 6pm sounds like a nightmare

Although you are right...sometimes at that young of an age its better to just put them in private skating lessons instead of Timbits or whatever league you city people have.

there are things you kid would be sort of missing out on (not crucial, but its something) playing on the ice in a team setting. Following instructions. making friends that they might one day play higher level hockey with.

There are "other options" out there for hockey that young. KSL will have full ice hockey for 2018s next year. Coaching and "other training" is dependent on each team (like any other hockey). No idea whats in your specific area as far as "Toronto teams" but there are the Toronto Raiders, Toronto Stars, and Toronto Aces all in "Toronto"

good luck.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:59 am
Wondering if there is a point to registering for a house league next year (the sat/sun morning times are just awful)

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:17 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:59 am My kid can kinda skate, he’s stall, slowly learning to stop and skate backwards, intense compete
Anyone else find the Learn to Skate programs aren’t that great, ie its just ice time
We are lucky to live near a solid centre in East Toronto so there’s private skate schools and other opps for ice time
Wondering if there is a point to registering for a house league next year (the sat/sun morning times are just awful)
One benefit is the select team but at U7 its banger hockey at best and really dependent on 1-3 players who can wheel around and they don’t even pass
Do they even keep score?
The thought of driving to the 401 or even to North Toronto for 6pm sounds like a nightmare

Although you are right...sometimes at that young of an age its better to just put them in private skating lessons instead of Timbits or whatever league you city people have.

there are things you kid would be sort of missing out on (not crucial, but its something) playing on the ice in a team setting. Following instructions. making friends that they might one day play higher level hockey with.

There are "other options" out there for hockey that young. KSL will have full ice hockey for 2018s next year. Coaching and "other training" is dependent on each team (like any other hockey). No idea whats in your specific area as far as "Toronto teams" but there are the Toronto Raiders, Toronto Stars, and Toronto Aces all in "Toronto"

good luck.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:47 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:17 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:59 am My kid can kinda skate, he’s stall, slowly learning to stop and skate backwards, intense compete
Anyone else find the Learn to Skate programs aren’t that great, ie its just ice time
We are lucky to live near a solid centre in East Toronto so there’s private skate schools and other opps for ice time
Wondering if there is a point to registering for a house league next year (the sat/sun morning times are just awful)
One benefit is the select team but at U7 its banger hockey at best and really dependent on 1-3 players who can wheel around and they don’t even pass
Do they even keep score?
The thought of driving to the 401 or even to North Toronto for 6pm sounds like a nightmare

Although you are right...sometimes at that young of an age its better to just put them in private skating lessons instead of Timbits or whatever league you city people have.

there are things you kid would be sort of missing out on (not crucial, but its something) playing on the ice in a team setting. Following instructions. making friends that they might one day play higher level hockey with.

There are "other options" out there for hockey that young. KSL will have full ice hockey for 2018s next year. Coaching and "other training" is dependent on each team (like any other hockey). No idea whats in your specific area as far as "Toronto teams" but there are the Toronto Raiders, Toronto Stars, and Toronto Aces all in "Toronto"

good luck.

KSL coach clearly posted both comments to try and drum up interest. So lame.

CDS/CDP is the best experience for ice time and development of a young skater. Anyone who tells you otherwise has a vested interest in you going somewhere else for high fees and poor development.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:53 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:47 am
CDS/CDP is the best experience for ice time and development of a young skater. Anyone who tells you otherwise has a vested interest in you going somewhere else for high fees and poor development.

Agreed with CDS and add in some power skating lessons or camps and that’s a good foundation for development.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:30 am To toss my 2 cents in... I had my 2018 son play in the U7 2017 house league this year at a CDS/CDP centre (rather than do their LTP).

Things like "having teammates", a "real jersey" and playing "real games" really amped up my son's interest in Hockey. He already loved it, but this stuff certainly helped... which you would miss out on if you just did local powerskating and whatever other classes.

That said, this was despite a pretty underwhelming house league product. The practices had multiple teams on the ice at once so maybe 45-50 kids all in... And the games were a bit disorganized with the on-ice staff not being very engaged. But hey my son doesn't know any better is still having a blast, for what it's worth.

A lot of his teammates are playing in the CDS/CDP program at this centre. So basically the CDS/CDP schedule is regular house league participation, plus CDS/CDP games and extra 1-2 CDS/CDP practices a week. I got the impression it's been a pretty hectic schedule and yeah they are driving pretty far across the GTA on random weeknights (especially when a CDS team plays a CDP team). Other folks chiming in here seem to be really happy with theses programs though....

Can't comment first hand on Klevr, but anecdotally a lot of those teams (Young Kings and the Toronto ones) already have 2018 groups together and these kids are going bardownski etc. already.