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My sons team will be on the ice 80x in 200 days. He plays low level rep.

I am also seeing HL teams are budgeting for an extra practice on top of their regular ice time? Why would HL teams need extra practice ice time? Isn’t the premise of HL to basically drop the puck and have fun?

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 12:06 pm My sons team will be on the ice 80x in 200 days. He plays low level rep.

I am also seeing HL teams are budgeting for an extra practice on top of their regular ice time? Why would HL teams need extra practice ice time? Isn’t the premise of HL to basically drop the puck and have fun?

Welcome to the insanity of unrealistic hockey parenting. These people have never played competitive hockey and believe the extra ice and training will advance their child through the ranks. Agreed HL is purely for the fun of the game. You will see at U17/18 how many ex A/AA players drop down to this level and finally have fun.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 12:06 pm My sons team will be on the ice 80x in 200 days. He plays low level rep.

I am also seeing HL teams are budgeting for an extra practice on top of their regular ice time? Why would HL teams need extra practice ice time? Isn’t the premise of HL to basically drop the puck and have fun?

We play HL and Select, in total we play 50 games and have 30 practices.

You’re absolutely right, hockey has definitely gotten crazier over the years. It's tough because you have parents pushing their kids toward AAA, even when the kids just want to play and have fun at a level that suits them. They go along with the push, but end up running around from tryout to tryout, wondering why they can’t make it. The pressure to be the best can sometimes backfire, especially if it means riding the bench at a higher level instead of actually playing and developing at AA. It’s hard for some parents to realize that the journey isn’t always about being at the top, it’s about finding the right fit for the kid’s development and enjoyment. A lot of people don’t figure that out until it’s too late.

Doesn't help when the kid can either make the AAA team or get forced into their toxic Rep D team if cut, this is reality for many families so they push extra hard just to not be stuck at the lowest level of rep.

Everyone has their own experience and child and extra skates are simply that, extra. If you kids wants it and has fun go to them, if not skip them and nobody is going to complain. You signed up and committed to X amount of hockey, so do that and don't worry about the extras if it's too much for you.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 3:12 pm Doesn't help when the kid can either make the AAA team or get forced into their toxic Rep D team if cut, this is reality for many families so they push extra hard just to not be stuck at the lowest level of rep.

Everyone has their own experience and child and extra skates are simply that, extra. If you kids wants it and has fun go to them, if not skip them and nobody is going to complain. You signed up and committed to X amount of hockey, so do that and don't worry about the extras if it's too much for you.

If a kid is truly borderline AAA, if he/she gets cut they will do well in AA. If your kid plays D then they're a house league caliber player.

It's not thay simple of a view. AA\A isn't allowed for NRP until U12. If kids are cut from AAA they return to their local center, some of which only offer rep D.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 3:49 pm It's not thay simple of a view. AA\A isn't allowed for NRP until U12. If kids are cut from AAA they return to their local center, some of which only offer rep D.

Alright, here’s the deal, there’s this one family, and they’re just bouncing from AAA tryout to AAA tryout like it’s some kind of race. It’s all about the status, not the team. Doesn’t matter if their kid’s a fit for the squad, as long as they can say, “Oh, he’s AAA!” Newsflash, though nobody’s picking up their kid. Not because they’re bad, but because they’re average. Straight up. But try telling mom and dad that. Nah, they’re too deep in the dream, pouring cash into this kid like they’re about to discover the next Crosby. And you get it, maybe they think, “Hey, you never know, maybe he’ll make it.” But the truth is there are tons of other kids out there way better, in the GTA, the rest of Canada, and even the US.

But they’re stuck in this loop, chasing a title instead of enjoying the ride. They just want to brag to their friends and family, maybe this is the only thing their kid’s “good at,” who knows. The kid’s just an average player, though, and no matter how much money they throw at it, they’re still not gonna land that AAA spot. It’s all just a waste of time wasting money, wasting energy, wasting friends’ and family’s time. It’s honestly nuts.

At what point do they realize enough’s enough? When do they get that this whole thing should be about having fun, not trying to make the NHL? Why can’t people just be cool with their kid being a player, enjoying the game, and not stressing about making it to the big leagues? Keep it real, hockey’s still about the love of the game, not just the dream.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 12:06 pm My sons team will be on the ice 80x in 200 days. He plays low level rep.

I am also seeing HL teams are budgeting for an extra practice on top of their regular ice time? Why would HL teams need extra practice ice time? Isn’t the premise of HL to basically drop the puck and have fun?

The Hockey Canada guidance I think is 4x a week across 35'ish weeks if memory serves. 80 over 200 days doesn't seem unreasonable to be honest. Select through rep all pretty well start at 4x a week.

HL budgeting for extra ice time feels crazy to me. It's supposed to be no pressure, but some people can't help themselves. That said....if a group of folks (and a coach) wanted to do it so they don't fall behind Select players, and want to make a push for the following year to make that team then go for it, but that's not a HL team thing at all

Oh, if Trump ran the GTHL, we’d see a huge shift in how things were done. First off, forget this whole "sportsmanship" nonsense. You accidentally tripping a kid with a wicked toe drag? No problem. "You play hard, you win hard, folks. Let’s make hockey great again!" All those rules about not checking the goalie or celebrating too much? Tossed out the window.