2025-2026 U17AA program outline

Team Level: GTHL U17 AA, birth year 2009

Coach Name:
Bryan Santone (C) and Feliks Chernyavskii (AC)

Coaching Background:
Bryan is D1 Certified Coach, and has coached hockey for 10+ years including Select (NYHL) and Rep (GTHL), who has always enhanced his hockey development program with paid professional coaches.  This includes Feliks Cherniavskii (AC), who for 3+ seasons has coached skating/skills/tactics/systems, off-ice athletic development, and is a carded coach on the bench for games.  As well, Daniel Vella is our head goalie coach supporting goalie development in-practice (1x weekly) and for additional training.  

Adam Buchholz is a Trainer, an AC, and also a D1 trained coach.  Carlo Nijmeh is the Team Manager and is the catalyst that makes our season/team a success each season!  

Coaching Philosophy:
We are committed to helping our players develop a passion for hockey, while supporting them to reach their full potential, and to become the best player and team-mate possible.   We also believe that hockey also teaches important life skills.  The three key tenets of our Coaching Philosophy are:

• Development 
• Love the Game
• Leadership on and off the ice

Vision, Values and Focus of the Team for the Season:
Our vision is to be a competitive team that fosters our coaching philosophy through a holistic development program:

• Skills/Systems/Tactics:  Professional coaching staff
• Athleticism: Strength, Conditioning, overall Fitness
• Social Engagement:  Team building on/off the ice

Team Values:  

• Always be positive
• Support your teammates
• Come with a winning attitude
• Work hard
• Discipline

Team Rules:
Team policies and expectations for players and parents will be signed off on shortly after tryouts.

Schedule and Commitment

Number of Practices per Week / When / Where:

Pre-Season Camp (August end):  1 week of Athletic development (90 minutes/day) + 1 week of On-ice/Off-ice development(4 hrs/day) 

Regular Season:  2 practices weekly x 2.5 hrs – includes 90 minutes on-ice + 1 hr Video Review or Dryland; Thursday evenings Bayview Arena + Sunday afternoons Cummer Arena

Number of Games per Week / Home Game / Other Games:
1 Home game (Tuesdays) and 1 Away game (TBD) weekly

Exhibition Games, Tournaments:

• 1-2 exhibition games
• 1-2 pre-season tournaments
• 3-4 in-season tournaments (1 away – typically an NHL city where we can also see a game)

Extra Training:
Development and extra training opportunities will be identified for players and goalies during the pre-season period, and throughout the season where appropriate.    

Fun Team, Community, and Club Events:
Team building events will occur throughout the season including player/parent socials.  In addition to team events that may be part of an away tournament (e.g. NHL game, golf simulator, tours), examples of prior year events include going to see a AHL game and/or Blue Jay game, hockey pool, team lunches/dinners, fundraising events, and paintball.

Cost Range:
Total estimated team fees are $5,500.  We have ‘typically’ had a surplus every season through effective cost-management as well as targeted sponsorship and fundraising activities.