Active involvement with your child’s sport builds a strong and enduring shared experience. Community clubs thrive when parents get involved and there are many ways to create this long term benefit on and off the ice. For all offers of help please contact our Registrar and/or select your preferred option in the Player Registration process carol.willowdale@gmail.com

UPDATED – August 6th

The House League and Early Years Hockey Season runs from Oct 19th to April 5th 2025 with a winter break from December 23rd to January 5th 2025 incl.; Monday Feb 17th, March 10th and 15/16th are off-days. We play at Bayview Arena.

PICTURE DAY will be February 1st 2025 for all Saturday players and February 3rd for Monday night players and Saturday makeups.

What are all these “U” teams? U5=2020 born; U6= 2019; U7=2018; U8=2017; U9= 2016; U11=2014-2015; U13=2012- 2013; U14=2011; U15=2010, U16=2009

2024-2025 SCHEDULE OUTLINE is below*

EARLY YEARS PROGRAMS with Coach Bompy: 

Learn to Play and Intro to Play (2017-2020) On ice at 10.38 – Saturday only

U7/U8 Cross Ice Games & Skills (2017-2018) 11.38 Saturday only

Cross and Half ice programs will be combined for skills sessions to increase the number of stations for different skills and various fun activities.

Participants in the 11.38am program may also purchase the Sunday Hockey School program at Registration.

FULL HOCKEY GAME & PRACTICE PROGRAMS:

U8/U9 Half Ice Games and Skills (2016/2017) 11.38 OR 2.10pm Saturday – if you want 2.10pm, please get in touch when you’re sure! Sunday practice is 8-8.50am.

U9/U10 Half ice in 2024/Full ice in 2025 (2015-2016)  On ice Saturday 2.10-3.05pm.. Practice is Sunday morning 8.00-8.50am with our Hockey Pro

U11 Full ice (2014-2015) mid afternoon games on Saturday (3.15 & 4,10pm); practice is Sunday morning 9-9.45am & 10.55-11.40am rotating each 3 weeks with U10SL(2015) practicing in between.

U13 Full ice (2012-2013) later afternoon games on Saturday (5 & 6pm); practice is Sunday morning 11.50-12.35pm & 1.45-2.30pm rotating each 3 weeks with U13SL(2012) in between the two HL practices

U14/U16 (2009-2011) Starting MONDAY October 21st, Games are 8.00 & 9.00pm Monday evening. There are no practices. 

*the House League committee reserves the right to make minor changes when necessary due to rink equipment, weather or health regulation changes. 

What is LEARN TO SKATE & PLAY HOCKEY? 

  • This 45m program, once a week, is for non-skating children under 8. Children wear full hockey equipment. All ice time is cross-ice.
  • Learn not to be scared of the ice; Learn to fall over and get up again
  • Learn to skate properly avoid trying to walk on the ice
  • Gain confidence in moving around and watching what else is going on
  • Spend some time with a hockey stick and puck to stop thinking about feet.

What is U7/U8 PLAY HOCKEY and SKILLS? 

  • Also 45m once a week, this program is for children 7 and under who can skate a little. All ice time is cross-ice.
  • Moving Forwards, Backwards and in Circles learn to move freely
  • Play chasing games with balls and flags. Tag the Coach is popular, and just watch them fly when it’s the other way around
  • Using sticks and pucks learn skating direction, avoidance plays and shooting.

What is U8/U9 HALF ICE GAMES and SKILLS?

  • Starting in U8 and on half-ice only, Willowdale blends skills and games following the Hockey Canada Initiation program for 1 hour a week.
  • For the half-ice U8/U9 program, players spend 1 week of just skills, then 2 weeks of half skiils/half 4 on 4 games in each 3 week period.
  • Our U8/U9 also participate in Hockey School.

What is HOUSE LEAGUE?

  • In the full U9 program players use half-ice for the first half of the season, and full ice for the second. U9 is the first age group with 2 sessions a week. Willowdale U9 play games on Saturday and practice on Sunday morning with Hockey School for 16 weeks and team practices for 6. 
  • More information on the Modified Ice program is at https://www.gthlcanada.com/initiation-program-resources/
  • U10-U13 players use full ice. Games are on Saturday and practices on Sunday. Practices see 2 teams sharing the ice, generally the coaches will co-coach for skills and then accommodate a 10 minute scrimmage at the end. A few times each season a Powerskating instructor will take the session to help with skating skills.
  • On Monday evenings, our U14-U16 players enjoy a 1 hour game. There is no formal practice at this age although games start with a good 10 minute warm up to shake off the rust and get muscles and ankles going.

What is HOCKEY SCHOOL?

  • Hockey School is pure skills and powerskating training on Sunday early morning.
  • Hockey School is included in the U9 fee and is available for purchase for U7/U8/U9S players.
  • Instructors vary in their specialisms and bring a robust range of coaching to our young players.
  • Every child who attends regularly and gets used to the early hour, develops noticeably stronger skills through the season.

What is RESPECT IN SPORT FOR PARENTS?

Hockey Canada, the OHF and the GTHL have mandated that ONE parent of every child playing hockey in Canada must complete this one-time on-line program before a player may play organized hockey (U7 and older).

What is SELECT? 

Some children want to play  more competitive hockey than House League. In most age groups we have a team “Selected” from the House League who will play games against similarly skilled teams from other clubs.

  • The Select program at Willowdale plays all games through the North York Hockey League
  • Players try-out for Select teams. 
  • Select is extra hockey, extra ice time and comes with an extra fee. Teams are self funding and as such the fee will vary. 
  • Connect with the Coach for more information please.

 

STAY IN TOUCH through Facebook: go to the Willowdale Hockey House League/Select Facebook page and “like” it; you will receive notifications of new posts.

Questions about registrations, refunds, this website or club administration may be addressed to carol.willowdale@gmail.com at any time.