Both executives are working hard towards getting our 2024-2025 Registration Flyer published with the aim of opening registration sometime next week.

 

There are several changes to metro hockey programming this season as well as some programming changes at the association level that we want to make you aware of.

 

• Unfortunately, the cost of playing hockey has increased. We are currently working to calculate how this will impact registration costs. One of the main drivers is an increase in the cost of ice time due mainly to the power rate increase that kicked in on the 1st of August. This negatively affects all of our households as well as the rink’s monthly bill. The cost of facility and equipment maintenance has also increased.

 

• You may have noticed that current sweat camps being offered on the Southern Shore are a little more expensive than last season. When you factor in increased ice time costs for camp providers and some other factors, the increase is actually only about $3-5/hour per kid. Other rinks in the Metro area are also increasing their hourly ice time rate and this will impact all rink users – from minor to recreational to birthday parties. Some of these rinks have not yet adjusted their hourly rates, but they will be going live when the new season starts.

 

• “DJHL will introduce C division play at the U15, U13, and U11 levels. These players will play only on their club team for the full season. Larger clubs will be able to register two balanced teams in any C division if talent and numbers warrant it.”

 

• “Elimination of double carding - no full-time player in the DJHL can be registered as a full-time player on another team outside of the DJHL, nor within the DJHL.” This applies to both minor and female divisions. The aim is to stay with the team you are initially assigned to at the start of the season throughout the regular season and provincial tourney play. Allowances may be made for goalies as us and other associations do struggle with coverage in some age groups.

 

• Two-line Girls Pooled Hockey will no longer exist in the DJHL at the U13AA and U15AA level. Most competitive female players will now play in the Girls Metro Hockey League in the A Division (there will also be a B Division).

 

• U13 and U15 Girls’ “A” game times will increase from 1 hour to 1.5-hour slots to be on par with their minor counterparts.

 

• U11 Boys and Girls A teams will play 1-hour games.

• To accommodate our growing registration numbers and ice time requirements due to some changes this year, SSMHA Saturday U9/U7 programming will start at 7am on Saturday mornings (previously 8am). U7 will remain at the 5-7pm Monday slot and U9 will keep their 5-7pm Tuesday slot.

 

• Moving towards a fixed schedule this season. We feel this is the best option with so many factors influencing time slots on a weekly basis and to help parents to properly plan for other activities and sports. Once we get up and running, we will be aiming to lock in our schedule until the Christmas break, minus some hosted tournaments.

 

• Southern Shore teams will play and practice at the Southern Shore rink, and Gould’s teams will play and practice and the Gould’s rink. We will evaluate opportunities for improvement at the mid-season Christmas break. We won’t know what this schedule will look like until teams are established and assigned to an association based on the ratio of kids on that team, and the most suitable coaching candidates. The year for year swap back and forth simply is not practical in some situations.

 

• When all the dust from a very busy preseason/start-of-regular season settles, we are hoping to once again offer power skating/skill development at the Southern Shore Arena, something that has been absent the past couple of seasons. Currently, the 11am-1pm Saturday slot is allocated for this but is subject to change as we haven’t opened registration yet and we are basing our tentative schedule on estimated head counts. More details on the Power Skating provider(s) and structure will be released at a later date.

 

• Happy to announce, there will very likely be a U18 Metro Girls team this season. As with any other team, it is still to be determined whether this will be a Breakers or Pacers team. Previously, any girls graduating from U15 would have to combine with another association (i.e., Mt. Pearl). Additional programming will be provided for this age group out of one of our own rinks this season.

 

• Hopeful that the ice at the Southern Shore rink will be ready by September 9th, and that the Gould’s rink will have its ice surface prepared by September 22nd. These dates can push out based on a variety of factors, including warmer temperatures and technical difficulty/mechanical issues.

 

• Working with the team at Gould’s Minor to establish timelines for tryouts, aiming to start U11 minor and female sessions the week of September 16th, with U13/U15 dates to be announced subsequently. These dates may be adjusted if necessary. Due to the addition of a DJHL “C” league and tiering of teams, it is important to establish our teams quickly this year and to seek exhibition games vs other associations so we can have some data to successfully place our teams in a league/tier that they are capable of competing in. For example, if we have enough for 2 teams in a particular division and we don’t feel the top 17 players from that group can be somewhat competitive in the DJHL C division, we will make the choice to split it into 2 MCHL teams.

 

• Based on overwhelming feedback from some departing players, coaches, and parents, as well as current members via our off-season feedback survey, it has been mutually decided with the Gould’s that we will not be combining teams for U18 MCHL league play. Both associations will field 2 teams each under their respective banners. It has been a difficult 2 years trying to manage this division with two separate high schools that cause many scheduling conflicts. We are hopeful the arrangement for this season results in a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

 

• Working on how to apply goalie discounts for returning players as part of the goalie retention initiative shared last year. Details will be shared in our registration flyer.

 

• Exciting news about a partnership with the Kids in Sport Foundation on the Southern Shore, which will benefit local kids in all sports, including minor hockey programming. A separate post will be made once the remaining details with the Foundation are finalized

.

It is such a busy time of year for both Executives. Please be patient and respect that we are all volunteers balancing busy personal and professional/work priorities while trying to do the best we can for our respective associations and our kids. There is still a lot of work to do to meet those registration and tryout timelines, and we will do our best to get the ball rolling as soon as we can.

 

We look forward to seeing the rink filled with kids playing the sport they love again.

 

- SSMHA Executive