Welcome to Under-7 Cross-Ice hockey! We are looking forward to the new season and welcoming the new wave of hockey players into our great game.
Hockey Saskatchewan along with Hockey Canada has mandated Cross-Ice hockey for players at the U7 level. Take the time to read over the information put forward by Hockey Saskatchewan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Hockey Saskatchewan office at (306) 789-5101.
To help reduce costs and maximize ice time, teams are encouraged to collaborate by sharing ice sessions. Multiple teams can practice simultaneously on the same ice surface, effectively splitting the rental costs and making practices more affordable for everyone. This approach not only lowers expenses but also allows for more frequent practice opportunities, benefiting all participants in their skill development.
Cross-Ice Hockey Structure
WHY CROSS-ICE HOCKEY?
Hockey Saskatchewan along with Hockey Canada believes that hockey should be, first and foremost, fun for all participants. A big part of delivering on that is ensuring the programming is age-appropriate. Cross-Ice hockey at the U7 level effectively right-sizes the playing surface for young players:
- You don't put five- and six-year-olds on a full-size soccer pitch or expect them to play basketball on a full-sized court with no height adjustments – hockey is no different.
- Cross-Ice allows young players the opportunity for more puck-touches which promotes greater opportunity for skill development (puck-handling, shooting, skating, coordination) and decision-making.
- Players in Cross-Ice have been shown to receive five times more passes and take six times more shots than when they are on a full-sized rink.
- Small-area games are used at all levels of the game – including the NHL.
The average distance for the 5-6-year-old players to reach top speed was 65 feet.
In August 2016, Hockey Alberta partnered with Powerscout Hockey and St. Albert Minor Hockey to conduct a study on the effectiveness of smaller ice surfaces in skill development. The study featured 40 U7-aged players (five- and six-year-olds) who participated in a series of tests to collect data on several game and practice scenarios. With regards to skating development, specific data for skating speed and acceleration was collected from the following scenarios:
- 200-foot sprints
- Cross-Ice games
- Half-Ice games
- A Full-Ice game
The average distance for the 5-6-year-old players to reach top speed was 65 feet.
Sixty-five feet is exactly the distance from the goal line to the nearest blue line (one zone) on a regulation-sized ice surface. A regulation ice surface is 200 feet x 85 feet. That means an average player can reach top speed in the Cross-Ice scenario.
SPECIAL NOTE: The strongest skater needed only 60 feet to reach top speed, confirming the importance of acceleration.
U7 Cross-Ice Hockey
GRASSROOTS PROGRAMMING
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