The Ayr Minor Hockey Board are hard at work planning exciting and innovative hockey programing for the year ahead. Registration numbers have surpassed last season’s total and work has started on putting team numbers and scheduling together. Check in on the website often as new information is added and schedules are updated. On behalf of the board I am pleased to provide a few highlights of the season ahead;
• Ayr Minor Hockey will launch an innovative approach to player development for the upcoming season. Optional player development sessions will be offered for U8-U18 age levels on Monday nights. There will be two sets of sessions offered over the course of the season; one session of 10 ice times prior to Holiday season in December and a second session of 10 ice times after the new year. These sessions will be lead by Red Line Functional Training out of Kitchener. The cost will be $200 for 10 ice times and player numbers will be limited to 25 skaters per hour. Optional goaltender training will also be offered on Monday nights. Goaltender will be lead by Rob Crocock, a well known goalie coach from Brantford. We have 5 hours of ice each Monday reserved for this program and we anticipate that all sessions will fill up quickly! Watch for sign up details to be posted later in September!
• This season our Local League teams will again play in Grand River League and our Representatives teams will play in the Southern Counties league. Ayr will also have a U16 team this season and this team will play in the Single A loop of the Shamrock league. With the decline in the number of centres playing in the Southern Counties league, we do not expect there to be an ‘AE’ Additional Entry division for teams this season. To that end, Ayr Minor Hockey is not planning on having any ‘AE’ teams this season as the teams would be playing in representative divisions and would most likely struggle to compete. We are considering Local League select teams that could be formed at each age level and compete in Local League Select tournaments offered later in the season. This Local League Select initiative combined with the player development options being provided on Monday nights should give ample opportunity for continued player development for players playing at all levels within Ayr Minor Hockey
• Ayr Minor Hockey and our tournament coordinator Mike Thibeau will be offering 3 tournaments this season. Ayr is proud to host 2 Silver Stick tournaments this season and our long standing Ayr Hockey Challenge for local league divisions. Check out the website for the dates and all the details!
• The OMHA hockey calendar has changed this season getting players onto the ice in the last week of August. Ayr Minor Hockey will begin our Preparation sessions August 29 and we are pleased to have the instructors from the Snipe Academy in Cambridge running these preparation sessions for our players this season.Should you have any questions about the season ahead please reach out any Ayr Minor Hockey Board Member.
In closing, I would like to offer a special welcome to players and their families that are new to Ayr Minor Hockey. Please check in on the website regularly for updated information and the most current schedules. Please don't hesitate to reach out to myself or any our board members.
Look forward to seeing everyone at the rink!