U9

2025/2026 Season Information

U9 - Intro to Hockey Program

**Changes to our U9 program have been confirmed**

After thoughtful discussions with RDMH and consultations with other associations across the province, we would like to inform you of some important updates regarding the U9 hockey structure for the 2025-2026 season:

U9 Group Structure: We have decided to move to 3 groups of 4 teams each, starting in the 2025-2026 season. This change will help provide a more structured development environment and allow players to progress at an appropriate pace.
Earlier Tryout Timeline: To streamline the season and allow more time for development, we are looking to start U9 teams a bit earlier in the tryout process. The goal is to have teams finalized by October 1, instead of the 8th and 10th, as was the case last year. We are still in the process of finalizing the scheduling, but please know this is a work in progress, and we will keep you informed as we move forward.
U9 Female Team Placement: We also plan to place the U9 Female team into Group 2, considering the wide range of skills the coaches are working with to ensure balanced development for the players we feel Group 2 is the best fit for the coaches of that program to have success.

2017 & 2018 Born Players

Timeline & Key Dates

Player Groupings:
Will be emailed in early September under the U9-1 tab on the website.
Servus Pre-Skate Sessions:
Dates TBA. Each participant will be assigned to attend one pre-skate session.
Evaluation Sessions:
Dates TBA.
Team selection will occur once all evaluation sessions have been completed.
Team Drafting:
- U9-1 Teams will be drafted first.
- U9-2 Teams will follow once a sufficient number of head coaches have been identified.
First Team Practices:
Will be scheduled and posted to the website once confirmed.

Program Structure

Teams are paired with one other team for all practices.
Games are played in a half-ice format against other teams of the same tier. Full ice games begin in January.
Weekly Ice Schedule:
- 1 practice (scheduled Monday through Thursday)
- 1 game (scheduled Friday through Sunday)
Teams may book additional ice time at their discretion (subject to availability).
Teams are permitted to participate in up to 2 tournaments over the course of the season.

Hockey Alberta - Intro to Hockey Game Model

Half-Ice Game Format

Shift Length: 2-minute buzzard shifts
Scoring: No scores are recorded
Coach Participation:
- One coach from each team on the ice at each end
- Referees present during games
- Remaining coaches manage player benches and gate operations
Gameplay Format: 4-on-4 or 3-on-3
Goaltending: All players will have an opportunity to play as goalie