At U8 and U9 the skills of skating, puck control, passing and shooting are introduced and expanded one step at a time. A focus on fun and skill development enhances a player’s enjoyment of the game, while they also experience fitness, fair play and cooperation.
Please review General HL information and updates specific to the current season under the House League menu on FHA's home page.
U8 and U9 play 4 vs 4 on Half Ice. Playing on a smaller ice surface increases player engagement and results in more puck touches for all players. See Hockey Canada’s u9-player-pathway-e.pdf (hockeycanada.ca) for more information. Referee is provided. No score is kept.
U8 HL begins scheduled Half Ice games (1 per week) after several weeks of practice.
U9 HL usually begins scheduled Half Ice games (1 per week) immediately after team formation.
U9 HL transitions to Full Ice games in mid January. Regular hockey rules apply, with the recommended exception of line changes on a buzzer rather than changing on the fly.
In the event that U8 HL and U9 HL form a merged division, all transition to Full Ice in mid January.
At each Full Ice game, a parent volunteer (usually provided by the home team) is needed to fill the role of timekeeper/scorekeeper.
Goaltending is by rotation. All players are encouraged to try the goalie position in U8 and U9. A set of goalie equipment is provided to each team.