---

The Western Branches of Hockey Canada – BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Saskatchewan, Hockey Manitoba, and Hockey North – are excited to bring you the second newsletter of our 2026-2027 U11 Development Support Program! We hope you’ll find the resources we share with you with this season useful as you deliver U11 hockey in your region and help your first-year U11 players successfully transition from half-ice to full-ice.

Please have a look at what we have to share with you this month:

---

We’re nearly through October – did you know that you’ve already completed the Prep/Evaluation and Development Phases, and are now in the Regular Season Phase of the U11 Pathway?

This stage takes up 70% of the season and lasts up to 22 weeks (roughly October 1 – February 24).

Recommendations in this Phase:

• GENERAL
  • Maximum of 46 games per season (exhibition, league, playoff/tournament)
  • Fair and equal ice time
  • Positional rotation
    • Players play all positions and participate in all situations (start and end of game, PP, PK, etc)
    • Goalies participate as close to 50/50 as possible
  • Seasonal breaks
    • Recommendations:
      • Season should allow for two seasonal breaks (not including Christmas/long weekends)
      • Minimum five days without a scheduled game or mandatory practice
• COMPETITIVE STREAM
  • 44 practice sessions | up to 24 games (roughly a 2:1 ratio)
• RECREATIONAL STREAM
  • 22 practice sessions | up to 16 games (roughly a 1:1 ratio)

For full details, please review the U11 Player Pathway document in its entirety HERE

Did you know that Hockey Canada has identified a curriculum of fundamental skills that U11 players need to be introduced to at this age category? Help your coaches keep their seasonal plans on track by reminding them of this bank of skills that should be taught by the end of the season:

You can also find this table within the Hockey Canada Network App – Use the search feature (magnifying glass icon top right of the screen) to look up “Core U11 Skills”.

It can be helpful to breakdown a full season’s delivery plan one month at a time. Here’s a road map for skill development benchmarks to meet over the first two months of the season:

For full details, please review the U11 Player Pathway and Hockey Canada’s U11 Seasonal Road Map

*REMINDER: All coaches who complete the Hockey Canada Coach 2 (required for U11 coaches) clinic receive a free one-year subscription to the premium version of the Hockey Canada Network App! Contact your provincial branch to claim yours.

At the U11 level, only 15% of practice time should be spent on team play and strategy/systems while the majority of practice time (85%) is to be spent on individual skills and tactics instead. This is most effectively disseminated through small-area games, station-based practices, and skill-focused practice drills.

Need help finding practice plans and drills that align with these guidelines? The Hockey Canada Network App has you covered – Clicking the “Skills Dev” tab at the bottom of the screen and clicking the “U11” section will show you 12 full categories of U11 level-specific resources that you can access:

HCNA Tutorials: iOS | Android

PUCK CONTROL / PASSING

One of the most important aspects of puck control is a player’s ability to pass the puck amongst his teammates. As the saying goes, “The puck moves faster than your feet”, so if you’re looking to avoid pressure and advance the puck more quickly down the ice to create scoring opportunities you should embrace the idea of passing.

Have a look at Hockey Canada’s latest video to see game clips, drill examples, and more details on teaching passing to your players.

Here are some additional tips and tricks on teaching passing and how to integrate this skill into your lesson plans: U11 Passing Tips

This Month’s Drill Breakdown:

Drill Name: 1 v 1 / 2 v 2 Cross Ice Small Area Game

Video link: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/videos?title=u9-3-station-small-area-game-1-on-1-2-on-2-cross-ice

Drill Setup / Description:

• 4 players partner up in the middle of drill location. One puck per pair.
• On the whistle each pair starts to play 1 v 1, shooting for target at opposite end
• After a goal is scored, reset at the starting position with one puck
• Second whistle starts a 2 v 2 with the all 4 players.

Skill Execution / Relation to Hockey Canada’s U11 Roadmap: Players work on puck control, puck protection, offensive tactics and defensive tactics

Puck Control: Creativity, small space, puck protection, puck management, body fakes, stick fakes, deception

Offensive tactics: 1 v 1s, 2 v 2 puck support

Defensive tactics: defending 1 on 1s

Teaching Points:

• Defenders must maintain tight gap control and protect the middle lane
• Offensive players should protect the puck using their body
• Communicate with your partner during 2 v 2
• Skate hard to the net to create quick scoring chances
• Support the puck carrier to create effective passing options
• Keep head up when moving, be aware of surroundings

Coach Responsibilities:

• Correct players to use their body to protect the puck (without taking a penalty)
• Encourage stick lifts to retrieve the puck from opponent
• During 2 v 2s, coach players without the puck to get open and create passing lanes
• Ensure defensive players are positioned effectively while trying to turn over the puck
• Encourage players to keep head up while in possession of puck

Progression:

• Add net and goalie for additional focus on the 2 v 2
• Require offensive pair to pass a specific number of times before shooting
• Decrease the playing space

Simplify:

• Blow one whistle for 1 v 1 at the start for offensive players to gain control of the puck, blow second whistle for defender to begin applying pressure.
• Start with a coach being the offensive or defensive players to slow down the drill so proper skill execution is emphasized.

In any line of work, it’s important to find the right people for the job, and for each person to understand what’s expected of them — coaching is no exception. Have a look at this example of U11 Head Coach and Assistant Coach job descriptions that you could distribute to potential or current U11 coaches to help them better understand how to navigate the season at the helm:

• U11 Head Coach Responsibilities List
• U11 Assistant Coach Responsibilities List

Getting everyone on the same page is critical to any team’s success, and the sooner you can achieve this group cohesion the better. If your squad seems like they’re lacking the chemistry they need, try bringing them together with some recommended team building exercises from each province: Team Building Resource Document

Your first-year U11 players are in an unfamiliar environment this season and may need some help navigating the full-ice version of the game. Here is an example of a gameday countback and a warmup protocol that you could utilize to help keep your players on time and on task.

Hockey Canada’s Gold Medal Pathway (GMP) is a framework to standardize development for emerging high performers that has been running since the 2021-2022 season. It defines the specific stages and processes that emerging high performance coaches, technical/non-technical support personnel, and athletes follow to focus and increase rates of development for improved individual results and more podium finishes for Team Canada.

2026-2027 is the third season that coaches and team staff at the U11 level have been invited to participate in the GMP program. Participation includes receiving age/level-appropriate curricula specifically for U11 (drills, practice & game plans, evaluation/assessment plans, etc), regular support meetings, presentations, and webinars through the season, coach training, and more to help develop skills, concepts, and habits for players at this age category.

Please contact your provincial branch to express your interest in participating in this year’s program by Completing This Survey

---

We thank you in advance for your efforts in helping your first-year U11 players acclimate from half-ice to full-ice within your local program this year!

---

Have you created resources that have helped you acclimate your first-year U11’s to full-ice play this year or previously? Would you like to share them with other U11 coaches in Western Canada to assist their development efforts? Email us your best resource for review and we may share it in an upcoming newsletter. coaching@bchockey.net

We hope you found this newsletter helpful! We look forward to reconnecting with you again next month.

Missed an issue of this newsletter? Check your provincial branch’s website for back issues.