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 U9 Development Support Program! We hope you’ll find the resources we share with you with this season useful as you deliver U9 hockey in your region and help your players successfully transition from cross-ice to half-ice.

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

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We’re nearly through October – did you know that you’ve already completed the Prep/Evaluation Phase and are into the Development Phase of the U9 Pathway?

This stage takes lasts up to 8 weeks, commencing when you conclude your Prep/Evaluation Phase (roughly September 28 – November 22).

Recommendations in this Phase:

• GENERAL
  • Ideal practice-to-game ratio is 3:1 – three practices to one game played
    • 14 practices, up to 6 games, 1 jamboree
    • Half-ice games
  • A fun and safe environment to promote self-confidence
  • Focus on skill development
    • Fundamental movement skills: striding, turning, stopping
    • Manipulation skills: shooting, passing, puck control
    • Motor skills: agility, balance, coordination

Here are three (3) Development Plans (practice plans with video examples of drills) you could use in this Phase:

• U9 Development Plan 1
• U9 Development Plan 2
• U9 Development Plan 3

For full details, please review the U9 Player Pathway document in its entirety HERE and Hockey Canada’s U9 Seasonal Road Map HERE

Did you know that Hockey Canada has identified a curriculum of fundamental skills that U9 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 U9 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 U9 Player Pathway and Hockey Canada’s U9 Seasonal Road Map

*REMINDER: All coaches who complete the Hockey Canada Coach 1 (required for U9 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 U9 level, only 10% of practice time should be spent on team play tactics and only 15% on individual tactics. The majority of practice time (75%) should be spent on technical skills 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 “U9” section will show you 9 full categories of U11 level-specific resources that you can access:

HCNA Tutorials: iOS | Android

PUCK CONTROL

Puck control development follows a simple progression — master it standing still, then in motion, and finally against an opponent. Starting small allows players to refine technique and build confidence before adding speed, movement, and deception. Lane-based drills maximize efficiency and repetition while blending skating and puck skills. Coaches can easily provide feedback as players gain comfort and creativity through repetition. The ultimate goal: transform controlled practice moves into dynamic, game-ready skills that create scoring opportunities.

MOVES & DECEPTION

Deceptive moves live in the sweet spot between skating and stickhandling — it’s where a player’s hands and feet work in perfect sync to deceive opponents. Mastery comes from endless repetition until every move becomes automatic muscle memory. Start with structured drills, then add speed, pressure, and unpredictability to simulate real game conditions. The goal is for players to instinctively read, react, and create deception on the fly. Ultimately, great puck control is about freedom — giving players the confidence to improvise and dominate without overthinking.

Have a look at Hockey Canada’s latest videos linked above to see drill demonstrations and more details on teaching players puck control and deceptive moves.

THIS MONTH’S DRILL BREAKDOWN:

Drill Name: Small Area Game- 1 on 1 / 2 on 2 Cross Ice

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.
• Each pair of players has one puck.
• On the whistle each pair starts to play 1 on 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 on 2 with the same 4 players.

Skill Execution / Relation to Hockey Canada’s U9 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 on 1s, 2 on 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 on 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 2on 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 on 2
• Require offensive pair to pass a specific number of times before shooting
• Decrease the playing space

Simplify:

• Blow one whistle for 1 on 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 job descriptions for U9 Head and Assistant Coach roles, as well as a team meetings template, that you could distribute to candidate or current team staff to help them better understand how to navigate the season’s duties:

• U9 Coach Responsibilities List (Head and Assistant)
• Team Meetings Template

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

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We thank you in advance for your efforts in helping your U9 players acclimate from cross-ice to half-ice within your local program this year!

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Have you created resources that have helped you acclimate your U9’s to half-ice play this year or previously? Would you like to share them with other U9 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.