Volume 5 Issue 7 | November 2020
A THANKSGIVING WITHOUT HOCKEY... AND SOME GOOD THINGS THAT CAME FROM THE PANDEMIC
By Tom Gullen, Executive Director
It was sometime maybe 35 years ago when the idea of a Thanksgiving hockey tournament started. At that time they were somewhat of a novel idea, with only a High School tournament hosted by Loyola in Wilmette and what was called “Turkey Time” hosted by the Falcons in what was affectionately called “The Bubble” on the campus of Trinity College in Deerfield (my old home rink).

Our tournament started small with just a few levels, but then grew and grew. More levels were added, teams came here from throughout the Midwest and Canada, more rinks were added, and a tournament that started late Friday afternoon now started on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. This past year I believe we played something like 240 games.

It was a labor of love; being there from the first drop of the puck on Wednesday to crowning a champion late Sunday afternoon. It was an opportunity to see all our teams play, talk to our families, and see Grandparents get the chance to see grandchildren play.
We knew from the beginning of the season that running a traditional Thanksgiving tournament was unlikely this year. We were able to get a group of neighboring programs together and put together a weekend long series of events that would have been a fun way to keep our players involved…not perfect but the best we could hope for under the circumstances.

And now that’s gone.

I have accepted that for the first time in my “adult” life that hockey will not dominate the days ahead, but there are Christmas lights to hang and I am going to give Clark Griswold a run for his money in the lighting department. Kids will miss this opportunity to play and compete. But, we will all get by.

As for the Wishbone, we will see you next Year!
The Thanksgiving tournament also has served as the midway point in our season; a time to reflect on the past three months and look ahead.

I mention in the title of this article “good things that came from the Pandemic.” Let me be clear; there is NOTHING good about this pandemic.

However, as a program we needed to navigate a new path for our players; it would not be business as usual. With the leadership of Evan and Bobby, we took a different approach through the opening months of the season.

Gone were early-bird tournaments, September games, and a rush to be prepared for the opening of league seasons in late September. Instead there was a focus both within House League and Travel on skill development. For the opening six weeks of the season, we practiced more than any time in the history of the WHC. Our “model” if you will, resembled the Swedish and Finish hockey models with a high emphasis on skills and less on structure and game competition.

The result of this focus was evident in the results of our teams as we started playing “events” with other programs in mid-October. I cannot say I know every team’s record throughout this period, but I would estimate we are right around a 75% winning record. Several of our Squirt teams have either one or no losses through close to 10 events. Across the board, all our teams are performing well. That early season focus on development has paid dividends.

We also realized some of our best competition could be found right in our own backyard. We started doing intra-club scrimmages and the matchups produced some great hockey. Since most of my team from last year are on Pee Wee 1 or Bantam 2, I have watched them scrimmage multiple times with each time producing a one-goal or tied game; great to watch! And, while our little “Original Six” concept did not make it through, I really believe that it is a great idea for the club to implement in future years.

Playing in front of no fans was different; there would be no cheering from the stands, no yelling at the refs (AKA On-Ice Supervisors). Believe me, the refs have loved this. The atmosphere is far more relaxed and keeping the referee community making a few bucks is important if we want referees to be here when we return to normal. We have done our part.

Watching kids play in front of no fans reminded me of playing pond hockey as a kid. This was just the true joy of playing; not thinking about the score or winning or losing but just playing for the love of the game.

Lastly, I think we have all taken a step back and realized not to sweat some of the small things and take pleasure in letting these kids play and be with their friends. While hockey is on pause now, we will be back.

Have a safe and GREAT Thanksgiving! 
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY
By Bobby Acri
With the cold weather approaching us, the ponds will hopefully begin to freeze and the opportunity for unstructured play will be in full swing. When you look at the areas in North America producing the most professional (NHL) hockey players, you’ll find they all have one thing in common. At the top of the list: Canada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin. All of these areas have climates which support outdoor rinks. So, what does that have to do with the number of professional skaters produced? I believe the ability to find unstructured ice time plays an essential role in player development. When players can lace up the skates and not have to worry about a coach getting on them for mistakes, they get the freedom to try new things. Instead of being in the pressure-filled game setting where everyone is coached to understand games “matter”, they’re allowed to make mistakes without any repercussions. What’s the worst thing that happens if a move doesn’t work on the outdoor rink? You grab the puck out of your net and try again. Trial and error – what a great learning tool!
Outdoor rinks also give players the opportunity to work in small areas. With the rise in popularity/awareness of the benefits of small area games, it’s no wonder these outdoor sheets provide such a great learning platform. Very rarely will you see someone shovel off a 200′ x 85′ area to play some pond hockey. More often than not, the area is around 1/3 the size of a rink. This forces players to make quicker decisions and learn to handle the puck in tight quarters. Think of the direct correlations here – the prime areas of the ice don’t allow players much time and/or space: slot area, corners, at the blue lines. If you can constantly put yourself in situations which resemble those of a game, you will improve come game time.
Finally, I believe it’s the unstructured ice time which allows players to truly cultivate a love for the game. Put yourself in the skates of a young player – you get to go out and play with your friends, have nobody telling you what to do, have nobody yelling at you for making a mistake or not getting the puck deep, and enjoy the best sport in the world. Life is good!

Kids will learn so much on their own when given the opportunity – everything from puck control and passing to conflict resolution skills when there’s a disagreement. Be sure to give players an opportunity to have unstructured ice time this winter to help them develop their skills and most importantly, have fun!

Go Warriors!