Welcome!
My name is Justin Winechuk, and I have the pleasure of serving as the head
coach for the U9 Tier 1 MD hockey team this season. First and foremost, I want
to thank you and your child for your interest in joining the U9 Tier 1 MD team.
Below you'll find details outlining the tryout process, ice times, and
tournament schedule. Please review this information carefully.
Tryouts
Our tryout process will consist of 5 sessions. They will begin after the 4 prep
skates. These sessions will include various drills and scrimmage opportunities
to assess your child’s skills, teamwork, and coachability. The U9 Tier 1 MD
team tryout times are as follows:
Wednesday, September 10, 5:00pm or 6:00pm Carling A
Friday, September 12, 5:00pm or 6:00pm Carling A
Saturday, September 13, 9:30am or 10:30am, Carling B
Sunday, September 14, 8:00am or 9:00am, Carling A
Tuesday, September 16, 5:30pm or 6:30pm, Carling B
Team Selection Process
Two hours of ice time are allotted for each evaluation session. Players
will be split by last name for the first three tryouts, information on this
split will follow in late August once registration has closed. Following the
third tryout, we will announce the initial releases. Please reference the news
tab on the U9-T1 and U9-T2 website for this information. Players who are
released and therefore not selected to continue with MD tryouts will be invited
to participate in house league assessments.
After careful consideration, we will be selecting a total of 17 skaters to join
the team. The official team roster will be finalized on September 17th.
It is important to prepare your child for all possible outcomes during this
time. We understand that this period can be both exciting and stressful for
parents and players alike. We want to assure you that we will do our best to
communicate openly and transparently throughout the tryout process to mitigate
some of this stress.
Regular Season Ice Time
The season will start Thursday September 18th with 4 development
(practice) skates. The remaining practice/game schedule will be updated before
the season starts. There will typically be two practices and one game per week.
Tournaments/Exhibition
We will be entering 4 tournaments in 2025-26:
▪
North London Nazem Kadri Tournament, London, November 21-23
▪ U9 Full Ice Championship, Belle River, January
16-18
▪
Boston Pizza Cup, St. Thomas February 20-22
▪
Alliance Championship Weekend, Cambridge, March 26-29
Should you decide that the U9 Tier 1MD Team would not be a good fit for your
child, due to the level of time commitment, financial commitment, or for any
other reason, please let me know before I pick the team. Otherwise, I
assume you understand the information provided.
If there are any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Thank You,
Justin Winechuk
Head Coach
[email protected]