U18B Coach's Letter

Hello everyone,

My name is Kris Hodgins and I am very excited to be taking on the role of Head Coach for the Kanata Rangers U18B team this upcoming season. This will be my 9th year coaching with KGHA.

I would like to provide you with a some background regarding myself, my approach and philosophy towards the game of hockey, and a brief plan for the team for the upcoming season.

I have played hockey at a high level my entire life, the highest being NCAA at the University of Wisconsin Superior. I have also worked for many years in hockey development and look forward to the opportunity to pass some of what I’ve learned along the way to your athlete this season. For those of you who’s son or daughter I may have coached previously, you know that I am very passionate about the game of hockey, the process of developing player skills, tactics, developing good work ethic during practices and games, and most of all helping to create great leaders once they leave minor hockey. I assure you I will give every ounce of energy that I have into developing your athlete to become the best athlete and person they can become. It is my belief that as the coach it is my role along with our staff to ensure that all of this can be achieved while having as much fun as we can along the way.

The objectives for this years team will be focused on, having each player being the best teammate they can be, building confidence, self-esteem, discipline, skill development, and a sense of commitment and pride in their team, in themselves, but most of all I want each player to have FUN and look forward to coming to hockey each and every ice session. These personality traits and qualities will benefit them at whatever level they play in the future. I will emphasize development, hard work, and team play over winning and individual success. I anticipate every player will play roughly the same amount of time by the end of the season barring injuries or suspensions.

There will also be more prominence on systems, strategy and structure this season than previous years. I will follow the Hockey Canada long term player development model as well as what KGHA has provided me so that each player is building skills that are appropriate for their age and individual skill levels. I want to build a strong foundation of physical literacy in an environment that keeps them interested and motivated to come to the rink. Practices will be run with a high level of energy and effort all while learning and having as much FUN as possible.

This year I will be looking to form a team not only based on skill, but great character players and families. What I will be looking for during tryouts are players who work hard, play smart, are positive not only on but also off the ice, body language and effort level. I am not necessarily looking for the 17 most skilled individuals but those who will be able to play within the structure of our team and its values.

Try out schedule is as follows:
Goalie Evaluation - Thursday April 16th - 9:00pm - 10:00pm - TGRC
1st Tryout - Wednesday May 6th - 8:00pm - 10:00pm - Bell Sensplex
2nd Tryout - Thursday May 7th - 7:00pm - 9:00pm - Mlacak
Final Tryout - Saturday May 9th - 7:00pm - 9:00pm -Bell Sensplex

The tournaments have not all been chosen for this year, I plan to attend 5 tournaments during the season with a potential 6th tournament being the Ontario Provincials if we qualify. The ideal situation would be to have 3 away and 2 home (one being our KGHA Tournament) This past year we had multiple home tournaments cancel or we were wait listed and ended up not being accepted into the tournament. If this does happen, I will choose a 4th away tournament. Please note that one tournament may be out of province or out of country. This being the last year for some players, I would like to do one memorable tournament for this group. This will be discussed as a group once the team has been made.
-TBD (Away) - Early September
-Pink The Rink - Etobicoke - October
-KGHA - Kanata - Mid November
-TBD (Away or Home) December
-TBD (Away or Home) January
-TBD - Provincials - Mid April

I would like to attend a weekend away at Camp Smitty in Eganville mid September to volunteer with various tasks needed. We will go up Friday, volunteer Saturday and return Sunday. Room and board will be provided at no cost, this is a great way for the team to bond early into the season.

The expectation will be that we are on the ice on average 3-4 times a week along with a regular off ice training sessions once a week.

Team fees will be somewhere between $2000 and $2500 above the registration fee. This number could change based on sponsorship or fundraising.

Upon completion of our team selection, there will be a team gathering shortly after, where time allows for as many (hopefully all) players and families can get together.

Just a remember to parents and players, that the team you (your athlete) have been selected to does not define them as a person or a hockey player. Everyone develops at their own pace and if you did not make a level you were hoping to make it does not mean that your athlete won’t ever be able to achieve that level in the future. Keep working hard, keep a positive attitude and good things will come.

Here’s to a great try out.

Have a great upcoming season, and I look forward to meeting and seeing you all at the rink!

Kris Hodgins
Coach, U18B Kanata Rangers