Why Play 4 on 4

The Game…

World Class Hockey 4 on 4 is designed to keep players in top physical and mental shape during the spring season. This format allows players to develop their skills in a fun, less structured and more wide open playing environment. With one less player on the ice, the 4 on 4 format significantly changes the dynamics of the game. The reduced number of players creates more open ice. This gives player more time and space to work on their creativity and stick-handling skills and they have more opportunities to experiment with new techniques and moves. The additional space also challenges players to think more critically about their positioning and movement, encouraging them to be more strategic in their decisions. As a result, players develop a deeper understanding of how to exploit gaps in the defense, create scoring opportunities, and support their teammates in both offensive and defensive scenarios.

In this fast-paced setting, players must constantly be on the move, using escape turns and puck protection techniques to maintain possession and create time for their teammates to get open. This not only enhances their physical agility but also improves their ability to read the game and anticipate the actions of their opponents. The increased focus on puck protection and movement also helps players develop better spatial awareness, enabling them to make quicker and more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations. Over time, these skills translate into better performance in regular games, where players will find themselves more capable of handling the intensity and speed of competitive play.

The Fun…

For 10 years now I’ve had the pleasure of seeing kids walk out of the rink with big smiles on their faces. Telling their parents or grandparents how they scored their amazing goal or made this ridiculous move. I’ve seen kids piling on each other after a big winning goal or tackling their goalie after a game winning save. It’s awesome! It happens many, many times every weekend in our league and as a hockey player and a kid at heart…
I TRULY LOVE IT!

The Prizes & Giveaways…

Over the past 10 years we have given a ton of stuff away to our players including T-shirts, Rolls of Tape, Cinche Bags, Wristbands, Fat Head Stickers and a Pro Hockey Life discount card for all players that gives you 15% off 3 separate visits and 3 Free Skate Sharpenings. You can save the entire cost of the league with 3 good size purchases.

The Fans…

For those of you that have had kids in the league for a few years, you know! There are many games where there is little space to stand around the glass. The continuous back and forth game action is really awesome to watch. You can feel the energy in the crowd and when there is a big shootout goal for the game winner…THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!

The Care & Customer Service…

I have two boys, now 21 and 17, that have gone through the full gamut of spring hockey leagues and tournaments around the Greater Toronto Area.
I have watched my own son’s AAA level teams absolutely crush opponents in other spring leagues with nothing ever being done. No changes. No moving the team to a higher level or a few players to another team. That is why, in our league, I take personal care to have our league conveners scout all games for the first 4 weeks of the spring season. If there are players that are too strong for the age group they are in, we move them up a. year…sometimes two age groups up. If a player is in way above his or her head, we do our best to find a better fit for that player an age group down. We have moved full teams up or down every year we have run the league….because it was the right thing to do in order for the majority of players to have the best experience possible. It’s a very difficult thing to manage and it doesn’t always work….but we really do care and try to do the best we can for all players. I believe this is one of the main reasons we have grown from just a few hundred players in 2014 to over 1100 players last spring.

We hope to see you this spring!

League Director
Jules Jardine