Advocates of cross-ice hockey have long believed that playing the game on an ice surface appropriate to the size of younger players will help them develop their skills while having fun in a competitive environment. Now they have data to back up those beliefs.
With the help of the Detroit Red Wings, USA Hockey put a group of Mite-aged players from the Little Caesars organization to the test by monitoring their activity on different sized rinks. The players were divided into two teams and played a cross-ice game, a half-ice game and a full-ice game.
With the help of Quantum Pro Hockey Analytics, a company that monitors the Red Wings during their home games at the Joe Louis Arena, USA Hockey was able to provide some solid statistical muscle behind the principles that are the cornerstone of the American Development Model.
“The hot topic in the NHL right now is analytics, the statistics behind the game,” said ADM Technical Director Ken Martel. “We’re looking for ways to drill down in our sport and statistically measure all the things that are happening so we have a better understanding of how the sport is played.”
The data showed that players touched the puck twice as much while playing cross-ice than on a larger surface. There were also twice as many passes and shots on goal, along with twice as much body-contact and puck battles. Goalies also faced considerably more shots-per-minute versus playing full-ice hockey.
USA Hockey posted a short video on its ADMKids website and on its YouTube channel in addition to emailing it to parents of 8 & Under players to show the benefits of cross-ice hockey as an effective tool for developing skills.
“Any time we can make decisions that are based on data that has fact behind it, I think is fantastic,” said Sean Lancaster, a parent of a Little Caesars player.
