Author: Avery Cordingley

2023 Summer Ice – Info, Links

Summer ice information below!

What: MGHA Summer Ice June – August 2023 (10 weeks total ice) 

Where: Capitol Ice Arena (2616 N Pleasant View Rd, Middleton, WI 53562)

When

Skills: Tuesday June 6th – Tuesday August 29 (NO ICE June 13, June 20, or July 4) – 6:10 – 7:25 (75 minutes) 

Scrimmages: Sunday June 4th – Sunday August 27th (NO ICE June 11, June 18, or July 2 (if desire is there, potential for one sheet on July 2nd is possible)

  • 6:40 – 7:40 OR 7:50 – 8:50 (Start times will switch for upper/lower throughout summer session.)

Options: Sign up for just skills, just scrimmages, or both! 

  • Full summer (all 10 weeks) 
  • Half summer (5 weeks, first or second) 
  • Drop in (subbing, details below) 

Cost:

  • Full summer scrimmage: $140
  • Half summer scrimmage:$70 (second half starts 7/30)
  • Full summer skills: $120
  • Half summer skills: $60 (second half starts 8/1)
  • Drop in scrimmage: $15
  • Drop in skills: $15

Financial Aid: Please contact the treasurer if you need financial aid to play this summer.  

Scrimmage Sign Up

What are scrimmages? Players will wear either a white or dark jersey (Please bring both if you have them!) and play casual, fun hockey. We will not have refs or scoreboards, but will be led by a league leader who may work with players to rebalance the teams if needed. 

There will be two scrimmages offered each Sunday – an L1/L2 group and an L2/L3 group. Players may generally self select which they want to play in.

How do I sign up?

  1. Select the links below for the scrimmage level you want to sign up for. If you are doing the full summer, you must pay for both items; otherwise you won’t be added to the list for both halves. If you are signing up for just one half, select just that item. Please sign up for one scrimmage group to start; if space allows, you may sign up (or drop into) the other.
    1. L1/L2 first half (early)
    2. L1/L2 second half (late)
    3. L2/L3 first half (early)
    4. L2/L3 second half (late) 
  2. Please fill out  this quick form. This will help organizers know what to expect for the skill level of scrimmage groups, as well as organize goalies. (This is the same form for scrimmage/skills).
  3. Please mark your attendance on the website so folks can know if drop in space is available.

Skills Sign Up

What are Skills

  • Coached ice time to teach and build on hockey skating, skills (shooting, passing, stickhandling), and concepts (zone play, breakouts, etc). 
  • For players of every skill level who want to work on their game. 
  • We will break into groups by skill level so everyone can work on things at a comfortable pace that challenges them to improve. 
  • This ice time is great for building confidence in your hockey abilities and knowledge and to learn skills and concepts to carry into next season. 
  • Goalies are welcome and encouraged! When we know you’ll be there, we will plan for drills and coaching for you, too. There will be 4 evenings throughout the summer where there will be dedicated goalie coaching.

How do I sign up?

  1. Select the links below to sign up for either half or for the full summer. If you are doing the full summer, you must pay for both items; otherwise you won’t be added to the list for both halves
    1. Skills first half
    2. Skills second half
  2. Please fill out this form. This will give coaches a better idea of where you’re starting and what you want to work on. Generally, each week we will start with skating, move into stations for skills work, and wrap up with fun games meant to incorporate the skills and concepts worked on. (This is the same form for scrimmage/skills).
  3. Please mark your attendance on the website so folks can know if drop in space is available.

Drop in

There will be the option to drop in to any of this ice all summer (space dependent). See below for information:

Steps to drop in:

  1. Check attendance: is there space available on the date you want to sign up for? (can also reach out to organizers and check).
  2. If there is space available, pay the fee ($15) via PayPal directly to: payments@madisongayhockey.org
    1. If you do not have PayPal, please reach out to an organizer to inquire on payment methods.
  3. Indicate on the website that you want to sub for that activity.
  4. If this is your first time dropping in for this activity this summer, fill out this drop in sign up form.
  5. Come skate! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can new-to-the-league players / new to hockey players participate in summer skills? Yes! Pending space in the sessions, new players are welcome to join. Anyone new to the league who wants to improve on the ice is welcome at skills – this applies to brand new hockey players as well as those with a few years under their belt who want some coaching and time to improve their game.

What does a new player need to get on the ice? New players need (1) to have filled out the player application on the MGHA’s website, (2) filled out the summer sign up forms, (3) paid the fees, (4) and have their USA Hockey number (last season’s number or next season’s number are valid through the summer). USAH is required for all MGHA ice, in and out of season.

What equipment is required for Skills ice? Skills requires full gear. If someone is brand new to hockey, we might have gear to borrow/lend for the time being. 

Is the length of time correct for skills? Yes! Skills ice is 75 minutes in length. This allows for more time to work on skills and concepts, more reps for every player, and more flexibility on the ice for players to relax and learn. 

Why is the cost lower for Skills even though the ice time is longer? Skills allows for more players to get on the ice during a single session, whereas scrimmage cap benches capped at around 13 (lest things start to get too crowded for a fun flow of play). 

Why are there weeks with no ice? In mid June, the rink has no ice available due to the Madison Capitols Futures camps and Rink A being repainted. The July break is for the 4th of July weekend. (Should there be sufficient interest, there is the possibility of getting one scrimmage sheet that weekend). 

What are the dates for the half sessions? First half summer goes through Sunday July 23rd / Tuesday July 25. Second half begins the following week – Sunday July 30 / Tuesday August 1. 

What if I’m a little late to skills? That’s ok! If it is possible to let an organizer or coach know, that will help us plan accordingly. We know it’s a little early in the evening for some folks. 

How do I know which scrimmage to sign up for? The L1/L2 scrimmage is for players who played L1 last season and low/intermediate L2 players, as well as any upper level player who feels comfortable playing in control and to the level of the skaters around them. The L2/L3 scrimmage is for players who played L3 last season and high-intermediate L2 players. If you want a challenge and feel you can skate safely and in control at a faster pace of play, the upper scrimmage would be a good fit. HOps reserves the right to discuss with players if there is a safety concern. 

Can new-to-the-league players participate in summer scrimmages? Potentially – this depends on space as well as the experience level of the player. Experienced players applying to join the league for the winter season should reach out to hops@madisongayhockey.org for more information on summer ice.

If you’re brand new to hockey, you might be able to join the second half of summer scrimmages, pending space in the scrimmage and a grasp of the basics of in-control skating and the game rules – check with a coach after a few weeks of skills if this is you! We want to get you out there and having a blast playing hockey! 

I’m a goalie – what does summer ice look like for me? For scrimmages, interested goalies should fill out the sign up form. We will coordinate coverage of each week with the available goalies. Goalies do not pay for summer scrimmages. 

Will there be any dedicated goalie coaching? Yes! There will be at least three weeks of skills ice with dedicated goalie coaching planned (exact dates will pend on interested goalies’ availability). Please fill out the sign up form, and include things you’d like to work on if you have specific things! For skills, we ask that goalies wanting to attend these coached sessions pay $40 for the summer (a third of the regular skills cost, covers the 3 weeks of goalie instruction). 
Can goalies attend skills other weeks?  Goalies are welcome every week at skills! We just cannot guarantee dedicated goalie coaching, but we can incorporate goalies into drills when we know you’ll be there.

2022 Summer Ice

We hope your summers are going well! We’ve got some fun summer ice opportunities coming up! Please read on for information on what’s happening and how to register!


WHAT:

Scrimmages – Separate L1 and L2 scrimmages – sign up for whichever you’re comfortable skating in. These will likely be more relaxed than the regular season pace of play. To start, please register for just one of the levels to allow more folks to play; if there’s space, you may sign up for (or sub in!) the other. 


Skills – Open to all levels – coached ice time to work on skating, passing, shooting, and gameplay concepts. Coaches will gladly take feedback on what folks want to work on. (If you are interested in coaching, reach out to Avery and/or Libs for more information!)


WHEN:

Skills: Tuesdays 7:50 – 8:35 (45 minutes) 

L1 Scrimmage: Tuesdays 8:45-9:45 (1 hour)

L2 Scrimmage: Thursdays: 7:50 – 8:50 (1 hour)


DATES:

10 weeks, June 21 – August 25 

Option to register for 5 week halves:

Skills / L1 scrimmage: June 21-July 19 // July 26 – August 23

L2 scrimmage: June 23 – July 21 // July 28 – August 23


WHERE

Capitol Ice Arena


COST:

Half summer scrimmage: $60

Full summer scrimmage: $120

Half summer skills: $35

Full summer skills: $70

Financial aid for summer ice is available – please fill out the financial aid form or reach out to the treasurer (treasurer@madisongayhockey.org


LINKS TO PAY/REGISTER (must be logged in to purchase!):

Notes

– Paying through the link will add you to the group you’re signing up for; no further action is needed at this time on that.

– If you are wanting to do the whole summer’s worth of scrimmages (10 weeks), you will need to purchase both items separately. Do not buy one session twice!

– At this time, only register for one or the other of the scrimmage groups. You may register for both a scrimmage group and skills!


L1 Early Scrimmage (June 21-July 19)

L1 Late Scrimmage (July 26 – August 23)

L2 Early Scrimmage (June 23 – July 21)

L2 Late Scrimmage (July 28 – August 23)

Skills – Early (June 21-July 19)

Skills – Late (July 26 – August 23)


Please reach out with any questions! We hope to see you on the ice this summer!

MGHA 2021-2022 Season Announcement

It’s the summer time and many of us are getting the opportunity to breathe fresh air and experience the waters, see members of our hockey family for the first time in a long time, and to get excited about hockey for the upcoming season!!
If you’d like the TL;DR: 

  • We’re planning on proceeding with a normal as season as possible. More info will come out in the coming months, but for the safety of the league and those around you, please get the vaccine if it is safe for you to do so! We’ll be providing more COVID-19 precautions and review structure for the upcoming season in the coming months.
  • The deposit to play this year is $100 and dues will be $325 total. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please fill out a financial aid form here.
  • If you’d like to play in the Fall season, deposit here! 
  • Have a friend or loved one who wants to play? Have them fill out a new player application here.

Deposits and DuesThe deposit for the upcoming season is $100. To pay that and secure your spot, go to this link. If you were new with us last season (2020-2021) and paid a deposit, you are considered a returning player and able to register as a returning player even if you never got a chance to get on the ice with us


Dues for the upcoming season will be $325. The increase in cost reflects the increase in ice costs and allows for providing more financial aid for folks who need it, especially in light of the past year. We also are hoping these additional funds will also allow us additional latitude to support BIPOC organizations to meet our commitments we made last year.
Speaking of financial aid: If you are experiencing financial hardship, please fill out a financial aid form here. We’ll work with you so cost is not a barrier to you playing hockey!


Logistics and other info:We are firming up our season dates for September now and are working on ice reservations with the goal of keeping our Sunday evening hockey times. We’re this close to firming up dates and times, but will keep you all engaged over the course of this month as we finalize the dates. We will be finalizing COVID-19 precautions over the course of the summer, but you are welcome to provide feedback to the board on your expectations for the league and how we can best keep people safe. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated if it is safe for you to do so.


We will open registration for new players on July 5th, and are actively beginning recruiting in the coming weeks. If you have friends who want to play, get them excited and fill out a new player application here.

Summer ice: We’ve gotten ahold of Cap Ice for summer ice availability and are finalizing securing ice and schedule for this. High level goals are to have 2 hours of ice a week, 1 hour of skills and 1 hour of scrimmaging. Look for an announcement about summer ice in the next couple weeks.


Finally, we are excited to announce our new board of directors for this upcoming season.
The new Board of Directors:

President – Avery Cordingley

Vice President – Ian Leach

Secretary – Karoliina Bursian

Treasurer – Gene Zadzilka

Miracle Whip  – Bront Rojec


We’re excited to see everyone again soon! Get excited about hockey and take care of yourselves in the meantime.