your home for hockey

Overview

Program Info

A fun, safe and high-energy first experience of hockey.

Welcome to your new home for hockey!

The North Toronto Learn to Play program is one of the most comprehensive hockey skills programs in the country designed for our youngest players. It combines professional, caring instructors with the latest strategies and techniques to ensure your child has a fun, safe and high-energy first experience of hockey. It is the perfect launching pad for any young child who wants to progress into our community House League or competitive hockey programs.

Learn to Play (born 2018-2020) For beginners and all children new to hockey.

  • must be able to get up and down on their own, and at least shuffle along in skates freely
  • must be comfortable on the ice without a parent
  • should be able to “run” or stride/skate freely around the ice
  • should have experience moving a puck with a stick
  • must be comfortable on the ice without a parent.
FEATURES
  • Paid, professional instructors only. We have one of the few LTP programs in the city where only professional, and trained instructors are teaching your kids.  No parents are on the ice for these sessions.
  • Child-instructor ratio is typically 4 to 1 and never more than 6 to 1.
  • A variety of local arenas available which means less driving and more fun!
  • A fun combination of skills and small-area scrimmages.
  • Dynamic, progressive skill development program based on the latest recommendations of the Hockey Canada Long Term Player Development Model.
  • Age-appropriate equipment such as lighter, blue, 4oz. pucks, small nets and small-ice surfaces surrounded by soft, safe foam dividers.

Program
Logistics

What is the time commitment?

Learn to Play athletes participate in a 50-minute session each week, equaling approximately 19 sessions.

When does the season start and end?

Learn to Play sessions begin in October after Thanksgiving and end in mid-April.

Will there be sessions on holidays?

There are no sessions scheduled over major holidays (Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Family Day, Easter) or during the public school March Break.

Benefits
& Fees

What are the benefits of LTP with North Toronto Hockey?

We have one of the few LTP programs in Toronto where only professional, trained instructors are teaching your children. We also offer a low instruction to child ration – never more than 6:1, with most classes at 4:1. All programs are run in local arenas close to our midtown community.

What about costs?

$750 for registrations May 1st, 2023 and onwards, subject to availability.

What's included?
  • Approximately 19 weekly sessions with paid professional instructors.
  • Custom North Toronto-branded practice jersey
  • Welcome package and end-of-season souvenir with North Toronto-branded gear.
  • Session options at premier ice facilities in the midtown area including North Toronto Arena.
What is the refund policy?

2023-2024 Refund Policy:

All requests for withdrawal from the North Toronto Hockey Association (NTHA) must be made via email to the registrar (registrar@nthockey.ca). Refunds will only be provided if applicable as outlined below:

Prior to July 31st 2023, players may withdraw and receive a refund of their registration fee minus the non-refundable $150 admin fee.

As of August 1st 2023, no refunds will be issued for any reason. This includes a player who withdraws their participation voluntarily or involuntarily, including quarantine/isolation orders, the results of virus testing/screening, other virus-related conditions, illness, injury, move of residence or any other reasons, a refund will not be issued.

Players who are on a Wait List, or who otherwise have their registration declined because their division/session is full will receive a 100% refund.

According to GTHL Rules 7.9 & 7.10, you may be registered with only one hockey club/association at any given time in the Hockey Canada Registry. Any player found to be registered with multiple clubs/associations and who chooses to withdraw from NTHA will be subject to the above refund conditions and timelines, including the $150 non-refundable admin fee. GTHL Rules can be found on the GTHL Website at: https://gthlcanada.com/rulebook

The NTHA reserves the right to modify all programming at our discretion at any time. Some reasons such as, but not limited to, may be in response to local virus outbreaks, virus-related directives from government, directives from our hockey governing bodies, and directives from our arena suppliers. Such modifications may include but are not limited to:

  • Reductions in the number of players on the ice or a reduction in ice time.
    Changes to the times and/or location of program sessions.
    Substituting hockey skills sessions for competitive games.
    Temporary cancellations of program sessions as required.
  • If the program is shut down for public health reasons, we are still obligated to fulfill our contractual obligations, and we cannot guarantee a refund.
  • Should we be unable to provide a program, NTHA reserves the right to cancel the program and provide the participants a partial refund.
  • There will be no refunds for missed ice times due to illness or injury.

Program
Details

Instructors

NT is proud to have the best professional instructors on our team. Our instructions have been active, trusted and properly insured members of our hockey community since 1995. They know hockey and they know how to teach it to kids.

What skills will my child learn?

All sessions progress from simple basics to more coordinated skill sets. Within sessions, players are grouped according to ability to ensure adequate instruction and practice for each skill.

Skating skills progression: balance and agility, edge control, starting/stopping, forward skating and striding, backward skating, turning and crossovers.

Stick and puck skills progression: stationary puck control, moving puck control, stationary passing/receiving, moving passing/receiving, shooting.

Fun: Small area scrimmages and fun are also an important part of this program!

What equipment will my child need?

Once your child enrols in hockey, it will be important to properly outfit your player with the following mandatory equipment:

MANDATORY EQUIPMENT

  • CSA-approved Helmet with wire face mask or plastic shield
    • Used helmets expire 6.5 years from date of manufacture. Check the labels if using.
  • Hockey Gloves
  • BNQ-Approved Neck Guard
  • Elbow Pads
  • Shin Pads
  • Shoulder Pads
  • Jock / Jill underpants with protective cup
  • Hockey Pants
  • Hockey Skates
  • Hockey Stick

While we show some equipment in NT colours, any colour (usually Black) is fine.

USEFUL ACCESSORIES

  • Long johns and a thin long sleeve shirt (or pajamas) under equipment will improve comfort and absorb perspiration.
  • Hockey equipment bag, skate guards, water bottle and stick tape.
  • Waterproof labels for all equipment as pieces can get mixed-up in the change room.

Our instructors have been trusted members of our hockey development community since 1995. They know how to teach and inspire our youngest players!

I’m ready!

Registration + Schedules

REGISTRATION FOR THE 2023-24 SEASON WILL OPEN MAY 1, 2023 @ 12:01AM

Registration Details

1 Each session costs $750. Just choose your preferred day and time from the list  and click on “Register Now” below.  Times are approximate and may be altered if required by arena procedures and flood schedules.

2 Sessions fill up quickly so your choice may not be available. If your chosen session does not have enough registrants to proceed,  you will be offered space in another open session prior to the season start.

3 If you wish to register in more than one weekly Learn to Play sessions please contact the Registrar directly registrar@nthockey.ca .

4 Registration is now open. Register Now!

Schedules

SATURDAYS @ North Toronto Arena
10:40am
11:3opm

SUNDAYS @ North Toronto Arena
10:40am
11:30am

TUESDAYS @ RINX
5:00pm
6:00pm

THURSDAYS @ UCC
6:00pm

With Appreciation to

Our Sponsors

As with volunteers, our programs would be nearly impossible to run without the generous financial support of the businesses and individuals in our community. Please ensure that we reward them with our patronage whenever possible.

We’ll be updating this section with our 2022/23 season sponsors shortly. Stay tuned!

More questions?

Contact Us

For all things Learn to Play, you can email hl@nthockey.ca

Full List of Contacts

President – NTHA: president@nthockey.ca
Registration: registrar@nthockey.ca
House League & Learn to Play Program: hl@nthockey.ca
Skills & LTP: natali.robinson@nthockey.ca
CDS Program: cds@nthockey.ca
Select Program: select@nthockey.ca
GTHL Program: gthl@nthockey.ca
Head of Referees: referee@nthockey.ca
Sponsorship: sponsorship@nthockey.ca
Coaching: coaching@nthockey.ca
Volunteers: volunteer@nthockey.ca
Alumni and Recognition: greenwall@nthockey.ca