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Participant Registration for The First Shift Program now Open

By Ontario Minor Hockey Association, 06/01/18, 1:00PM EDT

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Introducing New Faces to Hockey

Thousands of children across Ontario will have the chance to fall in love with hockey this season thanks to the Canadian Tire First Shift program. A number of programs will be held across OMHA centres over the fall and winter in the upcoming season.

First introduced in 2014 as a pilot project, the Canadian Tire First Shift is a learn-to-play hockey program designed for kids aged 6-10 who are new to the game. To-date, more than 15,500 Canadian boys and girls have been introduced to Canada’s game through the Canadian Tire First Shift, with many programs filling up on the first day of registration.

“As we gear up for the fifth season of the Canadian Tire First Shift, we are delighted by the overwhelming response from minor hockey associations across the country wanting to host the program, as well as a new generation of hockey players beginning their journey into our sport,” said Ludovic Lord, manager of recruitment initiatives for Hockey Canada. “Once again, the efforts and hard work of minor hockey associations and their volunteers will result in more than 6,000 children trying hockey this upcoming season as part of the Canadian Tire First Shift.”

“Here at the OHF we believe hockey should be accessible and enjoyed by all –  the Canadian Tire First Shift Program helps Ontarians to do just that. We are so grateful to see this avenue help ignite the love of the game to so many new players,” said Tony Foresi, OHF President.

With an emphasis on fun, the Canadian Tire First Shift allows kids ages 6-10 to easily try hockey for $199, which includes enrollment for a six-week, on-ice curriculum and head-to-toe Bauer Hockey equipment that each child can keep.

Playing hockey allows kids to learn teamwork and leadership skills, inspire hard work and dedication and the experience of being involved in a community. The core values and lessons taught help to develop good citizens and healthy athletes.

The First Shift covers a vast area of routines, games and activities that will be beneficial to the participant’s enjoyment of the program and experience as a hockey player. All drills are run in small groups and focus on a variety of skills throughout each session.

A number of OMHA Centres, from St. Catharines to Belle River to Owen Sound to Prince Edward County, are hosting programs this season. The complete list of host OMHA Centres is included below.

Fall Programs

Location Date
Milton September 19th
Oshawa September 20th
Napanee September 26th
Whitby September 27th
Brampton September 29th
Georgetown September 30th
Owen Sound October 2nd
Bradford October 3rd
Uxbridge October 4th
Aurora October 5th
East Gwillimbury October 6th
Guelph October 9th
Trenton October 10th
Tavistock October 10th
Prince Edward County October 11th
Essex October 16th
Belle River October 17th
Cobourg October 17th
Ingersoll October 21st
Elmira October 23rd
Langton October 26th
St. Catharines October 28th
Port Colborne October 30th
Newmarket November 7th
Georgina November 13th

Winter Programs

Location Date
Milton January 10th
Georgetown January 11th
Brampton January 12th
Owen Sound January 16th
Guelph January 17th
St. Catharines January 27th
Woolwich Feburary 4th
Uxbridge Feburary 8th
Prince Edward County Feburary 9th
Whitby Feburary 10th

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