Where to Practice - Extra Ice Time

While you will go to team practices based on your team’s schedule, some of you may want to practice more than that, and practice ice-specific skills that you can’t at home. Today, we will go over some of the places you can practice at.

Stick and Puck

Stick and puck is essentially an open skate specifically for all variations of hockey. It is a great place to practice different individual skills. They have different age groups for stick and puck, ranging from preteen to adult (some locations may offer more age groups). There is no set skill level, and there are a few basic rules for when you go.

Rules: 

• You need a helmet

• You need hockey gloves

• Bring a hockey stick

• No scrimmages

• No sharing equipment

It is important to note that there may be more rules depending on which location you go to. You will also want to bring your own pucks. 

Remember when you go that the ice is shared, and so being as respectful as you can to the other sled hockey and stand-up hockey players is important. 

There are sticks and pucks everywhere, so you can search online to find the closest one to you, and see the schedule. Stick and puck are not free. 

Stick and puck information based on city

• Taylor County, MI: https://www.cityoftaylor.com/1472/Stick-Puck

• Oakland County, MI: https://www.noviicearena.com/public-schedule

• Genesee County, MI: https://www.crystalfh.com/cfh-sticknpuck.html

• Macomb County, MI: https://www.suburbanicemacomb.com/public-skating

• Wayne County, MI: https://dscclub.com/events/sticks-and-pucks

• A internet search can help you locate programs close to your home.

Depending on your location, make sure to look over the rules and prices before you attend. 

Open Skate

While it isn’t directly blocked off for sled hockey and stand-up hockey players, open skates are a great way to practice balance and movement on the ice. Like stick and puck, open skates are everywhere, and looking at the ice schedule for your nearest rink will reveal open skate days and times. 

Gaining confidence

When attending either of these, it is important to remember that there may be people who are not familiar with sled hockey. You have a right to skate just as any able-bodied person, so if people have questions about if it’s okay to use your sled on the ice, take it as a teachable moment.