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.