Date Time Location
Mon 20 April
7:30pm – 9:00pm
Evaluations – Sportsworld
Wed 22 April
7:45pm – 9:15pm
Intrasquad –
Sportsworld
Thurs 23 April
8:00pm – 9:30pm
Exhibition v. Flamborough
– Sportsworld
Fri 24 April
6:45pm – 8:15pm
Exhibition v.
Woolwich – Activa Sportsplex
Sun 26 April
4:15pm – 5:45pm
Exhibition v. Waterloo
– Activa Sportsplex
(Evaluations include on ice testing and skills. All releases will be done via the web)
Thank you for inquiring about the Kitchener Lady Ranger U18 “A” tryouts. Our tryout dates and times have now been set. To ensure that you will get the most out of this hockey season, I wanted to provide you with a brief outline of what to expect your commitment to be for the 2026 – 2027 season. We are a full “non-parent” coaching staff including a goalie coach. With several players “aging out” and several more moving to “AA” hockey, we are looking to fill several vacancies. If you have not already done so and are interested in attending tryouts, the coaching staff would appreciate a short hockey bio / expression of interest emailed to [email protected].
Tryout Evaluations
Over the course of these tryouts, you will be evaluated by as many as ten independent evaluators with no daughters playing / trying out for the team. I promise you as fair and impartial look as any you have received in the past.
Games and Practices
Although not finalized at this time, the U18A “Loop” last season included Ayr, Cambridge, Brantford, Guelph, Saugeen, South Huron, Stratford, Woolwich, and Waterloo. Home games are tentatively Saturday afternoon. Practices will be weekly every Wednesday for 1.5 hours and every Friday for 1 hour.
Tournaments
We will be playing in five tournaments this season. Our goal will be to attend Tournaments that will offer the opportunity to “showcase” our TEAM’s skill and ability. We are looking at:
1. September – Niagara / Oakville
2. October – Windsor - Hoctoberfest
3. November – Barrie / Peterborough
4. February – London Annual
5. Brampton - when qualify for Provincials.
Off Ice Training / On Ice Testing
Off Ice Training - Off Ice Training will take place at the University of Waterloo throughout the season. Overall strength, conditioning and flexibility will help us win those on-ice battles and help reduce injuries. Fitness combine testing will take place at the University of Waterloo post tryout, pre-season, and post-season to assess continued development.
On ice testing will be conducted post April tryout, September pre-season, and December / January to evaluate player (and team) speed and agility development. The ladies will be provided with a chart of their times in both speed and agility compared against the overall team average. Improvement from the beginning of season to end of season will be the goal.
Social
U18 hockey is very demanding for the ladies on several fronts including school, work, and other family obligations. We will have an early season team building and a mid-season social gathering for the ladies. Healthy Team Lunches / Dinners will also be built into Tournaments and weekend games away.
Nutrition - Proper nutrition “Off Ice” WILL help you “On Ice.”
A nutrition component will be built into season including pre and post game nutrition, hydration and sport specific nutrition essentials including Food as Fuel for Optimal Performance, Water and Hydration, Nutrition Overview and Food Shifting, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Protein, Fats, Game Time Nutrition, Fast Foods, Eating for Tournaments and Supplements. A nutrition package will be provided to you in May to assist in your nutritional development. A team cooler will be provided for all games and tournaments to help support players’ nutrition.
AA vs. A Hockey
We respect that players often want the second “A” and settle for playing on teams who are not competitive “AA” teams.
You might be practicing at the highest level but how much are you actually competing and more importantly, developing. Players develop from repetition, confidence, game situations, learning through mistakes. Sometimes the best thing for a player’s growth isn’t the highest-level team. It’s the place where the team actually competes, where they get shifts, where they touch the puck, where they are trusted in real moments of the game and where they have the time and space to actually develop. Because confidence and opportunity will develop players faster than a “letter” ever will. Since we began coaching “18A” hockey in 2017, we have moved players to “AA” every year, both within and outside of KMHA. If you truly want to develop for competitive “AA” hockey, we will provide you with the opportunity and tools to do so without sacrificing a development season.
Coaching Staff Expectations
To ensure there is no misunderstanding regarding the coming season, the coaching staff want you to understand and be committed to the following BEFORE attending our tryouts.
1 - ALL the ladies will be offered the opportunity to grow and develop as one piece of our eighteen-piece team puzzle. Respecting how you see yourself, NO ONE is the sole piece to our puzzle. Hockey remains a team sport.
2 - Our systems of play REQUIRE everyone to understand all five on ice positions and responsibilities. You will need to be versatile. Systems play results in forwards playing defense and defense playing forward during shifts / periods / games throughout the season.
3 – Our team goal is to grow and develop throughout the season to place us in the best position for playoffs and play downs.
4 – We are currently utilizing Pixollot and Vidswap to provide quality game video analysis that allows for both team and individual player clips, to assist in team and player development. This requires 15 to 20 minutes of weekly review by all players.
5 – Our goal is player development on ice and personal development off ice. We work closely with our U18 AA and U22A teams and will push those players interested in playing AA to practices and games, when possible, throughout the season. Our individual player goal is to move those who wish to play AA hockey next season to a AA team within or outside of KMHA, as we did this past season. Believing that those with sports backgrounds will do better professionally, we will look to continue to develop the players’ leadership skills, organizational skills and time management skills as they adapt to the U18A demands and work to achieve their own season goals.
6 - As part of assisting you with the “tools to do so”, a developmental package beginning post-tryouts will be built and discussed with each player throughout the season. This package will be completed at seasons end and, along with your individual player video clips, will provide a basis for your hockey resume as you move to next seasons “AA/A” tryouts.
We understand that tryouts are stressful for all involved. The decision to release players is a “business” decision made by the coaching staff for “team” purposes and is not meant to be taken personally by any individual player.
Player Signings
Within twenty-four hours of an offer for a position on the 2026 – 2027 Kitchener Lady Rangers U18 “A” team, we will require a $500.00 non-refundable cash deposit to confirm your acceptance.
If you have any additional questions about our tryouts or season, please reach out.