Canadian Hockey Questions

[Isk8NYC]

Maybe this belongs in the Canadian section, but it's not about competitions. I'm just nosy. I understand that hockey is a very popular sport in Canada, moreso than here in the US.

Is it as popular for girls as boys?
Is it unisex (girls and boys on the same team) from a young age?
Do they split into single-gender teams at any point in development?

I ask because of my addiction to canadian youth television programs, like Blake Holsey High and (specifically) Screech Owls. The latter is about a youth hockey team that's co-ed. I'm just curious to know.

[slusher]

My son has read the entire Screech Owls series (obsessively) and has played hockey since he was 5. He also figure skates and is the best skater on his team (d'uh ! ) I'll have to ask him about girls on the Screech Owls team.

There are girls only leagues and mixed leagues. They run parallel to each other. There are no boys-only teams anymore, that was ruled to be sexist, and yes I wonder how they get away with girl only teams but I digress. Kids either play in a recreational league (no checking) or all-star, travel, or rep teams with checking that compete at an interleague/city level (all mean the same thing). Girls that want to push themselves to the limit will play in the mixed league/rep teams. Girls hockey is growing, as ringette and figure skating is shrinking, but it still isn't as popular as it is for boys. Almost every boy plays in a hockey league at some time in their life, and also the ubiquitous road hockey, you don't see too many girls having a pick of game of road hockey.

At some time around age 11-12, girls who are in hockey for fun go into the girls leagues. It's lonely being the only girl on a mixed team and sitting all by yourself in the girls dressing room. The girls teams are very competitive, don't get me wrong, and the team friendship is a big part of that, but girls tend to drop out at that age more than boys do.

[jp1andOnly]

I have bolded the questions you asked and answered under them

Maybe this belongs in the Canadian section, but it's not about competitions. I'm just nosy. I understand that hockey is a very popular sport in Canada, moreso than here in the US.

Is it as popular for girls as boys?


Girls hockey is growing by leaps and bounds. Skating clubs are losing girls to hockey. Skate Canada is trying to forge alliances with hockey leagues...especially girls, to get members.

Is it unisex (girls and boys on the same team) from a young age?

There are unisex teams as well as girls leagues. Because girls hockey is coming along, many girls will often stay in a girls league and some will do both. I know a gal who only plays on a guy team and she went to court for the right to enter into the boys dressing room before the game because she was being excluded from pre-game talk..Not sure if she won. She didnt want to go in while they were changing, just for the coaches talks, pregame chit-chat, etc

Do they split into single-gender teams at any point in development?

The older the kids get there becomes a difference in size. Some of the strongest players stay in rep hockey, and that includes a few girls. Once they get full contact, many girls go into the more competitive girls teams as the size difference is just to great. House leagues are more recreational and they don't tend to be single gender, unless you are on an all female team

I ask because of my addiction to canadian youth television programs, like Blake Holsey High and (specifically) Screech Owls. The latter is about a youth hockey team that's co-ed. I'm just curious to know.

[mikawendy]

There are no boys-only teams anymore, that was ruled to be sexist, and yes I wonder how they get away with girl only teams but I digress.
My guess is that there might be fewer boys who would want to play on a mainly girls' hockey team, whereas before there were mixed teams, there might have been girls who wanted to play on the all boys' teams....


Girls hockey is growing, as ringette and figure skating is shrinking, but it still isn't as popular as it is for boys..

What's ringette? Is that another word for curling? or for synchronized skating?

[jp1andOnly]

My guess is that there might be fewer boys who would want to play on a mainly girls' hockey team, whereas before there were mixed teams, there might have been girls who wanted to play on the all boys' teams....




What's ringette? Is that another word for curling? or for synchronized skating?

Ringette is jsut like hockey but its played with a ring and hockey type sticks with no blades. Some of the rules are different than hockey, IMO its a thinking game, and it also focuses more on skating skills than hockey. In many parts of the country ringette is flourishing

[slusher]

Canadian Ringette Assn (http://www.ringette.ca/e/index.htm)

[luna_skater]

Womens' hockey is growing by huge leaps and bounds in Canada, due chiefly to the success of our National hockey team (Olympic gold and multiple world gold). I live in Calgary, home of one of the Team Canada training centres. I work at the University, and there are loads of female hockey camps there all summer. I've seen Haley Wickenheiser out and about a few times (as well as Catriona Le May Doan, since the Olympic Oval is on campus).

[twokidsskatemom]

I think girls hockey is growing everywhere. Even if your kid is doing competive hockey, its alot cheaper than Fs.Womens hockey gives out nice money for college.
We have had coaches and even the rink manger try and get our daughter to change.!!They watch her when there is a session before a game.

[Isk8NYC]

Womens hockey gives out nice money for college.

That's a great point, since hockey is an NCAA sport and figure skating is not. Synchro has been trying to change from a Club Sport to an NCAA sport, but they're having a hard time effecting the change.