HANCOCK - Local mite hockey players (ages 7 to 8) didn't have a venue to play full-ice games under new mandates from the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association, but the new Full Ice Mite Hockey Club is bringing that possibility back to the Copper Country through affiliation with the Amateur Athletic Union.
The newly formed club already has four teams and is about to add a fifth team, and the club is intended to supplement play in the Calumet Hockey Association and Copper Country Junior Hockey Association.
"We got a number of parents talking and ... keep in mind many of these (7- to 8-year-old kids) have already played hockey for 4 to 5 years. They're used to real games and used to full ice and they want to play real games," said local club organizer David Rowe, whose 7-year-old son Matthew plays in the club. "They know the difference."
USA Hockey originally came up with the idea to remove full-ice games for mites, and while they do not mandate that, the MAHA did under its latest bylaw update. The CCJHA consequently made the change to half-ice and cross-ice games for mites.
"One thing that really solidified it for me was the kids asking 'When are we going to play our first game?'" Rowe said.
The club became affiliated with AAU, set up a 501(c)(3) organization, gathered funding, distributed information, and just a couple months later, the club has more than 50 players who will play a 10-15 game schedule in the local area, with possible tournament travel opportunities in the spring of 2012.
"It's important to note that we're doing this as a supplement to what kids are getting (in the CHA and CCJHA)," Rowe said. "We took a look at what kids are doing in southeast Michigan and other hockey hotbeds. Those kids have opportunities we don't have. I saw what was going on with our mites and we just wanted to provide that opportunity up here."
The club monitors the CHA and CCJHA schedules and holds games at different times to make sure kids can participate in all available leagues.
Competitive games are important to the club, but more than anything, the club is emphasizing equal participation and playing time for players. The club only features full-ice games and no practices, and volunteer coaches - who are often parents of players - ensure fair playing time for everyone.
"We just want to bring the focus back on the kids. ... There are a lot of life lessons that kids can learn at an early age," Rowe said.
The four teams are all named after local hockey affiliations: Calumet Spitfires (Calumet High School alumnus Ben Johnson plays for the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires), Keweenaw K-Wings (Former local players Trent Daavettila and Eric Kattelus play for the East Coast Hockey League's K-Wings), Houghton Marlies (Houghton High School alumnus Jeff Finger is currently playing for the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies) and Hancock Huskies (Hancock graduate Tanner Kero plays for Michigan Tech).
Cost is $14 for players and $16 for coaches for the entire season.
For more information or to join the club, email fullicemites@aol.com.
"The club is doing all that it can to minimize the barriers and obstacles that kids might have to participate," Rowe said. "After this year, we'll assess where we are and get a feel from the community if they're interested in doing it again."