BR.ICE Hockey Development coach Connor Hannon discusses a drill with a group of skaters aged 10 and younger during the first day of instruction Monday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The MacInnes Student Ice Arena echoed with the voices of budding hockey players aged 10 and younger late Monday morning. The kids were one of several groups of young hockey players working on their skillsets as part of the BR.ICE Hockey Development, which is in its second summer of offering specialized coaching to area players.

Owner Raymond Brice, who played hockey locally in the Copper Country Junior Hockey Association, and then with Houghton High School and Michigan Tech University, said that he learned a lot from last summer’s inaugural season.

“It’s been really good,” he said. “(We) just took a lot of lessons, reviews, athlete reviews, and tried to make ourselves better. (We) really worked with our staff on continuing education over the summer, advancing today’s modernization of the game, and tried to implement that in our systems.

“It’s been smooth so far, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer.”

The coaching staff includes former Gremlins forward and Finlandia University defenseman Connor Hannon, former Michigan Tech forward Trenton Bliss, former Michigan Tech defenseman Colin Swoyer, former Gremlins and Finlandia goaltender Marcus Gloss, former Marquette goaltender Liam Beerman, Northern Michigan defenseman Jakob Peterson, and former Bay Port forward Austin Mikesch.

In terms of participation this summer, Brice said that slots available for skaters and goaltenders were nearly completely full.

“Our participation is a little bit different,” he said. “Last year we did two-week long camps. This summer, we don’t have those because of Michigan Tech’s camps. We’re about 97% full. In Houghton, our skater rate is 99% full, so we filled up pretty well this year. A couple goalie spots open here and there, but other than that, it’s gone pretty well.”

The reason that Brice specifically mentioned Houghton is that the BR.ICE team also held a development camp in Marquette.

They asked parents and participants for feedback after last summer’s camps at the HoCo Arena in Hancock, and took those concerns and ideas seriously when considering what to change for this summer.

“(The) big things were (the) registration process, just the ease of registering, signing up, kind of working on what the athletes want more of, what we think they need more of,” Brice said. “How can we be more efficient with our time on the ice? How can they get more out of every day while still learning and be more engaged every day? Then what are they taking out of this to go into their seasons to become better players?

“We don’t want just players that can stickhandle better. We want them to stickhandle better in game situations, and try to translate all their skills out here into their season.”

Hockey skill development has become much more front and center given how the National Hockey League’s players are innovating the game in real time. Players like Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, are changing what skills general managers and coaches value. Brice feels it is important to understand that those players are setting the standard for what is expected of players as they move up levels.

“I think that that’s kind of the new wave,” said Brice. “I think the NHL dictates what goes on in the game of hockey, especially in North America. I think that’s the stage that everyone watches, and it’s the pinnacle that everyone wants to get to.

“I think the skill and speed of the game is changing today, and we’re trying to implement that out here.”

Brice, who played for Houghton from 2010-14, then played two years of juniors in the North American Hockey League before skating for Michigan Tech from 2016-20, so he has had a front row seat for how the game has changed in the past decade or so.

“Even 10 years ago, it was probably more hitting, and now it’s a little bit more speed, entries, and neutral zone rushes, stuff like that,” he said. “But you look at the teams that win the (Stanley) Cup, they’re teams that are hard and heavy as well. So, (we are) just trying to make well-rounded players, because not every player is going to be like McDavid, MacKinnon, but you have to find a way where you can fit in on your team. I’m just trying to teach these athletes a skill where they can bring them into their season.”

BR.ICE is working this summer with kids in three different age groups, 2006-10 birth years, 2011-13 birth years, and 2014-15 birth years, and the drills they do with each group differs as they work on building up players’ foundational skills.

“Our business model is based on retention,” said Brice. “We hope to do a good job and keep these athletes coming back. Our youngest group is kind of our foundation-based model. They’re just learning backwards, skating forward, striding, learning to play with their head up, soft hands when they stickhandle.

“As you get older, you’re starting to implement more details in the game, scanning with and without the puck, making quick slip passes, quick plays, driving the net, how can you attack and how can you create open space for yourself during the game? So as you get older, the detail gets (to be) more. We’re still doing some of that simple stuff with our 18 year olds that maybe haven’t been taught it before, so just trying to really build that base pyramid and go off to the top.”

Brice said there is progression to teaching each drill they use.

“I think there’s progression to teaching every drill,” he said. “There’s without a puck, there’s adding a puck, there’s adding pressure, then there’s adding into a game situation. You hope when you add in a drill, a compete drill at the end of the practice, or the session, that those kids are implementing what they learned during the session into that compete drill. Then it becomes muscle memory. That’s when the job feels rewarding, when you’re watching the athlete’s skill that you taught, and they’re implementing that into their compete session, or compete area of the session.”

The BR.ICE Hockey Development skates started Monday and will run into early August. Brice said he is already seeing how excited the kids are to be back on the ice.

“I think some of these kids have been off the ice for a little while,” he said. “They’re just excited to learn, and I think we do a good job of keeping the kids engaged and being ready to come every day and work, and be passionate about the game, which I’m excited about as well.”

Skaters attempt a drill during the first day of instruction Monday in the BR.ICE Hockey Development summer session at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)