Please Welcome Our U14AA Head Coach 2024-2025

Hi, my name is Chris Neil and I am excited about being named your 2024-2025 OVSS U14AA Coach. Thank you to Silver Seven hockey association for their efforts throughout the coach selection process.
I was raised in a small town of 700 people and that is where I fell in love with the game of hockey at a very young age. Im the youngest of four competitive boys and that is where I developed my tough competitive nature, they never let me get away with shortcuts.
During my junior and professional career, I had the privilege of playing for a long list of renowned coaches like Roger Neilson, Jacques Martin and Bryan Murray along with Paul McLean to name a few. I have been fortunate to witness first hand their coaching techniques and philosophies. I have seen a lot of strategies that work very well and unfortunately some that don’t. I intend to take the best of what I have seen work and adapt them into the game play strategies that will work well for this age group.
I am looking forward to the team tryouts slated for August. I would like to encourage all prospective players to come out and challenge for a position on the team.
I’m looking for kids that are hard working on and off the ice, that show respect to their teammates and coaches as well as their parents. I will run energetic and high pace practices that create good work ethic and good habits on the ice. I hope to also be able to foster an environment where kids feel like they can be creative with their skills while still developing. 
I plan to run off ice training practices as well to further develop good fitness habits. 
I want the kids to love the game as much as I do, so therefor we will have fun this season. You can expect 4-5 days a week and all team events will be mandatory.
We will be registering to participate in 4 tournaments this season.  Here are the 3 of the 4 tournaments that we have in place currently.

• Halton Hills – Best of the Best Tournament – Oct 11^th to Oct 13^th, 2024
•  OVSS Capital Fall Classic - Oct 25^th to Oct 27^th, 2024
• Silver Stick – Regional Playdowns – Northumberland– Nov 29^th to Dec 1^st, 2024
• 1 more to be announced.

Wishing you all the best in your off season, I look forward to the season to come.
Chris Neil