Follow the registration link above for the Junior Braves Mite/U8 House League program.

Please note that the Wilmette Tribe Hockey Club is now part of the Wilmette Hockey Association.  The Tribe will now compete as the Junior Braves!

The Wilmette Tribe Hockey Club's House program is focused on fun, competitive, low-­stress team play. The program's goal is for young hockey players to develop a foundation of skills and love for the game so they play for a lifetime.  Hockey is a game of both skill AND passion.  Wilmette Tribe Hockey Club members come to the rink with energy and an edge that let's everyone know--they are a hockey player and they love the game!

Key Features of Wilmette Tribe House Program:

• House League Director Tim Benz
• House League Coaching Education Session - featuring WHA coaches and our Hockey Director Tim Benz
• The return of the popular Parent Hockey Educational Session
• Saturday Skills Sessions for Devo and Junior Mites that develop skills, speed and hockey sense to help players take their game to the next level
• Saturday Group Skills Sessions for Senior Mites which gets players sharp and ready for the big game. This group session will be organized around player skill levels and teams.
• Sunday Games: Devo/ Jr Mites have games on the Studio Ice and Snr Mites have a mix of Cross Ice and Full Ice games on the NHL ice.  Benefits of Cross Ice Games include: 
  • More cross ice and small space games means more ice time and puck touches
  • More ice time and puck touches means more battles, more chances and more fun
  • Be ready and fully prepared for full ice game events where players can show their stuff

Go to this link for details!

TRAVEL

• Mite 1,2,3
• Girls U12, U14 "Ponce", U14 "Braband", U19
• Squirt 1, 2, 3, 4
• PeeWee CS 2008; PeeWee NIHL 1, PeeWee NIHL 2, PeeWee NIHL 3
• Bantam 1,2

Attention: There are some great deals on ice rental over the next weeks...please click here for more details.

Please download and review the WHA Covid-19 policies and protocols. Note that Centennial Ice Arena and North Shore Ice Arena have different policies - links to both are in the document.

ADDRESS -  North Shore Ice Arena, 2111 Founders Drive Northbrook, IL 60062
ATTIRE - All players required to wear athletic gear for 
working out. Please provide your own water bottles. We 
can count on the water fountains being out of 
commission. No food or drinks other than water allowed 
in the studio.
SESSIONS -  Will start with a warm up, dynamic 
movements, and then move onto breaking the team up 
into two groups. SAQ (Speed, agility and quickness) will 
be incorporated on some level for all ages.  With the 
older groups there will be a lot of focus on strength until 
we have more games in sight.

Do you have a girl interested in playing travel hockey?
Learn about Our WHA Girls Hockey Program

Dear Wilmette Braves Players and Families,

We hope you are having a safe and enjoyable summer. The Wilmette Hockey Association (WHA) is excited about welcoming all players for the 2020-2021 season. Please know that in preparing for this season, we have been working closely with USA Hockey, the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI), the Chicago United Hockey League and the Illinois Department of Public Health to help us create a safe, valuable and fun experience for our players.

COVID-19 Update

The health and safety of our athletes, staff, coaches and families is our highest priority. WHA is mandated to follow the guidelines and requirements of the organizations mentioned above to safely run our programming. As of this writing, we are taking these actions to keep our players safe:

• Requiring players to wear masks into and out of the rink
• Limiting the number of players on the ice at any given time according to state guidelines
• Implementing drill spacing as much as possible to reduce physical distance between players
• Limiting the number of spectators inside Centennial Ice Rink and North Shore Ice Arena

As the situation with COVID-19 is constantly in flux, we may have to make some adjustments along the way and we ask for your patience, understanding and support. We are committed to working through these challenges and the continued delivery of a program which focuses on player development.

What’s New at WHA

We are committed to delivering a program which focuses on player development and creating a positive experience for our families. There are lot of new things in store!

Back in February, Tim Benz joined us as our Hockey Director. Since then, he has been working hard to redesign our programs, taking into consideration your valuable feedback. He’s assembled an excellent coaching staff that includes both familiar and new names. Some of new things you’ll see this season:

• Enhanced youth program offering – from Mites through Midgets – as well as our successful Girls program
• Incorporation of the Mite program under the Braves umbrella as the Wilmette Junior Braves (formerly Wilmette Tribe)
• Focus on player development across all levels – House League, NIHL and CSDHL
• Off-ice training at the Travel level

Registration for Braves Now Open

Registration for the 2020-2021 season is now open for House, Travel, and Girls programs. Registration for Junior Braves (Mite House and Mite Travel) opens August 1. As part of the Travel team registration, players will be provided:

• Breezer shell pants
• Home and away socks
• DriFit-style training shirt
• Winter skull cap

Conditioning and Tryouts

The conditioning and tryout schedule has been set and is now posted to the WHA website. Please check there for player level specifics. The process begins 8/15.

Travel Jersey Orders

Travel jerseys for new players (or if an existing player needs a replacement) at the Squirt though Midget level are available through the Wilmette Bicycle and Sport Shop. The team there will start fittings and take orders on July 29. 

Call for Volunteers

The WHA is strong because of our dedicated volunteers. There are many opportunities throughout the year for parents to help with a variety of needs. This year volunteer sign-ups and service hours will be tracked through a module in Sports Engine called DIBBS.  We will be applying a volunteer opt out fee for those Travel families that choose not to complete the number of service hours required. Look for more information and sign up opportunities as part of the registration process.

As we look forward to the season, know that we are working hard to continue delivering a great hockey experience that has been our tradition for more than 65 years. If you have any questions, please contact either of us. Thank you for your continued commitment and support.

Go Braves!!!

Tim Benz

WHA Hockey Director

Dennis McGreal

WHA President

See document below or go to the "Programs" tab for the upcoming Fall conditioning and tryout schedule as well as the coaching lineup.

The Wilmette Braves are pleased to announce that we will be having a Midget team for the upcoming 2020-2021 season!  The team will be led by Head Coach Bill Martin and compete in the NIHL U16 Elite division.  We will also have a midget house team that will participate in the NWHL (as long as we have player numbers to support a team). We are very excited to announce the great opportunity, please feel free to reach out to Hockey Director Tim Benz with any questions or concerns.

Thank You 
Tim Benz
Wilmette Hockey Director
847-502-4399
tjbenz12@gmail.com

Coach Travel Hockey with the Wilmette Braves. If you love to teach and inspire the next generation of hockey players contact Willmette Hockey.