Five athletes who grew up playing hockey in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and who can now be called Olympians attribute playing hockey at a young age to their holistic development as athletes.  As these athletes grew up they developed specific skills in their sport. They also received the crossover benefits that are generated by playing additional sports. 

Without question, technical skills provide the foundation for a young player’s ability to play the game and will fuel their continued enjoyment of the game. But, are our players less skilled? Today, players are exposed to cutting edge training and skills development programs, skating and shooting instruction, and professional goaltending coaches. 

January 6th was likely a normal Monday for most of us. We woke up, got ready for school or work for the first time since the Holiday Break and carried on our day as normal. However, for two Bantam Hockey teams this was not the case. 

Four years - an Olympic cycle. For an athlete, that span can either feel like a lifetime or can be gone in the blink of an eye. For Tyler McGregor, that time span was the difference between the lowest of lows and the highest of highs.