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Hard Divider Program Promotes Skill Development

By Minnesota Hockey, 03/31/15, 8:30AM CDT

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Through the support of Rink Systems, Inc., Minnesota Hockey continues to offer a one-time $2,500 subsidy to Minnesota Hockey affiliated associations that register to purchase a “hard divider” system. With this offer, Minnesota Hockey associations are able to purchase a set of boards, valued at $7,900, for just $5,400.

The Minnesota Hockey Hard Divider Program is designed to aid community based associations and their home rinks in promoting the growth of ice hockey through the implementation of cross-ice hockey.

“We’re real big into the American Development Model so Eagan made an investment in this last year, and it just made our cross-ice games that much more realistic,” said Eagan Hockey Association’s player development coordinator Erik Anderson. “You can see all the parents, the kids are that much more excited so Sunday game days are a big day for our kids. They love it.”

Not only a major component of player development through the American Development Model, cross-ice hockey provides a more efficient way to use ice time and space. Most importantly, the smaller playing surface gives children a greater sense of enjoyment when playing hockey. Cross-ice hockey allows players to increase the number of times they touch the puck, their puck possession time and overall speed in playing situations – all of which translate into quicker development of individual skills and a passion for the game.

“It gets everybody involved,” said Anderson in a recent edition of Minnesota Hockey Update. “Everybody is touching the puck, and it’s not just everybody chasing one puck carrier.”

Associations who have already received a subsidy are once again eligible if they would like to purchase a second set of boards to allow for three “mini-rinks” on one sheet of ice. Rink Systems will also offer mini-nets at a discounted rate for programs that take advantage of the Hard Ice Divider subsidy.

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