Less than six months into its launch, the Minnesota Hockey Hard Divider Program is paying off already.  This past weekend one of the older arenas in the Minnesota, Osseo Ice Arena, showcased two of the newest developments in youth hockey as Osseo Maple Grove utilized its cross-ice hard dividers to host a sanctioned mite half-ice tournament.

Osseo Maple Grove Hockey Association (OMGHA), which was also one of the first associations to apply and receive a subsidy through the Hard Divider Program, continues to be a leader in cross-ice and half-ice hockey. The tournament, called the Tin Bin Showdown, brought 24 teams (16 Mite and eight 8U teams) together for a two day event that included 40 half-ice games on one sheet of ice. Even more impressively, the event only used the ice from 8 am – 5 pm each day, allowing other teams to use the evening hours.

The tournament showcased the type of non-stop, tightly contest action that is one of the main benefits of cross-ice and half-ice tournaments. Breakaways were few and far between, allowing players and teams to display other skills like passing, stick handling, hockey sense, decision making and puck protection, just to name a few.

The hard dividers added a new element to the half-ice games by offering participants a much more realistic playing area.  Players were seen battling for pucks and bumping each other along the dividers just like they would by the standard boards. The puck took more consistent and predictable bounces off the boards, and players didn’t have to worry about losing their puck to the other side when shooting high. 

Most importantly, the amount of fun the kids were having was easily visible from anywhere in the arena. From watching kids of all skill levels make an impact on the game to hearing parents mention how they wish their association had a set of hard dividers, it was a great experience for everyone involved. 

If your association is interested in securing a set of cross ice hard dividers, now is the time! The Minnesota Hockey Hard Divider Program, presented by Rink System’s Inc., has only four grants still available.  Associations are encouraged to apply online or by mail.