HYH News

Cross Ice Hockey is a 3 on 3 game played ACROSS the rink instead up and down the rink like a typical 6 on 6 (5 skaters and a goaltender) hockey game.  The rink is divided into three equal sections using rink dividers or bumpers allowing three games to take place simultaneously on one sheet of ice.  The playing area for a Cross Ice game is reduced to about 85 ft x 66 ft as compared to a typical 200 ft x 85 ft full sheet hockey game.

Playing in a small area allows more touches of the puck, more shooting, passing and scoring opportunities, more quick changes in direction, more game action, less stopping of play and most important more fun!  The rapid pace and repetition of playing in such a small area allows skills to develop at a much faster pace than playing on a full sheet of ice.  The players don’t know they are developing at a faster pace, they just know they are having a blast!

While the Cross Ice Program is new to Hingham Youth Hockey, “Cross Ice” or “Small Area” games are not a new concept.  Many organizations from the beginner level up through the college and professional levels have been using “Cross Ice” or “Small Area” games as part of their regular practice plans for years.  The USA Hockey and Mass Hockey Organizations strongly recommend this type of program for all young hockey players ages 5-8.  Mass Hockey, in partnership with the Boston Bruins, has donated the bumpers and small nets we use for Cross Ice so we could implement this program in Hingham.