I Thought this program was called first goal?

The Carolina Hurricanes NHL team are the ones who run the First Goal Program. https://www.canesyouthhockey.com/page/show/4065085-hurricanes-first-goal-program
This program starts registration on May 1st. If kids want to get registered to play hockey, this is the best place to start!!!

WHat is the difference between the little canes program and first goal program?

A lot! First Goal is to get your kid in safe, comfortable, and fitting gear WHILE testing it out for 6ish weeks. The Lil Canes program is to take players from trying things out to training them to play hockey in an organized recreational setting.

Why is there one registration for lil canes 1 and 2?

This is a long answer but... Ice utilization is paramount due to popularity of our great game! This means that we need to know PRECISELY how many kids are going to skate at a location before breaking up the LC1/LC2 classes into groups to best utilize the ice. When there is up to 60 kids on the ice at a time, and up to 120 kids in two hours, we have to be precise in the groupings on the ice to best utilize coaches, and every square inch. 

Lastly, we want folks to lock in their spots as quickly as possible. Space is limited on the ice, and we want families to skate WHERE they would like to skate whenever possible. 

Is my child ready for the lil canes program?

The prerequisite for participants is to complete Basic 1/2 before going into the Lil Canes 1 program OR complete the First Goal Program. It is not a bad plan to continue completing Basic 3-5 while participating in the Lil Canes classes, to do so would be completely optional but a fantastic way to refine your players' skating!

Is my child ready for the kindercanes program? 

Is your child between the ages of 3 - 6? Have they completed our Snowplow Sam program? If so, then they are ready to join Kindercanes!

What is a player pool? 

This is where all player are to register in order and wait to be placed into their proper team, class, etc. This is the method we utilize for the PHHL, as there are 1400+ players, so we have no idea what team they will be on until evaluation info if finalized, etc.

Is there rental gear available for my new player? 

Unfortunately this is not a service that we currently provide. There are used and new equipment options available from vendors such as Pure Hockey, etc.

Is my child ready for house league? 

This depends purely on the evaluation results and your child. Our job in Learn to Play is help get your child "good enough" to enjoy the higher level of league play whilst keeping the learning process fun. We won't make the recommendation to join the league unless the child, from our point of view, is ready. As a note, the older the player, the higher the expectations are from the evaluating coach for safety, and logistical reasons.
As an additional note, the league registers in the Fall and Spring. If your player is "ready" but there is no available space in the league at that time, then your player would be recommended to land into the Canes Academy classes as a space to continue refining skills while in anticipation for the next league start up!

My child didn't pass, now what? 

We recommend to those that don't pass Lil Canes1/2, or Kindercanes, is to repeat the class you were just in. Each class curriculum always ends up looking slightly different as we try to adjust to the needs of the current registrants. The base skills remain the same and we recommend getting through the class in order to improve the chances your child has fun playing.

We are missing a session, can we make up a class? 

The depends on time of year. Classes in the SprIng and Summer are usually not at full capacity, so we can usually shuffle the kids a little bit and accommodate makeup sessions. In the Fall and Winter, we do not allow makeup classes, due to capacity constraints. Email us BEFORE missing the class.

We are missing the evaluation session, what do we do? 

Email us as soon as you know so we can come up with a plan to get your child evaluated.

We watched the video, but we aren't sure how to get our kid dressed. what do we do? 

Email us prior to the session and get to your first session a bit early so we can have a coach assist you with the process of getting all of that gear on. Also, CLICK HERE

Can my child get extra help? 

Visit our private coaching page. CLICK HERE

Does my kid need full gear for the class? 

Yep! Click here for additional guidance!

What is the most important piece of gear? 

Skates AND helmet! Snug, close fitting skates, that are properly sharpened, will give your child the best opportunity to have a successful experience. Think of skates like tires on a car. Bald tires slide around, imbalanced tires pull your car off intended path, and under-inflated tires can be hazardous at high speeds! A properly fitted helmet protects that all important brain!

My Child was asked to put their socks over their shinguards, what does that actually mean and why? 

"Hockey Socks" are a piece of equipment that keeps the shinguard in place as well as allows the knee when touching the ice not to slide around so quickly. The sock causes a slight bit of friction and slows the knee from sliding uncontrollably causing the player to lose control. The sock is then held up by a garter of sorts, or a hockey "jock or jill". Some players like a strip or two of tape around the outside of the sock for a bit of extra stability.

When are evaluations? 

We typically do the evaluations the second to last week the class. The last week of class is to wrap up those evaluation and have some fun!

Where are classes offered? 

Polar Ice Cary, Polar Ice Wake Forest, Polar Ice Raleigh.
Learn to Play classes are not currently offered at the other Polar Ice Locations. 
https://www.phhl.org/locations