The Pirates Select are a competitive midget hockey team located in the Nepean suburb of the City of Ottawa. New players are drawn from house-league Bantam A and B levels but comeptitve league players are also welcome. Our active playing season is from May to August in the Ottawa SHL - a non-body checking league.

DraftEach year we draft 5 to 8 players from first and second year Bantam A or B house league. Prospects. Ages 12 to 13. Players as young as 12 can start participating in on-ice practices and our weekly dry-land training sessions. Additionally, Prospects and their family members are welcome to participate in any of our non-hockey events throughout the year. Pirates. Ages 13 to 18 are considered full-rostered members. They have full access to all training and ice-times. They also have minimum attendance requirements to maintain their rostered status. Blackbeard’s. Ages 19 to 22. Our program has been so successful that many of our players are reluctant to leave. So, we’ve added another category for these ‘old’ guys.

Ah yes, the age old question. How much does all of this awesomeness cost? The Selects are a private club run. There are no fundraisers and currently, we do not have any corporate sponsorship. So, what does it cost you? Prospects - $75.00 monthly Selects - $125.00 monthly Blackbeards - Free What you get. The $125.00 monthly charge covers the costs for weekly practices and dry-land training, team insurance, two sets of game socks, dryland training shirt and shorts, practice jerseys, tournament fees, SHL registration fees, a team golf shirt, entry fees for the annual Perth Kilt Run and, Pirates Annual Golf Tournament, a team baseball cap, tie with clip, jersey name bars and finally, retirement plaque. What you don't get. You need a Pirates Select hockey bag with your jersey number on it. This bag costs $130. It is a one-time purchase and therefore, not included in the monthly fees.

We draw players from house league programs in Nepean and the surrouding area. We have an active and ongoing recruiting program through social media, our parents, our current players and our coaches.

The Selects are looking for team players that exhibit good sportsmanship, respect and dedication. Prospects are drawn from first and second-year Bantam A or B levels in house leagues. Occaisionally we will select palyers entering their first year of midget. If you know a player with these attributes, contact us through our webpage, Facebook or Instagrams accounts.

Players. How would you like to get your highschool volunteer hours while having the time of your life? Currently we have an annual Christmas event that earns your player 7 hours. And, here's more: Blogger - 5 hours per month Instagram Influencers - 3 hours per month Not only are you earning volunteer hours but you're accumulating valuable experience that you can use on your resume. Parents. The Select are always looking for volunteers. Please contact us through our website to get a full list of volunteer opportunities. Non-parent. The Selects have quite a few of non-parent volunteers. If you are a non-parent and want to coach or volunteer, contact us through our website.

Our program runs year-round. The hockey season begins in April and runs to mid-August. Training and practices run year-round including during the playing season.

There are 2 training sessions per week - dryland and ice time. Dryland training takes place on Wednesday evenings from 6:30PM to 7:15PM. Practices are generally early Saturday mornings - this allows the older players to hold a part-time job. During the active playing season, the Select participate in the SHL - games are late Sunday evenings. Additionally, we particpate in 2 away tournaments - one in early July and the second in mid-August.

Our program runs year-round unlike camps and summer hockey leagues. This allows the coaches to tailor practices and training for your player. Your player will have more opportunities to develop indivdual skills and advanced team systems. And most importantly, they play on the same team, with the same friends year-after-year.

We are neither an outlaw team nor do we belong to an outlaw league. We have full player insurance. We abide by all Hockey Canada and Easter Ontario Hockey rules, by-laws and constitutions.

We field one team with an active roster of 23 players. This allows us to play 4 lines and 3 goaltenders. We also carry 5 to 6 first-year Prospects that we draw from first year Bantams. These players will typically train throughout the year in preparation for game play in the upcoming summer season.

No, however the majority of our players are seleted from winter house leagues. Once we are notified of your interest to play, we ask that you invite our coaches to watch you play a couple of games. This on-ice evaluation is a critical component of our seletion process.

If you were to join as a Prosect (age 13) and continue as a full-rostered member, you could play for 7 years. Players remain on the active roster until they turn 19, as long as their birthday is after August 31st. But, it gets better! We know you're going to love this program and, once you turn 19, you can become a Blackbeard. You can continue to practice with us and take on more responsibilities. You might even become a future coach!

With all this fun, there are some mandatory participation rates and a couple of rules. The maintain good standing as a Select, players must maintain an attendance rate of 75% and, demonstrate their dedication through their continued desire to improve.

Prospects and Blackbeards may terminate their membership by notifying the Coach, in writing. Pirates participate in a annual balloting is held in late September at which time a player can submit an annonymous ballot to indicate their player status.

Yes. We have a number of players who have improved their skills through our program and gone on to succeed in winter competitive hockey. While we make allowances for your increased hockey schedule, you are expected to attend Select events when there is no conflict.

Our program has a dedicated goalie coach. Goalies can expect to recieve 10-12 minutes of specialized training at the beginning of each practice. The goalie coach is also part of the bench staff and provides feedback and guidance durinag and after games.

On-ice practices are held at a number of facilities west to Kanata, east to Letrum and, the Nepean area. Dry-land training sessions take place at Greco Fitness located on Woodroffe Avenue. Sessions take place every Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30PM.

Greco Fitness offers circuit-style training to improve your hockey game. It is a fundamental part of our program and this weekly training is mandatory for all Pirates. We've incorporated this fitness training for a number of reasons: 1. We believe that a strong body supports a strong mind. 2. Players who follow a regular fitness regime are more likely to adopt other healthy habits such as nutrition and hydration. 3. It improves your on-ice performance! Greco specifically tailors our sessions for hockey players. Regular attendance will significantly improve your performance. 4. It's hard! We want to push your limits in a safe, supervised environemnt. You will achieve things you never thought possible. And, nothing improves team unity faster than shared pain and exhaustion!

Select practices are 50 minutes. Our practice plan is cyclical and starts in October. October - December: practice focuses on skating and fudnamentals December - February: stickhandling, passing & shooting February - April: team systems & execution - we set the lines April - June: team systems continue & flow drills are introduced June - August: flow drills with full execution of team systems

The Selects plays in the Ottawa SHL and 2-3 tournaments. SHL. We rotate 4 lines for throughout the summer. This allows families to schedule much needed vacation time. You have to option of swapping dates or you can schedule yourself in to fill vacancies. Each Pirate can expect to play at 9 games to a max of 16 suring the SHL season. Tournaments. We currently have 2 tournaments scheduled each summer. Tournaments typcially guarantee 3 games but we routinely make it into the finals.

The Summer Hockey League is a fast-paced and competive hockey program. It is a non-body contact league but make no mistake - it is competitive! Typically we will be competing against AA and AAA players. Historically, the Pirates have won the league chamionship or made it to the final game. Games are generally scheduled on Sundays between 8PM and 9PM.

No. Our program wants to develop your individual player as well as promote team work. We want to expose your player to as many different positions as possible. This can't happen if players are type-cast into permanent rolls such as defence, power plays, etc.

Yes. We have two main tournaments - one is in Barrie, Ontario and the other is at Jay Peak, Vermont. You will need valid passports and permission to play in the U.S.

The competition is always very strong - you can expect to play against AA and AAA teams. We have always placed very high in these tournaments either winning or being in the finals.