Southern Maryland Sabres
Sabres Youth Travel Hockey
The goal of the Sabres Youth Hockey Program is to promote the development and competitiveness of hockey players by providing the most possible ice touches and highest quality of instruction available. The Sabres will field teams for all age groups depending on the number of players and skill levels available. A determination will be made after player evaluations (tryouts). It is very important that the player and parent understand and accept the time commitment of the travel program, and that they are expected to make the travel team a priority. Parents and players should be prepared to accept this level of commitment.
Ages
This program is for players who were born between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2014. For more information on 8U "Mite" hockey, please click on the Programs tab above and go to Sabres 6U/8U Hockey.
USA HOCKEY 2023-2024 AGE GROUPS:
10U: 2013 - 2014
12U: 2011 - 2012
14U: 2009 - 2010
16U: 2007 - 2008
18U: 2005 - 2006
When
Tryouts are held in April. Practices begin in August. The season runs until the end of February, with playoffs typically ending in mid-March. Games typically start in late August or early September and the league season ends with the playoffs in late February/early March.
Specialized Training
Goalies: Goalies will receive weekly instruction during practice from Wolfe Hockey instructors.
Training Room: Sabres will have access to our off-ice training room, during scheduled off-ice sessions with their team.
Off-Ice Study: Gold and Black travel teams will have off-ice classroom sessions with coaches for film study/review, systems study, etc.
Practices
Practices will vary depending on age group.
10U, 12, and 14U will practice 3 times per week, with one of those practices being a Skills session focused on skating and skill development with Sabres Skills instructors.
16U will practice 2 times per week.
18U will practice 1 time per week.
Lady Sabres will practice 1 time per week. Please see the Girls Sabres Hockey section under the Programs tab, for more information on the Lady Sabres.
Games
Gold and Black teams will play approximately 16 CBHL league games, and 16 AHF league games.
AHF games are in a Showcase weekend format (two totaling 8 games), plus for all teams 8 head-to-head games with selected opponents - for a total of 16 AHF games. Families should expect overnight travel for showcase events and possibly the head-to-head games.
The typical Sabres season will consist of a total of between 40 - 45 games for the season.
Additional Costs
2023/2024 Season: 10U - 18U Tryouts
As we wind down the 2022-2023 season, we are already looking ahead to next season! ALL 10U - 18U Players interested in playing for ANY Sabres team for the 2023-2024 season SHALL attend tryouts. you can register for tryouts here, using the register tab at the bottom of this page. once you complete the registration on this sabres website, you will receive a confirmation email. in order to complete your registration for tryouts, you must click on the payment link in your confirmation email and use it to pay for tryouts. if you do not complete this payment portion of the registration process, you will not be able to attend tryouts.
ONCE TRYOUTS ARE COMPLETE, Players will be notified via email which team they have made. PLAYERS WILL HAVE 24 HOURS TO ACCEPT THE ROSTER SPOT ON THE TEAM THEY HAVE MADE. EACH TEAM WILL BE FULLY ROSTERED AFTER TRYOUTS. IF A PLAYER DOES NOT ACCEPT THEIR ROSTER SPOT, THE HOCKEY DIRECTOR WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE HEAD COACH OF THAT TEAM TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE OPEN SPOT WILL BE FILLED WITH ANOTHER PLAYER. FOR EXAMPLE: IF JOHNNY MAKES 10u GOLD BUT DOESN'T ACCEPT THE ROSTER SPOT, HIS OPEN SPOT MAY OR MAY NOT BE FILLED WITH A PLAYER WHO MADE 10U BLACK. JOHNNY WOULD ALSO NOT BE GUARANTEED A SPOT ON 10u BLACK, SHOULD HE DECLINE THE 10U GOLD SPOT. IT IS ASSUMED ANY PLAYER ATTENDING TRYOUTS IS TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST TEAM THAT THEIR ABILITIES CAN EARN THEM.
The Sabres are CONTINUING our EFFORTs TO GROW GIRLS HOCKEY. LAST SEASON WE HAD A SINGLE 10U/12U COMBINED lady sabres TEAM. IT IS OUR HOPE THIS SEASON TO PUT BOTH A 10U TEAM, AND A 12U TEAM ON THE ICE, ALTHOUGH WE ENCOURAGE ALL GIRLS OF ALL AGE GROUPS FROM 10U THROUGH 18U TO REGISTER FOR TRYOUTS. WE WILL PUT AS MANY TEAMS ON THE ICE AS WE CAN, BASED ON REGISTRATION NUMBERS. GIRLS MAY PLAY ON BOTH A COED TEAM, AND A LADY SABRES TEAM. PRACTICES WILL NOT CONFLICT. IF YOU INTEND TO TRY OUT FOR A COED TEAM AND ALSO PLAY ON A LADY SABRES TEAM, YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY FOR 2 TRYOUTS. TRYOUTS FOR LADY SABRES ARE FREE, IF YOU ARE ALSO TRYING OUT FOR A COED TEAM. IF YOU ONLY INTEND TO PLAY FOR A LADY SABRES TEAM, THE COST FOR TRYOUTS IS $29.50.
THE COST FOR TRYOUTS FOR COED TEAMS 10u thru 16u IS $59.00. 18u TRYOUTS ARE $29.50, AS 18u WILL ONLY HAVE 1 DAY ON THE ICE FOR TRYOUTS.
TRYOUT Schedule:
Saturday April 22nd:
7am – 8am: 10U Group 1*
8am – 9am: 10U Group 2*
9am – 9:10am: ICE CUT
9:10am-10:10am: 12U Group 1*
10:10am – 11:10am: 12U Group 2*
11:10am – 11:20am: ICE CUT
11:20am – 12:20pm: 14U
12:20pm – 1:20pm: 16U
1:20pm – 1:30pm: ICE CUT
1:30pm – 2:30pm: 18U
Sunday April 23rd:
7am – 8am: 10U Group 1*
8am – 9am: 10U Group 2*
9am – 9:10am: ICE CUT
9:10am-10:10am: 12U Group 1*
10:10am – 11:10am: 12U Group 2*
11:10am – 11:20am: ICE CUT
11:20am – 12:20pm: 14U
12:20pm – 1:20pm: 16U
1:20pm – 1:30pm: ICE CUT
1:30pm – 2:30pm: Lady Sabres
*Tryout groups will be emailed to families about a week before tryouts are held.
SABRES YOUTH HOCKEY 2023-2024
Sabres Gold and Black teams will play in the Chesapeake Bay Hockey League (CBHL), AS WELL AS THE ATLANTIC HOCKEY FEDERATION (AHF). If there are not enough participants to field both a Gold and Black team in any age bracket, those participants who are not selected for the Gold team will be placed on the Red team AS LONG AS THERE ARE ENOUGH PLAYERS TO FORM A RED TEAM FOR THAT AGE GROUP.
Red team(s) will LIKELY PLAY IN THE CAPITAL CORRIDOR HOCKEY LEAGUE (CCHL).
the lady sabres will play in the cbhl. lady sabres teams will depend on numbers at registration, but our hope is to have 10U and 12U lady sabres teams. if necessary, there will be a combined 10U/12u lady sabres team.
Gold and Black teams will play approximately 16 CBHL league games, and 16 AHF games, as well as non-league games (as scheduling allows).
sabres Registration fees include the cost for cbhl and ahf participation for gold and black teams, as well as cchl participation for the red teams, and cbhl participation for the lady sabres.
Practices will vary depending on age group. 10U, 12U, and 14U will practice 3 times per week, with one of those practices being a skills development focus with the Sabres Skills Instructors. 16U will practice 2 times per week. 18U will practice 1 time per week. lady sabres will practice 1 time per week.
all teams may also opt to participate in tournaments at the team’s discretion. Tournament fees are NOT included in registration fees. Players will be responsible to pay the additional cost to cover any tournament fees. Teams may fund-raise to defer some or all of the costs associated with tournaments. tournaments and fundraisers must be approved by the sabres board of directors.
A 2023-2024 USA Hockey number will be required. STARTING APRIL 1ST, 2023, You can obtain one at: https://membership.usahockey.com/
Questions regarding the Sabres Youth Hockey program can be directed to the sabres Hockey Director, scott kelly: hockeydirector@somdsabres.org