3 on 3 
VS 
JFFHL

Trying to decide between 3 on 3 summer hockey or the JFFHL? Here are some interesting thoughts and quotes from some very experienced minor hockey coaches. 

FROM A FOREST CITY COACH WITH 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE: 
"I notice a real difference in the players skating ability with whatever league the kids play summer hockey in, but the kids who have played 3 on 3 are almost always more selfish with the puck and do not see the ice as well as those that have played 'regular' 5 on 5".

FROM A JUNIOR KNIGHTS 'AA' COACH: "We have had several players who played 3 on 3 and it caused some serious problems for a few. One in fact was cut after 2 seasons on our Forest City team, not because he couldn't play, but because he was such a great skater that he lost the ability to play with the team. He became a 'one man show' and no one wanted to be on his line".

"We tried very hard to make him understand the team concept, and we were almost there after an entire season of hammering it into his head,, but he came back the following season and we were back to square 1 after another summer of 3 on 3. In my opinion, this kind of hockey ruined a great player!"

"We have seen this to various degree's, but it is a huge problem when kids start to think they can do it all themselves and play this way for a whole summer. This all started the moment he started playing 3 on 3".

FROM A RETIRED JUNIOR 'D' COACH: "I'm not a fan of summer hockey at all but it has become a necessary evil for players who want to have a step up on the competition come tryouts. The kids who do play summer hockey have a huge advantage during tryouts because they are already in 'game shape' because they haven't had any summer lay off".

"One thing I thing that is really easy to spot is the players who have played 3 on 3 in the summer vs the players who have played in a more traditional 5 on 5 league. The 3 on 3 players are very focused on scoring and looking for the 'hail Mary' passes that tend to work in that atmosphere, but rarely do in normal hockey games".

FROM A FORMER PRO COACH IN EUROPE: "3 on 3, I hate it! It causes players to become selfish! It puts the good skaters on an artificial level that they can't maintain when they go back to league play".

"Good skaters have the puck a lot in 3 on 3 while the weaker kids actually have it less than in standard 5 on 5 play. At least the weaker players can contribute, learn team and role play in 5 on 5. Where in 3 on 3 they become spectators a lot of the time. 3 on 3 is a great format for a tournament or where the best skaters can show off, other than that I have no use for it and I don't want my players involved in it".

FROM A MINOR HOCKEY COACH WITH 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT VIRTUALLY EVERY LEVEL: "Real hockey is 5 on 5, why do you want to spend all summer playing a game that creates bad habits and isn't the same game as you'll be playing come the regular season"?