The concept of cross-ice hockey is better utilization of a full-ice sheet while simultaneously
providing a better practice/game experience to smaller/younger players.
In 1976, George Kingston did a study of hockey games played on a full-ice surface. He found that:
- In a sixty minute running time hockey game between 6-8 year old children, the average
player had possession of the puck for 20.7 seconds.
- Top professional players were also timed and no player exceeded 85 seconds of puck
possession time.
- Youth players had an average of less than 0.5 shots per game and professional players
only 1.5 shots.
- In a sixty-minute children's game the actual playing time of the game was 20 minutes and
38 seconds.
- Individual players are on the ice every third or fourth shift resulting in even less ice time.
The study concluded that:
- For young players in the "full-ice game model" of development, the youngest players would
require between 180 games to have 60 minutes of actual puck possession time to execute
their stick handling, passing, pass receiving and shooting skills.
- Professional players would require 60 games to ensure 60 minutes of puck control skill
development.
- Many youth players never touched the puck in the game.
To this end, cross-ice hockey was conceptualized wherein rather than conduct practices and games on
a 200-ft length of ice, young players skate cross-ice on the 85-ft width of the rink. This allows for
programs to place more players on the ice during an ice slot and is more effective for players in
terms of enhanced learning and playing time.
