Welcome to the 2024-2025 hockey season! My name is Brent Gould and I will be the head coach of the 2024/25 U13AA Aces team. I want to take this opportunity to invite new and returning Aces players to this year’s training camp. I am looking forward to the upcoming season and building upon the foundation that has been set in place for this team. I have been a part of the Aces organization for over 10 seasons in varying roles and last season as head coach of the 2012 (U12AA) team. With the 2012 team last season my coaching staff and I were able to show improvement every week finishing with a 0.500 record and then upsetting the 1st place team in the 1st round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual playoff champions in 4 games.
My teams always follow one simple motto: WORK HARD & HAVE FUN. My team will always be the
hardest working team on the ice which will translate to success. My primary goal is to develop players to
their maximum potential both on AND off ice. In addition to developing a player’s technical skills to
compete at the highest level, life skills of teamwork, responsibility, accountability, communication and
leadership will be stressed. The combination of those attributes will lead to building self-confidence and
having fun.
Practices will be well organized, focused and high tempo. Each practice will work on individual skills,
individual tactics, group tactics and optional tactics. Skating, passing and shooting will be the foundation
for our success with our team motto “good defense creates offense”.
My approach has always been to have every member of the team, which includes coaches, players and
parents on board to assist with the growth and development of each individual player and the team. We
are all a team and will succeed together. The coaching staff will have 2-3 individual meetings with each
player and their family to discuss the development path through the season.
I consider my approach firm but fair. Hard work will be expected. Mistakes will be made. The children
will be expected to think on their own and experience different options that have been given to them. .
That’s how we learn. The rewards of hard work and pushing beyond comfort zones will be evident as the
season progresses.
Tryouts & Evaluations
The tryouts schedule is as follows:
Session #1 Friday August 23 5:00 – 6:30pm Pembroke & Area Community Center
Session #2 Saturday August 24 11:00 – 12:30pm Pembroke & Area Community Center
Session #3 Tuesday August 27 8:30 – 10:00pm Silver Dart Arena, Petawawa ON
Session #4 Wednesday August 28 7:00 – 8:30pm Silver Dart Arena, Petawawa ON
The plan is to have 2 exhibition games, with at least one of those games being played out town,
probably in Kinburn or Kanata. Not all players will play in all exhibition games. Exhibition game
schedules and rosters will be determined during the training camp and emailed to all parents.
Player releases can happen as early as Saturday August 28 immediately following the troyut
session. Cuts and final team announcement will be posted to the U13 AA Aces page.
Commitment
As with all competitive hockey programs, a high level of commitment is expected from everyone involved
with the team. There will be 3-4 team sessions per week that will include practices, games and possibly
off-ice training. In addition, there will be power skating and skill sessions for the skaters and special
goalie instruction for the goalies.
We play roughly 30 regular season games plus playoffs. 15 games will be on the road, with some games
being played in Cornwall, Cardinal, Casselman and in Ottawa. Games are typically played on the
weekends but there will be weeknight games.
We have entered 4 tournaments this season:
Mississauga Early Bird AA Tournament Mississauga, ON October 4-6, 2024
Regional Silver Stick Pembroke, ON November 15-17, 2024
Guelph PowerPlay Guelph, ON November 22-24, 2024
Oakville Winter Classic Oakville, ON January 16-19, 2025
The team has booked blocks of hotel rooms which will be released to parents once the team has been
formed and a team manager assigned.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at
[email protected]
or call/text me at 613.433.2056.
I wish all players an enjoyable summer and looking forward to seeing everyone in August at the training
camp.
Yours in Hockey,
Brent Gould
Coach
Upper Ottawa Valley Aces U13AA