House league playoffs are in full force across the city, and for parents of younger children, the game's script is often pretty familiar.

One player will start with the puck behind their net and attempt to stickhandle through the opposition. The thought of passing the puck to a teammate is never contemplated. The howls of teammates, desperately banging their sticks looking for a pass, go unheard.

For the handful of players who control the puck for a majority of the game, it's fun. But what about everybody else? What about the players who exist on the periphery, rarely, if ever, touching the puck?

Do they have fun? Are they excited for their next game?

Unlikely.

"If they are not having fun they are going to try something else and as we all know there's lots of other options out there," acknowledges Phil McKee, Ontario Hockey Federation executive director.

Anybody who has children knows there are many other options. Pick an activity, pursuit or pastime and there is likely a camp, clinic or program available.

So hockey officials are hoping the mandatory, nationwide implementation of cross-ice — or half-ice — hockey will reinvigorate the game at the youngest age levels.

"We have two choices; continue to do what we do because we have always done it, or we can investigate what the best opportunities are for youngsters and move the game forward. And that's what makes it difficult," explains Paul Carson, vice-president of Hockey Development for Hockey Canada

The transition hasn't been smooth. In tradition-obsessed hockey, convincing people that change makes sense isn't always easy.

By the end of the 2019-20 season, all players aged nine and under, no matter their skill level, will be playing cross-ice hockey. The model has already been in place for a number of years in many leagues across Canada and in the United States..

It was introduced last year in Toronto, the country's largest minor-hockey market, amidst considerable pushback.
A full scale roll-out is planned over the next two seasons.

Carson joined Phil McKee and Ontario Minor Hockey Hockey president Ian Taylor for an hour-long webcast this week, designed to mitigate criticism of the cross-ice model and to highlight its merits. The officials stressed their belief that new players will enjoy this pond hockey-style game more.

"Young players want to get the puck and studies show that on the half ice, players believe they have a better chance to get the puck," Carson says.

"It's about fun, the kids appear re-engaged," adds McKee. "It's about nonrestrictive play, away from the idea that everything in my kids' life needs to be structured. They are smiling when they come off the ice.

"It's really the adults who have trouble not seeing their kids on the 200-by-85 foot ice. Parents should be happy that we are focusing back on fun."

McKee says players touch, pass and shoot the puck much more during a cross-ice game. He points to the ratio of time spent getting to the rink vs. time spent on it.

"Right now if you take a normal novice game, the ratio is about 18 to 1," McKee says. "The travel to the rink, everything compared to the time you are actually on the ice is about 18 to 1. How do we narrow that gap and get as close to one to one as possible?"

"We need to move to being a sport development model and put competition in the backseat," Carson says. "[We need to] say trophies and tournament wins and points on the scoreboard are not as important as letting kids enjoy the sport and discover it as they go."

Not everyone is on board. One of the leagues most affected by this move is the North York Hockey League. It is one of the few select leagues in the country that offers programming for kids starting as young as five.

"There is such a disparity in talent at the tyke level," Paul Maich, the NYHL's chief operating officer, told CBC earlier this year. "Some of these kids have started skating at three years old and they are very competent. You look at our top tyke level and some of that hockey is amazing."

It's unclear how or even if the NYHL will adopt to the cross-ice rules. On its website, Maich promises a league will be in place for the ages affected by the new cross-ice rules.

"We will provide the best possible program for the kids and parents who rely on us to do so," he says. "We will not shut the door on the thousands of young players who are counting on us."

Other leagues outside Hockey Canada's jurisdiction are already filling the void, offering full-ice hockey for tyke-aged children, generally seven-year-olds.

The independent Ontario Rep Hockey League, which operates about 50 teams across southern Ontario, didn't even offer tyke hockey last year. It will for next season.

"We introduced full-ice tyke hockey this year because of the tremendous response," says league commissioner Kevin McKinnon. "There is a huge void after the Hockey Canada [rule] was implemented.

"We have gotten hundreds of calls and emails from parents in Toronto and Mississauga, many places and families have been speaking in volumes. They are telling us they want us to create a league."

It shows that making changes to Canada's beloved game is never easy. And no single model or approach will ever make everyone happy.