Freshmen League
at Triple Deke Hockey
Who are we?
Freshmen is Sydney’s only Ice Hockey league for adult novices! Our unique league can get you started playing your first game in a matter of weeks.
We started in 2018 with a goal to make Ice Hockey available to people picking up the sport for the first time in their late teens or adulthood.
Who is Freshmen for?
With our “no contact” league, this is a designed to be the safest place possible for someone who has never played ice hockey before. Freshmen at TDH is a friendly place to give ice hockey a go whether you’re 16 or 60!
Where do I start?
Not sure how to get started in Ice Hockey? We’ve got you.
Players
What if I’ve never skated before?
That’s where most of us Freshmen start, so you’re in good company! For some of us, we might have been introduced to the sport by a friend, seen an ad for an ice hockey ‘come and try’ at your local rink, or been enthralled by the speed and skill of our local AIHL and AWIHL teams. And now it’s your turn to give it a go.
Learning to skate is the first step to playing hockey
There are three main ways we see players build their foundations before entering their first game.
1. Hockey School
Most clubs run a hockey school in some form or another. These could be run on a term basis, or drop in.
For us, we recommend Ice Zoo’s Hockey Development program as it is drop in, full ice hockey player gear is not required, and caters to all skill levels. Not to mention this program is based out of the rink we operate from and our team will drop in to trainings from time to time to chat.
2. Learn to skate programs
Learn to skate programs are based on the national ‘Aussie Skate’ program, which focuses on figure skating fundamentals. Even so, the Adult programs teach skills that are also necessary for hockey, including:
- Correct way to fall and stand up
- Moving snowplough stop
- Forwards and backwards glides
- Forwards and backwards crossovers.
We’ve had players take this route and coaches are usually happy to cater to players in hockey skates, as these first few programs don’t include any jumps.
3. Hit the ice yourself
We’ve seen players who just hit the rink in a public skate and loved it so much they kept coming back! You can definitely build up fundamentals with ice time and YouTube tutorials.
I’ve done some skating!
Come join us! Once you have developed foundations skills, reach out and our volunteers will make sure that you are safe and ready to play.
We require all players have their own hockey skates and helmet at minimum. Our games are played in full gear (neck guard required) but we do have a selection of (used) gear available to get you started.
Goaltenders
I’ve actually always wanted to get hit in the head with pucks
Officials
Get involved
We’re not just here to develop players, and officials are essential to the game of ice hockey. Freshmen provides a low stakes, positive environment to try out new things, including refereeing! If you’re interested in trying out reffing, please reach out – our Head Referee and Referee-In-Chief are there to help.
Linesperson
Become a master of the offside and icing rules! We start all aspiring refs off in this position to develop confidence in reffing.
We find our linesmen and women develop a strong hockey pace, skating skills and game sense.
Referee
Enforce the rules! We will help you build a deep rule knowledge. Having the opportunity to ref will develop quick decision making and communication skills, amongst other things!
Many of our trainee linespeople and referees have gone on to achieve certification with Ice Hockey NSW and get paid for on-ice officiating divisional and representative level hockey.
Still not sold? Reach out to talk to a ref!
What next?
Take your ice hockey journey into your own hands. Get the most out of your experience by playing games, joining training, and being a part of the Freshmen community!
Play!
Sign up for a season
We currently run a four-team, 10 game season which includes:
- Game day! 3 x 15 minute periods (1 minute break between periods) on Sunday evenings
- Personalised team jersey
- 10 hours of in season training – including Friday night focused sessions and the provision of in season training vouchers for the Thursday training.
Sign up as a fill in
To make sure each team has balanced numbers, we run an active fill in list. For new players, this is the perfect opportunity to try out a game!
Games will be shared around when available, depending on team requirements.
Train
Thursday training
We run regular training sessions during the week with sessions in the evenings on Thursdays at 7:30pm at Ice Zoo. Double check the timetable here.
These are run by experienced coaches who have a wide range of skills and can train players from beginners to experienced players.
Full gear (including neck guards!) are required to participate.
Where do I get equipment from?
- SkatePlus – Located at the Ice Zoo rink!
- Skaters Network – Authorised Bauer distributor in Rydalmere.
- Ice Monster – In Silverwater
Find us!
On instagram
