8U Wild Program

Work Hard. Have Fun. Be a Good Teammate!

The 8U Wild Program offers a well-rounded hockey experience that combines on-ice skill development, team practices, weekly Rec League games, and competitive travel play. By blending both Travel and Rec League formats, players benefit from stronger individual skill development, a deeper understanding of team concepts, and increased confidence and leadership abilities.

All of this takes place in a supportive environment designed to foster each player’s passion and love for the game.

The 8U Wild Program serves as an introductory travel program designed for advanced and intermediate 8U players. Teams will be formed using an A/B/C model (Wild Green, Blue, and Grey), with development tailored to each team’s skill level. Travel will include 3–4 locations within a 2–4 hour driving range.

By combining Rec League participation (weekly practices and games) with 8U Wild programming (additional weekly practices and tournament/jamboree play), players receive increased puck touches and development opportunities to help prepare them for full-time travel hockey.

Evaluations are required for all players wishing to join the Smoky Mountain Wild 8U program.

Player Eligibility Requirements

All participants must:

• Be age-eligible
• Have completed a Learn to Play Hockey program
• Have completed at least one recreational league season

Eligible birth years for the 2026–2027 season:

2018, 2019, and 2020

Evaluation Process

All players will participate in an evaluation at the beginning of the season. This ensures proper team placement based on skill level.

After Evaluations

• Teams will be formed and drafted
• Families will be notified of:
• Team placement
• Coach assignments
• Practice schedules

Note: The final number of teams will depend on total registration numbers and overall player skill levels.

The 8U Wild season runs from September through March, with a 2–3 day per week commitment.

Programming Includes:

• On-ice skill development (skating mechanics, edge work, and puck control)
• Team practices focused on systems, spacing, and game concepts
• High Performance Weekend (HPW) to kick off the season.
• Cross-ice and half-ice gameplay to maximize puck touches and improve decision-making

Costs vary depending on team and level. Smaller or higher-level teams may have increased expenses due to travel, tournaments, and specialized coaching.

All program fees are all-inclusive, with no hidden costs.

Note: Uniforms, apparel, and travel expenses are not included and are the responsibility of each family.

• Wild Green (A/B Level): ~$2,000
• Includes Winter League + Wild programming
• 3-4 tournaments
• Wild Blue (B/C Level): ~$1,750
• Includes Winter League + Wild programming
• 2–3 tournaments
• Wild Grey (Development Level): ~$1,500
• Includes Winter League + Wild programming
• 1–2 tournaments

Thoroughbred City Cup - Lexington, KY

• November 8–10, 2026

Bob O'Gorman Freedom Memorial Tournament - Huntsvill, AL

• January 15–18, 2027

Scruffy City Mite Shootout - Knoxville,TN

• January 29–31, 2027

Peachtree Shootout - Atlanta,GA

• February 12–15, 2027

Uniforms and team apparel for the 2026–2027 season will be ordered through Pure Hockey via a dedicated team portal.

Note: Uniform and apparel costs are not included in program fees and must be purchased separately by each family.

Participation in the 8U Wild program requires MANDATORY Rec league participation. 8U Wild program is an add-on to Rec league.

I've heard of the red, white, blue USA Hockey model at 8U, what does that mean?

That model refers to creating teams that are skill similar, red players are the most experiences, blue have the least amount of experience and the white is the middle group. We will use assessments to create multiple teams of each group of skilled players.

What if my child has is brand new to hockey?

Have no fear, our coaches have years of experience getting kids up and moving around the ice! However, we do recommend athletes participate in a Learn to Skate, Learn to Play and one - two season of the rec/house league.

How can I help?

The strength of our program is the number of volunteers we have both on and off the ice but we can always use more. Please reach out to the KAHA Hockey Director, if you are interested in helping. The more coaches we have on the ice, the better the experience will be!

My child wants to be a goalie?

That's great! At the 8U age we still emphasis developing a complete hockey player which includes the skating skills required by a goalie and want to provide goalie opportunities to every player. Each coach at 8U has a bag of goalie gear they are able to distribute through their team, giving every child who wants an opportunity the chance to play for a week. This provides a balance between giving multiple players the opportunities and promoting the skating development for future goalies.

Why does 8U play half ice / cross-ice?

The half ice / cross-ice model for youth hockey emphasizes skill development and player participation. Research has shown that players involved in smaller area games (cross-ice or half-ice games) get more puck touches, shots, passes, change of directions and puck battles. These scenarios better replicate hockey as it is played at the older age groups. Not only does it better develop players, every player is more engaged during the play on a smaller surface. More engagement during games for all skill levels leads to more fun and builds the passion for hockey!