Travel Program Highlights for the Upcoming Season

Program Fees for 2023-2024 Season

*** Fees for 12U Blue, 14U Blue, 16U Blue & Girls 16 & 19U are higher because they include the cost for the mandatory Strength & Conditioning Program led by Washington Capitals Strength Coach, Mark Nemish

Mixed Teams at All Age Levels

Last season’s change back to mixed birth year teams was a success for our program, resulting in three CBHL Regular Season and Playoff Championships, along with several Tournament Championships, and more opportunities for minor birth year players to “play up” to the top Blue team at their age level.   All of our travel teams had very consistent talent levels through their entire rosters, making it easier to place those teams in the right divisions at tournaments and in the CBHL.  We also saw benefits in practice planning and player development. 

For the 2023-24 season we will continue with mixed birth year teams.  The top group of players as evaluated by our evaluation committee would be selected for our Blue team. Then the next group of players would be rostered on our Silver team at that age level.  The third group would make up our Black team, and finally the fourth group would be our White Team.  For the most part, we expect our Blue Teams to play at the AA level, our Silver Teams to play at AA or Upper A, our Black Teams to play Upper or Lower A and our White Teams to play at the Lower A or B level. The actual playing level of any teams would ultimately be determined by the Head Coach of those teams’ following tryouts, but there is a possibility that any of those teams may play up or down a level depending upon the skill level of selected players following tryouts.

Raiders Girls Program

The Raiders plan to field girls travel teams at 19U, 16U, 14U, & 12U for the 2023 - 2024 season.  Full Details on the Girls Travel Program can be found under the Girls Travel Tab on the Tryouts Page, or via this link: 2023-24 Raiders Girls Travel Program

8U (Mite) Teams

We will be selecting an 8U Blue team during our April tryouts.  The Raiders intend to field 8U Silver and Black travel teams as we have done in past seasons.  Our 8U Silver & 8U Black teams will be selected as part of 8U House Evaluations in the early fall. Additional information regarding the 8U travel program is detailed below:

8U Blue

Tryouts:

• Team selection in the April Travel Tryouts as in previous years, The April selection allows the top 8U players to participate in a pre-season mini-camp and attend any pre-season half-ice jamborees or tournaments.
• The full 8U Blue roster may not be finalized during the April tryout.  This is to allow some players, including those who are injured, unavailable for tryouts or, in certain cases, not selected in April, an opportunity to complete for a spot on the team during the pre-season mini camp.  .

Team:

• 18 total players on 2 Blue teams of 9 split evenly and randomly.
• One head coach for each team.
• This will allow for teams to participate in jamborees, games, tournaments, etc. and have the appropriate number of players.  It will set clear expectations up front with parents and players.
• Blue team will be allocated full ice slots for games as in the past.  These will be used by the two teams to host 2 half-ice games on each half. We would invite 1 or 2 other clubs based on their team size. (No additional ice allocation).

Practice:

• Blue team will continue two team practices per week, in addition to their House Team practice.
• One time per week will be with 8U Silver and one time per week with 8U Black.

8U Silver & Black

Tryouts:

• Team selection continues in the Fall as in previous years.

Team:

• 18 total players on 2 “groups” within each team with 9 each.
• One head coach for each team.
• This will allow for teams to participate in jamborees, games, tournaments, etc. and have the appropriate number of players.  It will set clear expectations up front with parents and players.
• Silver and Black teams will be allocated full ice slots for games as in the past.  These will be used by the two teams to host 2 half-ice games on those ice slots. We would invite 1 or 2 other clubs based on their team size. (No additional ice allocation).

Practice:

• Silver and Black teams will continue to have one team practices per week in addition to their House Team practice.

Additional League Options:

Our program plays in the CBHL at all levels, but at 10U & up we have entered teams into the EJEPL and will likely do so again or consider other comparable leagues to secure our ability to create competitive non-CBHL schedules.   For our Blue teams, it is getting difficult to schedule non-CBHL opponents without joining one of these additional leagues. 

Goalie Training & Goalie Rebates

The Raiders have hands down the best goalie development program in the area. No local program offers the coaching and developmental opportunities that we have at the Raiders!! Next year we will continue to offer the area’s best goaltender program. As we have offered for the last several seasons, the Raiders will continue to partner with The Goalie Academy/Loudoun Ice Centre to have Goalie Coaches on the ice for every travel practice. Additionally, we will continue to offer Goalie Clinics monthly for all travel goalies, both options are included in Raiders club fees. Most of the clinics will be held at Loudoun Ice Centre on Sunday evenings over the course of the season.

We will be offering Goalie Rebates for goalies who participate in the Raiders Program next season. All goalies who participate in most of the team's practices and games will receive a $500 rebate to help subsidize the expense of goalie equipment. The rebates will be paid to each goalie family in January 2023.

Power Skating/Skills and Off-ice Training

The Raiders are excited to announce that we'll be partnering with Shaylun Young and Elite Hockey Science to provide on-ice Power Skating and Skills Instruction for our Raiders Travel Teams next season. Shaylun & EHS run the Hockey Skills Lessons and Camps/Clinics at Skatequest, as well as the Off-Ice Shooting Room, so we're looking forward to having Shaylun & his coaches work with more of our players on ice this upcoming season.

The Raiders plan to continue our off-ice program for our 12U Blue, 14U Blue and 16U Blue players with Washington Capitals Strength and Conditioning Coach, Mark Nemish.  Both programs will be priced and included in the team fees at those levels.