Hockey families often look for ways to access hockey after winter ends or before the winter hockey season begins. Below, we provide an overview of local opportunities to continue playing hockey by age group. These age groupings aren't exact — you'll need to check whether opportunities are based on birth year, a player's age on the first day of the program, or other factors. For more details on spring and summer hockey, please visit our Skills & Off-Season Training page in the "Player Resources" section of this website.

It's important that we make off-season hockey enjoyable for our players. Yes, it means more ice time and opportunities for player development; no, it shouldn't feel like a chore to your youth hockey players. Roller hockey is also tough to beat for fun!

We'll offer new Learn to Play sessions in the spring and summer of 2026!

Verona and West Madison run skating courses for young kids. The West Madison Polar Caps also offer their Little Blackhawks program each spring, but that tends to fill quickly once it's announced.

There aren't a ton of other off-season hockey options for kids this young. You might be able to find an introductory skating program or a few open skates to help them become more comfortable stepping onto the ice. You might also introduce them to rollerblading with a pair of adjustably-sized skates (and helmet & pads).

Once school resumes in the autumn, these students will attend Middleton's Learn-to-Play Program or a local learn-to-skate option. If they've already completed LTP and appear ready to play on a team and with a puck, we evaluate moving them to a Cross-Ice (see below) team on a case-by-case basis.

Middleton Youth Hockey will offer our "Blue Puck Summer" program again next summer. There aren't a lot of local summer hockey options for these kiddos. Amy Claggett runs great skating programs out of Waunakee's rink for U6 and up. Hockey Factory offers a U6/U8 skills program from McFarland Community Ice Arena. There are a few other local learn-to-skate options, like Madison Ice Skating School, that could provide more ice skating exposure. We encourage these kids to try another sport or play roller hockey.

In late autumn, our 5 & 6-year-olds either head to Learn to Play or Cross-Ice hockey.

This is where summer programs are more widely available. Middleton Youth Hockey will run "Summer Blue Puck" sessions again in the summer. LEAD hockey runs a good small-area-games focused program in Verona. Amy Claggett runs hockey skating & skills camps in Waunakee. Legacy20 often offers their own hockey programs in the summer. Hockey Factory hosts a 7-week summer development program in McFarland. Hockey Factory occasionally runs a program from Sun Prairie, too. Madison Ice Skating School could be a good option for a player this age that still needs some introductory skating instruction.

Like a level younger, we encourage these kids to try another sport or play roller hockey. In late autumn, these skaters will head to Red, White & Blue hockey.

In the early winter, these players will head to a Squirt (U10) team. Player evaluation and sorting by approximate skill grouping will occur early in the season.