*Mite Program

Save the Date

Mite Parent Meeting

Wednesday October 7th, 2026

**Stay tune for more details**

• AGE:  Typically 2nd & 3rd Grade

       2026-27 Season: Birthdays between 06/01/17-05/31/19

• REGISTRATION: Opening Soon for the 2026-2027 season!
• JERSEY FITTING:  There will be a Jersey fitting for all new Mites and for those whose jersey will not fit from last year. Jersey's should last players for 2-years.
• July 13th - 2p-4p (Eagan Civic Arena - East Rink Community Room)
• July 15th - 5p-7p  (Eagan Civic Arena - East Rink Community Room)
• SEASON: Season begins in mid-October. A one-hour evaluation will occur in October. Teams will be posted shortly after. The season wraps up by March.
• TEAM FORMATION:  Teams of equal skill level will be formed through the use of the MN Hockey HEP Mite/8U Skills Evaluation. School of attendance will be considered when forming teams, but not if it hinders the ability to create balanced teams.
• PRACTICES:  Three practices per week. Practices will focus on skating, competition, puck handling skills, and passing/shooting skills all combined with ADM type skill stations to mask repetition. Skaters will be grouped with like-skaters and abilities. Practices are typically Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
• GAMES: All games before January 15th will be 1/2 ice. After January 15th with District 8 permission each team is eligible to play up to 10 full ice games. Playing games against teams with similar skill level is important for development. EHA will adhere to the recommended 3:1 practice to game ratio.
• JAMBOREES: There will be an in-house Outdoor Jamboree and an in-house Paw Power Jamboree. Each team is permitted to play one out of association Jamboree. If it is out of District 8 it needs to have district approval to participate.
• FALL MITE 4on4: Mite & 8U have the option to skate in the Fall Mite 4on4 League in September for a small fee. Registration for the 26-27 season is required to be eligible for Fall 4v4.
• OPEN SKATING:  Registered Eagan Hockey players are admitted to open skating (including Club Sk8) at the Eagan Arena at no cost if they are wearing Eagan Hockey Apparel, so take advantage of this perk when you can.

• LEAGUE:  In-house 4v4 league to "warm-up" for the regular season.  Staying in-house with volunteer coaches helps maintain a low-cost alternative to for-profit 3on3 facilities. The 4v4 games are designed to increase puck touches and accelerate skill development
• AGE: Co-ed players  who will be playing EHA Mite or 8U in the upcoming season.  Typically 2nd & 3rd Graders.  Mini-Mites are NOT eligible. 2026-27 Season: Birthdays between 06/01/17-05/31/19
• REGISTRATION: The cost is $65.   Your child must be registered for the 2026-2027 Season to be eligible. Fall 4v4 registration link provided in Regular Season Registration Confirmation email.
• TEAM FORMATION:  8 teams of 11-13 players max.  Teams of balanced skill level will be formed, school of attendance is not the priority. Teams will be formed in late August just before the games start.
• GAMES:  Minimum of eight (8) one-hour Half-ice games played in September/October
• VOLUNTEERS:  16 volunteer coaches needed for the eight teams. Dibs hours will be available for parents to help setup divider boards/bumpers and also to run the scoreboard.

The purpose of mite evaluations is to create equal teams across the Mite level. There will be three levels of teams. No one level is more important than another and the use of these skill levels serve to properly match children with like skating abilities. 

The goal of the Eagan Mite program is to provide organized and fun hockey instruction which your kids will be eager to participate in. In an effort to accomplish our goal, the Mite program is divided into three levels depending on age and skill level determined through a preseason evaluation. These levels will incorporate the USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM) recommendations on team sizes, practice format, and game structure. 

We cannot stress enough that one level is not more important than the other, and the use of skill levels serves to properly match children with like skating abilities. 

Per USA Hockey, “One of the most important ADM principles is the grouping of players of like ability. At Mites, this is a key element of a player’s development.  It is important in both station-based practices and in cross-ice games for players to be grouped by similar ability whenever possible.”

For new players, the skill levels allow children to feel more comfortable and encouraged to participate by eliminating the anxiety they may feel when skating with children who have more experience. For advanced players, these levels provide an environment where they can utilize appropriate practice plans, develop self-confidence, and improve by competing against similarly skilled players. 

 The aim is to provide all players with an environment that will encourage improvement and an enjoyable experience playing hockey. 

Evaluation time slots will be assigned and emailed to parents as well as posted here when finalized.  We will do our best to move kids to different time slots if they have a conflict such as another sport but we offer no guarantees.