The Pathway Starts Here: NOHA Development Weekend
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NORTH BAY- The NOHA Development Weekend for players with 2012/2013 birth years is back in North Bay, and from August 7–9, Northern Ontario’s top young players will step into an environment built to challenge, inspire, and prepare them for what’s next.
Hosted at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens, this three-day experience is where elite potential meets elite opportunity, the first true step into the NOHA Program of Excellence.
For players, it’s a chance to train, compete, and be evaluated in a high-performance setting. For families, it’s a firsthand look at the standard, structure, and support behind the NOHA development pathway.
Learn From the Best in the Game
This isn’t a typical summer camp; it’s a professional development experience led by some of the most respected coaches in Canadian hockey.
Players will work directly with:
Ryan Oulahen – Head Coach, North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Mike McParland – Head Coach, Nipissing Lakers Men’s Hockey
Tim McWhirter – High Performance Skills Coach, Hockey Canada
Brian Kment – Goaltending Coach, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Matthew Bourgeois – High Performance Goalie Coach, Hockey Canada
Caleb Mady – Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, North Bay Battalion
A True Team, High-Performance Experience
Players are placed on teams prior to the event and stay with those teams for the entire weekend, training, competing, and growing together in a realistic high-performance setting.
What the weekend includes:
On-Ice Development
Team practices
Skill-focused sessions
Three competitive games
Off-Ice Performance
Strength & conditioning and nutrition education
Off-ice fitness testing
NOHA performance and development presentations
Team Culture
Team-building activities
Group meals
Classroom and leadership elements
Every piece of the weekend is designed to prepare players not just for the next season, but for the levels ahead.
NEW THIS YEAR: Track Your Development Over Time
For the first time, the NOHA will collect and store player fitness testing results during the Elite Development Weekend.
These results will be:
Accessible to players and families
Tracked over a player’s three-year NOHA Development Camp eligibility
This long-term tracking gives athletes a clearer picture of their growth and provides families with tangible insight into how development progresses year over year.
Built for Every Stage of the Pathway
The Elite Development Weekend follows a clear, age-specific progression that mirrors the NOHA pathway:
U13 – Introduction to the next level of competition and expectations
U14 – Advanced experience building on prior exposure and the U14 OHL Cup
U15 – Entry into the NOHA/OHF Program of Excellence structure
U16 – Preparation for the Team NOHA Summer Program
Each age group is challenged appropriately while being pushed to understand what the future demands.
More Than a Weekend, A Launch Point
The NOHA Development Weekend is about more than drills and games.
It’s about:
Seeing what elite hockey looks like
Understanding what it takes to succeed
Gaining the tools, habits, and confidence to chase bigger goals
For many players and families, this is where the vision becomes real.
Deadline June 1st
Questions to be directed to NOHA Director of Hockey Operations – Jacob Brown jbrown@noha-hockey.ca
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