Regarding the issue of pre-season practice there are a few issues that
  need to be followed.
  Official practice (with coaches) USUALLY starts anywhere from 3-4 weeks
  before the teams first game. A previous message was correct and stating
  that  the number of days and weeks to practice is restricted. Thus,
  coaoches usually opt to have UNofficial practices conducted by the
  captains.
 
  On the latter, captain's practice is considered MANDATORY by the captain!
  (at the urging of the coach). Captains usually run a short warm-up,
  followed by drills that were completed the year before. Coaches are not
  permitted to watch the practices.
 
  Players usually pay a nominal fee to participate in unofficial practices
  to rule out the possibility that the team paid for the ice. The school
  must also allow "non-hockey" players to particpate. Thus the number of
  players allowed on the ice usually reflects the number of players on the
  team, so...
 
  I can say from experience that when official practice started on the
  first day of class (back in 1989) the season's started 3 weeks earlier
  than they do now. So, nothing is truly being lost.
 
  This is by no means the only methods, just my personal experiences.
 
  Craig Lisko
  Ferris State 1990-1994
  GTE 1st Team Academic All-American
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.