top minor pro stars all have
one thing in common: They
all made appearances at
Wally World scrimmage
hockey. And they’ve made
those appearances for
a variety of reasons.
Some came for extra
ice, some came for a good
workout, but most came
to work and develop
their offensive skills.
“They were tired of
practicing practicing,” said
Shefchyk. “And instead, they
came to practice playing.”
Shefchyk, a former
Hockey Canada scholarship
winner and CIS player at the
University of Winnipeg, began
these scrimmage games to
develop his own kids, who
both went on to successful
junior and college careers,
and found that many others
wanted to get in on the action.
So now, some 25 years later,
these games are attracting new
players all the time, players
9 6 | G AME O N | D EC EM BER 2017
“
IN THE LAST YEAR I’VE
FINALLY FOUND WHAT
I FEEL IS THE PERFECT
SCRIMMAGE SYSTEM
who want the same thing:
To practice playing and to
develop offensive instincts
that will help them achieve
success in their own careers.
“I have been constantly
striving to make it better,”
said Shefchyk. “And in the
last year I’ve finally found
what I feel is the perfect
scrimmage system.”
And that system has led
to formation of the new
Non-Stop Hockey League,
which will debut this spring.
“There is one face off to
start the action and that is
it,” said Shefchyk. “Whenever
there is a save or a goal, a
second puck is immediately
introduced into play by one
”
of two ‘passers,’ who reside
in opposite corners. This
simulates transition and
develops the ‘when’ of the
offensive side of the game,
which I feel and have always
felt, has been lacking in the
traditional practice setting.
It also means there is no
stoppage of play. The players
just go, go, go. As well, the
cardio workout is so great that
we have a lot of guys crying
uncle at the 35-minute mark.
“By the ‘when’ part of the
game, I mean just that -- the
correct time or better yet,
the recognition of the correct
time to shoot, to pass, or to
prevent over-handling of the
puck in the wrong areas of the
ice. So many kids are paying
big money to learn hockey and
yet they make these blunders
over and over, not realizing
that these errors in judgement
will result in them being cut
or overlooked at a higher level,
when hockey really counts.
“In other words why not
have the answers to the test
before the test, the test, of
course, being junior camp for
boys or college recruitment
for girls. I believe and know
that scrimmage hockey, done
correctly and repetitively,
with proper guidance and
confidence building, can
straighten these things
out and produce a player
that can go as far as they
want to in the game.”
The one thing about Wally
World, whether you believe
scrimmage hockey and all
the innovations that Walter
develops is the right way
to teach the game or not, is
that the kids love to play in
the program. There are no
drills and you’d better be in
shape. When Wally World gets
rolling, it’s non-stop action.
And what other league
or camp in the city can say
this? Orr, Steen, Toews,
Dawes, Weise, Shefchyk,
White, Tootoo, the Zajacs,
Andrew McPherson, Brendan
Shinnimin, Adam Hughesman,
Bailey Bram, Lee Stubbs,
Meghan Dufault and Sami
Jo Small have all played
at one time or another.
And now, with Non-Stop
Hockey on the horizon, Wally
World keeps innovating the
scrimmage and guaranteeing
that the kids get to play.
Game On, Manitoba’s
Hockey Magazine, is proud
to be a part of Non-Stop
Hockey and we’re excited
about the new league
coming this spring. ❍