Welcome to South Simcoe Hockey School

South Simcoe Hockey School has provided over 15+ years of hockey development and training in the Barrie, Innisfil and the surrounding Simcoe area. With over 30+ years of hockey school instruction experience, we provide top quality hockey instruction in a supportive environment that allows for the development of each individual player’s skill set while building their confidence.

Steve Sands, Co-founder, South Simcoe Hockey School

Steve’s passion for hockey started early in his youth playing for the Chinguacousy (Bramalea) AAA team, winning an OMHA title in 1981.  Although he spent the majority of his minor hockey with the Chinguacousy AAA team he also played with the Toronto Young Nationals, winning a Carnation Cup in 1983, the Toronto Red Wings and finally finishing off his minor hockey career in Newmarket playing for the Major Peewee and Minor Bantam AA teams prior to York Simcoe Express coming into the picture years later.  One of his highlights in Newmarket was playing for the age group above of in the ’87 OMHA Finals vs Chatham, although they lost it stands out as a highlight for him when looking back at his days in minor hockey. The notable highlights of his hockey career included being selected to the “Alternate Team” for the Ontario under 17 team in 1988, being signed to the London Knights in 1989 which enabled him to play for the London Knights on occasion while playing for his full time team, the Tillsonburg Titans, the London Knights affiliate at that time.  Soon after he went on to play with the St. Mikes Buzzers, Aurora Eagles, Bramalea Blues and finally finishing his playing career during the preseason of ’96 with the Amarillo Rattlers of the Western Professional Hockey League.

By far, his most rewarding hockey role was in coaching, working at a hockey school in Brampton for over ten years before opening up South Simcoe Hockey School in 2005 where he was able to apply the knowledge he picked up along the way as both player and coach to a school of his own. Since 2006, Steve has been a Head Coach and Asst Coach at various levels within the Barrie Minor Hockey Association as well as coaching the St. John Paul II Catholic School as head coach from 2012 – 2018.  

Alex Caruso, Co-founder, South Simcoe Hockey School

Alex’s hockey career began at an early age, playing for many years at the AAA level with the Toronto Marlies and the Chinguacousy (Bramalea) AAA throughout the 1980’s. Alex moved on to play for the Vaughan Raiders at the Provincial Junior A division and finished his hockey career with the Bramalea Blues Metro Junior A division in 1990.

Alex’s most rewarding hockey position was coaching, where he also was a lead instructor at a hockey school in Brampton in 1994 until launching South Simcoe Hockey School in 2005 with longtime hockey friend, Steve Sands. In addition to his instructing at South Simcoe Hockey, Alex has been a volunteer coaching his 3 kids teams throughout the years with the Barrie Minor Hockey Assocation and Barrie Sharks Women’s Hockey Association as well as volunteered with the St. John Paul II Catholic School Hockey Team as Assistant and Head coach duties since in 2018.