More than likely while training to do 5000m swims you were mostly training your arms which gave you most of your speed. With hockey you have to switch the focus more to the legs. So of course it wouldn't transfer over directly, but I'd bet you were better off than people that came over from a non-swimming background. And had you been training to do 5000m kick, you would have been just fine.

Also the lack of breathing thing gets in the way. It sure is different than breathing every two or three strokes. I wish I had learned to breath like I do now for hockey back when I was a swimmer. I am pretty sure that I would have been a better swimmer. So if the teams are swimming using their snorkle and they do some underwater work during their 5000m workout, they should be getting a benefit for hockey. So it's not a bad thing. They just need to know that they need to work in some speed before a tournament if they want to be able to go fast.

And I don't think it is correct to imply that the lower ranks only swim for their training and that's why they are the lower ranks. Maybe that's true in your area, but for us the lower ranks usually just get in and play. Often showing up late, further reducing their chances to improve. And they don't have the quality players to raise the level so it makes it even harder to improve. It's a lot like the adage it takes money to make money. The better players you have the easier it is to get other players to improve.

With all that, you could train by only playing games and be fine if you are playing an hour or two a day for 5-6 days a week.. Or you could do meter after meter of swim workouts which include some underwater training and do most of your puck skill training on your carpet and be fine if you are getting in on occassion to play. Or you could do all of it and still suck, depends on the level of your desire and the play around you.

The one constant is that Hockey is more fun when you are fit and have fit players around you.

__________________
Just in case you weren't sure, it's official -- CMAS sucks.
Oh yeah, and now they're broke.