Currently, Nepean Minor Hockey Association is not accepting any import players.
Registration is limited to those who reside within the boundaries of the NMHA.
1. General
1.1 The purpose of the Nepean Minor Hockey Tryout Policy is to be transparent and consistent throughout the tryout process for a Nepean Minor Hockey team. The Nepean evaluations are based on scoring of individual player’s skills augmented by an evaluation of;
- the player’s abilities in game/skill situations
- through scrimmages and/or exhibition games.
- players will also be assessed on their attitude on and off the ice
- work ethic, conditioning and ability to function in a team environment during the evaluations.
1.2 All evaluators during the tryout process will be independent and chosen by the Vice-President of Programs and Development, Comp Directors and Technical Director.
2.0 Tryout Reporting Structure
2.1 Technical Director is chosen by the Vice-President of Programs and Development.
2.2 The Technical Director will work with all coaches and evaluation teams during the entire tryout process.
2.3 The Technical Director shall be present at all sessions held on home ice for the duration of the tryout until the team is finalized. For exhibition games on the road, the Technical Director will attempt to be present or send another executive member.
2.4 Should the Technical Director not be able to attend a session, or be in conflict of interest with a level, the Vice-President of Programs and development will either attend or name a replacement as TC for the required session(s).
3.0 Role of Vice-President of Programs and Development, Competitive Directors
3.1 The Vice-President of Programs and Development will oversee the entire tryout process;
3.2 The Vice-President of Programs and Development and Competitive Directors will coordinate the schedule with the coaches and the evaluators;
3.3 The Vice-President of Programs and Development will name Executive Member(s) who will adjudicate any decision or dispute during the tryout process, with the guidance of the Technical Director
3.4 The Vice-President of Programs and Development will coordinate with the Referees and Chief to ensure referee requirements during the tryouts;
3.5 The Vice-President of Programs and Develpment will approve all the players’ releases after consultation with the Technical Director and Comp Directors for their respective group(s);
3.6 The Vice-President of Programs and Development will not share comments or opinions with any players/parents or other interested observers; and
3.7 The Vice-President of Programs and Development will report to the president immediately for any potential issues during the tryout process.
4.0 Role of the Technical Director
4.1 The Technical Director will solicit independent evaluators that should be available throughout the tryout process and will gain approval from the Vice-President of Programs and Development for all evaluators used.
4.2 The Technical Director will support the evaluators and the coach with the player’s evaluation during the entire tryouts;
4.3 The Technical Director will liaise with the comp directors, evaluators and the team coach during the tryout process;
4.4 The Technical Director will be vigilant of any conflicts and/or discrepancies between the evaluators and coach evaluations and keep the Vice-President of Programs and Development and Comp Directors updated;
4.5 The Technical Director will provide the evaluation forms for the evaluators;
4.6 The Technical Director will ensure all evaluations are confidential and kept in a secure location;
4.7 The Technical Director will report to the Vice-President of Programs and development immediately for any potential issues during the tryout process;
4.8 The Technical Director will not share comments or opinions with any players/parents or other interested observers;
5.0 Evaluator Selection
5.1 Evaluators must have an appropriate mixture of experience and background to effectively evaluate the players.
5.2 Preferred traits include, but are not limited to:
- Experience with player evaluation systems;
- Suitable background in hockey either as a player or as a coach.
5.3 The evaluators would remain the same for each group and level throughout the entire process.
5.4 Proposed evaluators are subject to the approval of the Vice-President of Programs and Development;
5.5 Individuals may only evaluate a level in which they do not have a child registered/participating;
5.6 Evaluators are expected to behave professionally and cannot discuss the results of their evaluations with others during and after the selection process. Any evaluator not acting in the spirit of fairness and honesty will be removed and will not be asked to participate in future evaluations;
5.7 Evaluators that operate hockey instruction schools and/or camps must disclose to the executive the identity of any of their clients that are participating in the Nepean Minor Hockey tryouts; and
5.8 In the event Evaluators are approached or contacted by parents regarding the status of their children, they are to be reported and referred to the Vice-President of Programs and Development.
Evaluator Management
5.9 Evaluators will have the responsibility to:
- Learn and understand drills and scoring criteria;
- Ensure fairness, objectivity and impartiality; and
- Evaluate game play skills relative to other players.
Guideline for Evaluators
5.10 There should be a consistency of evaluators for a given age group or division. This continuity ensures that the players are being observed by a group of evaluators who have a benchmark for performance and knowledge of the overall ability of the group that they are observing.
Evaluators should:
5.11 Review all drills and skills to be observed so that they are clear on the on-ice process:
- Review the evaluation criteria prior to the process to ensure that all evaluators are evaluating the same skill with the same intent;
- Stay separate from the spectators and parents during the entire on ice process;
- Make sure that all evaluators have the same evaluation page with the same tryout numbers and colors;
- Review their marks at the end of the session to ensure they have not made any errors;
- Provide evaluation documents to the Technical Director or the Vice-President of Programs and Development at the completion of each ice session;
- Not share comments or opinions with any players/parents or other interested observers; and
- Refer questions, comments or complaints received from parents, players or other observers to the Vice-President of Programs and Development and the corresponding Competitive Director for that division without offering comments on the questions or complaints.
6.0 On-Ice Instructor/Bench Assistant
6.1 The On-Ice Instructor fulfills a key role in the evaluation process. They are responsible for:
- The supervision of the dressing room during the tryout process
(Following the Two Deep Rule of supervision recommended by Hockey Canada); - The control and organization of players during the skating sessions;
- Explanation of drills to players without teaching;
- Demonstration of drill;
- Spacing of players to allow enough time for the evaluators to score; and
- Ensuring that players are afforded regular shifts during scrimmages and/or exhibition games to give every player an equal opportunity to be evaluated.
- Parents are not allowed to assist with their players scrimmage.
6.2 No assistance or coaching will be provided to players during skills sessions, scrimmages and/or exhibition games.
Guideline for On-Ice Staff
6.3 During the ice sessions, there should be a minimum of one lead coach and two (2) helpers for the duration of the session;
6.4 The responsibilities of the on-ice staff include:
- Keeping up the pace and flow of the drills to finish within the allotted period. To accomplish this, it is imperative the lead is aware of the time for each drill and the order that the drills occur;
- Controlling the warm-up to ensure a brisk and adequate stretch;
- Ensuring the players understand the drill, if they are struggling, advise them to go to the back of the line;
- If a player has their performance affected by items out of their control, it is at the coach’s discretion to allow the player to perform the drill a 2nd time;
- Checking that all players have the proper protective equipment;
- Encouraging the players to perform to the best of their ability;
- Not sharing any personal insights with parents/players/other observers that may appear bias or alter the process; and
- Verifying with evaluators that they have had ample time and opportunity to review players in the given drill.
7.0 Goalie Evaluations
7.1 All goalies will participate in a separate, goalie-only session to evaluate their execution of skill drills:
- They will be expected to work through a series of stations and will be evaluated in their ability to perform various skills.
- Goalies will also participate in the team sessions and will be evaluated under game situations during scrimmages and/or exhibition games to further assess their abilities.
8.0 Injury and Absenteeism
8.1 Players anticipating missing any sessions of the competitive tryouts will need to notify the Vice-President of Programs and Development in advance. Absentee players will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may be required to play in extra evaluation games or attend additional tryout sessions;
8.2 Any player that is injured or ill and wishes to try out for a competitive team must notify the Vice-President of Programs and Development prior to tryouts. Medical verification with a doctor's note will be required. It will be at the Vice-President of Programs and Develpment discretion to approve this player in collaboration with the Head Coach and President based on length and severity of the injury / illness; and
8.3 To determine the subsequent tryout status of the returning player injured player, the Vice-President of Programs and Development will consult with a variety of sources to obtain sufficient information about the player. Vice-President of Programs and Development will take into consideration both what is best for the player, as well as the affected team or teams. The sources will include, but not be limited to, the current coach, previous coach, lower-level coach, and any other appropriate source deemed relevant by the Vice-President of Programs and Development.
9.0 Control of Evaluation Documentation
9.1 The Vice-President of Programs and Development and/or the Technical Director will collect all evaluation documents used following each evaluation session to ensure the integrity of the written information. The evaluations will be secured in the appropriate Technical Director Secure Folder;
9.2 Evaluation documents shall not be released to any individual outside the Tryout Group. The documents are to be used only for player assessment. They will be retained past the tryout period only for the purposes of collecting information to responding to complaints; and
9.3 All evaluation documents shall be held by the Vice-President of Programs and Development until the start of league play. At that time, all evaluation documents shall be destroyed.
10.0 Release Process Tryout Transfer
10.1 The Technical Director and/or the Vice-President of Programs and Development will review the results from all tryout sessions;
10.2 Players at the U9 to U18 levels who do not meet the minimum expected performance level for competitive AA/A hockey will be released at the end of the first two ice sessions. Players will only be kept longer if they have a reasonable chance of being selected for the team;
10.3 The evaluators, the Head Coach and the Technical Director will work towards a consensus on the players to be released;
10.4 The Vice-President of Programs and Development, along with the Competitive Directors will be excluded from all discussions on player releases. This ensures that they remain unbiased any complaints/concerns received;
10.5 Excluding any unforeseen circumstances, continuation list will be posted within as soon as possible following a session (or next morning if late session the night before).
10.6 Jersey numbers of continuing players will be posted on the website’s “Continuation Page”.
10.7 Released players may request some explanation related to the reason(s) that led to their removal from the tryout process. Evaluators’ notes will not be shared but the Vice-President of Programs and Development, Technical Director and/or Head Coach will provide the information via email. The goal is to provide points for improvement as well as identify what the player did well during tryouts so that he/she can work on aspects of their games for next season’s tryouts.
Tryout Transfer
10.8 The objective of the NMHA is to provide, for all players within its boundaries, a place to play hockey. This objective is supported by Hockey Eastern Ontario Minor (HEO Minor) residency regulations and Hockey Canada rules.
10.8.1 Transfers for tryout purposes at the competitive level are permissible under the following circumstance:
- The player is registered in the NMHA; and
- The player has attended NMHA tryouts, has been released, and wishes to tryout for a higher-level team in another District or Association.
10.8.2 To apply for a transfer, the requesting player must:
- Attended NMHA tryouts and been released;
- Obtain a tryout approval signed by the receiving organization’s President or their delegate, the receiving District Chair (should they require it) then;
- Obtain signed approval by the NMHA President or their delegate, and the Nepean District Chair.
Competitive Tryout Transfer Application
10.8.3 If released; the player trying out for another District or Association has three (3) days to notify the NMHA of their release. Failure to notify the NMHA of their release within this time will result in their removal from the NMHA active player list.
10.8.4 Players successful in securing a roster spot in another Association or District, must complete a transfer request, as per the usual process.
10.8.5 If a player attends tryouts in another District or Association, the NMHA is under no obligation to hold a position for the player on any of our competitive teams.
****No player may tryout or attend any on-ice activity with another District or Association without the approvals identified above. ****
11.0 Post Tryout Review
11.1 Within 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) of tryout completion, the VPHO is to provide the following to the NMHA Executive Committee:
- Number of players per team for each level;
- Name of players that made the team.
- Number of exports by teams and by association;
- Any issues raised during the tryouts;
- Any complaints during the tryouts; and
- Any recommendations for next year’s tryout.
11.2 Vice- President of Programs and Development's report is to be recorded in the minutes of the NMHA Executive Committee.
12.0 Annual Update of Tryout Policy
12.1 The Tryout Policy will be posted prior to the start of the tryouts; the Vice-President of Programs and Development will draft an updated (as required) version of the tryout policy;
12.2 The tryout policy shall be reviewed on an annual basis by the Vice-President of Programs and Development, Competitive Directors and the President of the NMHA.
12.3 The tryout policy shall be made available to all its members, coaches, evaluators and all players trying out. This policy is to be posted on the NMHA Website; and
12.4 Questions regarding the Tryout Policy can be sent via email to the Vice-President of Programs and Development and the President of the NMHA.
Approved: August 2024
Parents of children "trying-out" for a Raider team are not to be involved in the selection process. Involvement includes not only on ice activity but extends to working with or for the Head Coach in any capacity during the try-out process. The only exceptions are when a parent is also a Head Coach or when the Head Coach has sought and received permission from the competitive Chair to involve a parent. Violation of this policy will not be tolerated.
The NMHA Competitive Committee, in consultation with a number of NMHA coaches, are pleased to announce a uniform set of team rules which will govern the day-to-day operations of all of our Competitive teams. The development of these rules was undertaken to ensure that all Raiders players will be treated in a consistent and fair manner.
Commitment to Dress Code
Players are expected to arrive and leave each game as per the following dress code: Shirt and tie, slacks or khakis (no jeans) and team jacket. (Major Peewee and above) Shirts must be tucked in and the players has a neat & tidy appearance. Novice to Minor Peewee dress code is track suit with t-shirt and running shoes. Winter boots are allowed at all age groups in inclement weather. Dress Code Example: Player comes to his first tournament game adhering to all the dress code requirements. He then returns to the rink after lunch for Game 2 with no dress shirt on and no tie on. Coach give the player an official warning.
- The Coach and Team Officials are responsible for developing a team budget at the beginning of the season reflecting the program outlined by the Coach and presenting to the parents for approval.
- The team Treasurer is responsible for tracking and controlling the financial transactions of the team as per the Team Bank Account Policy, summarizing actual results compared to budget and presenting the summary to the parents for their review on a regular basis. The treasurer must not be related to or reside within the same household as the head coach/manager.
- The Parents are responsible for approving the Initial team budget at the beginning of the season and any subsequent changes and reviewing the summary of actual results compared to budget provided by the Treasurer. The initial budget and subsequent adjustments must be agreed to by the majority of the parents. Any decisions regarding adjustments to or specific details or line items in the budget are done by way of vote.
- The NMHA is responsible for setting policy regarding team budgets and providing direction to Coaches, Team Officials and Parents regarding application of the policy. For greater clarity, the NMHA does not directly manage the financial activity of the team and any issues or discrepancies that may occur regarding team finances are not the responsibility of the NMHA.
- Initial Budget approved by Parents no later than September 30th , for competitive teams not formed before September 3oth, this step must be completed by October 15th.
- Actual vs Budget Summary #1 provided to Parents no later than November 30th.
- Actual vs Budget Summary #2 provided to Parents no later than January 31st.
- Final Actual vs Budget Summary provided to Parents no later than March 31st, or within 1 month of last ice time, whichever comes first.
- Final budget settlement and bank account closure no later than May 31st.
- Communicate budget status to parents regularly and often
- Obtain parent approval prior to incurring significant unbudgeted expenditures
- Record transaction activity as it occurs and retain supporting documentation
- Ensure cash-based transactions are accompanied by receipts or a sign-off list
- Ensure bank reconciliations are performed monthly
- Follow up and escalate issues with delinquent fees early
- Document each parents acknowledged receipt of Initial Budget, Interim Summary Reports and the Final Summary
Goals:
- To build the best roster of coaches for NMHA Competitive Program teams.
- To find and develop potential coaches.
- To evaluate coaches and to work with them to improve and develop their coaching skills.
- To ensure that NMHA Competitive Program coaches abide by the NMHA Code of Conduct and
- the rules governing hockey both within the ODMHA and in Canada.
- To integrate the coaches with the NMHA Competitive Player Development Program as defined
- and delivered by the Competitive Program Technical Director.
Strategy:
All current coaches will be evaluated prior to coach selection. This will include parent and player evaluations (twice yearly), as well as the assessment of the NMHA Division Director, the NMHA Technical Director and the League Convenor (if available).
• All potential new coaches will be interviewed and their references verified. Verification will include questions tied to the evaluation process for current coaches. Current coaches may be interviewed to advise them of any issues which may arise from the parent/player evaluations. This will be done to assist them in dealing with those issues should they be appointed to a team for the coming year.
• All selected coaches will complete a Police Record Check form on appointment to a team.
• Preference will be given to non-parents where candidates are roughly equal in merit. This
preference will be strong at AA, with more flexibility at A and B to ensure that the NMHA pool of
candidates is maintained.
• The Selection Committee and NMHA competitive coaches will work with the Competitive
Technical Director to deliver and improve his or her program.
• The selection of coaches will be by consensus of the Committee, or where required, by vote.
Members of the Committee with children at the age level in question may only
Process:
- Collect and assess evaluation results of current coaching staffs.
- Identify status of current coaching staffs (acceptable, not acceptable or to be determined).
- Call for applications (current coaching staffs and external).
- Collect applications for next season’s coaching roster.
- Assemble list of applicants.
- Conduct interviews.
- Verify experience and personal suitability of all new candidates.
- Award team based on the following priority order, if possible:
- a. Acceptable current coach, one year with age and level.
- b. Acceptable candidate, highly qualified, non-parent or parent, as per strategy.
- c. Acceptable current coach, two years or more with age and level..
- Notify all applicants of results.
- Advise the NMHA Board of the results.
- Formally announce coaching roster at the NMHA Annual General Meeting. In the event that
- certain levels have not been staffed, those levels will be announced as “To Be Determined”.
Timeframe:
Dec. 1, Feb. 15 – Collection and evaluation of parent/player evaluations.
Feb. 28 – Deadline for applications for coaching positions.
Apr. 15 – Completion of interviews
Apr. 30 – Final coaching roster
AGM (May) – Formal Announcement of coach roster.
Coach Tenure:
All NMHA Competitive Program coaches are appointed for the coming season only. There is no explicit promise of a second or subsequent year with the same player group.
The Committee does recognize that there are significant benefits in allowing coaches to plan a two year program. The Committee also recognizes that, historically, three years with the same group has been problematic for many coaches, regardless their success or level of respect in our community.
The Committee will undertake to award a second year to any coach, should he or she apply, provided the applicant is otherwise suitable and if there is a spot available. Suitable means, among other things, no unresolved issues from evaluations, and no significant changes to the coach's availability.
This undertaking is very strong at AA and A, with more flexibility at B. That being said, our experience has been that the problems which appear after two years in AA and A still eventually appear in B.
Each year, in selecting and assigning coaches, we have some excellent current coaches or coach candidates who do not get teams. This can be a problem with the number and quality of candidates at a level or the parent vs. non-parent decision. The fact that a particular current coach does not geta team should never be construed as a criticism of that individual or as an indicator of problems with their tenure.
The intent of this policy is to provide structure to the process of reimbursing head coaches and their coaching staff for expenses incurred while traveling as a result of a team game event. All teams are to provide funds to reimburse the coaches expenses.
Payments described below are to cover the entire coaching staff. Head Coaches are responsible for determining how to share these funds with other team officials. This reimbursement will take the form of a payment to cover expected costs while traveling to regularly scheduled league games and a flat "per tournament night" payment plus travel costs to be made based on the number of out-of-town tournaments and the number of overnight stays at each. A schedule will be published each year indicating the following:
- The flat rate to cover travel costs for league games played outside the city of Ottawa boundaries. (This may vary by league and division).
- The per out-of-town tournament overnight flat rate. (This is applicable to all AA, A and B teams)
- The mileage rate to be paid for tournament travel. (This is applicable to all AA, A and B teams)
Exceptions will be made to this for provincial championships, Silver Stick and other unpredictable tournament events.
The flat rate to cover league games should be paid in two installments, the first as soon as possible after the start of league play and the second after Christmas. The per-tournament fees should be paid prior to leaving for the tournament.
Questions can be directed to any of the Competitive Committee contacts on the NMHA Contacts web page. In keeping with our Policy on Reimbursing Coaching Staff expenses noted above, the following schedule is to be used for the 2016-2017 playing season.
The flat rate for out of town league games is set as follows:
| Amount | Applicable to: | Out of town Teams |
|---|---|---|
| $411.20 | “A” – Novice, Minor Atom | RSL, Seaway, EO |
| $160.00 | “A” – Major Atom | Seaway |
| $0 | “A” – Minor Peewee, Major Peewee, Minor Bantam, Major Bantam, Minor Midget, Major Midget | |
| $593.60 | “AA” – Minor Peewee, Major Bantam, Minor Midget | RSL, Seaway, EO, UOV |
| $721.60 | “AA” Major Atom, Major Peewee, Minor Bantam | RSL, Seaway, EO, UOV, St. Lawrence |
| $499.20 | “AA” Midget | Seaway, EO, UOV |
| $49.60 | “B” Novice, Minor Midget | Rockland |
| $113.60 | “B” Minor Atom, Major Atom, Minor Peewee, Major Peewee, Major Bantam, Major Midget | Rockland, Casselman |
| $64.00 | “B” Minor Bantam | Casselman |
NOTE: The above payments must be reduced at the rate of $.40/km if the coach takes team-provided transportation to any of the league games.
This rate is based on the number of out-f-town teams declared at the “AA”, “A” and “B” League meetings held prior to the 2013-2014 season. The payment must be made in two installments. The first, consisting of 1/2 the full rate, at the beginning of the year and the balance in January. The January payment may be adjusted upwards or downwards to reflect any substantial changes to this year´s projected schedule.
Non-Parent Coaches
- The per-tournament overnight rate is set to: actual hotel cost (including applicable taxes) plus $60. This amount is to cover both hotel, meal and incidental expenses for the team´s head coach. According to the policy, this will be paid for each required overnight stay at a tournament.
- Mileage rate to cover travel to tournaments is set to: $.40/km. This should only be paid where a coach is providing his/her own transportation. The maximum claim may not exceed 1000 km for each tournament.
What follows is the NMHA Competitive Program Policy on Coaches Influence on non-NMHA related activity. There has been concerns raised by our membership about coaches imposing restrictions against non-NMHA hockey related activity. The most frequently heard complaint is that players are told by coaches that they may not participate in High School Hockey and play on a Raider Team. This policy is intended to clarify the NMHA Competitive Committee's position on this issue. Coaches may not under any circumstance prohibit or discourage any activity which does not directly time conflict with team events. Players are expected to attend all team activities, properly prepared and sufficiently rested to participate. Coaches are responsible to assess players preparedness and ensure that they are not unduly fatigued. Should players be unable to participate, coaches may impose sanctions according to team rules.
Competitive Hockey demands:
- A high level of commitment to team success and individual development is required from all participants;
- Excellent communication between coaches and players; and
- A balance between fair playing time and competitiveness.
To meet these demands, the following fair ice policy is mandated for this organization:
The basic assumption for all players and teams is that there will be an equal sharing of ice time, based on position; i.e. defence vs. goal vs. forward. There are a number of circumstances during which this equal ice time requirement may be superseded, including, but not limited to, team disciplinary measures, suspensions or injuries. It is also recognized that, to a reasonable extent, coaches may use ice time as a motivational tool.
A key concept is that coaches are expected to teach every tactical and situational aspect of the game to every player. Throughout the course of the season, the coach is expected to allow all players a reasonable opportunity to use these skills in a game situation. In the older age groups (i.e. Bantam and Midget), this will allow a coach, over the course of a season, to establish specialty teams, both for competitive reasons as well as to allow players to play to their strengths. Coaches may also choose to use certain players in key situations or during the last few minutes of a close game to give the team its best chance to win. This could result in some players finishing games with more ice time than others but only on a limited basis. Players' ice time may not be equal in each and every game, but should be roughly equal over the course of the season.
Concerns about the implementation of this policy should be expressed first to the head coach, in keeping with the team’s stated communication policy, and then to the NMHA Division Director. The Division Director can then use any resource including, but not limited to, the Club Head Coach to assist in resolving the issue.
Note: In cases where a coach is obviously and blatantly abusing ice time, complaints will certainly be investigated and appropriate corrective actions taken. But parents who take unnecessary measures (e.g. using a stopwatch to time shifts) at games should possibly re-evaluate their decision to allow their son or daughter to play hockey at this level.
What follows is a confirmation of the long-standing NMHA Competitive Program policy on Raiders Equipment. The NMHA believes that all Raider teams, while participating in game play, should present a consistent look. This look is anchored by the Nepean Raiders Sweaters. In support of this, Players are required to wear black helmets and pants. Hockey gloves must be consistent with the Raiders colour scheme (Red, Black, Grey, White).
This policy in no way supersedes the requirements of Hockey Canada with respect to required equipment.
In order to have a consistent look, each team's name tags must have the same presentation style for the entire team. Therefore, to ensure this consistency, new name tags can be obtained each year through the NMHA office. Player name tags will be placed above the numbers (i.e. across the shoulders) while sponsorship tags will appear under the numbers. Name tags will be white background with black lettering on white sweaters, and black background with white lettering on black sweaters.
Jerseys are not to be tucked into hockey pants. Sponsor tags on the jersey must be visible.
It is also expected that teams and players will take necessary care of the game sweaters so that they are presentable at games. Garment bags or other similar protection must be used to minimize the wear to the sweaters. The sweaters must also be reasonably clean and in proper repair. Game sweaters are to be worn only for games and not for practice.
Failure to comply will result in the player being warned and reminded of this policy. Continued violation will result in suspension.
What follows is the NMHA Competitive Program policy on the use of affiliated players. This policy was drafted by the Competitive Committee and was circulated to all Raider Head Coaches (2001-02). With the introduction of AAA hockey this policy was revised in 2007.
The NMHA operates a Club affiliation system (Hockey Canada Regulation E) where all players on lower level teams are automatically affiliated. The following describes three scenarios for affiliation and policies for each.
The NMHA believes strongly in the affiliate program and desires to see affiliated players used as often as possible.
1. NMHA Competitive team to NMHA Competitive team
There remains a requirement to notify and obtain agreement from the affiliate's regular coaching staff of your intention to use a player as this ensures that suspensions and other issues are known and respected. Similarly, coaches using affiliated players must notify the affiliate's regular coaching staff following a game should injuries or suspensions occur. Team officials must respect this policy and make no effort to discourage affiliated players from participating with affiliated teams as a result of its implementation.
To this end the following guidelines must be followed:
- Where there is no event conflict (the player’s regular team does not have a game, practice or other team function), it is not necessary to seek permission from the regular team's coach.
- Where there is an event conflict, the following schedule of event priorities should be used. The team with the highest event priority will take precedence.
- Where the event priorities are the same, the player’s regular team will take precedence.
6. League or playoff game.
5. Out-of-town tournament (where roster is depleted).
4. In-town tournament game.
3. Practice.
2. Exhibition game.
1. Off-ice team event
2. NMHA to AAA Affiliation
The Ottawa Senators AAA organization will be using the 19-player special affiliation list as defined by Hockey Canada Regulation E. The regulation stipulates that a player who is affiliated under this list cannot be affiliated to any other team.
Any NMHA player that signs an affiliate card with an AAA team is automatically excluded from affiliation to any other NMHA team.
3. NMHA House League to NMHA Competitive Team
There remains a requirement to notify and obtain agreement from the affiliate's regular coaching staff each time of your intention to use a player; this ensures that suspensions and other issues are known and respected.
To this end the following guidelines must be followed:
- Where there is an event conflict, the following schedule of event priorities should be used. The team with the highest event priority will take precedence.
- Where the event priorities are the same, the player’s regular team will take precedence.
6. League or playoff game.
5. Out-of-town tournament (where roster is depleted).
4. In-town tournament game.
3. Practice.
2. Exhibition game.
1. Off-ice team event
Similarly, coaches using affiliated players must notify the affiliate's regular coaching staff following a game should injuries or suspensions occur. Team officials must respect this policy and make no effort to discourage affiliated players from participating with affiliated teams as a result of its implementation.
What follows is the NMHA Competitive Program Policy on Raider players "Playing Up", i.e. joining and playing on a team with older aged players, on a full-time basis. This policy is the result of consultations, feedback, and a strong desire to ensure the best possible hockey experience for all NMHA members. No NMHA player in Novice, Atom or Peewee may attend try outs for teams other than those at their own age level. For Midget and Bantam aged players, the higher-level coaches may make a request to the Competitive Committee, seeking permission to have a younger player come to their tryouts. Permission will only be granted by the Competitive Committee on an exception basis, after consulting the player and his or her parents, the affected coaches, and the NMHA Executive Technical Director.
Each year, the NMHA conducts tryouts open to all registered players and those on the NMHA waiting list. This process normally ends when the teams are selected and registered with the HEO Minor. In Major Midget, there are special requirements to accommodate those players who attend junior hockey tryout camps and return after those tryouts end. Given our policy of open tryouts, it should be noted that no player returning from Junior is guaranteed a spot on any specific team.
With the increasing demand for hockey in Nepean, Major Midget level players are strongly advised to register for the season before tryouts begin, in order to guarantee a spot within the association. According to Hockey Canada regulations, no unregistered player can be placed on any team's official roster. Players on the waiting list are not considered as registered.
To determine their final rosters, the Major Midget coaches will work together to appropriately place players who return from junior camps. It is also expected that players attending junior camps will keep the NMHA Major Midget coaches informed of their intentions.
While it will be dependant upon the number of possible returning players, at the start of league play, each team’s roster is envisaged to be:
- Major Midget AA – 15 on the official roster, plus at least 2 affiliated B players for each game and practice;
- Major Midget B – for each team: 16 on the official roster, of whom at least 1 will affiliate and play full time with the AA team, 1 affiliated House players for each game and practice.
As of October 15, all rosters will be finalized. Affiliated players who are not kept are still available to the higher level teams, as part of our Club system (see Affiliation Policy). After October 15, players returning from junior camps will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Teams can register up to 19 skaters and 2 goalies, per Hockey Canada regulations.