1^st Round of Tryouts - Three (3) ice times will be assigned per division.

2^nd Round of Tryouts – All teams from U10 to U18 will play other teams (from within the GHA if possible) in exhibition games.

PLAYER & GOALIE SELECTION PROCESS

Any player registered with MDHA/RMHA or having an approved tryout transfer to MDHA/RMHA for this season may tryout at their division level. The only acceptable reason for missing the first three (3) tryout sessions will be due to an ongoing higher level tryout, or an injury/illness (see note further below).  Each player will be guaranteed three (3) tryout sessions which are the first three ice times (1st Round). No player will be released until the completion of their 3rd session.

Hockey Canada Pathways program (U10-U15) require that each player must be provided with “rust off” ice time before tryouts begin. The rust off ice times are not for evaluation, they are for players to get moving, get used to their equipment again after the summer break and prepare themselves for tryouts. Each level will have these ice times indicated on the tryout schedule which will be posted on our websites in the middle of August. Note that it is possible for players to be on the ice twice in one day for either rust of ice or tryout ice.

Independent evaluators will be used for to rank all the players and goalies during tryout ice times. They will assist the Head Coach to bring the list to a maximum of 20 skaters and 3 goalies after the first three ice times.  All independent evaluators will declare any conflict of interest if they have children or relatives at the respective level they are evaluating. They will use forms supplied by the VP of Competitive for ranking and these will be provided back to the VP of Competitive once complete.

The final decision for player and goalie selection will be the responsibility of the Head Coach who will be bringing the roster to a minimum of 15 skaters and 2 goalies per team. Coaches will justify their decisions/selections based solely on evaluations.

During tryouts, players are sometimes identified to "sit a game", to allow the coach and evaluators to better assess the skill of those true "bubble" players.  This is not exclusive to our association or our level of tryouts but is normal practice for most competitive sports.

Although it would be beneficial for the player and family to be told in advance so they could plan in various ways (who attends, what they should wear etc....) there are several reasons why we do not.  Illness, injury, family emergencies and no shows can change the lineup up until game time.  If all players arrive with equipment, ready to play we can insert players into the lineup as required.

Please ensure that your players are informed that when they arrive at the registration desk they may be asked to "sit a game".

GOALIES

Goalies for U12 to U18 age groups will be evaluated during a separate session(s) by independent evaluators and also during the ice time sessions by the coaches and evaluators.  A player selected to a team as a goalie shall remain a goalie for that season. Goalies trying out in U10 and U11 may have separate evaluation sessions depending on the number of participants at those levels.

PLAYER RELEASE PROCESS

At the conclusion of the 1st round of tryouts, participants will be asked to visit the MDHA website that will provide jersey numbers of the participants that will advance to the next round. Following the second round of the tryout process, the same website will post the final selection of the team. All continuations will be posted between 7 am and 10:59 pm.

If your player is released, you should be prepared to attend the House League sort-outs as early as the next day.  Parents should be aware of the House League Sort-Out schedule by checking https://metcalfejets.ca/mdha-house/.

If there are concerns, a parent may inquire in writing to the VP Competitive after 24 hours of the release.  Evaluation forms or player rankings will not be released to parents.   A parent may also refer to MDHA By-Law 4 (1.1) regarding the filing of any protest regarding the evaluation process.

ABSENT FROM FIRST TWO SESSIONS OF TRYOUTS

If a player or goalie is absent from the first three sessions (1st round of tryouts), the MDHA and RMHA VP of Competitive needs to be contacted as soon as possible in writing at  vpcompetitive@metcalfejets.ca and vpcompetitive@russellwarriors.ca . The player may participate in the 2nd Round of tryouts only under the following conditions if approved by the VP Competitive:

Player Participating in tryouts at a higher level, confirmed by the President and Registrar.
Injury or illness;   a doctor’s note prior to the next tryout sessions must be sent to the VP Competitive as proof of such incidents of injury or illness.

INJURY/ILLNESS DURING TRYOUTS

If a player is injured before or becomes injured during the tryout process, the following shall guide the decisions of the evaluation committee and Coach:

A doctor’s certificate must be provided disclosing the injury/illness (type, duration and anticipated return date) within 24 hours, if occurring during tryouts or occurring prior to tryouts.

A doctor’s certificate must be provided permitting the player to return to tryouts and/or specifying conditions which would restrict the players’ full participation.

If the illness/injury precludes participation or prevents ample time for evaluation during the first three tryout sessions by the evaluators, the players skill level and inclusion into the top 20 will be assessed following the guidelines specified below:

• Player played at a higher level than Rep B in the previous session.
• Player was a Castor River Canuck/Rep B player in the previous season.

Players meeting the criteria above are included in the top 20 and are eligible for selection by the coach for the final roster.

If the illness/injury prevents the player’s return to the ice beyond the 1st month after the start of the regular season (November 15th), a place on the final roster cannot be held for that player and he must be returned to their home association.  A doctor’s note must be provided to validate the time frame for a player’s return.

COACH NOT DESIGNATED

In the event a Head Coach is not designated or unavailable at the time of tryouts, the MDHA and RMHA VP Competitive, with the full support of the MDHA and RMHA Executives, shall assume sole responsibility for selecting the team through the use of impartial and independent evaluators.  The results of the independent evaluators shall be final and not subject to reconsideration.   The MDHA and RMHA Executives shall endeavor to have a Head Coach in place prior to the try-outs, or as soon as possible through or upon completion of the try-out process.