1^st Round of Tryouts - Two (2) ice times will be assigned per division.

2nd Round of Tryouts – All teams from U10 to U18 will play other teams (from within the GHA if possible)  in exhibition games. These costs have already been included in the tryout fees each of you have paid.

PLAYER & GOALIE SELECTION PROCESS

Any player registered with MDHA or having an approved tryout transfer to MDHA for this season may tryout at his/her division level. The only acceptable reason for missing the first two (2) tryout sessions will be due to an ongoing higher level tryout, or an injury/illness (see note further below).  Each player will be guaranteed two (2) tryout sessions which are the first two ice times (1st Round). No player will be released until the completion of their 2nd session.

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

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, covid restrictions, 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 will be evaluated during a separate session by an independent evaluator and also during the ice time sessions by the coaches and their evaluators.  A player selected to a team as a goalie shall remain a goalie for that season.

PLAYER RELEASE PROCESS

At the conclusion of the 1st round, 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.

If your player is released, you should be prepared to attend the House sort-outs as early as the next day.  Parents should be aware of the House 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 two sessions (1st round of tryouts), the MDHA VP Competitive needs to be contacted as soon as possible in writing at  vpcompetitive@metcalfejets.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 two 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 his/her 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 VP Competitive, with the full support of the MDHA Executive, 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 Executive 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.