** note: for the purpose of this procedure and guideline "the executive" refers to a minimum two of the Rep director, VP Operations, President, Local League director - or other executive position expressly appointed by the president.
Rep Tryout Guidelines and Procedures
Pre-registration for tryouts
Attendance at tryouts
- It is expected that all players attend all scheduled tryout skates for a given division. This is in keeping with OMHA/OHF policy that players must attend at least one division tryout skate, and preferably all division tryout skates.
- If an extraordinary situation exists (e.g. an injured player who cannot actively participate in tryouts) a discussion must take place with the player/parent, the coach, and the executive prior to the start of the first tryout, and a decision made on how to handle on a case by case basis.
There will be no cuts after the first tryout
- No players will be released after the first B tryout for any age group
Player releases will be communicated online
- All players will receive a confidential tryout ID number that will be used to identify release status online
- After the 2nd tryout and any subsequent tryouts, a list will be posted online indicating release status - identifying players by ID number, not name
- A player who has been released will have the opportunity to schedule a meeting with the coach to get feedback on areas of improvement; Meeting requests may be submitted to the Rep Director after 24 hours following the posting of the official player release online on the EHMHA website
Player evaluation and selection process
- Players will be graded by the head coach plus 3 or more other neutral graders. Goalies will be graded by the coach and at least one - ideally two - neutral goalie specialists
- The coach will identify the graders to the executive and/or work with the executive to appoint the graders
- None of the graders (except possibly the head coach) will have a child trying out for the team they are grading
- The selection of the team is at the discretion of the head coach, however any selections which are not consistent with the overall grading (e.g. player in bottom third selected while player in top third was not and vice versa) are to be discussed for transparency with the executive before being finalized
Availability of player evaluation data
- All grading data will be submitted to the executive within 24 hours of the last tryout and kept on file for a period of 60 days; but will remain confidential from parents/players.
- Grading data will not be made available in its raw state to parents and players, however if a parent is questioning the decision, a meeting to review the grading results in aggregate can be setup with the coach, Rep director and VP Operations
- In cases where a member of the executive is also the parent of a child trying out for a given team, they will have no additional access to that data than would any other parent
Team size
- While teams of 14 or 15 skaters with 2 goalies are preferred and encouraged, EH will form teams of any size that falls within the OMHA regulation parameters
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Coaches wishing to select a team smaller than 14 skaters and 2 goalies or larger than 15 skaters and two goalies must first discuss their rationale with the executive and receive approval before finalizing
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Note that rep ice budgets take into consideration the amount of revenue per team – therefore larger teams receive a larger ice budget to reflect additional rep fees collected
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For details on numbers required at tryouts in order to form and Additional entry team is available under Rules of Operation | AE team formation policy
Trying out for a higher age division
- All players are free to try out for the next higher age division if they wish; such players must pre-register for tryouts and must indicate at that time their intention to try out with the older age division.
- In order to make the higher age division team the player needs to be evaluated as top 5 in the higher age division.
- Consistent with this requirement, a player would not be able to play on the AE team of the higher age division
- It is strongly recommended that players trying out for an older age division should also participate and be evaluated in the tryouts for their current age division.
- If the player decides not to attend the tryouts for their current age division and to only attend the tryouts for the older age division, that player will not be eligible to be selected for the team for their current age division.
Players becoming eligible for EH after tryouts
- If a player becomes eligible too late to participate in tryouts (i.e. by moving to the area; through an OMHA Regulation 3.5 waiver; late cut from AAA) and the team does not have a full roster, then the coach may decide they want to consider adding a player to their roster. In that case the coach may arrange with the executive to schedule a supplementary tryout
- The definition of a full roster is 19 players as defined by the OMHA regulations. However, consistent with the team size EH guideline, coaches wishing to select a team larger than 15 skaters and two goalies must first discuss their rationale with the executive and receive approval
- A player on the roster may not be cut to make room for a newly eligible player
- Under no circumstances shall a newly eligible player be rostered to a team without this supplementary tryout being held
Roster positions opening up after tryouts
- If a roster position on a team becomes available (e.g. a player moves away or drops out of rep hockey), at the discretion of the coach, that position may be filled by holding an assessment tryout
Supplementary tryout guidelines
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If an assessment skate is held under one of the above two scenarios, all eligible players - including those who chose not to attend regular tryouts - are eligible to attend.
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Effort must be made to communicate the scheduling of a supplementary tryout to all eligible players
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As with regular tryouts, players at a supplementary tryout will be graded by the head coach plus 3 or more other neutral graders.