Hockey Alberta proposes removing all geographic boundaries for Minor Hockey

Over the past few years, the landscape of minor hockey has been significantly altered. The environment that Minor Hockey Associations (MHA’s) operate within has become an extremely competitive market and MHA’s are challenged with recruiting and retaining players that now have various options to consider – within hockey as well as within other winter sports. Minor Hockey boundaries have established requirements for residency-based registration for more than twenty-five years in Alberta. Each MHA currently has defined boundaries, and these boundaries restrict the ability of families (our customers) to choose the minor hockey program they wish to be a part of. If we continue to apply these same regulations, Hockey Alberta believes it will lead to more and more parents choosing other sport/hockey options.

Hockey Alberta believes that a change to the residency-based regulations is necessary to provide choice for our customers, and also to provide MHA’s with the ability to succeed in this competition environment. In alignment with Hockey Alberta’s Vision (Hockey for Life) and Mission (To create positive opportunities & experiences for all players through innovative leadership and exception service), our regulations need to provide more choice and flexibility to the customer and enable the MHA’s to provide positive opportunities and experiences for players. The regulation amendments being considered are as follows:

Regulation Amendments to Player Eligibility, Registration & Movement

3.1 (a) No Player shall be registered to a Hockey Team in any MHA unless that Player is a Resident of the Province of Alberta.

(b) When registering for hockey for the first time, a Player may register with the MHA of their choice.

4.1 Permission for Player Movement

(a) A Player must obtain permission, in writing, from their last registered MHA prior to being transferred, in the Registry, to a new MHA. The written permission must be uploaded to the transfer.

(b) If the last registered MHA does not provide permission, an application for Player Movement can be submitted to Hockey Alberta through completion of the online form.

(c) Failure to complete the required processes outlined herein will result in the Player’s registration not being completed and therefore being ineligible to play in any game.

(d) In cases where a Player is found to have played in a game(s) without first having completed the required processes outlined herein, the Team Officials and the MHA of the Hockey Team with which the Player has played may be subject to discipline.

(e) Permission for Player Movement can be denied if there are any outstanding fees, or other financial obligations, owing to the MHA the Player was last registered with.

4.2 Player movement does not require permission from the Player’s last registered MHA in the following situations:

(a) where a Player is trying out for their Recruitment Area AA team or Draw Zone AAA team;

(b) where the Player’s last registered MHA does not offer a Team at the player’s age division;

(c) where two MHAs, by mutual agreement, combine participants of the same age Division in order to be able to field team(s) at that age Division for the current Hockey Season;

(d) where the Player’s last registered MHA has no available player allotments in the Division and agrees to allow players to participate in another association;

(e) where an application for an exception, based on extenuating circumstances, is approved through the agreement of both MHA’s.

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