REGISTRATION AND PLAYER SELECTION PROCESS

Registration and Tryout Fees

Players interested in participating in the St. Albert Raiders program must be registered with St. Albert Minor Hockey Association.
First-time registrants must provide verification of the player’s age and a completed Hockey Alberta Parent Declaration form.
Any player with outstanding fees from the previous season will not be permitted to play until such time as the fees are paid in full.
If there is an outstanding balance due to the team or the Association, no family member record(s) shall be approved for transfer to another MHA until this has been paid.
Tryout fees are established annually by the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association Finance Committee and in consultation with the Raiders VP.
Players who start their tryout process at AAA can expect to participate in a minimum of three evaluation skates, and a minimum of one AA tryout.

St. Albert Minor Hockey Assocation Policies

2.1.2 Registration Requirements

(A) All players must supply proof of age as set out by Hockey Canada.

(B) No registration will be approved until all fees are paid, or an approved payment plan is in place, and required documentation is received.

2.1.3 Payment of Fees

(A) All players must be registered with SAMHA before participating in any on ice activity; exceptions made with the approval of the HOCVP and Executive Director

(B) General registration rates are established annually by the Board of Directors. This will include any late payment penalties.

(D) The Association may, at their discretion, accept a registration without full payment of fees where circumstances prevail.

(E) Players shall be immediately suspended if full payment is not received prior to November 15th. SAMHA will attempt to collect the funds owing, inclusive of establishing a payment plan. If SAMHA is unable to collect full payment, player may revoke the registration and restrict future participation in Hockey Canada programs.

2.1.4 Refund of Registration Fees

(A) SAMHA must receive formal written notice; an online application for refund form must be completed. A minimum administration fee of $75 will be deducted from all refunds.

• Refunds made before participation in St. Albert Raiders tryouts/Tiered evaluations will be 100% of registration fees, less the administration fee.

• Refunds made after players participate in tryouts/evaluations will be 75% of paid registration fees, less the administration fee.

• Refunds made after team selection will be 50% of registration fees, less the administration fee.

• Refunds made after November 1 will be 25% of fees, less the administration fee.

• St. Albert Raiders players will receive a 100% refund of registration fees, less the administration fee, should they secure a place on a team within another Minor Hockey Assocation prior to the start of the season.

• Tryout and ID Camp fees are non-refundable.

(B) No refunds will be issued after January 10.

ADDITIONAL FEES

Players selected to play on AA and AAA teams will be charged additional fees to cover extra ice, busses, hotels, equipment, and league costs. Each season the St. Albert Raiders Committee will agree to the maximum amount that each team can charge in team fees. These amounts and all volunteer commitments are included in the player St. Albert Raiders tryout fee purchase waiver.

Team Formation and Player Release

The St. Albert Raiders is committed to a fair and transparent evaluation and selection process. This policy is indented to provide players and coaches with a framework to evaluate, release, and select players.

General Rules

The Head Coach shall have the final say on all player movement and team selection. Teams in the St. Albert Raiders program compete in an elite level of hockey, and the program grants this responsibility to the Head Coach.
It is expected that the Head Coach will work with a selection committee or other coaches within the division to evaluate players.
No preference is given to any player based on previous affiliation status.
During the evaluation process, players are identified to coaches by jersey colour and number only.
Players are only eligible to participate in one elite stream of tryouts. For example, U13 AA (F) players cannot participate in U13 AA (M) tryouts at the same time.

Player Selection

All St. Albert Raiders coaches must provide the organization with a Player Selection criterion before August 15th. The selection criteria must include player character traits. The criterion will be shared with all registered players. If there is more than one team within the division category, coaches must work together to establish one selection criteria.

Team Size

Roster regulations are set by Hockey Canada policy no E 2. b) and c)

U18 AAA maximum 20 players

U17 AAA maximum 19

U18 AA maximum 19

U16 AA maximum 19

U15 AAA maximum 19

U15 AA maximum 19

U13 AA maximum 19

PLAYER RELEASE PROCESS

Aspiring to play hockey at a competitive level and participating in the tryout process is a stressful time for athletes and their families. This policy is indented to define the process and ensure that all player releases are made with care while maintaining the dignity of the players involved.

As leaders in the St. Albert Raiders, Head Coaches are expected to demonstrate strong leadership and conduct themselves professionally throughout this process.

Releases shall be made on the scheduled dates outlined in the tryout timeline to ensure players have every opportunity to participate in 2nd tryouts, where permitted. The Second Tryout rules and process is defined by Hockey Alberta.

Final Selection Process

Once a coach has reduced the selection pool to 25 or fewer players, the following process applies:

Player releases should be done in person and only after practice; in certain circumstances, releases may be done over the phone; the Head Coach must consult with the Division Manager before making this determination.

Meetings with players must include at least one other adult; absolutely no one-on-one meetings are permitted with players.

Coaches are required to give players who have been released a clear indication of their strengths and opportunities for improvement in a positive manner. The expectation is that coaches provide written feedback in the Player Release Package.

The Player Release Package will include:

- The contact phone number for the Head Coach of the team the player is going to next scheduled ice time

- Second tryout information and process

- Affiliation agreement (if applicable)

Final releases must be made before the final STA tiered hockey evaluation last assessment skate within the division.

The Raiders VP and Division Manager reserve the right to intervene if scheduled released dates are not adhered to.

Absent/Injured Players

If an injury prevents a player from fully participating in tryouts, an invitation to continue in the tryout process will be at the discretion of each Head Coach in consultation with the Division Manager.

If a player misses a tryout skate due to a serious injury, they must provide the Head Coach with a physician's note stating that the player is safe to return to play before participating.

If a player is absent for any reason and misses the tryout process, the player’s selection will be determined by the Head Coach(s), the Division Manager, and the Raiders VP. The Head Coach will consider the following: the level at which they participated in the previous year; discussion with previous coaches, and if applicable, the player's performance in the tryout process prior to the injury.

Draft Procedures

If there are two or more teams within the division at the same level, a draft will take place, and teams will be drafted to be equal in calibre.

The Division Manager will review the player rankings to ensure players are ranked consistently by all coaches prior to the draft.

The draft date is established before the tryout process starts; the Division Manager schedules the draft and attends all drafts to ensure the draft process is followed and teams are balanced.

In-Season Player Movement

1. January 10th of each year is the final deadline for player movement. Releases and movement (up, down and/or lateral) can occur up until that date. If there is a possibility of a player returning from Junior league to the Minor Hockey tryout process after October 1st, all affected coaches will work together to mitigate the degree of disruption to the program.

2. Vacant Positions - In the event a position becomes available prior to Jan. 10th, the Head Coach, Divisional Manager and the Raiders VP shall pursue all available avenues to fill the position.

3. Any roster changes made after November 15th require the approval of the Raiders VP.