Competitive Team Tryouts - The Muskrat Voyageurs
TRYOUT DATES FOR 2024
Please read below the graphic for full instructions.
The fee to try out for a Muskrat Voyageurs team is $60, payable by e-transfer prior to your first tryout ice session.
1. If you are a Muskrat-registered player (i.e. we are your home association), you will register online for your tryout. Log into your Spordle account by clicking HERE. Choose "Register Now" and then "2024/2025 Competitive Tryouts U11/U13/U18", and finally the red "Register Now" button.
***If you are an out-of-association player, you will skip our step one. You will instead complete a permission to try out form, signed by your home association and email it to our registrar. The address is [email protected]
Then, proceed with step 2. Out-of-Association players trying out for our competitive team are not included in the Muskrat MHA "All-Skate" Sessions. Your first ice with us is your first try-out date.
2. Send e-transfer for $60 to [email protected] and use password hockey if one is requested. In the memo, please include your player's name, home association (Muskrat, Eganville, Barry's Bay, etc.,) and age division (U11, U13, or U18).
TRYOUT POLICIES & PROCEDURES - Updated May 2023 in revised MMHA Constitution
Tryout Procedures
1. MMHA will provide ice time for tryouts to each team. The schedule will be posted in August (or as soon as possible) on the MMHA website with times, locations, number of tryouts. U11 to U18 will conduct tryouts in September.
2. New coaches to the Muskrat Voyageur system will be presented the Tryout Policies & Procedures prior to the 1st tryout session by the Competitive Convenor and/or the Development Coordinator/Coach Mentor.
3. Each player wishing to tryout for a Muskrat Voyageur team must be a MMHA registered player in good standing or an invited out of association player.
4. The cost of attending a Muskrat Voyageur team tryout will be set by the MMHA Executive prior to each tryout season.
5. The payment for tryouts will be received prior to stepping on the ice for the first tryout. Each player will receive 3 hours of ice time before the first release.
6. The Head Coach will select an evaluating committee of at least 3 people not associated with the team. One of those evaluators will be appointed by the Competitive Convenor to oversee selections.
7. Every player trying out for a Muskrat Voyageur team must attend 2 of the first 3 tryouts to be considered, unless a valid reason is forwarded in writing to the Competitive Convenor prior to the tryout sessions.
8. A player can be removed at any time due to a Risk & Safety concern.
9. Releases may occur after the 3rd ice time.
10. Results of all player evaluations are to be kept in the strictest confidence. The evaluators will forward all Player Evaluations to the Competitive Convenor.
11. The MMHA President, Vice President, Competitive Convenor, and Development Coordinator/Coach Mentor must approve any deviations of the intent of the related policies and procedures prior to a tryout session.
Out of Association Players (Updated May 2023 in revised MMHA Constitution)
If the MMHA executive deems a shortage of competitive
caliber players for any age level they can invite out of association players to attend the tryout sessions to fill out a team roster. Out of association players that are granted by their home association to attend the first three tryout sessions will be granted the same privileges a MMHA registered player would. Any out of association player that has played for a MMHA team for three consecutive years is deemed a MMHA home association player in relation to the number of out of association players the team is allowed to keep. The head coach will be granted to opportunity to keep up to four out of association players that have attended two of the three tryouts over a MMHA registered players. The out of association player must be evaluated to be in the top seven players by the president, Competitive Convenor and Coach Mentor. In a situation where there is a shortage of competitive caliber players, or a risk and safety concern, a coach may be granted the opportunity to retain more than four out of association players. The coach must appeal to the President, Competitive Convenor and Coach Mentor and/or Risk Management Coordinator to have this opportunity granted.
Underage Players
1. MMHA discourages the signing of underage players. In exceptional circumstances, an underage player may be signed if he or she is assessed in the top 3 players, regardless of position, on the older aged team. Whether the player is among the top 3 players on the older aged team is to be determined by the Competitive Convenor, Development Coordinator/Coach Mentor and a selected panel of evaluators.
2. Any underage player wishing to play on an older aged team for a second or subsequent year must meet the same criteria each year.
3. No team can have more than one underage player on its roster.
4. Requests to tryout for an older aged team must be submitted in writing to the Competitive Convenor 14 days prior to the commencement of tryouts.
Injured Players before or during tryouts
1. A player who wishes to try-out for any competitive team but is unable to tryout due to injury or illness must notify the Competitive Convenor 7 days prior to the tryouts first session.
2. If the injury/illness happens during tryouts, the Competitive Convenor must be notified immediately before the player’s next tryout session. If proper notification is not given, considerations will not be made. Once the proper notification has been given, the player will be put on the Injured/Illness List. Medical verification in the form of a doctor’s certificate will be required to be put on the Injured/Illness List.
3. The coach will have the option of choosing from the Injured/Illness List to complete the roster. If a coach decides to choose a player from the Injured/Illness List, he must have approval from the Competitive Convenor.
4. Players who are chosen by the coach from the Injured/Illness List shall be required to pay all team fees that the rest of the team is required to play, regardless of when they will actually begin playing with their team.
Player Releases
1. Player releases can’t be conducted till after the 3rd ice time.
2. Player releases must be conducted in a home arena.
3. Player releases will be conducted by the coach & evaluators, along with the appointed MMHA rep in a separate room. In the Cobden Arena the releases can be conducted in the upstairs office with approval by the rink staff.
4. All players will be asked to meet with the release group along with a maximum of 2 parents. The player & parent(s) will be ushered one at time to the meeting location by a MMHA executive. Once the meeting has been completed that player and parent(s) will be ushered out of the arena by the MMHA executive, limiting the amount of contact they have with other players waiting for their evaluations.
5. Any deviations from this procedure must be presented to the Competitive Convenor in writing prior to the tryouts first session.
Team Composition (Updated May 2023 in revised MMHA Constitution)
1. The following chart indicates the minimum player requirements (if possible) for each different level:
• U9 (Tier 3) - 8 skaters + 1 goalie
• U11 – 10 skaters + 1 goalie
• U13 – 12 skaters + 1 goalie
• U15 – 13 skaters + 1 goalie
• U18 – 13 skaters + 1 goalie
2. Maximum team rosters is governed by Hockey Canada. (As of this time of writing, maximum for all levels of minor hockey increased in 2024 to 18 skaters and up to 2 goalies, for a total of 20 players in uniform.)
3. Requests for deviations to the minimum player requirements must be forwarded to the Competitive Convenor or Development Coordinator/Coach Mentor prior to the third tryout ice time.