NSU18MHL Player Info and Eligibility

 

 

NSU18MHL Player Eligibility & Tryout Information

 

 

Welcome to the NSU18MHL! The following information will help to guide players and families through the tryout process of the NSU18MHL.  You will notice that there are some differences in tryout policies between the three teams in HRM and the five teams outside of HRM. These are outlined clearly below under NSU18MHL HRM Zoning. 

 

 

PURPOSE OF THE LEAGUE 

 

The purpose of the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League (NSU18MHL) is to provide hockey programs for interested athletes within the Province of Nova Scotia in an environment in which the values of participation, team-play, good sportsmanship, and mutual respect can be learned simultaneously with the development of the athlete's hockey skills. To these ends, the following Mission Statement was developed. 

 

MISSION STATEMENT 

 

The NSU18MHL was created to develop and govern the conduct of elite hockey players of U18 age within the Province of Nova Scotia. The league is comprised of volunteers operating a non-profit organization dedicated to this purpose. 

Hockey is a team sport that provides a means for bringing people together in a healthy atmosphere of competition. Our goal is to become the premiere U18 Hockey Association in Canada. To achieve these goals, the League is focused on: 

  • Facilitating, supporting and enhancing the educational needs of each player so as to achieve maximum academic results.
  • Promoting and developing participant's skills and abilities.
  • Promoting and developing sportsmanship, fair play, pride and achievement through participation. 
  • Promoting and developing participants to be responsible members of their community.

 

 

Cont’d

 

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY 

 

A player’s eligibility is based on age and residency as defined within Hockey Nova Scotia Regulations. As further definition for active U18 Major players, the following residency regulations shall apply:

 

• Sydney Rush - Cape Breton Region as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.a.i) 

• Cape Breton West Islanders - Strait Region as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.a.ii) plus areas inclusive of the Antigonish Minor Hockey Association and Canso Minor Hockey Association commencing with the 2012/13 season. 

• Weeks U18 Majors - Highland Region and Fundy Region as defined by HNS Regulation 15 (17.a.iii and iv) excluding the area the boundaries of Antigonish Minor Hockey Association and Canso Minor Hockey Association commencing with the 2012/13 season. 

• Halifax McDonalds– TASA Minor Hockey Association, Chebucto Minor Hockey Association, Halifax Minor Hockey Association, as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i), Excluding Bedford and Sackville Minor Hockey Associations.

• Dartmouth Steel Subaru– Bedford Minor Hockey Association, Dartmouth Minor Hockey Association, as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i and ii), Excluding, TASA, Chebucto, Halifax, Sackville, Cole Harbour, Eastern Shore and East Hants Minor Hockey Associations. 

• Cole Harbour March and Mill Co, Hunters – Cole Harbour/Bel Ayr Minor Hockey Association, Sackville Minor Hockey Association, Eastern Shore Minor Hockey Association, East Hants Minor Hockey Associations as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i and ii), Excluding TASA, Chebucto, Halifax, Bedford, and Dartmouth Minor Hockey Associations

• South Shore Mustangs - Western Region as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.iii) Regulations August 2017 (Revised) Page 67 of 95 

• Valley Wildcats - Nova Region as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.iv) 

 

SPRING PLAYER EVALUATION CAMPS 

 

U18 Major teams are permitted to conduct player evaluation camps for eligible players from their respective Regions as defined in Regulation 20.1, after the U15 Atlantic Championship has been conducted and the NSU15HL season has ended. Spring player evaluation camps may not be conducted before April 15th or after May 30th. All participants shall be registered on a player roster that must be filed with the League Secretary who shall forward a copy to HNS Coordinator Member Services and HNS Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey. 

 

 

PLAYER SELECTION CAMPS 

 

U18 Major teams are permitted to conduct player selection camps for eligible players and any released players that are eligible, commencing August 1st. All participants shall be registered on a player roster that must be filed with the League Secretary who shall forward a copy to HNS Coordinator Member Services and HNS Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey. Players who are not selected and signed are considered released and may be permitted to tryout with another U18 Major team in accordance with Regulation 20.1(d).  Players MUST attend the spring and/or summer camp of the team in their home region, as defined in Section 6.2 above, players not attending camps are not automatically considered to be released.     

 

Cont’d

PLAYER REGISTRATION POLICY 

 

U18 Major teams are permitted to sign twenty (20) players from those eligible, or approved released players. There is no set date for teams to have final selections and final player rosters registered with the League, however players are not permitted to play in any regular season league game until they have been signed and approved by the NSU18MHL Registrar, HNS Coordinator Member Services and Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey.  

 

U18 Major teams are permitted to sign ten (10) Special Affiliation Agreements, of whom one (1) must be a goalkeeper. Special affiliated players are not permitted to participate for the selecting team until their player certificate has been approved by Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey. The Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey approval will not be provided until written consent by both teams involved in the affiliation agreement is filed with the HNS Coordinator Member Services and Director at Large/Chair Elite Hockey. 

 

REGISTERED PLAYER RELEASE POLICY 

 

Registered players aged 15 may not be released to a lower division team after October 31 unless written permission is granted by the League President and approved by the Chair Minor Hockey Council. 

 

Registered players aged 16 and 17 may not be released to a lower division team after December 15 unless written permission is granted by the League President and approved by the Chair Minor Hockey Council. 

 

PLAYER RELEASE POLICY

 

 

  1. U18 aged players released by the U18 Major team in their home zone, only require the one release, and may try out for any of the other U18 Major teams in the province.  

 

  1. Any player who played for a NSU18MHL team outside of their home zone must remain with that team for a minimum of 2 seasons, or as such time the player is released per section 6.6 or 6.8 of the League Policy Manual.

 

  1. Players MUST attend the spring and/or summer camp of the team in their home region, as defined in Section 6.2 above, players not attending camps are not automatically considered to be released, and cannot try-out for another team.   

 

  1. All player releases are for the current season only. Released players, unsigned by another NSU18MHL team for the season of that release, must return to try-out for the NSU18MHL team in their home zone, with the exception of condition (5) of the HRM Agreement above. Affiliated players are not considered signed players.

 

Notes:

Any requests for exemptions to the above policy must be submitted in written form to the League President. Residency appeals received by the League President shall be forwarded to the HNS Chair at Large responsible for Elite Hockey Programs. 

 

 

Cont’d

 

NSU18MHL HRM Zoning

 

The three U18 Major teams in HRM will have access to player’s residing in HRM, coming into the NSU18MHL as defined by the following residency regulations, with conditions as noted. This policy shall be effective for beginning of the 2024-2025.

 

• Halifax – TASA Minor Hockey Association, Chebucto Minor Hockey Association, Halifax Minor Hockey Association, as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i), Excluding Bedford and Sackville Minor Hockey Associations.

 

• Dartmouth – Bedford Minor Hockey Association, Dartmouth Minor Hockey Association, as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i and ii), Excluding, TASA, Chebucto, Halifax, Sackville, Cole Harbour, Eastern Shore and East Hants Minor Hockey Associations.

 

• Cole Harbour – Cole Harbour/Bel Ayr Minor Hockey Association, Sackville Minor Hockey Association, Eastern Shore Minor Hockey Association, East Hants Minor Hockey Association as defined by HNS Regulation 15(17.b.i and ii), Excluding TASA, Chebucto, Halifax, Bedford, and Dartmouth Minor Hockey Associations.

 

The following conditions shall apply:

 

  1. A first-year player coming into the NSU18MHL that has played U15 Major on an HRM team outside of his/her home residency MHA zone, in the preceding season, shall be eligible to try-out for the U18 Major team in the zone of that U15 Major team if he/she so desires. Said player must notify the NSU18MHL President in writing of this intention by April 12th. If the written intent is not received, the player must try-out in his/her home zone.

 

  1. Any player coming from Prep school, or a player who has moved to the HRM area, must try-out for the NSU18MHL team in his/her home residency zone, as defined by the residency regulations above, regardless of where the player played U15 Major. 

 

  1. Any second or third year U18 player residing in HRM area and coming from Prep. school, high school, U16 AAA or a lower category, who has not tried out for the NSU18MHL team in their home residency zone at any point (and has not been subsequently released), must try-out for such team. If they have previously tried out for the team in their home residency zone and were released, they shall be eligible to try-out for any of the three HRM NSU18MHL teams.

 

  1. If a 15-year-old player in HRM is released by the NSU18MHL team in their home territory, or the team that they tried out for as per condition (1) above, he/she may try-out for any of the other NSU18MHL teams. The player MUST attend the spring and/or summer camp for one of the HRM NSU18M teams. Non-participation due to injury or leaving camp does not include an automatic release. 

 

  1. All HRM player releases and movement beyond the HRM zones, shall follow the regulations laid out in the NSU18MHL by-laws.  Released HRM players, unsigned by another NSU18MHL team for the season of that release, must return to try-out for an HRM team, as per condition (1), (2) and (3) above, as these releases are for the current season only.  HRM players who are released and do sign with another NSU18MHL team, must abide by the two-year commitment policy.  Any affiliated players are not considered signed players. 

 

*** Should the boundaries of the NSU15MHL change at any time, the boundaries of this agreement shall be reviewed, and if deemed necessary, changed at the discretion of the board of NSU18MHL.