Freedom of Choice Between Hamilton AAA Organizations for the 2019/20 Season
CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – Coming into effect for the 2019/20 season players within the residential boundaries of the Hamilton Huskies (ALLIANCE) and the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs (OMHA) have freedom of choice between the two Hamilton AAA organizations. This means that the current territories of the Huskies and Jr. Bulldogs are to form one singular Hamilton Zone encompassing the two organizations offering AAA hockey. The new zone includes the territories of the following Minor Hockey Associations: Hamilton (ALLIANCE), Ancaster (OMHA), Caledonia (OMHA), Dundas (OMHA), Flamborough (OMHA), Glanbrook (OMHA), Hagersville (OMHA) and Stoney Creek (OMHA).
With regards to trying out, resident players within the Hamilton zone may attend tryouts for either of the Hamilton AAA teams, however they may only tryout for a single team at a time. Players must be either offered a roster spot or released by 23:59 of the fourth day of tryouts. Before undertaking movement outside of the Hamilton Zone, players must be released by one of the Hamilton AAA organizations- a player who tries out for both Hamilton AAA teams must obtain a release from both teams. Players who do not reside in the boundaries of the Hamilton Zone must be released by both Hamilton AAA organizations before undertaking movement through Hamilton. Movement outside the Hamilton Zone is subject to OHF regulations for player movement.
The following changes in regards to Hamilton will be adopted for the adjacent AAA zones on the reverse of the F1 Waiver. The two existing Hamilton boxes, currently identified as Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs (OMHA) and Hamilton Huskies (ALLIANCE) will be replaced with one single box labeled Hamilton (Bulldogs OMHA and Huskies Alliance) and listing Brant, Burlington, Cambridge, Halton, Niagara North and Southern Tier.
Effective for the 2019-20 season any team Officials currently rostered for the 2018-19 season with either the Hamilton Huskies or Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs may not register or appear on the bench of the other Hamilton AAA team in the next season in the immediately higher age division without the written consent of the Hamilton AAA Zone Organization. Such written consent must be signed by a Hamilton AAA Zone Official and be provided to the OMHA, ALLIANCE and OHF Offices. For the duration of the pilot this same practice will be applied for all team Officials.
This trial will run for a three-year duration, during this time an OHF appointed group will monitor the implementation of these recommendations and if required suggest ongoing amendments to the OHF Directors. The composition of this group will be as follows: one representative from each of Alliance Hockey, GTHL, NOHA, OMHA, Hamilton Huskies and Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs plus a chair, as assigned by the Directors of the OHF.
In addition, the Directors of the OHF have established a temporary moratorium on change of Member requests for Minor Hockey Associations included in the new Hamilton Zone. The moratorium will remain in effect until the conclusion of the three-year trial period. Change of Member requests received prior to November 15, 2018 will must follow the existing Alliance Hockey and OMHA facilitation process.
The OHF has been in existence since 1989 and is comprised of seven Members: the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario (Alliance), the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA), Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA.)
Since the approval of the Hamilton Pilot in November 2018 the Hamilton Huskies and Hamilton Bulldogs have worked with each other to ensure the implementation of the Pilot is smooth and clear. As such the Ontario Hockey Federation Board has reviewed three items of clarification and provide the following application.
Tryout Process
In March of 2019 the OHF Members approved a regulation change whereby a player that is released at Minor PeeWee on a AAA Waiver can effectively continue to participate with the same Team for the remainder of his Minor Hockey experience. This regulation change was not in effect when the Hamilton AAA Zone Pilot was approved, and in turn does not align with the objectives of the Pilot - to promote the game in Hamilton by providing freedom of movement within the boundaries of Hamilton.
As such the following adjustment is made to the original Pilot guidelines:
Subject to Item 1a), In the first four days of tryouts, Players must be released by both of the Hamilton AAA organizations before undertaking movement outside of the Hamilton zone. Subsequent to the first four days of tryouts, a player must obtain a release from each Hamilton AAA team where they attended tryouts. Players not resident in the boundaries of the Hamilton zone must be released by both Hamilton AAA organizations before undertaking movement through Hamilton.
Permission to Skate Forms
Effective for the 2019-2020 season, Permission to Skate Forms are required by any player resident to the Hamilton AAA Zone attending AAA Tryouts from their Home Centre. The Home Centre will make the Permission to Skate out to ‘Hamilton AAA Zone’ and players can decide to attend either Hamilton Bulldogs or Hamilton Huskies AAA tryouts, but cannot try out for both teams at the same time.
Midget AAA
The Hamilton Huskies will not be offering a Midget AAA program for 2019-2020 season. Hamilton Residents that played with the Hamilton Huskies during the 2018-2019 season can skate with the Hamilton Bulldogs until August 23. After August 23 Hamilton Residents would be eligible to either Alliance or OMHA teams without a release from the Bulldogs. If the player wants to move beyond the Alliance or OMHA they would get the release from the Hamilton Bulldogs. Players that played on a Waiver or Release in the 2018-2019 season have the option to choose the Hamilton Bulldogs or the location they played last year to participate up until August 23. After August 23 the Player would follow the rules in Regulation J.
