OHF Player Movement – Message from Our President
What is the OHF Freedom of Movement?
The Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) is the governing body of Alliance Hockey, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA), the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA), the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), and more. In March of 2024, discussions began to explore the removal of residential barriers with respect to Representative Hockey. Through dialogue with parents, players and member partners, it was determined that there should be no restrictions on where an individual chooses to play representative hockey effective in the 2025/26 hockey season. The key focus is on enhancing the participant’s experience.
As a result, starting in the 2025/26 season, players in the U10 through U18 age group, will be able to attend evaluations (tryouts) for any level of representative hockey (B, BB, A, AA, AAA) with any Association under the OHF umbrella.
What is next for the OHF?
To improve accessibility and participation, the OHF, in conjunction with their Minor Hockey Members, will be working to establish geographically structured leagues. This new framework will reduce travel burdens and promote a more inclusive hockey environment across all regions. There is no current timeline identified to implement these geographic leagues but will be announced once they are set.
Detailed information can be found on these OHF sites:
OHF Player Movement Overview
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this affect Sarnia Hockey?
The Sarnia Hockey Association (SHA) will continue to offer the same programming as in previous seasons which includes Representative hockey teams, Recreational hockey teams, Select hockey teams, and the Foundations development teams. However, what will change is the capability of players to attend tryouts at whatever centre they wish. In addition, players may attend tryouts at more than one centre if they so wish.
We understand that families will explore their options, but we strongly believe that the Sarnia Jr. Sting Representative teams remain an excellent choice for young hockey players. Here’s why:
- Preserving the Spirit of Hometown Hockey
Playing for your local team is about more than just competition—it’s about community, friendship, and creating lifelong memories.
- Personalized Development & Strong Coaching
SHA is committed to high-quality coaching and player development at all levels. Open borders also allow us to bring in new talent to enhance our teams.
- Supporting the Growth of Local Hockey
By choosing SHA, you are ensuring the sustainability of hockey in our community and helping to build a stronger, more competitive program for future players.
- Long-Term Commitment & Stability
Frequent team changes can be disruptive. Players who stay with SHA can develop alongside their teammates.
Player Movement FAQs
- Do I need a release from Sarnia Hockey Association to attend tryouts at another center? No. The Freedom of Movement rule does not require any player to obtain a release or attend tryouts in their home association before trying out elsewhere. Non-resident Player (NRP) cards were required in the past, however they are no longer required.
- Will SHA allow players from other centers to join our teams?
Yes. We will welcome players from outside of Sarnia to compete for roster spots on our teams. However, we have added restrictions to the number of non-Sarnia residents that can be rostered on our Representative teams. These restrictions are as follows:
“A/AA” carded teams may roster up to:
(a) A minimum of five (5) skaters and one (1) goalie that are Sarnia/Pt. Edward residents,
(b) Up to ten (10) skaters and one (1) goalie that are Sarnia-Lambton residents,
(c) Up to three (3) skaters that are non-Sarnia-Lambton residents will be permitted.
“B/BB” carded teams may roster up to:
(a) Any number of Sarnia/Pt. Edward residents,
(b) Up to three (3) skaters and one (1) goalie that are Sarnia-Lambton residents,
(c) Up to two (2) skaters that are non-Sarnia-Lambton residents that have received SHA Rep Executive Committee approval.
- Will SHA allow coaches from other centers to join our teams?
Yes. We will welcome coaches from outside of Sarnia to compete for head coaching positions within SHA.
- Will SHA change the number of Rep teams for the 2025/2026 season?
No. Our current Rep team structure will remain the same for next season, as mandated by the OHF. We currently have 8 A/AA teams (U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16 and U18) and 8 B/BB teams (U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16 and U18). Our three MD teams (U8 MD, U9 Tier1 MD and U9 Tier 2 MD) are not part of the OHF player movement initiative and will continue to accept only Sarnia/Pt. Edward residents for these three teams.
- Can a player try out for multiple teams at the same time?
Yes, but once a player commits to a team, that decision is final for the season.
SHA’s Strategy for Success in an Open Borders Era
Retain. Attract. Develop
Achieving success in hockey requires more than just basic skills; it demands access to great coaching, player development, and resources. SHA is prepared to thrive in the dynamic environment of Open Borders, offering a structure and platform to bring players to their full potential.
At SHA, we are dedicated to giving every player the tools they need to grow, excel, and succeed in their hockey journey. We are constantly evaluating tools, resources, and strategies to ensure SHA is the first choice for players and families. Below are just a few of the innovative strategies we have to attract, develop, and retain our players:
Coaching:
· SHA knows that great coaches attract and develop great players
· Our Independent Rep Coach Interview committee reviews all applications and conducts interviews to evaluate potential coaches for our Rep teams. The committee provides the SHA Rep Executive Committee their rankings of the coaches who have applied to coach one of our Representative teams. The Rep Executive Committee reviews the rankings and recommends the candidates to the SHA Board of Directors for final ratification of the Head Coach for each Rep team.
· The Rep Executive Committee monitors the coaches over the season and ensures access to coaching resources, support, and guidance.
Comprehensive On-Ice Development:
· SHA Coaches have access to superior skill providers located in the Sarnia Lambton area (i.e. Scott Jones, Darren Rogers).
· Enhanced goalie instruction is also available through a number of existing and recent additions to the goalie skills category (Paul Burgess, Kaden Fulcher, and Riley Collins).
Retention and Strategic Recruitment:
SHA is working to ensure that we:
· Encourage local players to stay and thrive here at home.
· Strategically add top-tier talent from across Sarnia Lambton area to strengthen teams where needed.
· Remain dedicated to building teams with a strong local core as we continue to grow our organization.
Facilities & Ice Time:
· SHA Rep teams practice and play out of three arenas in Sarnia (Clearwater, Pat Stapleton & PASA).
· Each Rep team has 2-1-hour practices per week and typically 1 home game per week. Due to arena availability, some weekends may have 2 away games and some weekends may have 2 home games. Season structure for our Rep teams that play in the Alliance Hockey loop have approximately 28-32 games per season with the possibility of up to 4 tournaments.
· With the Sarnia Lambton AAA located in Sarnia and the Sarnia Sting Junior A team, access to superior coaching instruction is also available. Affiliation of SHA Representative players to the Sarnia Lambton Jr. Sting AAA also provides development opportunities.
2025/26 Season
a) Player Prep Skates
SHA will be providing Prep skates from U10 through U16 prior to our player evaluations. In previous years we have held our Prep skates independent of the Sarnia-Lambton AAA Jr Sting Prep skates. This spring we are hoping to team up with the AAA organization and run Prep skates together. We will be posting information on our web site when we have locked down the Prep skate dates and time.
b) Player Evaluations
The SHA player evaluations will start immediately following the Sarnia-Lambton Jr Sting AAA player evaluations which begin immediately following the 2024/25 OHF Championships (April 18-20, 2025) and will run for 7 consecutive days. Our AA player evaluations start first and run for 7 consecutive days. Our BB player evaluations will start immediately following our AA tryouts and run for 7 consecutive days. In previous years we had a requirement that players must attend the AA evaluations to be able to attend the BB evaluations. This is no longer required. Players may register for AA only, AA andBB, or BB only evaluations. The cost of registration will be posted on our web site. The registration cost will cover AA and BB evaluations even if the applicant chooses one or both.
The OHF has changed the requirement for both the minimum number of tryouts for players to attend and the number of Associations that players can attend tryouts at. Players may try out for multiple teams at the same time, however, when a player accepts a roster offer, they must stop attending player evaluations. There is no minimum number of tryouts for players to attend. Therefore, coaches may release players after the first tryout.
c) Coach Announcements
SHA Rep coach applications close at the end of the day on March 7, 2025. Interviews will be conducted during the week of March 24-28, 2025, and Head Coach ratification will be completed at the SHA Board of Directors meeting on April 1, 2025. The names of the successful Head Coaches for the 2025/26 season will be announced following the April 1st Board of Directors meeting.
Paul Walsh,
President, Sarnia Hockey Association