2.02 Registration, Roster, and Affiliate Submission Policy and Procedures
EFFECTIVE:1 March 2024
2.02.01 - Purpose
The Sarnia Hockey Association (SHA) is committed to providing a transparent, structured and organized process for the registration, roster submission, and addition of affiliate players for Representative, Select, and Recreational teams. This policy outlines the procedures and guidelines for these processes.
2.02.02 – Scope
SHA Registration, Roster, and Affiliate Submission Policy and Procedures apply to all participants, teams, administrators, and members of SHA.
2.02.03 – Definitions
a) Participant: Any youth or adult that is involved with a SHA hockey team, hockey practice, hockey game, skill school, or skill session organized or arranged by the Sarnia Hockey Association (SHA) or Hockey Alliance of Ontario (ALLIANCE). This includes players, team officials, game officials, helpers, or other volunteers affiliated with any SHA Team.
b) Roster: A team roster is a list of participants who are officially designated as members of a registered team. It includes all skaters, goalies, affiliate players, and team officials permitted to participate in games or practices with SHA. Roster status indicators include Draft, Pending Approval, Approved and Rejected. Rosters may be used once submitted but are subject to status restrictions set by the OHF and ALLIANCE. Anyone appearing on an “OFFICIAL APPROVED ROSTER” is a validated member of SHA, ALLIANCE, OHF and Hockey Canada.
c) Membership: To be a participant with SHA, participants must be approved members of Hockey Canada. Membership benefits include participant insurance. Insurance premiums are included in fees required by Hockey Canada, OHF and Alliance. SHA collects these fees on behalf of ALLIANCE at the time of Player Registration and are renewed annually.
d) Affiliate Player (AP): Affiliate players are individuals registered with a lower-level team but are eligible to play occasional games with a higher-level team when needed. Affiliate players are responsible to understand the eligibility regulations for APs
e) Non-Resident Player (NRP): Is an OMHA player that resides in Lambton County or adjacent counties. NON-RESIDENT PLAYER policy is owned and managed by the OMHA.
f) Eligibility: The term & criteria defining whether a participant may or may participate with any SHA Hockey Team, Hockey Practice, Hockey Game, Skill School, or Skill Session
g) Registration Period: Refers to the timeframe(s) which SHA will be accepting Player Registration. Registration deadlines are set to provide SHA administrators a reasonable amount of time to complete tasks associated with organizational programing.
h) Submission Timeline: Submissions must be made in accordance with the deadlines and timelines set forth by OHF, ALLIANCE or SHA. SHA Registrar will communicate these deadlines to the Category Vice Chairs. Submission deadlines are set to provide OHF, ALLIANCE and SHA administrators a reasonable amount of time to complete tasks associated with the validation and approval processes.
i) Hockey Canada Registry (HCR): The current version of the online organization management software or applications licensed to and operated by Hockey Canada. It is used by OHF, ALLIANCE, and SHA to maintain participant records, team records and validate membership requirements. The HCR is compliant with privacy requirements and has layers of security to prevent data breeches including personal login/password restrictions on access to information or functions.
j) Fee: Registration fees can be a one-time or recurring payment required by participants to enroll or participate in a specific program. Fees are collected to cover the cost of operating and administering SHA programs. Player fees are set and approved by SHA.
k) Charity: Refers to registered charitable organizations with mandates to provide funding or subsidies in support of participants for SHA or similar sports organizations. This includes but is not limited to Canadian Tire Jumpstart or the Hockey Canada Foundation.
l) Public Entity: Refers to government departments or publicly funded organizations with mandates to provide funding or subsidies in support of participants for SHA or similar sports organizations.
m) Private Entity: Refers to any person, business, corporation or similar that is willing to provide sponsorship, donations, or other financial support to individual players
2.02.04– Participant Registration
a) Eligibility to Register: All participants must meet the age, residency, membership, and applicable qualification requirements that are set by OHF and ALLIANCE.
b) NRP: Any OMHA NRP player must contact the SHA Registrar, follow all instructions, and follow all transfer protocols to become eligible to register with SHA
c) Transfers: Any participants that are not primary to Sarnia Hockey must contact the SHA Registrar, follow all instructions, and follow all transfer protocols to become eligible to register with SHA.
d) Outstanding Balances: Any participant with an outstanding balance to any Hockey Canada sanctioned association or organization is ineligible to register.
e) Public or Subsidized Funding: Any participant with registration fees paid by a public entity or charity is ineligible for Representative and Select Hockey.
f) Online Player Registration and Enrollment: SHA should establish an online registration portal through the HCR and accessible through the SHA website. Parents or legal guardians of players are required to register their child online, providing all necessary personal, residential, and medical information requested. Player Registration can be required for:
i) SHA Player Registration
ii) SHA Representative Team Assessment
iii) SHA Team Tryouts (see Policy 3.03); or
iv) SHA Skill Schools, Programs, and Sessions
g) Online Volunteer Registration: SHA should establish an online registration portal through the HCR and accessible through the SHA website for all volunteers.
h) Game Official Registration: Registration, training, and fee collection for referees is the responsibility of ALLIANCE Hockey. Registration and training of time-keepers and score-keepers is the responsibility of SHA.
i) Manual Registration: Participants that require a manual registration will need to follow the process laid out by SHA on a case-by-case basis. This may include registration of a participant with a special accommodation or requests for registration after online registration has closed. When required the SHA First VC and VC-Administration will be the stewards/point of contact for manual registration with assistance from the SHA Registrar and SHA Treasurer.
j) Registration Period: The registration window will be communicated in advance, and it will include any applicable details such as deadlines for early registration, deadlines for late registration, cut offs, registration close or associated fees. No online registrations will be accepted after the announced registration deadline.
k) Registration Fees: SHA will establish a fee structure annually for each category, which must be paid during the registration process.
l) Required Documents: Participants, parents, or legal guardians must submit copies of necessary documents, such as birth certificates and proof of residency, as part of the registration process.
m) Required Waivers: Participants, parents, or legal guardians must acknowledge or sign all waivers required by Hockey Canada, OHF, ALLIANCE, Province of Ontario, or SHA as part of the registration process.
n) Payment Plans: SHA Treasurer can offer payment plans to accommodate financial constraints. SHA Treasurer and SHA Registrar are the stewards of all payment plans.
o) Refunds: SHA can refund fees upon request in writing to SHA. SHA Treasurer and SHA Registrar shall determine the amount of any refund. Refer to SHA Registration FAQs for details
p) Responsibilities: SHA VC-Administration shall oversee Participant Registration and assist the SHA Registrar.
2.02.04 - Roster Submission
a) Eligibility to Roster: All participants must meet the applicable requirements that are set by OHF and ALLIANCE to be eligible. Refer to SHA Policy 3.03 for additional eligibility requirements.
b) SHA Registration: Any participant not registered with SHA is ineligible to appear on a roster submission.
c) Private or Sponsorship Funding: Any participant with registration fees paid by a private entity or sponsor can be included on the roster submission.
d) Submission Timeline: The submission window will be communicated in advance, and it will include deadlines and requirements for roster submission. Late submissions can be accepted after deadline but will be processed in priority at the discretion of the SHA Registrar in consult with VC-Administration.
e) Required Documents: All submissions shall be in electronic form and within the submission timeline for the SHA Registrar to verify and validate all rosters prior to submission for approval with ALLIANCE.
i) Representative and Select Teams must submit a completed Alliance Intent to Play form and a complete list of Bench Staff (including position) and On Ice Volunteers to the SHA Registrar for validation.
ii) Recreational Directors must submit a consolidated spreadsheet of player assignments, bench staff and on ice volunteers for all teams in their respective division to the SHA Registrar.
iii) “Other” Program Directors should submit a consolidated spreadsheet of player assignments, bench staff and on ice volunteers.
2.02.06- Affiliate Player (AP) Submission
a) Eligibility to Affiliate: All participants must meet the age, residency and applicable requirements that are set by ALLIANCE for eligibility of AP’s. Refer to SHA Policy 3.03 for additional eligibility requirements.
b) SHA Registration: Any participant not registered with SHA is ineligible to receive an offer to AP.
c) Public or Subsidized Funding: Any participant with registration fees paid by a public entity or charity cannot be included in a Representative or Select Team affiliate submission.
d) Private or Sponsorship Funding: Any participant with registration fees paid by a private entity or sponsor can be included on the affiliate submission.
e) Submission Timeline: The submission window will be communicated in advance, and it will include deadlines and requirements for affiliate submissions. Late Submissions can be accepted after deadline but will be processed in priority at the discretion of the SHA Registrar in consult with VC-Administration.
f) Affiliate Fees: SHA does not charge additional affiliation fees. Fees may be collected by a team if AP’s participate with a team paid skills provider.
g) Required Documents: All submissions shall be in electronic form and within the submission timeline for the SHA Registrar to verify and validate all rosters prior to submission for approval with ALLIANCE.
i) Representative and Select Teams must submit all completed SHA Affiliate Player forms (Appendix 2.02 B) to the SHA Registrar for validation.
ii) Recreational Teams cannot hold AP’s per ALLIANCE Hockey policy. Recreational Teams requiring substitute players for league play shall refer to Recreational Operations Guideline 5.01.04.
h) Acceptance of Offers: AP’s can only accept one (1) offer per season. Participants are only permitted to AP with one (1) team within ALLIANCE Hockey.
2.02.07–Communication of Alliance Hockey Approval or Requests for Documentation:
a) The SHA Registrar, in consultation with ALLIANCE, will review the submitted roster for compliance with all regulations.
b) The OHF, ALLIANCE or SHA Registrar may request additional information during the submission or approval process and require copies of necessary documents from participants.
c) The SHA Registrar may contact the applicable Head Coach with instructions to assist with the participant or team approval process. Any failure to submit the required documentation may result in delays to the approval process for a participant or official team roster.
d) The SHA Registrar will ensure that all required documents and forms, as stipulated by ALLIANCE, are submitted with the requests for approval.
e) Once ALLIANCE approves a team roster, the SHA Registrar will notify:
i) Head Coach
ii) Team Manager; and
iii) Applicable Director(s)
2.02.08– Registration and Submission Process
a) SHA Participants shall register through the HCR annually.
b) Representative Teams shall use Appendix 2.02 A.1 and A.2 for Roster Submission
c) HL Select Teams shall use Appendix 2.02 A.3 for Roster Submission
d) Representative and Select Teams shall use Appendix 2.02 B for Affiliate Player Submission
e) Recreational Teams and Directors should use Appendix 2.02 C for Roster Submission
2.02.09 – Responsibilities and Accountability
a) Any team that fails to follow the submission process and protocols may have its roster approval delayed and possibly be excluded from league or tournament competition.
b) All registration fees and assessments will be determined in accordance with Policy 2.00
c) SHA Chairperson should determine HCR access requirements for specific roles annually.
d) VC-Administration shall oversee all Registration and Roster processes for SHA.
e) Category Vice Chairs shall:
i) Coordinate SHA Registration details in cooperation with the SHA Registrar and SHA Treasurer.
ii)Coordinate Roster and Affiliate Player submissions with direction from the SHA Registrar
iii)Develop, Plan, and Communicate registration strategies for tryouts and evaluations to the SHA Registrar 2-3 weeks prior to execution if online enrollment shall be used
f) SHA Registrar is responsible for:
i) HCR management including registration portal development and maintenance.
ii) Collection, validation, and submission of required documents
iii) Communicating and coordinating with the registration staff at all member partners and provincial federations under Hockey Canada
iv) Determining the registration period and submission timeline in consultation with ALLIANCE regulations and VC-Administration.
v) Recommending the registration period and submission timeline to SHA annually
vi) Verifying that all teams are provided or have access to a current team roster once approved; and
vii) Other registration related tasks as assigned by SHA VC-Administration
g) SHA Treasurer is responsible:
a. To validate, account and report fees collected by SHA
b. To advise VC-Administration and the Registrar of overdue or delinquent fee payments
c. To determine the means and method that SHA Fees shall be collected.
d. To determine the terms of payment plans and refunds in consultation with the SHA Registrar
h) Head Coaches and Team Managers are responsible for:
i) Understanding and following the process for Roster and Affiliate Submission
ii) Provide SHA Affiliate Player forms to potential AP’s and submit completed SHA Affiliated Player forms to the SHA Registrar for validation.
iii) Maintaining their “Official Team Roster” and review periodically through the season
i) Participants and/or parents/guardians are responsible to update their personal information and provide supporting documentation as requested in a reasonable time frame.