1. What is the reason(s) for establishing the SMHA City-Wide Tier 1 leagues (GSHL)?
Answer: To provide each and every player an equal opportunity to make the Tier 1 program every year by using a talent-based system that does not consider player residency within the boundaries of SMHA as a criteria in the team selection process. One of the objectives of GSHL program is to create six competitive teams in each division (PW, Bantam, & Midget), creating a better environment for all players.
2. How are the zones involved in the GSHL?
Answer: The GSHL (City-Wide Tier I program) operates in cooperation with, and under the umbrella of the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association (SMHA) which is governed by the GSHL Executive board, where each zone is represented by a zone appointed Member at Large annually. Input from each zone is considered in all programs operated by SMHA.
3. Who is eligible to play in the GSHL?
Answer: All players who live within the geographic boundries of the SMHA, and are of apporiate age for PeeWee, Bantam, and Midget divisions, are welcome to attend the tryouts for the GSHL league. Players who live with the boundries of Martensille Minor Hockey, and Clavet Minor Hockey, can tryout for teams organized by those Associations. Eligible players moving to Saskatoon after the registration deadline of June 15th on any given year, but prior to the first scheduled try-out start dates, will be given the opportunity to try-out without incurring the late registration surcharge.
4. How much will it cost for my son or daughter to play Tier 1 in the GSHL City-Wide League?
Answer: Registration costs and the league budget is reviewed annually based on projected ice rental costs, referees, and insurances. For 2008-09 hockey season, the cost to register for PW was $750 plus a $60 jersey fee and Bantam/Midget was $775 plus a $60 jersey fee. Fees are reviewed annually and are determined by costs associated with league fees, as set by the SMHA. Each player can keep a jersey at the conclusion of each season (alternating between home and away each year). The tryout fee will be $95 if paid prior to June 15th of any given year and will increases to $145 after that date, up to a week prior to the start of timed-tryouts, provided there is sufficient room to accommodate any additional players to the tryout rosters.
6. My son or daughter is registered for the tryouts - what does the registration fee pay for?
Answer: The tryout fee pays for your son or daughter to participate in the timed trials portion of the tryout process. All players will be put through a qualification process of timed drills selected by the coaching and player selection committees using computer and laser technologies. The drills used will be those designed by Hockey Canada. We will utilize selected CHA/SHA certified coaches to help select these drills for our qualification process. All players registered will have two chances at completing each of up to nine drills being utilized. The best score/time of the two will be used in the final score. After the nine drills are finished, the average time in all drills will be used as their final score for qualifying.
7. Are teams required to fundraise or will registration fees and teams fees cover the cost of my son or daughter's season of playing hockey in this league?
Answer: Fundraising will up to each individual team to decide whether or not they wish to offset the cost of operating the team. Registration fees cover the cost of regular season and playoff ice times and the cost of officials. Team fees will cover the cost of tournaments, extra ice time, team clothing (coats, hats, etc.) and as previously mentioned is not to exceed $1,176/player for the entire season.
8. What happens if a zone holds their kids back in Tier II and stacks a team?
Answer: As with the previous Tier I program, playing at the highest level that a player is capable of is optional. While this issue is a possibility, we are hopefull this will not occur. It must be remembered that this same situation could happen within the previous zone system as well. Ideally, players who have the ability to play at the Tier I level will not be held back for any reason and instead will be provided with the opportunity to tryout, and to play in the GSHL.
9. When does the season start? When does the season end?
Answer: The season will begin shortly after the tryout process has been completed. The tryout process is currently scheduled to be completed by the last week of September for PW and Bantam. Midget has tentatively planned to finalize its tryout process by no later than the 10-15th of October. Midget will start after PW and Bantam evaluations to accommodate player movement to/from Midget AAA team rosters and to assist in reducing some of the time conflicts with High School Football. The season will end no later than March 31st in each year.
10. How many players will be on each team?
Answer: Each team will consist of 15 forwards/defensemen and 2 goaltenders for a total of 17 players on each PW and Bantam team. Midget teams will be comprised of 16 forwards/defensemen and 2 goaltenders for a total of 18 players.
11. How many games and practices per week will there be?
Answer: The schedule will provide for a minimum of two games per week plus one practice per week. However, it will be up to the coaching staff, players, and parents to decide whether or not they wish to schedule more practice time throughout the season and during the Christmas/New Year's holiday season.
12. Will there be early morning practices?
Answer: This will be up to the coaching staff, players, and parents to decide if they wish to practice early in the morning. The availability of ice time will have a significant influence on when and where a team will schedule extra practice time.
13. How many tournaments will each team participate in?
Answer: There will be a maximum of four tournaments prior to the end of the regular season. The coaching staff, parents, and players will determine which tournaments their respective teams will enter. The team budget of $20,000 will also have to be given consideration when choosing and planning the location and number of tournaments to attend.
14. Is this a traveling league?
Answer: No. This is not a traveling league. Just like zone teams, the amount of traveling any team has to do will be determined by the location and number of tournaments that a team chooses to enter based on their budget. All regular season and playoff games will be played in Saskatoon.
15. What qualifications do the coaches require?
Answer: Coaches are required by the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) to have the appropriate coaching certification. Minimum certification for the Head Coach of the Peewee and Midget division teams is Development 1; Assistant coaches are required to have their Level Coach certification. In Bantam; the Head Coach requires Development 2 and Assistant coaches are required to hold their Development 1 certification. Please see the Coaching Process link on the GSHL website for more information on coaching or checkout Saskatchewan Hockey Association's or Hockey Canada's website for further coaching information.
16. Does each player receive equitable ice time during games?
Answer: The GSHL Executive mandates that all players receive equitable opportunities towards all situations on a game-to-game basis during league play over the length of the regular season. The GSHL Executive has presented the coaches with a CODE OF CONDUCT that includes an agreement on equitable ice time opportunities during games played throughout the regular season.
17. Will the player’s times from the timed tryouts be posted on the website?
Answer: No, while times will not be posted, successful players moving on to the next stages of tryouts may be listed on the website, primarily as a source of communication. Because timelines are very tight throughout the tryout process, the ability to contact everyone via phone may not be practical.
18. How will the goalies be evaluated?
Answer: Goaltenders will have a qualifying session(s) of skills to make it to the next round of evaluations. An independent goaltending instructor will develop skills that can be evaluated by independent qualified evaluators. After the skill process is complete, the evaluators will evaluate qualifying goaltenders in the scrimmage portion of evaluations.
19. How will my son or daughter know if he or she has made the scrimmage round of the tryouts?
Answer: Players not moving onto the scrimmage evaluations may be notified before the scrimmage game rosters are posted by their respective zones. Alternatively, the scrimmage teams may be posted to the website, listing all the successful players along with their next ice times. The teams for the scrimmage games will be created randomly from the approximately 120 players whose skill evaluations have earned them a spot in the second stage of the evaluation process. From these scrimmages, the draft list will be created and the coaches will choose their teams.
20. How will the team drafting process function?
Answer: Once the independent evaluators have determined the approximate 120 players from the scrimmage process, the players will be placed in groups of 12 based on their ranking in an attempt to establish teams of equitable skill level. Each coach, having observed the scrimmages and thus being familiar with the players identified and ranked by the evaluators, will be given two choices from each group of players through a total of six rounds of drafting. For example, if Coach A has pick number 1 in the first round, then he will then get pick number 12 in round number two. If Coach B had pick number 6 in round number one, he would then have pick number 7 (the first pick) in round number two. Once the first six rounds are complete, then each coach will have the opportunity to select any player (regardless of group or ranking) in each of the final three rounds. The goaltenders that participated in the scrimmages and were evaluated and then ranked will not be grouped with the players. The coaches will choose the goaltenders independently from the player draft.
21. If my son or daughter plays in the GSHL Tier 1 league this season, will he or she be guaranteed to play in the league the following season?
Answer: No. Each player will be required to tryout each year.
22. What happens if my son or daughter makes a team in the SMHA Tier 1 GSHL, begins playing, and then decides that he or she would rather play in their zone?
Answer: Every attempt will be made to ensure that this situation does not occur. However, should this situation happen, the refund policy is as follows: 1) A refund of 90% of the full registration fee paid less the cost of insurance shall be issued if a player quits anytime before his/her first GSHL scheduled team ice time, for any of the following reasons: medical, injuries, or relocation of residence outside the city if Saskatoon. 2) See the GSHL Bylaws and Regulations under Regulation VIII for any other scenarios.
23. Will the coaches be the same each year?
Answer: No. To ensure that each league is provided with the most qualified and suitable coaches, the GSHL will incorporate the coaching selection process for each and every season. However, all current coaches would be encouraged to re-apply again for the following season.
24. Will the league stats be posted on the website? Or in the Star Phoenix?
Answer: Similar to SMHA's website, all City-Wide Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget game results will be posted on the City-Wide website. There will be no statistics published in the Star Phoenix.
25. If I'm trying out for a Midget AAA team do I need to register with the GSHL?
Answer: Yes, we encourage you to register with GSHL early to ensure your spot at evaluations in the event you are not selected to a AAA team roster. By registering early, the cost of registration for tryout will be $95 rather than a late registration fee of $145 should you not register until after being released from AAA. It will also ensure that your registration is accepted by GSHL, in the event the number of players to be evaluated is exceedingly high. Should you successfully make a AAA team; your $95/$145 tryout registration fee would be refunded, provided you did not participate in the GSHL evaluations.
26. Does the GSHL provide tax receipts for the government rebate which is being offered?
Answer: Yes, upon registering for the season you will receive your tax receipt which can be used for the government sponsored sports rebate program. If by chance you misplace your receipt you may request another copy. There will be a $10 administration fee to obtain a duplicate copy.
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