District 14, in conjunction with the HEO 'AAA' Hockey League, and its five member associations, are announcing a 2-year pilot project to hold Spring Tryouts for the U12 to U16 Divisions from April 15, 2024, to May 9, 2024.
Hockey Eastern Ontario has tentatively approved, pending
approval from Hockey Canada, a two year pilot program for AAA associations to
host spring tryouts, for the U12 to U16 age groups only, beginning in
April 2024 for the player selection process for the 2024-25 hockey season. U18 AAA tryouts would begin during the usual
September 2024 timeframe near the end of CCHL selection camps.
The intent of moving to spring tryouts is to return a
portion of the summer to the families to enjoy time away from the rink, provide
association boards with more time for logistics planning for the upcoming season,
and allow both players and volunteers to return in September fully rested.
Tryouts for the U12 to U16 age groups will begin as early as
April 15 with final teams formed no later than May 9, 2024.
Associations
will set and communicate their own internal tryout dates as soon as possible. In addition to Association based tryouts, approach
to player selection will also include a ‘combine’ process to facilitate player movement
between AAA associations. The combine approach has been tested in the last two
seasons, and has proven to be successful at ensuring all teams have access to
AAA caliber players, regardless of residency/boundary restraints.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All
tryout and combine sessions are mandatory and players wishing to be considered
for a AAA roster are expected to attend. This is essential to maintain a structured
and controlled environment for fair assessments. Associations need to ensure
that participants adhere to established guidelines, fostering a level playing
field and preventing unfair advantages. Variables that compromise the integrity
of the tryout process, such as absenteeism and injury, make it challenging to
evaluate participants accurately.
Should you require additional information, please contact
your local AAA hockey association.