Competitive Tryout Information
2025 - 2026 Spring Competitive Tryouts
Tryout registration and fees must be completed and paid in full by 10 April 2025 at midnight.
Spring tryouts for U11, U13, U15 and U18 competitive teams will begin on 22 April, 2025. The full tryout schedule is available here.
U9 Competitive Tryouts Update
U9 competitive tryouts, pathways, and House League sortouts will be held in September. Details and registration for all U9 sessions will be available later this summer.
To register for U11-U18 tryouts:
STEP 1: Complete the tryout pre-registration form
STEP 2: Complete RAMP registration and payment
Notes:
- Tryout registration and fees must be completed and paid in full by 10 April 2025 at midnight.
- Tryout registration fees are not the same as full-season registration fees. Season registration will take place after tryouts are complete and players have been assigned to a team.
- Fees for U13-18 tryouts are $300 for players trying out for AA, $225 for A and $175 for BB and below.
- Fees for U11 tryouts are $225 for players trying out for AA, $200 for A and $150 for B and below. ++
- The tryout fee is a flat fee and covers all tryouts sessions, so if a player is released from the AA or A tryouts, they can continue without additional fees at the BB and lower levels. Tryout fees are non-refundable.
- Players registered last season with another OWHA affiliated association must have a signed Permission to Tryout (PTT) form (found here) or a formal release from their previous association. Before their first tryout session, documentation must be emailed to the competitive directors.
- The NGHA does not offer a PTT to NGHA players. If a player wishes to tryout for another association a formal release must be granted, which can be obtained by emailing the NGHA President, NGHA Registrar , NGHA Competitive Director 1 and NGHA Competitive Director 2.
- NGHA Import Policy can be found here.
- Players coming from outside of Ontario must contact OWHA prior to participating in tryouts to ensure they have met the specific eligibility requirements and registration procedures for out of province players.*
- Players require NGHA-issued tryout jerseys and if they do not have a set they can use from previous seasons, they must be purchased in RAMP at the time of tryout registration. Jerseys cannot be purchased at the rink.
- No player will be allowed on to the ice unless all documentation and fees are in order.
*We will not be accepting NEW players residing outside of Ontario for the 2025/2026 season. Those that are currently registered with the NGHA competitive program may register for tryouts for consideration for 2025/2026 competitive teams.
++ All U11 players will participate in one on-ice Skills Session that is part of the tryout process. This session is included in their tryout registration fee.
Player Selection:
Tryouts are a stressful period for everyone involved (parents/coaches/evaluators) but especially for our players who look to us as parents to be their role models. We ask everyone to remain calm, and display empathy and support for ALL players throughout this period according to the NGHA Parent Code of Conduct.
For the majority of the players trying out the decision is relatively straightforward; however, there will be situations where players find themselves on the cusp and competing for a spot on a team. In this situation the Selection Committee may consult with previous coaches or team staff outside of the committee and will be looking to verify a player's previous/on-going dedication to their NGHA team, attitude both on and off the ice towards teammates and team staff, hockey sense, and evaluations from their current coach in addition to the on-ice tryout session itself to render a decision.
Each division will have a “Selection Committee”:
- Head Coach of the team*. The Head Coach may bring their own evaluator who is not a parent or related to anyone trying out at that age level. This evaluator is there to assist the coach only and will not be involved in the evaluation discussions with the Selection Committee.
- Up to 4 paid non-parent evaluators with hockey backgrounds who do not have a child or who are not related to anyone trying out at that age level.
- A member of the NGHA Competitive Committee whose role is to oversee the evaluation process and ensure that all NGHA policies are being followed. Unless required this individual will not be fulfilling the role of an evaluator.
- Final team rosters are approved by the Competitive Program Committee before being announced.
*Where a parent coach has been selected for a competitive team, the Competitive Program Committee has made an assessment in advance that the Coach’s daughter would be appropriately placed on that level of team. There are no guaranteed roster spots for any child of a named coach and a player may be placed higher or lower than the advanced assessment.
Player Evaluation Criteria:
- Throughout the on-ice tryout process, players will be evaluated by the respective Selection Committee on the following:
- Physical Skills
- Skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling
- Intangibles
- Game Sense, compete level, intensity, play without the puck
- *NEW* Unlike previous tryouts, the NGHA Competitive Committee will not be providing feedback on either specific players released or those who successfully make a team.
Other Information:
- All releases will be posted on the NGHA website. Every effort will be made to post the numbers the same evening as the tryout, but there may be times when they can only be posted in the morning.
- The Head Coach will contact the final roster for each team.
- Parents must observe the 24-hour rule on the day after releases and final team rosters are announced.
- The selection committee has the right to make selection decisions based on a player’s ability, potential, and the needs of a team, not just the position a player tried out for - a player who has tried out as a Forward may be selected for a Defence position and vice versa.
- All release and roster decisions are final and not appealable.
Tryout Attendance:
Players must attend all tryouts at the Division and Tier for which they registered until they are successful in making a team, are released or tryouts at that tier are completed.
If a player is unable to, because of illness or injury, participate in tryouts according to the published schedule, or if they incur an injury or illness during the tryout period and are not able to complete the tryouts, the injury must be reported (where possible) 48 hours before the impacted tryout. The following will occur:
- The nature of the injury and the expected return date of the player are required. Upon returning from injury, each player must provide a medical certificate stating that the player has been cleared to return to play.
- For players unable to continue with tryouts, the Competitive Program Committee will consult with a variety of sources to obtain sufficient information about the player so that a reasoned decision can be made that considers both what is best for the player as well as the affected team or teams. The sources will include previous coaches, any tryout sessions attended, and any other appropriate source deemed relevant by the Competitive Program Committee.
Players who do not attend tryouts for reasons other than illness or injury are not guaranteed a spot on a competitive team. The Competitive Program Committee will consult with a variety of sources to obtain sufficient information about the player so that a reasoned decision can be made that considers both what is best for the player as well as the affected team or teams. The sources will include previous coaches, any tryout sessions attended, and any other appropriate source deemed relevant by the Competitive Program Committee. If a player will be missing tryouts for a reason other than illness or injury, the Competitive Committee must be informed by email no later than 2 weeks before tryouts begin.
Relevant Policies:
NGHA Competitive Committee is made up of:
- NGHA VP Operations
- NGHA VP Programs
- NGHA Competitive Director 1
- NGHA Competitive Director 2
