Important U11/U13/U15/U18/U21 updates for Weeks 2 and 3–please read

Hello hockey families,

We hope everyone is enjoying a return to the ice.  

First off, please note that the schedule for week 2 has been changed as of Friday evening – please check back as ice teams have been shuffled around to facilitate recreational assessments.  

The most recent team groupings will always be posted on the Recreational Assessment Groups page.

Please see below for important updates for your division (U11 & older)

U21:

We will be working to form permanent teams next week – please continue to attend ice times for your group until notified otherwise.  

U18/U15/U13:

In week 2 we will hold ‘assessment games’ – each team will have 2 of these games.  They are indicated on the schedule with a ‘vs’ between the two teams (ie C5 vs C6).  Pinnies/Jerseys will be provided upon arrival and must be returned at the end of your second game.  Ice times allocated to one team only, or which have two teams and the ‘&’ sign, are practices.  

During week 3 we will form permanent teams based on the assessments.  Please continue to attend ice times for your current grouping until notified otherwise via team snap, at which time you can attend ice allocated to your new team.  By the end of week 3, teams will have been formed and the ‘vs’ on the schedule indicates exhibition games for the purposes of ensuring teams are relatively balanced.  Again, the ‘&’ indicates a practice.  

During the assessment games, we will need volunteers to run the score clock/play music.  We will also need safeties in attendance, so if that is you, please consider staying at the rink to help out.  

There will likely be some player movement through week 4, depending on the relative balance of the teams within the division.

U11:

Here is some information for the upcoming skills and color games Sep 13-15th.  Spectators will not be permitted inside the rink.  These games will be used to form our Development A & B teams for the season.  

Saturday, September 13th – Pearkes Gold:

• Skills session for all U11 groups. 
• All players and goalies are to attend the group on Saturday as indicated on our website (the groupings will be updated mid-week).  Essentially, each initial group has been split into two (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B etc) so that there is less standing around time for the players during assessments.  
• Please see the schedule to confirm your groups and ice times.
• Players and goalies will all check in prior to the skills assessment and will be handed a colour pinnie for their skating assessment. The pinnie is kept for the Sunday session.

Sunday, September 14th – Pearkes Green:

• Players and goalies will need to check in prior to their colour games (each player will have 2).  They will use the colour pinnie from Saturday.  This pinnie must be returned at the end of the second color game on Sunday.

At end of day Sunday, teams will be shuffled.  No emails will go out – check the recreational groupings portion of the website under the ‘Schedule’ section, to find out your game/color assignment for Monday.  

Monday, September 15th – Pearkes Gold:

• Players and goalies will check in for their assigned game and will be given a pinnie.  This pinnie is to be returned at the end of the game.

VOLUNTEERS:

We will need volunteers for this to work.  This is also the only way to be inside of the rink during the assessments.  Please email Jonathon at u11@victoriaminorhockey.ca to sign up.  

Each team will need 2 coaches to be on the bench (on a team opposite of your player).  These coaches will also monitor the dressing room beforehand.  Bench coaches are not to coach, but are to ensure players take fair shifts, and are to ensure that players rotate through positions and linemates.  

Each game will also need a safety, and a scorekeeper.  

Safeties and coaches need to be fully licensed to fulfill that role.  

Please arrive 30 minutes before your shift at minimum.  

Please also reach out if you are willing to assist with check-in and jerseys.  

Volunteer assignments will be posted online alongside the color teams.  

TEAM FORMATION

After assessments, the U11 Recreational Governor will move quickly to determine our development teams. If you receive an invitation to join one of the teams please have your answer ready and respond within 24 hours so that we can complete the process as quickly as possible. Once this is complete the C division teams will be formed with the goal of having evenly balanced teams. Our aim would be to have this completed by Thursday evening.  Each team is scheduled to have their first official practice the following weekend.  

Development Team Formation

Players who decline a position on a development team will be returned to the recreational pool of players. If you are offered a spot on the Development A team and decline you will not be offered a spot on the Development B team.

Please review the U11 Development Program information below outlining additional time and financial expectations.

U11 Development Program

The U11 development program requires an increase in time, travel and commitment. The items below outline the additional things afforded the Development teams as well as some of the additional responsibilities.

• an additional practice time each week (typically the extra practice is a weekday morning, prior to school)
• both teams are typically registered for a tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend
• teams are placed into a tier with other (4 or 5) like-skilled teams across the Island, and play at least one home/away game per weekend. Teams may therefore be required to travel as far as Powell River or Port Hardy for a league game.

U11 Development Fee

There is a U11 development fee payable to the association upon acceptance of a spot on a U11 development team (A or B). This fee covers the additional ice and carding fees (paid to VIAHA and BC Hockey).

U11 Development Team Fees

Each team will decide whether to collect team fees and how much they will be. Team fees are generally based on the number of tournaments (including the tournament over Thanksgiving weekend) and other events that they would like to participate in.

Any team fees collected, if applicable, are payable to the team treasurer. Teams will often fundraise throughout the season to offset the team fees collected.

Recreation Team Formation

All players not participating in the development program will be placed onto recreation teams. Our first priority is forming balanced teams and players will be placed in an effort to accomplish this.  There is the possibility of player movement through week 4 as we try to ensure the teams are competitive with each other.  

U11 Recreation Team Fees

Each recreational team will decide how much team fees will be. Team fees will be based on the number of tournaments and other events in which they would like to participate. These fees are payable to the team treasurer. Teams will often fundraise throughout the season to offset these costs and any remaining funds are returned to families at the conclusion of the season.