Rep Eligibility Changes- Deadline Extended
Dear CMHA/KMHA Members,
Cranbrook Minor Hockey is excited to announce that, effective for the 2022/23 Hockey Season, all U13, U15 and U18 players within the East Kootenay will be invited to try out for our top Bucks teams in those age groups. This shift has been approved by both the EK District and BC Hockey to move forward as a three-year pilot program at U15 & U18, while being approved by the EK District to move forward as a one-year trial at U13 (with a two-year extension option). As hockey in the Kootenay’s progresses, it has become evident that we need to be creative within the various age groups and within our geographical area for various reasons. At the core of the decision to open tryouts for our top teams to outside Associations is the desire to have all players playing at a level that is appropriate to their skill level. By offering this, players can and should develop their skills and continue to enjoy the sport by playing local, competitive hockey, in a fun-filled environment. U15/U18 The idea of including players from outside CMHA/KMHA is not new in these age groups. The discussion to formalize this arrangement arose once CMHA put its’ full support behind helping to grow the EK league, supporting the EK Avalanche Zone Program as the top playing option in the area and committing to have our CMHA teams play in the OMAHA for the foreseeable future.
This structure will allow for a true Tier 1 / Tier 2 playing platform, where top players will try out and play for the Zone teams at Tier 1 and, if unsuccessful, players can then try out for Bucks teams at Tier 2. This will help us compete at those levels and ensure players are playing the right caliber. All players from associations outside of Cranbrook and Kimberley must try out for the Zone teams prior to being eligible to try out for Bucks teams. We encourage all CMHA/KMHA players to also try for Zone teams, but this is not a requirement for them to be eligible to try out for the Bucks teams. Once the Bucks teams are made, any player from an outside Association that is released will go back to their Home Association. Only CMHA and KMHA players will then move into the Dynamiter Tier 3 or Tier 4 opportunities, should player numbers be sufficient to provide those opportunities. From there, or if player numbers are not sufficient, players will move to Recreational teams that will play in the EK League. Again, our desire is to have as many players as possible from the area playing at a level that is appropriate to their skill level, which will result in strong, competitive teams at all levels. U13 The overall discussion with the EK District expanded to include the U13 age group, as we wanted to align the overall structure of this age group with the older age groups discussed above. The U13 Bucks team, with additional players from the EK, will likely play at a Tier 1 level in both the OMAHA and at provincial championships.
If players from outside Associations are released from the U13 Bucks team, they will go back to their Home Associations. Only CMHA/KMHA players are eligible to play on the Dynamiters team in a lower Tier. From there, players can move back to KMHA or CMHA to compete in Recreational leagues in their local communities. Summary We appreciate that these decisions may impact the number of players in CMHA/KMHA playing Rep hockey on Bucks and Dynamiters teams. This was not overlooked, nor taken lightly. Many of our Board members have players in these age groups that may be affected by these decisions. It is our sincere belief that these decisions are the best way to grow our programs, while keeping players close to home for as long as is possible and ensuring that all players in the area are playing at a level that is appropriate to their skill level. In conjunction with the EK Zone Lead, we will be sending out an information package very soon to clarify tryout process, expectations for each team, estimated costs for each team, etc. Once that information package is out, we also intend to conduct one or two question and answer sessions over zoom. Given these changes and to accommodate registration from EK Associations, CMHA will extend registration for Rep tryouts to June 15/22 for everyone.
Todd Leffler President, CMH
