What follows is the NMHA Competitive Program policy on the use of affiliated players. This policy was drafted by the Competitive Committee and was circulated to all Raider Head Coaches (2001-02). With the introduction of AAA hockey this policy was revised in 2007.
The NMHA operates a Club affiliation system (Hockey Canada Regulation E) where all players on lower level teams are automatically affiliated. The following describes three scenarios for affiliation and policies for each.
The NMHA believes strongly in the affiliate program and desires to see affiliated players used as often as possible.
1. NMHA Competitive team to NMHA Competitive team
There remains a requirement to notify and obtain agreement from the affiliate's regular coaching staff of your intention to use a player as this ensures that suspensions and other issues are known and respected. Similarly, coaches using affiliated players must notify the affiliate's regular coaching staff following a game should injuries or suspensions occur. Team officials must respect this policy and make no effort to discourage affiliated players from participating with affiliated teams as a result of its implementation.
To this end the following guidelines must be followed:
- Where there is no event conflict (the player’s regular team does not have a game, practice or other team function), it is not necessary to seek permission from the regular team's coach.
- Where there is an event conflict, the following schedule of event priorities should be used. The team with the highest event priority will take precedence.
- Where the event priorities are the same, the player’s regular team will take precedence.
6. League or playoff game.
5. Out-of-town tournament (where roster is depleted).
4. In-town tournament game.
3. Practice.
2. Exhibition game.
1. Off-ice team event
2. NMHA to AAA Affiliation
The Ottawa Senators AAA organization will be using the 19-player special affiliation list as defined by Hockey Canada Regulation E. The regulation stipulates that a player who is affiliated under this list cannot be affiliated to any other team.
Any NMHA player that signs an affiliate card with an AAA team is automatically excluded from affiliation to any other NMHA team.
3. NMHA House League to NMHA Competitive Team
There remains a requirement to notify and obtain agreement from the affiliate's regular coaching staff each time of your intention to use a player; this ensures that suspensions and other issues are known and respected.
To this end the following guidelines must be followed:
- Where there is an event conflict, the following schedule of event priorities should be used. The team with the highest event priority will take precedence.
- Where the event priorities are the same, the player’s regular team will take precedence.
6. League or playoff game.
5. Out-of-town tournament (where roster is depleted).
4. In-town tournament game.
3. Practice.
2. Exhibition game.
1. Off-ice team event
Similarly, coaches using affiliated players must notify the affiliate's regular coaching staff following a game should injuries or suspensions occur. Team officials must respect this policy and make no effort to discourage affiliated players from participating with affiliated teams as a result of its implementation.