Affiliation (Nepean Minor Hockey Association)

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Competitive Affiliation Policy

(Revised October 2025)

Overview

This document outlines the NMHA Competitive Program policy on the use of affiliated players.
Additional details on the HEO Affiliation Policy can be found here:
HEO Affiliation Policy (PDF)

The NMHA strongly supports the affiliate program and encourages affiliated players to be used as often as possible.
Regardless of the level affiliating to or from, the team requiring an affiliate must obtain permission from the affiliate’s head coach before the player participates in a game or practice. This ensures that suspensions and other eligibility concerns are known and understood.

⚠️ Important: Using an affiliated player without permission is equivalent to using an ineligible player, and the Head Coach will face a 5-game suspension.

19-Player Affiliation System

  • Player affiliations must be approved by your Division Director before being submitted to the Registrar and added to your team roster.

  • Rules to follow:

    • A team may affiliate up to 19 players, two of whom must be goaltenders.

    • Before playing with the affiliating team, the player’s name must be added to the official roster as an affiliate with “approved” status.

    • The following form must be completed and submitted to the registrar to add players to the affiliating team roster: Affiliation Permission Form (PDF)

    • A player can only affiliate with one team of a higher division or category at a time.

    • Affiliates can be added any time during the season up to the January 10 deadline.

    • Coaches wishing to use a player must obtain permission from the player’s registered team coach before approaching the player. This applies every time the player is asked to affiliate.

    • Only players who will be used should be affiliated.

    • Each player can participate in a maximum of 15 games as an affiliate (total across all teams). Only regular season and playoff games count toward this limit. There is no maximum for goaltenders.

    • Teams and players will be notified when a player approaches the limit.

Using an Affiliated Player

  • Always check with the player’s head coach before calling them for a game or practice.

  • Team priorities and valid reasons for denying permission are outlined below.

  • Suspensions are always served with the player’s home rostered team, regardless of which team the suspension was incurred with.

    • Exception: Out-of-town tournaments. Contact the District Chair if a suspension occurs during such an event.

  • Only players who will be used should be affiliated.

  • House League players may only affiliate to the lowest competitive level within their association.

  • Competitive players may not affiliate to House League teams.

Affiliated Player Reporting Procedures

All coaches/managers must email [email protected] before a game in which an affiliate participates.
The coach of the affiliating team and the coach of the affiliate’s regular team must be CC’d.

Email subject format:
Affiliation - Team Name - Game Date - Game #

Email must include:

  • Team affiliating to: (e.g., U13 B White)

  • Name of player being replaced:

  • Jersey number:

  • Reason for absence: (injury, illness, etc.)

  • Affiliate player’s full name:

  • Affiliate player’s registered team: (e.g., U13 A Team A)

  • Date of the affiliation/game:

  • Type of game: (League / Playoff / Tournament / Exhibition)

  • Game #: (for league games)

NMHA Affiliation Procedure

There is a continuing requirement to notify and obtain agreement from the affiliate’s regular coaching staff before using a player. This ensures suspensions and other eligibility concerns are known and respected.

Additionally, coaches using affiliated players must notify the regular coaching staff after a game if injuries or suspensions occur.

Team officials must respect this policy and must not discourage affiliated players from participating with affiliated teams.

Event Priority Guidelines

In the event of a scheduling conflict, the following priority order applies. The team with the higher priority takes precedence.
If priorities are the same, the player’s regular team takes precedence.

  1. League or playoff game

  2. Out-of-town tournament (where roster is depleted)

  3. In-town tournament game

  4. Practice

  5. Exhibition game

  6. Off-ice team event