House League Affiliation Policy
Overview
What follows is the NMHA Competitive Program policy on the use of affiliated players.
Please note additional information on the HEO Affiliation Policy can be found here:
https://www.hockeyeasternontario.ca/media/0xbjsjua/659-affiliation-policy-revised.pdf
The NMHA believes strongly in the affiliate program and desires to see affiliated players used as often as possible. Regardless of the level affiliating to or from, the team requiring an affiliate must obtain permission from the affiliate player’s head coach prior to playing a game or attending a practice. This ensures that suspensions and other issues are known and understood.
Using an affiliated player without permission is equivalent to the use of an ineligible player, and the Head Coach will be subject to a 5-game suspension.
19-Player Affiliation System
Player affiliations must be approved by your Division Convenor prior to being sent to the Registrar and added to your team roster. Below is a list of rules that must be followed:
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A team may affiliate up to a maximum of 19 players, two of whom must be goaltenders.
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Prior to playing on the affiliating team, the player’s name must be added to the team’s official roster as an affiliate with an “approved” status.
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The following form must be completed and submitted to the registrar to have players added to the roster of the affiliating team:
https://www.hockeyeasternontario.ca/media/ffybvoro/affiliation-permission-form.pdf
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A player can only be affiliated with ONE team of a higher division or category at a time. For example, U13 and U15 are two separate categories. This means that a House U13B goalie can affiliate to a U13 House A team and a U15 House B team.
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Affiliates can be added to the team at any time during the season up to the January 10th deadline.
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The coach wishing to use a player as an affiliate MUST ask permission of the coach of the player’s registered team prior to asking the player. Each time the player is to be used as an affiliate, the player’s coach MUST be asked (coach to coach). Please see below for rules on resolving conflicts.
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Only players who will be used should be affiliated.
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Each player has a maximum of fifteen (15) games as an affiliate in total for all teams. Only regular season and playoff games count toward this limit. There is no maximum for goalies.
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Teams and players will be advised when a player approaches the limit.
Using an Affiliated Player
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Check with the coach of the player’s team before calling the affiliated player for a game or practice. The sections below detail team priorities and reasons for denying permission.
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Suspensions are always served with the rostered home team (it does not matter which team the player incurred the suspension with). There can be an exception for out-of-town tournaments. Contact the District Chair should a player incur a suspension at an out-of-town tournament.
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Only players who will be used should be affiliated.
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House League players may only affiliate to the lowest Competitive level for their association. Competitive players may not affiliate to House League teams.
NMHA House League Affiliation Policy
The NMHA policy fits the HEO rules but has been made more restrictive to meet the needs of a large House League organization.
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Skaters may affiliate “up” in age or category, or in both age and category.
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The affiliation of House A skaters to higher-age House B teams is not permitted.
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The number of skaters used in a game cannot exceed the number of skaters on the official team roster, including affiliates.
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Prior to using the player in a game, you must contact the coach of the affiliate team to notify them that you are requesting the player. DO NOT make requests directly to the parents or the player until after you have obtained the consent of the affiliate’s coach. This is to make the requesting coach aware of any issues or suspensions that may prevent the player from participating in a game.
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U21 is the only exception to this rule; they may affiliate from both U18 House A and House B teams.
Note: An affiliate player playing NMHA games is not required to be added to the affiliating team’s roster. For all games outside of the NMHA, affiliated players must be on the affiliating team’s roster. However, all affiliations must still be reported via the reporting procedure.
NMHA Affiliation Procedure
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.
How to Report an Affiliate
All coaches/managers are to send an email to [email protected] to advise of each affiliate’s participation in a game BEFORE the game is played. The coach of the team using the affiliate, as well as the coach of the affiliated player, must be included in cc.
Email subject format:
Affiliation - Team Name - Game Date - Game #
Email must include:
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Team affiliating to: e.g., U15 A Team A
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Name of player being replaced:
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Jersey number:
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Reason for absence: (injury, illness, etc.)
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Affiliate player’s first and last name:
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Affiliate player’s registered team: e.g., U13 A Team A
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Date of the affiliation/game:
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Type of game: League / Playoff / Tournament / Exhibition
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Game #: (for league games)