March 24, 2020 
 
 
 
On Monday March 23, 2020, the Governor of Michigan issued an Executive Order in Response to COVID19 to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” until April 13, 2020. This has caused all the rinks in Michigan to temporarily close and suspend all activities. Many rinks in Michigan have temporarily taken their ice out to reduce expenses during this time. They will need time to restore their facilities once the Executive Order is lifted to be able to resume normal operations. Some rinks have stated they may not be putting ice back in until the fall season which means associations and teams looking for spring / summer ice may need to find other nearby facilities to use. 
 
The MAHA Executive Board met on Tuesday March 24, to discuss tryouts for spring and fall teams that had been previously scheduled or postponed until April 7, 2020. USA Hockey has given the Affiliates authority to make decisions, based on current events and local circumstances, during the pandemic.  
 Therefore, Effective Immediately the MAHA Executive Committee is prohibiting any tryouts, formation of teams, offering of contracts, recruiting etc. for ALL USA Hockey Member programs in the Michigan Affiliate (aka: Everyone) until further notice. This includes all levels of Youth and Girls hockey, for which tryouts were originally to take place in either March or April. 
 
MAHA will monitor issues related to the COVID-19 Pandemic and will provide direction on when tryouts and related activities will be able to begin. Once it is clear when these restrictions will be lifted, and when rinks will be able to resume operations, a new date will be set. 
 
I am sure having to pause these activities is difficult for everyone. But, we urge you to continue to follow the advice of our healthcare professionals and stay healthy. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to hockey just as soon as we are able to. We will do our best to stay on top of this ever-changing situation and continue to adjust to meet the healthcare guidelines, and to provide a safe environment for our participants.  
 
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in the matter.

Congratulations to our Spring 2020 coaches, both new and returning!

No Tier I or Tier II team may recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skate, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific date outlined below:

No Tier I or Tier II team may recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skate, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific date outlined below:

1. All teams in National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin tryouts until 48 hours after the completion of the National Tournament for their respective age classification.
2. All teams in Tier I and Tier II (A/AA) non-National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin POST Season (Spring) tryouts until after 4 pm on the Monday following the conclusion of the final State Tournament games of ALL age brackets and categories.
3. All teams in Tier II (A/AA) non-National bound categories may begin tryouts on the 3rd Monday in May for all REGULAR SEASON (Fall/Winter) teams.
4. All teams in Tier I  non-National bound categories may begin tryouts on the 1st Monday in May for all REGULAR SEASON (Fall/Winter) teams.

Other Spring information:

Players may register and play with a maximum of two teams at a time in the spring/summer season

Spring/Summer teams have a limit of twenty-five players on a roster and may dress twenty (20) players per game

1. The try-out policy is for when try-outs, conditioning skates, etc., can begin.  There is zero requirement that teams must start on this date.  
2. It is understood that some leagues may still be active after States have been completed.  Please be aware that any player coming to your try-out, conditioning skate, family skate, etc., must have written permission from their coach allowing them to participate if their season is still active.   
3. Participation in Older Divisions of District or National Championships – 2017-18 Season and Beyond Beginning in the 2017-18 season, no player (youth or girls) 12 years of age or younger (as defined in the age classification chart for the current season) is eligible to play on a team intending or declared to compete in the District or National Championships or playoffs leading thereto. A player 13 years of age or older may play on a youth or girls’ team in an older classification at a District or National Championship Tournament only if the applicable Affiliate’s rules or decisions, and the applicable local program’s rules or decisions, permit that player to do so. (Michigan rules do allow this) A player residing in one Affiliate may not play on a team in an older classification in a different Affiliate unless both the Affiliate where the player resides and the Affiliate where the player desires to play have granted permission to play in an older classification. In the event a youth or girls player has been denied the permission to play in an older classification in the Youth or Girls’ District or National Championships on a team in an Affiliate other than the Affiliate where the player resides, the player may appeal such denial to the National Championship Appeal Committee. 

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) cannot play on a Tier 1 - 2006 Bantam Major 14U AAA team (national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) cannot play on a Tier 1 - Girls 14U AAA team (national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player  (12 years old) cannot play on a Tier 2 - 2006 Bantam Major 14U AA team (national bound) 

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) cannot play on a Tier 2 - Girls 14U AA team (national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player  (12 years old) can play on a Tier 1 - 2007 Bantam Minor 13U team (not national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) can play on a Tier 2 - 2007 Bantam Minor U13 team (not national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) can play on a  Bantam B 14U team (not national bound)

A 2008 Birth Year Player (12 years old) can play on a  Girls Tier 3 14U team (not national bound)

A 2007 Birth Year Player (13 years old) can play on a Tier 2 - 2006 Bantam Major 14U team (national bound)

A 2007 Birth Year Player  (13 years old) can play on a Tier 2 - Girls 14U team (national bound)

Only a 2005 Birth Year Player (15 years old) can play on a Tier 1 - 2005 Midget Minor 15 team (national bound)

Only a 2004 Birth Year Player (16 years old) can play on a Tier 1 - 2004 Midget Minor 16 team (national bound).

From the MAHA Guide

XIV. SPRING/SUMMER LEAGUES

A. All teams in spring and summer leagues and conditioning programs must complete an USA Hockey Team Roster Form (1-T). Players and Team officials not registered prior to the spring/summer season must register online through USA Hockey.  Confirmation letters for all players and team officials must be presented to the Associate Registrar for approval prior to the start of any games.

B. Team Officials (Coaches, Managers and locker room attendants) must provide proof of a Background screening and SafeSport before participating with the team.

C. A player’s obligation to his/her regular season team ends on April 30th of the current season, or when his/her regular season team becomes inactive prior to that date.

D. A player who is a member of an active regular season team may register and play in spring/summer leagues and conditioning programs if he/she has the written permission of his/her regular season team coach or manager.

E. A player’s obligation to his/her spring/summer league or conditioning program ends with the completion of the league or conditioning programs schedule, or when he/she is released in writing prior to that date.

F. All spring/ summer leagues and conditioning programs must use the current playing rules of USA Hockey /MAHA.

G. Spring/summer leagues and conditioning programs may have added special rules for their league, provided such rules are not contradictory to, or less stringent than the current USA Hockey /MAHA rules.

H. Spring/Summer Season league play may not start prior to the week of April 1st.

I. In all Youth divisions, a player may register and play with a maximum of two teams at a time in the spring/summer season.

J. Spring/Summer players must play in the USA Hockey age classification they will be in for the next regular (winter) hockey season.

K. 19U girls and 18U youth are eligible to participate up until August 31 of the current season in the same age classification as the previous season.

Spring/Summer type teams formed to play between the end of the last USA Hockey Youth/Girls National Championship and August 31, have a limit of twenty-five players on a roster and may dress twenty (20) players per game.