Members of the Michigan Hockey Community:

The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association continues to send its well-wishes to the families in our hockey community. We want to thank you for your patience and understanding, as we collectively continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize that this unprecedented period has resulted in significant delays in planning for a 2020-21 hockey season. While we’re still awaiting further direction, regarding a potential return to the rink, the MAHA wants to share some updates on some proactive policies we’ve established to progress in the season planning process.

On June 1, 2020, Governor Whitmer officially lifted the Michigan ‘Stay-At-Home’ order statewide. As part of this ruling, outdoor athletic practices and training sessions are permitted as long as coaches and participants adhere to social distancing guidelines (6 feet apart). While this is a very positive step forward, in our eventual return to hockey activity, Michigan rinks remain closed until further notice.

The gradual re-opening of activity of Michigan causes many challenges to how we initiate a new hockey season. Specifically, the potentially sporadic re-opening of rinks across Michigan hinders our ability to solidify a schedule for team tryouts. This can potentially delay the process of team formation. Ultimately, our goal was to create balanced solutions based upon direct participation in our MAHA Task Force, as well as input from our Leagues, Clubs and Facilities.

Effective the date of this release, the Executive Committee is authorizing its Tier I, Tier II Organizations and Association Member Clubs to commence the offering of Player Agreements according to the schedule indicated below.

TIER I YOUTH & GIRLS 12U – 19U - Immediately

• May issue early commitments to players within its organization.

TIER II YOUTH & GIRLS 10U – 19U – June 8, 2020

• May issue early commitments to players within its organization.

TIER I & II YOUTH & GIRLS 10U – 19U – June 15, 2020

• May issue early commitments to players outside its organization.

The purpose of the MAHA allowing advanced player agreements, prior to team tryouts, is to expedite membership planning for the 2020-21 season. This is also an effort to greatly reduce stress, for participants and families, as to where they will be playing next season. Under these circumstances, ALL advanced player agreements are subject to the following conditions:

• COVID-19 Financial Hardship Refund Policy – Player agreements shall be required to include a COVID-19 Financial Hardship Refund Policy. Parents/Guardians of players signing agreements may petition for relief under the following guidelines:
  • Under this policy, hardships must be related to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a family’s financial status changed after signing the Player Agreement. 
  • Clubs/associations are allowed to charge for the following:
    • Durable goods that can’t be repurposed (i.e. team uniforms, etc.)
    • Ice fees, coaching fees, and expenses prorated to what has actually been used by the player, up to the date the club/association received a written request.
  • Participants/families exercising this option will not be permitted to roster with another club at the same tier level for the 2020-2021 season.
  • Participants/families may exercise this relief option on, or prior to, September 1, 2020.
  • Failure to adhere to the policy guidelines above may result in disciplinary action, due to violation of the following rules (as outlined in the MAHA Guide Book):
    • Tryout Rule
    • Affiliate Agreement

• All Tier I and Tier II teams executing early Player Agreements, prior to a tryout process, are required to register all committed players on the MAHA website. The MAHA will provide specific follow-up instructions on how to complete this process.

Please note that this Player Agreement process does not replace the tryout process for 2020-21. Once local and state governments allow for facilities to re-open and resume on-ice activities, team tryouts will be scheduled. The MAHA will provide further updates on this schedule, as they become available.

As promised, we will continue to provide updates on our preparation for a new hockey season. We encourage you to visit MAHA.org for continued information. Also, be sure to register for the upcoming 2020-21 season with your local hockey association.

On behalf of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association, we thank you for your patience during this unusual time – and we look forward to seeing you at your local rink again very soon!

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.