Evaluations

Skate 1 - Overall Skill Evaluation (4 skaters, 1 check-in)

The overall skill evaluation is the first stage of the assessment process. It measures core hockey skills before players they move into game situations. Players are first evaluated as a full independent group, then placed into balanced body contact (BC) and non-body contact (NBC) groups based on selection and comparable skill level.

Skate 2 - Game 1 (2 bench bosses, 1 timekeeper, 1 check-in)

• Warmup: 5 min. Game starts 5 min. after scheduled start.
• Two 20-min. periods with a 2-min. break. The 2nd period time maty be adjusted.
• Shifts - 1 min. The clock stops for all whistles and faceoffs.
• At the buzzer, teams complete a full line change without a stoppage.
• Referees stop play only for penalties, major offsides, and goalie stoppages. Goalies -encouraged to play the puck. Close offsides and icings are not called.
• Penalties are awarded as penalty shots. Opposing players remain on one knee at the blue line until the shooter touches the puck.
• Teams do not change ends between periods.
• If two goalies are assigned, rotate every 10 min. as needed.

Skate 3 - Game 2 (2 bench bosses, 1 check-in)

• Warmup 5 min. or start game 5 min. after scheduled start time.
• Game consists of two 25-minute run-time periods with a 2-min. break between periods.
• Game is played using standard rules, with penalties administered as outlined above.
• Two goalies - should rotate every 12.5 minutes during play, as needed.
• Referees stop play only for penalties, major offsides, and goalie stoppages. Goalies -encouraged to play the puck. Close offsides and icings are not called.
• Penalties are awarded as penalty shots. Opposing players remain on one knee at the blue line until the shooter touches the puck.

Skate 4 - Game 3 (2 bench bosses, 1 check-in)

• Same as above.

Volunteer Descriptions:

Thank-you for volunteering and we want to provide the following basic information for your awareness and understanding of your role in the process.

Bench Boss

☐ Enter the dressing room, introduce yourself, review the game format and warmup drill.

☐ On the bench, ensure players are organized by forwards and defence.

☐ Ensure players receive equal ice time where required by the game format.

☐ Help manage player rotations, including situations where forwards who usually play a specific position need to rotate to wing.

☐ Ensure referees are following the game format.

☐ Ensure extra goalies are rotated according to the game format.

☐ Remind players (game 2 & 3) that excessively long shifts may negatively affect their evaluation results.

Timekeeper (Game 1 Only)

☐ Set the game clock to 20 minutes for each period in Game 1.

☐ Stop the clock for every whistle.

☐ At each 1-minute mark, sound the buzzer for a full line change while keeping the clock running.

☐ Be prepared to manage play timing for faceoffs and stoppages as required under the Game 1 format.

☐ Coordinate with the bench and officials to help maintain the intended pace and line-change structure

At the U15 and U18 categories, the EFHL consists of tiers 1 to 3 body checking (BC) and tiers 1 to 3 non-body checking (NBC).

At registration, players shall declare whether they want to participate in BC or NBC evaluations.

Important: Players entering into their first year of U15 will be allowed to register for contact hockey only if they played tier 4 or higher in U13.

The willingness to participate in body checking throughout the evaluations does not guarantee selection to a body checking team. Players will be evaluated based on the hockey skills they exhibit during the evaluations.

Players wishing to opt out of body checking were able to identify themselves during registration. If a player chooses to change their election (opting in or out) they will do so by contacting the Category Director before the start of the evaluation games.

Should a player wish to change their election once the evaluation games have started, they must submit their request via email to the applicable Category Director. The player’s best interest and ability will be the primary factors in placing that player in BC or NBC.

Evaluation by Position

Players will be required to declare in advance of the game evaluations whether they wish to be evaluated at the forward or defense position. Their relative rankings throughout the evaluation process will be based on their ranking at that position.

Goaltenders must declare their position when registering with NWZ and will be evaluated against all other goaltenders in their category.

Skill Skate and Game Grouping Formation

All players will participate in an initial skill skate designed to provide evaluators with an opportunity to observe fundamental hockey skills in a controlled environment. Players from the BC and NBC groupings will be mixed to establish a baseline score across all players.

Initial grouping for skill skate will be completed using a neutral, non‑performance‑based method, such as alphabetical order. Groupings at this stage do not represent rankings, tier placement, or team selection and may change as the evaluation process progresses.

Following the initial skill skate, players will be assigned to evaluation game groups. The group of players for each evaluation game will be divided into two teams of relatively equal strength.

At this stage of the evaluation process, some players who registered for the BC category may be assigned to NBC groupings due to limited roster availability on BC teams.

NWZ Hockey Association has a finite number of BC team positions, and placement decisions will reflect this constraint.

All players who registered for the NBC category will be placed exclusively in NBC evaluation groupings.

Ranking of Players Following Evaluation Games

Following each evaluation game, players will be ranked based on their performance score relative to other players at the same position (forward, defence, or goaltender). Based on these rankings, the Evaluation Provider, in conjunction with the VP Hockey Operations or Category Director(s), will determine whether players should be moved up or down to adjacent evaluation groups for subsequent evaluation games.

Mandatory Attendance

Evaluation attendance is mandatory.

Failure to attend an evaluation session may impact a player’s overall evaluation results and team placement.

Legitimate Absences

The applicable Category Director must be contacted as soon as possible if a player is unable to attend a session due to:

• Illness;
• Injury;
• Family emergency; or
• Other legitimate circumstances.

Each absence will be reviewed individually by the Evaluation Committee to determine the appropriate course of action.

Unforeseen Circumstances

In circumstances outside the reasonable control of the NWZ Hockey Association that impact the operation of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee may make adjustments necessary to ensure the fair and practical continuation of evaluations.

Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to:

• Facility closures;
• Severe weather;
• Evaluator availability;
• Technology failure;
• Illness or injury; or
• other operational disruptions.

Any adjustments:

• Shall be reasonable and documented; and
• Shall be communicated to affected families as soon as reasonably possible.

Pre-Evaluation Injury or Illness

If a player is injured or ill prior to evaluations and unable to attend any evaluation sessions, the player’s legal guardian(s) must contact the applicable Category Director to discuss the situation.

Final Rankings

Upon completion of evaluations, a final ranking of all players within the category will be created based on the aggregate of each player’s scores from the evaluations.

In the interest of optimal player development, the Evaluation Committee and Category Director will endeavor to form teams based on the following guidelines:

U15 – 17 Players and 2 goalies (11 forwards, 6 defence)

U18 – 18 Players and 2 goalies (12 forwards, 6 defence)

It should be noted that these guidelines may not be achieved in certain circumstances due to factors such as the total number of players registered in a category or by position. NWZ will receive player and goaltender cuts from the SSAC, KC, MLAC and CAC U15 and U18 AA/AAA tryouts, during the evaluation process. These will be integrated into the NWZ evaluation process at the earliest opportunity.

Team Formation

Team formation shall be done via coach draft. The coaches shall be provided with a ranked player list including scores. Only the current season evaluation rankings will be used.

NWZ does not consider friend requests during the team formation process.

Draft Procedure

The draft shall be conducted on a tier‑by‑tier basis, commencing with the highest tier in each category. Tier 1 teams shall select first, followed sequentially by Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams.

Where there is more than one team within a tier, the draft shall be conducted as a snake draft. The initial draft order will be determined by a random and fair method (e.g., coin toss, random number generator).

Coaches may negotiate player retention prior to the commencement of the draft. Only retention agreements that receive mutual consent from all affected head coaches shall be recognized.

In the absence of unanimous agreement, the player(s) in question shall be entered into the draft pool.

In the event that no coach can be secured prior to the draft for a particular team, the players will be drafted by the Evaluation Committee.

The draft will be conducted by position in the following sequence:

1. Forwards
2. Defense
3. Goaltenders

All teams shall complete selections for each position group before proceeding to the next.

All drafted players must be appropriate for the tier in which they are selected. Coaches may not select (“reach”) players clearly outside the intended competitive level of the tier. Any exceptions will be reviewed and approved at the discretion of the VP Hockey Operations, and will be guided by the third‑party evaluation provider’s rankings and scores.

Teams with no Head Coach

If at the end of the team draft a coach is not found for a team, the following process will be followed:

• The Category Director will contact parents prior to the first practice to try and find a coach or co-coaching arrangement for the team.
• If a coach or co-coaching arrangement cannot be secured prior to the first practice, the Category Director will hold a parent meeting at the practice to try and find a coach.
• If after 48hrs after the parent meeting a coach or co-coaching arrangement cannot be secured, the team will fold.  Refunds will be provided by NWZ.

After the evaluation process is completed and teams have been selected:

• TeamSnap Invitation: NWZ is using TeamSnap for this upcoming season and you will receive a TeamSnap invite for the team.

Individual Feedback: Parents can request individual feedback from the VP Hockey Operations if they have any concerns or questions about the evaluations.

Good Standing

For the purposes of this policy, a player shall be considered in good standing where:

• Registration requirements have been completed;
• Applicable fees are current or approved payment arrangements are in place; and
• The player is not subject to suspension or disciplinary restriction by Hockey Alberta, Hockey Edmonton, or the NWZ Hockey Association.

Evaluation Schedules

Evaluations typically take place during September, and player attendance at assigned sessions is mandatory. Evaluation schedules will be posted on the association’s website and updated regularly. Families are responsible for confirming their player's evaluation times.

If a player is unable to attend an assigned session, the player’s legal guardian(s) must notify the applicable Category Director as soon as possible.

Player Preparation

Prior to evaluations, families are responsible for ensuring:

• Equipment fits properly;
• Skates are sharpened; and
• All required equipment is packed and available.

Full equipment is mandatory.

Upon arriving at the arena, players must check in at the registration table to receive their assigned jersey.

Players should arrive early enough to be fully dressed and prepared a minimum of 15 minutes prior to ice time.

Support Your Player

Families are encouraged to help players understand the evaluation process and maintain a positive mindset throughout evaluations.

The evaluation process can be stressful and emotional for players. Families should reinforce that evaluations are intended to help players find the most appropriate team placement and provide the best possible hockey experience.

Understand the process

Families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the evaluation process and review all communications provided by the club.

Illness or Injury

Families must notify the applicable Category Director if a player is sick, injured, or otherwise unable to attend an evaluation session.

Respect the Evaluators

Families shall not:

• Sit with evaluators;
• Request player-specific information from evaluators; or
• Interfere with evaluators during the assessment process.

Respectful Conduct

Players, parents, guardians, coaches, volunteers, and spectators are expected to conduct themselves respectfully throughout the evaluation and team formation process.

Harassment, intimidation, abuse, or inappropriate conduct directed toward evaluators, volunteers, committee members, coaches, or other participants will not be tolerated and may result in further review by the North West Zone Executive.

Have Fun

Families are encouraged to help ensure that players have a positive and enjoyable experience throughout evaluations.

If a player’s family disagrees with the player’s team selection following the evaluations, the family may submit a written Request for Review within 48 hours of the team placement notification.

The Request for Review shall then be reviewed by the Evaluation Review Committee.

A Request for Review may only be submitted where a family believes:

• This policy was not properly followed;
• A material administrative error occurred; or
• Relevant evaluation information was not properly considered.

A Request for Review shall not be based solely on disagreement with evaluator judgment or player ranking.

The following are not acceptable grounds for a Request for Review and will not be considered:

• Desire to play with a specific player or group of players on another team;

• Desire to play for a specific coach or assistant coach;

• Desire not to play with a specific player or players on the assigned team, unless there are extenuating circumstances exist;

• Desire not to play for a specific coach or assistant coach on the assigned team, unless there are extenuating circumstances exists;

• Previous season performance or placement alone; or

• Placement relative to another specific player or group of players.

The Request for Review must be accompanied by a $150 deposit.

The deposit:

• Will be refunded if the Request for Review is successful.
• Will not be refunded if the Request for Review does not result in a change to the outcome.

Upon receiving the Request for Review;

• the applicable Category Director(s) shall acknowledge receipt of the request; and
• The NWZ Vice President of Hockey Operations shall serve as the chair of the Evaluation Review Committee.

The Evaluation Review Committee shall consist of:

• The Vice President of Hockey Operations (Chair)

• The Age Category Director(s)

• One additional NWZ Board member (e.g., the President)

A meeting shall be conducted between the player’s family and the Evaluation Review Committee.

Following the meeting, the committee shall:

• Review the player’s current season evaluation ranking;
• Review evaluator comments provided by the independent evaluation company;
• Consider relevant information provided by the player’s family; and
• Render a decision regarding the player’s placement for the current season.

The player’s family shall be notified of the committee’s decision in writing as soon as reasonably possible.

The decision of the Evaluation Review Committee is final and not subject to further appeal.