SLRHA Policies and Procedures 

 

Sylvan Lake Rec Hockey (SLRHA) functions under the Hockey Alberta Play Hockey Model, which includes code of conduct and insurance through Hockey Canada. SLRHA is the governing body of recreational hockey in the town of Sylvan Lake. SLRHA abides by the Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta Rules and Regulations.

 

  1. SLRHA Structure and Membership

a. The SLRHA Board structure is laid out in the SLRHA Bylaws. The SLRHA President is the Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta liaison.

b. SLRHA Membership is also outlined in the bylaws.

c. To help recruit and retain board members, each SLRHA Board of Director (Officer) is entitled to one free registration on their second year as an officer and each consecutive year thereafter until they are no longer filling the position.

 

        2. Inclusion Policy 

SLRHA is committed to providing a safe, respectful, welcoming, and inclusive recreational hockey environment in which all eligible participants have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in sport.

SLRHA recognizes that athletes may have diverse needs and may benefit from individualized supports, accommodations, or modifications to participate successfully. SLRHA is committed to considering accommodation requests in a fair, consistent, and collaborative manner, while balancing:

  • The needs of the individual participant 
  • The safety and wellbeing of all participants 
  • The volunteer capacity of a recreational hockey program 
  • The integrity of team operations and gameplay 
  • Adherence to applicable rules, policies, and participation standards established by Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada

SLRHA will make reasonable efforts to support participation where feasible and appropriate, while recognizing that not all requested accommodations may be possible within a volunteer recreational hockey setting.

To view our full inclusion policy, or apply for supports or modifications please contact president@slrha.net

 

  1. Registration
  • Registration opens at a discounted price July 15th until August 31st. Pricing will increase from September 1 and all registrations will end by September 15th. 
  • All registrations both player and coaches can only be completed on our registration platform (currently TeamSnap)
  • All player registrations must include proof of completion of a valid Shift Forward - Parents course
  • Multiple payment options will be given upon registration with all payments being due no later than first Monday following September 20th to allow for the Canadian Child Benefit to reach parents accounts. 
  • SLRHA does accept funding through Jumpstart, Kidsport and Hockey Canada's Assist Fund. It is expected that all fees must be paid upon registration. Any and all funding received by SLRHA from outside organizations will be reimbursed via e-transfer once they have been received by the treasurer. 
  1. Divisions

4 a. SLRHA is divided up into five divisions with the following parameters;

 

 U8 (ages 5, 6, 7 by December 31st of season)

  1. Recommend playing a ratio of 1:1 practices vs games for skill development.
  2. Recommend playing half ice games, as outlined by Hockey Canada.
  3. No floods between periods.
  4. Games to be officiated by one Hockey Alberta-certified referee
  5. Can utilise Junior on ice coaches if available. 

 

 U11 (ages 8, 9 ,10 by December 31st of season)

  1. Full Ice games.
  2. No floods between periods.
  3. Games to be officiated by two Hockey Alberta certified referees.

 

  U13 (ages 11, and 12 by December 31st of season)

  1. Full ice games.
  2. Floods recommended every two periods.
  3. Games to be officiated by two Hockey Alberta certified referees.

 

  U15 (ages 13, and 14 by December 31st of season)

  1. Full ice games.
  2. Floods recommended every two periods.
  3. Games to be officiated by two Hockey Alberta certified referees.

 

 U18 (ages 15, 16, 17 by December 31st of season)

  1. Full ice games
  2. Floods recommended every two periods.
  3. Games to be officiated by either a 2 or 3 referee system.

Divisions U11-U18 should follow a 2:1 practice ratio wherever possible. All of the ice time within the month of October is dedicated to practice time. 

 

4b. Policies within divisions;   

  1. Players registered in SLRHA, may not affiliate with registered minor hockey teams. Players registered with minor hockey, may not affiliate with rec hockey.
  2. When a team is short players, it may draw players from SLRHA teams from the same age group or from one age group below, the oldest players of that group.
  3. If a player is smaller for their age and it is deemed unsafe for them to play in their designated age group, they may move down. If a player is bigger for their age, and wishes to move up a division they can do so. The parent of the individual must contact the Secretary/Registrar to do so. secretary@slrha.net 
  4. Players who are larger for their age and can demonstrate the skill level necessary to safely participate at a higher division may request permission to move up. The parent of the individual must contact the Secretary/Registrar to do so. secretary@slrha.net
  5. If a player is over the age of 18 by December 31st of the season, and wishes to play, they must contact the board for approval prior to registration. All players over the age of 18 MUST be enrolled in High School, and have NOT previously graduated to be considered eligible to play.The board will also take into consideration any past infractions upon their decision, as well as availability of space within the division. 

4c. Season Structure

  1. SLRHA season begins in October and runs through mid March
  2. Skaters will be notified by September 25th of their first ice time
  3. All of October will be dedicated to skill development and practice time only
  4. The remainder of the season will be posted within Team Snap by November, after a coaches out of town scheduling meeting has been completed mid October. 
  5. SLRHA home tournament will be scheduled in March; those game times will not be posted until the tournament schedule has been finalized. 

5.   Disciplinary Matters

5a. Disciplinary Matters - Member related (Players, Coaches, etc)

  1. Disciplinary matters are to be managed by the Director of Off Ice Operations (Vice President), Director of Advocacy and the President. As required, the Director of Off Ice Operations may form ad hoc committees consisting of at least three impartial members for resolution. Resolution could include:
  • Decide that there was no issue requiring resolution.
  • Issue a warning.
  • Issue suspensions.
  • Revoking SLRHA membership.

2. Complaints or issues may be submitted to the Director of Player Advocacy. Complainants are required to wait 24-hours before submitting a written complaint. Complaints should be submitted within 7-days of an issue arising.

3. For on-ice issues; coaches, parents, players or on-ice officials may fill out incident reports and submit to the Director of Off Ice Operations as necessary.

        4. If deemed a major complaint, it should be received by the Director of Off Ice Operations. Otherwise, complaints can be dealt with by the specified board member whose area the complaint falls within, determined by the Director of Player Advocacy.

5. All digital correspondence with complaints and disciplinary matters, need to be done so via email with another board member cc’d. All in person actions and correspondence must be done so with the Director of Player Advocacy and Vice President in order to maintain professionalism and transparency. Adhering to the two person rule. (See 5 i.)

6. Appeals – Any member wishing to appeal a decision made by SLRHA, must submit, in writing to the Board of Directors within 7-days of the decision.

 

5b. Disciplinary Matters - within the Board of Directors

  1. Disciplinary matters within the board will be resolved between the President and Vice President, after examination and discussion with the individual(s) involved.
  2. Board members duties may be placed on pause while matters are sorted
  3. If the President or Vice President are directly involved, then they will be replaced by The Directory of Player Advocacy in discussion and examination of the issue. 
  4. If an issue can not adequately be resolved within the board, the third party ad hoc committee may step in to resolve the issue. 

6. Game Rules

a. Teams may not enter the ice surface until the exact time of ice time with the presence of a coach/ team official. And MUST be wearing all required equipment.

b. All games consist of 5-minute warm-ups and straight time periods.

c. When there is more than a 5-goal differential, additional goals will not be posted on the score board.

d. 3 goals per game per player. Any goals over that are disallowed.

e. Should a game be lopsided, coaches can swap players mid game. 

f. 3 penalties max per game per player.  A game ejection will result in drawing a 3rd penalty. Repeat game ejections on a single player should be escalated to the Director of Off Ice Operations.

g. No slap shots. A slap shot is defined as; a shot taken by a player with his/her stick lifted above the knee, on the wind up.

h. No fighting. Punches thrown/intent to injure will result in an immediate removal from the game.  An incident report must follow from the coach and will be sent to the Director of Off Ice Operations for further review.

  • 1st offence, suggested game suspension.
  • 2nd offence, suggested 3 game suspension
  • 3rd offence, suggested removal from SLRHA for remainder of season.

i. Swearing, derogatory language, and any form of maltreatment are strictly prohibited. Bullying, harassment, racial, sexual, or discriminatory slurs or language are not permitted at any time, whether on the bench, on the ice, or in the dressing room.

j. Abuse towards officials will not be tolerated.

k. No intentional hits or body-checks.

l. Any hit or body contact with intent to injure will require an incident report filed by the coach and submitted to the Director of Off Ice Operations. Suggested suspensions include:

  • 1st offence, suggested 1 game suspension.
  • 2nd offence, suggested 3 game suspension.
  • 3rd offence, suggested removal from SLRHA for remainder of season.

See Hockey Alberta’s policy on maltreatment here: https://www.hockeyalberta.ca/members/maltreatment-bullying-harassment/

 See Hockey Alberta's Play Hockey Model here: https://www.hockeyalberta.ca/uploads/source/PlayHockey/PlayHockeyModel26-27.pdf

7. Coach Policy

  • All coaches and team officials (assistant coaches, managers etc) Must have a criminal record check and vulnerable sector check completed and handed in prior to the first practice.
  • Each coach and all team officials must complete Hockey Canada’s “Shift Forward - Coaches”.  Coaches for U8 will be required to complete Hockey Canada’s Coach 1. Coaches for U11-U18 will be required to complete Coach 2. At least two coaches/ team officials must complete the online “Hockey Canada Safety Program Certification Level 1”. SLRHA will cover “The Shift Forward” and Coaching Course costs for a maximum of 3 officials per team and 2 Safety certification per team. The team officials who hold the certification for the “Hockey Canada Safety Program” MUST be on the bench at every game, if they can not be there, they must contact a certified board member to take their place. 
  • SLRHA will cover the Hockey Alberta/ Canada insurance costs for 3 team officials per team. Should a team wish to have more than the three paid for coaches/team officials on the bench, those parents are welcome to pay for their own Shift Forward, and Insurance in order to be rostered.  
  • All coaches must follow Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta and SLRHA bylaws and policies.
  • Must follow fair play code of equal ice time.
  • Must report all game ejections, fighting penalties or major penalties to the Director of Off Ice Operations 
  • Has authority to sit any player during the game, should they feel the player needs the time to descalate .
  • Has authority to stop a game if players are at risk for either team.
  • All coaches and team officials must follow the “two person rule” that states that no coach or team official shall be alone with a skater at any time. 

 

  1. Dressing Room Policy 

Rule of Two

a. SLRHA follows Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta’s Rule of Two to help provide a safe environment for all participants. 

At no time should:

  • A coach be alone with a player
  • An injured player be left alone in a dressing room or any other area
  • A coach remain alone with an injured player while waiting for a parent or guardian

 

b. The Rule of Two applies at all times, including before and after games, during practices, and when responding to injuries. Whenever possible, ensure two screened and approved adults are present during all team activities and interactions with players. 

 

Trained and Screened Policy

a. SLRHA, in alignment with Hockey Canada, will ONLY permit individuals who have been trained and screened into dressing rooms and onto benches and ice surfaces. Trained and Screened is defined by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) as individuals who have completed ethics education (The Shift Forward - Coach) and have passed a thorough background check, which can include items like interviews, criminal record checks and reference checks.

 

b. As SLRHA board members can not be present at every game or practice, one of the duties of our coaches is to ensure that all individuals entering the change rooms, benches and ice surfaces are rostered to their team. If they are rostered, this means that SLRHA has received all documents pertaining to the trained and screened policy. If they are not rostered they are prohibited from entering the dressing rooms or benches. 

 

Cell Phone Use 

a. To protect the privacy, safety, and comfort of all players, cell phones are not permitted to be used within dressing rooms. Taking photos, recording videos, or otherwise using a phone to capture content in the dressing room is strictly prohibited. This policy applies to players, parents, coaches, managers, volunteers, and visitors. We ask everyone to respect this rule and help maintain a safe and respectful environment for all players.

 Dressing room policy

9. Player Policy

  • Players must follow rules of Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta and SLRHA.
  • Players must abide by Hockey Alberta Recreational Hockey Code of Conduct.
  • Players must abide by Hockey Alberta’s Maltreatment policies on and off the ice.
  • Players must wear required equipment.  All required equipment must always be worn on the ice and/or bench by all players.  This includes CSA approved helmet with face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, hockey pants, shin pads, gloves and approved neck guard.  

10. Referee Policy

a. Referees must be Hockey Canada certified. The Schedule and Referee Director will provide teams with a list of Hockey Canada certified referees.

b. It is recommended that referees are at minimum older than the age group they are refereeing. Some exceptions may apply in the U15 and U18 age groups based on referee availability.

c. All refs are to sign off on SLRHA rules and to enforce them during a game.

d. Refs have the right to remove any player or coach from the bench/ice due to verbal abuse.

e. Requirements for the different age groups are listed below along with rates.

  • U8 – One Level 1 Hockey Alberta Certified Ref ($20) 
  • U11 – Minimum 1 Hockey Alberta Certified Ref($40 total – $20 each if 2 refs used) Ideally one Level 1 first year and one Level 1 with experience
  • U15 – Minimum 2 Hockey Alberta Certified Refs ($40 per ref: $80 total) Ideally two Level 2 
  • U18 – minimum 2 Hockey Alberta Certified Refs ($50 per ref: $100 total) Ideally two Level 2 over 18 or one Level 2 over 18 and one Level 2 under 18, with 3+ years experience
  • U18 – 3 referee system:  (Head Referee – $60, Two Linesman – $40 each) Ideally three Level 2 over 18, or two Level 2 over 18 and one Level 2 under 18 with 3+ years experience

f. Coaches or Managers are responsible to pay referees in cash or e-transfer upon leaving the ice surface. Coaches or managers are expected to utilize the SLRHA referee reimbursement form, which is submitted to the SLRHA treasurer.

g. Coaches or Managers doing referee booking should use a variety of referees on the list to ensure fair exposure wherever possible.

 

11. Junior On Ice Coaches

  • Junior On Ice Coaches are utilised in the U8 and U11 divisions in the following ways; pre ice time tying skates, during practices often assisting in running drills, and organizing players, during games they may be asked to be an assistant coach on the bench if needed. 
  • Junior On Ice Coaches will be most utilized during practice times which are busiest in October. They will be required to take the “Shift Forward- Coaches” course, paid for by the SLRHA. 
  • Junior On Ice Coaches are senior members and registered players of SLRHA 14 years of age or older with at least 3 years of hockey experience.
  • Junior On Ice Coaches must have the ability to complete all hockey fundamentals easily (skating, stopping, knowing the difference between offense and defence, balance, agility, puck control - stick handling and puck protection, passing and shooting) Bonus skills include referee experience, but is not required. 
  • Junior On Ice Coaches can apply to the program by submitting a volunteer letter stating why they would like to be a part of the program, what skills they bring, and why they are a good fit. As well as two non parental references to the Vice President no later than October 15th of the season.  
  • Head Coaches reserve the right to remove any Junior On Ice Coach in which they do not deem fit for the program in consultation with the Vice President.
  • Junior On Ice Coaches who complete the program, (one full season) will receive a formal letter of volunteer hours, on SLRHA letter head stating completion of the program and number of hours volunteered. 

 

12. Tournament/ Jamboree Policy

  • SLRHA Home tournaments and/or other events are coordinated/ organized under the direction of the Director of Tournament and Events. Official tournament style, rules, and attending teams will be discussed and determined by the board with input from the tournament planning committee considered. 
  • The Director of Tournament and Events will develop a tournament planning committee to aid with tournament organization, including fundraising, volunteers, sponsorship, and other aspects of the tournament.
  • SLRHA home tournaments should strive to include all SLRHA division teams. In the event they can not, another event will be held for those not included. 
  • SLRHA will not pay for SLRHA teams to attend away tournaments. Teams will need to fundraise/ pay for their own entry fees. 
  • SLRHA teams should aim to attend only 1 away tournament to ensure other SLRHA teams have tournament opportunities.

 

  1. Year End Wrap-up Policy
  • Teams may be entitled to a budget of $20/ per player and up to 4 coaches on a given team for wrap up parties.
  • SLRHA Board may revoke the year end party budget, based on SLRHA’s financial status.
  • Year End parties are paid for by coaches or managers, and then reimbursed upon submission to the Treasurer banking@slrha.net

 

  1. Volunteer Policy
  • Each family shall be responsible to complete 3 hours of volunteer time per season. This includes two hours of penalty box volunteering per skater either: running the clock, scoresheet and or music. The third hour is completed per family, through Tournament or Jamboree activities; 1 hour shift during the tournament setup or take down, running 50/50, raffle tables etc. OR collecting donations, sponsorships, tournament committee, or tournament liaison. Other volunteer opportunities may arise throughout the course of the season and given out at a first come first serve basis; example Rec Hockey Night with the Sylvan Lake Wranglers 
  • To ensure volunteer hours are completed, a $200 post dated cheque shall be required from each player. This volunteer cheque shall also serve as a jersey deposit.Players will not receive their jersey at the start of the season until this deposit is received. The deposit will be collected by the team manager and will be held by the SLRHA treasurer.
  • Board Members, Coaches and Managers will NOT be required to complete any additional volunteer hours. 
  • Team Managers will track volunteer hours for team related activities. The Tournament Director will track volunteer hours for tournament related activities.
  • Post-dated cheques will be returned to families at the end of the season, as long as volunteer requirements have been fulfilled and once jerseys have been returned.
  1. SLRHA Travel Policy - Inclement Weather
  • If parents are not comfortable driving they should not feel they have to travel
  • Anything below -40 parents should not be on the roads, in case of emergency. 
  • Should a parent not wish to travel, they should give coaches a few hours notice via TeamSnap if they can not attend. 
  • Coaches and/or managers are to reach out to players prior to distance games to ensure they have the numbers for a game.