2024-2025 Boys Tryout Procedures
All Sessions
Paid outside/independent D1/D3 college and Professional players were hired as graders hired to perform all evaluations along with one coach for the specific team being selected (ie: session 1,2 and 3 will have the A coach present, session 4 will have the B coach present). Each session will consist of four graders and one coach equaling 5 scores per skater per session. The graders will rank each player's hockey skills, compete level, and hockey sense.
SKATER SESSIONS
Session One and Two
Players are separated into “Silver” and “Black” groups to reduce the number of players on the ice at the same time. Each group will include an equal number of returning “A” and “B” players along with players who are looking to make the “A” or “B” team for the first time. These sessions will consist of skills (drills) and a scrimmage. No cuts will be made after session one, at the conclusion of session two, a cut is made and the “Silver” and “Black” distinctions are no longer made. If a player is cut at this point, they will be invited to attend session four which will determine if the player is placed on the “B” or “C” team. The scores from session one and two will carry forward to future sessions.
Session Three
Players making it to session three have made the “A” team or “B” team. The number of players advancing to session three will represent roughly half the number of skaters from session one and two which forms the entire “A” team and half the “B” team. At the conclusion of session three the scores are tabulated for the three sessions skated and the top 70% of the agreed upon team size is locked into the “A” team. The Head Coach along with VP of Hockey will have the option to fill the remaining roster spots with all players participating in session three. All players not selected to the “A” team will be assigned to the “B” team.
Session Four
All players cut from session two will report to session four. At session four the remaining players to fill the roster for the “B” team will be selected and all other players will be placed on the “C” team. The head coach of the “B” team along with the VP of Hockey will have the option to select the players.
*Skater Squirt Tryout: Due to the numbers squirt processes will be slightly different. All skaters at the Squirt level will participate in all three sessions with the last session being small area games. After the last session all three teams will be posted to the website with the top 70% of each team being locked by results of the graders. The head coach along with the tryout committee will have the option to fill the roster with all players participating in the tryout.
Injured/Sick Player:
If a player will miss one or more tryout session(s) for medical or health related reasons, the parent must communicate the reason for missing in writing prior to the tryout date. This request will be reviewed by the Tryout Committee and team placement will be decided based on the below criteria:
The player’s attended tryout scores (current or prior year).
Prior year(s) team placement.
Recommendation from prior season(s) coaches.
Discussion with current season head coaches.
If a player is unable to finish tryouts, the player must contact the Tryout Committee immediately. Players that need to miss a tryout session due to non-medical or injury reasons must notify the Tryout Committee.
Projected team sizes
Based on registration projected teams and numbers of players on each team for the upcoming season will be as follows:
Squirt: A, B1, C – (11 – 13 skaters) and 1 -2 goalies
Peewee: AA, B1, C – (12 – 14 skaters) and 2 goalies
Bantam: AA, B1, C – (13 – 16 skaters) and 1 -2 goalies
GOALIE SESSIONS
The GOALIE ONLY tryouts will be run by Hartzell Hockey and will focus on the following items:
Goalie specific skating/edge work.
Goalie specific movements ( ie: east and west between the pipes), movement in and out of the crease, and puck tracking.
Goalie fundamentals: Butterfly, glove/blocker, RVH, positioning and puck tracking.
Goalie IQ: Overall knowledge in goalie specific movements/positioning.
*No game play during goalie only sessions*
After the goalie only session, Hartzell hockey coaches will rate players in each level top to bottom. Goalie only session rankings will follow each goalie into level specific tryouts. Level specific tryouts will be graded by Hartzell Hockey and will use the following additional criteria during level sessions:
Game play
Goalie
Goalie IQ during game play.
Goalie specific movement during game play.
Squirt
All goalies will attend all 3 sessions. Team placement for all goalies will be determined after session 3 Friday 9/27.
Peewee
All goalies will attend session 1 and 2. Cuts will be made after session 2. The top three (3) scoring goalies will skate in session 3 Wednesday 9/25. Goalies in session 3 will be assigned to either PWAA or PWB1 after session 3. The lower three (3) scoring goalies will skate in session 4 Thursday 9/26. Remaining PWB1 and PWC spots will be assigned after session 4.
Bantam
All goalies will attend session 1 and 2. Cuts will be made after session 2. The top two (2) scoring goalies will skate in session 3 Wednesday 9/25. Goalies in session 3 will be assigned to either BAA or BB1 after session 3. The lower two (2) scoring goalies will skate in session 4 Thursday 9/26. Remaining BB1 and BC spots will be assigned after session 4.