Please note: All House League, Skills Development, Skating School, & U9 ADP registrants will be contacted over the next 2-3 weeks as we prepare for each of those programs.
GMHA Families,
First and foremost, GMHA would like to thank each one of you for your continued support and patience as we execute our plan to get back on the ice. We have all missed the rink and our extended hockey family and are excited to finally be getting back to Hockey. If you did not receive an email from GMHA outlining our plan, were a rep player last season and registered to play this year please contact GMHA ASAP to ensure your proper enrolment. (This is for 2019/2020 rep players only)
We understand that you have been anxiously waiting for information, and for your patience we are profoundly grateful. We have surely had an uphill battle so far in our planning. Among the challenges and hurdles we have faced are of course COVID-19 and the government restrictions. In scheduling our ice times we have faced not only less available ice due to COVID cleaning and social distancing guidelines, but we also had an unfortunate accident at the University of Guelph where a Zamboni exploded, further reducing our available ice.
Having said that, have no fear, the GMHA Board of Directors along with Chad Wiseman and his team have been working tirelessly to execute our plan, and we are there, we are ready to get back on the ice!
Being ready does come with a slight catch……..we need to get on the ice THIS WEEKEND in order to make our ice scheduling work and get all our kids back to the game they love. We understand this is short notice and may not be ideal for everyone participating, but it is what needs to happen to ensure all players in Guelph get the chance to play. (further details on schedule below)
It is imperative that we explain what this season/segment will look like, the new terminology you will be seeing and hearing, as well as which players will be on the ice together this year.
As per OMHA Rules, Regulations, and Guidelines:
• there will be no tryouts
• there will be no “teams”, each group of players will be called a COHORT
• there will be no AAA, AA, A, or AE. Cohorts will be recognized by colours in the following manner:
• AAA – BLACK
• AA – BLUE
• A – WHITE
• AE – RED
With the first segment of our program is set to begin this weekend, our ice scheduler is working non-stop to get the schedule finalized and posted. The players will be divided into Cohorts of kids from last year’s roster, with a few minor adjustments being made and some players moving up a Cohort. We do not have those details as of this moment, but they are being worked on and finalized ASAP. If your player is moving cohorts, you will be contacted personally.
For this coming weekend please follow the schedule for the team you were on last season (ex. Atom A last year is U12 White this year). If you are unfamiliar with the new Hockey Canada age groups, here is a link for your reference. (https://www.ohf.on.ca/news/2019/hockey-canada-announces-change-to-age-division-names) For the players that will potentially be moving cohorts you will be contacted directly by a GMHA representative.
The Health and Safety protocols are also being finalized and will be provided separately as it is imperative everyone sees, reads, and fully understands them. GMHA wants to ensure we get this right for the safety of everyone involved as well as our greater community. There will be screenings, social distancing, limited number of people on the ice in the arenas, mandatory masks and so on. Please stay tuned for complete details when they become available.
Again, thank you for your patience. GMHA appreciates that this is a stressful time for families with back to school, COVID-19, and general work/life routines. We are doing our absolute best to get back to Hockey and appreciate your understanding. We are excited to see the players return to the ice, and hopeful for a fun and motivating season.
Any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out.
Thank you,
-GMHA