Midget AAA Bulletin

Hockey Edmonton Information Bulletin

BACKGROUND

Since the 2016-17 season Hockey Alberta Male Alberta Development Model (ADM) Committee has been reviewing player registration statistics and team playing records in order to identify any potential changes that would be needed in order to maintain a competitive balance within each of the three categories of elite hockey under the Male Alberta Development Model. Initially, the focus was on Southern Alberta the committee identified that some draw zones had access to significantly smaller numbers of registered players than others. As a way of improving the possibility of competitive balance within this model, the Male ADM Committee felt there had to be changes made. Those changes were made effective for the 2017-18 hockey season.

Through the 2017-18, the Male ADM Committee directed its attention to the draw zones located in Central and Northern Alberta and committed to continue to review the entire model across the Province believing that completing regular evaluations are a necessary feature.

During 2017-18 when the Committee analyzed the registration statistics of each Elite Draw Zone area by the number of eligible players per team. In order for the Male ADM Committee to deliver on its mandate of providing opportunities for competitive balance within this model, the Committee determined that there had to be changes made to the Edmonton Draw Zone.

As a result of all their findings, considering the facts and statistics, the Male ADM Committee determined that the following changes will be made and implemented in the 2019-2020 season:

• The Edmonton Draw Zone will be reduced from four (4) Midget AAA teams to three (3).

• Hockey Edmonton must develop appropriate feeder systems to support the Midget AAA program in line with the other Elite Draw Zones across Alberta. This may require adjustments to numbers of teams at other levels to fit the feeder system

• Hockey Edmonton develop an improved internal boundary system such that the registered number of players are relatively balanced to help ensure that the organizations in Hockey Edmonton are created in a way to achieve competitive balance

The ADM Committee believed that this change will align the Edmonton Draw Zone with the rest of the Province and provide an opportunity for Hockey Edmonton to improve upon their AAA hockey program, developing players within the Edmonton draw zone. Implementation of the changes noted above is slated for the 2019-20 hockey season.

IMPLEMENTATION

The direction set forth in a board agenda report enables Hockey Edmonton to address in a timely, transitional nature the path to compliance with respect to the three (3) requirements outlined in the Hockey Alberta Male ADM Decision of February 9, 2018. 

Work on implementation continues and information bulletins will be released as appropriate. Decisions to date include:

• That moving forward that the Male ADM programs of play will operate under the direction of an Elite Hockey Management Committee (EHMC) whose membership will be composed of club representatives, Hockey Edmonton representatives and at-large members.

• That Hockey Edmonton will field three (3) Midget Major AAA teams for the 2019-20 AMHL season.

• Team formation for Midget Major AAA will be done from open tryouts, with a three (3) team draft

• The EHMC and Hockey Edmonton have agreed that much like athletic clubs currently assign directors to oversee operations of each of their teams, that annually three (3) of the athletic clubs will assume a team host/director responsibility for a team. For 2019-20 the hosts are: CAC, KC, and SSAC.

• That Hockey Edmonton and our four Athletic Club representatives have agreed that for 2019-20 Hockey Edmonton will continue to field four (4) Minor Midget AAA and Bantam AAA teams.

• That a review of the Minor Midget AAA and Bantam AAA programs will continue.

• The Hockey Edmonton President has appointed a transitional committee to deal with EHMC and Midget Major AAA transitional matters.

• Coach recruitment and selection for all Male ADM programs of play will be overseen by the EHMC. Information on coaching application deadlines and processes will be announced shortly.

• In the fall of 2018, the Athletic Club Presidents reached agreement in principle: o That all four athletic clubs should have defined territory for programs of play where open tryouts and player drafts are not conducted

o That given Edmonton population dynamics that any new elite boundary system would be specific to Elite Hockey in Edmonton.

o On a rudimentary mapping of the city that would be subjected to a rigorous review of registration data to ensure that each boundary would reflect a reasonably similar number of total registrants and of similar caliber of play. Analysis of options continues and will be presented to the Hockey Edmonton Board of Directors in the spring of 2019 for implementation in the 2020-21 season.

• Information Sessions are being coordinated with each of the athletic clubs.

• That a Midget AAA Showcase / ID Camp will be held May 3-5, 2019. Specific details will be made available shortly.

ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES

• The mandate of the Hockey Alberta Male ADM committee will be met and a unique hockey delivery model, made in Edmonton for Edmonton athletes and coaches will evolve.

• An Edmonton Elite Hockey Program model will be developed that all Athletic Clubs will implement, ensuring that Elite Edmonton athletes regardless of residential address or hockey club will have access to the same basic program.

• Operational and cost efficiencies are expected in many areas.

• Competitive Parity within Edmonton will increase as will our overall measure of competitiveness, measured over time, within the respective ADM and AA Model leagues.

Additional updates will be provided via future information bulletins.