COVID-19 FAQ
A lot has changed in the world during the past few months and hockey is no exception. In accordance with the NOHA, the OHF, and Hockey Canada, the NCMHA has developed its return-to-play plan.
At the moment, we are still awaiting news and further updates regarding the 2021/2022 season programming. Updates will be posted to the News page as we receive them.
The 2020/2021 season focused on player development for all children in the U7, U9, U11,U13, U15 and U18 age groups.
Please see below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions from the 2020/2021 season.
This page will be updated as more information becomes available to us.
Last updated: June 10, 2021 (Updates are in Bold)
Q: My child played rep hockey with NCHA last year. Can they register with NCHA or do they have to register with the NCMHA?
A: If your child was on an NCHA roster last year, they are allowed to play with the NCHA this year. No new players will be allowed to register with the NCHA at this time and there are no tryouts being held.
Q: What is the refund policy if my child is required to quarantine or self-isolate due to exposure to COVID-19?
A: Refunds due to exposure to COVID-19 will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the NCMHA Board of Directors.
Q: What is the refund policy if Hockey Canada, the OHF, or the NOHA puts a stop to play again this season?
A: By creating 4-week registration blocks, it is the hope that any impact to players and parents will be minimized. Decisions with regards to refunds during the 4-week block will be made based on when the block is cancelled and the Association’s ability to cancel the ice time and receive a refund for that ice time from the City of Greater Sudbury.
Q: How much is the season going to cost?
A: The season will be split into 4-week blocks in order to minimize the financial impact for families. Registration fees will be set to cover the cost of ice time, on- and off-ice officials, Hockey Canada registration fees, and NOHA fees only.
Q: When will payment be due?
A: Payment will be due prior to each four-week session.
Q: Do you still offer a payment plan?
A: Yes. Please speak to the Treasurer in order to establish your payment plan.
Q: How do you accept payments?
A: Payments can be made via email money transfer at ncmha.treasurer1@gmail.com, or by cheque through the mail PO Box 539, Garson, ON, P3L 1S6.
Q: What happens if I register my child and then decide that I do not want them to play?
A: You are free to remove your child from programing before the start of each 4-week session.
Q: Will I have to register my child for every 4-week block or will they continue to be registered until I remove them from play?
A: Yes, your child will need to be registered for each 4-week block as payment is required for each block.
Q: Can I be released from the NCMHA to play with another association in Sudbury?
A: Currently, the NOHA is not entertaining any player releases unless the player was part of that organization in the previous season.
Q: Can my child play in a league not sanctioned by Hockey Canada and play with the NCMHA at the same time?
A: No. A Player cannot play in both sanctioned and non-sanctioned Leagues at the same time. A Player who participates in a non-sanctioned League after September 30 will be ineligible to participate in any sanctioned League for the remainder of the season.
https://www.ohf.on.ca/media/o2zj5kjr/ohf-unsanctioned-league-policy.pdf
Q: Will my child be placed on a team with players from Coniston?
A: Players from Garson and Coniston will be combined to create the 50-player bubble. You child may end up on a team with players from Coniston based on registration numbers.
Q: Will age groups be combined if there are not enough players to fill 50 slots in the age group?
A: This will be decided upon based on pre-registration numbers.
Q: My child was affiliated last year. Are affiliations allowed this year? If not, can I choose to register my child in a higher age group?
A: Affiliations are not allowed at this time. Players are to remain within their 50-player bubble. A player could potentially play on multiple teams within their designated 50-player bubble. Unfortunately, at this time, players must be registered in their own age groups. Should we not have enough players for certain age groups, we will consider moving players to accommodate.
Q: What if there are not enough goalies for all of the teams?
A: Goalies are allowed to play with any team within their 50-player bubble.
Q: Will the arena in Garson be open or will I have to drive to Coniston to play?
A: At this time, facility availability is unknown. The NCMHA and CMHA will be required to report our numbers to the city in order for the city to determine which facilities to open.
Q: Will all ice times be in Garson?
A: This will depend on the number of players registered, the division in which your child is registered, and the City of Greater Sudbury.
Q: When will the season start?
A: Providing all goes well and restrictions remain the same, the season is scheduled to start at the beginning of October.
Q: How many days per week will the kids be playing hockey?
A: We are aiming for two ice times per week for the players however, until we have gathered registration numbers and we have received our ice allocation, we cannot answer this at this time.
Q: How long will ice times be for games and practices?
A: At this time, ice times are unknown. Once the arena is open and ice allocations are complete, we will update this information. The current proposed ice times will be one-hour in length for all divisions.
Q: What days of the week will my child be playing hockey?
A: At this time, ice times are unknown. Once the area is open and ice allocations are complete, we will update this information
Q: How many games per week will my child play? How many practices will my child have per week?
A: We are aiming for two ice times per week for the players however, until we have gathered registration numbers and we have received our ice allocation, we cannot answer this at this time.
Q: What will the rules be for 3-on-3?
A: Basic Structure
- Game time length will be based on a 50-minute ice rental
- 5-minute warm-up
- 2 x 22-minunte periods run time
- 1 intermission between 1st and 2nd period – teams will switch ends
- No overtime / no shootout for tied games
- No face-offs
- Penalty shots will be awarded for penalties
- Off-sides result in a change in posession
- Icing results in a change in possession
- Physical contact is not permitted, and intentional body contact will result in a penalty
Q: Will there be officials on the ice for the 3-on-3 games or will the coaches act as the officials?
A: Yes, any 3-on-3 games to be played will have on- and off-ice officials. There will be one on-ice official required for half-ice games and two on-ice officials required for full-ice games.
Please see the Hockey Canada Return to Hockey Document on Officiating for more information: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/return-to-hockey/plans/officiating
Q: The regulations say that no contact is allowed. This is hockey! There will be contact! How is no contact possible and how will the rule be enforced during game play?
A:
Physical Contact
Physical contact will not be permitted (players must remain one stick length apart).
A player can lift an opponent’s stick to obtain the puck, however, a penalty will be assessed for any intentional body contact.
Intentional Body Contact - Intentional contact of two opposing players in pursuit of the puck on the ice in the same direction.
Accidental/incidental contact may occur but body checking is not permitted.
Player Scrums
Officials will not separate players, they will communicate with them to disengage their opponent. Play will be stopped for any and all player scrums. When a scrum or gathering of three or more players occurs the puck will be given to the defending team and the attacking team must retreat. A whistle will be blown to separate the players and another whistle to signal the resumption of play once the official is satisfied the attacking team has retreated and the defending team has gained puck possession.
Q: What COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed?
A: Players will be required to follow the City of Greater Sudbury protocols. These are the current protocols being used at Countryside Arena, and should be similar to those used in Garson and Coniston:
- Enhanced cleaning of public washrooms, dressing rooms, lobby area, high touch areas.
• Separate entrances and exits for each pad.
• Dressing rooms will be open. Each team will be allotted two rooms to support physical distancing. Enhanced cleaning will take place following each use of dressing rooms.
• Time allowed in the dressing room will be decreased from 30 minutes to 20 before and after the ice booking to allow for cleaning and disinfecting between bookings. Users are asked to arrive as close to “ready to play” as possible.
• Face coverings or non-medical masks will be required at all times except when on the ice.
• Physical distancing rules and face covering requirements remain in effect for spectators. A maximum of 35 spectators will be allowed for pad 2 due to size of the area and required physical distancing requirements.
• A maximum of 40 skaters will be permitted on the ice surface at a time. (Hockey Canada only permits 25 players on the ice for their insured programs)
• Players must bring their own labelled water bottles, towels, etc. No sharing is permitted. Any personal items left behind will be disposed of.
• While on the ice for practices, figure skaters, hockey schools or individuals working on skill development must adhere to physical distance measures.
Players/team staff and officials are also required to follow the safety protocols in place by Hockey Canada. The full document is found here: https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Exclusive/return-to-hockey/downloads/HC_RTH_Safety-GUIDELINES_EN.pdf
For COVID-19 updates and information related to City services, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/covid
Q: Does my child have to get dressed at home?
A: It is suggested that your child do as much dressing outside of the arena as possible in order to limit the time spent in the dressing rooms.
Q: Will we be required to sign-in for every ice time?
A: Tracking will be required for each ice time. At this time, it is unclear on what this will look like. The Association has the ability to use the attendance and COVID-19 tracking function in TeamSnap which is a potential option.
Q: What happens if a player contracts COVID-19?
A: If a player contracts COVID-19, they are expected to report through the Public Health Sudbury & Districts and follow the established protocols. For the most up-to-date local information on COVID-19, visit the Public Health Sudbury & Districts website at www.phsd.ca/coronavirus.
Q: Will teams be able to register in tournaments?
A: Tournaments are not being sanctioned by the NOHA at this time. This year is structured as a development year.
Q: When will the season return to ‘normal’?
A: A ‘normal’ hockey season is largely dependent on the local public health policy and the number of COVID-19 cases present within the health district.
Q: How will we receive communication about the upcoming season?
A: Communication will be provided through email (add NCMHA.socialmediacoordinator@gmail.com to your safe senders list), website, Facebook, Instagram and TeamSnap.
Q: I would like to coach this year, what do I need to do to get approved?
A: Please complete the Team Staff Application on the website found here and read the information below for the requirements of new and returning team officials.
Number of Team Officials
The NOHA Board of Directors has supported the following requirements for Team Officials being registered to Teams, while we participate in modified Programming:
- One (1) Coach for every nine (9) Players registered within the Age Division;
- Associations can register “On-Ice Volunteers” at all Age Divisions. This was previously only allowed at U9 and below;
- One (1) Trainer for every “Team”;
- Managers are not required, however if you have someone performing this role for any “Teams” or “Leagues”, please ensure that they are registered on the HCR to ensure coverage.
Certification Requirements
Because of the inability for many Hockey Canada Members to provide in-class certification for Coaches, the certification requirements for the season have been revised for the start of the season.
Hockey Canada Safety Guidelines
Hockey Canada has created a FREE online module relating to the COVID-19 Safety Guidelines. The course, which takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, is a requirement for ALL Team Officials.
The program looks at some key information our membership needs to know to help to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in the hockey environment. To register for this free online course, click here.
New Coaches – Coaching Certification
The Hockey University Coach 1 / 2 is a requirement for all NEW Coaches, from U7 to U18. The cost of this Program will be $40.00 + HST.
In addition, for NEW Coaches at U11 to U18, the Hockey University Checking module is required. The cost of this Program will be $23.00 + HST.
Access to the HU courses will be available on the NOHA website on Monday, August 31.
No additional COACHING qualifications will be required while we are in the modified structure of the season. This may be revisited if we get back to traditional programming at some point this season.
Returning Coaches – Coaching Qualification
Returning Coaches who already have one of the recognized Hockey Canada Coaching qualifications – HU Online Coach 1 / 2/, Coach 1-Intro Coach, Coach 2-Coach Level, Development 1, High Performance 1 or High Performance 2 – will not need to complete any additional Coaching qualifications.
Other Qualifications
Respect in Sport Activity Leader remains a required qualification for all Team Officials. Registration is available here at a cost of $30.00 + HST: https://noha.respectgroupinc.com/
The Gender Identity and Expression course, which is offered at no cost to Team Officials, is also required. Visit the NOHA Clinics page for details: https://www.noha-hockey.com/clinics
All Team Officials must have a valid VSS. Because of COVID-19, the process for obtaining a VSS from the OPP or your local Police may have changed. Please contact your local OPP or Police Service for additional information.
Trainers will continue to require at a minimum Level 1 certification. Trainers qualifications expire every three (3) years. The Level 1 Trainers Program can be completed at https://hdcoelearning.com. For further information on upgrading to Level 2, please visit the Trainers page on the NOHA website: https://www.noha-hockey.com/trainers
For a complete list of certification requirements, visit the following link: https://www.noha-hockey.com/clinics-c-19
Have questions related to COVID-19 and hockey?
Please email us using the form below.
