The following are answers
to some of the more common questions we receive on a regular
basis ......
(Click on Question to view
answer)
Does the Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association have a summer
hockey program ?
Meadowvale Minor Hockey
Association does not run a summer program, but registration
forms for MOHA Summer Hockey can be picked up in just about
any arena in Mississauga.
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When can I register my child to play hockey in the upcoming
season ?
Registration for returning
players usually takes place sometime in June of each year,
ending by July 1. After this process is complete we have
"Open registration" for any new players wanting to play with
the Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association. This part of the
registration remains open until all available positions are
filled. Registration is done online,
click here for details
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This fee is levied by the
MHL, not Meadowvale, and is MHL's primary source of
revenue. This gate fee is charged by the MHL to cover the
costs directly related to your games. These monies are
used mainly to pay the City for game ice, and for
referees, timekeepers, ticket takers, insurance and
administration. (Your practice ice is paid for by your
registration fees.) This admission fee is charged to all
parents AND players, though children under 12 (excluding
the players) and Seniors are free.
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Each year we submit
approximately 100 team entries to the MHL, 12 of which are
Ice Puppys. (Pre-Novice.) Of the other 88, 8 or 9 are
Mohawk (ie: "A") teams and the rest are "House League".
Our annual total team entry is limited by our annual
allotment of practice ice, which comes from the City of
Mississauga.
Team
entries are sent into the MHL based upon where our teams
finished the year before and how we anticipate they’ll do
the next year, taking into account player movement into
and out of Meadowvale. We generally submit one Red team at
each age level, one White team, and then we set-up Blue
and Green teams accordingly. During the team submission
and convening process we’ll talk to last year’s Coaches,
this year’s Coaches, and the other members of the MHL
Convening Committee (made up of reps from each Area
Association) and move teams as applicable. Our ultimate
objective is to ensure that your son or daughter is
playing at a skill level best suited to his or her level
of development.
Convening: Contrary to popular
belief, the skill levels are not determined by the coaches
or parents or players. This is determined by the Hockey
Operations group at Meadowvale. The methodology is based
on last year’s regular season results, potential player
movement and the competition level of the division. Our
goal to have each team be competitive when they hit the
ice. A 50/50 shot at winning is ideal. A team that wins
with ease is no longer developing and a team losing every
game loses confidence. We look at the division as a whole.
Is every team at the top of the standings, are there teams
in the middle, etc. As an Association we will not field a
team just to lose every game for future development. Other
associations have, and continue to, field teams at a
higher than appropriate skill level. We feel that playing
at a higher level does not accelerate the learning curve
but can do the opposite and discourage the players from
continuing to enjoy the game. Instead we would rather see
a player have a competitive season, be challenged, have
fun and will be ready to make the next step to the higher
level when the opportunity arises.
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How do I become involved (as a Coach, Assistant Coach,
Director, etc.) ?
Send us
an email at
president@meadowvalehockey.com,
or speak to someone in the arena (ie: a Coach, one of the
ticket sellers, the Rink Duty volunteer, etc.) We'll put
you in touch with the appropriate Board Member and get you
signed up. We're ALWAYS looking for dedicated volunteers
and are prepared to help train you as applicable.
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How does Meadowvale Minor Hockey relate to the MHL?
The
Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association (MMHA) is one of eight
separate Associations operating within the Mississauga
Hockey League (MHL). The others are Applewood, Clarkson,
Cooksville, Erindale, Lorne Park, Credit Valley & Port
Credit. The MHL is our "governing" body, looking after
referees, game ice, game scheduling, insurance, etc. The
MHL, in turn, report to the Greater Toronto Hockey League
(GTHL). MMHA works with the other Associations and the
MHL to try to provide a safe and fun hockey program for
your young athlete.
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How does Meadowvale spend my registration money?
Download Graphic Chart
of Meadowvale Costs
If you do not have the
Adobe Reader
you may download it for Free
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Games scheduling, other
than in our Ice Puppy program, is handled by the MHL,
not Meadowvale. At the beginning of the season the
schedule is posted only one week at a time in order to
accommodate the convening process. (See "What is
convening?" elsewhere in this section.) The various
Level Convening Committees meet each week and establish
what teams they need to watch the following week. Once
convening is finished (the first Sunday of November) the
MHL's goal is to post a 6-week schedule.
Why only 6 weeks? This
is to allow House League teams, particularly the younger
teams that normally only play on Saturday, the
opportunity to enter out-of-town tournaments. The MHL
requires 6-week's advance notification to allow them to
schedule a team "out" per that teams' tournament
request.
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As with other
scheduling questions, please be advised that
Meadowvale doesn't handle the game schedule... the MHL
does. This question has been raised to the MHL (by
ourselves and the other Area Associations) many times
and the answer is always the same... "availability of
ice". The ice contracts which MHL (& Meadowvale) have
with the City of Mississauga run October through
March. Thus, there is considerable emphasis placed
upon getting playoffs wrapped-up prior to the end of
March. Given the growth of the MHL over the years,
this has become increasingly difficult. If MHL were
to not schedule games during March break, they would
have to either extend the season into April (which
they don't want to do) or shorten the season by a
week's worth of games, which I don't think most people
would want. This is an issue that has been brought
to MHL's (& the City's) attention many, many times.
Until the City builds some more arenas, we're faced
with the existing situation.
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If I try-out for "A", and make one of your Mohawk teams,
do I still have to register through the computer? If I
don't make the Mohawks, can I still register for House
League?
The "A" tryouts for
Meadowvale (and all the other MHL associations) will take
place from Apr 29 through May 6. Any players making the
various teams will be registered immediately thereafter.
Any players NOT successful during "A" tryouts will be
eligible for registration (or pre-registration, if
returnees to Meadowvale) as of July 1.
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I’ve heard that another skill level has been added at the
Minor Novice & Novice levels. What is this level?
A
“Gold” level has been added, which will be above Red. This
level is not “A”, but will have tryouts, to take
place at the same time as the regular (ie: Minor Atom and
up) tryouts. Gold teams will play once per week and
practice once per week but will be exempt from the convening
process.
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I believe my child was evaluated and
placed at the wrong skill level. What can I do?
If you feel that you were evaluated at
the wrong skill level then you MUST continue to play with
the team assigned. A player that does not play can not be
reevaluated. Get out on the ice and play at the top level
you are capable of playing so the conveners can see you.
Evaluation mistakes are possible. It is virtually impossible
to get 100 % of all House Players placed at the proper level
right away. Each game during the first six weeks of
convening is monitored by the MHL, Area Reps and conveners
representing all 8 Associations. The eight Area
Associations, and Meadowvale in particular, do not want to
see any player(s) lighting up the score board, stopping
every shot on net, or not allowing any goals against.
To high-light any error that you feel has
occurred; please complete a “Competition Investigation”
on-line form available on the web site
(Contact
Us).
We can not guarantee that the end results will meet your
expectation but we will ensure that the concern is
addressed.
The main purpose of convening is to have
another set of eyes look at the competition levels of the
games in each level, to help eliminate unintentional bias
and oversights. Parents focus on their player(s), coaches
see their team, and Association’s concentrate on their
teams. That is why there are other Area Convening Reps and
MHL Division Reps present during this time period out
monitoring the games. Like a third party insurance verifying
that the majority of the associations are in favour of the
teams/players are entered at the correct skill level.
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When are
the games scheduled to be played?
The
games are scheduled by the MHL. They can not schedule games
Sunday afternoon one week and then Saturday the next. The
ice times they receive are in blocks using the same ice
sheets in the contract each week. If they do not have a
block of ice Sunday afternoon in their contract then they
can not schedule games. Nor do the ice times change each
week. The ice time blocks are static time and place
throughout the season. Games are scheduled for House League
starting the week on Saturday mornings usually with the
younger age groups. As the players get older then the games
move later in the day. Then in the senior divisions games
are Sunday nights and throughout the week to allow players
to work. At the younger age groups you will be scheduled
games during these times if it is an odd number team loop or
to make up missed games. The ice times for the MHL are
separate contracts than the practice ice times for each
association and are not interchangeable. At no time does the
MHL consider our practice schedule in conjunction with game
schedules, they are entirely separate.
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How
is practice ice divvied up?
Every house league
team receives the same amount of practice ice time from
Meadowvale. The Red team(s) gets the same amount of ice time
as Green team(s). In other leagues you will notice that the
Select (Red in Mississauga) will have separate practices and
then the remaining of the House League teams will have a
group practice together. Each player/parent pays the same
and therefore receives the same quantity of ice time.
Therefore the other House League teams do not support the
upper tiers. Practice time lost to game conflicts is
compensated by the Ice Allocation director. Any team that
has a conflict is then given the first available time in
which another team has a conflict or is not able to use.
During a game each
player is to receive “Equitable Ice Time”. This is not equal
ice time since we do not run the house league program on a
buzzer system. Players learn to change on the fly to
allowing the flow of the game to continue. The actual amount
of ice time will vary game to game depending on the amount
of players on the bench, number of penalties during the game
and when whistles occur. Some times a player may miss a
shift due to the timing of penalties in order to get the
line rotations back in order. No player should ever play a
complete period or sit on the bench for a complete period.
This is a Meadowvale policy and all coaches agree to this
policy before they can be a Head Coach at Meadowvale.
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