Select

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THE SELECT PROGRAM: U10-U18

for players born 2012-2004

Note: For information on the LHA's competitive program for children 6-8 years old (2015-2013), please see Competitive Development Stream.

The Select Division of the LHA provides an opportunity for House League players to participate in competitive hockey. All players registered in House League from ages 9-17 may try out for a Select team.

Tryouts for our Select teams for the 2021/22 season have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not occur any earlier than September 2021. As greater clarity on timing becomes available, this information will be shared via the website and communicated directly to current association members.

Our goal is to provide a safe, fun, fair and inclusive team experience in a community environment. Our programs are delivered exclusively by our committed volunteers who put in many hours to coach and manage our teams.

Players who make a Select team must also play in our House League at the same time. As a Select team member, players have the benefit of additional practice time and participation in games within the North York Hockey League (NYHL). Additionally, teams may enter extra tournaments each season, including our own Leaside Select Invitational Tournament.

Operation of our Select Division is overseen by the VP and GM of Select Hockey. For more information on our Select program, please see the Select FAQs or contact our Select Coordinator, Catherine: coordinator@leasidehockey.com.

VP of Select Hockey:
Jan Sorhaug vpselect@leasidehockey.com

GM of Select Hockey:
Andrew Kennedy gmselect@leasidehockey.com

Schedules

FAQs

What is the NYHL?
Leaside Select teams compete in the North York Hockey League (NYHL) which is part of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. The NYHL runs the Select League for approximately 32 GTA hockey clubs.

When does the NYHL season start and end?
It is not known when the NYHL season will begin this coming season. Traditionally, the NYHL season starts by the 2nd week in October and ends at the end of February. Playoffs run in March and April. Team practices start in September. However, since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Select programming has not yet been determined, all these dates are subject to change.

Will there be games on holidays?
The NYHL does not schedule games over the following holidays: Thanksgiving Weekend, Christmas Break or Easter Weekend. Games are scheduled over Family Day weekend and March Break (playoffs) and players are expected to be available for these games.

How much does Select cost?
The cost of the Select program is typically $1500–$2000 per season. The bulk of this expense goes towards ice costs and NYHL registration. Select fees are in addition to the House League costs and do not include extra costs for team events or tournaments. The overall costs of teams are managed by the parent group and are influenced by the amount of fundraising and sponsorship each team secures. The LHA is a not-for-profit organization and any remaining team funds at the end of a season are returned to the families of each team.

What is the time commitment?
In addition to the House League time commitment, our Select teams hold 1-2 practices per week plus participate in NYHL Select games (approximately 18-20 games per season excluding playoffs). Additionally, most teams participate in 2-3 tournaments per season, including our own Leaside Select Invitational Tournament in February.

How many Select Teams does Leaside have?
Leaside typically has 18 competing teams: 2 teams each from U10 (Minor Atom) to U18 (Midget Senior).

Is there body checking?
Select is non-contact at all levels.

At what age can you start playing select?
For the 2021/22 Season, our Select program will begin with U10 (Minor Atom), children born in 2012.

Do I need to be registered in House League to play Select?
Yes. Participation in House League is a mandatory requirement to play Select. For all NYHL organizations, Select is an extension of House League. Players are only allowed to miss 3 HL games for tournaments and a max of 6 total, including tournaments, for illness. House League is monitored, and if you miss you will be removed from your Select Team. This is a NYHL rule.

What if I register for House League and then don’t make a Select team – can I withdraw from House League and get a refund?
Select Players that have accepted an offer with an LHA Select team and subsequently request a release from the LHA at any time thereafter will not receive any refund on their HL registration fees. Exceptions will only be made for players requesting a withdrawal due to medical reasons/injury (upon provision of a note from the player’s doctor) or for players requesting a withdrawal due to family relocation outside the region governed by the North York Hockey League (upon provision of reasonable documentation to that effect).

Players who withdraw from LHA and have attended at least one tryout for Select but have not been offered or have not accepted a spot may receive a full refund on HL fees, provided a request for withdrawal is made within one week of the invitational tryout. If the request for withdrawal comes later than one week after the Select invitational tryout, players will receive a refund equal to their full HL fee less a $100.00 administration charge.

Are teams selected or spots offered prior to tryouts?
No teams are selected or spots offered prior to tryouts, with the exception of: (1) the player of the Head Coach, and (2) the player of one other team staff member as designated by the Head Coach. For further clarity, Head Coaches are prohibited from recruiting or offering spots to players prior to the tryout evaluation.

How does the LHA select and evaluate coaches?
All LHA Select teams are staffed with dedicated volunteers from the LHA community. Each year the LHA completes an anonymous survey to assess the staff of each team. This survey is used to evaluate our coaches and programs to determine coaching appointments for the following season.