2008-09 Tryout Information

(posted May 5th)

This is the second year of the Bytown District's (District B) three-year pilot competitive hockey program operating under the name of the Ottawa Sting Minor Hockey Association (OSMHA), which was formed primarily from the amalgamation of the Ottawa Sting AA Minor Hockey Association, the Capital Crusaders Minor Hockey Association, and the East Ottawa Vanier Voyageurs, but includes players from Ottawa West for the ‘A' and ‘AA' levels.

For the three-year pilot, the District B's competitive hockey program consists of the following:

• the OSMHA will operate ‘AA' teams at the Major Atom to the Major Midget level (7 ‘AA' teams) and ‘A' teams at the Major Atom, Minor Peewee, and Major Peewee level (3 ‘A' teams) that will be open to all players within the District B boundary. In addition, the OSMHA will operate a minimum of 2 Minor Atom ‘B' teams and a minimum of 1 ‘B' team at the Major Atom to Major Midget level (minimum of 9 ‘B' teams); and
• the Ottawa West Golden Knights are expected to operate a minimum of 1 ‘B' team at the Minor Atom to Major Midget level (minimum of 8 ‘B' teams).

Going beyond the minimum number of teams: To provide an opportunity for all District B players who are qualified to play at the competitive ‘B' level with the chance to do so, should there be a sufficient number of quality competitive ‘B' players who come to the tryouts within the District (Ottawa Sting and Ottawa West combined) to form an additional team at a given level (for example, a 3rd Major Midget ‘B' team), then the additional team will be so formed. A separate decision will be made as to whether the additional team would come under the administration of the Ottawa Sting or Ottawa West organization.

Intention to Tryout. In order to assist the Ottawa Sting in organizing the tryouts, we are requesting prospective players to notify the OSMHA of their intentions ASAP in order to schedule ice, prepare equipment, and organize the tryouts. Please send in your Tryout Registration form even if your ‘home' association registration has not taken place. You MUST attend at least three hours of tryout sessions to be eligible for consideration for an Ottawa Sting team. Players can only miss a maximum of one of the first four (4) tryout hour sessions due to conflicts. As there will be no conditioning camps, please come prepared.

Register with your ‘home' association to avoid paying a penalty fee. In addition to registering for the Ottawa Sting tryouts, all players MUST be registered with their ‘home' association before stepping on the ice for the tryouts as this is an ODMHA requirement. The Ottawa Sting will confirm your registration with your ‘home' association Registrar prior to the tryouts. Any player who makes an Ottawa Sting team at the conclusion of the tryouts and has not registered with his/her ‘home' association prior to the start of the first tryout agrees, as a condition of his/her acceptance on an Ottawa Sting team, to pay a $50.00 penalty fee to the Ottawa Sting MHA with such proceeds going to the Ottawa Sting's Fund for Kids to help those with an identified and confirmed financial need.

Detailed Tryout Fee Structure:

• For those registering with the OSMHA to tryout for a ‘AA', ‘A', or ‘B' team on or before 01 August 2008, there will be a flat rate one-time fee of $100.00 per player which will cover all Ottawa Sting tryout sessions (a minimum of 3 hours) that the player will participate in from ‘AA' through to ‘B', as applicable or necessary, as well as 1 tryout jersey for goalies and 2 tryout jerseys for other players (yours to keep) for those trying out for an Ottawa Sting team for the first time.
• For those sending in their registration form to the OSMHA after 01 August 2008, the one-time fee will rise to $150.00 per player and this higher rate will be strictly enforced. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to register early with the Ottawa Sting. The $50 late fee will be credited to the OSMHA's Fund for Kids to help those with an identified and confirmed financial need.

Cheque or money order for the tryout fees should be made payable to the Ottawa Sting M.H.A.

Withdrawals: Withdrawal from tryouts 7 days prior to the first tryout will be subject to a $25.00 service fee. However, a full refund will be provided to any player who makes a higher level team – that is, a ‘AAA' team or a Junior team. Therefore, if you are trying out for a higher level team, you may want to play it safe and register with the Ottawa Sting on or before 01 August 2008 in the event that you do not make the higher level team and, thereby avoid the higher tryout fee that would apply after 01 August 2008.

For players who fail to register in a timely manner or wish to pay on an incremental basis at the tryout sessions, the fees will be as follows:

• Tryout sessions #1, 2, and 3 - $50.00 each for a total of $150.00.
• After Tryout session #3, an additional $50.00 will covers all remaining tryouts sessions that the player is invited to attend.

Please note that paying on an incremental basis for a minimum of 3 tryout sessions will result in total fees of $150.00; and if the player should be invited to a 4th tryout ($50.00), the total fees will be $200.00.

The Tryout Process for Ottawa Sting: The ice sessions will be divided into Minor/Major at Atom, Peewee, Bantam, and Midget. It is our intention at the time of writing to combine the sessions for the ‘AA' and ‘A' teams – with separate sessions for the ‘B' teams. The coaches for the ‘AA'/‘A' teams will be evaluating and selecting the players for their team and releasing those players who do not make the team to the ‘B' level. The tryouts for the ‘B' teams will not commence until after the 3 hours of tryouts for the ‘AA'/‘A' teams has been completed. Each player is guaranteed at least 3 hours of tryouts.

West End players released from the Ottawa Sting ‘AA'/‘A' teams will be encouraged to attend the “B” tryouts of the Ottawa West Golden Knights as they are not considered eligible to play on an Ottawa Sting ‘B' team (except where an additional team is added beyond the minimum number of teams, as noted above, and the Ottawa Sting is asked to administer this team).

Tryout Jerseys: All tryout participants must wear their approved, numbered Ottawa Sting tryout jerseys to attend the tryouts. For first time Ottawa Sting tryout participants, these jerseys will be distributed to you at an information session about one week before the commencement of the first tryout. Please check out our Web site at www.ottawasting.com for further updates and tryout schedules. Any player who lost or needs a replacement for a previously issued Ottawa Sting tryout jersey MUST pay an additional $30.00 to the tryout fees otherwise payable as indicated on the Tryout Registration form.

Body Contact Clinics. There will be no contact hockey at the Atom level this season. However, attendance at a body contact clinic is mandatory for all Peewee, Bantam, and Midget players who have not previously played contact hockey. There is no charge for attending a body contact clinic.

Register today! Registration forms will be mailed out through the home associations OR you can download the Ottawa Sting Tryout Registration form here. Simply print off the application form, enclose payment, and mail it to the address designated on the form to guarantee a spot for the upcoming season's tryouts.

For each division (Minor Atom to Major Midget), all tryout revenues received, net of any associated costs such as ice and referees for tryout balancing games, will be allocated to the individual teams in that division on an equal basis. That is, the Association will not retain any of the tryout fees to fund its operations.

Looking forward to seeing you on the ice.

Tom Hughson

Ottawa Sting Minor Hockey Association

President

Download Tryout Form

Information Session
For all prospective players and parents, at which time Tryout Jerseys, information and schedules will be distributed. No equipment is required that day.

Meet the Sting Organization and Coaches

Date - to be confirmed (in August prior to tryouts)
Location - Jim Durrell Arena - Ellwood Hall