NYHL News and Events

Keep up to date with news and events. Check back often for updates.

Rule/Policy Clarification

We are about to start the season and many Clubs have already had teams going to tournaments. It is probably a good time to go over the details of applying and what the exemptions from the League schedule actually provide.

First, you are all aware that each team is allowed three tournaments and two exception days. In addition you are permitted to enter tournaments at Christmas and at Easter as they do not have any impact on the League schedule in that there are no League games played either at Christmas or during the Easter weekend.

It is important to remember that a tournament exemption is for three days only  – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Should you need an extra day to travel, sharpen your skates or get your hair done, it has to be requested as an exception day along with your tournament application. If you also need the Monday to travel home or to catch up on your sleep it must also be taken as an exception day and applied for along with your tournament permission request. The foregoing scenario means that you will have used one tournament exemption and both of your exception days for the one tournament. You would now have two tournaments left and no exception days to be used for any other purpose ie, fundraisers, Club or team parties, dances, baptisms, bar mitvahs, or trips to Wonderland. The same would apply if you are entering a four-day tournament eg Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Upon approval of your Tournament permission request you have three days for the tournament and one day (Thursday) must be taken as an exception day. The alternative is for you to get the tournament organizers to agree not to schedule you to play on the Thursday of the tournament.

Teams should be aware that there is a cap on the number of teams that can be given an exemption from the schedule for either a tournament or an exception day. Once that cap has been reached no further exemptions can be granted regardless of whether the request is within the five-week cutoff or not. There are a couple of ways to beat the cap.  1) Get your request in early 2) Wait until the 3-week rolling schedule is published and if your team is not scheduled on the days in question you can apply anytime – even after the 5-week cutoff date.

Exception days are intended to provide teams with a way to be exempted from the League schedule for special occasions, fundraisers, parties, etc. Recently, with teams travelling further for tournaments they have also been used to provide extra travel days when required. The same 5-weeks’ notice is needed for exception days as is required for tournament applications. The cut off dates for applying for either tournaments or exception days are available on the website and from your Club Contact.

Five days of complete availability are required from every team and the Club Contacts have provided the days your team is not available to the League office. House League activities and Select practices are not excluded in the NYHL schedule preparation unless your Club has protected them within the two days per week that your team is not available. Any change to a team’s availability must be requested 5-weeks prior to the date when the change is needed in order to b accommodated in the three-week rolling schedule.

We hope the foregoing clarifies the way tournaments and exception days are handled. Good luck and Best wishes for an enjoyable season!

Rule/Policy Clarification

There are many reasons why the coaching staff can end up short handed on the bench and the question of who can step in and help out might need some clarification. Only people who have attended the Speak Out clinic can be involved on the bench with the teams. If you haven’t attended the clinic you cannot be on the bench.  Another related issue can occur if a person helping out draws a suspendable penalty before, during or after the game.  The liability for the penalty falls on the Head Coach and he must serve any suspension that results.

DOWNSVIEW HOCKEY CLUB

is pleased to announce the Fifth Annual President’s Cup House League Select Hockey Tournament  February 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2009.

The Tournament is open to any sanctioned House League Select Team in the following age divisions:

Novice-2000, Atom-1998, PeeWee-1996, Bantam-1994, Minor Midget-1993, Midget Jr./Sr.-1991/92

Cost is $895.00 per team with no gate fees for participants or spectators

For more information call or write Karen Twiddy, 15 Rambler Place, Toronto, ON, M3L 1N6

Telephone: 416 741-7481 Email ptwiddy@rogers.com

The NYHL Supervisor staff are ready to begin another productive season working with the on-ice officials. The NYHL has a corps of twelve senior referees trained in supervision who go out to the arenas and watch our referees and linesmen work in NYHL League and tournament games. The purpose is to help each official improve performance by providing another set of experienced eyes to spot areas for improvement in positioning, rule interpretation and enforcement standards. Each supervisor will complete 30 or more individual evaluations between October and April for a staff total of more than 400. On average each official will receive four supervisions over the season, getting feedback from a variety of senior colleagues. The overall aim of the input is to improve consistency and support the high standard that the NYHL has enjoyed for many years.  The ongoing supervisory program provides follow-up to the annual re-certification clinic and mandatory examination that each official must take in order to renew his card. 

The NYHL is fortunate to have former National Hockey League referee Dean Warren and former OHA referee Murray Evans among its supervisors. These gentlemen volunteer their time and expertise to give something back to the sport and to help young officials develop the skills needed to move up through the ranks of officiating. Proof of the program’s success can be found in the number of young officials who have received their grounding in the NYHL and moved on to establish themselves in the OHA and the OHL. Having mentors like Dean and Murray encouraging them makes every official want to be the best he or she can be and the immediate benefactors are the teams and players who get officials who really want to do the best job they can possibly do. 

Along with Dean and Murray, the Supervisory Staff for on-ice officials is proud to have Darren Armstrong,  Norm Belyea, Ken Van Dyk, Peter Kourtis, Ken Luk, Steven Picco, Greg Stephany, Sean Squires, Chris Whelan, and Chris Whiting, under the capable guidance of Referee-in-Chief Neil Mctaggart and Assistant Referee-in-Chief Jason Hann.

Two long-established Toronto hockey Clubs have decided to blend their efforts, each bringing to the table a rich heritage of service to the community for a combined total of nearly eleven decades. Amesbury Club President Frank Varacalli and Bert Robinson President Joe Gouveia
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It is a common misconception that an athlete must have a loss of consciousness in order to be diagnosed with a concussion. In reality, loss of consciousness is seen in less than 10% of concussions. Important to note is the fact that concussion signs and symptoms are typically transient, and resolve in a sequential manner. It is also important to be aware that symptoms
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NYHL Referee Elmer Rosenberg was a first-year official at 51 years of age when he wrote an excellent article that appeared in Maclean’s magazine. It’s a great read with an NYHL connection and worth taking the time to enjoy.  You can get straight to it by clicking on the site linked below.
Two Minutes for Flailing!!