Manager Expectations and Information

1. Familiarize Yourself with Regulations

Ensure you and your bench staff thoroughly read the most recent AB1 Regulations and Operating Directives.

2. Roster and Affiliation

Roster Size: Teams can have 18 skaters and 2 goalies. A second goalie may be a skater if they start the game as a skater, provided the total number of skaters is under 18.
Oversize Teams: Teams can have up to 23 players on their roster, but no more than 18 skaters and 2 goalies on the bench for a game.
Affiliation: You can affiliate up to a full roster, but only use it as necessary. Treat your team and association fairly. Affiliation rules have changed; refer to the Affiliation Identification Tool on the Hockey Alberta website for specifics.
Approval Process: Affiliation must be approved by Hockey Alberta through your MHA registrar. Managers must declare affiliate players to their governor prior to any games. The league can revoke player eligibility if necessary.
Complaints: Any complaints about affiliation or overage (OA) players must be filed by the MHA President to the League President, who will confer with Hockey Alberta. There will be no direct communication from parents, coaches, or managers. All communication will come from the MHA President.

3. Game Changes

Limited game changes will be allowed this year, at the discretion of the governors. Plan tournaments carefully, as league games take priority.
Exceptions for game changes include facility malfunctions and adverse weather.
Avoid abusing game change requests, as the league provides flexibility in scheduling compared to other leagues.

4. Officials

Three Officials Preferred: Aim to have three officials for all age groups. It’s encouraged to have an experienced adult or senior official present to support younger referees.
Two Officials: If only two officials are available, approval must be obtained from the governor.
Officials with Relatives: Referees may not officiate games with a relative on the team or bench staff, except when approved by the visiting team and the league. In such cases, relatives should serve as linesmen.
No-show Officials: If no officials appear at a game, Hockey Canada guidelines state that team officials from both teams must agree on replacements. If they cannot agree, the team captains will officiate the game. Please remember that any person entering the playing area as a coach or official must be listed on a Hockey Alberta roster to meet insurance requirements.

5. Discipline

It is recommended that visiting teams use their own personnel for the penalty box. The home team will handle the clock, penalty box, and scoresheet.
The home team is responsible for providing the game sheets and incident reports.

6. Scoresheets

The home team manager must immediately report any write-ups to the governor via email or text and submit the scoresheets for forwarding to the Hockey Alberta Discipline Chair.
Scoresheets must be submitted within 24 hours of the game, or a $200 fine will be imposed after the first warning.
Ensure suspended players, overage (OA) players, and affiliated players (AP) are properly noted on the scoresheet.
Shots on goal must be recorded for all games. Failure to do so will result in follow-up.

7. Game Time Responsibilities

8. Conduct Unbecoming

MHA Presidents can submit complaints regarding conduct unbecoming, which will be handled by the MHA Executive and the ECAFHL Executive.

9. Scheduling Meeting

During scheduling, plan for 16-24 games. You must have ice time available for at least 10 home games. However, to accommodate scheduling conflicts with other teams, please bring at least 20 ice time options. Ensure the available ice times fit within the following scheduling dates:
- U13 to U18: October 18, 2024 - February 9, 2025
- U15: October 18, 2024 - February 16, 2025
- U11: October 18, 2024 - March 2, 2025
Having extra ice time options will help ensure flexibility in scheduling.

10. Playoff and Overtime Guidelines

Managers should review the playoff format with referees and the RIC to ensure understanding of overtime rules.
AB1 guidelines classify us as a rural league, so there will be no overtime during the regular season.