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Our tournaments typically draw teams from many areas of the Midwest and
southern Ontario. In addition, we’ll occasionally host teams from as far
away as northern Ontario, western Canada, Quebec and from all over the
United States. Classification systems (aaa, aa, a, b, house select &
house) may have slightly different meanings from area to area. Expect to
encounter teams that may have different eligibility or classification
rules that may not correspond to what you are accustomed to in your
area. The age groups for USA Hockey and those of the Canadian Hockey
Association are basically the same, however areas that have large
numbers of registered players tend to further delineate within the 2
year window allowed for each age group. In these situations, teams
composed of exclusively or primarily of players in their 1st year of
eligibility of a particular age group, will play in their respective
home areas against like teams. For example, in Michigan they’re referred
to as “A” teams, in Ontario & Western New York they are referred to as
“minor” teams. Many other nuances exist and it is not unusual for areas
to revise or “fine tune” their eligibility rules from year to year as
league administrators try to keep in step with changes within their
respective areas.
When formulating divisions we attempt to provide the best possible
“competitive fit” from a pool of teams that often times has
geographically diverse origins and classification rules indigenous to
their respective home areas. Our insight and experience allows us to
know in
most cases what mix will provide an optimal competitive grouping.
However, the input provided from team administrators by completing our
questionnaire and roster forms and submitting in a timely fashion is
invaluable. In addition, we strongly welcome & encourage discussion on
your team’s competitive level prior to placement.
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