AAA HOCKEY QUESTION AND ANSWER

The AAA Hockey experience is a great opportunity for players to meet new friends, play competitive AAA hockey tournaments and improve player skills. Listed below are commonly asked questions which will help you better understand the AAA hockey program.

Q: Is there a fee for tryouts?

A: No, however players must be registered. Players will be issued a tryout jersey by staff to wear for evaluations. Any player not selected for a team will be given a full refund of the registration fee.

Q: How does my child prepare for tryouts and who does the evaluating?

A: Players can expect 10 minutes of skating and use of edges, 10 minutes of skills, 10 minutes of one-on-one and 30 minutes of scrimmage. Some drill may be shortened to get goalies more shots if there is a high goalie turnout. Players are selected by the coach of the team and our evaluation committee. Evaluators are given grading sheets with player tryout number but not player names.

Q: Are there any other fees we need to pay outside of the player fee?

A: NO, however some teams opt to buy additional training/practice hours.

Q: Is admission charged to the Festival or other AAA tournaments?

A: The Pepsi Cup tournament in June which some of our teams will attend does charge a gate fee. No other tournament charges admission.

Q: Will my player get equal playing time?

A: Coaches receive a coach handbook developed by the NHG and its mentors which defines playing time in the following manner: Coaches must play players evenly however coaches may shorten shifts during the last five minutes of the third period only to give the team the best opportunity to win the game.

Q: Who coaches the AAA teams?

A: The NHG actively recruits coaches who coach during the winter season. Coaches receive a handbook with clear, defined roles to improve player development.

Q: Are there two goalies on every team and do they play evenly?

A: Yes, there are two goalies on each team and goalies are played as evenly as possible.

Q: What if my player misses a practice or tournament?

A: AAA Hockey requires a commitment from each player to attend all practices and tournaments so it does not disrupt practices and team chemistry. However, we do understand that conflicts arise and players will not be penalized for missing a practices and/or tournaments.

Q: Do we get to keep our jersey?

A: Yes! Each player will keep their sublimation game jersey, practice jersey and socks.

Q: For out of town tournaments, does the team stay in the same hotel?

A: NHG does block rooms and will provide a list of hotels that teams will stay at. Host hotels are also listed on the website at www.aaatournaments.com.