RETURN TO HOCKEY

This document is subject to change at anytime with new direction provided byAlberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta.COMMUNITY,HOUSE, &REC HOCKEYSTREAMSUPDATEDAugust27,2020RETURN TOHOCKEYAUGUST 27 UPDATE

WHAT HAS BEEN UPDATED?Based on feedback from our Member associations and updated information from HockeyAlberta and the Government of Alberta, the following updates are included in the AUGUST 27VERSION of the Return to Hockey Plan:1. Clarification on the ‘1 Sport Cohort’ and updated Government Cohort Guidelinesa. The Government of Alberta cohorting guidelines state “Individuals should limitthe number of cohorts/mini-leagues they belong to.”Within the Hockey Calgary program, we will follow these guidelines. Players,coaches, and referees will only be assigned to 1 cohort at a time.Families have choices. When making decisions, we ask families consider thehealth of all participants as it relates to their cohort involvement outside theHockey Calgary program.2. Updated information on Contact Tracing and Symptom Screeninga. Hockey Calgary will be using TeamSnap’s new ‘Health Check’ feature to fulfill itsmandatory daily symptom screen and contact tracing requirements.b. Detailed instructions will be distributed to all members3. Inclusion of dressing rooms and players’ benches as part of the ‘field of play’a. Physical distanced programs and individuals must always maintain distance4. Updated Community Hockey sectionsa. Sorting/Evaluations – Maximum 30 individuals on the iceb. U7i. No scheduled games during the ‘Development Season’ii. Updated cohort structure optionsc. U9-U18i. Inclusion of permittance for associations to further evaluate with acohort after its creation (referees are not permitted)d. Competition Seasoni. Note that mini-teams may change to align with tiering grid (ex. number ofTier 1 mini-teams may differ from the amount of evenly balanced miniteams in an association’s Cohort 1)5. Addition of a House League section6. Addition of an RHC (Recreational Hockey Calgary) section7. Updated Mask/PPE requirements8. Updated information on Referees/On-Ice Officialsa. Referees must be part of the cohort if they are usedHOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20202

b. For safety concerns, Hockey Calgary is working with Central Region to placepermanent officials in certain cohorts9. Updated information on Coachesa. Clarification on ‘Cohort’ vs. ‘Physical Distanced’ coachesi. U11 and older age categories are permitted to have ‘Cohort’ coachesprovided there is room in the cohort (determined by the association)ii. U7 and U9 coaches can be either ‘Cohort’ or ‘Physical Distanced’ coachesb. Certifications/Training updates10. Updated FAQ sectionPlease click on the various links for further detail related to each update/addition.HOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20203

Contents1I N T R O D U C T I O N . 52P R O G R A M O B J E C T I V E S . 63R E Q U I R E M E N T S ( A l b e r t a G o v ’ t , H A , H o c k e y C a n a d a ) . 74P R O T O C O L S A N D S A F E T Y . 95F A C I L I T I E S . 36R E F U N D S . 47R E T U R N T O H O C K E Y . 5C O M M U N I T Y H O C K E Y . 6H O C K E Y C A L G A R Y P H A S E S . 6IS O R T I N G / E V A L U A T I O N S . 7I I D E V E L O P M E N T S E A S O N . 9U 7 T I M B I T S . 11U 9 ( f o r m e r l y N o v i c e ) . 12U 1 1 / U 1 3 ( f o r m e r l y A t o m a n d P e e w e e ) . 13U 1 5 / U 1 8 / U 2 1 ( f o r m e r l y B a n t a m , M i d g e t , a n d J u n i o r ) . 14I I I R E G U L A R S E A S O N . 15I V C O M P E T I T I O N S E A S O N ( i f n e c e s s a r y ) . 16H O U S E L E A G U E H O C K E Y . 18R E C R E A T I O N A L H O C K E Y L E A G U E ( R H C ) . 198R E F E R E E S . 209C O A C H E S , T E A M O F F I C I A L S A N D O F F - I C E O F F I C I A L S . 221 0 F A Q s . 241 1 A P P E N D I C I E S . 27A P P E N D I X I . 27A P P E N D I X I I . 28A P P E N D I X I I I . 29A P P E N D I X I V . 30A P P E N D I X V . 31A P P E N D I X V I . 32HOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20204

1INTRODUCTIONHockey Calgary has actively engaged with Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta and our MemberAssociations in developing a ‘Return to Hockey’ plan that allows our young athletes to get backon the ice and enjoy the benefits of the great game of hockey. This plan will provide answers tomany of the numerous questions that are being asked regarding how Hockey Calgary will operateunder the current Alberta Health guidelines and restrictions. Unfortunately, each answer willlikely elicit another 10 questions on how the program will run. In the current everchangingenvironment we are doing our best to keep up to date with government guidelines and keep ourmembership informed.The Hockey Calgary - Return to Hockey Plan is current as of August 26, 2020 and is based on therequirements of the Government of Alberta as of this date. As the situation evolves HockeyCalgary will update accordingly to remain in compliance with requirements.As you read this document please note ‘this is the new normal’ in our current environment, thisis not a typical hockey season, and it will look different. The plan has not been developed tostagnate player development, in fact we are hopeful that it will ensure our athletes continue togrow both on and off the ice. There are basically 4 Phases to the Hockey Calgary plan that will beoutlined in this document:1. Prep Phase – focus is on development and conditioning in preparation for the upcomingseason, this phase will take place in August.2. Sorting/Evaluation Phase– This phase will take place in September and will be for the solepurpose of creating like skilled ‘Cohort Groups’ of less than 50 players. This process willbe done through ‘Physically Distanced’ skill-based evaluations.3. Development Season Phase – Once players are sorted into ‘Cohorts’ they will now be ableto practice and compete in ‘Mini Games’ with the other members of this Cohort. Playerswill not be permitted to play against teams or players outside of their cohort untilgovernment restrictions are lifted. This phase will begin when cohorts are formed in lateSeptember/early October.4. Regular Season/Competition Season Phase – This is the final phase of our plan, andbasically has 2 options, if all restrictions are lifted we will return to the ‘traditional’ HockeyCalgary program. If the restrictions are not removed, then following the winter holidaybreak (14-day isolation) Hockey Calgary will look at revising the cohorts and developingsome inter-association play.HOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20205

2PROGRAM OBJECTIVESThe guidelines in place have forced us to think differently on how we operate. While the programmay look different it was developed to meet the needs of the players and focused on achievingthe following key objectives:1. Safety! Create a safe, healthy hockey environment for our players, coaches andvolunteers Safety is paramount, this plan was built in compliance with the AlbertaGovernment Guidelines, and to minimize the risk of all participants2. FUN! Maintain a culture of Fun!! Where participants can enjoy the game they love Hockey Calgary is excited to resume operations that allows kids to be kids3. Development! Create competitive hockey environment that allows players to developand grow Development is essential and can be accomplished in both the practice andgame play environment4. Tiering! Provide an environment where players are grouped in appropriate skill levels Tiering ranges may look slightly different than in the past. However, they will beclose, and we believe they will be within an appropriate range for skilldevelopment.5. Game-Play! Create an environment where some ‘Game Play’ exists Games may operate in a variety of creative formats (5v5, 4v4, 3v3, etc.)6. Flexible Transition! Allow for flexible transition within our program betweengovernment phases/stages as information and protocols changeHOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20206

3REQUIREMENTS (Alberta Gov’t, HA, Hockey Canada)1. Within the current Alberta Government Phase 2, there are 2 formats we can use tooperate our programs. Hockey Calgary and our Member Associations will utilize both ofthese formats in achieving the goals of our program: With Physical Distancing – all participants must remain 2 metres apart at all times,including coacheso Skill based programming, focus on development Using Cohort Groups (Mini-Leagues) – up to 50 participants grouped together toparticipate in a program – no physical distancing required on the ice surface,however, it is required to maintain a 2-metre distance whenever possible.o Cohort Groups must remain together for duration of ‘Stage 2’ unlessparticipants enter into a 2-week (14 day) isolation period, after whichthey can move to a new cohort groupo NOTE: The Government of Alberta cohorting guidelines state“Individuals should limit the number of cohorts/mini-leagues theybelong to.”Within the Hockey Calgary program, we will follow these guidelines.Players, coaches, and referees will only be assigned to 1 cohort at atime.Families have choices. When making decisions, we ask familiesconsider the health of all participants as it relates to their cohortinvolvement outside the Hockey Calgary program. Programs should operate within a specified, community, zone, region, wheretravel is limited2. No competitions or other interactions with other teams/cohorts will be permitted duringAlberta Government Phase 2. Only training camps, skill development and systemimplementations within the team/cohort will be permitted at Stage 2. Competitions willbe allowed but only within the team/cohort (more details later in document).HOCKEYCALGARY.CARETURN TO HOCKEY – AUGUST 27, 20207

3. Member Associations MUST track all participants & interactions, maintaining records in asecure location for 14 days from completion of activity. This is to be done as part of adaily check-in procedure for participants. (see Protocols section) Hockey Calgary will be utilizing TeamSnap’s new ‘Health Check’ feature to trackinteractions and symptom screen participants Any participant who answers YES to any of the questions must NOT attend orparticipate in the program and may not return until they have completed theIsolation Requirements as defined by the Government of Alberta4. Ensure that Member Associations follow Facility Guidelines Facilities MUST adopt standards as per the Government of Alberta, which maydiffer slightly depending on the facility Associations must understand these standards and follow them, as owners andoperators Facility Management will have the final say Associations will work closely with ‘home’ arenas when developing protocols Facilities not ‘Hockey Associations’ will determine spectator access, dressing roomuse and may have stronger requirements with regards to participation Hockey Calgary does not have the authority to determine spectator permissibilityor capacity at any facility5. Masks/PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) On August 1, 2020 the City of Calgary Face Coverings Bylaw will be in effect. The Bylaw mandates that face coverings (masks) be worn in the following placesthat will impact minor hockey:i. Public indoor spaces (malls, grocery stores, ri

Hockey Calgary has actively engaged with Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta and our Member Associations in developing a Return to Hockey plan that allows our young athletes to get back on the ice and enjoy the benefits of the great game of hockey.