Can my team wear their practice jerseys for a tournament?
No for any league, tournament, or exhibition games, team functions, teams must wear their BMHA Jerseys. If your team purchases practice jerseys, no matter how nice, practice jerseys can only be worn for practice.
What does “bench staff” mean?
Bench staff are the team's head coach, assistant coaches, goalie coaches, trainers. All bench staff must be registered to your team Hockey Canada Roster (HCR) and all have to have Respect in Sport Activity Leader Course. Respect In Sport Activity Leader must be completed before bench staff step on the ice for practices and games. The Respect in Sport for Parents does not replace nor can it be used in place of the Respect in Sport Activity Leader. The head coach for each team must have the required coach courses for their level. You can find out which courses are required on the Hockey Alberta website https://www.hockeyalberta.ca/coaches/clinic-information/. Head Coach required Courses need to be completed by November 15th. Each team must also have a second member of their bench staff that has all of the required Head Coach courses completed. Also, each team must have one member of their bench staff that has a current Hockey Canada Safety Course. It is up to the head coach to ensure that one of their bench staff has the course or take the course themselves. All bench staff need to provide BMHA with a current Vulnerable Sector Police Check. We have a letter under the Coaches tab for you to take to the RCMP to get your police check for free.
I have just showed up for my teams practice and only two coaches will be available today, can one of our parents who have their skates help on the ice, as an on-ice helper?
No. Only registered BMHA coaches can help at practice. If a parent has their skates and they are registered to another BMHA hockey team then they can assist on your practice.
I have just showed up for my team's game and we only have 2 coaches available today, can one of our parents come on the bench to help?
No. Only bench staff registered to your team's Hockey Canada Roster (HCR) can be on your bench for games. Both you and your team manager should have a copy of your HCR.
I have two children in BMHA, and I am part of the bench staff for one of my children's teams, can my other son come on the ice for my teams practice?
No. Only players listed on your team roster can go to your practice. We do have a Junior Coach program and siblings or other BMHA registered players can become Jr Coaches. Jr Coaches must be 2 divisions above your team in order to help with your practices. Jr Coaches cannot go on your bench for games unless they have completed the Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders course. If your team would like to have a Jr Coach, please email the Registrar or Coach Liaison to ask for details.
What is an affiliate player?
Affiliate players are players that are chosen according to our affiliation policy to be placed on your roster. The Affiliation Policy can be viewed on our website under Section P. Affiliation of Players in the Rules and Regulations click here for link
Affiliate players are used to fill spots on your team for games or practices when you have sick or injured players and, in some cases, suspended players. (CAHL does not allow teams to use affiliates in place of suspended players) You may not play an affiliate player until the registrar confirms that the player(s) have been registered to your team.
My team is short players for our exhibition game, tournament, or league game, can I just borrow a player from another team or bring a sibling of one of our players to play in our game?
No. Only players listed on your official Hockey Canada Roster can play in your teams’ games. This would include properly registered affiliate players. Before any affiliate is used for a league game a request must be submitted to the CAHL. Please note your affiliate should be of like skill to the player he/she is replacing. Any Head Coach that plays a player that is either not registered on the HCR or without approval from the CAHL will be issued an indefinite suspension by the CAHL.
A parent on our team wants to buy our team apparel, but they want our team to wear colours that are similar to their business. (i.e., Orange) Is this allowed?
All BMHA teams must follow our apparel guidelines listed on our website here. Specific brands, colours and logos are
specified in the Apparel Policy. Approved suppliers are also listed.
I took a few coach courses, and they were expensive does BMHA reimburse me for these courses?
Yes, we cover Hockey Canada courses. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer. We do not reimburse for the Criminal Record Checks.
How can I find out about the rules for the league that I coach in?
The CAHL and Hockey Alberta post their rules and regulations on their website. It is a good idea to read through these rules and regulations prior to the season start. Also, print the rules and regulations so that you have them handy during games. It is also a good idea to read the Hockey Alberta rules and regulations. You should also read the BMHA Rules & Regulations, BMHA Bylaws, and other applicable Policies. Of course, ignorance is never an excuse when something goes wrong. It is up to you as the team coach or bench staff member to know all of the rules.
One of my players received a penalty that may incur a suspension, and our team manager sent in the game sheet and incident report to the league or tournament liaison, but I have not heard back, and we have a game in 30 minutes, can I assume there isn’t a suspension if we haven’t heard back yet?
No. Never play a player that you suspect may receive a suspension. If you are not sure it is best to err on the side of caution and not play that player. If you play a suspended player, you as the coach will face an indefinite suspension from the CAHL. If you sit the player and they do end up getting a suspension then the game they sat will count toward serving the suspension. “When in doubt sit them out”
One of the players or bench staff is suspended can they come to practice?
Yes, suspensions are only for games. When a player or bench staff is suspended in league for example and the next game your team plays is an exhibition game, your player cannot play in the exhibition game. Suspensions can only be served in league or sanctioned tournament games.
My team is Tier 3 and we want to play an exhibition game with BMHA Tier 2 can we do that?
No BMHA does not allow our Tiered teams to play each other. BMHA also does not allow our teams to play teams in a higher or lower division. If your Tier 3 wants to play a Tier 2 team from another association, you can do that, provided it is properly sanctioned by Hockey Alberta.
My team has been invited to play an HSL or non sanctioned team, can we do that?
No, minor hockey teams registered with Hockey Alberta can only play in sanctioned exhibition games and tournaments.
What is a travel permit?
Travel permits are required to play any tournaments outside of Blackfalds that are not your regular league games. (League playoff games or provincial tournament games do not
require a permit) Your manager can apply for a travel permit. You need to apply for a permit approximately 5 - 10 days before your game or tournament. Travel Permits can be obtained by contacting the BMHA registrar (or designate).
Our team wants to attend a tournament outside of Canada, is this allowed?
Yes, your team can attend a tournament outside of Canada as long as it is sanctioned by the Country’s governing body. You will need to provide this sanction number when you apply for a travel permit. Also, make sure your team has the required documentation to cross borders. It is normal to have to provide special documentation at the border if only one parent is taking a player. The other parent has to sign a form and the form needs to be notarized and accompany the traveling parent and player.
I want my team to go to a tournament, but they said it is too expensive, can I just enter them and insist we go?
All teams meet at the beginning of the season to decide on the number of tournaments, maximum distance away from Blackfalds they would like to go, extra activities such as dryland, team functions, etc. Teams must vote on items that will cost families extra money. It is also usually decided at the team meeting what percentage of voters need to agree for a function to be approved. (Example would be that the team decides that at least 12 of the 17 families must vote yes so there will be enough players to play in the games)
Can my team book a bus to go to our game?
Yes, your team can book a bus as long as the team decision is yes as your team must cover the cost. The bus company must be approved by BMHA.
Our team did fundraising and we have a lot of spare funds and the season is ending soon, can we buy the players expensive gifts like sticks etc.?
Please make sure to review the AGLC rules regarding how team fundraising funds can be spent. BMHA suggests looking to donate spare funds to the Cody Dennis Memorial Fund.
I have a player who continuously misses practices, is there a way to discipline this player? I know it is the parent that is not bringing the child, so I am hesitant to discipline.
Players can be sat shifts at game as a discipline measure. You can review our Ice Time Policy, coming soon to Policy page on our website. Communication is key regarding discipline. If you plan to sit a player at a game because of missed practices, communicate this to the family of the player prior to the game so they are not surprised or confused at the circumstances. Be reasonable when discussing the missed practices and allow for homework situations, sickness, etc.
A parent on our team was displaying very poor behaviour at one of our games, how can I deal with this?
You should report any inappropriate behaviour of parents, players etc. to your division director. It is key to report any incident in a timely manner, so the behaviour is documented. If you feel that you can deal with the behaviour with a simple discussion to the family, you can do so but wait 24 hours before speaking to the family so that both parties have had time to review their behaviour.
I am having difficulty with a parent on my team, and I have already reported this to my division director, but it seems nothing is being done, what should I do?
If you are not receiving help please contact the coach liaison, and after that you can speak to one of the executive members.
After my practice I have an event to attend, can I shower in the dressing room with the players?
NO. It would not be appropriate to shower with or in the same room as the players.
Who is responsible for the dressing room cleanliness?
As the head coach you should be the last person to walk through the dressing room and ensure that the dressing room is clean and nothing is broken or destroyed in any way. This includes home and away games. If you have to leave and cannot do the walk through, then please assign an Assistant Coach to take on this responsibility. It is a good practice to address dressing room expectations with your players. Players should have the utmost respect for facilities in our home arena and dressing rooms in visiting arenas. Teams that leave dressing rooms untidy or have caused destruction of property will be liable for fines or fees that are sent to BMHA.
I have heard people talk about the “2 Deep Method” in the Locker Room, what is it?
BMHA believes that consistent monitoring inside of the locker rooms and changing areas will ensure the most effective way to prevent incidents. There should always be two adults (that are certified/screened) in the dressing room (“Two Deep Method” supervision). If this is not practical, supervisor(s) must be within hearing distance of the locker room in order to protect the players. Please do not have your players come to the rink an hour early if your bench staff can not be at the rink to monitor.
I have noticed that some of my players are vaping in the dressing room, what should I do?
Please communicate team rules to your players. The Town of Blackfalds arenas do not allow vaping, smoking, drugs, or alcohol, nor does BMHA or Hockey Alberta allow players or bench staff to partake in these behaviours in the arena. If you are part of a BMHA bench staff, it is advised that you refrain from vaping, smoking, drugs, or alcohol at any team events. (Before or after) As a bench staff member your actions are the best example of proper behaviour to our young impressionable athletes.
My team has dryland, do the bench staff members need to attend?
It is not mandatory for bench staff to attend dryland, but it is advised that at least one of the bench staff members attend to help to supervise the players. It is a learning opportunity for all coaches when they attend dryland.
I am a U7 or U9 coach, am I required to bring skates to the game sessions?
Yes, please always have your skates available for all team sessions. There may be times when coaches are needed to wear skates to help to place bumper pads and remove bumper pads for games
We are at our game and the refs have not shown up, can I call a referee that I know?
No. Only referees assigned by the Blackfalds Referee Assignor or Blackfalds Referee in Chief can assign officials for league, exhibition or tournament games. You can try to get in touch with the referee assignor refassignor.blackfaldsbulldogs@gmail.com and they may be able to help you. There is a Hockey Alberta rule that if no refs show up and both teams agree, a coach from each team can ref the game, but please review the Hockey Alberta rules to ensure this rule is valid.
What coaching tools are available for me to use?
BMHA has coaching boxes at the arenas that have coaching tools inside. Pylons, tires, parachutes, balls, etc.