Adopted by Junior Council June 9, 2006
The following Policy, as adopted by the Junior Council of USA Hockey on the 9th day of June, 2006, shall apply to and govern all USA Hockey registered junior teams, including, those based geographically within the United States but competing in non-USA Hockey sanctioned leagues. Unless otherwise agreed as provided in written affiliation agreements (on file with the USAH Junior Registrar), between teams of different levels of classifications and/or by the Affiliated Player Policy, the following calendar of significant dates shall govern and control movement of players during the calendar year.
Start of the Season
The USA Hockey Junior Calendar shall commence with the “start of the season”. That phrase, “start of the season”, shall mean and be defined as “beginning immediately upon the completion of the final game (regular season, play-off, national championship) for the team on whose USA Hockey Protected List the player properly appeared during the immediately preceding season.” Any unauthorized contact before the “start of the season”, including a Tryout Camp/Invitation shall be considered Tampering and subject the offender to disciplinary action as provided herein. No player tuition agreement executed by any player/parent prior to the “start of the season”, as that phrase is defined herein, shall be valid or enforceable by the signing team, its league, or by USA Hockey.
Early Season Team Identification, Evaluation, Selection and/or Development Camps
No early season team identification, evaluation, selection and/or development camps may be held by any USA Hockey member team until after the completion of the National Championship for that team’s classification. Any solicitation/invitation directed to any particular player whose current season has not yet ended and whose upcoming season has not yet started, as defined above, shall be considered tampering and shall subject the offending team to disciplinary action pursuant to the USA Hockey Tampering Policy. Posting on a team/league web site of camp information, placing posters in area rinks, or announcement ads in area hockey publications shall not be considered to be directed to a particular player.
Free Agency
That from and after the “Start of the Season” for an individual player, that player shall be a free agent, eligible for recruitment and direct contact by any team, including the one on whose roster the player currently appears. “Free agency status” shall continue from the Start of the season until October 1, or, the first regular season game played after September 1, (not including exhibition) in which a player competes for a team on whose Protected List he properly appears at the commencement of the succeeding season, whichever first occurs. During this period, no National Tampering charges shall be brought or processed. Leagues may enforce tampering charges within their own league membership, only.
June 1 – Veteran List
That, on or before June 1 after the conclusion of the current playing season, each team seeking to compete in the succeeding season shall be required to file with the Junior Registrar a list of veteran players (ones who appeared on the February 10 frozen roster and competed in at least ten (10) games or more, during the current season). These players shall be eligible for Draft/Signing Distribution and Compensation from other IIHF Federations.
June 1 – September 1 – Optional Filings
As drafts are made, training camps conducted, and/or additions/deletions are made to a team’s Protected List, they may be communicated to the Junior Registrar who shall maintain them in confidential status, unless authorized by a league or team to provide that information to other leagues/teams.
August 1 – Tier III Reserve List
Any Tier III league, which desires to control, within their league only, the movement of more than the number of players properly protected with USA Hockey, may allow its member teams to protect up to five (5) additional, previously rostered, tendered, or drafted, non-protected players by the filing of a Reserve List with the USA Hockey Junior Registrar on or before 11:59 pm local time on August 1 of the current season. Any league member team who fails to timely file its Reserve List shall forfeit its right to maintain such a list. The USA Hockey Junior Registrar shall publish the Reserve List of each team on September 1 of the current season. Each league member team who files a Reserve List shall reduce the List by one player on October 1; one player on November 1; and one player on December 1 of the current playing season. The Reserve List shall expire on February 10 of the current playing season. No additions or substitutions to the Reserve List shall be allowed.
Any team seeking a player on another team’s Reserve List for play during the current season, shall serve on the Team on whose Protected List the player currently appears, a written claim which shall be forwarded by electronic or regular mail. The Reserving Team shall have a period of five (5) days from the date of the electronic claim, or the receipt of the mailed claim, in which to activate or trade the claimed player to another team’s USAH Protected List. If not activated, or traded, the player shall be moved to the Claiming Team’s Protected List at the end of the five (5) day period.
September 1 – Publication
On or before 11:59 pm local time on September 1, each team in each league shall submit to the Junior Registrar their initial Protected List including all veteran players and recruited players along with their league schedule establishing the commencement of the first regular season game for each of the teams within the league. The Junior Registrar shall publish this initial Protected List.
Further, at the same time and date, each team in each league shall submit their complete league, exhibition and tournament schedule for the upcoming season. All non-league games must be sanctioned and approved by the Junior Registrar. The Junior Registrar shall publish this season schedule as well. This published schedule shall establish the commencement of the regular season, with the play of the first regular season league game, for each of the teams/leagues. Teams should also submit any games that are added to their schedule during the season to the Junior Registrar and publish the results of those games. Only games that are published and reported to the Junior Registrar shall count in the calculation of any tuition adjustment (See Players Rights, Rules and Responsibilities V, D, 2).
THERE SHALL BE NO COMPENSATION PAID OR OWED FOR ANY PLAYER WHO MOVES TO A NEW AND/OR DIFFERENT TEAM BETWEEN THE COMPLETION OF THE LAST GAME OF THE TEAM FOR WHO HE WAS ROSTERED DURING THE PREVIOUS SEASON AND HIS COMPETITION IN THE FIRST REGULAR SEASON GAME FOR THE TEAM ON WHOSE PROTECTED LIST HE APPEARS FOR THE SUCCEEDING SEASON.
September 1 - February 10 – In Season Movement
Following October 1, or the player’s participation in the first regular season league game for a team, whichever shall first occur, there shall be no movement of any player from that team to another without a properly executed USAH Trade Form between the two teams, filed with the USAH Junior Registrar. Any player who is dropped by any team, at any time, shall immediately become a free agent and while he may be subsequently protected by two or more teams, the ownership of his playing rights shall become the property of the team for whom he first competes in a regular season game, as a member of that team’s Protected List. Affiliation agreements between teams, including those between multiple teams at multiple levels of junior classifications, are to be encouraged and movement of players pursuant to those agreements, is not prohibited due to the foregoing rules regarding player movement.
December 31 – Youth Ineligibility Resulting From Junior Play After December 31
Any and all players rostered on a youth classification team bound for a Youth National Championship shall become ineligible for further youth classification competition for the remainder of the current season from and after the date on which the player first competes for a junior team in a junior game after December 31 of the current playing season.
January 15 – Movement of Players Between International Junior Teams
Movement of players between international teams including international transfers and player consents if required, and/or drops of any non-citizen players must be fully completed on or before 11:59 pm local time on January 15, of each succeeding season.
January 31 – Affiliated Players Must Return to Regular Team Rosters
All affiliated players included in the “Pilot Project”, whether they be U-18 or junior players, must be returned to their permanent regular team roster by this date. Competition for the team on whose Affiliated Player List they appeared after January 31 shall result in their ineligibility to participate in competition leading to a national championship for their permanent regular team.
February 6 – Movement of US Citizen Players Between USAH Member Teams
All movement of US citizen players by trade between USAH member Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III teams must be completed on or before 11:59 pm local time on February 6 of each succeeding season.
Recruiting / "Tender" signing period -- winter /spring hockey season
Team Tryouts: (Begin after the USA Hockey National Tournament in April)
League Drafts (Usually held in May)
Report Date: Usually in late August but some report in September
Season Begins / First League Games: September
Players may be added/dropped/traded throughout the USA Hockey system
February 6/8 - Drops of US Citizen Players by USAH Member Teams
a) All Tier I drops must be completed by 11:59 pm local time on February 6 of each succeeding season.
b) All Tier II drops must be completed on or before 11:59 pm local time on February 8 of each succeeding season.
February 10 – All Protected Lists Frozen for Balance of Season
All Protected Lists shall be frozen at 11:59 pm local time on February 10 of each succeeding season. Players must be on this list to be eligible for remaining regular season league games, playoffs, or national tournaments.
