2024-2025 MAHA Season Start Changes
June 19, 2024
TO: All Associations – Please Forward to All Your Coaches and Your Local Registrar
Re: Roster Questions
Season Start Dates
In January the MAHA Board of Directors passed a rule change that alters when the season starts for certain ages and classifications. The start dates for the 24/25 season are as follows:
- Youth and Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 ages 14U through 19U the regular season begins August 1
- Youth and Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 age groups 9U through 13U the regular season begins September 1.
- JV/High School teams season begins September 1.
- Youth and Girls Tier 3 the regular season begins September 1.
Rostering Dates
Teams may begin the roster approval process 14 days prior to the start of their season. This allows registrars and teams a window of time to correct any errors and approve rosters so that teams could begin play promptly at the beginning of their season.
However, the roster once approved by the appropriate USA Hockey Registrar, shall not take effect until the first day of any season. No matter what date the USA Hockey Registrar approves the roster during that two-week period, it is not in effect or active until the start date of the team’s season. Just because you receive your roster back from the USA Hockey Registrar with an approved date on it does not mean that you can start your season early.
Games prior to the start of season
If teams are playing games in July or August prior to the start of their season, they must be playing on a postseason (spring/summer) roster. All the players in the game must be on that roster. You cannot mix and match players from a postseason and a regular season roster. Playing players that are not on a postseason roster at this time of year constitutes playing an illegal player and is subject to a one-year suspension of the coach. Once the regular season begins for a particular age and classification, postseason (spring/summer) rosters may no longer be used.
Postseason (spring/summer) Roster Expiration Dates:
- Youth and Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 ages 14U through 19U postseason rosters expire July 31st.
- Youth and Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 age groups 9U through 13U postseason rosters expire August 31st.
- JV/High School teams postseason rosters expire August 31st.
- Youth and Girls Tier 3 postseason rosters expire August 31st.
Game Counts
For those teams whose season begins in August, the question came up as to whether they could play other teams that are still on a postseason (spring summer) roster or not, and if those games would count toward their regular season game count. (Example – 14U AA team plays 13U A team). The answer to that is yes. A team can play any other properly rostered team no matter what type of roster they’re on. So, in this example a team whose regular season starts August 1st plays a game against a team of the same age and classification who is still playing on their postseason (spring summer) roster. That game counts towards the regular season game count for that team.
Game Count Change at Tier II 16U & 18U
Beginning this season USA Hockey has made a change that will affect the game count needed to participate in the split-season playoffs in October. Beginning with this season, teams will need to have minimum of 20 games and players will have to have a minimum of 10 games with The team prior to the start of the split season playoffs. In the past we allowed teams to have 17 games prior to the start of the playoffs with the expectation that they would achieve the 20 games needed to go to Nationals during the event. We want everyone to be aware of this change so that they can make sure that they are fully able to participate in our playoffs this coming season.
I hope this helps clarify a couple of these points if you have any further questions regarding either of these issues, please feel free to reach out to myself or Bob Yohe, the Michigan Registrar
Regards,
George Atkinson, President
Michigan Amateur Hockey Association
