KVHA TEAM TRYOUT DATES WILL BE POSTED HERE BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2026
SPRING TRYOUTS for 2017 thru 2012 birth years plus 10u and 12u Girls Tier 2 teams begins on MARCH 16, 2026
Spring/Fall Tryouts begin Tuesday March 31 for 14u, 16u and 19u girls' teams (2013-2007) birth years) and the 16u boys, 18u boys A and AA.
TEAMS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HOST AN OPEN TRYOUT AT ANY LEVEL AND MAY SET THEIR FALL TEAMS FROM SPRING TRYOUTS
Note: Players born in 2014 or after (i.e. 12 years old or younger) are not eligible to play on any National Bound division teams per MAHA and USA Hockey Rules.
This link below will take you to the MAHA website that lists tryout dates for all associations in the area
Teams may not recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skates, skills skates, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific dates set forth by the MAHA every season
TEAMS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HOST OPEN TRYOUTS IN ANY DIVISION
Tryouts for Tier II and Travel AA Youth Teams - MAHA Rules & Regulations book page 13
No Tier II or Travel AA team may recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skate, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific date outlined below:
(a) All teams in National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin tryouts until 48 hours after the completion of the National Tournament for their respective age classification.
(b) All teams in Travel (A/AA) non-National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin POST Season (Spring) tryouts until after 4 pm on the Monday following the conclusion of the final State Tournament games of ALL age brackets and categories.
(c) All teams in Travel (A/AA) non-National bound categories may begin tryouts on the 3 Monday in May for all REGULAR SEASON (Fall/Winter) teams.
Tryouts for Travel Category and A Division Youth Teams - MAHA Rules & Regulations book page 14
No Tier II team may recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skate, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific date outlined below:
a. All teams in Tier II (A/AA) non-National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin POST Season (Spring) tryouts until after 4 pm on the Monday following the conclusion of the final State Tournament games of ALL age brackets and categories.
b. All teams in Tier II (A/AA) non-National bound categories may begin tryouts on the 3rd Monday in May for all REGULAR SEASON (Fall/Winter) teams.
Tryouts for Girls Tier II and Travel AA Teams MAHA Rules & Regulations book page 22
a. These teams hold open tryouts.
b. A second team from a Tier 1 Organization at any age level will be recognized as Tier II providing, they do not in any way give the appearance of being Tier 1 including tryouts.
c. No Tier II or Travel AA team may recruit or solicit players, offer contracts, hold tryouts, conditioning skate, or any activity that could be construed as a tryout/solicitation or recruitment or player evaluation until the specific date outlined below:
i. All teams in National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin tryouts until 48 hours after the completion of the National Tournament for their respective age classification
ii. All teams in Travel AA non-National bound categories for the current season (not post season), shall not begin POST Season (Spring) tryouts until after 4 pm on the Monday following the conclusion of the final State Tournament games of ALL age brackets and categories.
iii. All teams in Travel AA non-National bound categories may begin tryouts on the 3rd Monday in May for all regular season (Fall/Winter) games
MID-SEASON RECRUITING AND TAMPERING
From USAH; Approved January 28, 2024
“Tryout” means any process on or off the ice that evaluates a player or group of players for the purpose of choosing players for a program or team. A tryout also includes any team practices, off ice training sessions, open skates, skills sessions, or identification skates which include a player that is not on a regular season USA Hockey Roster with that association’s teams or program. USA Hockey programs, coaches and administrators are not permitted to operate a program outside of USA Hockey as a means of avoiding the prohibitions on tryouts or recruiting. While USA Hockey does not restrict a coach’s private business, if a coach runs a private camp, meeting, event, skate or skills clinic outside of USA Hockey for one or more players, then the coach and/or team/program should be investigated as Code of Conduct/tampering with possible disciplinary action.
Recruiting/Tampering
Coaches will not recruit a participant who is already a member of another USA Hockey team. Direct contact by a coach or his/her staff or indirect contact through an agent or parent during the playing season with a participant who is a member of another USA Hockey team is considered tampering and is prohibited.
It does not matter who initiates contact, coach or parent. USA Hockey's Coaching Code of Ethics specifically defines what is to be considered prohibited "mid season tampering". "Direct contact by a coach or his/her staff or indirect contact through an agent or parent during the playing season with a participant who is a member of another USA Hockey team is considered tampering and is prohibited." Violations can lead to a one-year suspension or more.
This is not a new ethical duty just recently added to the USA Hockey Coaching Code of Ethics, it has been in place for decades. All coaches are required to be aware of and adhere to the USA Hockey Coaching Code of Ethics. It is an expressed expectation that mid-season tampering not take place.
SPRING|SUMMER TEAMS
From the MAHA Annual Guidebook
Spring/Summer type teams formed to play between the end of the last USA Hockey Youth/Girls National Championship and August 31, have a limit of twenty-five (25) players on a roster and may dress twenty (20) players per game. (no specification on # of goaltenders)
SPRING/SUMMER LEAGUES
- All teams in spring and summer leagues and conditioning programs must complete an USA Hockey Team Roster Form (1-T). Players and Team officials not registered prior to the spring/summer season must register online through USA Hockey. Confirmation letters for all players and team officials must be presented to the Associate Registrar for approval prior to the start of any games.
- Team Officials (Coaches, Managers and locker room attendants) must provide proof of a Background screening and Safe Sport before participating with the team.
- A player’s obligation to his/her regular season team ends on April 30th of the current season, or when his/her regular season team becomes inactive prior to that date.
- A player who is a member of an active regular season team may register and play in spring/summer leagues and conditioning programs if he/she has the written permission of his/her regular season team coach or manager.
- A player’s obligation to his/her spring/summer league or conditioning program ends with the completion of the league or conditioning programs schedule, or when he/she is released in writing prior to that date.
- All spring/ summer leagues and conditioning programs must use the current playing rules of USA Hockey /MAHA.
- Spring/summer leagues and conditioning programs may have added special rules for their league, provided such rules are not contradictory to, or less stringent than the current USA Hockey /MAHA rules.
- Spring/Summer Season league play may not start prior to the week of April 1st.
- In all Youth divisions, a player may register and play with a maximum of two teams at a time in the spring/summer season.
- Spring/Summer players must play in the USA Hockey age classification they will be in for the next regular (winter) hockey season.
- 19U girls and 18U youth are eligible to participate up until August 31 of the current season in the same age classification as the previous season.
- All player or coach suspensions shall be served with the team with which the penalty was incurred. If the team the penalty was incurred with has ended its season, the player shall serve the suspension in his/her next game.
Note: A player or coach receiving a match penalty is suspended from participating in any USA Hockey games and practices until a hearing is conducted.