Tryout Information - 2025

2025 - 2026 Competitive Tryouts

EO will be having internal evaluations for U13-U18 players that are currently registered with EO for the 2024/2025 season starting on April 15.

If you register for the U13AA, U15AA  and U18AA tryouts, you will be placed on the list for the internal evaluation sessions taking place the week of April 15th. Tryout registration for ALL U11-U18 levels will open on March 25, 2025. An email will be sent out to the membership once registration officially opens and will be posted to the association website.

Open tryouts for AA, which will now also include players not already EOGHA members will commence on April 21.  The start of U11 tryouts will also take place starting April 21.

The tryout schedule will be listed here once confirmed.

U9 tryouts will start in September.

Team Selection:

Team selection will be based on a combination of the tryout sessions, evaluations from the previous season and in certain situations discussions with previous year coaching staff.  For older age groups only, statistics, where available, will be used as additional criteria to finalize a team. 

Each division will have a "Selection Committee."

• Head Coach(es) of teams in that division.
• Up to 4 paid/non-paid non-parent evaluators with hockey backgrounds.  
• EOGHA Competitive Directors, VPs and/or other designates such as, but not limited to, EOGHA assistant coaches from previous year.
• For AA teams, the GM of the High Performance Program,  staff of the EO stars AA program, and the EO VP of Competitive will be involved and will make the final decisions on  the formation of the AA teams.

Note - a parent of a player being evaluated will not be part of the selection committee for the team the player is trying out for.

The Tryout Process:

Certain age groups (e.g. U11AA and U11BB) will be combined at tryout sessions. Please refer to the tryout schedule for the specific times and groupings. The combined sessions will be based on the number of registrants and the ice availability. It’s important to register as soon as possible to help create a fair and balanced tryout schedule.

Choose the level the player will tryout for at the tryout registration. If you want to change this selection once the player is registered, please notify the Competitive VP and Competitive Registrar before the start of tryouts. To determine where a player should tryout, the guideline is at two levels above the player’s current level, with a jump in age counting as one level. For example, if the player is currently a U15B minor then consider trying out at U15A .  If the player is a U15B major then consider trying out at U18BB.

• All skaters will be assigned to a group/timeslot for their first session. The assigned session will be posted in the schedule on the website. The number of groups will depend on the number of players trying out. Due to the large numbers anticipated, it is likely that there will be players released after the first session to the lower-level tryouts.
• The goal will be to get down to 20-30 skaters prior to the final session at each level.
• A reasonability check using in-season data will be reviewed prior to cuts being made.

Tryout Evaluation Criteria:

At the U13 and above age groups, the tryout portion of team selection will consist of scrimmages and potentially an exhibition game.  At U11 and below the plan is to start with a skills only session. For U13 and above, players will be evaluated based on overall skills as well as game play performance based on a pre-established set of criteria. For U11 and below there will be specific skill rankings from the skills only session which will be combined with the scrimmage scores.

Attendance, Injuries or missed tryouts:

• If a player misses a tryout session, an email must be sent to Competitive VP at vpcomp@gcgh.ca and competitive registrar at compregistrar@gcgh.ca 48 hours in advance (where possible). They will provide you with more information regarding any impact this will have on the remaining sessions..
• If a player is unable to participate due to injury, a medical note must be provided to Competitive VP stating the player is unable to participate and include a date when the player is expected to return to play.
• Medical limitations or absence will impact tryouts and placement as this is a very competitive process. The EOGHA Selection Committee will use past performance, coaching evaluations, previous season statistics and other pertinent information to place the injured or absent player at the correct level.
• An injury or absenteeism may not mean automatic placement on a competitive team. Any placement by the evaluation team is not appealable.
• The injured or absentee player is still required to register and pay for tryouts to be considered.

Other Information:

• All releases will be done via posting on the EOGHA website, therefore check the website frequently for information about releases. For each team, the Head Coach will contact each player selected to the final roster.
• When a conflict exists after a session, where the ratings and total score seem to differ, the Competitive VP or another designee will review against the in-season data and other information.
• EO will allow a maximum of 3 players total from Nepean, Kanata or Ottawa to make a team at AA and 3 in total for the A and below levels. These players are required to be a top 5 Forward or top 3 Defence to be offered a spot on the level they are trying out for.
• Although, there are no restrictions for players from other associations (except Nepean, Kanata or Ottawa) that don't offer the level that the player is trying out for, a player from one of these associations would have to out perform a current EO player to earn a spot.
• We encourage girls who would like to make the switch from boys minor hockey to tryout.  Please contact the EO register if you have any questions.
• Due to the shortage of goalies and their critical nature, they will be accepted at all levels and not count against the limits described above.
• EOGHA reserves the right to accept the required number of players to complete a team at the lowest competitive level.

Registration:

• Tryout registration for ALL U11-U18 levels will open on  March 25. 2025. An email will be sent out to the membership once registration officially opens and will be posted to the association website.  If you have issues or concerns, please contact the Director of Membership - Competitive Programs at compregistrar@gcgh.ca.
• Tryout registration and fees must be completed and paid in full by Friday, April 12th at midnight.
• Tryout registration fees are not the same as full-season registration fees. Season registration will take place after tryouts are complete and players have been assigned to a team.
• The tryout fee varies by the division and category and covers all tryout sessions. If a player is released from the AA & A tryouts, they can continue without additional fees at the BB and lower levels. Tryout fees are non-refundable.
• Players registered last season with another OWHA-affiliated association must have a signed Permission to Tryout (PTT) form (Click here) or a formal release from their previous association.  Before their first tryout session, PTT must be emailed to the Competitive Registrar at compregistrar@gcgh.ca. Players coming from Ontario minor hockey or who have been formally released from their previous OWHA-affiliated association do not require a PTT. 
• Players require an EO issued black and grey reversible tryout jersey. If the player does not currently have one, it can be purchased as part of the registration process.
• No player will be allowed onto the ice unless all documentation and fees are in order. 
• Registration will be open on March 25th.

Schedule:

The detailed dates for tryouts will be listed in the coming days and are subject to change. Please be sure to check for the latest news and updates.  Players may be divided into groups for some sessions and an email will be sent in advance to advise if a player should attend the first or second hour of the session. Please check your SPAM or Junk mail folder frequently during tryouts to avoid missing important notifications.