SV Hockey FAQ

What communities belong in SVHA?

Simons Valley Hockey Association provides the youth of Coventry Hills, Evanston, Sherwood, Hidden Valley, Kincora, Nolan Hill, Panorama Hills, Sage Hill. SVHA operates under Hockey Calgary, which in turn is governed by Hockey Alberta, and finally by Hockey Canada.

How old does my child need to be to play, can I choose what division my child plays in?

No you cannot choose the division your player plays in, the division is determined based on the age of the child on Dec. 31st of the registration year. The following table shows the division and ages.

• Timbits Flames (5/6 year olds)
• Novice (7/8 year olds)
• Atom (9/10 year olds)
• Pee Wee (11/12 year olds)
• Bantam (13/14 year olds)
• Midget (15/16/17 year olds)
• Junior (18/19/20 year olds)

What are the registration fees ?   

1. Early Bird: June 15 – July 15
2. Regular: July 16 – August 14
3. Late:   August 14 – August 31

• Your payment MUST be received in the Registration Period to qualify for that rate.

2012-2013 Hockey Registration Fees

Age Category	Volunteer Deposit	Early Bird	Regular Fee	Late Fee
Timbit (5/6)	$200	$625	$725	$825
Novice (7/8)	$200	$850	$950	$1,050
Atom (9/10)	$200	$875	$975	$1,075
Peewee (11/12)	$200	$940	$1,040	$1,140
Bantam (13/14)	$200	$950	$1,050	$1,150
Midget (15/16/17)	$200	$950	$1,050	$1,150
Junior C (18-20)			$800

 

Can I make multiple payments?

No we don’t allow multiple payments; we only accept full payment with Mastercard/Visa or Money Order at registration time.

Is there a cap to how many players ?

SVHA has never capped the number of players that can register, and there is NO “First-Come First-Served” process, no preference is given to when a player registers.   All players are evaluated equally, regardless of when you registered. The advantage of registering early during the “Early Registration Period”, is that you will save $100 per player.

 What is included in my registration fees?

Included in your fees are:

• Ice for 6 pre-season evaluations
• Regular season ice to the end of February, as well as City playoffs, referees for all regular season games, Esso Minor Hockey Week, and Playoffs.
• Fees paid to Hockey Calgary. This includes player and team insurance.
• Training and certification courses for coaches, trainers, and other bench personal by Calgary Hockey Development.
• Use of SVHA home and away game jerseys and team first aid equipment.
• Conditioning and checking clinics for players before the season and during the season as well.
• A team and individual picture with a memory mate. 

 My child has never played before, will he/she “fit in” ?

Absolutely !!!! The mission statement of SVHA is to “provide a safe and fun team environment that affords each participant an equal opportunity to develop their hockey skills", and with the evaluation system we try to place players on teams of equivalently skilled players. So we will find a place for your player to play. How are teams chosen? All players are evaluated according to the SVHA Evaluation policy, and placed on teams of equivalently skilled players. 

I want my child to play with his friend?

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate players playing with friends, as the evaluation system is used to place players on teams. Timbits is the only level that we can consider placing players on a team with a friend.

When do players start body checking?

In Calgary minor hockey body checking starts at the PeeWee age group.  Simons Valley holds clinics before the start of evaluations for all PeeWee aged players to demonstrate and practice the proper and safe methods of body checking to reduce the chance of any injury occuring.  If you would rather look into a non-contact hockey league, Hockey Calgary also has a recreational hockey league which you can look into by clicking here.

What position will my player play ?

In the Atom and the divisions below, players will be able to experience all the positions. From Peewee and above, players begin to play the same position the majority of the time.

What equipment do I need?

• CSA Approved Helmet
• Mouthguard (mandatory for all ages except Timbits Flames)
• Neck protector
• Shoulder Pads
• Elbow Pads
• Hockey Gloves
• Hockey Pants
• Athletic cup
• Shin Pads
• Hockey socks and garter
• Skates
• Stick (Youth for the young players, Junior and Intermediate for middle aged, Senior for oldest)
• Equipment bag

Where can I buy my hockey equipment?

There are many sporting good stores that you can purchase hockey equipment, here are a few:

• Tuxedo Source for Sports
• Canadian Tire
• SportChek
• Sport Mart Hockey Experts
• Second Chance Sports

What are the arenas that SVHA uses?

The majority of the SVHA ice used is currently under contract from Cardel, Crossfield and Carstairs, in addition we pick up additional ice in the north end of town from other communities and Hockey Calgary when available. 

Our Cardel ice is Monday to Friday after school only, we do not put kids on the ice before school, from 4:30 to about 10:00 PM -Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Our Crossfield ice is weekend mornings starting at 7:00 AM onwards until the early afternoon. There is the odd ice in the afternoon or evenings on the weekends.

Our Carstairs ice is also weekend mornings starting at 8:00 AM onwards until the early afternoon. We also pick up the odd ice on Saturday/Sunday evenings.

How many times will my player be on the ice and where?

It varies from week to week, but on average you can expect to be on the ice about 5 times every 2 weeks, this includes practices and games. The Timbit program attempts to put the players on the ice twice a week.

Is there a "fixed time" my player will play every week ?
No, you player will not have a fixed day or time that they will play, it will vary from week to week.  SVHA tries to balance out all the early ice times, out of town ice times, across all the teams.

Who coaches the teams?

Once players are placed on teams, then coaches are chosen from the parents of the team.

Do I have to volunteer?

SVHA requires a volunteer deposit at registration time, it was a $200 commitment bond.  If you volunteer for the association in an approved position your cheque is not cashed, if you do not volunteer when asked, then your cheque is cashed.

SVHA is completely driven by volunteers, and requires the help of many volunteers throughout the year. The association needs volunteers to help make it work (evaluators, Division Coordinators, Picture Day helpers, etc), as well as each team requires volunteers to make it work (ie: Managers, jersey, timekeepers, coaches).

 You have the option of opting out of volunteering, by paying your volunteer fee at registration time. If you do not volunteer during the year, your volunteer commitment cheque will be cashed.

How long is the season?

The season starts in the beginning of September with evaluations and practice. League games are held in November, December, January and February. Esso Minor Hockey Week is held in January (Novice and higher). Playoffs are held in March for the Atom and higher divisions. 

Is my player guaranteed to be placed on a team ?  Is there a cap in registration numbers ?

No there is no cap on the number of players we accept into SVHA registration.  SVHA tries to place every player who wants to play, however there may be circumstances where we cannot place all players.  This occurs when the number of teams and the number of players trying out do not allow us to place every player.

In Peewee and below, SVHA can almost guarantee that all skaters will make teams, except for the goalie position.  We place two goalies per team, and where we may have too many goalies for the number of teams we have, we have no choice but to release the goalies that we don't have room for. In this case, SVHA will release the player for a year, and will work with other associations to get the player placed on a team. If a player is released for this reason, a full refund is issued.  The player is then welcomed back next year to tryout for SVHA.

In Bantam and Midget, there is a possibility that depending upon team sizes, and the number of players trying out, that we cannot place every player on a team, and thus would have to release players.  In this case, SVHA will release the player for a year, and will work with other associations to get the player placed on a team. If a player is released for this reason, a full refund is issued.  The player is then welcomed back next year to tryout for SVHA.

What happens when SVHA has too many goalies, compared to the number of teams ?

It does occur where we have too many goalies for the number of teams we have, and therefore we have no choice but to release a player and help them find a team to play on in Calgary. If a goalie is released for this reason, a full refund is issued.  The player is then welcomed back next year to tryout for SVHA.

 My child has other commitments. Does he/she have to come to all practices and games ?

We fully understand that players have other commitments; however hockey is a team sport and requires your commitment. Players can only develop their skills during practice, therefore it is recommended that you attend as many ice times as possible. You should work closely with your coach to let him know when you will miss a practice or game.

Is there Financial Assistance available?

SVHA does not offer financial assistance, however Hockey Calgary does, please see the Hockey Calgary website for information on the financial assistance programs. Link Flames Assistance Program | Jumpstart

Who can I contact if I have other questions? 

Click Here to send an email to our Director of Registration.