Upholding Integrity, Fairness, and Player Well-Being Across Minor Hockey
The Ontario Hockey Federation is providing a public update on tampering allegations and resulting sanctions since the introduction of open player movement in Minor Hockey in December 2024.
This update reflects the OHF’s continued commitment to its core organizational values:
Safe – Ensuring all participants feel mentally and physically secure
Fun – Creating positive, development-focused hockey experiences
Accessible – Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion across the game
Integrity – Upholding fairness, respect, accountability, and honesty
Progressive – Strengthening collaboration, learning, and responsible leadership
Why Tampering Rules Matter
Integrity is central to the OHF’s revised tampering regulations, introduced in December 2024 to reinforce fairness, transparency, and accountability across all levels of the game.
These rules exist to protect players from unnecessary pressure and distraction during the season, allowing them to focus on development, team belonging, and enjoyment of the game—without the stress of early recruitment or uncertainty about their future.
To put this into perspective:
Imagine being partway through a season while already knowing you will not be part of your team next year. How would that affect your motivation, confidence, and sense of belonging? How would it impact your development on and off the ice?
As stewards of the game, associations, coaches, and administrators share a responsibility to foster environments where players feel valued, respected, and supported throughout the season.
The NOHA is excited to announce two educational webinars in February from experts in the world of hockey. OMHA President Peter Harmsen will be speaking on how he was able to launch a successful Learn to Skate Program with Stouffville Minor Hockey. ALLIANCE Executive Director Tyler Tolton will be running a workshop on the way ALLIANCE structures their Leagues with unique team seeding.
These are excellent opportunities to learn from hockey experts and ask questions directly.
Workshop Overview:
Peter will provide an in-depth presentation on the innovative Learn to Skate program he has spearheaded in Stouffville, Ontario. This program has garnered significant attention across the country for its success in creating accessible entry points to hockey and was recognized and promoted by Hockey Canada in 2024.
As the NOHA continues to explore diverse pathways to grow participation and achieve our strategic goal of increasing hockey enrolment by 25% by 2035, this session offers a valuable opportunity to learn from one of the province's leading programs.
About Peter Harmsen: Get to Know New OMHA President Peter Harmsen
What You'll Learn:
Program structure and implementation strategies
Recruitment and retention best practices
Partnership development and community engagement
Lessons learned and scalable elements for Northern Ontario contexts
Workshop Details:
Format: Zoom – Register here: https://noha-hockey.zoom.us/meeting/register/RLLewBViRz6w8r6xtEU4XA
Duration: Approximately 60-75 minutes (including Q&A)
Date/Time: February 2, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Who Should Attend: We encourage participation from Association Executives, Program Coordinators, Player Development personnel, and anyone involved in introductory hockey programming at your Association.
Additional Information: In advance of the session, we would encourage attendees to watch the video from Hockey Canada here (https://youtu.be/YC057fSsj0I) and to review the Program Playbook here (omha-learn-to-skate-playbook-e.pdf).
Tyler became Executive Director of Alliance Hockey in January 2024, bringing over nine years of progressive experience within the organisation. A graduate of the Sport Management Program at Durham College, Tyler began his career with Alliance Hockey in 2014 as Coordinator Development – Coaching and has developed extensive knowledge of minor hockey structure and operations across Ontario.
Workshop Overview:
Tyler will present on Alliance Hockey's innovative seeded league structure for AA and A categories. Under this model, all Teams in these categories compete against one another at the start of the season, before being seeded into either AA or A leagues for the remainder of the season based on their performance in the initial competition phase.
While we recognise that geography presents significant challenges unique to Northern Ontario, this workshop will provide our Members with the opportunity to explore an alternative approach to league structure and consider whether elements of this model could be adapted to enhance competitive balance and player development across our region.
What You'll Learn:
Overview of Alliance Hockey's seeded league model
Competition phase design and seeding criteria
Benefits and challenges of implementation
Impact on competitive balance and player experience
Scheduling and logistics considerations
Potential adaptations for geographically dispersed associations
Workshop Details:
Format: Virtual – Register here: https://noha-hockey.zoom.us/meeting/register/bmLUc8BZQzGHS49UcyznTg
Duration: Approximately 60-75 minutes (including Q&A)
Date/Time: February 24, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Who Should Attend: We encourage participation from Association Executives and League leaders/convenors to attend.
As of January 10th, U9 teams who are not participating in the NOHA U9 Pilot Program may transition to full-ice hockey.
The End of Season Phase is marked by up to 6 weeks of participation, with 7 or more practice sessions and up to 12 full-ice games. NOHA teams are permitted 2 full-ice tournaments for the season. This is a great opportunity to provide players with an additional challenge and begin preparing players for full-ice hockey.
Please note that while the End of Season Phase allows for a more game-focused environment, Teams still need to maintain a 2:1 Practice to Game ratio.
For more U9 resources, see the Hockey Canada U9 Player Pathway
Teams participating in the NOHA U9 Pilot Project will continue programming with the addition of the calling of penalties. For more information, please see the NOHA U9 Pilot Project FAQ
