Rep Tryout Procedure

Objectives of Player Evaluation

  • To provide a fair and impartial assessment of a player’s total hockey skills during the skating and scrimmage sessions.
  • To ensure that players have a reasonable opportunity of being selected to a team appropriate to their skill levels as determined during the on-ice evaluations of the current year.
  • To provide coaches with the opportunity and flexibility to build a team based in part on their own coaching philosophy and knowledge of player skills and attitude.
  • To provide uniformity and consistency in the evaluation process such that a player and parent expectations are consistent from year to year as players move through the various levels of the association’s programs.
  • To form teams to maintain balanced and competitive play where the athletes can develop and participate equitably and have fun playing hockey during the season.
  • To provide feedback in order to develop players.

Top Questions on Player Evaluation

When are the player evaluation sessions?
The tryout schedule will be available online and registered players’ names will be posted on the schedule page a couple days before tryouts begin.  The Category Director will have a parent meeting during the first tryout skate to inform parents of the process and answer any questions there may be. As the tryout process moves forward any player movement or releases will be updated on our website.

How many evaluation sessions will there be?
Every parent and player should be aware prior to evaluations of the number of opportunities that the player will have to be assessed. It is our goal that each player has a minimum of three evaluation sessions before being released from a given program. We will have a minimum of three skates and a maximum of six skates. There will be two skill skates, then the remaining skates will be scrimmage format.

What is being evaluated?
Refer to our Player Selection Criteria for more information on specific skills, tactics and behaviors that are being evaluated. KC will post this on their website.

Goalie evaluations will consist of one technical on ice skate evaluated by the Evaluators.  The remaining evaluation skates or team placement considerations will be made through game play situations by the Head Coaches and the Category Director.

Who will do the evaluations?

  • On-ice coaches to take players through the session.
  • Off-ice evaluators will be a Committee as well as the Head Coaches and Category Directors and will be responsible to evaluate every player on the ice during the time allotted.
  • Our evaluators will view and evaluate at least three skates (the Head Coach of each team will evaluate all skates to discuss possible moves or concerns). When building two balanced teams in the same division, the Category Director will be more involved in player selection, this is to avoid any “stacking” of one team.
  • The Camp Coordinator will be responsible for tracking evaluations and Category Director will be responsible for contacting parents, players and scheduling sessions.

What happens after the evaluation sessions?

Upon the completion of evaluations, the Coaches, Category Director, Camp coordinator and President of Operations will meet to form the teams using the provided evaluation numbers as a guideline.

Selected players will be contacted by the Head Coach of their team within 24 hours of the last tryout skate. The coach will outline, Practice schedule, Game schedule, Introduction of other coaches and setting of first meeting with parents and players. Names will be posted on the website under the team they are rostered to. Any players not rostered to the listed Rep teams will be directed to contact their home clubs for registration.

Complaints or Disputes on Evaluations
Complaints or disputes on evaluations or player placement on teams may be appealed in writing to a committee made up of neutral people. Email your appeal request to office@kchockey.ca, the decision of this committee is final.  These matters are within the sole purview of The Knights of Columbus and are not appealable to Hockey Edmonton.

Player Selection Criteria

  • SKATING – Most important Skill
    • Acceleration ~  gets to top speed quickly
    • Overall quickness and foot speed
    • Powerful stride
    • Good balance and stability on skates
    • Agility and mobility – moves well laterally
    • Turns and pivots are smooth
    • Ability to skate well both forward and backward
  • WORK ETHIC/COMPETITIVENESS/DISCIPLINE/ATTITUDE
    • Competes and battles to the best of ability in all situations
    • Wants to be first to the puck in all situations
    • Consistently high work ethic/ high level of fitness
    • Demonstrates leadership on/off the ice
    • Disciplined in all situations on/off the ice.
    • Respect exhibited by the athlete towards coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, etc.
    • Displays a positive attitude at all times both on and off the ice.
  • TACTICAL SKILLS
    • Thinks quickly – reads and reacts well
    • Supports teammates in all situations
    • Drives the net effectively with and without the puck
    • Is a responsible positional player.
    • Positions self well when defending the rush
  • SKILLS – PUCK CONTROL/PASSING
    • Handles the puck effectively at high speeds
    • Good control in traffic – protects puck well
    • Shows creativity with the puck
    • Head up – looks for options and to head-man the puck
    • Passes are crisp and accurate
    • Passes and receives smoothly at high speeds
  • SKILLS –   SHOOTING/SCORING
    • Can score
    • Strong and accurate shot with a quick release
    • Has and uses a variety of shots
    • Ability to read shot or deke options
    • Gets into position to score

Goalie Selection Criteria

  • BALANCE AGILITY / MOVEMENTS
    • General balance and posture
    • Retains ready position after blocking shots
    • Holds ready position in movement
    • Lateral and vertical movements
    • Recovery to balanced stance
    • Moves with speed & in control in ready position
  • WORK ETHIC/COMPETITIVENESS/ATTITUDE
    • Constant desire to excel in all situations
    • Constant work ethic in all situations
    • Never gives up / battles for pucks
    • Respect exhibited by the athlete towards coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, etc.
    • Displays a positive attitude at all times both on and off the ice.
  • POSITIONING / ANGLES
    • Knows position in net at all times
    • Assumes neutral position at top edge of crease
    • Positions self properly prior to shot
    • Lines up properly on puck
  • ANTICIPATION / JUDGMENT
    • Ability to read the shooter
    • Ability to read play around them
    • Ability to make appropriate adjustments
  • PUCK STOPPING SKILLS / PUCK CONTROL (REBOUNDS)
    • Absorbs pucks well
    • Effectively controls and deflects rebounds
    • Use of body to make saves
    • Handles puck effectively and controls rims

Individual Player Evaluation

The purpose of an individual player evaluation is to assist the coaches and the Knights of Columbus in determining the best player for a team. 

  1. The independent evaluating committee will meet and evaluate each player for his/her ability. The player will wear a numbered coloured pinnie for the purpose of identification on the ice. The player will change his pinnie throughout the evaluation process.
  2. After each skate the evaluators will give the player evaluation to the Camp Coordinator.  Camp Coordinator will enter all the evaluations for each category in a spreadsheet and keep the evaluations in a binder by category and date.  At the end of the tryouts the binder with all the evaluations will be given to the KC President.  The player evaluation will be accumulated and ranked from highest to lowest and will be provided to the Coaches, Directors, President and board member on the date of team selection.
  3. After the third skate, the evaluation committee, including the coach, Board Member and Director, will review the evaluator’s finding
  4. At the fourth skate the committee will again evaluate the player.  At this time, the stronger players will move to the fifth session using the evaluation rating
  5. After the fifth skate the team will be made up using the evaluation rating. If need be, there will be a sixth skate then the team will be made.
  6. The Evaluation criteria will be available to parents on the KC website. The evaluation of each player must be well documented
  7. Complaints or disputes on evaluations or player placement on teams may be appealed in writing to a committee made up of neutral people. The decision of this committee is final. These matters are within the sole purview of The Knights of Columbus and not appealable to Hockey Edmonton.
  8. How do we inform the players/parents on the placing of their son/daughter:
    • Each and every player will be notified by their tryout directors.
    • Ratings of players will not be given to other players due to Freedom of Information