OMHA Boundaries

Figuring out if your kids can play in another town is not easy.  For girls playing in the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League, it's no problem.  Just figure out if the town you want to try out for allows imports.  That's it.  Get a permission to skate, then a release.  Easy.  For boys, there is movement within the GTHL, but outside of the GTHL, there are residency restrictions in rep hockey in Ontario.  If your child plays or tries out for AAA, it's a pain, but there is movement.  He has to try out for his own zone, then get released to try out for othere centres.  The process is more detailed than that but that's the general idea.  I have seen girls try out both for OMHA teams and girls teams at the same time.  The organizations are separate and no one knows the difference.
If you live in the Lake Ontario Region, your child can play in the GTHL or in your home organization.

"The Lake Ontario Region (LOR) includes the following centres/organizations: Richmond Hill; Markham; Ajax; Pickering; Brampton; Oakville and the GTHL which allows player movement at all divisions and levels (except AE and Select) ....Are Nobleking and Caledon residents part of the LOR? YES – for AAA only! Nobleking & Caledon residents cannot leave their association for AA; A etc" - from the Richmond Hill Stars http://www.richmondhillstars.com/img/content_images/Image/FAQs.pdf

So if you live in Caledon, Nobleking, Erin, Orangeville, Georgetown, Milton, etc. there is no movement, unless your child is AAA.For parts West - there is the Alliance.  Residency rules apply to Alliance towns unless your child wants to stay in House League.  The Alliance includes:

Brantford Church Hockey League, Brantford Minor Hockey Association, Burlington Lions Optimist Hockey Association,Cambridge Minor Hockey Association, Chatham-Kent AAA Zone, Elgin Middlesex Hockey Alliance, Greater London Hockey Association, Hamilton Minor Hockey Council, Huron Perth AAA Zone, Kitchener Minor Hockey Association, Lambton AAA Hockey, London Jr. Knights, Greater Fort Erie Minor Hockey Association, Sarnia Hockey Association, St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Association, St. Thomas Minor Hockey Association ** ,Stratford Minor Hockey Association, Sun County AAA Minor Hockey Association, Waterloo Minor Hockey Association, Windsor AAA Zone , Woodstock Minor Hockey, ** St. Thomas Minor Hockey Association is a member of the OMHA competing in the ALLIANCE Seeded League for the 2007-2008 season

The OMHA relaxed residency rules recently, but this seems to me to be just for towns with BB and below. Then your child can go to the next town.  Forgive me if I have misinterpreted this - and please comment.  Here's an article from the Star:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/853642--ontario-minor-hockey-association-relaxes-residency-rules   "“We feel that kids who play BB and below need to be afforded an opportunity to play and develop to their potential,” OMHA executive director Richard Ropchan said. “We always need to look at the programs we offer. We recognize this is something that’s necessary. “We are creatures of habit and don’t like change, but change is inevitable,” he said. “What may have worked 20 or 30 years ago does not necessarily work now.” Ropchan says the association expects to ratify the decision at its annual meeting next spring."

Hey, won't this be after spring tryouts?  Thanks OMHA, my son will be married with kids by the time you get done with this.  And your proposal is as clear as muck.

What does this mean for AA and A kids who don't make their home teams?  I can't tell..  According to a quote from the OMHA's Ropchan in York Region online at http://www.yorkregion.com/sports/article/868590--it-may-be-dream-world-thinking-for-omha-s-residency-proposal "Not surprisingly, Ropchan confirmed the OMHA’s telephone lines were buzzing Monday morning with requests for details, including the notion players unsuccessful at making their hometown team at the single or double-A level could make a parallel move to the next centre. That is not the case."

The latest update is now at http://hockeyzine.blogspot.com/2011/01/omha-approves-player-movement-proposal.html

This is a very important issue for Ontario Hockey families.  Please comment.