Policy on Injuries Before and During Tryouts
Plain language overview
This policy explains the requirements for player families when a player is either entering tryouts with a pre-existing injury; or is injured during tryouts.
All players and families should inform Myers AAA personnel when they have an injury that may affect their tryout performance.
If you believe you may have an injury that will affect your tryout attendance:
- Obtain a letter from a physician that states your player cannot participate in hockey.
- Present the letter to a Myers AAA Health and Safety authority (listed below)
The Myers AAA supports its players and families and considers the safety of all players as its top priority.
1. Effective date
1.1 This policy takes effect on March 27, 2025
1.2 This policy replaces the previous Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA policy entitled:
- Injuries & Tryouts; dated October 3, 2022
2. Authorities
2.1 This policy is intended to be supplementary to, and superseded by all relevant laws of Canada and the governance (e.g.: policies, bylaws, directives) of:
- Sport Information Resource Centre
- Hockey Canada
- Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO)
- HEO District 14 (AAA)
When a Canadian law or other governance instrument from one of the organizations listed above contradicts the policy herein, the other laws and/or governance shall supersede this policy.
2.2 Collectively, the Board of Governors for Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA Hockey Association has the authority to override this policy and can supersede this policy’s authority through a majority vote initiated by any member.
2.3 For the purposes of this policy, anyone who is serving in the role of Trainer for a team during a tryout event may determine at any time before or during a tryout event that any player on that team is unfit to play or participate in a tryout event due to a health and safety concern. Until such time as a review of that player’s ability to return to play can be assessed pursuant to this policy, the trainer’s decision shall be final and cannot be overturned by coaching staff or parents.
2.4 For the purposes of this policy, a Tryout Injury Review Board may be convened. This review board will conduct a review of a participation-limiting injury and will make evidence-based decisions pertaining to the continued eligibility of the injured player. These decisions and the player’s tryout eligibility/status will be final and indisputable.
3. Application
3.1 This policy and its associated policy instruments shall apply to all players registered for, and not yet released from tryouts with Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA Hockey Association for the duration of the tryout period.
3.2 This policy shall only be applicable during the Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA Hockey Association tryout period including: association tryouts, the Hockey Eastern Ontario District 14 combine, and any pre-season evaluations.
3.3 This policy does not apply to players with non-limiting injuries which do not affect a player’s ability to continue in tryouts per the established tryout schedule.
3.4 This policy does not apply during the regular season outside of the tryout period except in instances where the Myers AAA Board of Governors has identified, for any reason, a tryout event outside of the normal tryout period.
4. Context and objectives
This policy is intended to be read within the following context:
4.1 Player safety is the most critical aspect of minor hockey.
4.2 Proper administration of health and safety protocols ensures the continued safety of players, staff, and officials; and the ability of Canadian hockey’s governing bodies to continue to provide safe, insured, minor hockey services to Canadians.
The objectives of this policy include:
4.3 Hockey players trying out for an Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA team are evaluated in the safest possible manner that still affords a fair and merit-based assessment of their skills and suitability for that team.
4.4 A player’s return to play after a participation-limiting injury follows Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) Significant Injury Return to Play Policy and/or Concussion Return to Play Protocol including:
- Players who sustain a participation-limiting injury are assessed by a physician prior to returning to play.
- Players who sustain a serious injury or concussion follow the Hockey Eastern Ontario/Hockey Canada return-to-play process.
4.5 Decisions to return to play are evidence-based and are determined by an ad hoc Tryout Injury Review Board through consultation with various parties, and with reference to provided medical documentation and evidence.
5. Roles and responsibilities
When a participation-limiting injury has occurred which has the potential to persist during the tryout period, players and/or their parent(s)/guardian(s) must:
5.1 Report the participation-limiting injury to a Myers AAA Health and Safety Authority which includes any one of: the team’s Trainer (if the injury or concussion occurs during a tryout event), the team’s Head Coach, the team’s Parent Liaison (if one has been appointed), Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations, Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety, or any member of the Myers AAA Board of Governors.
5.2 Provide, within a reasonable timeframe, one of the following to the Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety (or their delegate):
a) To maintain tryout eligibility: a physician’s assessment of the player’s injury or concussion identifying that the severity of the injury or concussion prevents the player’s participation in tryouts, and possible timeframes for recovery and return to play.
b) To return to play: a letter from a physician determining that the player’s injuries no longer preclude them from continuing with tryouts (player will be required to follow the HEO Return to Play Process if the injury classifies as a serious injury or concussion).
c) To withdraw from tryouts: a written notice of voluntary withdrawal from tryouts. Note: if the player or their parent(s)/guardian(s) decide to withdraw from tryouts following a participation-limiting injury, none of the other procedures in this policy will be mandatory for the player.
After receiving a report of a participation-limiting injury, the Myers AAA Health and Safety Authority must:
5.3 Report the participation-limiting injury to all of:
a) The team’s Head Coach;
b) The team’s Trainer (if one has been appointed to a team during tryouts);
c) The team’s Parent Liaison (if one has been appointed to a team during tryouts);
d) The Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety;
e) The Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations; and
f) The Myers AAA Board of Directors.
After receiving a report of a participation-limiting injury, the Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations and/or the Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety must:
5.4 Acknowledge notification of the participation-limiting injury:
a) in writing to the player’s parent(s)/guardian(s);
b) referencing and providing this policy; and
c) formally requesting the documentation listed in section 5.2 above.
5.5 Convene a Tryout Injury Review Board to determine eligibility, return to play, or withdrawal. This board must include:
a) Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations
b) Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety
c) At a minimum—quorum of the Myers AAA Board of Governors.
5.6 Coordinating the review by the Tryout Injury Review Board. This coordination will include:
a) Collecting and distributing relevant evidence to the review board which may include (but is not limited to): medical documentation, video footage of the injury, the team’s tryout schedule, attestations by team staff, any other appropriate evidence deemed relevant by the review board; and
b) Coordinating consultation—as deemed necessary—with a variety of sources which may include (but is not limited to): the player’s parent(s)/guardian(s), the player (may have parent(s)/guardian(s) present), the team’s Head Coach, the team’s Trainer.
In conducting the review, the Tryout Injury Review Board must:
5.7 Make evidence-based decisions about the player’s ability to:
a) Maintain eligibility in tryouts while not being able to attend certain tryout events; and
b) Return to play following a timeline based on the advice of a physician.
5.8 Provide written notification of the review board’s decisions and their implications to all of:
a) The player’s parent(s)/guardian(s);
b) The team’s Head Coach;
c) The team’s Trainer (if one has been appointed to a team during tryouts);
d) The team’s Parent Liaison (if one has been appointed to a team during tryouts);
e) The Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety;
f) The Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations; and
g) All members of the Myers AAA Board of Governors.
6. Consequences of non-compliance
6.1 Players or their parent(s)/guardian(s) who choose to continue to attempt play and either: not report an injury; or report an injury as a non-limiting injury:
a) Hold harmless the Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA Hockey Association and all of its officers and agents in the event of further injury or other harms as a result of not reporting or mis-reporting;
b) Accept the roster decisions of the Head Coach should the injury contribute directly or indirectly to the player’s release; and
c) May report a participation-limiting injury at any time to invoke the required actions in this policy even if it was not reported earlier, or was reported earlier as non-limiting.
6.2 Players or their parent(s)/guardian(s) who do not provide sufficient evidence (including medical documentation) in a reasonable amount of time following a formal request for it, may be summarily deemed by the Tryout Injury Review Board to be ineligible to continue tryouts and would be released.
6.3 Myers staff who receive a report of a participation-limiting injury and do not undertake the actions mandated in this policy in a timely manner, may be subject to a disciplinary review by the Myers AAA Board of Governors pursuant to the Myers AAA Staff Ethics and Discipline Policy (to be released).
7. Definitions
Health and Safety Authority
This person serves as a person of authority within the Myers AAA organization who can receive a notification of injury. For the purposes of this policy, a health and safety authority is any one of: the team’s Trainer (if the injury or concussion occurs during a tryout event), the team’s Head Coach, the team’s Parent Liaison (if one has been appointed to a team during tryouts), Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations, Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety, or any member of the Myers AAA Board of Governors.
Non-limiting injury
For the purposes of this policy; a non-limiting injury is any minor injury, pain or illness which a player and/or their parent(s)/guardian(s) determine will not limit a player’s ability to participate in tryouts per the established schedule. Concussions are never deemed to be non-limiting.
Participation-limiting injury
For the purposes of this policy; a participation-limiting injury is any severity of injury, illness or concussion which will limit a player’s ability to participate in tryouts per the established schedule, regardless of the length of time the player will be absent from play.
Physician (from: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario)
Physicians are required to be registrants of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) to practise medicine in Ontario. The role of CPSO and its authority and powers are set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), the Health Professions Procedural Code under the RHPA and the Medicine Act.
Pre-season evaluations
Evaluations carried out at any time: after the initial association tryouts and HEO AAA District 14 Combine; and prior to finalizing a team’s official roster (typically up to mid-October of the regular season).
Serious Injury (from: Hockey Eastern Ontario)
Any injury that a player sustains (except Concussion) that requires the player to be absent from hockey for a period of greater than one week. Examples are, but not limited to, broken bones, severe sprains or strains, major lacerations, respiratory incidents, etc.
Note: with respect to this policy, a participation-limiting injury may result in absences of less than one week.
Trainer
For the purposes of this policy, a trainer is any person on the bench or on the ice during a tryout event, who also has a Hockey Trainers of Ontario HTCP Level 2 Certification (i.e.: trainer course plus first-aid certification/medical/para-medical credentials).
Tryout event
For the purposes of this policy, a tryout event includes any on-ice event including any physical activities related to the event (e.g.: warmup), and any off-ice, physical activities related to tryouts where a trainer is present (e.g.: fitness tests).
Tryout Injury Review Board
An assembly of: Myers AAA Director of Hockey Operations, Myers AAA Head of Risk and Safety, and—at a minimum—quorum of the Myers AAA Board of Governors who will determine eligibility, return to play, or withdrawal of a player in tryouts following participation-limiting injury.
Tryout period
For the purposes of this policy, the tryout period includes the association tryouts, the HEO AAA District 14 Combine, and any pre-season evaluations.
Associated policy instruments
Hockey Eastern Ontario Significant Injury Return to Play Policy