Hello Everyone,
We have been unable to update some of you individually by email due
to some technical glitches within our new registration system. While some of you may have received an email, we are now being told many of you did not. If you are not getting emails from our system (there has only been one so far, sent on Sept 8, 2021) please reach out to update your emails with your convenor or the Registrars. Our new registration system does not supply us with the same contact information it used to.
The information contained within this post is a compilation of information that has been posted on the website for the last week – however; it has been updated with some new dates and any new details we have determined within the last few days. Please take a moment to read through the information.
Season Information & Covid’s Impact
We wanted to provide an update to everyone on where we are at with planning our season. Our young hockey players and their families have been anxiously awaiting the fall months ahead after a year filled with challenges and uncertainties. Fall brings many changes including the start of a new school year and the promise of hockey. Your Executive has been working tirelessly behind the scenes, planning for a safe return to the rinks.
Development Skate schedules are up on the website – you will be contacted by your Convenor with more details in the coming days. Keep checking your email and the website for any last-minute changes. Subscribe to the calendars and text reminders – this will help if there are any last-minute scheduling changes that need to occur.
We are happy to confirm the return of tryouts for eligible age groups. More details regarding the seasonal schedule as well as the tryouts schedule will be posted on the website soon.
We would be doing everyone a great disservice if we did not take this opportunity to manage everyone's expectations for the upcoming season. We had high hopes that this season would restore hockey back to its old ways. We were encouraged by OMHA and OWHA to plan for a “normal” season, and we have. However, we need to be cautious and realistic in that this is anything but a normal season.
As most of you are probably aware, there has been a lot of discussion about Covid and its impact on amateur sport. Late last week, the MLHU recommended smaller cohorts, no interleague play and that all players 12+ and all volunteers be vaccinated. In the best interest of our Lambeth families, we will continue to push forward with our season as is until notified otherwise.
If any of our six different governing bodies continue to make changes to their rules, we will potentially be forced to make significant changes to programming, team sizes and difficult decisions across all age groups. We know how difficult this is to take in.We appreciate your continued patience as this situation is literally changing day-by-day.
Please review all provided updated Covid protocols for the Lambeth Arena and for our Minor Hockey Association from our Covid Coordinator. Details can be found on our website. Everyone who flows through our arena is expected to adhere to all current guidelines set by Hockey Canada, the OHF, OMHA and the OWHA, as well the Middlesex-London Health Unit and the City of London.
OMHA & OWHA Vaccination Mandates
In light of the growing trends among multiple amateur sport organizations, it has been confirmed that both OMHA and OWHA will now require proof of full vaccination in order to participate in our upcoming season.
As a condition of participation in the OWHA, players and other participants who were born before 2010 must be fully vaccinated as soon as possible and by no later October 17, 2021. A formal policy will be made available in the coming days.
OMHA will be mandating that all eligible participants involved in minor hockey, are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 for the upcoming season. All eligible participants are required to be fully vaccinated by October 31, 2021. For specific details on the policy, please click here.
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Vaccine
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In Order to Play - Must be Vaccinated by:
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1st dose
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September 17th
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2nd dose
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October 17th
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*At a minimum - Proof of first dose and second appointment must be provided at time of tryout. Proof of second dose must be provided by October 17th to meet the OMHA OWHA vaccination deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS
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·Follow-up will be required for second vaccine appointment - if proof is not provided prior to October 31st, child will not be able to continue with the team
·To be able to meet the mandated policy deadlines, the second vaccine dose must be administered no later than October 17th
·Vaccine-Eligible players will not be allowed to try-out for Competitive teams or be placed on HL/LL teams without proof of vaccination
·This applies to ALL Volunteers, Instructors, Association Officials & Team Officials (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, On-Ice Helpers)
If this changes your player’s status for the upcoming season, please notify us at your earliest convenience by sending an email to our registrars.
As an association, we are working to determine how we will further facilitate these new mandates. Please continue to check the website and email.
Refund Requests
Understanding that the new mandated policies affect everyone differently, please review the refund information and reach out to the registrars if you wish to go this direction.
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Please note the following:
· If the skater never touches the ice – they will receive a full refund (this is inclusive of development skates & tryouts)
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· If they attend development skates and then request a refund - refunds will be prorated and based on ice utilization per player – less a $50 handling fee
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Date Request Received
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Refund Amount
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Prior to September 12th
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Full refund (including volunteer fee and tryout fee)
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September 12thto 30th
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Registration fee plus Volunteer fee, less tryout fee (if attended) and less $50 handling fee
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October 1stto 31st
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Registration fee less $125, less tryout fee (if attended) and less $50 handling fee
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There will be no refund of volunteer fee.
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November 1stto 30th
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50% of Registration fee refunded less $50 handling fee.
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80% of Competitive team fee refunded
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There will be no refund of Volunteer or Tryout fees.
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After November 30th
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NO REFUNDS*
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As a reminder, MHAL is made up entirely of volunteers. Your patience with all screeners, on-ice helpers and members of the Executive is appreciated. We had no say in any policy decisions that were made – but our volunteers and association must implement them to get our kids back on the ice. Regardless of your stance on the vaccine mandate, please remember that while you are within a City of London facility, you must adhere to the R Zone policy.For more information on the R Zone policy, click here.
There are bound to be a few hiccups in the arena the first few weeks, please stick with us as we work out the bugs.
Regardless of the roadblocks that continue to get thrown our way, we are fully committed to moving forward with our season and getting our kids back on the ice - and will do so until we are told differently.
Thank you for your patience and understanding,
MHAL Executive