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Minnesota Hockey Announces Rule Changes For 2019-2020

By Minnesota Hockey, 09/18/19, 11:30AM CDT

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Changes Include Play-Up Policy, Invitational Tournaments and Nationals

St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Hockey Board of Directors has instituted multiple rule changes for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. Minnesota Hockey enacted rules designed to provide more players the opportunity to play with their classmates, to enhance the communication and transparency involved in the management of invitational tournament applications and established rules and requirements for USA Hockey National Championship eligibility.

Age Classifications: Minnesota Hockey adopted a policy that now requires associations to accommodate players with July/August birth dates who request to “play up” to participate with their classmates. Minnesota Hockey has had a long-standing policy of requiring associations to have a policy on “play up” requests, and this addition is designed to ensure players have the opportunity to play with their classmates if desired.

Invitational Tournaments: Invitational Tournament hosts will now be required to respond within ten business days of the receipt of any tournament application and inform the applicant whether the application is accepted, incomplete, declined or wait listed.  Depending on the status of the application, the applicant and/or host will be required to adhere to defined standards.

Once an application is officially accepted, it will be deemed a final decision, and the host will not be permitted to decline a previously accepted application unless the tournament is cancelled.

USAH National Championship Eligibility: Minnesota Hockey established the rules, requirements and process for Minnesota teams interested in participating in USA Hockey National Championships, in addition to USA Hockey’s eligibility requirements. Key components of the policy include:

  • Tier I and Tier II designations are restricted to classifications for which USA Hockey conducts National Championships
  • Players on Tier I, Tier II and High School National Tournament bound teams must be Minnesota residents.
  • Policies were set for Tier I league oversight, season schedule, number of teams, tryouts and district playoffs.
  • Tier II and High School teams desiring to participate in USAH Nationals must submit an application and deposit fee for district playoffs by June 1.

The Minnesota Hockey Handbook, including all youth rules and regulations, can be found here. Each season Minnesota Hockey notes changes and additions to its handbook from the previous season using grey highlights.

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