Open Borders and Freedom of Movement in the Ontario Hockey Federation
The Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) has recently announced the removal of residential borders, allowing players the freedom to choose which hockey association they wish to play for, regardless of their home location. This is a significant shift that provides more opportunities for players to join programs that best align with their goals and aspirations.
What changed, and why?
On December 17, 2024, the OHF announced the removal of borders for U10 and above, at all levels, meaning players are no longer restricted to playing within residential boundaries of their local hockey associations. Instead, players are now able to play for any hockey association in Ontario without a release from their home association. This provides players the freedom and choice to play where they want.
What this means
While YSE families may be concerned about this change, we feel that it is a monumental shift to minor hockey that will compel associations to build attractive, competitive programs that can both retain and recruit top talent and provide world-class development opportunities for players as they progress in their hockey careers.
Our approach
We are committed to being at the forefront of this new hockey landscape. We recognize that this change will increase competition among associations, and we welcome that challenge. Our goal is to be the association of choice, and our approach will focus on offering the best in every aspect of hockey development:
● Development: We are committed to helping every player maximize their potential through best-in-class training and development programs
● Coaching: Our coaches have a proven track record of fostering both individual skill development and team success
● Facilities: Players benefit from access to world-class facilities in a central location with all home games played at St. Andrew’s College
● Integrity: We will continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity, ensuring that every aspect of our program is fair, respectful, and player-centered.
● Fees: We are committed to keeping fees competitive and fair while providing exceptional value in every aspect of our program.
What we offer
YSE has a long history of providing top level AAA hockey development and programming since its inception in 1989, with a long list of successes and accomplished alumni coming out of our program, and backed by strong governance and financial integrity. We will continue to deliver what has made us successful in the past, while focusing on enhancing and building up our programs with the very best in coaching, development, facilities, officiating, and support for our aspiring athletes. In addition to hockey programming, YSE is active in our surrounding community and strives to instill the values of leadership, community service, diversity and inclusion, and academic success in our athletes.
Our successes include:
● Regularly among the top AAA teams from U10 - U18, competitive and strong at each level and heavily represented at OMHA Championship tournaments, OHL Cups, and OHF championships each spring
● Consistent OHL draft success at the U16 age. YSE boasts over 20 draft picks in the last three drafts alone.
● YSE was home to many successful NHL players, such as Connor McDavid, Quinton Byfield, Sam Bennett, Alex Newhook, and Robert Thomas, not just for a season but for several years
● On current NHL rosters, YSE is the 3rd most represented minor hockey association from Ontario!
Coaching excellence
We attract and retain the best coaches at all levels, and our coaching staff have a proven track record of balancing individual skill development with team success. Coaches have access to mentorship and guidance from our General Manager of Hockey Operations and Coach Mentor, Peter McBride. Peter brings extensive coaching expertise and mentorship to our coaching staff, with experience at the Junior A and University level he also works with Hockey Canada as well.
Development Program
We offer a comprehensive development program designed to support players in every aspect of their growth. Our complete player development program includes:
○ Dryland training programs
○ Video analysis
○ Certified Athletic Therapists, including a head Athletic Therapist
○ Goalie specific training in partnerships with local goalie training facilities
○ Access to power skating and skills training
○ Access to mental performance coaching and nutritionists
○ U10/U16 mentorship program
Community initiatives
YSE is active in our surrounding community and believes strongly in instilling values of community service and giving back. Some of our annual initiatives include:
● Pink in the Rink - U16 fundraising campaign raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research
● Movember - U18 fundraising campaign raising awareness and funds for men’s health
● Holiday cards for seniors - each team spreads joy to our local senior centres during the holiday season
● Food and coat drives - providing food and warmth to local food banks and shelters during the holiday season
● Indigenous equipment drive - gathering donations of hockey equipment for Indigenous hockey communities
● Team community initiatives such as local Terry Fox runs, Adopt-a-Family at Christmas, stocking the community fridge, and the Southlake Hospital charity run.
Leadership
We have a strong focus on developing leadership qualities in our athletes, and reinforce this through a number of prestigious awards that are awarded at our annual banquet. We also recognize our active volunteer community for contributions to the association.
Awards include:
● Scholar awards and bursaries recognizing outstanding academic achievement
● Leadership Awards recognizing exceptional leaders and teammates
○ U10-U13 Teammate Awards
○ Robert Thomas U14-U18 Leadership Awards
● Daniel Catenacci Award for the top U16 OHL draft pick
● Team Community Service Award
● Volunteer of the Year Award
Facilities - St. Andrew’s College
Our association is proud to have a long-standing partnership with St. Andrews College. This provides us access to La Brier Family Arena, a world-class facility that is arguably the best in Ontario minor hockey. YSE contests all of their home games at La Brier Family arena, including the regular season and playoffs with at least one practice a week across all age groups. Additional features include dedicated warm up and dryland training pad, and an on site lounge for team video sessions, meetings and gatherings.
Tournaments
Our teams participate in top tournaments including the annual Silver Stick finals each year. We also host the Quinton Byfield Steam train Shootout, a CAN/AM invitational tournament for U12 and U13 top level teams.
Financial strength and integrity
Lastly, YSE’s financial position is strong, putting the association in a position to make strategic investments in providing world-class hockey programming while keeping fees as low as possible. We believe in strong financial governance and integrity, ensuring long term sustainability of our program while providing families with the best value for fair fees. We also have strict team budget policies and review processes, ensuring that team finances are fair and transparent and that team funds are spent responsibly.
What’s next
We are also working on a number of other exciting initiatives to further strengthen our hockey program, enhance player development, and to prepare our players for opportunities beyond youth hockey. Stay tuned for future announcements!
In closing
YSE is committed to being the top choice for AAA players in Ontario. We aim to create the best environment for young athletes to develop, compete, and thrive. Our focus on top-tier development, coaching excellence, world-class facilities, and strong financial governance and integrity ensures that your child will have the resources and support needed to succeed.
As this new era in minor hockey unfolds, we are excited to welcome families who share our vision for hockey excellence. We are confident that our program will continue to provide a leading edge for players who want to reach their full potential and take their game to the next level.
Under the new OHF rules, coaches, assistant coaches, or team parents are not permitted to have discussions with prospective parents or players until the OHF championships are completed in April. However, if you have questions regarding the information provided, please reach out to our VP of Hockey Operations, Mark Swirla, at [email protected]. We encourage you to subscribe to our email alerts and watch out for our evaluations schedule and registration information, which will be announced when permitted under OHF regulations.