Pre-Season Evaluation & Sort Outs

Sort Outs/Player Evaluations are performed prior to the start of each hockey season.  The objective is to perform a fair and impartial assessment of the players’ hockey skill set in order to create balanced teams, but most importantly to ensure the player finds him or herself at a level at which they are comfortable and will have fun.

Quite simply put, just tell your players to try their best.

Sort Outs are scheduled to start the week after Labour Day. Different age groups begin at different times. Specific session times will be assigned and posted on the Eastend website in advance of each session.  *Please arrive 30 minutes prior to start of session in order to have players sign-in and pick up their assigned pinnies*

Our hope is to have the evaluation process completed in about three weeks. House League teams cannot be finalized until the competitive teams have been finalized. Sometimes, it takes less time or it stretches longer. It's important to us to be very thorough in this process.

For the first session, groups will be divided alphabetically.  The purpose of this is to ensure a fair representation of the full range of players’ skill level for each session. Initially, there will be a wide range of skill levels on the ice. As we move into subsequent sessions, players will start to be on the ice with other players that are more similar in level. This is a fluid process in which players may move between groups from session to session.

The hockey skills that will be focused on and used as a base for evaluation are forward skating, stopping, turning, stick handling, and game play. In game play, evaluators are looking at general ability in game-type situations.

The first session of each level from U9-U15 will be a timed skill session. Timed skills are an objective way to first divide the players into groups for game play. After these first sessions, the players will participate in game-type play for the remainder of the sessions. U18 players jump right into game play.

• On-ice coaches will be explaining, demonstrating, and running the players through the various drills.
• Off-ice evaluators will be responsible for evaluating each player on the ice during the time allotted.  To ensure a fair and impartial assessment of the players, the evaluators will be non-parent volunteers, they will not have a child playing at the level being evaluated.
• Level Directors will be responsible for scheduling the sessions, tracking evaluations, and communicating with parents and players.

Full equipment is always mandatory. This includes:

• Protective Cup
• Shin Pads
• Hockey Socks
• Hockey Pants
• Skates (check to see whether skates need sharpening)
• Shoulder Pads
• Elbow Pads
• Hockey Gloves
• CSA Approved Helmet w/ Full Face Shield
• Neck Guard
• Mouth Guard* (highly recommended)

The EMHA will supply a practice jersey for the duration of the sort outs.

As groups are formed based on the evaluations of previous sessions, we will continue to update the “Sort Outs" section on the Storm website as quickly as possible and send emails to members of that level.  Given the short turn-around between some sessions, we urge you to check the website regularly for updated schedules.

The Gloucester Hockey Association (GHA) House League Regular Season is scheduled to begin the last weekend of September or early October, depending on the level.  As soon as evaluations are satisfactorily completed, practice times through the rest of September will be allocated to each team.

If your player is at the Association (House League) Level, they will go through an evaluation process and will be assigned to a team. No player is released once at the association level, everyone has a spot.