2017-18 Rep Player Selection Process

The information in the following pages will provide an overview for the Vancouver Thunderbirds' rep player selection process for the 2017-18 season. Changes have been implemented in order to:

1. Establish a closer alignment with Hockey Canada processes
   This season, we will be implementing a version of the Hockey Canada rep tryout process with two specific alterations made:
   • the Hockey Canada model requires a full tiering system for all players (house and rep). As a member of PCAHA, we do not tier our recreational teams therefore they follow a separate process. Modifications were made to create a system for the rep division only.
   • it was a goal to ensure that every player, no matter on where they start in the process, have an opportunity to make the A1 team and, conversely, no player is guaranteed a spot on a rep team. To do this, player movement will include upward, lateral and downward options at each stage based on the player's performance during that stage as opposed to only upward or lateral movement.
2. Allow for selections for all rep teams to be completed in a timely manner with the 2017-18 process being completed, with players selected for all rep teams, within a 3 week period.
3. Removal of Combine testing from the tryout process and transfer of this resource to be part of the in-season development plan.

Hockey Canada outlines the following objectives of any player evaluation process:
♦ To provide a fair and impartial assessment of a player's total hockey skills during the skating and scrimmage sessions
♦ To ensure that players have a reasonable opportunity of being selected to a team appropriate to their skill levels as determined during the on-ice evaluations of the current year.
♦ To provide coaches with the opportunity and flexibility to build a team based in part on their own coaching philosophy and knowledge of player skills and attitude.
♦ To provide uniformity and consistency in the evaluation process such that a player and parent expectations are consistent from year to year as players move through the various levels of the association's programs
♦ To provide feedback in order to develop players

Details on the process for skaters and goalies are outlined in the sections below. Any information that is specific for each age group is included in each area.

After reading the information, should you have any questions, please contact:
Tanya Foley, Executive Director
tfoley@vancouvertbirds.ca