Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association
U9 Hockey Program
Last Update: 2024-09-16
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE U9 GAME FORMAT AND REGULATIONS AS MANDATED BY HOCKEY SASKATCHEWAN.
* It is important for U7, U9 & U11 coaches / TEAMS to be aware of the later start dates for games in their applicable age divisions. These later start dates for games are established by Hockey Saskatchewan and must be adhered to by all teams in Saskatchewan in these age groups..
U7 - no games of any kind before December 1st;
U9 - no games of any kind until November 15th at which time exhibition games are permitted. Tournament games permisable starting December 1st and league play January 1st.
U11 - no games of any kind before November 15th at which point games of all types may be played (league, exhibition & tournament).
Important: Hockey Sask sets a maximum # of total games per season (exhibition, league, and tournament) for these age groups as follows:
U7 - 35,;
U9 - 45,;
U11 - 45.
See the Hockey Sask Handbook for more information.
NOTE - ALL U9 GAMES MUST BE PLAYED IN HALF-ICE FORMAT FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON (WAS EFFECTIVE IN 2021-22). This applies to tournament, league and exhibition games - all games.
Purpose:
To promote SMHA policy of providing fun and enjoyment while at the same time stressing the values and appreciation of improved skating and hockey skills.
To ensure that there is fun and enjoyment while at the same time providing good competition by ensuring that players are encouraged to play with and compete with other players of similar skills, abilities and desires.
To provide a program which ensures that all players will enjoy equal opportunities of ice time during practice instruction and games.
To provide guidelines which encourage coaches and other team executives to improve their own coaching qualifications and instructing skills by participating in coaches' certification programs.
Each coordinator must ensure that every coach and his assistant attend the initiation program coaches clinic. The SMHA should endeavor to promote and advertise this clinic.
To promote other instruction programs which provide opportunities for coaches to improve their own instructional techniques in theory, technical and practical skills and coaching philosophy.
To promote the concept of proficient innovative training and developmental programs for goaltenders by teams, communities and zones. The emphasis being to develop as many goaltenders as reasonably feasible on developmental teams. (i.e. player position rotation system.) Goaltenders must be identified on game sheets to ensure teams are giving all players the opportunity to try the position.
The overall objective in the SMHA U9 program is to ensure that any player who indicates an interest in goaltending should be given the opportunity to try the position. Therefore, coaches should encourage all of their players to try the position. However, if a player, after being asked, clearly does not want to try the position, the coach should not insist that the player do so.
Teams in U9 cannot have designated goaltenders. All players should rotate through and play all positions throughout the season. All players at this level should be receiving instruction in all aspects of the game i.e. skating, puck handling etc.
For leveling purposes, in the U9 program, the zones should evaluate all players on the basis of their overall abilities. Goaltending will not be one of the skills being evaluated.
Team Concept:
Emphasis shall be placed on:
Providing fun and enjoyment while stressing the value and appreciation of improved skating and hockey skills. Individual skating skills are the priority at the U9 level.
Promoting and encouraging players to participate in power skating and hockey instruction programs other than those offered by the SMHA.
Ensuring that qualified, proficient and innovative instruction is maintained during practice sessions and games.
Practice to game ratio - 42 % games (18 games), 58 % practice ice time (25 practices)
Note: SMHA Zones will also provide 4 pre-evaluation ice times (not evaluated) to each U9 player prior to evaluations starting.
The U9D league will play regular season games at Granatier Sportsplex for much of the first round of league games. The second round of games will be played on other City rinks, creating a development progression. U9D teams will receive additional practice ice times to ensure the budget value of ice time is consistent throughout all four levels of U9 hockey.
**IMPORTANT: Hockey Saskatchewan does not permit games of any kind to begin until November 15th in U9 hockey.**
Where possible, each week of the regular season (after November 15th) shall include one game and one practice. Possible Exceptions: Two practices scheduled in the first full week returning from Christmas break. Two - three practices scheduled during the February break week; Two games scheduled in each of the last two weeks of the season.
February - March Schedule:
The U9 Chairperson will review the internal standings to determine the schedule for February and March so that teams face similar competition in games in the latter portion of the season based on their game results in the first portion of the season.
Ice Time Allocation / Ice Time Changes:
Since SMHA ice is subsidized by the City of Saskatoon for use by Saskatoon residents, teams are not allowed to invite out of town teams to share SMHA allocated ice and this must not occur. However, if you wish to rent your own ice, out of town teams are welcomed.
- Practice times allocated to U9 shall be 60-minute time slots.
- Game time ice allocation will be 55-minutes per the Hockey Sask program and to allow for time to take down half-ice board systems or bumpers.
- Game time ice allocation for games at Granatier Sportsplex will be 60-minute allocations as there are no bumper or boards to take down.
When a team wishes to change SMHA allocated ice they must fill out the correct SMHA ice time change forms, as per the SMHA handbook at least ten days prior to the change. Failure to comply will result in the approved suspensions and/or fines in the SMHA regulations.
Referees:
Referees will be used in all divisions of U9. In the event that no referees show up to referee a game, at least one coach is to be supplied to act as a referee. No sticks are to be used by these coaches / referees. Hockey Canada rules call for all games to be played. SMHA recommends that each team has one registered team official (insured) carry skates, helmet and a whistle to all games in case they are required to referee the game.
One referee will be used in half-ice play unless otherwise scheduled.
Verbal abuse or harassment of officials in U9 will not be tolerated and team officials who do so will be dealt with harshly. U9 will have the youngest officials and verbal abuse is unaccceptable.
**Coaches receiving an Unsportsmanlike Conduct Game Misconduct from a referee in green arm bands will see their suspension doubled at a minimum.
All Coaches should ensure that their players have proper fitting equipment which provides adequate protection.
Coaches:
Click here for the Hockey Sask mandated Coaching Certification requirements for U9.
Coaching certifications must be obtained by December 20th.
Leveling:
Zones will level as follows:
"A" - advanced development teams
"B" - intermediate development teams
"C" - development teams of mid-level to lesser skilled skaters.
"D" - developmental teams of beginner level to lower level skilled players
Zones are expected to communicate to parents that U9 A must consist of the most advanced players in the Zone, who are committed to becoming students of the game by attending practices for the purposes of developing individual skills as well as developing concepts of team play (strategies of attack, controlling ice, etc.). A major portion of the winter will be devoted to hockey (tournaments, fund raising etc.)
U9 B players are expected to develop skating and puck-handling skills first and sophisticated concepts of team play second. A lesser amount of parent resources and time is required.
U9 C players are expected to concentrate on skating and puck-handling. Fewer resources of parents are required.
U9 D players are expected to concentrate on skating skills and progress into puck skills. Fewer resources of parents are required.
Zones must use the following leveling requirements:
Minimum team size requirements 12 players.
Emphasis should be place in having the teams registered to play at the highest level possible in order to further develop player's individual skills and abilities.
Exception:
Where Zones are unable to field four (4) teams the following would apply:
Two teams:
The Zone would be required to field one team at B and one team at C.
One Team
The Zone would be required to field the team at B.
Click here for the approved 2024-25 U9 Team Registration Grid:
CRITERIA FOR ZONES TO REQUEST TO GO AHEAD OF THE GRID:
1) 50% or more second year players within the age division
2) 50% played B or higher (U9 & U11)
3) Supported by previous two year’s win/loss record.
It is anticipated that different zones will be strong in different years but that across several years each zone will have fielded stronger and weaker teams.
Zones are expected to develop an objective method of player assessment. At U9 A, the matter of convenience (i.e., same school, same neighborhood, etc.) and of aspirations of coaches will take second place to skill assessment.
Deviation from the prescribed leveling shall require the permission of:
Zone Commissioner
SMHA U9 Chairperson
Majority vote of U9 Coordinators
SMHA Board of Directors
Concessions to the grid may be made upon approval from the SMHA Board of Directors as follows:
The Zone requesting a concession (in either direction) from the above grid would have to inform the SMHA U9 Chairperson as soon as possible after their registration. The U9 Chairperson will then call a meeting of the U9 Committee comprised of all zone U9 Coordinators to review the proposal by the zone making the request. A recommendation would then be made to the SMHA Board of Directors. It should be remembered that teams are to be formed based on individual skills and not with the emphasis placed on making winning teams.
All teams within a zone must have no more than one player difference on roster by level. Example: U9 A- 14 players; U9 B- 14 players; U9 C - 13 players; U9 D - 13 players. All teams in each zone must be balanced in numbers. Number of players per U9 team: Minimum of 12 per team to a maximum of 15 per team.
TOURNAMENTS
All U9 teams may play in a maximum of five (5) sanctioned tournaments per season. (Sanctioned tournaments as defined by Hockey Saskatchewan / SMHA).
All U9 teams must obtain a sanction from Hockey Saskatchewan to host exhibition games and/or tournaments. No exceptions. Sanction requests are available on the SMHA website as all requests must flow through SMHA to Hockey Sask.
Teams cannot participate in unsanctioned tournaments or games or they will be subject to suspension.
Rules
See Hockey Sask U9 program rules for game timing and shift lengths
Two 24-minute halves
2-minute shifts on the horn
Game sheets are required in all U9 half-ice games - league, exhibition or tournament games.
It is the responsibility of the coach of each team to ensure that game sheets are filled out completely and correctly. Time Clock is to be operated by the home team, scorekeeping the responsibility of the visiting team. Goaltender(s) for each game must be clearly marked on the game sheets by circling their number and marking a G beside the name.
In U9, the score boards are to be utilized for keeping of time and scores. A five (5) goal scoreboard rule is to be used and thus no greater than a five-goal differential should be shown on the scoreboard at any time. EG - 5-0, 6-1, 7-2, 8-3, etc. Standings will not be posted in U9 or U11.
Line Changes:
All five skaters must change together on every line change if possible (if the team has 11 or more players in the game).
For SMHA league games, a player may not play more than 50% of the games as goaltender. The goaltender must be indicated on the game sheet for every league game.
Serious Penalties: are to be dealt with according to rules set forth by governing bodies.
Coaches shall ensure that all players on a team shall receive an equal amount of ice time in every game - Exhibition and Tournaments inclusive. Emphasis should be on development and not on winning.
Hockey Canada No Body Checking Rule 6.2 (b) - U9 and U11 hockey are considered no body checking leagues where body checking is not permitted. In the divisions of U9 and U11, a minor or major penalty shall be assessed any player who, in the opinion of the referee, intentionally body checks, bumps, shoves or pushes any opposing player. If a player is injured, a Major penalty must be assessed. When the offensive player is skating towards the defensive player, the defending player may not hit the offensive player by going in the opposite direction to that player. The body contact must be as a result of the movement of the offensive player. There must be no action where the offensive player is pushed, checked or shoved into the boards. Where, in the opinion of the referee, accidental or incidental contact has taken place, no penalty shall be assessed. Incidental contact between players due to puck battles and battling for space will occur during the course of a game and is permitted - body checking or purposeful pushing or shoving is not.
SMHA recommends that coaches advise their players to keep their gloves on during the handshake process for safety purposes.
During back-to-back ice times (to avoid congestion in the doorways to the ice surface) teams coming on to the ice surface should be allowed onto the ice before those leaving have left. Those leaving shall line up along the boards away from the entry gate until all players have come onto the ice surface.
Program Committee:
The U9 Program Committee will consist of the U9 Program Chairperson, plus seven (7) U9 Coordinators or their substitute representing the SMHA Zones. Each zone U9 Coordinator will ensure that their zone is represented at each meeting.