Evaluations are how we place every player on a team that fits their level. They're the part of the season families ask us about most, so this page explains exactly how the process works, what we're looking for, and what happens afterward.

1. Skills skate. A timed, measured on-ice session. Every player skates the same drills, twice, and the better of the two times is recorded.

2. Scrimmages. We will attempt to give every player three scrimmage games, with teams reorganized between games so evaluators see players against a range of competition. We understand that sometimes a player cannot make all three, and we will adapt accordingly.

3. Team placement. Rosters are finalized, coaches are assigned, and families are notified.

• Skating — speed, agility, edges and transitions, measured on timed drills.
• Offensive skills — puck control, passing, shooting and decisions with the puck.
• Defensive play — positioning, gap control and reading the play.
• Team play — how a player supports teammates and fits into a structure.
• Compete level — effort, and how a player responds when things aren't going their way.

The skills skate is made up of three timed drills. Each is skated twice, and the better of the two attempts is the one recorded.

Between them, the drills measure the things a scrimmage doesn't show reliably:

• Straight-line speed
• Agility and edge work — turns, transitions and changes of direction
• Puck control while doing both of the above

The drills are set by our evaluation provider and may change from season to season. 

U15 and U18 run both streams. You indicate a preference at registration.

Final placement depends on the number of teams we're able to ice at each level, and on safety. Where evaluators have a concern about a player's readiness for contact, SWZ may place that player in the non-body checking stream. This can happen at any point in the process, including after the skills skate.

This is not a judgement on a player's character or effort. It's about keeping players safe in a checking environment. If your player is moved, you'll hear it directly from your Category Director before teams are announced, not from a roster posting.

Tiering places a player at a level. Team placement then balances rosters within that level. Two players at the same tier won't always end up on the same team, and that isn't a reflection of their evaluation.  Evaluations are run by trained evaluators across multiple sessions, and the results reflect what they saw over the whole process. We stand behind them. If there are genuine medical or compassionate circumstances affecting your player's placement, those are handled through the process set out in our Evaluation Policy. Disagreement with an evaluation result is not itself a ground for review. If you have concerns about your team placement, please contact your Category Director.