Vancouver Minor Hockey Association (VMHA) Team Managers play an important role in ensuring the hockey season operates successfully. Team Managers interact with the families on their team on a regular basis, assist coaches with tasks, and ensure the day to day details of the season are taken care of. Team Managers will interact with their Division Manager and other board members such as Ice Allocator, Registrar, and Coach Coordinator.

 

All Team Officials must attend the PCAHA and VMHA Coach/Managers meetings, which occur in late September or early October.

 

Start of Season

The Team Manager responsibilities begin once the team has been finalized. In “A” Divisions, this is once the formal tryout period has ended, and in “C” hockey, once balancing games have concluded. The Division Manager will provide the Registrar with the finalized list of players and officials for each team. The Registrar will add players and officials to the Hockey Canada Registry and TeamSnap.

 

TeamSnap

Each team at VMHA is assigned a specific name (for example, U11A1). Please do not change your TeamSnap Team Name.

Team Managers will have “Manager” level access, which will enable them to:

• View player/parent contact information*
• Oversee participant availability for scheduled games, practices and other events
• Communicate via email/chat
• Track payments and items
• Share files and photos

*It is expected that this information will be used only for VMHA-related matters ONLY. Participants may choose to hide their contact information, through their own TeamSnap accounts.

 

Team Officials

All teams should have a Head Coach, at least one Assistant Coach, and one or two Hockey Canada Safety People (HCSPs) in addition to the Team Manager.

Rep or “A” teams may choose to have a Team Treasurer to create the team budget and manage additional expenses associated with the team.

All the above positions are eligible for the $160 Volunteer Refund.

The Division Manager will attempt to distribute team officials equally across all teams in the division. To request additional team officials, the Team Manager must:

1. Email the prospective official to fill out the Volunteer Registration Form
2. Copy registrar@vmha.com and your Division Manager in this email to notify them of this request

The Registrar will contact the prospective official regarding credentials required prior to being added to the team roster.

Officials will not be added to official rosters (or TeamSnap) and cannot participate with the team until their certifications are completed. All team officials need the following before being added to the team roster:

• Hockey Canada Number (HCN)
• Criminal Record Check (CRC)
• Respect in Sport (RIS)
• Concussion Awareness Training
• Hockey Canada Coaching clinic* or HCSP course

*Depending on the age group and division, Coaches will have until Dec. 1 or 15 the complete the required coaching clinics

 

Scheduling

All practices will be added to TeamSnap by the Ice Allocator to ensure you receive the correct information. Please do not add, edit or delete practices in TeamSnap.

The Team Manager will need to enter all other events in TeamSnap; games, tournaments, team meetings/parties, etc.

In October, PCAHA will post the league schedules on their Schedules/Standings Website (https://games.pcaha.ca/) and in your HiSports account.

Team Managers will work with the Ice Allocator to resolve any conflict games. It is the responsibility of the home team to provide a suitable replacement date/time for any games marked “conflict” on your PCAHA/HiSports schedule. You will need reach out to the visiting team manager to confirm the new time/date, then report back to the Ice Allocator to confirm acceptance.

Contact information for the other teams in your group will be available in your HiSports account. Once the new game time is confirmed, you will submit the information to your PCAHA League Manager in their desired format. Be sure to include the visiting team’s manager in this email.

U7-U9 will be responsible for scheduling their own games. The Division Manager will oversee this process, and Team Managers should be responsible for scheduling games, obtaining game numbers, paying referees, and ensuring scorekeeping is complete.

 

Ice Guidelines

Guidelines on ice can be found at Ice Information for Coaches and Managers

 

Game Numbers

Game numbers will be automatically assigned by PCAHA for all league games (U11 and up).

For all exhibition games, game numbers must be obtained in advance. The Team Manager will e-mail the appropriate PCAHA League Manager with the following information:

• Date of Game
• Start and End Time of Game
• Location of Game (Rink Name)
• Home Team
• Away Team

With this information, the League Manager will assign a game number and upload the game into HiSports.

 

Tournaments

Teams wanting to attend tournaments (local or out of town) must complete and submit to the VMHA President the Tournament Notification Form once you have been accepted into the tournament.

Before participating in any tournament, a team must obtain a Tournament Permission Number. The Team Manager will email the appropriate PCAHA League Manager with the following information:

• Tournament Name
• Hosting Association Name
• Dates of Tournament
• Location of Tournament
• Tournament Sanction #

Teams are responsible for tournament research/application, registration, payment, and obtaining/submitting the required information for each tournament entered.

 

Tournament Affiliates for Recreational Teams

"C" teams may apply for player relief/replacement when it finds itself without sufficient players (12 or fewer skaters or no goaltender) to attend a recreation tournament.  Your affiliates MUST be from a division lower. Exceptions for goalies and U18C players.

A completed BC Hockey Recreational Player Replacement/Relief Application is to be emailed to the VMHA Registrar along with the Parent Consent form for each affiliate and the Tournament Permission (TPN) form.

 

Score & Timekeeping

The home team is responsible for providing score- and time-keepers, as well as payment of officials. The Team Manager should ensure this is arranged in advance.

All scorekeeping must be done through the electronic scorekeeping system, HiSports and will require a device (laptop/tablet/smartphone) connected to the internet during the game. Team Managers will ensure scorekeepers have access to the necessary information (team HCR ID and game number) before the start of the game.

 

Spordle

https://hisports.app/

Once the team rosters are set, the Manager and Head Coach should be automatically linked to the team in Spordle.

These team officials should register for a Spordle account (requires personal email address and Hockey Canada ID). When logged in, the team’s HCR ID, schedule, game numbers, scores, and the contact information of the other teams in your group/flight will be available. Please ensure the contact information for your team officials (email and phone number) is accurate.

Spordle will be used for all scorekeeping in games and tournaments. The scorekeeper will need the Team HCR number (in Spordle, under “My Account” à “Teams”) and the game number (in Spordle or on the schedule at https://games.pcaha.ca/)

For additional information on Spordle, please visit: https://help.hisports.app/hc/en-us

 

Referees

Please contact the VMHA Referee Assignor (refassignor@vmha.com) to obtain officials in the following situations.

Referees for Exhibition Games - for U9 to U13 A&C

• Email the VMHA Referee Assignor - with the subject title: "Request for Officials - (Team Designation - e.g.. U13A1)"
• In the body of the email detail the particulars of the game: game number, home team, visiting team, location, date & time.

 Referees for Exhibition Games - U15 and up

• Provided the request is received/game is scheduled by the PCAHA League Manager more than 3 days in advance, officials will be assigned by the New West Ref. Assignor (U15C) or the Zone 4 Referee Assignor (U15A - U21)
• If a request is made less than three days before the game is to be played, the League Manager will likely require you to arrange for your own officials. In that case contact the VMHA Referee Assignor with the particulars of the game: game number, home team, visiting team, location, date & time.

 Referees for Regular Season Games – U13 and below

• If you have requested a game number from PCAHA League Manager, the game will be in Spordle PLAY and the assigned referee will see it and assign officials accordingly. 
• Please notify the ref assignor of any conflict games and/or rescheduled games,

 Referees for Regular Season Games – U15 and above

Referees are assigned at the time the schedule is created in Spordle PLAY. A manager should only have to arrange officials in the case of a reschedule inside of the three-day window.

 

Paying Referees

It is the responsibility of the home team to pay the officials. Payment should be available in the scorekeeper’s box at the start of the game (exact amount*, IN CASH, no e-transfers – this is a PCAHA rule).

Referee and linesperson expense allowances for all games within the PCAHA can be found on the PCAHA website under Referee Information (scroll down to Referee Allowances). 

*Reminder to have exact change for three-person and two-person systems in case there is a situation where only two officials are at the game.

 

 

Referee Fee Reimbursement

The VMHA Treasurer (treasurer@vmha.com) will provide an advance, usually to the Team Manager, at the start of the season.

Please download, and fill out VMHA Cheque Request-Referee Fees and Email to treasurer@vmha.com with subject "VMHA Officials Reimbursement - <Team Name>" Use this as a guide: VMHA Cheque Request - Referee Fees - Example 

At the end of the season, teams will be required to complete and submit to the treasurer the VMHA End of Season Referee Fee Reconciliation form

NOTE:  VMHA will not reimburse the cost of referee fees paid for exhibition games. This is a team expense.  The exception is for games played during phase 2 of rep tryouts up to Sept 25 and for internal  'C' balancing games.  

Affiliate Players

Division Managers will provide Team Managers with a list of Affiliate Players. Coaches/Team Managers may call on Affiliate Players in accordance with the PCAHA Rule Book and VMHA Policies. Rules differ across age groups and divisions so please ensure you are familiar with those applicable to your team.

Proper permissions must be obtained before Affiliate Players are used, and improper/unauthorized use of Affiliate Players will lead to suspension, forfeits and/or fines.

“A” Team Managers may also assist in ensuring Affiliate Players attend sufficient team practices, as indicated by the coaching staff.

 

Special Event Sanctioning

Special events sanctions are required for events such as (but not limited to) dryland training, fundraisers, and other activities outside of regular hockey programming.  Please refer to Special Event Sanctioning for guidelines and request form.  Please use vmhaadmin@vmha.com as the email on the request form.

 

Team Uniforms/Apparel/Equipment

Division Managers will assist in the distribution of team uniforms at the beginning of the year. The Team Manager must keep track of uniforms over the course of the season, and ensure they returned clean and in good condition at the end of the year. Additional information around jersey care can be found at VMHA Jersey Care Policy

Any additional requests for equipment should be referred to equipment@vmha.com. Ensure your team designation is referenced in the subject line.

 

Team apparel (track suits, warm up gear, bags, hats, etc.) can be ordered online at: VMHA Apparel

 

Please note that unauthorized use of Vancouver Minor Hockey Association logos is not allowed.

 

Official Complaints and Appeals

Occasionally the Team Manager may receive a complaint. Most complaints are resolvable at the team level, and every effort should be made to do so. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the coaching staff and/or Division Manager may be asked to assist. If the Division Manager is unable to resolve the issue, they will refer the complaint to the President or Vice President of VMHA. More information can be found in this document:

http://www.vmha.com/upload/doc/VMHA_Complaint_Resolution_Process_August_2016.pdf

 

Conduct Problems

Problematic or disruptive behavior is to not be tolerated, and it is important for team officials to set clear expectations at the start of the season. All teams must have a team meeting, outlining appropriate behaviour and safety guidelines. For discipline to be effective, both players and parents need to be aware of the expectations and consequences before disciplinary action is taken. Please ask other team officials to inform you of any serious behavior problems that they encounter, players, parents, or officials. You can contact the Division Manager and/or VMHA 1^st Vice President for assistance in dealing with these issues.

 

End of Season

The Division Manager will help facilitate the collection of all equipment assigned to teams within each division. You be provided with information and direction regarding end-of-season collection in late February or early March.

Thank you for your support and dedication to making Vancouver Minor Hockey Association a success!