2022-03-10

SMHA ANNOUNCES IMPLEMENTATION OF A U15A CITY-WIDE LEAGUE

On February 7, 2022, the SMHA Board of Directors approved a motion to create a U15A league for 2022-23 that will have a city-wide tryout and draft format - similar to what is done for Saskatoon AA Hockey.

The purpose of moving to a city-wide draft for U15A is the same as it was in 2005 when SMHA introduced this format into our AA programs.  The City-Wide draft format provides the best opportunity for players that are deserving of making this level of hockey.  Currently, if a zone has a deeper group of players, they are limited to the number of spots open and players capable of playing U15A hockey end up in B.  Conversely, for a zone that has a thinner group of players, they are forced to move up players that are not at the U15A level in order to fill their teams. The city-wide draft creates the opportunity for a balanced league.  It also leaves our zones in a better position to have more parity in the B and C levels of U15 hockey.
 
SMHA also wants to do all it can to close the gap between our U15AA programming and our U15A program.  The city-wide U15A league will be set up to provide players in the league the best opportunity to improve their game in order to make a push to play AA and U18AAA as their minor hockey careers progress. 

SMHA will be drafting eight (8) teams for the U15A league.  We hope to attract non-parent coaches and offer the teams relatively similar practice ice totals as AA so the players in U15A can develop at a similar pace to U15AA players.

Watch for more exciting news coming on this new league in the near future...