General Placement & Eligibility Information

MAHA uses a structured placement process to evaluate players and form teams for each season. The goal is to provide every player with a fair and consistent evaluation and place them at the level that best matches their current skills, development, and overall ability. Placement decisions are based on the evaluation process and the needs of each team and age level.

General Placement Information

Players who meet the eligibility requirements established by MAHA, Minnesota Hockey, and USA Hockey may participate in the MAHA placement process.

Placements are required for players who wish to be considered for a travel team, including AA, A, B1, B2, or C levels when those classifications are offered. The number and classification of teams formed each season are based on registration numbers, available players, competitive balance, and applicable league and district requirements. MAHA does not guarantee that a team will be formed at every classification.

A player who chooses not to participate in placements will not be considered for a higher-level team. The player may be assigned to the lowest team offered at their age level, provided roster space is available. Registration alone does not guarantee placement on a specific team or at a specific classification. 

Attendance

Each player will be assigned a placement schedule to help maintain balanced evaluation groups and provide evaluators with a fair opportunity to assess every participant.

Players are required to attend only their assigned placement sessions. A player who arrives for a session they are not scheduled to attend may be asked to return for their assigned session.

Attendance at all assigned sessions is strongly encouraged. Missing a placement session may limit the information available to evaluators and could affect the player’s final placement.

Schedule Conflicts

When a player is unable to attend an assigned placement session, the parent or guardian must notify the Hockey Operations Director before the session begins.

MAHA will determine whether the player may attend a make-up or alternate session based on the placement schedule, available ice time, and evaluation needs. Make-up sessions are not guaranteed.

Players who miss a session without prior notice may be evaluated using the information available from the sessions they attended and other relevant placement information.

Injuries and Absences During Placements

Missing the Entire Placement Process

When an injury or medical condition prevents a player from participating in the entire placement process, the player’s parent or guardian must contact the MAHA Hockey Operations Director as soon as possible. Documentation from a licensed medical provider confirming that the player is unable to participate may be required.

The Hockey Operations Director and designated Placement Committee will determine the player’s placement based on the information available. This review may include:

• The player’s previous-season evaluations and team level.
• Feedback from the player’s previous coaches.
• Comparisons with players of similar skill and ability.
• The player’s known performance, development, and experience.
• Available roster space and the teams being formed at that age level.

Past team placement does not guarantee placement at the same level in the upcoming season.

Missing One or More Placement Sessions

A parent or guardian must notify the Hockey Operations Director before any placement session the player will miss. The notice must include the reason for the absence and identify any additional sessions the player will be unable to attend.

For an approved absence, MAHA may evaluate and place the player using the information available from the sessions the player attended. The Hockey Operations Director and Placement Committee may consider:

• The number of placement sessions completed and missed.
• The player’s evaluation results from completed sessions.
• Previous-season evaluations and team level.
• Feedback from previous coaches.
• Comparisons with similarly skilled players.
• Available roster space and overall team composition.

MAHA may offer an alternate or make-up session when scheduling and ice availability allow, but make-up sessions are not guaranteed.

Placement decisions involving an injured or absent player will be made on a case-by-case basis. These decisions are considered placement decisions and are not subject to the MAHA grievance process.

Placement Evaluators

The MAHA Hockey Operations Director, with assistance from designated hockey operations and placement personnel, is responsible for selecting evaluators and organizing the placement process.

Evaluators are expected to provide fair, consistent, and objective assessments of each player. Their primary responsibility is to evaluate players based on their performance during placements while helping MAHA maintain a safe and organized process.

MAHA may use both parent and non-parent evaluators. However, an evaluator who has a child participating at a specific age level may not evaluate, score, observe for placement purposes, or participate in placement discussions for that level. They may assist with evaluations at other age levels where they do not have a participating child.

All evaluators are expected to disclose any potential conflict of interest to the Hockey Operations Director before placements begin.

Placement Process

Placement schedules and group assignments will be posted on the MAHA website as soon as they become available. The number of placement sessions may vary by age level, registration numbers, and the needs of the placement process. Sessions are generally scheduled for approximately 60 minutes.

Initial placement groups may be created using a combination of alphabetical order, random assignment, position, and the need to maintain balanced numbers of skaters and goaltenders.

After the initial sessions, players may be reassigned to different placement groups based on evaluator scores and observations. These groupings allow evaluators to assess players alongside others with comparable skills and abilities.

Placement groups are used for evaluation purposes only. Assignment to a particular group does not guarantee placement on a specific team or at a specific classification.

Final team placements will be determined after all evaluations and placement information have been reviewed. Team classifications and roster sizes may vary based on registration numbers, player ability, competitive balance, and applicable MAHA, district, Minnesota Hockey, and USA Hockey requirements.

Goaltender Evaluation Session

MAHA may hold a separate goaltender-only evaluation session as part of the placement process. Goaltenders are required to attend this session in addition to any regular placement sessions assigned to them.

The session may include designated goaltender evaluators, a goaltender instructor, placement personnel, and volunteer shooters. Volunteer shooters will not be participating in the goaltender evaluation.

Goaltenders will be evaluated on position-specific skills, including skating, positioning, movement, rebound control, recovery, puck tracking, and overall game readiness. Results from the goaltender-only session will be considered together with evaluations from the goaltender’s regular placement sessions.