Markham Waxers is following the Lake Ontario Region (LOR) Regulations set by the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) with respect to tryout and player releases. All player release decisions are made together by the Head Coach and the Waxers Executive.
Lake Ontario Region (LOR)
What is the LOR?
The LOR is the Lake Ontario Region and encompasses the City of Toronto (GTHL) and the following municipalities that border Toronto: Markham, Richmond Hill, Ajax, Pickering, Brampton, and Oakville (OMHA) and Mississauga and Vaughan (GTHL).
What are the LOR Regulations?
The LOR Regulations are a set of rules and regulations set forth by the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) that allow for players at rep hockey (AAA, AA, and A) to play outside of their municipality of residence, but only in the municipalities that are defined as part of the LOR.
The rules apply for U10 toU18 at AA and A and for U10 to U16 at AAA. U18 AAA has a separate set of rules – please see Midget AAA Pilot Project Rules.
LOR regulations do not apply to U9 players (any category), AE, MD, or Rostered Select players.
U14 to U18
For U14 and above, players are free to play for any LOR team in the OMHA or GTHL provided they obtain a Permission to Skate (PTS) form.
U10 to U13
For U10 to U13, players must obtain a release from their residential hockey association before they can play for another team in the LOR as outlined in the attached regulations and as described below.
Due to the fact that both the Markham Waxers and Markham Islanders/Majors organizations exist in Markham, there are specific rules for Markham residents that are also outlined in the information below.
What is an OMHA Centre/AAA Zone?
Markham/Unionville is the OMHA centre for teams at AA, A, AE, and MD and is defined geographically by the boundaries of the City of Markham.
The Markham Waxers AAA Zone includes both the City of Markham and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
Stouffville residents can play AAA for the Waxers, but cannot play AA, A or AE for the Waxers because Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association (WSMHA) is the OMHA Centre for AA, A and AE within the municipality of Whitchurch-Stouffville. WSMHA is not included in the LOR except for AAA players.
Can Markham residents play for other OMHA centres that are not part of the LOR?
At AAA, Markham residents are permitted to play for OMHA AAA teams that are not part of the LOR (e.g., York-Simcoe Express, Central Ontario Wolves, etc.), but first must attend tryouts for the AAA Waxers, be released by the Waxers, and obtain a AAA Waiver from the Waxers to do so.
At AA and A, Markham residents cannot play for OMHA Centres that are not part of the LOR (e.g. Stouffville, Aurora, Newmarket, Whitby, etc.)
LOR Regulations
LOR Regulations are only Applicable to U10 to U13 Age Groups in Categories AAA, AA, and A. Below are a few of the relevant LOR regulations and/or parts of regulations that we hope will provide a better understanding of the rules for Markham residents.
E48 A player who resides in an OMHA LOR Centre from U10 to U13 must tryout in his Centre/AAA Zone of residence.
Markham is an OMHA LOR Centre, so Markham residents must try out for the Markham Waxers if they wish to play in the OMHA.
E49 A player who resides in an OMHA LOR Centre/AAA Zone from U10 to U13 requires a release from his centre of residence at AAA to tryout at AAA, at AA to tryout at AA, and at A to tryout at A with other Teams in the LOR.
Markham residents wishing to tryout elsewhere require a release for each level. For example, if you get a release at AA, then you can attend AA tryouts elsewhere in the LOR. But, you must return to the Waxers to try out at A. The release to tryout at the AA level is not valid for AAA or A.
E50 At the conclusion of each season, an OMHA LOR Centre/AAA Zone resident player from U10 to U13 who has received a release and has participated with a team in the LOR outside of his Centre/AAA Zone must return to their LOR Centre/AAA Zone to tryout.
A Markham resident who received a Waxers and Majors/Islanders release for the past season and played in the LOR for Richmond Hill, Pickering or any other LOR (OMHA or GTHL) team must return to Markham for current season tryouts.
E53 A player who resides in an OMHA LOR Centre/AAA Zone from U10 to U13 must have a release from his Centre/AAA Zone to be eligible to tryout with another team in the LOR.
Markham residents need to attend Waxers tryouts and secure a Waxers release to tryout elsewhere in the LOR. See Markham Regulation E64 below.
E59 A player at U10 to U13 who is provided a registration offer from a team and does not accept will not be provided a release for that category.
If you are offered a roster spot on a Waxers team and say no, then you are not eligible to secure a release in that category (AAA, AA, or A).
E61 An OMHA LOR Centre/AAA Zone player at U10 to U13 who does not attend the majority of tryouts and/or does not make themselves available to be offered a roster spot with their Centre/AAA Zone will not automatically be provided a release for that Category.
You need to attend tryouts and speak to the head coach. Just because you don't show up does not mean you get a release.
LOR Regulations—Markham Programs
E64 Markham is unique in the LOR, as there are GTHL clubs (Markham Majors/Markham Islanders) and an OMHA Association (Markham Waxers) operating in the same residential community. The GTHL and OMHA both offer AAA, AA and A programs. The status of Markham residents is as follows:
(a) Markham residents are always non-imports to Markham Teams (Waxers or Majors/Islanders).
(b) A Markham resident player who has not previously participated at the AAA, AA, A level from U10 to U13 may play with either Markham Minor Hockey Association (Waxers or Majors/Islanders).
(c) Markham resident players, U10 to U13, having registered with either the Markham OMHA or Markham GTHL in any given season, will require a release from that team in order to register with the other Markham Member in the following season.
If you played for the Islanders/Majors last season, you must get a release from the Islanders/Majors to play for the Waxers in the coming season. Conversely, if you played for the Waxers last season, you need a release from the Waxers to play for the Islanders/Majors in the coming season.
(d) Markham resident players without an identified import status (all U10 players and any player who has not previously participated in the LOR at the AAA, AA or A category) must be released by both Markham Waxers and Markham Majors/Islanders in order to register with an LOR team outside of Markham.
If you are entering U10 in the coming season or did not play AAA, AA or A hockey last season, you must attend tryouts and secure releases from both the Waxers and the Majors/Islanders to try out for another LOR team in the OMHA or GTHL.
Having been released by both Markham Waxers and Markham Majors/Islanders, the player’s import status will be defined based on the first LOR team the player registers with at the AAA, AA or A category, U10 to U13.
i. If the player registers first with any team within the OMHA, he is an import to the GTHL.
If you are a Markham resident who played for Richmond Hill or Ajax/Pickering last season and attend Waxers tryouts and get a release from the Waxers and play for a GTHL team other than the Majors/Islanders in the coming season, you will be an import in the GTHL. Before playing in the GTHL you will also have to attend Islanders/Majors tryouts and secure a release from the Islanders/Majors too.
ii. If the player registers first with any team within the GTHL he is an import to the OMHA.
If you are a Markham resident and played for the Islanders/Majors or any other GTHL team last season and tryout and play for Richmond Hill, Ajax Pickering, Brampton or Oakville in the coming season, you will be classified as in import in the OMHA. You will still have to attend Waxers tryouts and secure a release from the Waxers before trying out for another OMHA LOR team.
(e) Markham resident players, having established their import status to either the OMHA or the GTHL may have their import status reversed by playing one full season on a team with the Markham organization where they would be defined as an import if playing on a team outside of Markham.
f) Markham resident players, U11 to U13, wishing to play in the LOR outside of Markham require the following release each season based on their import status.
i. Import status to the GTHL:
Played for Ajax/Pickering, Richmond Hill last season
1. Release required from Markham Waxers to play for either member (GTHL or OMHA) in the LOR outside of Markham.
ii. Import status to the OMHA:
Played in the GTHL last season
1. Release required from Markham Waxers to play for an OMHA LOR team outside of Markham.
(i.e. Richmond Hill, Ajax/Pickering, Brampton, Oakville)
Typical Scenarios to Explain the LOR Regulations
Players who will play U14 to U18 in the coming season
If you are a Markham resident and you will be playing AA or A at U14 to U18 or AAA at U14 to U16 and want to play for any other team in the LOR (either OMHA or GTHL):
- You need a Permission to Skate form from the Waxers.
- For AAA Midget please refer to OHF Midget AAA Pilot Project Rules.
Players who will play U10 in the coming season
If you are a Markham resident and you are entering U10
- You can register with either the Markham Waxers or the Markham Majors/Islanders.
- If you wish to play for any other team in the LOR, you must attend tryouts for both the Waxers and the Majors/Islanders and then will need releases from both the Waxers and Majors/Islanders before trying out for another LOR team.
For example, if you want to play AA for the Richmond Hill Stars, you must try out with both the AA Waxers team and AA Islanders teams and get releases from both organizations. At that point, you can try out for the Richmond Hill stars or any other AA team within the LOR. If you do not make a AA team you have to repeat the process all over again at A.
Players who will play AAA, AA or A from U11 to U13
1. You are a Markham resident and did not play AAA, AA or A hockey last year (i.e., you played AE, MD, Select, or House League)
- You can register with the Markham Waxers or Markham Majors/Islanders.
- If you wish to play for any other team in the LOR you must attend Waxers and Majors/Islanders tryouts and will need a release from both the Waxers and the Majors/Islanders before trying out for another LOR team.
For example, if you want to play AA for the Hillcrest Canadiens, you must try out with both the Waxers AA team and Islanders AA team and get releases from both organizations. , Then you can try out for the AA Hillcrest Canadiens or any other AA team in the LOR.
2. You are not a Markham resident, but played for the Waxers last season and wish to return to the Waxers.
- If you are resident in an OMHA centre (Ajax, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Brampton) , you need a release from that OMHA centre.
- If you are resident in a GTHL city (Toronto, Mississauga, or Vaughan), you do not need a release to stay with the Waxers.
3. You are a Markham resident and played for the Waxers last season, but want to play for another team in the OMHA LOR next season:
- You must attend Waxers tryouts and will need to be released by the Waxers. Once released you can try out for any other OMHA LOR team in that category (AAA, AA, or A).
4. You are a Markham resident and played for the Markham Majors/Islanders last season and would like to play for the Waxers:
- You must get a release from the Majors/Islanders to try out for the Waxers.
5. You are a Markham resident and played for the Markham Majors/Islanders last season and would like to play for the another LOR team in the OMHA (Richmond Hill, Ajax/Pickering, Brampton, or Oakville) next year.
- After you secure your release from the Majors/ Islanders, you must attend Waxers tryouts and will need a release from the Waxers to try out at that category (AAA, AA, or A).
6. You are a Markham resident and played outside of Markham for an OMHA LOR team (Richmond Hill, Ajax/Pickering, Brampton, or Oakville) last season and want to stay on the same team.
- You must attend Waxers tryouts and will need to be released by the Waxers in order to stay on the same team.
7. You are a Markham resident and played outside of Markham for an OMHA LOR team (Richmond Hill, Ajax/Pickering, Brampton, or Oakville) last season and want to play for another OMHA LOR team outside of Markham.
- You must attend Waxers tryouts and will need to be released by the Waxers.
8. You are a Markham resident and played in the GTHL last season and want to play for an OMHA LOR team outside of Markham (Richmond Hill, Ajax/Pickering, Brampton, or Oakville).
- You must attend Waxers tryouts and will need to be released by the Waxers. You will be considered an “import” on the OMHA team you play for unless it is the Waxers.