New waiver process, face shields mandate highlight SJHL AGM

Sask-born waiver implementation

The new waiver system for Saskatchewan-born players comes as a way to help give Sask. talent who may be cut from an SJHL roster an increased chance to stay in the province should another team claim them, before becoming available to the rest of the CJHL leagues across Canada.

Basically, this gives the other 11 teams in the SJHL a leg-up to claim a player, increasing the likelihood of Sask-born talent staying and playing in the province.

“Instead of a team putting a player up on a trade wire across the CJHL and moving that player for a Player Development Fee elsewhere, this would give all our teams inside the league a chance to have a look at that player for at least a 24-hour period,” SJHL Commissioner, Kyle McIntyre said.

Interested teams then have a chance to either match the Player Development Fee or claim the player for an agreed-upon compensation worked out between the clubs.

“It’s aligned with my goal of keeping more Saskatchewan kids in the SJHL, and really a team is going to have to think twice before they put a kid on a national wire for a Player Development Fee,” McIntyre said of the new rules’ effects.

Each team will receive one “pull-back” as well, where they can take their own player back off the waiver wire if they wish.

This new waiver implementation will not affect legitimate trades across leagues. In the case of a blockbuster player-for-player trade, a Sask-born player would not have to go through the waiver process prior to being moved.

CJHL mandate for full facial protection

Also discussed was the new facemask (cages/fishbowls) policy from Hockey Canada, which will be implemented for all CJHL teams. From the 2023-24 season onwards, CJHL players born in 2005 or later will be required to wear full facial protection during participation in all on-ice activities.

The birth year and player ages who will be mandated to wear full face protection are outlined in detail below:

2023-2024 season – 16, 17, and 18-year-old players (2005/2006/2007 birth years)

2024-2025 season – 16, 17, 18, and 19-year-old players (2005/2006/2007/2008 birth years)

2025-2026 season – all players must wear full facial protection

McIntyre said while the mandate is for all teams under the umbrella of the CJHL, the SJHL will be sure to keep tabs on the data to see the effects moving forward.

Last year the SJHL surveyed all 261 players in the league, asking them – if the SJHL had a choice – would they be in favour of sticking with visors, and if so, if they and their families would be prepared to sign a waiver to wear just a visor.

…The results?

“91 percent of our players would rather sign a waiver or buy additional insurance than have to wear a full facemask,” McIntyre said, adding that there are solid points on both sides of the argument.”

“A lot of kids, when they move from U18 to Junior, they really look forward to not having to wear a full facemask, that’s one of the rewards at the end of their hockey […] but if those kids go to play NCAA hockey they’re going to have to wear a full facemask [at that point].

“The other point is, if you are a parent and your child has sustained a major dental injury, that bill could be up to $20,000. Although the league and Hockey Sask, and Hockey Canada have insurance, the amount available to a family probably doesn’t cover half of that injury, so I can see both sides of it,” the commissioner said.

“I just hope through the whole process, Sask. Hockey and Hockey Canada and the CJHL monitor the data, and I’m going to be pressing hard at our CJHL level and working with our branch to provide that data and talk about it because I think it would be a very poor decision to implement the full facemasks and not look at the data.”

Other AGM takeaways

Outside of the two main points of discussion, the league also announced SJHL camps will open Aug. 25, with the start of the regular season schedule to follow, Sept. 22.

The season will remain 56 games in length (implemented last year from 58 games the year prior). All 12 teams will play each other four times in the regular season, with an additional two games (for six total) against each of their division rivals, and two more against their select opponents at the annual SJHL Showcase in Warman.

The SJHL Showcase will be Nov. 13-16 at the Legend’s Centre in Warman.

McIntyre said all things considered, the 2022-23 season featured lots to like, with a bright future ahead as well for the league.

“We’re really pleased with our attendance numbers throughout the SJHL this year, as we had an average of about 615 fans per regular season game. We averaged over 1,100 fans per game in the playoffs as well, so the fans are coming back and we’re seeing a great game with lots of parity and lots of skill.

“Our league and our teams, we’ve done a great job, but there’s more work to do. Delighters become expectations and people will be looking for bigger and better things from the SJHL and our media team, and we’re going to rise to that challenge this [coming] season.”

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

New waiver process, face shields mandate highlight SJHL AGM

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