Waiver Policy

Minnesota Hockey has implemented a new Waiver Rule, which will be effective starting with the 2024-25 season. The waiver process is a MN Hockey requirement that is specific to skaters at any youth hockey association level, who do not live within the school district boundaries of the hockey association they desire to register with. This rule, which can be found below, is crucial for us to understand and navigate.

• Mites/6U/8U MUST play in the home residence association (no school waivers are allowed)
• Exception is if a sibling has a previous school waiver (however, this is NOT automatically approved; needs District 3 Director approval)
• School waivers will only be issued for players who are age eligible for their first year of Squirt/10U hockey
• Example 1… Johnny attends school in Minnetonka and will be a first year Squirt, he can now work with his home (residence based) association to get a school waiver to play in Minnetonka.
• Example 2… If a 9th grade second year bantam goes to school at Breck (within Hopkins School District), but lives in Minneapolis School District they CANNOT be approved for a school waiver UNLESS they already had this going into their 1st year of Squirts/10U.
• If any player already has a signed waiver, they are grandfathered into that accepting association UNLESS they leave that school district, then they must go back to their home residence association

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate the mechanics of this new rule

• All registered HYHA players who received a waiver exemption to play with HYHA in previous seasons are grandfathered in and remain eligible to play for HYHA.
• Effective immediately, if a registered HYHA player on a waiver exemption elects to leave Hopkins public schools to attend another school outside the district or does not play for HYHA, the player will be required to play with the youth hockey association of their residence.
• Example: If a player who lives in the Minnetonka Public School District, but open enrolls in Hopkins Public Schools, elects to leave Hopkins for another school outside the district, this player will fall under the purview of the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association.
• Under this scenario, if a previously HYHA registered player no longer open enrolls to a Hopkins Public School, but wishes to continue playing with HYHA, the player may apply for a waiver exemption, but only before the beginning of their first year as a Squirt or 10U.
• Important Note: Per Minnesota Hockey's new waiver rule, Mite/6U/8U players ARE NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for Waivers permitting their release to another Association.
• Example: If a Mite-aged player lives within the Minnetonka School District, but open enrolls in Hopkins Public Schools, this player is expected to play within the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association and cannot apply for a waiver until his/her first year of Squirts or 1OU.
• Possible HYHA Exemption: For all Mite-Aged players with siblings registered with HYHA, HYHA recommends following the Discretionary Waivers process.

• The player must initiate contact with the Registrar from their Association of Residence and formally request a waiver releasing the player to HYHA 
• NOTE: HYHA has no control or influence over another Association's decision to sign a waiver permitting a player's release to HYHA
• Once the Association of Residence signs the waiver form and permits a player's release, the signed form must be forwarded along with proof of enrollment at Hopkins Public Schools to the HYHA Registrar
• Once the HYHA Registrar receives the signed waiver form, HYHA will confirm the player's release from their Association of Residence and conduct its due diligence, including verifying all paperwork and information, before forwarding it to District 3 Officials for approval.

Note: if all requirements are not satisfied and/or incorrect information is provided, HYHA will not seek District 3 approval. If it is found that a player is registered using a fraudulent address or fraudulent school enrollment, the player will not be allowed to play Hopkins Hockey and all ice fees and registration fees will be forfeited.

HYHA reserves the right to evaluate this new process, and these recommendations may be subject to change after the 2024-25 season.