All players that live outside of Minnetonka School District 276 and open enroll into Minnetonka Schools, District 276, (or another school located within the district's boundaries) need a waiver to play for MYHA. Contact your home association's Registrar to start the waiver process.

NEW THIS SEASON Minnesota Hockey updated the waiver rules in January 2024. Starting with the 2024-2025 season, open enrollment waivers will only by granted for first year squirt and 10U players and for players at the Jr Gold and 19U levels. All other players open enrolled will need to request a discretionary waiver each year.

Players with a valid school waiver received prior to the 2024-2025 season will be 'grandfathered' in and are eligible to continue playing with MYHA.

MYHA's approach to school waivers:

As an association, MYHA values the importance of playing hockey with your schoolmates and friends. We want to make that opportunity available whenever possible. 

Based on this philosophy, our approach to accepting discretionary waiver requests based on school enrollment with be the following for each level: 

• Termite/Mite/6U/8U - Accepting discretionary waiver requests for any player open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries (must be requested every season)
• 1st year Squirt/10U - Providing school waivers for any player open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries with no team restrictions (will remain valid as long as player is continually open-enrolled and playing with MYHA)
• 2nd Year Squirt/10U -  Accepting discretionary waiver requests for players open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries with no team restrictions
• Peewee/12U - Accepting discretionary waiver requests for players open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries. Players will be restricted from making the top team if it is their first year open-enrolled.
• 1st Year Bantam/15U -  Accepting discretionary waiver requests for players open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries. Players will be restricted from making the top team if it is their first year open-enrolled
• 2nd Year Bantam/15U - Accepting discretionary waiver requests for players open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries with no team restrictions. (This maintains the 9th grade restriction exception that has previously been in place).
• Jr Gold/19U - Providing school waivers for players open-enrolled within Minnetonka School District boundaries with no team restrictions (will remain valid as long as player is continually open-enrolled and playing with MYHA)

MYHA will only consider waiver requests based on school open- enrollment. Discretionary waivers for other reasons will not be considered.

If you live in School District 276 but would like to waive out of MYHA, contact MYHA's Registrar at registrar@tonkahockey.org to start the waiver process to play in a different association.

If your player is not a United States citizen they will need to complete a Youth Player Transfer form in accordance with USA Hockey rules prior to playing a regular season game. A Youth Player Transfer form is required prior to every season. For more information and the form please go to the USA Hockey website under Youth Transfer Forms. The forms are submitted and completed through USA Hockey. 

A. PARTICIPATION POLICY - Minnesota Hockey (MH) is a community-based amateur hockey program. Members in good standing are to participate on teams from their local association (local affiliate) based on the residence of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). The boundaries of the geographical area served by each local association are determined by MH and recorded in the Affiliate Agreements. In some circumstances, players may participate in another association by requesting a formal waiver from this policy. 

B. PARTICIPATION RULE.

1.  Players must register and participate with the association whose boundaries incorporate the player’s residence. To participate on any other association's team, the player must obtain a waiver.

a. All waiver requests must be submitted on a current Waiver Form provided by MH.

b. The Waiver Form must indicate the reason for the waiver request. (school attendance, opportunity to play on travel team, co-op team, etc.).

c. The releasing and receiving associations may add conditions or restrictions to the waiver. Conditions must be indicated on the Waiver Form and initialed by all parties executing the waiver.

d. Waiver Forms must be signed by the releasing and receiving association presidents before being submitted to the District Director for approval. If the releasing and receiving associations are in two districts, the waiver form must be submitted to both District Directors for approval.

e. Non-Minnesota residents desiring to play for MH must follow the Inter-Affiliate Transfer Protocol.

2. Definitions

Residence – the legal dwelling of the player’s parent(s) or court-appointed legal guardian(s) having custody of the player as substantiated by sufficient evidence to establish the location of the legal dwelling such as a valid driver’s license, lease, property tax bill, utility bills or other persuasive evidence as to where the player lives. A pending relocation is not considered to be the player’s residence unless the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have completed the purchase or executed a lease and moved into the new residence. In the case of foreign exchange students, the place the player resides while in the USA shall be considered the player’s residence. Players moving after tryouts begin can be assigned to teams on a space-available basis.

Association of Residence – the association whose boundaries include the player's residence.

Mandatory Waiver – neither the releasing nor the accepting association can decline to approve a school attendance waiver that meets the requirements of MH.

Discretionary Waiver – an agreement between associations to transfer a player for reasons as agreed to by the affected associations and District Director(s). Any of the approving parties have the authority to reject such a waiver.