8. Winnipeg East League Issues

The 1st and/or 3rd Vice Presidents attend Winnipeg East League meetings each month as representatives of S.O.M.H.A. to participate in league planning issues. One of the first annual tasks is to advise the number of 8 to 12A1 to A3 teams that will be participating from our area in order that leagues can be formed. Coaches names and phone numbers must accompany team lists.

S.O.M.H.A. must provide the names of two representatives to participate on the East League Suspension Board, which meets as required to handle suspension issues that cannot be handled by the W.M.H.A. handbook.

Once the number of teams in each league has been finalized, the first half schedule can be prepared. This is typically done in mid-October for distribution by the last week of October. If teams have date conflicts that they wish to be taken into consideration during scheduling, they must advise their community club Convenor prior to the end of the second week of October in order that the S.O.M.H.A. scheduler can be informed. While there can be no assurance that requested date conflicts can be accommodated (based on the reason,  availability of ice and/or constraints of the other teams) every effort will be made to do so. Game times are allocated based on age, with older players typically playing at later times. Where possible, games within our area are assigned to arenas closer to the home teams, particularly when Maples or West Kildonan teams can play at their own arena, but this is frequently not possible due to the combined constraints of dates and ice times available.

S.O.M.H.A. must provide two age convenors (e.g. 10A1, 13A3) to keep track of league standings and coordinate suspensions within their division. They will receive a call from the winning coach after each league game advising the winning team and score. League standings must be compiled on a weekly basis and submitted to the league media coordinator who will arrange for having league standings printed in the local newspapers. They will also receive copies of game sheets on a periodic basis (typically after each East League meeting) and review them in order to coordinate any necessary player/coach suspensions based on the W.M.H.A. handbook. Suspensions resulting from East League suspension hearings will also be communicated to the appropriate age Convenor to ensure that suspensions are served.

Age convenors, with the S.O.M.H.A. representative(s), will also attend the league realignment meeting near the end of the first half of the season to provide input on the teams in their division. The S.O.M.H.A. representatives must discuss the potential for teams moving up or down with the coaches of any of our teams that are at the top or bottom of a division to determine the team’s preference with respect to moving. The East League Age Convenor from our area should solicit information from the top and bottom teams of the age group he/she is coordinating. East League representatives vote on the combined input of the age convenors (win/lost record, goals for/against) and the team’s preferences, and their decision is final (although protest able if desired).

When new teams enter a division, league standings for that division are reset to zero for the second half of the season. First half league standings remain intact when the teams in a division remain unchanged or team(s) leave a division on without having other team (s) join .

The second half schedule is prepared just prior to Christmas, and is available prior to the beginning of January. If scheduling exceptions are required, t e a m should advise their community club Convenor prior to the end of the second week of December. An attempt is made to ensure that a balanced schedule is set, with each team playing all other teams in their division a relatively equal number of times, but with over 2000 games and team movements between divisions, this is not always possible.

S.O.M.H.A. representatives must also participate in hearing and deciding on protests on an occasional basis.