The Hockey season officially begins on Monday September 1st. Teams within the USA Hockey family will be submitting their initial 25 man protected lists on Sunday.
The protected lists are published weekly throughout the season and are usually just a routine publication, but this season it looks to be a fairly important event.
With Tier III teams struggling to fill rosters, some teams will be exposed for their low numbers. While some teams are certain to not file their initial roster in an attempt to hide those low numbers and prolong the recruiting season, it now becomes a buyer beware time of year.
The protected lists not only show the health of an organization this year but are a useful tool for players and parents alike every year. Keeping track of your roster status with your team is an important piece of homework.
Many teams add and drop players without the player every knowing throughout the course of the year. This is usually done by teams who have an abundance of players, and they need to make sure everyone is seeing some ice time. There is nothing wrong with this practice as long as your team keeps you informed.
If you have signed with a team, it is up to you to do your homework to make sure you are on that 25 man list each week. If you’re not on the list, you are a free agent. If your not on the list and your team didn’t mention you wouldn’t be on the list for some reason, you need to have a conversation with your team.
Then again, if you are on the list and you see your Tier III team only has 15 players signed, you still want to have a conversation with your coach. If you have signed and no list is published for your team, you want to have a conversation with your coach.
This is not the typical start to a season, with so many Tier III teams struggling to fill rosters this year, players and parents need to educate themselves and be aware of your teams roster status as it is a direct indication of your teams financial health.
