Registration is open April 15 - May 15. Click the REGISTER tab on the capebretonblizzard.ca website.

Attendance is mandatory for all players in Cape Breton Blizzard FHA female zone (CBRM) interested in playing on A, AA or AAA teams at the U11, U13 and U15 levels in 2023-24. 

Tryout sessions include: 2 warm up skate sessions (optional), 1 skills session with timed drills, 2 scrimmages and, for some players, a third scrimmage. The process may also include a final session in early September as noted below.

All ice times at Membertou. 

May 16-19    warm up skates phase
May 22-25   tryouts part 1
May 29-31   tryouts part 2

There is no activity on the weekends.  Specific dates and times are posted on the website under "Tryout Schedule 2023"

There are no cuts announced during the May sessions. These sessions are for skills and game play evaluation and positional ranking purposes. 
September 6, 7 and 8 final skates, by invitation, will be used for final team assignment. 

If a player is not invited to an invitation-only session, it does not mean they are released, it just means that they are fully evaluated and ranked and no further observance is needed at this time.

Tryouts and Selection Policy

Players must attend the first tryout session, and at least 50 per cent of the evaluation sessions.  Highest level selections will take place first at all levels, followed by lower level selections if necessary, depending upon the number of players registered. 

Players will be assigned a pinnie/jersey for tryouts, which they should wear during all of their ice sessions, as the number they are wearing will identify them to evaluators.

Independent evaluators will be assessing the players to determine placement. Parents, guardians and players are not to have any contact with the evaluators.

For tryouts 2023, there will be skills sessions and scrimmages in May.  There will also be final evaluations in September.  Teams will not be announced until the early September skates are completed. The September skates will be by *invite only* for those who successfully completed the May sessions and for those who have recently moved to or released to Cape Breton Blizzard FHA zone.

Any player who has an outstanding account balance is not eligible to participate in tryouts until account is in good standing.  

Hockey Nova Scotia regulations permit a female player to try out for a minor team. Female players choosing to play female hockey will have to attend the female tryout process from the beginning and are not permitted to be part of both a minor tryout process and female evaluation process at the same time.

Regulation F2.21. Female players choosing to play female hockey must attend the female tryout process from the beginning and will not be permitted to be part of both a minor tryout process and female tryout process at the same time.

a. Exception - Female players who try out for Major U18 Female will be permitted to be part of the Association female tryout process.

Once the first tryout session begins in each division/level, late registrations will not be accepted unless a team still has space available on its roster after evaluations take place.

Once team selections have been made, rosters will be posted on the Blizzard FHA website. 

Injury and Illness during tryout period:

If a player is injured or ill and unable to participate fully in the CBBFHA tryout process due to a diagnosed medical condition, their parent(s)/legal guardian may apply in writing or by email, to the President of the CBBFHA for special consideration regarding mandatory attendance during the tryout period.  The following process will be enacted:

- The CBBFHA will adhere to and enforce all recommendations and guidelines from Nova Scotia Public Health regarding infectious diseases.  Additional requirements and limitations may be instituted by Hockey Nova Scotia at any time and without warning.

- Parent(s)/legal guardian must obtain and submit a doctor’s certificate that details both the injury and/or illness as well as the anticipated date that the player is able to fully return to the level of activity expected for all players trying out for the desired team.  The circumstances behind the injury or illness, as well as the anticipated return date will be taken into account when determining whether to approve the request for special consideration. All medical documentation must be submitted directly to the President of the CBBFHA.

- If the player has participated in the majority of the tryout sessions and was able to participate without reporting any difficulty to the on ice instructors, the coaching staff and evaluators will assess the player based on what was demonstrated during the tryouts they attended.

- If the player was not able to be fairly evaluated on the ice or if the coaching staff and/or evaluators believe that the player did not attend enough evaluation sessions to be fairly assessed, the coaching staff and evaluators are able to consult regarding the player’s skill level and abilities.  For example, if a previously released player became injured or ill while being assessed for a second tier team, the coaches and evaluators may consult with the coaching staff and evaluators who had previously assessed the player for the higher tier level team.

- If the player was not seen during any phase of the tryout process, the coaching staff and evaluators (as deemed appropriate) may consult with the coaching staff who worked with the player during the previous season.  Once all the information is gathered, the coaching staff and the evaluators will decide on whether or not the player will continue to be considered for the representative team.  For short-term injuries and/or illnesses, once the player has received medical clearance to return to full activities, the player can be further assessed for any available spots on the team’s roster.

- All injuries that occur during tryouts must be immediately reported and recorded using Hockey Canada’s Medical report form. The CBBFHA will provide the forms and complete the details, however it is a player’s responsibility to ensure that injuries sustained as a result of the tryout process are reported.

- A doctor’s certificate must be provided indicating that the player is fit to return to tryouts and/or specifying any limitations that would restrict the players’ full participation in the selection process.

- Players whose parent(s)/legal guardian do not request in writing or request via email for special consideration as a result of the player being injured or ill prior to the start of tryouts and that player does not attend any of the tryout sessions cannot be considered for a representative team.  For players who become injured or ill after tryouts have started and has a doctor certificate to indicate that the player is unable to participate in the tryout process as scheduled must request special consideration in writing or via email to the President of the CBBFHA within 24 hours of sustaining the injury or developing the diagnosed illness.