THE OHF TRANSFER PORTAL: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and why RMHA is the only choice!
Welcome to the new world of minor hockey where players can pick and choose where to play at the U10 and older age groups. We like to think of it as the OHF Transfer Portal (think NCAA Football for reference). Around here in the Bluewater League, there are over 1000 players who can make a move away from their home centers to wherever they want to go. Players (families) can also change their minds on a yearly/seasonal basis. But what are the consequences of these choices? Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly with the hockey transfer portal, because although the portal may be an option, it does not mean that it is always your best one.
RMHA is committed to providing the best mix of player development, team success, enjoyable environment and overall hockey experience.
The Good
This new portal allows athletes to take some control over their minor hockey path. Some young players may now be able to secure more playing time at smaller centers by moving elsewhere, or some players that live in grey residential areas, or border other centers where they couldn't play before, now can go and try out in that center. RMHA for one, embraces this change in movement and welcomes players from the portal into our home. Since 1958, RMHA has been dedicated to excellence, community engagement, and the development of players. This announcement provides an even greater platform to showcase why RMHA will become the destination of choice for hockey families seeking the best experience both on and off the ice. Forging relationships that last a lifetime is a big part of hockey. RMHA players find those friendships that last a lifetime.
The Bad
The OHF has implemented player movement with very little regulation or guidelines for centers to follow; that's a bad thing for us and every other hockey association which can in turn lead to a bad experience for you the player. RMHA will do everything we can to guide any incoming player through the process and we'll do everything we can to help our existing Rangers realize their full potential by staying with RMHA. We don't want any of this to be a bad experience for our families so we're here to help.
The Ugly
The ugly truth about transferring centers is if you make the wrong choice. "We don't know what we don't know" is a common phrase used when people are assessing options or evaluating choices. You want to make an informed decision but the unknown is always lurking. This new version of hockey-musical chairs means you could always be looking for a better seat when the seat you have may be the one best suited to you. How do you know? The ugly truth is that this hockey version of the transfer portal is supposed to be regulated by the OHF (on paper!). No coach tampering. No coach contact, etc. So how do you find out the truth and who's going to give you the straight answers? Your RMHA Executive will be here to help along the way. We know how good our Ranger family is and will continue to be for many years to come.
So Why Choose RMHA?
Cost: There are typically three cost components of travel hockey: a) base registration b) travel hockey fees c) team fees. RMHA oversees the first two and the travel team determines the third component. RMHA has not raised our base registration fees for the past three seasons and have already voted not to raise them for the 2025-26 season. Despite rising ice costs and other rising administrative costs, we have always been a fiscally responsible organization and have kept our expenses to a minimum while keeping registration costs lower than other associations across Essex County. Travel sports cost more than recreational / houseleague hockey and RMHA does everything within our power to keep those costs low for you. Some divisions will see a small increase this year while others will see a decrease. Referee fees, coach clinics, and other travel-related costs have been reviewed carefully to determine the amount owing.
Development: Travel hockey players expect a higher level of training and development throughout the season and RMHA will ensure all players receive extra skills sessions throughout the season. RMHA will hire certified development coaches/staff who will be scheduled for all our travel teams. We will also re-introduce skills sessions for some of our houseleague teams as well as we believe that a successful houseleague program is the foundation feed for our travel teams.
Unwavering Community Support: Throughout the 66+ year history of RMHA, we have been recognized as a historic member of the Windsor-Riverside community. Whether because of our longstanding Houseleague tournament or our International Christmas Travel Tournament (entering its 65th year!), RMHA is recognized as a "sports voice" in the community and will continue to be one for years to come. RMHA will be reverting to our traditional RR logo to further enhance our history, our commitment to hockey traditions, and in support of the many alum that have come through our doors.
Consistent Schedules: RMHA has one home...the WFCU Center. All our houseleague and travel teams practice and play (their home games) out of this one home. In addition, RMHA sets the team schedules by August of each year which means your team practices are consistent and known so you as a player and family can make definitive plans without wondering what your schedule will look like in December or February. We start our schedule right after Labor Day each year and we run through the end of March. Occasional schedule shifts will happen but overall your team calendar stay constant. That's important for families and for our players who may be involved in other activities.
Coaching: RMHA believes in finding the right coach for each team. We do not discriminate between parents vs non-parents, we only look at the fit for the players and who is going to grow the team in the right direction. Our coaches have full authority over the selection process of their teams. There's no 'selection by committee' or unwanted intervention from our Board of Directors. Our VP of Travel and our Director of Coaching are available to help only when asked. RMHA will select the best coaches available at every age group. Coaches that have a focus on skills development toward all their players are what we want and who we'll select for our teams.
NO POWERBROKERS: We’ve all heard the stories and some of you may have even lived them where some parents control coaches either financially or otherwise. RMHA will do whatever we can to ensure that these power imbalances do not materialize within our association. Our VP of Travel, Coach Director, and Board of Directors will manage adverse situations and conflicts of interest as they occur and will do everything we can to appropriately manage all adverse situations.
Christmas Tournament: The jewel of RMHA is our Christmas Tournament dating back to 1959. Over the years, we've seen many of the players from this tournament go on to play in the World Juniors, the CHL, and even the NHL.