OBHF Tournament Eligibility – Minors

All players must meet the following eligibility requirements to play in an OBHF tournament:

1. Be fully registered with an OBHF member league and present in the current OBHF membership database; and

2. Either the player (a) will be playing with an OBHF organization that is their home league, or (b) has been released in writing from their home league if playing for an organization outside of their home league.

*Home league is defined as any league located in a geographic region/centre where the player has established habitual/continuous/permanent residence or any league the player has habitually/continuously played in or represented at previous OBHF tournaments.

Inter-organization Releases

It is required that players wishing to represent an organization outside of their home league (e.g. a habitual Withrow player wishing to play for Etobicoke in an OBHF tournament) ask for and receive a release in writing from their home league.

This release is the player’s responsibility and will be specific to the tournament they wish to play in and does not release the player in perpetuity.  The OBHF will not facilitate releases on players’ behalf.

These written releases must be shared with the OBHF prior to the roster deadline for any OBHF tournament.

If releases aren’t received by the OBHF prior to any tournament’s roster deadline, the player will be ineligible to appear on or play for the organization outside of their home league.

Self-Releases

If a player wishes to leave their home league and participate in another league for any reason, they are not restricted from doing so.  The player is still required to ask for and receive a release from their home league to represent their new league in OBHF competitions. 

Should they not receive a release, or choose to not ask for one, the player will be deemed released after they have not been rostered at an OBHF tournament for two calendar years.  

E.g. A former Withrow player decides to register with the Etobicoke league for 2026 and decides not to play in an OBHF tournament in 2026 and 2027.  In 2028, they are deemed to be self-released and eligible to play for Etobicoke in OBHF tournaments.

E.g. A former Withrow player decides not to play in the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but decides to register with Etobicoke for the 2028 season is deemed self-released and eligible to play for Etobicoke in OBHF tournaments.

CBHA Nationals Releases

Should a player registered with an OBHF organization wish to play for any OBHF or CBHA-affiliated team outside of their home league at the CBHA Nationals, they must be released from their home league in writing.

*Home league is defined as any league located in a geographic region/centre where the player has established habitual/continuous/permanent residence or any league the player has habitually/continuously played in or represented at previous OBHF tournaments.

OBHF teams competing at the CBHA Nationals may roster any released OBHF player. If an OBHF organization has not added the OBHF player to their roster 60 days prior to the start of the CBHA Nationals then that player becomes available to be rostered by any team competing in the CBHA Nationals. 

Players can not reject an offered roster spot from an OBHF team to accept one from a non-OBHF team if the offer is received more than 60 days prior to the start of the CBHA Nationals.