Every child who plays the sport of hockey deserves to have enthusiastic, qualified and trained volunteers acting in the important roles of coach, manager, and safety trainer. The table below outlines the mandatory minimum certifications required of all hockey teams for the 2025-2026 season.
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Certifications must be obtained by December 1st.
MINOR & FEMALE Age & Division | Head Coach | Assistant Coach | Hockey Canada Safety Program | The Shift Forward: Welcome to Hockey | Criminal Record - Vulnerable Sector Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U7 | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U9 A | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U9 AA | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Hockey Canada Coach 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U11 Rec | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U11A | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U11 AA | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U13 A | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U13 AA | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U13 AAA | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U15 A | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U15 AA | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U15 AAA | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U16 AAA | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U18 Rec | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Hockey Canada Coach 2 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U18 A | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
U18 AA | Coach - Development 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Major U18 | High Performance 1 and HC Checking Skills | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Junior A | High Performance 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Junior B | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Junior C | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Senior | Coach - Development 1 | Coach - Development 1 | Required of 1 bench staff | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) | Required of all Staff (Coaches, Trainers, Managers, Volunteers) |
Hockey Canada has introduced the Learning Lab, a streamlined approach to online training related to coaching, officiating, checking and safety.
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The content of the courses has been curated by subject-matter experts to ensure participants are maximizing their user experience and filling their coach tool boxes.
LEARNING LAB – SAFETY 1 The Safety Program course is a risk-management and safety-education program for the volunteer Safety Person on all minor, junior, women’s and senior hockey teams.
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LEARNING LAB – COACH 1 The course is designed to review the basic tools in leadership, communication, teaching skills and lesson planning.
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LEARNING LAB – COACH 2 The course introduces player development, effective communication and providing support in a variety of environments.
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LEARNING LAB – OFFICIATING 1 The course provides an understanding of role and responsibilities, procedures and duties, as well as technical rules.
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LEARNING LAB – CHECKING The course is for the coach on all minor and women’s teams to ensure the safe progression of checking skills.
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THE SHIFT FORWARD – EVOLVING HOCKEY CULTURE The launch of The Shift Forward follows an extensive consultation process that included a Training Needs Analysis to review national education and training courses, and this new platform will reflect the overwhelming feedback that the courses should be age-appropriate, modernized, engaging, specific to the how participants engage with hockey, and be progressive as they go through their hockey journey, with content that seeks to change unhealthy behaviours on and off the ice. The first course covers topics related to how hockey has evolved over the years, how we want to show up in the game of hockey, True Sport Principles, hockey’s core values and hockey culture. The course will take approximately 85 minutes to complete. This course replaces the previously required Respect in Sport Certification. Click here for more Frequently Asked Questions
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Downloads and Resources to help you on your Coaching journey are found here.
It is the responsibility of the Clinic Participants to complete in full any online or in-person clinics signed up for.
Clinic participants will be responsible for clinic fees related to incomplete clinics and/or unapproved participation.
