TORONTO, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced that its board of directors has approved an Ontario Men’s Junior Hockey Development pilot project for the 2026-27 season that will benefit players across junior leagues in the province.
The pilot is designed to test a more consistent approach to men’s junior hockey in Ontario, while creating additional development opportunities for players and goaltenders with a focus on three priority areas:
· Consistent playing rules
· Player and goaltender development
· Emergency goaltender exemption
“In partnership with Hockey Eastern Ontario, Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the Ontario Hockey Federation, Hockey Canada is looking forward to strengthening men’s junior hockey in Ontario with this innovative pilot that is designed to improve the player experience,” said Darren Cossar, senior vice-president of member engagement for Hockey Canada. “With the success of the Western Canadian Development Model and Maritime Junior Hockey League Aligned Rules pilots, we are excited to work with our Members and the Ontario men’s junior hockey leagues to implement these changes and track their effectiveness throughout the season.”
Consistent Playing Rules
To create greater consistency across Ontario men’s junior hockey, six leagues will adopt the Ontario Hockey League Rule Book, with exceptions for specific playing rules agreed upon by Hockey Canada and the three Ontario Members:
· Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL)
· Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL)
· Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL)
· Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL)
· Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL)
· Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL)
Hockey Canada’s Maltreatment and Fighting rules will continue to apply across all six leagues.
The CCHL, NOJHL, OJHL and SIJHL will follow the International Ice Hockey Federation Rule 202 for facial protection, which will provide players 18 years of age or older as of Dec. 31 of the current season the option to wear half-face protection, while players under the age of 18 must continue to wear full-face protection.
Player and Goaltender Development
To provide additional development opportunities for 16-year-old players while maintaining the overall number of 16-year-old players participating in Ontario men’s junior hockey, there are four player and goaltender development initiatives as part of the pilot:
· Continuing from a separate pilot last season, one 16-year-old player selected in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection may register outside their home Ontario Member, with a maximum of one such player per OHL team. Junior A and Junior B teams may also register one 17-year-old player from another Ontario Member.
· New this season, each OHL team may designate one 16-year-old player selected in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection and assigned to a Junior A or Junior B team for expanded affiliation of up to 34 games. This player may be registered in addition to the two 16-year-olds normally permitted on a roster, with the Junior A or Junior B team operating with a reduced maximum roster size to carry the additional player.
· The pilot also provides expanded affiliation opportunities for 17-year-olds reassigned from Junior A or Junior B to U18 AAA, allowing them to affiliate back for up to 50% of the junior team’s regular-season games.
· Participating junior teams may register one additional 16-year-old goaltender beyond the existing two-player limit for 16-year-olds, provided that the goaltender participates in at least 40% of the team’s regular-season games.
Emergency Goaltender Exemption
To support teams experiencing exceptional goaltender shortages, particularly in Northern Ontario, an emergency goaltender exemption will permit the temporary registration of a replacement goaltender when a team’s regular goaltender is unable to play due to injury or illness, subject to league approval and appropriate medical documentation.
Data from the Ontario Men’s Junior Hockey Development pilot will be reviewed throughout the 2026-27 season to assess its impact and determine whether any elements should be considered for future seasons.
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