Consideration for Toros A

Faustina Hockey and Faustina Toros 

A Policy Statement Regarding “A” Hockey

Background

The Faustina Sports Club operates the Faustina Hockey Club and is one of the organizations across the GTA providing grassroots development of players through house-league and Select/CDP hockey programs.  We take pride in supporting a strong house-league program from U7 through U18.  Additionally, Faustina Hockey takes pride in its very strong Select Program with many competitive teams playing in the NYHL (North York Hockey League, the select rep team league within the GTHL) and is focused on developing great players at all ages.  Because of its strong foundational program, Faustina Hockey has seen significant growth over the past 10 years across all ages in a time when many organizations are struggling to fill their house league rosters, forcing these organizations to combine efforts to survive or to close entirely.

GTHL A, AA AND AAA programs begin at the U10 level.  The Faustina Toros is related to but separate from the Faustina Sports Club and has a robust GTHL AA program.  Both organizations operate as separate incorporated entities with independent governing boards and decision-making processes.  The Faustina Toros has rights by the GTHL to enter AA teams starting at U10.  The Faustina Toros does NOT have rights to enter an A or AAA team in U10.  Those rights are governed by the rules and regulations of the GTHL, not by Faustina Toros or Faustina Hockey.    

So, why isn’t there an A program with the Faustina Toros as a pathway for Faustina players to higher levels of hockey?

At Faustina Hockey, we take a very reasonable approach to hockey, and we ask parents and players to recognize the following:

  • players should be having fun first; 
  • players should be playing at their development level and, as such, players should develop to play house-league, then Select Tier 1, then AA; 
  • there is very little developmental difference between Tier 1 Select and GTHL A; however, there IS a significant cost difference between Select Tier 1 and GTHL A;  
  • there is an abundance of GTHL A clubs that do not have a grassroots development program but will take players in order to fill a roster; 
  • there are more and more parents who are seeking to have their children play hockey on a team with a letter (GTHL “A”) associated with that team.  Our recommendation is that this may not fit the development of your player.  Many players who move to a “letter” team may be just filling a roster spot, paying more money, and may not have the experience or development that they were getting at Faustina.  Be patient.  
  • finally, less than 1 in 4000 players (0.025%) in Canada will have a career in the NHL.    

In addition, we wish to note:

  1. Currently, the GTHL does not permit existing organizations like the Faustina Toros to expand their U10 programs to include A if they do not presently have A teams in the organization.  This GTHL decision is because there are already too many A teams compared to players in the GTHL. 
  2. The pathway to AA through the Faustina Toros does not necessitate an A program be in place at this stage. Based on the success of Faustina Hockey’s Tier 1 Select teams in tournaments and exhibition games against A teams, we assert that the developmental differences between Tier 1 Select and GTHL A are minimal. 
  3. To focus on development, we encourage parents to wait until at least U11 or U12 before considering a move to A.
  4. Both organizations take a reasonable approach to hockey.  Again, the Faustina Sports Club and the Faustina Toros operate as separate incorporated entities with independent governing boards and decision-making processes. 

In rare cases, exceptional Faustina Hockey Tier 1 NYHL teams may warrant consideration for a transition to GTHL A at U11 and above. The following criteria must be met before any application is submitted by the Faustina Toros:

Criteria for Considering a Faustina Toros “A” Team

     1.    U10 Tier 1 NYHL Select Experience:

The Faustina Hockey Select team must have completed at least one full year in the U10    Tier 1 NYHL division.

     2.    Dominance in Tier 1:

The team must demonstrate substantial dominance within their Tier 1 division.

     3.    Playing Up a Birth Year:

The NYHL may have recommended that the Faustina Tier 1 team plays against older competition to ensure a competitive environment.

     4.    Success Against GTHL “A” Teams:

The team must prove competitiveness by succeeding against top-tier GTHL A teams in tournaments or exhibition games.

     5.    Complete Team Movement:

The team must commit to transitioning as a cohesive unit, with a minimum of 12 players and one goalie, to prevent player recruitment from other organizations.

     6.    Formal Application:

The team must submit a written application to both the Faustina Sports Club Board of Governors and the Faustina Toros Executive, demonstrating compliance with the above criteria.

7.         Board Approvals:

Both the Faustina Sports Club Board of Governors and the Toros Board must approve the application for a Faustina Toros A team before the Faustina Toros will submit the proposal to the GTHL for U11A, U12A or higher ages.

Important Note

Meeting all the above criteria does not guarantee approval from the GTHL for the formation of a Faustina Toros A team. This is because the GTHL is aware that there are too many A organizations resulting in massive shifts in players from team to team and from Select to A each year despite players not being developmentally ready.

This policy underscores our commitment to player development and maintaining the integrity of both the Faustina Sports Club and the Faustina Toros programs. A reasonable attitude, patience and careful planning remain at the heart of our pathway to AA success.