MGHA Preseason Primer 2025-2026

Welcome to the MGHA preseason primer. Here, we’ll take you through all of the things you need to know and do to prepare for the upcoming season.

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Throughout this document, you’ll see these hidden details sections. Expand them for more information!

New to MGHA? Click here learn some of the terminology!

This section is designed to help those unfamiliar with the MGHA get familiar with some of our terms.

Off-Ice Orientation: Those who are new to the MGHA must attend one of these sessions. We cover the expectations of being a player in the MGHA.

Clinics: These learning opportunities focus on skills and drills and are usually led by a volunteer coach.

Scrimmages: Consider these games without keeping score and (usually) without a referee. Teams are split and there are no set positions. As a player comes off the ice, they shout the position they’re playing and the next person on the bench fills that spot.

Skill Evaluations: In order to make fair and balanced teams, we need to know the skill levels of all players. These ARE NOT tryouts. Everyone will be on a team. These are used by hockey operations to assign everyone a skill level and those are used during team creation.

IMPORTANT: We will continue our evaluation strategy from the 2024-2025 season. Read more.

Evaluations are no longer mandatory for some returning players. If you do not believe your skill has changed from last season and if you do not fall into one of the required groups, you are not required to be evaluated, though you may attend and be re-evaluated if you wish.

Evaluations are mandatory for the following groups:

New MGHA players
Players moving from a lower league to a higher league (ex: L1 to L2)
Players who feel they have gotten better or worse since last season’s evaluations
Players returning to the MGHA after more than a year away from the league
Goalies

Please use your best judgement. If you believe your skill has changed, please plan to attend the evaluation session. Remember, accurate evaluations help us create balanced teams.

Similar to last season, this is the approach for this year’s evaluations:

L1 prospective skaters will be evaluated using stations.
- ACTION: Sign up for skills stations on Sept. 28 or Oct. 5
L2 prospective skaters will be evaluated using a mix of stations and observed scrimmages.
- ACTION: Sign up for skills stations AND an evaluation scrimmage on either Sept. 28 or Oct. 5
L3 prospective skaters will be evaluated within a scrimmage.
- ACTION: Sign up for an evaluation scrimmage on Sept. 21 or Sept. 28

Schedules will be outlined below. If you fall into one of the required groups, please plan to attend ONE OF the evaluation nights for the league you’re planning to skate in.

Action Items (Do These Now!)

The following items must be completed in order to play in the MGHA. Please go through each of the ACTION items in red below and confirm that you’ve completed them as soon as possible.

USA Hockey Registration

Before you can set foot, err… skate on the ice for the upcoming season, you’ll need to be registered with USA Hockey. We do this for liability reasons to protect those in our league. Signing up is easy and can be done online.

🟥 ACTION: Follow this link to sign up for USA Hockey… https://www.madisongayhockey.org/usa-hockey-registration/

Player Account and League Logistics

For planning purposes, we need some information from you. Please head into your player profile’s logistics page on the website and fill in the following required fields:

Preferred league (L1, L2, L3, or some combination of preference)
- You can change this field up until early October. Stay tuned for an exact date.
T-Shirt size
Hockey jersey size
Emergency contact
Play-with and do-not-play-with requests (due by Oct. 1)

All of this is now handled on the logistics page of your player account on the website. Note that you must be logged in to see this page.

Click here for more details on play-with / not-play-with requests

If you have someone who you’ve discussed ridesharing with or you feel that being on a team or in a locker room with another player would negatively affect your safety, this is how you let us know. We’ll do our best to honor these requests during the team creation process. There are three options: must play with, would like to play with, and would not feel safe playing with. Play-with fields are optional.

While you’re there, consider filling out the rest, such as your bio, pronouns, hometown and a photo. There’s also a field for hockey operations volunteer role preference. Read more about that here.

🟥 ACTION: Follow this link to adjust your account… https://www.madisongayhockey.org/account/logistics

League Fees

Fees are $375 this year: a $100 deposit earlier this summer plus the remainder to be paid before taking the ice, both are noted in your personal website Player Account page when you’re signed in.

The MGHA is committed to making hockey accessible to all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and funds are available to provide financial assistance to players in need. Need help… please complete our financial assistance form. If you have any questions, please contact Nik, our treasurer, via email: treasurer@madisongayhockey.org.

🟥 ACTION: Pay your league fees at the link… https://www.madisongayhockey.org/product/2025-2026-league-fees/

Join the Discord Server

In an effort to stop relying on Facebook, the MGHA is transitioning our communication to rely on email and our Discord server. The server allows us to communicate on our terms and to include all instead of just some. In addition, we’re planning to add individuals to team channels on the Discord server so that your team can communicate throughout the season.

We’re still working out some details. More information about our Discord server will be shared in the next few weeks. For now, join and set up your account to be ready to go.

🟥 ACTION: Join the MGHA Discord server here…

Final Check

IMPORTANT: Click here to make sure everything is good to go.

If anything is unchecked, please click on the link to fix the issue before moving on.

Preseason Schedule

The preseason schedule is outlined below. Use this as a jumping-off point to sign up for a session each week. You’ll find more details and instructions on each page. More details and sessions will be added throughout the preseason.

September 7:

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Orientation

If you’re new to the MGHA, you must attend one of our off-ice orientation sessions.

5:40 PM – 6:40 PM: Orientation

If you’re new to the MGHA, you must attend one of our off-ice orientation sessions.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: New-to-Skating / New-to-Hockey

This session is for those who are brand new to our league who have never played hockey before. We’ll have coaches and helpers to make sure you succeed. I promise… we’ve got you!

7:10 PM – 8:10 PM: New-to-Skating / New-to-Hockey

This session is for those who are brand new to our league who have never played hockey before. We’ll have coaches and helpers to make sure you succeed. I promise… we’ve got you!

🟥 ACTION: Sign up for sessions here: https://www.madisongayhockey.org/2025-preseason-september-7th-sign-ups/.

September 14:

4:20 PM – 5:20 PM: L1-L2 Small Space Drills

Join us for some skills and drills that’ll be designed and led by our coaches.

5:10 PM – 6:10 PM: New-to-Skating / New-to-Hockey

We continue our session for new MGHAers who have never played hockey before. Similar to the first week, we’ll help you through the basics.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: L2 Player Scrimmage

This is a scrimmage for L2 players.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Orientation (Off-Ice)

If you’re new to the MGHA, you must attend one of our off-ice orientation sessions.

6:20 PM – 7:20 PM: New-to-Skating / New-to-Hockey

We continue our session for new MGHAers who have never played hockey before. Similar to the first week, we’ll help you through the basics.

6:40 PM – 7:40 PM: L1 Returning Player Scrimmage

This is a scrimmage for returning L1 players.

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM: L2-L3 Small Space Drills

Join us for some skills and drills that’ll be designed and led by L3 skaters.

7:50 PM – 8:50 PM: L2 Player Scrimmage

This is a scrimmage for L2 players.

8:40 PM – 9:40 PM: L3 Player Scrimmage

This is a scrimmage for L3 players.

🟥 ACTION: Sign up for sessions here: https://www.madisongayhockey.org/2025-preseason-september-14th-sign-ups/

September 21:

L3 evaluations and goalie evaluations will take place. Remember, goalies, new MGHA players, and those moving up a league must attend evaluations. Read the note at the top of this post for more. Other players will have clinics or scrimmages. Choose the one that best suits your skill level.

Stay tuned for today’s schedule.