FIRST AID, CPR & AED UPDATE: As detailed in June, during the 2024-25 season, just one (1) approved bench staff member on all Hockey Nova Scotia-sanctioned teams will be required to have:

• CPR (Level C) & AED
• Emergency First Aid

This modification ensures that the safety of our players is prioritized, while also respecting the time commitments asked of our volunteers.

The First Aid, CPR & AED section of our Volunteer Requirements chart has been updated to reflect this change.

HOCKEY CANADA LEARNING LAB LAUNCHED: Hockey Canada has launched the brand new Hockey Canada Learning Lab that will replace Hockey University this season. The new Hockey Canada Learning Lab will include modernized course content and accessibility features.

This change will make things easier for our volunteer coaches as many of our coach clinics will move exclusively online including the new Coach 1 and Coach 2 clinics.

Moving forward, Development 1 and High Performance (HP) 1 will be the only coach courses offered at in-person clinics.


COACH 1 AND COACH 2 CLINICS NOW OFFERED: This season, the clinic formerly known as Intro to Coach, as well as HU Online 1/2 (which was a prerequisite for Intro to Coach), have been replaced by Coach 1 and Coach 2. These clinics have been divided into two separate courses which feature age-appropriate coaching content.

Please note that coaches who have already taken Intro to Coach will not be required to take the Coach 1 or Coach 2 clinic. Hockey Nova Scotia will honour their Intro to Coach clinic.

At the U7 and U9 levels, coaches will be required to have their Coach 1 clinic, while coaches at U11, U13, U15 and U18 will need Coach 2.

COACH CLINIC REQUIREMENTS BY LEVEL AT A GLANCE: Here is a quick breakdown of what clinic coaches will need at each level of the game:

Coach 1: U7, U9

Coach 2: U11, U13, U15, U18

Development 1: U15 Major Assistant Coach, U15 AAA Female, U16 AAA, U18 Major Male, U18 Major Female Assistant Coach, Junior A Assistant Coach, Junior B, Junior C

HP 1: U15 Major Head Coach, U18 Major Male, U18 Major Female Head Coach, Junior A Head Coach

For more information on what volunteers will require by level, please consult our Volunteer Requirements Chart.

NEW HOCKEY CANADA SAFETY PROGRAM: As part of the transition away from Hockey University, Hockey Canada’s safety program has been re-branded as Hockey Canada Safety. This program replaces HU Safety. You can sign up for it here.


REMOVAL OF SAFETY REP: Please note that the role of Safety Rep has been removed from the Volunteer Requirements Chart. Teams will not be required to have a Safety Rep during the 2024-25 hockey season.

If you have any questions about any of this, please reach out to Kelly Dalrymple (kdalrymple@hockeynovascotia.ca) or Brad Taylor (btaylor@hockeynovascotia.ca) in the Hockey Nova Scotia office.