How do transfers to a Junior A team in another province or from another country work?

Under Hockey Canada Regulation H (2026-27):

• Inter-Member transfer: first get a Release from your last team, then you or your parent endorse the transfer application. It is started on the HCR with the application form, your registration and the Release attached, and must be fully approved before you register with a team in the new Member (H.5, H.6).
• Response time: the Member you are applying to must approve or reject within 3 business days, giving reasons for a rejection. A rejection without reasons is deemed an approval. The 3-day limit does not apply from May 1 to July 31 (H.7, H.8).
• Deadlines: applications for Inter-Member transfers, or incoming transfers from another federation, must be filed by February 10. Outgoing IIHF transfers must be filed by February 15 (H.2).
• Age 17 and under: a player of U18 eligibility or younger cannot transfer between Members, or in from another federation, to play anything other than Major Junior, unless an exception in G.9 (b) or (c) applies. A player in their last year of U18 eligibility may be granted an Inter-Member transfer to a Junior A team in another Member when there is no Junior A hockey in their Residential Member (H.1 (a)). You can also appeal to the National Appeals Committee if you can show special circumstances (H.1 (c)).
• No sitting idle: a transferred player must be placed on the team's roster within 2 weeks of the approved transfer date, or the Member or Hockey Canada can release them (H.3).
• Other federations: a Hockey Canada player who plays a regular league game for a team in another federation is ineligible for Hockey Canada competition for the rest of that season unless properly transferred back (H.13). Transfers to or from another federation follow Appendix H1 (IIHF) or H2 (USA Hockey/Hockey Canada/CHL).