What registration does the team need before its first game?

Question

Accepted Answer

Under Hockey Canada By-laws 2026-27 (Regulation D, Registration):

Everyone in the Hockey Canada Registry (HCR): every player and team official must be a Registered Participant of a team roster registered with Hockey Canada. Before taking part in any league or championship game they must be registered with the Member in the HCR and validated by the Member Executive Director or designate for the current season (D.1).
What the HCR needs: the mandatory fields include name, date of birth, address, email, team name, division and category, role on the team (Player, Goaltender, Coach, Bench Staff, Safety or Official), coach certification level and criminal record check, safety personnel level and expiry date, affiliate status, import status, tryout and release status, and active season such as 2026-2027 (D.9).
Complete submissions: the Member Executive Director will not approve a registration until it is fully completed in the HCR and the team holds the player's playing rights, shown by an approved transfer and trade documentation where applicable (D.2).
Proof of age: a player registering for the first time must submit proof of age satisfactory to the Member (D.4).
Deadline: registration is accepted only if approved by the Member Executive Director no later than 5:00:00 pm MST on February 10, except as provided in Regulations A.12 and D.7 (D.3).
Minimum players: a team not competing for a Regional or National Championship must have at least six registered players, as authorized by the Member (D.12).
Team requirements: the team must include a Coach meeting Member certification requirements and one person qualified in the Hockey Canada Safety Program (HTCP in Ontario until no later than the end of 2027-28).
Teams: a team becomes a Registered Participant by following the registration procedures of the Member in whose geographic subdivision it operates, and the Member may accept or refuse the team's registration (D.14).

Source: Hockey Canada By-laws 2026-27 (https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/About/Downloads/2026-27-bylaws-e.pdf).