USA Hockey National Level Background Screening Policy

As we hope you are all aware, in order to comply with new requirements from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Hockey will be implementing a national level background screening policy.

Beginning on April 1, 2020, background screening will be conducted by USA Hockey’s national background screen vendor, NCSI, and information on background screening will be included following your registration.  

As of March 22, 2020, applicants will no longer be able to submit new USA Hockey background screens through the Connecticut Hockey Conference vendor Protect Youth Sports.  Applicants will not be able to submit new screens through NCSI until April 1, 2020.

If you were screened after April 1, 2019 for the 2019-20 season, your screen is valid for the 2020-21 season, and you will not need to be screened under the new system until prior to the 2021-22 season. If your most recent screen is from prior to April 1, 2019, you will need to be screened under the new system, after April 1, 2020, in order to participate in the upcoming season. If you are not sure of the date of your last screening, please email kmludwig@optonline.net   

All new screens submitted through the new NCSI national screening program after April 1, 2020 will be valid for two seasons.  For example, a screen submitted and approved on April 15, 2020 will be valid through the end of the 2021-22 season, which is August 31, 2022.

Background screens through NCSI under the national program will cost $30 for all domestic screens. For international screens (members who have lived outside of the US for six consecutive months in any one county during the past 7 years) the flat rate fee in $150. If that country is solely Canada, the flat rate fee is $75.  Cost must be paid by the applicant when submitting a screening application through NCSI.  The Connecticut Hockey Conference will not be paying for the screening costs for the 2020-21 season as been our practice in the past.

Please note that all coaches, officials, board members, employees, volunteers, billets, and anyone else who will have regular contact with, or authority over, minor athletes are required to submit to a background screen before any such contact with minor athletes. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email.

Thank you.

Kathy Ludwig
CHC SafeSport Coordinator