Roster Structure & Development

Roster Structure

Each Denton County Spartans team carries up to 30 players, divided into two groups: the Game Day Roster and the Development Roster. Every player on both rosters is a full member of this club — they practice together, train together, and represent the Spartans as one team. The only difference is who steps on the ice on game day.

Game Day Roster

The first 20 spots make up the Game Day Roster — the players who earned a place on the squad that dress and compete in games.

Development Roster

The final 10 spots make up the Development Roster. These players are every bit a part of this club as their Game Day teammates. They practice with the full team and are held to the same standard of commitment. What sets the Development Roster apart is its purpose: to give players the reps, coaching, and hockey knowledge they need to sharpen their game and compete for a permanent Game Day spot.

Development players are expected to be with the team on game day, not just at practice. That means:

• Traveling to and attending games with the team
• Showing up dressed in their team's game day dress code
• Watching games together as a group, from the stands or along the boards
• Being in and around the locker room before and after games to hear the coaches and build team cohesion

Call-Ups

Coaches may call a Development player up to the Game Day squad when the team needs it — most often to cover an injury or a short roster. Call-ups are the exception, not the routine, and are typically for a single game at the coaches' discretion.

Rosters are not re-evaluated over the course of the season. A Development player may be moved up permanently only when a Game Day spot becomes permanently vacant.

To be eligible for call-ups, a Development player must own a team uniform. A player who wants that opportunity purchases their uniform when accepting the offer from the team. For fall/winter teams, a practice jersey will not suffice — a full team uniform is required to be called up. For summer teams, a practice jersey is acceptable. A Development player who chooses not to obtain a uniform remains a full member of the club but is not eligible to be called up to a game.

Cost

Because Development players are not guaranteed game action, their fees are significantly lower than Game Day fees. A player who is called up is never charged extra for the games they play.

Additional Training

All players are encouraged to visit our coaches' training page if they wish to schedule additional training with the coaches.