1. WHAT PLAYERS ARE WELCOME IN THIS LEAGUE?

ALL HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE WELCOME! The HOWIES Spring League is open to both Boys and Girls, with Beginner, Intermediate (House), and Advanced (Travel) players the league guarantees every skater an equal opportunity to play with equal ice time. The league is designed for ALL players to have FUN and at the same time improve their skills in Skating and Team Play!

2. WHEN DOES THE 2025 HOWIES LEAGUE START/END?

The 2025 Season will have different starting dates - ALL divisions will conclude the weekend of July 19/20.

• Divisions 1: Evaluations begin on April 5.
• Divisions 2 & 3: Evaluations begin on April 2.
• Divisions 4 & 5: Evaluations begin on March 24.
• Divisions 6: Evaluations begin on April 10.

3. WHAT IS INCLUDED?

The league is priced by age division. Each division includes a fixed number of ice times. HOWIES team jerseys (with player name and number), & matching socks are also included.

4. WHEN/WHERE ARE THE GAMES PLAYED?

All Games are played at Holiday and Leisure Rinks. There will be some Friday times - but most games will be held on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. 

5. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

Full equipment is required. We offer full-line equipment options in The Hockey Connection shops at Holiday & Leisure Rinks and online.

6. HOW ARE TEAMS CREATED?

All participants must attend an evaluation session, where they will receive a "rating." The commissioner, Tim Driscoll, will balance out the competition and consider player requests to balance each team. The league plays a stop-time format of A-B-C lines. Where all players receive equal ice time playing against similar competition.

7. WHAT IS THE EVALUATION SESSION?

The evaluation sessions are ice times set aside for all participants to attend before the teams are formed. At the evaluations, staff will run the skaters through various drills to determine a rating for each skater. This will then transfer to the league commissioner to form balanced teams. The evaluation session is also a time to decide if a player is enrolled in the proper division for their skill set. Our goal is to make sure everyone is placed correctly!

• NOTE: Players who fail to attend an evaluation session forfeit any Player-Coach requests

8. CAN I PICK WHICH TEAM I PLAY ON?

9. CAN I SUBMIT A COMPLETE TEAM?

No. The HOWIES Spring Hockey League is for individual applicants only.

10. WHO ARE THE COACHES?

Coaches are experienced volunteers who submit an application for review and are selected by the league commissioner.

11. WHEN WILL THE SCHEDULE BE OUT?

The schedule is released after teams are formed following Player Evaluations and Divisional Coach's meetings.

12. HOW MANY GAMES WILL WE PLAY A WEEK?

Most weekends teams will play a single game. There will be a couple weekends where teams will play Friday and Sunday!  The season's final week will be a "Positional Round" based on current standings. Trophies will be awarded to the winner of the Conference Championship game played between the top 2 teams in the conference.

13. WILL THERE BE PRACTICES?

There will be a designated number of practices per division. If desired, teams can purchase additional practice at a discounted rate.

14. ARE STANDINGS AND STATS POSTED ONLINE?

Yes. Team, Player, and Goalie stats will be tracked and posted at Holidayrinks.com for Divisions 2 thru 6. Division 1, being a beginner division, played half-ice, will not have statistics tracked.

15. HOW DO GOALIES APPLY?

Goalies are welcome to register in ALL divisions. You can register as a Full-Time or Part-Time goalie.
FULL-TIME Goaltenders assigned to a team with (2) GOALIES will receive a $100 credit back on their league fee AFTER teams are fully assigned.

16. DO I EARN POWER-PLAY LOYALTY POINTS FOR REGISTERING?

When you register for the HOWIES Spring League, you earn (1) POWERPLAY point for each dollar spent. This will be applied to the account you used to register with, and you can use any Awards earned at the Hockey Connection Shops, the Grilles, or online @ TheHockeyConnection.com.