As the Board has been discussing some of the concerns/suggestions that have come from our recent survey, we wanted to take a moment to address them directly:

PARITY: The board recognizes that this is the biggest area of concern and is taking steps to improve the parity of the league. The single biggest factor with imbalance comes from having to find replacement players, while also not wanting to disrupt the rest of the league. The board recognizes this and is making changes to the payment system so that players are paid before they are drafted, to minimize mid year changes. We’re also exploring options to our current rating system that could help to insure equality among the teams. We’ll also be addressing how we bring in mid-season replacements when necessary.

REFEREE ISSUES: The board has evaluated the referees as having done well. That is not to say that anyone feels that calls were never missed, but we also recognize the human-factor of the job and the fact that there are only two referees on the ice per game. The Board is working on implementing targeted changes to improve refereeing, to include written and posted expectations for referees so that they, and all of the players, are getting the same message. The Board is taking a more active role in repeat offenses or incidents that transcend an individual game.

SUB RULES: The Board recognizes that parity in the league is directly effected with how substitutions are made for individual games as well as long-term replacements. There are proposals being considered concerning both of these events.  Changes the past couple of seasons around substitutions have all been in an effort to minimize competitive advantage due to subs and to keep it fun for all involved but we realize that hasn’t always been the result. Expect that we will not implement any changes that threaten this but are working hard to improve this area.

TWO LEAGUES/DIVISIONS: The board has noted that there is some interest here but we do not have enough demographic information to make a sound decision regarding the feasibility at this point. The Board is discussing ways to make age-based/skills-based matchups as a part of the league.

GAME PLAY: The Board’s current goal is to play as much hockey as we pay for, which on occasion comes at the expense of a tie game.  There were suggestions to implement a shootout to end ties, but the one-hour window per game and the five-hour window per Sunday night is very restrictive to allowing shootouts.

COST: Our evaluation shows that it compares favorably on a per game basis to other leagues, especially considering the facility we use and the ice-times we have for our games. The Board will always work to keep costs down when feasible or to possibly increase the number of games played.

NO GAMES ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: This was a common complaint in prior years, where many players wanted to skate on Super Bowl Sunday.  The Board recognizes that there is not one answer that will make all people happy here, and as such is considering a number of options, including earlier games on this day, or specialty games that are not part of the regular season.

WICKED RAGZ/SOCK JOCK: This did not have the intended benefit that we thought it would. We recognize that there were many factors in this not going well. So, if you’re a player who has paid for and not received OR you have received the wrong size WICKED RAGZ, please fill out the contact form, let us know which camp you fall into, and we will initiate your refund of $20.

SLAP SHOTS: The Board continues to feel that this is more of a safety concern than a benefit. The slap shot rule will remain unchanged.

UPDATING WEBSITE: The board has already initiated steps to improve the accuracy and timeliness of the website and updates to it. A new scheduling feature will be rolled-out next season that will help with staying up-to-date and accurate.

LEAGUE COMMUNICATION: Expect the homepage to be the best source for league wide announcements. If you are not receiving email notifications that new updates have been posted, please subscribe on the right side of this page under “I WANT THE LATEST NEWS.”

ADDRESSING PLAYERS WITH PAYMENT ISSUES: To lessen the payment issues that we’ve run into the past couple of seasons, the Board will be changing the payment system so that all players will be paid before they are drafted. All season fees will be due by August 1st. However, we will be instituting a new payment option beginning May 1st. This will allow all players to make payments throughout the summer to ease the burden of paying all season fees at once. Each player will receive an electronic invoice from the league that you can pay from directly. Reminders will be sent out June 1, July 1 and July 25 to all players with an outstanding balance. Anyone not paid by August 1 will lose their veteran status in the league and will be replaced by someone on the substitution list.