New Player Information

High Plains Hockey is a league for players in grades 9-12.  Our teams are organized around public school attendance areas in order to promote school and community spirit!

 

Many schools (public and private) have their own team.  Others, with fewer players in attendance, have combined with other nearby schools to form teams.  Recognition by the school varies from district to district and school to school ranging from official club sport status including varsity letters to no formal affiliation or recognition.

 

Players that homeschool, attend open-enrollment, charter, or private schools without a team affiliation are assigned to teams based on the public school attendance area they live in.  A few of our teams are not able to take players from outside of their school per their district/school policy.  Private, charter, open-enrollment, homeschooled players living in these areas will be assigned to a near by team by their Division Director.

 

Players living in the area of or attending a public school without a team affiliation will also be assigned to a near by team by their Division Director.

 

Our teams are arranged into geographical divisions for administrative purposes.  Each geographical division has a Board member assigned as its’ Division Director.  

 

For competitive purposes, teams are arranged in tiers.  Tiers are based on the predicted ability levels of the teams and are redone each season.  Tier 1 Varsity will include our most competitive teams.  Tier 2 Varsity will be further divided into a North and South conference to ease travel demands.  Tier 2 North and South will meet in the final playoff game.  Junior Varsity teams are arranged the same as Varsity: Tier 1, Tier 2 North and Tier 2 South.  

 

Not every school will have enough players to field a JV team.  All players released from a Varsity team at a school that does not also have a JV team will have the option to play for another JV team.  The Division Directors will place the players with a team.

 

We also offer a Girls’ Division.  Girls can choose to play on a girls’ team, coed team, or both.  

 

Tryouts are typically in January or February.  Games usually start in mid March, with practices beginning a week or so prior to the first game.  The Girls’ Division does not begin games until late March or early April.  The regular season ends in early May and is followed by an all-inclusive playoff tournament for each tier (Tier 1 Varsity, Tier 2 Varsity, Tier 1 JV, Tier 2 JV, Girls).

 

The regular season consists of:

15 games, 12 practices for Varsity teams,

11 games, 10 practices for Junior Varsity teams,

10 games, 12 practices for Girls’ teams.

 

Varsity games have 17-minute stop clock periods, with an ice make in between the 2nd and 3rd period.

JV and Girls’ games have 15-minute stop clock periods and no ice make during the games.

 

Players pay a nominal registration fee to the league to sign up and a more substantial fee to their team.  The teams in turn pay a team fee to HPHL, which covers ice, officials, security, administration, etc…  Each team/club sets it’s own player fees and payment policies based on number of players, use of sponsors, fundraising, jersey costs, etc…  For specific information regarding player fees contact the team manager of the team in question.

 

HPHL offers need-based scholarships.  See Scholarships for more information.

 

We hope this has answered some of your basic questions about our league!