WRAHL or Other Winter Hockey Leagues around Calgary - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

IgiTang · 07-23-2008, 04:15 PM

Does anyone have any advice on where to look for a Men's limited contact league for moderately/experienced players? Myself and a couple of buddies are looking for some contingency leagues seeing there is a waiting list for WRAHL.

djwazzy · 07-23-2008, 10:42 PM

The two biggest adult rec hockey leagues in Calgary are NCHL and HNA respectively. Both leagues have various divisions based on competitiveness. Give both of them a call, I'm sure one of those two leagues will have room.

http://www.nchl-calgary.com

http://www.hna.com/leagues/front_pag...&clientID=2296

ShotDownInFlames12 · 07-23-2008, 10:44 PM

THe NCHL still has room, but I would recommend HNA over them. Icetimes are better and the rules are better. The only bad thing is that you have to have matching pants and helmets and namebars on your jerseys...but it's not a big deal if you have to order jerseys anyways

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 10:49 PM

After 3 summer seasons and 2 full winter seasons, I've come to the conclusion that the NCHL is the biggest joke in Calgary.

jayswin · 07-23-2008, 11:03 PM

Our Calgarypcuk team took the last spot availible in the HNA for the winter. I believe the NCHL is at about 56 deposits right now, and if I remember correctly they allow around 100 teams per season.

Engine09 · 07-23-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

NCHL and HNA

I play on teams in both leauges right now, they're better than the WRAHL for number of divisions and therefore having teams of equal skill together. Every team we play is quite evenly matched, having more fun this year that the last few years.

Khel · 07-23-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

After 3 summer seasons and 2 full winter seasons, I've come to the conclusion that the NCHL is the biggest joke in Calgary.

Why is that Jay? I've played in the NCHL since it began and haven't had any issues, thought it was well run. I've also played in the WRAHL, and often found we didn't get a scorekeeper or even 2 referees, even though we were paying fees for 2 refs and a scorekeeper...

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khel

Why is that Jay? I've played in the NCHL since it began and haven't had any issues, thought it was well run. I've also played in the WRAHL, and often found we didn't get a scorekeeper or even 2 referees, even though we were paying fees for 2 refs and a scorekeeper...

Incompetent refs, or refs/score keepers not showing up. Stats system is totally farked...

Teams just bring in ringers... so you're trying to play a team in C or D and they bring out 4 guys who played AAA and just own you. It's not fun at all.

jayswin · 07-23-2008, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

After 3 summer seasons and 2 full winter seasons, I've come to the conclusion that the NCHL is the biggest joke in Calgary.

Yesterday being the perfect example. Man that had to be THE WORST hockey game I've ever participated in.

The NCHL (they tell their refs how to call the game) has this weird thing where the refs will watch a cheapshot or instigation and not do anything, and then wait for the victim to retaliate. The reason for this, is that they think by being harsh on the retaliaters, they will have less hotheads and incidents in the league. What they don't realize is that this has the opposite effect.

Case in point, last night the other teams ringer (we're in div E and this guy wes easily a div A, another thing the HNA doesn't allow) hit Jayams, crosschecked him , and then pushed him to the ice, so this was three infractions commited while the ref stood right beside them shaking his head. Then both refs stood there and waited for jayams to react, which he finally did, so with one push back from jayams, both refs' hands shot up in the air, as they came racing in to give him the only penalty on the play.

When I asked for an explanation, the one ref said "do you know what a retaliation is", to which I said "do you know what needs to happen in order for there to BE a retaliation?". She then gave me a weak slashing call about a minute later, and apparantly my penalty was "two minutes for slashing, and go hit the showers"

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 11:25 PM

^^^^ Worst part is my hat-trick will be wiped off the record since we were disqualified

Dan02 · 07-23-2008, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

^^^^ Worst part is my hat-trick will be wiped off the record since we were disqualified

wowza you are on fire lately.

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan02

wowza you are on fire lately.

3 hatties in 4 games as a player

Must be that new easton, or all the beer

Dan02 · 07-23-2008, 11:34 PM

next game i make it to(who knows when that'll be) i'm gonna get one, i'm calling it now and you can take it to the bank

jayswin · 07-23-2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

^^^^ Worst part is my hat-trick will be wiped off the record since we were disqualified

You had a hat trick eh? I thought we were a pretty good line out there. you given anymore thought to playing for the Saints this winter as a player?

BTW I uploaded a video of Colin's attempted goal to youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0CFWPxdss

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

You had a hat trick eh? I thought we were a pretty good line out there. you given anymore thought to playing for the Saints this winter as a player?

BTW I uploaded a video of Colin's attempted goal to youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0CFWPxdss

Classic!

Unless they credited that goal you 3/4 of the way scored and I just tapped it in, then I only got 2.

jayswin · 07-23-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

Classic!

Unless they credited that goal you 3/4 of the way scored and I just tapped it in, then I only got 2.

Yeah I told the ref you scored that and saw him nod his head, although I guess it's a moot point now.

Jayems · 07-23-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

Yeah I told the ref you scored that and saw him nod his head, although I guess it's a moot point now.

HAH, i said the same thing

"he got it, not me"

you did all the work

boy did we hijack this thread.

FLAMESRULE · 07-24-2008, 08:06 AM

+1 for HNA over NCHL.

HNA is by far and away a better and more effeciently run league. The guy who runs actually helps ref, you can go and BS with him, and it isnt quite so freaking obvious that he's in it for the money. The best thing is the preseason evaluation skate where the captains of all the teams get to watch all the new/proposed players for teams in your division to make sure no ringers get in. AFter that your roster is set before the season starts.

NCHL is a joke, the refs are brutal, the ice times are brutal, there is no regulations on who can play in what division, and from what I've heard from my other team (new C div team, currently play E div summer) the fees are ~$1500 more expensive per team than HNA (which didnt increase this year).

And dont get me started on the penalty shot rule for too many penalties in NCHL.

Beefcake · 07-24-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IgiTang

Does anyone have any advice on where to look for a Men's limited contact league for moderately/experienced players? Myself and a couple of buddies are looking for some contingency leagues seeing there is a waiting list for WRAHL.

- Hockey North America (HNA): http://www.calgaryhna.homestead.com/
- Non Contact Hockey League (NCHL): http://www.nchl-calgary.com/
- Alberta Rockies Centennial Hockey League: http://www.archl.com/
- Calgary Mens Hockey Association (CMHA): http://www.cmhahockey.com/
- AllCal Hockey League: http://www.allcalhockey.com/
- Southern Alberta Senior Men's Hockey League (SASM): http://www.sasmhockey.com/
- Western Recreational Adult Hockey League (WRAHL): http://www.wrahl.com/
- Calgary Adult Hockey League: http://www.cahl.ca/
- Heritage Hockey League: http://www.heritagehockeyleague.com/
- South Calgary Hockey League: http://www.scrhl.ca/

There's also a league at the U of C you could look in to.

Khel · 07-24-2008, 08:42 AM

What team are you guys on?

Team I play for (Pirates) has a few ringers on it, but they are friends who have played with us for years in the WRAHL or NCHL, they just want to play with their buddies.

As for the refs, I am one, and while I know we are far from perfect, I usually always catch the retaliation because of the noise and yelling from the bench. But I'll certainly call the original if I see it!

I'm surpised that refs and scorekeepers aren't showing up, I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened to me as a player and a ref this year in the NCHL, and I can count on one hand the number of times we had 2 refs in the WRAHL this past winter.

Now I'm sounding like an NCHL apoligist! Back on topic, I've played in HNA and NCHL, and both are better run.

Depending on your skill level Heritage league is supposed to be pretty good.