WHHL; New rec hockey league in Calgary, looking for info/opinions - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Northendzone · 06-23-2011, 08:25 AM

i wonder how you go about securing good ice times, when you don't have teams ready to go?

it can't be easy starting a new league up. I thought the $9,200 seemed like a lot - but it works out to about $550.

Tron_fdc · 06-23-2011, 08:50 AM

Yeah I'm pretty curious on ice times as well.

From what I've been told the older established leagues (All Cal, Rocky, etc) have contracted the premium ice times already. The rest goes to minor hockey.

I played in a new league a few years ago (CAHL), and although it was decent, the prices were high in order to get ice that was at 10PM (I think we paid $11k for the season?)

Played All-cal last year, and although they say the latest time you get is 10:30, 90% of the ice is at 10:30 and the other 10% is Saturday or Sunday morning.

Used to play NCHL, but I got tired of their refs, and 11:45 Chestermere icetimes.

Moral of the story is it's pretty difficult to secure any kind of decent time (pre-10pm) in the city, so I can't see how these guys can do it without paying massive premiums to the arenas.

Jackpot_Smooth · 06-23-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salty Banana

I played rec league once, I hated it. What a joke. Unless you have never skated in your life I would STRONGLY not recommend rec hockey. It's like playing with 6 year olds.

What league did you play in? I've seen beginners before but never seen in it that bad.

Jayems · 06-23-2011, 10:19 AM

My concern would be that it's a start up league, you get the $1k deposit in and then there's only like 3 other teams.... and you lose your deposit if you back out.

olygoalie · 06-23-2011, 10:28 AM

6 minutes of play? That hardly constitutes a BIG REALITY of recreational hockey. Since Junior (many an eon ago...) I have played Senior and now 'beer league rec' ever since. Some great hockey, some mediocre hockey, some poor hockey....you’re NOT being paid to play it so I think you have to have a little more patience then 6 minutes of play. Just my 2 cents on that.

As for the new league's launch....if they can muster up better ice times and from what posted on the site...much better benefits for the players...awesome!

I am so bloody tired of the 11:15pm ice times out in flippin' Cochrane or elsewhere outside of the city. If you sign up for a Calgary Rec league, you should play IN CALGARY! Getting home at 2am and going to work for 8 am (ish) is getting tougher and tougher each season.....looking for a change for sure. Balance of ice times, better benefits and $ saved sounds pretty solid to me. I emailed them, they have a bunch of teams already putting in deposits....

FlamesKickAss · 06-23-2011, 11:28 AM

I wonder if they will have a signup for singles....

olygoalie · 06-23-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

I wonder if they will have a signup for singles....

Part of my return email from them said they ARE going to have a registration for single players! Sweet! I know allot of guys who just recently moved to Calgary and find it hard to find a team right out of the shoot. This sounds like a pretty good way to bridge that.

The Joe fella said the interest is really solid, and many of the concerns I voiced (which on the board here...) are normal and expected. The times and rinks he mentioned are really slick. Our team is taking a vote this evening via email to decide. 7 of our roster already are saying yes out of the 16 FT players. The others will get me their votes tonight....I think that is where we are headed.

WHHL · 06-29-2011, 04:10 PM

Hey Guys,

We can answer all of your questions.

New League? You bet we are, but have a look at our Ice-Times and you tell me if they're better.
To-date, we've got ONE, (count them), ONE (1) x 11PM ice-time and that's on a Saturday. How many leagues can say that? I'm sure there are some out there, but our ice-times are only going to improve. How you ask? Well that's the Caramilk secret isn't it. Regardless.....we're NOT sketchy!

Got a question? Post it here or hit us up at info@whhl.ca or call 403-264-9848.

ShotDownInFlames12 · 06-29-2011, 04:25 PM

I saw an ad in the paper for this league, checked the website and clicked the "executive" tab and see the head ref is Garnett. Isn't this that tool that was from HNA?

Basically this looks like a mix of HNA and NCHL which are probably the two worst leagues in the city.

No thanks

Jayems · 06-29-2011, 04:27 PM

Garnett virtually guarantees I'd never play in that league.

Swayze11 · 06-29-2011, 04:37 PM

As far as I am concerned, anything at this point is better then HNA and NCHL. CAHL has been the best so far that I have been in.

olygoalie · 06-30-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShotDownInFlames12

I saw an ad in the paper for this league, checked the website and clicked the "executive" tab and see the head ref is Garnett. Isn't this that tool that was from HNA?

Basically this looks like a mix of HNA and NCHL which are probably the two worst leagues in the city.

No thanks

I guess my question is what does a rec hockey player expect with beer league reffing? My experience has always been, treat with respect and they do the same. I have had Garnet(sp?) ref many a game I was in net and anyone who acted like an idiot was treated as such. The ones who treated the refs and other team properly was treated fairly. I am always blown away at how rec hockey players blame refs for results they were clearly responsible for themselves. Last time I checked there aren't any scouts in the stands is there?

Either way my team is in and we look forward to it. The guys are pumped about the $500 we get at the bar, the pre-season party at the casino down south (we have a shot at $3000 off next season's fees!), the boxing at NSD, the ice skating treadmill thing, and the ice times posted on the site for Fish Creek and Cardel are wicked good already......we get all that for the SAME fees the other guys are taking. New or not, thats F@#$ing great!

See you guys on the ice, cause our team will be in the WHHL this coming season!

Jackpot_Smooth · 06-30-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

Garnett virtually guarantees I'd never play in that league.

hah. I hate that guy. i heard he no longer is the head ref for hna.

ShotDownInFlames12 · 06-30-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olygoalie

I guess my question is what does a rec hockey player expect with beer league reffing? My experience has always been, treat with respect and they do the same. I have had Garnet(sp?) ref many a game I was in net and anyone who acted like an idiot was treated as such. The ones who treated the refs and other team properly was treated fairly. I am always blown away at how rec hockey players blame refs for results they were clearly responsible for themselves. Last time I checked there aren't any scouts in the stands is there?

Either way my team is in and we look forward to it. The guys are pumped about the $500 we get at the bar, the pre-season party at the casino down south (we have a shot at $3000 off next season's fees!), the boxing at NSD, the ice skating treadmill thing, and the ice times posted on the site for Fish Creek and Cardel are wicked good already......we get all that for the SAME fees the other guys are taking. New or not, thats F@#$ing great!

See you guys on the ice, cause our team will be in the WHHL this coming season!

So you obviously work for this new league or are Garnett yourself because thats the only way you would defend a guy like him.

I've played in almost every league in the city, and we've only had a problem with one guy. It has nothing to do with how you treat the refs or the other team, hes out there to feel important. He power trips all the time, for no apparent reason. If it was just me saying this its one thing, but since I posted that other guys who I've never met or played with are agreeing, so obviously its not an isolated incident.

The fact that you say this makes you sound like the losers that run HNA and NCHL, defending terrible rules and refs by saying its how you treat them. In every other league we've played in, we are always near the bottom in PIMS every year.

Gundo · 06-30-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

Garnett virtually guarantees I'd never play in that league.

Yep our team was thinking of making the jump until we seen that as well. As much as I love getting a bench minor for my stick touching the boards when I'm sitting down after a shift, or getting a penalty for clearing the puck in his general direction..... I'll pass.

jar_e · 06-30-2011, 01:19 PM

^^The most ridiculous penalty we got from Garnett is when we were still filling out our names on the score sheet and we got a 2 minute delay of game cause it wasn't ready before warm up.

valo403 · 06-30-2011, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gundo

Yep our team was thinking of making the jump until we seen that as well. As much as I love getting a bench minor for my stick touching the boards when I'm sitting down after a shift, or getting a penalty for clearing the puck in his general direction..... I'll pass.

Ha, did that actually happen?

I've had some over the top refs in men's league too, guys that were obviously there for their ego and nothing more. Nothing topped the guy who reffed in the same league he played in though. Funny how calls went against us when we played the team made up of a bunch of the other refs in the league.

Gundo · 06-30-2011, 01:45 PM

^ yes it did, you can't make that crap up.

Reneeee · 06-30-2011, 02:26 PM

Valo, what team was that? I think I know the team you're speaking of. NCHL right?

Brewmaster · 06-30-2011, 02:27 PM

My team has been bouncing around a few leagues the past couple years.

NCHL - Could only get 4 teams that were competitive in the top division. Didn't like the 5 penalty = penalty shot rule. Poor ice times. We'd go out to Chestermere for a 11pm game and there would be noone on the ice since 8pm.

CAHL - Great competition in the top division. Ice times were terrible. Every game was Monday or Wednesday night at 10:45 or 11:15 at the Edge in Springbank. The league was also very poorly managed.

All-Cal - Trying out this league for the upcoming winter season. Looks like they have some decent ice times, and some good competition. Anyone play in this league and have an opinion?

My biggest concern entering a new league (like WHHL) would be ice times and competition. It's important to group teams that are all on the same level so the games are close