A Typical Season
Howell Hockey is open to boys and girls in Kindergarten through High School.
Players do not need to live in Howell to join.
The club has spring and fall seasons. The spring season runs from
March to June. We always try to wind up before the schools are out
for the summer. Sundays are the primary game day in the spring
season. The fall season goes from September to November. It starts
right after school starts and wraps up before Thanksgiving.
Saturdays are the primary game day in the fall.
Exact schedules are not available until the registration period is over and we know how many teams in each division there will be. Weekend holidays, rainouts or divisions with an odd number of teams will cause some games to be scheduled on the ‘other’ day of the weekend. (The Midget division games are scheduled for Sunday mornings both seasons.)
Several in-person registrations are held a month or two before the start of each season. Registrations can also be mailed in to the PO Box. We routinely mail a reminder to the former players about registration for each upcoming season and distribute flyers through the schools before the spring season. Dates and times are also posted on the home page and on our Hotline at:
732-886-8855.
The rink surfaces are coated to reduce wear and tear on wheels and other equipment. The Club has also installed regulation scoreboards and upgraded the fencing. The four competitive divisions (Squirt, Peewee, Bantam, Midget) play with a puck. The younger divisions (Atom and Mite) play with zero-bounce (liquid filled) balls. They are a little more predictable than pucks and easier to handle. All games have referees suitable for the division.
The registration fee covers the regular season, the playoffs and a jersey. This fee is also discounted for multiple players from the same family. Regulation hockey equipment is required and is NOT provided. Check the back of the registration form for the complete list. The club does have various pieces of goalie equipment available for practices and games.
There is also a separate volunteer fee required. This check is destroyed (or cash refunded) after you have completed four hours of volunteer time. Time can be worked as a coach, manning the Snack Stand, on rink maintenance or various other activities.
We are always looking for new people to get involved in any way possible.
Players are divided into six Divisions according to the year they were born. The divisions from youngest to oldest are: Atom, Mite, Squirt, PeeWee, Bantam and Midget. All but the Midget divisions span two years, or four seasons. The club strongly suggests that everyone stay within their age division. Requests can be made to 'play up' if the player meets the necessary criteria. Conversely, a new or weaker player may want to ask to 'play down' to improve their experience. All requests are reviewed by the Board and subject to approval.
New players and those moving into a new division are asked to attend an evaluation session before the season starts. This is not a try-out, everyone makes a team. It's a chance for the commissioner and coaches to see and
rate the new players before the draft. New teams are drafted each season. The goal is to build the teams to be as balanced as possible. After that, it's how well they can gel together as a team.
Each season is scheduled for ten games (requiring occasional double-header weekends) followed by the playoffs. All teams make it to the first round in the playoffs. The winners move up to the finals to play for their division's 'Stanley Man', our version of the Stanley Cup.
The two youngest divisions, Atom and Mite, focus on skating and learning the rules of hockey. Here the score is not so important. At the end of the season they will have a Round Robin type of tournament instead of playoffs. Several of the coaches from the Club sponsor a weekly 'clinic' for players in these divisions.
That's a general layout of Howell Hockey and how it works. We are an intramural club providing a means for anyone that wants to play to have the chance. Games can become very exciting but we ask that you remember that the kids are playing for fun. Be involved and cheer for your team but please don't be negative against another team or player. That's not what we're here for.
