Purpose

Offer players an opportunity to enjoy hockey at a higher competitive level involving a deeper commitment.

General

SMAHL sponsors eight (6) travel teams in the Little Caesar’s Amateur Hockey league (LCAHL): Squirt A, Squirt AA, Peewee A, Peewee AA, Bantam A and Bantam AA.  SMAHL also sponsors three (4) additional developmental travel teams at the Mite, Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam levels that are eligible to play in the Buckeye Travel Hockey League (BTHL).  Depending upon the ultimate makeup of the team after tryouts, it is possible that any one of our Buckeye teams could be entered as a third travel team in LCAHL.  The Board will promptly make this decision after tryouts with input from the players’ parents and the coach.

The goal of the Buckeye teams is to provide an additional developmental option, between travel and the All-Star program, for players who want to improve their skills and eventually compete on one of our primary travel teams (i.e. A/AA in LCAHL).  Because of their developmental focus, Buckeye team rosters will not be filled until after our primary teams are selected.  Therefore, to be eligible for a Buckeye team, a player must first be cut from his appropriate age level A/AA team.  This process is in no way meant to slight our Buckeye teams, as we also want them to be successful.  SMAHL’s intent is to move players up to their highest level of potential within the program and balance that effort with a focus on the success of the program as a whole.

LCAHL

In the LCAHL, there are approximately fifty teams in each age group. Each age group is broken up into five regional divisions. The teams in each division play a home and away series against each other. League play starts in October and is completed by mid-January. League playoffs start in February and are completed by mid March. 

Most league games are within an hour drive of the Toledo area. There are, however, league teams in Kalamazoo, Lansing and Grand Rapids, which are occasionally put into our division.  All LCAHL teams are sanctioned by USA Hockey. Since our teams compete in a Michigan league, SMAHL follows Michigan’s hockey rules. The most significant rule affecting us is the age bracket distinction. The age brackets are sub-divided into A and AA. Second year players (AA level) in an age bracket are not allowed to participate on a first year team (A level). The exception is in the Mite age group, where there can be up to four-second year players on a Mite A team.

BTHL

In the BTHL, there are approximately 20-25 teams at each level: Squirt (10 and under), Peewee (12 and under), and Bantam (14 and under) with half being first year teams.  The BTHL allows second year players on a first year team at all levels. 

The teams in the BTHL usually play twenty-four (24) regular season games in a home and away series.  The games are typically “double-headers” on a weekend day with at least a two-hour block between games.  The double-header concept allows the teams to minimize extra travel.  League play starts in October and is completed by February when the league tournament occurs.  League games involve moderate weekend travel to the Findlay, Columbus, Dayton, and Ft. Wayne areas.  However, depending on the teams placed in each division, games could also occur in Cincinnati, Louisville, KY and Indianapolis, IN.  BTHL teams also schedule other non-league games, scrimmages, tournaments and practices.  Because of the shortage of available ice, Buckeye teams (whether they play in the LCAHL or BTHL) will have ice times at other area rinks as well as Tam O’ Shanter.

Schedule

Open tryouts start in the middle of July and are completed for all teams before the middle of August.

Most teams start skating in August (6-12 hours). The normal ice schedule starts in September. There are regular ice times given to each team per week at Tam O’ Shanter, however, some teams may have several weekly ice times at the Sports Arena or Monroe to accommodate the addition of the Bantam AA and Buckeye teams.  Each team is expected to practice at least twice during the week. The weekday practice times are generally on the same day and at the same time.

Depending on the age group and individual team, teams play between forty and seventy games and have between forty and seventy hours of practice per season. All teams also travel to several tournaments of their choice during the season, which typically includes the Silver Sticks Tournament in Dayton.  See www.silverstick.org.

Cost

The cost to play travel hockey runs from $1,000 to $1,500 for the eight-month season. The end cost ultimately depends on the age group, the individual team’s plan of activities for the year (number of practices and tournaments, warm-ups and jackets bought, etc.) and the offset that the team or individual gets from fundraising during the season.  Fundraising and sponsorships are coordinated among the teams by the Fundraising Committee of the Travel Board. 

Three days after a team’s tryouts are completed, a $150 commitment fee is due to secure a position on the team. The remaining cost is divided into six monthly payments with the first due in August.  Alternate payment plans can be arranged through the team manager with Travel Treasurer approval when appropriate.

Equipment

SMAHL provides a set of Maple Leaf jerseys for each player to use for the season. Each player is to provide royal blue pants and a white helmet. The socks are sold to each team by the pro shop.