UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

"Our goal is to provide the best hockey league to an area with a rich hockey tradition"

- John Turner

CONDUCT:

Hey dummies, yeah you. You know who you are. There are no scouts in the stands, no pro coaches hanging around our rinks just hoping to find a diamond in the rough. Chances are that if you're playing in the UVHL...you're a has-been, but most likely a never-was. The UVHL is a men's hockey league, yes a men's league. Most of us, not McDermott, need to wake up in the morning, crawl out of bed, wrestle our children to do the most basic of tasks and then go to our real jobs where we can hopefully make it through another laboriously dull week JUST to get to the next Tuesday night to play hockey again. Nobody gets paid to be out there, YOU don't get paid to be out there...so stop being an asshole and liability on the ice.

We expect all of our players to conduct themselves in a gentlemanly manner. Respect your fellow hockey enthusiast, even if they are your opponent. Play hard, get some exercise and try to make that amazing play you can go home and brag to your significant other about for the next month.

Yes, yes, yes, we know. Hockey is a physical and aggressive sport. And when you're pulling in the top players in a region, you're going to have some physical play which is expected and welcomed. This is a CONTACT, NON-CHECKING hockey league, so if you don't like a bump or grind here and there, go find a basketball or curling league. Yes, dummy, I said it is a contact hockey league, that doesn't mean you can bash your opponent across the arms with your stick, spear them in the gut, throw an elbow at his head just for giggles or lay someone out in the neutral zone because you had a bad day. Respect your opponent, they too need to wake up in the morning and do their real job.

Your antics on the ice tend to elevate the aggression in the game, creating a shit-show of a game for all participants including the referees. Stop the bullshit, play hockey, have fun.

We will constantly be addressing our players for feedback to find out who the trouble makers are. If a player is consistently tagged as being dirty, unnecessarily aggressive or just a plain liability on the ice, the league's commissioners will take action. Actions would range from "A stern talking to" to "Suspensions" depending on the severity of the players actions and whether or not they are a consistent concern for the players in the league.

Please remember that the UVHL takes player safety very seriously. Above all else, we need to protect our players. A broken finger from an unnecessary slash puts a player out of the lineup for months, a slew-foot from behind can tear an ACL requiring surgery and months of rehab. Please think before you act.

REFEREES:

Hey dummy, yeah you, that guy that screams at the refs for an off-sides call that didn't go your way. That asshole who tends to blame every shortcoming in their game on a referee's call. Stop it, you look ridiculous.

Screaming at the refs DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.

1. It makes you look like a whiny punk.
2. That ref now does not like you and your team.
3. He / She is NOT going to overturn the call they just made.
4. The other team now hates you.
5. You're pissing off the commissioners.

We get it, it's a competitive game, but also realize that we aren't running with a 2 linesman / 2 referee system like the pros. We have 2 referees doing it all. Most of these refs are players, helping out the league by throwing on the stripes and trying to make a couple extra bucks. If you have an issue with an official, feel free to pass that information along to the commissioners, and we'll have a talk with them specifically. They are getting paid and need to be held accountable for their mistakes, but they are also human and WILL make mistakes...deal with it.

We will protect our officials at all costs. We have given them FULL POWER to assess an unsportsmanlike penalty for abuse of an official, or a game-misconduct for repetitive abuse. If you are thrown out of a game for abusing an official, you will be called in front of the League Commissioners and plead your case. Repeat offenders will be assessed extra game suspensions.

UPDATE 2018-12-10: Any player thrown out of a game for abuse of an official, will miss their team's next game and will not be able to play again until they have refereed at least 1(one) UVHL game.

You, in no way(even if the referee is your best friend), should touch a referee. Early on in the UVHL, one of the commissioners grabbed a referee to slow him down and talk to him after a disputed call, sending that referee to the ice. That commissioner received a 5 week suspension. That is just the start of the HELL WE WILL REIGN DOWN UPON YOU if we feel you have shown aggression towards an official. Lifetime bans are waiting to be handed out.

PENALTIES:

3 Penalties and your done. We strongly feel that a high level of play can be maintained without an aggressive style of play. We want an emphasis on speed & skill, not stick-work and goonery. With that being said, if you've collected your 3rd penalty of the game, it's time for you to go home. If the referees or scorekeeper feel that your actions were egregious you will also be dismissed for the next game. So keep it clean and have some fun.

Agitator rule. Referees & Scorekeeper can eject a player (for the remainder of that game only if they feel that player is tipping the fun scales in the wrong direction). This is meant to give some power back to the referees and to keep the players honest, especially knowing that the scorekeeper is a 3rd set of eyes out there.

FIGHTING:

The UVHL is a men's league, we don't want goons, we don't want guys running around trying to intimidate everyone. We have a strict "NO FIGHTING POLICY." One fight gets you kicked out of that game and the next. A second fight gets you kicked out of that one plus two, three fights is a 3 game suspension and so on. Although, if we feel more games need to be added on, the League Commissioners have final say. With that being said, we understand the sport of hockey. There are just sometimes that two guys NEED to go at it, mutually agree they want to fight and go for it. Also having the threat of possibly atoning for your actions on the ice tends to keep some guys in check.

Suspensions will be increased if the referees feel that one player was the instigator in the fight and what the severity of that instigators tactics were. If you coldcock an unwilling combatant from behind, you're looking at a severe punishment. If you instigate a fight for the sake of wanting to fight that night, you will be looking at a minimum 1 year ban.

SUSPENSIONS:

All suspension are final and a player will NOT be refunded his player dues for the period of his / her suspension. Repeat offenders will see heavier suspensions, so if you've got history, just think before you do that stupid thing that you always do.

In 2012-2013 we introduced "SUSPENSION TO INJURY." Simply, if you do something stupid on the ice that causes a severe injury to your opponent, the League Commissioners will determine whether or not you should be suspended as long as your opponent is unable to play. You are basically being held accountable for what you do on the ice. Most hockey injuries are just dumb luck, but you will be called upon by the League Commissioners to plead your case in contrast to that of your opponent & referees.

LEAGUE FEES:

Fees are determined before the season starts and are outlined on the registration page. Players have multiple options as to how they pay & play, but the most popular option is to deliver one giant check to the league offices which gets each player a 10% discount. We do this because we hating chasing down your cheap ass for money. We know you're avoiding us, we saw you sneak out the back door you PRICK! We'll get you. I'll come to your house in the middle of the night, set off some firecrackers so you have to come outside. I know there's money in there...I'll get it. Wow, I just went to a dark place. I HATE COLLECTION MONEY, so pay up front.

For those of you that are on a team that can't get 15 guys to pay up front, you can pay for your team fees up front, or pay a bit extra per game($20). We accept cash, checks & credit cards through PayPal.

REFUNDS:

The UVHL may, at the discretion of the Commisioners, refund a player their unused portion of the league fees, minus the cost of the credit card and banking fees. League fees will NOT be refunded to players for games missed due to suspension. Players register for the league knowing full well that injuries, vacation, weather and other unforseen factors may affect their attendance, and agree to pay for the season in full without the chance of refund. One example of a possible refund scenario would be for a player who is removed from a UVHL roster at the Commissioner's for play below the quality desired in the UVHL. However, additional scenarios are unlikely. Players who withdraw voluntarily from the league may transfer their remaining games to another player, provided that the replacement player also registers with USA Hockey and is accepted by the Commisioners and league captains. That player may then be reimbursed by the new player taking his roster spot. Suspended and/or disciplined/expelled players do NOT receive any refund under ANY circumstances whatsoever.