• How do I join the league?
  
  
  • Here are the steps you must take to join the league before the season starts:
    1. Join this website.
    2. Look for the sign-up email. Pick the division you feel you're likely to fit best in and sign up!
    3. Come to the rate & skate and get a rating. There should be information on when it is posted in our registration forms.
    4. If you are unrated you SHOULD sign up for a divsion but you MUST BE rated before you can be drafted.
    5. Our lower division fill fast! So don't wait to sign-up! (It's much easier to move you if you're not a good fit for where you signed up)
    
    
  • Here are the steps you must take to join the league if we are mid-season:
    1. Join this website.
    2. Depending on which division you think you should/want to play in send that representitive an e-mail and let them know you need to be rated.
    3. Once you are rated go to the waiting list page and add yourself to the waiting list.
    4. You will be contacted by the division rep if there is a spot available for you to fill, be sure that your contact information is current.
  
  
• What is the generic league information?
  
  
  • Winter
    • Cost: around $550
    • Sign Ups Start: usually in late July or August
    • First Game: near the beginning of October
    • Reoccuring Payment: Yes (w/ fee) (See registration details for more information)
    • Number of Games: around 20
    • Play-offs: Usually Top 4, double elimination
    
    
  • Summer
    • Cost: around $320
    • Sign Ups Start: around April
    • First Game: around early June
    • Reoccuring Payment: Yes (w/ fee) (See registration details for more information)
    • Number of Games: around 10
    • Play-offs: Usually Top 4, single elimination

II. Payments and Refuds

• How can I pay?
  
  
  • Ware are currently accepting credit cards (MC, Visa, Discover, and Amex)
  
  
• Do I have to pay it all at once?
  
  
  • In most seasons there is an option to pay in even increments. The number and timeframe of payments vary depending on amount and season.
  
  
• How quickly is my card charged?
  
  
  • In most cases the cards are charged the day after signing up. If you pay in increments the amount and estimated dates are shown on the signup screen however they may be off by a few days.
  
  
• What is your refund policy?
  
  
  • Effective August 1, 2023
  • Any player who signs up may request a full refund up to one week before the draft.
  • If a player is not drafted to a team they will receive a full refund shortly after the draft to their Credit Card or by check if they paid with cash or check.
  • Refunds are based on the amount of remaining regular season games, as playoff games are not guaranteed. No refunds will be given after the last regular game of the season.
  • From one week before draft day going forward if a player needs to drop for any reason we will attempt to find a replacement and give a prorated refund for the number of games from the time the replacement takes over.
  • If a player sustains a season ending injury during a regular season game we will prorate a refund to the player's account starting from the date of communication to us that the player needs to be replaced.
  • Sometimes games need to be rescheduled due to rink issues, weather, or health reasons. If any game is permanently canceled players will receive a refund for the canceled games.
  • Post draft refunds will be placed into a holding fund for the player that will automatically be applied the next time the player signs up. A player wishing for an immediate refund should request that after being removed/dropped from the team.
  • In many cases, if a post draft refund is more than $100.00 we will try to refund it shortly after.

III. Ratings

• How does the ratings system work?
  
  
  • The league rates players on a scale from 1 to 5 with in each division. 5 being the highest, and 1 being the lowest. This is an estimate of the overall ability of a player, taking into account several factors including shooting, passing, skating, stickhandling, positioning, general playing skill, and head for the game. The league breakdown is as follows:
    
    
    • C1 Division aka Intermediate aka some structured hockey as a kid up through low college / Juniors players.
      
    • C2 Division aka Advanced Rec aka low intermediate through lower club hockey players
      
    • D Division aka Recreational aka advanced beginners through intermediate players
      
    • E Division aka Novice aka brand new through advanced beginners
      
      
• How is a player's rating determined?
  
  
  • Players are rated by league board members, most commonly the division representatives. The league tries to get more than one person's judgement on a rating, in order to ensure an accurate decision and to provide another perspective of a player's ability. Often the league bases the ratings on a comparison with an established player in the league. Is the new player as good, better, or worse than Player X? This provides some guidelines, but the player may have a specific strength or weakness which alters the rating.
    
    Please be aware that the rating process is judgmental and is designed primarily to assist captains during the draft process, to ensure the appropriate division for a player, and to replace a player on a team with a comparable player. Most board members are familiar with the majority of players in the division, and can accurately select a rating that they feel is most appropriate.
    
    
• How do I get rated?
  
  
  • For new players, the easiest way to get rated is at registration time. There will be an evaluation skate during or shortly after registration giving new players the chance to get rated. If you cannot attend the scheduled session, you must make alternate arrangements at registration to be rated at a drop in session. Occasionally there is a board member at EPIC drop ins and some Providence drop ins, but you MUST make the arrangements with the league beforehand to find out whether or not a board member will be able to rate you. Remember, you must be rated before you will be placed in the draft or on the waiting list.
    
    
• Can I appeal my rating?
  
  
  • The short answer is no.
    Once you have been assigned a rating the only way to have that rating changed is by playing. If you sign up for a division and are too good (or not good enough) then we will rerate you and move you to an appropriate division. At the end of each season you will be rerated for the division that you are in. You can request that you be rated for another (higher/lower) division as well, where appropriate.
    

IV. Draft

How does the league draft work?

Before the draft each team picks a number out of a hat. The frist round of the draft starts with #1 who picks a player, and then #2, and so on until the highest # from the hat picks last. The second round of the draft goes in reverse order with the highest # from the hat picking first and #1 picking last.
The picker (usually, the captain) may pick any player on the draft list with a couple of exceptions. If a picker has a protected player by either protection or carpool he cannot pick a non-protected player of equal rating or lower. For example, team #3 has two protected players rated 2 & 3, team #3 cannot pick a non-protected player rated 3,2, or 1 before he takes his protected 3, but they could draft a 4 or 5.
Goalies follow the same rules for being picked as the skaters do.

Protected Players

• What's protecting players?
  • Even though FCHL drafts it's players, teams may protect players from others drafting them. The number of players a team may protect varies by division and season and will be noted in the Season Details when registration opens.
• Who can be a protected player?
  • A protected player is someone who agrees to play for a specific team.
• How do I get protected?
  • Normally a team captain will contact a player they want to protect and see if they are available. Players do not have to accept being protected.
• Any rules with protected players?
  • Team captains must submit a list of their proposed protected players to their FCHL league representative for review and approval, the sooner the better.
  • Protected player lists should be "balanced" based on available players in the league or weighted with lower rated players. Ex 1:League has 4 teams & 4 players are registered with a 5 (top) rating = each team could protect one 5 rated player; Ex 2: 4 teams & 8 players registered with a 5 rating = each team would likely be able to protect two 5 rated players.
  • Players are protected by teams. Normally the Captain and Sponsor are protected, but they do not have to be. However, if you try to game the system and lose that is on you. If the sponsor expects to play for their team they should always be protected.
  • Teams must protect all players in a carpool unless they have written (email) permission to break the carpool from the player they wish to protect.

V. Substitutions / Replacements

What's the rule for substituting goalies?

Rule Amendments are under review FCHL is using and enforcing the USA Hockey standard of play. You can visit their site USA Hockey: Rules and Resources for more information.

The Fort Collins Hockey League (FCHL) will adhere to the current USA Hockey Official Rules of Ice Hockey except for the following FCHL adopted rules


FCHL PLAYING RULES

• CLOCK:
  • All games are 14, 14, 14 minute stop clock.
    • Games will attempt to start at their scheduled time after a five minute warmup.
    • If a game is running late due to a situation arising from the current game (injured player, fight, etc) the games 3rd period may be shortened or set to running time to ensure the game ends on time.
    • If a game starts late due to an issue with the facility the game should be played with normal times.
    • Specific situations may dictate specific alterations.
• GENERAL:
  • (Blue-line icing) Icing will be defined as sending a puck from the defending zone down the ice untouched crossing the opponents goal line. (Except if it goes in the goal, which is then a goal)
  • No body checking is allowed in any division.
  • No player will be allowed to play if intoxicated.
  • Face-offs after a penalty will take place in the offenders defensive zone. In the case of matching or off-setting penalties the face off will be at the nearest faceoff location.
  • There is no penalty for clearing the puck out of play. If it becomes a problem the referees may assess an Unsportsman Like or shooting puck out of rink penalty.
  • Instigation Rule (effective 1/1/2015): In the event of a score differential of 5 or more goals at the end of the second period or any time in the third period, running clock time will be in effect. The clock will remain running until the score differential is 4 or less at which point the stop clock rule will be in effect.
• ABUSE OF OFFICIALS:
  • Any player that receives a game misconduct for Abuse of Officials will be fined $50.00 that must be paid to FCHL before returning to play. The player will be fined $100.00 for a second offense in the same season and for a third offense will be fined another $100.00 and will be suspended for the remainder of the season.
• PENALTIES:
  • If there is a Game Misconduct penalty the player is removed from their current game immediately (someone must serve any non-ten minute penalties) and is suspended for their next game for that division.
  • If there is a Match penalty the player is removed from their current game immediately (someone must serve any non-ten minute penalties) and is suspended from play in ALL divisions until a disciplinary board is convened and a ruling is given or 30 days passes, which ever is first.
• FCHL SHOOTOUTS:
  • If at the end of a regular season game the score is tied we will immediately go to a shootout.
  • The captain should be ready to select 3 players to go in the shootout.
  • The shots will alternate quickly.
  • If after 3 shooters the shoot out is still tied it will go to a single set until the tie is resolved.
• TEAMS AND EQUIPMENT:
  • Maximum number of players 16, minimum number of players 6 (team is required to play).
    
  • Team drafted players only except for substitute goalie. COVID Exception for players during Winter 2020
    
  • A team using a playing with an ineligible player (not on the rooster or suspended) will forfeit by a score of 3-0.
    
  • Hockey helmet with strap snapped for all players; Full facial protection required.
    
  • Only the captain of each team has the privilege of discussing with the referee any question related to the interpretation of the rules that may arise during the game (the captain may leave the bench to do this but not the penalty box).
    

VII. Season Format

What is the season length?