2007-2008 House League Overview

What is the Portland Jr. Hawks House League?

The PJH House League is a recreational ice hockey program for boys/girls under the age of fifteen as of December 31, 2007. House League teams compete against each other in a fun, developmental, yet competitive environment. Though primarily made up of players from the Portland metro area and surrounding communities, last season featured committed players (and parents) from as far away as Astoria, Lebanon, Lincoln City and Bend.

Games and practices are held at Sherwood Ice Arena, Valley Ice Arena (Beaverton), and Mountain View Ice Arena (Vancouver). The Portland Jr. Hawks House League is NOT a facility based program - players and parents should expect ice time at all three rinks based on ice availability.

Players and their parents choose the House League for many reasons, and though it does not take the financial or time commitment required for a "rep" (travel) team, participation in the House League should not be taken lightly. Once a player is evaluated and assigned to a team, the coaches, teammates, and the entire organization expect that player to give his or her very best throughout the season.

House League Leadership

The House League is administered by the House Director, a member of the Portland Jr. Hawks Board of Directors, though significant House League issues may come before the entire Board. The House Director for the 2007-08 season is Tom O'Connor, who may be reached via e-mail.

Each age division has a Division Director that reports to the House Director. A Division Director is an experienced current head coach in the division and is in charge of player and other issues at that age level. Every team has a head coach, two assistant coaches, and a team manager.

Age Divisions for 2007-08 Season

• Bantams: Birth years 1993 & 1994
• Peewees: Birth years 1995 & 1996
• Squirts: Birth years 1997 & 1998
• Mites: Birth years 1999 & 2000
• Mini-Mites: Birth year 2001 and younger

Move ups will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be the exception, not the rule. Move-up policies are outlined in the PJH Policy Guide.

The Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam age divisions will operate as competitive leagues with developmentally appropriate practice to game ratios. Please remember that body checking starts at the Peewee age level. The Mite house program will be developmental in nature and will incorporate cross-ice 3-on-3 games before progressing to full ice games later in the season. The Mini-Hawk house program will be developmental in nature with cross-ice games incorporated at the discretion of the Division Director.

House League Schedule

House League evaluations are on September 9th and 16th - check the web site for specific times. Based on these evaluations, we will try to form the most even teams possible for the coming season. While we seek parity, the PJH House League is competitive and by season's end one team in each age group will have won the House League championship.

The House League schedule runs almost every weekend starting with the weekend of September 29th and 30th all the way through the last weekend of February (23rd and 24th). The first month of the season will be devoted largely to practice time at all age levels. The playoff format will be determined by the number of teams. The House League takes the following weekends off:

• Thanksgiving Weekend (November 24th and 25th)
• Winter Break Weekend 1 (December 22nd and 23rd)
• Winter Break Weekend 2 (December 29th and 30th)

House teams are encouraged to use these weekends to travel and attend tournaments when possible. These decisions are left up to each team - attending a tournament can be a wonderful bonding experience for the players (and parents). PJH hosts the Frozen Rose Tournament in the Portland area the first two weekends of March, and all house teams are encouraged to participate.

In addition to weekend games and practices, skills clinics will be held one night a week throughout the season for Squirts, Peewees, and Bantams. There will also be goalie clinics held to focus on the unique needs of that position.

Coaches & Volunteers

We are always looking for qualified head coaches and assistant coaches. Please do not hesitate to contact Coaching Director Greg Galeski if you are interested. Head coaches will be selected prior to evaluations, while assistant coaches are usually assigned after teams are formed. All Coaches and Managers are approved by the PJH Board of Directors.

We also need off-ice leaders to be team managers so the coaches can concentrate on the ice, bench, and locker room. Scorekeepers, penalty box attendants, folks to run the clock, fundraisers, organizers - you name it, there is a volunteer opportunity waiting for you!

Thanks for all the support and look forward to another great season of Jr Hawk Ice Hockey !

Tom O'Connor

Director of House League

Portland Winter Hawks

PSU Vikings Ice Hockey

CPA to the Jr Hawks:
Bernards & O'Rourke, P.C
38265 NW Harrington Rd.
Cornelius, OR 97113

503-324-6274

Many of the forms, and docutments on this site require the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. It is available for downlaod for free at www.adobe.com or by clicking the link below.