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
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