So you’re headed off on an adventure to a sport you’ve always wanted to try out, and it’s not the winter so you have the chance to play. You’ve heard many great things about it and you know some people who play at a high level. You’ve also seen the commercials for the NHL and the Olympic Qualifiers and they always show the fans going crazy in the stands. Naturally, you want to see what all the fuss is about and you decide to give it a try. There’s only one problem: you have a lot of questions and you don’t know where to begin.
Is it expensive? How much does travel hockey cost? What are the teams like? How many games do you need to play to learn the game? These are all good questions and they should be answered before you make any kind of rash decision. This article will try to give you an idea of what you’re getting into so you can make an informed decision about whether or not to try out travel hockey. We’ll cover everything from the basic costs of entering the league to the travel schedule and the players’ salaries so you can have an understanding of what you’re paying for.
Table of Contents
The Basics
There are eight teams in the American Division of the World Hockey League (WHL). The teams are Alexandria, Alabama; Bakersfield, California; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; Flint, Michigan; Fargo, North Dakota; Greenville, South Carolina; and Rochester, New York. The league also has a championship playoff series where the top four teams in each division square off in best-of-seven games to determine the league champion. The winner of the playoff series is awarded the Crowley’s Cup. The season runs from October to April and is made up of twenty-three games per team. Each team plays the other three times during the season and home games are usually played on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Friday and Saturday are typically reserved for traveling to the next town to play another game. A division winner receives an invitation to the NHL Combine in April, where they will have the opportunity to play in front of NHL scouts and general managers.
The Teams
The Chicago Wolves are the defending league champions and have won the championship the previous two years. Their mascot is a wolf and the team colors are red and black. They play at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois and were last in the league with 63 wins, 29 losses, and 13 ties in 2018-19. The team’s owner is the M&T Bank Corporation, which also owns the Buffalo Bills. The team’s general manager is Jim Millstein, who is also an agent for the Minnesota Wild.
The Greenville Triumphants are the other team that won the division title last year and they play at the Bon Secours Wellness Complex in Greenville, South Carolina. Home games are played in the evenings, making them a challenge for working adults to attend. The team’s colors are green and white and their mascot is a tri-umphant: a rider on a winged horse. The team’s owner is the Thompson Family, who also own the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team’s general manager is David Ungerer, who is also the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Triumphants’ mascot is Thunder, who wears a crown made of butterflies, because they are โlight on their feet like butterflies and strong like bulls.โ
The Iowa Wild have won three consecutive division titles and play at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. They are the only team in the WHL that does not have a Minnesota connection. Their mascot is a caribou with a hockey mask and they wear purple, white, and green as their team colors. Their owners are the Schwab family, who also own the Colorado Avalanche.
The Missouri Mavericks play at the Mabee Center in St. Louis, Missouri and were last in the league with 48 wins, 38 losses, and 13 ties in 2018-19. Their colors are red and black and their mascot is a buffalo who is accompanied by an animated horse named Blaze. The team’s owner is the Hubbard family, whose company owns the St. Louis Blues and the Seattle Storm.
The Nashville Predators play at the Toyota Center and were last in the league with 60 wins, 37 losses, and 15 ties in 2018-19. The franchise has been around since 1998 and makes its home at the Ice Center, which is part of the Music City complex in Nashville, Tennessee. Their mascot is a cougar and the team colors are blue and white. The club is owned by the Echelon Wealth Management Group, which also owns the Dallas Stars and the Anaheim Ducks. The team’s general manager is Paul Fenton, who also coaches the Dallas Stars.
The Rochester Americans play at the Rochester Community War Memorial and were last in the league with 45 wins, 43 losses, and 14 ties in 2018-19. The team was established in 1919 and their colors are red, white, and blue. Their mascot is a bear and the team’s motto is โStronger Together.โ The team’s owner is the Rochester Area Economic Development Corporation. The team’s general manager is David Warsofsky, who also coaches the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The San Jose Earthquakes play at the Avaya Stadium, which has a capacity of 21,000 and they were last in the league with 45 wins, 45 losses, and 17 ties in 2018-19. They are also the defending WHL International Champions and were last year’s tournament champions, defeating the Czech Extraliga’s HC Plzeล 2-1 in the final. Their mascot is a groundhog and the team colors are blue and white. The team’s owner is the Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment Group, which also owns the San Jose Sharks. The team’s general manager is Scott Buterbaugh, who also coaches the Sharks.
The Cost
As mentioned above, each team plays the other three times during the season, which means you are going to have to spend a total of $26,000 to play in the WHL. There is also the matter of the playoff series, which will add an additional $13,600 to your travel hockey budget. The playoffs will include all seven division semi-finals, the conference finals, and the championship series. In total, you will spend about $49,600 on travel hockey, not including the price of the plane tickets to and from the games. You will also need to pay for the parking lot to and from the airports (about $20 per day).
The Schedule
The WHL’s homepage features a map of the league’s teams with the dates and times of each team’s games. The season usually starts in October and continues until April. Each team plays the other three times throughout the season and home games are played on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Friday and Saturday are typically reserved for traveling to the next town to play another game. There are no specific restrictions regarding when or where you can play, except that you have to be in by game time. The WHL also offers โfriendlyโ contests with other leagues, which you can play in if you’re not in a hurry to learn the game. You are, however, expected to travel to the nearest capital city to play a game there. All video, scoring, and other officiated goals are reviewed by three officials, who then confer and determine whether or not the goal should stand. Penalties and misconducts are also reviewed by three officials, who then confer and determine the proper disciplinary action. Penalties range from minor (10 minutes) to major (10 minutes) and misconducts range from minor to major (10 minutes to game disqualification).
The Players
On the topic of salaries, the minimum salary in the WHL is $7,500 per month and the maximum is $12,000 per month. You will not be able to play for the majority of professional teams in the WHL, even if you make the league’s minimum salary. The only way you’ll be able to play for a professional team is if you’re drafted by one of them in the NHL Entry Draft. Most WHL players also have a side gig on the side, working with their agents to secure additional deals as well as representation in the NHL Entry Draft.
The Experience
The World Hockey League is a step below the NHL in terms of competitive teams and it’s a great opportunity for aspiring hockey players to get a taste of the professional game. Traveling to and from games is not easy, especially if you’re not a local, and it takes a lot of planning and research to secure tickets to the right games. The process can be quite frustrating, especially since many tickets are reserved for people with connections or large wallets. That being said, all fans are welcome at the games and the experience of being at a professional hockey game, even if you can’t get a ticket, is worth it.