08/26/2026
To our members-
The goal of our women’s hockey league should be to create an environment where players of all skill levels can enjoy the game, continue to develop, and feel like an important part of their team.
While competition is part of hockey and everyone wants to win, the primary focus of this league should be development, skill, knowledge, teamwork, and most importantly, having fun.
We have players with a wide range of experience—from those who have played for years to those who are still learning the fundamentals of the game. One of the best ways for newer or developing players to improve is by actually being involved in the play. They need opportunities to skate with the puck, make decisions under pressure, learn how to pass and receive passes, position themselves correctly, and gain confidence handling the puck during a game. Those skills cannot fully develop if a player rarely touches the puck or feels that they need to immediately give it to a stronger player.
Our more experienced players are an important part of that development as well. They have an opportunity to help newer players become better by involving them in the play, passing to them, communicating with them, encouraging them, and allowing them to work through mistakes.
Development happens when everyone participates. As the overall skill level of our players improves, the quality of the entire league improves.
For that reason, we are proposing a three-goal cap per player, per game. The intention is not to penalize talented players or take competition out of the game. Rather, it is designed to encourage greater team involvement and help prevent games from becoming excessively high-scoring or dominated by only one or two players.
Once a player reaches three goals, that player can still have a tremendous impact on the game. They can create plays, set up teammates, make great passes, play strong defense, and help other players find scoring opportunities. In many ways, this challenges our strongest players to use even more of their hockey knowledge and skills while helping develop the players around them.
We also need to consider the long-term health of the league. We want women to enjoy coming to the rink. We want them to feel included. And we want them to come back season after season.
Unfortunately, we have already had players leave because they felt they were not being given an opportunity to participate or truly be part of the game. That is something we should take seriously.
Every player pays to play, shows up for her team, and deserves the opportunity to be involved. A newer player may make a bad pass, lose the puck, miss an open net, or struggle to catch a pass—and that is okay. Those moments are part of learning hockey. The only way those players become more confident and capable is by continuing to get those opportunities.
This proposal is ultimately about creating the kind of league we want to have: competitive but welcoming, challenging but fun, and focused on growing the women’s game
-Your Captains
