Elite 9 Hockey League
Current season or competition: 2015–16 E9HL season | |
 | |
| Countries | United States |
|---|---|
| Region(s) | New England |
| Founded | January 22, 2014[1] |
| First season | 2014–15 |
| Divisions | 6 age groups |
| No. of teams | 9 (6 charter members, 3 qualifiers)[1] |
| Feeder League(s) | Boston Hockey League[1] |
| Most successful club | Boston Advantage, East Coast Wizards (2)[2] |
| Website |
elite9hockey |
The Elite 9 Hockey League (E9HL) is a youth ice hockey league composed of 9 clubs: 6 charter members and 3 BHL qualifiers. Headquartered in New England, the E9 is widely considered to be the premier youth ice hockey league in the region .
The National Hockey League was organized on January 22, 2014, in New England, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the New England Hockey League (NEHL), which had been founded in 2009. The E9HL immediately took the NEHL's place.
The league draws many highly skilled players from all over New England.
Teams
The Elite 9 Hockey League originated in 2014 with four Massachusetts teams and two New Hampshire teams. The Elite 9 has six charter members plus three teams that qualify from the Boston Hockey League parities.
Boston Advantage and the East Coast Wizards are the most successful franchises in the league. Since the formation of the league in 2014, they each have 2 E9 championships. The next most successful Elite 9 franchises are the Assabet Valley Patriots (BHL), the Springfield Rifles (BHL) and the Valley Jr. Warriors all with 1 E9 championships.
In 2015, 5 teams at 4 different age levels were granted qualifying exemptions, therefore they automatically qualify for the Elite 9. It also limits the space for qualification is two spots.[3]
All of the league's teams are located in the Eastern Time Zone.
Charter Members
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Coordinates | Founded | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Advantage | Hingham, Massachusetts | Pilgrim Skating Arena | 42°10′33″N 70°54′22″W / 42.175778°N 70.906213°W | 2009 | 2014 |
| Boston Junior Rangers | Tewksbury, Massachusetts | Breakaway Ice Center | 42°37′13″N 71°11′36″W / 42.620172°N 71.193443°W | N/A | 2014 |
| East Coast Wizards | Bedford, Massachusetts | Edge Sports Center | 42°28′40″N 71°17′37″W / 42.477722°N 71.293631°W | N/A | 2014 |
| New Hampshire Avalanche | Hooksett, New Hampshire | Ice Den Arena | 43°02′51″N 71°27′22″W / 43.047444°N 71.456109°W | N/A | 2014 |
| Seacoast Spartans | Exeter, New Hampshire | The Rinks At Exeter | 42°59′39″N 70°58′05″W / 42.994110°N 70.968099°W | N/A | 2014 |
| Valley Jr. Warriors | Haverhill, Massachusetts | Haverhill Valley Forum | 42°45′53″N 71°06′46″W / 42.764844°N 71.112726°W | 1996 | 2014 |
Game
Each Elite 9 Hockey League regulation game is played between two teams and is 45 minutes long. The game is composed of three 15-minute periods with an intermission of 1 minute. At the end of the 60-minute regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, the result is recorded a tie. During the regular season, overtime is not used
There is overtime and shootouts during the Playoffs. A five-minute overtime period is followed with a 5-man shootout.
There is no checking allowed in Peewee divisions and below, per USA Hockey rules.
Hockey rink
1. penalty boxes
2. team benches
3. scorekeepers' area.
Elite 9 Hockey League games are played on a rectangular hockey rink with rounded corners surrounded by walls and Plexiglas. It measures 200 feet (60.96 m) by 85 feet (25.91 m) in the E9HL,[4] approximately the same length but much narrower than International Ice Hockey Federation standards. They are the same size as National Hockey League rinks. The centre line divides the ice in half,[5] and is used to judge icing violations. There are two blue lines that divide the rink roughly into thirds, delineating one neutral and two attacking zones.[5] Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge goals and icing calls.
Season structure
The Elite 9 Hockey League season is divided into a regular season (from the third week in September through early to mid March) and a postseason. During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. The Elite 9 playoffs, which are in March, is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a single elimination game in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the champion.
In the regular season, each team plays 32 games. All teams play every team in their conference twice-home and road.
The league's regular season standings are based on a point system instead of winning percentages. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss in regulation. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the regular season champion.
The top six teams in each league qualify for the playoffs. The top two league winners with the best record in the conference receive byes to the semifinals. The next two highest teams play the two lowest-seeded teams and the, The Elite 9 Hockey League playoffs is an elimination tournament where the teams are seeded one through six and the winners moving on to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or quarterfinals, consists of the third seed playing the sixth seed, and the fourth playing the fifth In the second round, or semifinals, the four remaining teams in the conference play each other. In the third round, the finals, the two remaining teams play each other.
In all rounds, the higher-ranked team is awarded home-ice advantage. In the Stanley Cup Final, the team with the most points (or in case of a tie, most wins) during the regular season is given home-ice advantage.
References
- 1 2 3 "Elite 9 Hockey League Announced". Elite 9 Hockey League. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ↑ "Elite 9 Hockey League Playoffs". Elite 9 Hockey League. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ↑ "Elite 9 Qualifying Exemptions". Elite 9 Hockey League. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
- ↑ National Hockey League (2005). "Dimensions of Rink". NHL.com. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
- 1 2 National Hockey League (2005). "Division of ice surface". NHL.com. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
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