Checking/contact

Delaware Valley Men's Hockey League's is a “gentleman’s check” league for A/B/C level players. Though it’s a full contact league, players understand that we all have work and family to get back to after the game, so good discretion is used when hitting a vulnerable player. For those that get a little too mouthy or chippy with the stick or otherwise play dirty, keep your head up as you will be a target. For players that play a clean game, you have very little to worry about.

 

Age/skill

Skaters range in age from 18 to 60+ with majority of players being in the 20-40 age range.  The talent level ranges from ex-college players down to rusty C-level players still looking to play check hockey and have fun.

 

When we play

The season used to run from mid-October through mid-March with 15 exhibition games plus playoffs, all held on Sunday afternoons at IceWorks in Aston, PA. However, after the 2019-20 season, there was no 2020-21 season due to COVID. Once IceWorks re-opened, they were not able to prioritize Sunday afternoons for Del Val during the traditional winter season. DVMHL was forced to roll with the punches. The upcoming 2022 season will be held between mid-February and mid-May, with the first half of games on Sunday nights and the second half of the season's games Sunday afternoons.

 

Format

We are a 4-team draft league with about 10-13 skaters per team. We draft before the season using a format that ensures parity between teams, so that everyone has a chance to win our league’s huge Cup trophy (champions' names engraved). We try to keep teams to a little more than 2 lines, as that seems to be the preferred amount of ice-time. If we exceed about 14/team, that’s when we’ll consider expanding to 6 teams. Because we’re a tight-knit group of 50 or so players, a lot of players will hang at the rink’s bar/restaurant after games and enjoy the discounted league specials. 

 

Cornerstones

The cornerstones of the Del Val Men’s League are Sunday afternoon game slots, full contact with discretion, draft league format (no managed teams), and post-game beer. These are the pillars the league was built on, and we intend to prioritize those moving forward to the best extent possible. We hope to have you skate with us!