Ice and Referee Requests


All ice requests for your team must be booked with the WYHA Ice Scheduler. If you also need a referee for any ice time, those should be requested with your ice time request.

The following is a series of templates used to make ice requests. These are provided so teams and the Ice Scheduler can effectively work together.  

All requests should be made via email with your TEAM NAME/COACH in the subject line.

Requests made via phone or text, without a follow-up email, may not be granted. Requests made without a team name in the subject line of the email can result in lost requests.


Ice cost in the Rochester area ranges from $300 to $325 per hour. Referee costs range from roughly $60 (Mite) to $150 (Midget), depending on game length.

Scheduling Tips

  • Schedule scrimmages early in the season and play your league games after your team has played several scrimmages.  
  • Do not schedule scrimmages late in the season (after Christmas for 9U-14U, after 10/15 for Midgets). Scrimmages scheduled late in the season are more likely to be cancelled by your opponent, especially if the weather is bad or the team has to reschedule a league game.
  • Leave open dates in January and February (Travel Midgets leave open dates after 10/15) in case games need to be rescheduled (NOTE: WNYAHL does not accept the excuse that your family has plans for the open days. Scheduling of league required games takes precedence. Using this excuses will result in a forfeit and the fine associated with forfeits).
  • As soon as your league games are scheduled, begin scheduling scrimmages. Your goal should be to have ALL games (league and scrimmage) scheduled before the scheduling meeting. The longer you wait to schedule scrimmages, the less likely you will be able to find an opponent for your scrimmage slots.
  • Schedule all but one of your budgeted game slots (and return the rest immediately after the scheduling meeting). If a team cancels on you and you have to use the ice for practice, you still have one in reserve to use to reschedule the game. If you get contacted by a team you want to play later in the season, you then have the last game slot to use. If your team does not qualify for playoffs (or does but you have an open weekend before playoffs), then use your last game slot to schedule a scrimmage.

Ice Requests

Scrimmages, Rescheduled Games and Additional Practices

Game Ice Requests

After league scheduling is completed or after 9/30 (or for independent teams), use the following template.

Schedule games for the season in a timely manner (i.e., within several days after league scheduling occurs).

Opportunities to play more games occasionally come up after season scheduling is completed or game cancellations occur. In most cases, ice for these games will not be available at Webster and teams should be prepared to be flexible on rink and time (NOTE: requests made within 30 days of the game date generally have less choices available.) Teams who exceed their game allotments will be billed.

Game Ice Request Template

TEAM: 14U Coach YYY

GAME DATES: 11/14, 12/13, 1/6 (already negotiated with opponent, list at least two)

OPPONENT: Albany 14U

CONFLICTS (i.e., other games already scheduled): Playing PYH at 10am on 12/13; Playing Batavia at 1pm on 11/14

Additional Practices

Teams who wish to add more practices should email the Ice Scheduler, giving as much notice as possible (30+ days is recommended). Use the following template.

WYHA expects all teams to fully utilize their team allotment for practice ice. One hour is standard (non-standard times are difficult to find). If requesting shared practice, identify the team who will be sharing with your team for billing purposes. Teams who request additional practice will be billed.

Practice Ice Request Template

TEAM: 12U Coach YYY

PRACTICE DATE: Week of November 6-10

AMOUNT: 1

FULL/SHARED PREFERENCE: 1 full ice practice


Blackout Date Request

Blackout dates are only allowed for tournaments. Tournament blackout dates should be sent to the Registrar at registrar@wyha.com using the templates for entry into your website until managers get access to team websites and websites are made public/assigned.

Once Team Managers have access to team websites, Managers should enter tournament blackout dates as games so they show up on the Ice Scheduler's display. 

The opponent for travel days should be "TBD-Travel Day" (only for tournaments more than four hours away). The opponent for tournament days should be "TBD-Tournament". 

An event type "Other" should be entered, which contains the tournament name and organizer (i.e., MyHockey Roch Rumble).

Teams should not blackout holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, etc.). Game ice will be assigned excluding tournament blackouts and holidays when the rink is not open.

Teams who identify excessive blackouts will result in blackout over-rides.

Tournament Blackout Request Template - Local (Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Niagara Falls)

TOURNAMENT: Rochester Rumble

ORGANIZER: MyHockey

LOCATION: Rochester

DATES: October 12-14, Friday-Sunday (local, no travel days)

Tournament Blackout Request Template - Out of Town (4+ hours away)

TOURNAMENT: Pittsburgh Classic

ORGANIZER: MyHockey

LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA

DATES (including travel days): November 10-12, Saturday-Monday (travel Friday, November 9)*

*Note: Thursday, 11/8 and Tuesday, 11/13 are not allowable exclusions. Travel days are only allowed when travel is required the evening before when games start before 3pm. Tournaments end by 5pm on the last day so teams will be back in Rochester by late evening.


Ice Cancellation Policy

After all teams receive their ice schedule and have their respective scheduling meetings, any cancellations create holes in the ice schedule. WYHA expects teams to utilize the ice they are given at their scheduling meetings and promptly return any unused ice (i.e., return after scheduling meetings). Teams are expected to efficiently get their league games and scrimmages scheduled early in the season.

Practices

No cancellations once assigned. Full season is rolled out by October.

WYHA does not allow practice day/time requests. Younger teams get earlier time slots and older teams get later time slots.

Teams with conflicts should switch with another team then email the Ice Scheduler to have the website changed and the rink notified. Depending on the timing of the change, the rinks may not be able to make the changes in assignments.

Occasional changes due to High School game scheduling may occur after practice schedules are assigned. If the changes occur within two weeks of the practice, Managers will be notified by the Ice Scheduler. Managers should remind parents to check the team website at least monthly for practice schedule changes!

Games

Teams holding onto to ice to set up scrimmages own this ice, and it is not cancellable or exchangeable one week after scheduling. 

WYHA plans ice usage and should not be expected to find somebody else for the ice because teams do not quickly get their scrimmages scheduled. (Once league scheduling occurs, most teams will have full schedules, so waiting means you will not be able to find opponents.)

Teams who have opponents and have negotiated potential dates and wish to schedule additional scrimmages (or reschedule a game due to weather), should use the process above. 

The Webster Rink has rules for cancellations of ice and requires a minimum of 30 days of notice. WYHA will try to work with teams to sell ice within WYHA but there are no guarantees a team will take the ice as most teams are fully scheduled once all the scheduling meetings occur. Teams should be prepared to use any cancelled slots within 30 days for extra practice.

Opposing Team Cancellations

Teams should warn opposing teams that finding other ice to replace the game slot will not be easy and your team/opponent should be prepared to be flexible.

(Note: All leagues support this policy. Some leagues impose fines for rescheduling games).

Late night and early game slots may be all that is available even at other rinks. After September 30th, ice at Webster may not be available.

Game ice at other rinks, once booked for WYHA teams by the WYHA Ice Scheduler will be subject to those rinks cancellation policies. The Ice Scheduler will advise the team of the policy, if any, at the time of booking.

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