Why the SSHL?

It was one of those nights you don’t forget. My new hockey team was losing 14-0... and that was just after the first period! Our opponents showed mercy for the rest of the game—and we still lost 23-0. Humiliating? Absolutely. Fun? Not even a little.

We were all newer skaters, doing our best, and had joined the lowest-level league the rink offered. So where were we supposed to go? We needed a place to play that was fair and fun, not an experience dominated by mismatched teams and blowouts.

Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve been there: facing "beer league heroes" who are way too good for the league, scoring at will. Dealing with cheap shots, fights breaking out almost every game, or showing up to find wildly inconsistent team rosters—8 skaters one week, 15 the next. It gets old fast, and it’s not why we play hockey.

That’s why we created the Sticks & Stones Hockey League. SSHL is a fun, safe, and developmental league run by hockey players, for hockey players. We’re here to make hockey fun again, and we’re so glad you’re considering joining us.

The SSHL was formerly the Crystal Ice House (CIH) Rec League. We took the league over in 2023, operated the league for the CIH in 2024, and are now running the league as Sticks & Stones Hockey LLC.

Learn more about the SSHL Adult Hockey League!