Frequently asked questions about the Potomac Patriots and Junior Hockey.
If you have a question not answered here, email it to rzeigler@pwice.com.
***********************
How is travel handled for players?
Transportation, room, and board are covered for all players for all regularly scheduled away games (league, showcase, tournament, and exhibition) that are more than 100 miles from our home rink. Transportation is either by chartered bus or passanger vans (as determined by Patriot management). Players are normally assigned 3 or 4 to a room at the team hotel. Meals are provided either at the hotel, on the bus, or at a restaurant such as Old Country Buffet.
Players are required to provide a tip for the bus driver, typically about $5.00 per person per trip. This amount will be set at the beginning of the season. Players may also want spending money for snacks or incidentals during the trip.
Players are exptected to travel and remain with the team during each trip. Only for exptional cases and with the approval of the coach are exceptions made.
What about parents at away games?
The team manager sends out information for each trip about a week ahead with an itinerary, time and location of any restaurant stops, contact information for the hotel, and contact information for the coach and bus company. The itinerary also includes the time that the bus leaves from PW Ice Center and the estimated time it returns. For parents who pick up their players, players will call home when they are approximately an hour from the rink.
Parents who want to, travel to the game on their own and make their own arrangements. If they want to stay at the same hotel, they can usually get the group rate. In some cases, space is available on the bus for parents at a nominal charge.
Why are there less than 20 players on the bench sometimes?
Certain penalties result in the ejection and suspension of a player for one or more games. In some cases, the suspension also includes the consequence of losing a spot on the bench (RSS) depending on the type and severity of the penalty. In this case, the number of players on the bench is reduced and the team plays what's called "a roster spot short" or RSS.
What are scratches?
Juniors hockey specifies that teams can roster up to 25 regular players. Only 20 players can be on the bench during any given game. This means that up to 5 players are scratched for each game and do not dress. However, they are expected to come to home games and travel to away games. Typically, the coach decides who is scratched based upon practice, off ice, and video attendance, as well as recent player performance and the opposing competition. With players at this age we rarely have our full roster even available every weekend. School is the first priority and events such as SATs cause players to miss games.
$7900? Thats quite a bit of money to play hockey!
Yes it is. The fact is that high level hockey is very expensive. In order to play good competition we have to travel into the northeast corridor of the United States, as well as into the mid west and Canada on occasion. However we pride ourselves on offering the most hockey for the least money. Other high level teams in the area have an up front fee that only paves the way for all of the travel fees families will incur throughout the season. Meals, gas, hotels, etc all add up very quickly. With the Patriots all hotels, bus expenses, and main meals are included in our cost. Every year we have former Tier I families that attest to having spent three times what the do to play for the Patriots in one season of hockey. Even a season of Tier II travel hockey can cost as much or more than a season of Potomac Patriots Junior Hockey. The fact is that we offer the most ice, the best training facilities, and some of the best coaches in the area for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere.
