New Players

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Background and History

The DWHL was founded with the vision of bringing novice women’s hockey to the Denver area. We are primarily focused on novice players with our main mission being to cater to the “never-evers” – those women who have never, ever played a hockey game. The success of this mission is echoed in the growth that we have seen, starting our organization with only 2 teams and growing to our current total of 10 teams - 4 novice in-house teams, 4 intermediate in-house teams, and 2 competitive teams that play in the Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey (WACH).

Our players come to us from all different backgrounds: from 18 year old skaters looking for an adult league, to players in their 60’s who enjoy staying active; our player’s experience ranges from those who have been skating since they exited the womb to those that are delicately balancing on blades for the first time and everywhere in between. It is very common for us to have a never-ever show up the first night of one of our leagues and have no idea what position they play, where to stand during a face-off, or when to make a line change. However, whatever a players’ skill level or background is, they are not alone in the DWHL! Our coaching staff is happy to help and our teams are always willing to welcome new skaters. It’s a great environment to learn and grow as a player.

For instance, our current treasurer, Beth Young, played her very first hockey game ever when she was 33 years old. She describes her first experiences like most of us in the DHWL would. “I could barely skate, I was incredibly intimidated, and I had no clue what to do and where to go. But I signed up to play in the league and by the time my first shift was over, I was hooked for life - I have never regretted my decision to get started.”

One thing we should clear up right now is that all DWHL games and events follow USA Hockey rules and are therefore NON-CHECKING. The violent play that you see at the NHL level absolutely does not go on at DWHL games. While injuries can occur in hockey and it is generally a physical sport (that’s what we love about it, you know!), the blatant hitting simply is not tolerated, ever. Please come watch one of our games anytime and you will see what it is all about. Better yet, come and play a game!

The DWHL currently has 3 different levels of play (called divisions):

• Novice Division (C-level division) – This is the level where new or newer players play. Some ladies are playing for the first time and some have been playing in this division for several years. If you are only here for fun, this is the place for you.
• Intermediate Division (A & B-level division) – This is a step up from the novice division. Play at this level typically involves more team work, advanced systems, play calling, and a quicker speed of play. Some ladies play in the novice division for a few years and then move up to the intermediate division as their skills progress. You must try out with one of our coaches in order to be accepted into the intermediate division. You can tryout during any DWHL camp simply by asking the coach to evaluate you.
• WACH B1 & B2 Divisions – WACH stands for Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey and is a state-wide hockey league that is operated outside of the DWHL. However, the DWHL does sponsor 2 teams (B1 & B2) to play in this league every fall. In order to play in the WACH on either of the DWHL teams, you must try out. Try outs are usually held in the late summer.

By now you are probably wondering what you should do to get started. If you wanted to, you could just show up at one of our games or camps, pay the drop-in fee ($20-$25) and the USA Hockey registration fee ($30 annually), and play. It really is that simple. Better yet, sign up for the DHWL online and print your free camp coupon and register online for USA Hockey. After that, you are just about ready to go!

If you would like to get-up-to-speed a bit before you jump right in there, follow these suggestions:

• Go get some gear! You can’t do anything on the ice until you have your gear! You have several options here, so don’t panic:
  • You can borrow your full gear from the DWHL gear bank. We have everything you need to get started and you can borrow it at no cost. Simply drop us an e-mail at and we will meet you at the rink with a bag of gear. Our gear is stored in a public storage shed and not at the rink, so please give us a day or so notice so that we can get over there to pick up the right sizes and get it to the rink for you.
  • You can buy used gear. Used gear is actually highly recommended for the beginning player – you are unsure of your own needs and tastes until you have a season or two under your belt, so do yourself a favor and save the money. You can then replace your gear piece-by-piece later on. Used gear can be found at many athletic stores in the metro area, such as Play It Again Sports. You can also find several items online using Craigslist or ebay.
  • You can buy new gear. This is going to cost you about $500, not including skates. Skates are another $100-$400 depending on how much you want to spend. One way to save some significant money here is to go to the store and figure out what you want (brand & size) and then go online to hockey monkey and buy it – you will save a bundle.
  • Check out this presentation that our coach, Sabrina Becker, put together – it will help you get started and tell you what you should look for when you buy gear (sizes, proper fit, etc).Beginner's Guide to Hockey Gear purchase and Fitting
  • One other thought on gear – many women fit into youth gear sizes. This biological fact alone will save you significant money if you know about it before you go to the store (they will try to sell you adult gear). Pads are sized by height, which puts most women square into youth sizes, so be sure to take advantage. For instance, you could save $200 on skates if you wear a youth size 5.5 instead of adult size 6. Same brand and style. Score!
    ** Although skates and sticks are very good deals when you can buy youth equipment, before you purchase your other protective gear – make sure that it fits and protects you the way it should. If you are unsure, ask someone, injury prevention is your number one priority!
• Come skate with us at one of our camps. We have a camp just about every Sunday at 7:30pm at the APEX Center. Check out our list of upcoming events to see when the next one will be held. Camps generally cover one topic each week, such as shooting, and the ladies are split up by skill level to ensure that no one feels intimidated and so that everyone can learn. The coaches are great and it’s a really good way to increase those hockey skills!
• Sign up to take group lessons at the APEX Center. The group lessons (called “Adult Hockey” in the catalog) are offered through the North Jeffco Department of Parks and Recreation, and are not DWHL affiliated. Sessions are offered many times each year, and cover a variety of skills you will need to learn to play hockey. The focus here is on skating, but of course they throw in a bunch of stick and puck drills to keep it interesting.
• Go to a skate-and-shoot session. These are just like public skating sessions but they are for hockey players. The nets are up and you have to be in full hockey gear to play. You are on your own to work on whatever you want to work on. The schedule changes all the time, so check the APEX center website for the updated skate-and-shoot schedule.
• When you are ready (are you ready now, why not???), go to our Upcoming Events page and register yourself for something (camp, tournament, league – whatever). Then get your gear on and come out and play!

What are you waiting for? There is plenty of ice just waiting for you to come skate – all you need is to make the decision to try. We are looking forward to seeing you on the ice!

Your Friends at the DWHL