New to CAHL hockey? Trying to figure out which league is for you? Well you found the right place! Listed below are the different skill levels available here in Columbus, Ohio.  It’s important to pick the correct league so you don’t end up at your first game with guys skating circles around you, or vise-versa.

Here are the “Official” CAHL explanations for the different leagues:

• “A” – Intended for adults with years of playing experience, collegiate, college club, major junior or competitive
  high school participation.
• “B” – Intended for adults with years of playing experience, junior hockey or high school hockey participation.
• “C” – Intended for adults with approximately 6-10 years of playing experience and/or limited coaching and know the
  basics of team play.
• “C2” – Intended for those who are above D level but not ready for full transition to “C” level.  (teams must be
  approved,  no “B” players allowed at this level)
• “D” – An entry level for players with little to a few years playing experience (approximately 3-6 years) or players
  having recently completed a learn to play hockey program. We highly recommend you have some experience (class
  or previously played) before joining!
• “E” – For extreme beginners.  You should have zero to no more than 2 years playing experience and have very
  limited skating ability and game experience.  Recommend for those in or recently out of a learn to play hockey
  class. No upper tier players allowed.

Once you’ve figured out which of the above you belong in, you may need to pick a more specific sub-category. The full list of Available leagues is as follows (from most advanced to beginner):

• Thursday A (Most Advanced)
• Monday B
• Wednesday C East
• Tuesday C East
• Wednesday C West
• Tuesday C West
• Sunday C2 East
• Sunday C2 West
• Friday C2
• Sunday D East
• Thur D East
• Sunday D West
• Thur D West
• Sunday D North
• Sunday D South
• Monday E (Least Advanced)

I’ve put the most recent changes in bold above. A bit daunting I know, but fear not! You can narrow down your choices quickly by picking which day you’d prefer to play on. The incremental sub-categories are minor differences and won’t determine whether or not you’ll have fun out there. The game just gets quicker as you move up and you’ll be ok as long as you’ve got the “lettered” skill level right. You may even choose to play on multiple nights, which many players do.

If you’re still not sure where you will fit in the best, you could always head to a Drop-in and talk to the other skaters. You’ll quickly figure out where you fall in with the other players around you. I hope this has helped you determine which skill level si right for you!

And as always, please post your comments below.