The AFTERBURNERS Hockey League is a mostly A/B league which plays on Thursday evenings at the Space City Ice Station rink on I-45 (Gulf Freeway).  The rink is on the southbound feeder road between El Dorado and Clear Lake City Boulevards:  http://www.spacecityice.com.

The league is normally composed of 4 or 5 teams with 12-14 players and a goalie per team.  There are 3 seasons per year:  Winter, summer, and fall.   The games are at generally at 8:45pm and 10:15 pm, slightly earlier in the summer and slightly later in the winter and fall.  When there are 5 teams each team has a bye every 5th week.

AFTERBURNERS Hockey is non-checking but spirited and fairly skilled levels of hockey so entering players do need some experience.  The league stresses sportsmanship and camaraderie.  Teams are redrafted every season to allow everyone in the league to be teammates, thus eliminating standing team vs. team rivalries.  Since our teams are relatively small (12-14), there is never a problem with getting enough ice time.  Our small league size promotes great fun and fellowship among our members.

There is no defined age limit for AFTERBURNERS players.  The original idea was for the AFTERBURNERS to be an “over 30” league, but currently, players range in age from 18 to 60+.  The main requirement for being an AFTERBURNER is a love for hockey and the proper spirit for competitive yet clean play.  Fighting and aggressive behavior is not tolerated.

Many of our players have been in the league ever since its inception on New Years Eve in 1996.  In addition to our regular Thursday night games, we occasionally form a travel team and play in tournaments.  Most of those tournaments are relatively close to Houston , but we have also traveled to “more-exotic” sites such as Las Vegas .

The league fees (as of the Summer 2009) are $270 per season for skaters and $150 for goalies for the Winter and Fall seasons, while the shorter Summer season is prorated at these rates.

We always welcome new players so if you are interested, please e-mail the League Commissioner, Mario Runco:  mrunco1@verizon.net.

Bear in mind that if you feel you’re not quite up to the AFTERBURNERS level of play, an option would be to play in the SCIS Old Hounds League (http://www.theohl.com), a mostly B/C league, which plays on Sunday evenings then after sharpening your skills step up to the AFTERBURNERS.  A number of current AFTERBURNERS players have taken this route.

If you are not sure as to where you might fit, it is suggested that you visit SCIS on both Sunday and Thursday nights and watch a game or two and then decide at what level you think you’d like to play.  SCIS has a bar, The Top Shelf, overlooking the rink and is a great place to unwind after a game or to relax a bit while you’re watching a game.

Thanks for your interest in AFTERBURNERS HOCKEY!