Lightning High School Hockey League Registration Open

Tampa, FL – While the idea of hockey in Florida still may sound amusing to some people, the Lightning High School Hockey League quieted the laughter with the sound of thunder last year.

In its first year of existence, the league produced the first-ever USA Hockey High School National Champion from Florida: New Port Richey’s J.W. Mitchell High School. Now back for its second year, the LHSHL has opened registration for the 2016-17 season.

All interested boys and girls in grades 9-12 can register for the 2016-17 LHSHL season by visiting the league’s website at www.LightningHighSchoolHockeyLeague.com. Registration for returning players closes on Friday, Aug. 5.

All registered players will be given the opportunity to make either their varsity squad or a developmental team through a tryout process for the school they are zoned for.

The LHSHL originally existed as the Lightning Division of the Florida High School Hockey Association, organized by Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida.

However, the SAHOF approved the league’s decision to fold and hand over operations to the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2015, according to the Tampa Tribune. The Lightning organization was involved with the league already, including having a seat on the FHSHA.

Since the Florida High School Athletic Association, the official governing body of high school athletics in the state, has not recognized ice hockey as an official sport yet, students can participate in independent leagues like the LHSHL.

The Lightning are responsible for all aspects of high school hockey in the region, including admitting teams into the LHSHL, registering players, scheduling practice ice and games, securing on-ice officials, administering supplemental discipline, conducting championship playoffs and All-Star games, and overseeing the league’s operations.

The Tampa Bay NHL club’s history is stamped all over the league as well. The league’s four divisions (Andreychuk, Bradley, Cullimore and Modin) and its JV squads (Kontos, Kubina, Taylor and Zamuner) are named after former Lightning players. Even several Lightning alumni serve as head coaches in the league, including Jason Cullimore and Vinny Prospal.

The 18 teams participating in the LHSHL for the 2016-17 season. Many of the league’s teams are designated as Combined by USA Hockey, which means they have members from more than two high schools. Teams that play under the Pure designation have players represented by a single school.

This season’s teams and related schools are:

• Berkeley Prep: Pure team, must attend Berkeley to be eligible
• Bloomingdale: Bloomingdale, Durant, East Bay, Lennard, Riverview and Spoto
• Countryside: Countryside, Clearwater, Largo and Pinellas Park
• East Lake: Pure team, must attend East Lake to be eligible
• Eastern Manatee: Lakewood Ranch and Palmetto
• Freedom: Freedom, Blake, Chamberlain, King, Gaither and Middleton
• George Jenkins: All public high schools in Polk County
• Jesuit: Pure team, must attend Jesuit to be elibible
• Mitchell: Mitchell, Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake
• Newsome: Pure team, must attend Newsome to be eligible
• Palm Harbor: Palm Harbor University, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs
• Plant: Plant, Hillsborough Jefferson, Leto and Robinson
• River Ridge: River Ridge, Ancolote, Fivay, Gulf, Hudson, Ridgewood
• Sarasota: All public high schools in Sarasota County
• Seminole: Seminole, Gibbs, Boca Ciega, Dixie Hollins, Lakewood, Northeast and St. Petersburg
• Steinbrenner: Steinbrenner, Alonso and Sickles
• Wharton: Wharton, Armwood, Brandon, Plant City and Strawberry Crest
• Wiregrass: Wiregrass Ranch, Pasco, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills

The LHSHL is planning to add a new team representing the West Manatee area for the upcoming season. It will be comprised of Manatee, Bayshore, Southeast and Braden River high schools.

The teams will play a 22-game regular season beginning Friday, Sept. 9 and ending Friday, Feb. 3. Most games take place on Friday nights at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum, Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, Tampa Bay Skating Academy or the Clearwater Ice Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the LHSHL will host this year’s SAHOF State High School Championships from Feb. 23-26.

For more information, visit www.LightningHighSchoolHockeyLeague.com.

Image via the Hillsborough County Government Facebook page

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