Info & Register

Registrations will close at midnight on the 31st January 2025

Criteria for entry and KIHL framework.
To be eligible to play in KIHL Junior season 2 commencing on the 25th April 2025 and ending on the 31st of August 2025 you must be born in the years 2007 - 2012

Note if you are playing or registered to play KIHL seniors and you are also eligible to register to play juniors then YES you can double play and YES you will be eligible for selection in senior and junior representative teams if you are drafted!

KIHL Junior is a draft league which will be open to between 8 and 10 teams across 2 divisions.
The process is as follows: 

1/ First register your interest to be part of the league by the 31st January 2025
2/ The registrations will be reviewed by the KIHL group who will compile a "league list" comprising 80 to 100 of the top players.
3/ Players will be notified if they have made the "league list" by the 14th of February 2025.
4/ The KIHL group will handover player information and profiles to the Franchise GM's who will begin their own vetting process with a view to choosing their teams. Each Franchise GM takes it in turn to choose a player from the "league list". This process will be live streamed on the 21st February 2025.

5/ A letter will be sent out to all players announcing the teams.

Although the initial draft picks will likely see many of the older players end up in div1 and younger players in div2 there is no restriction, further coaches and franchise GM's have the ability to move players within their div1 and div2 franchise teams throughout pool play.

By registering, you are registering your interest to play in the league, this does not guarantee you will be selected for KIHL Junior. Approximately 80 to 100 players plus goalies are selected from registrations.

A maximum of 8 players plus goalie will be drafted for division 1 teams and a maximum of 12 players plus goalie in division 2. It will be run on the same franchise system as KIHL Senior.

The final draft will be announced no later than the 22nd February 2025.

Pool play on the dates shown below involves all teams within a division playing each other at least once over a weekend. Minimum 3 - 4 games per weekend. If KIHL management decide on 5 franchises (10 teams) then it is important to realize that only the top 4 franchise (8 teams) teams will make it through to finals weekend.

All junior games will be run on the same stop clock system as KIHL Senior, if any of the games end in a draw at the end of regular time, then the game continues 3 on 3 for 5 minutes, golden goal, and if no winner is found at the end of overtime, the game will end in a penalty shootout. 1 hour is allocated for each game.

Junior players who are drafted in both junior and senior leagues are eligible to play in both junior and senior representative teams if selected.

Representative KIHL Junior players will be given preferential entry over other junior players to the KIHL Senior draft. 

For more on KIHL see here KIHL Home .

Game Dates are: 
Round 1 - 25/26/27 April 2025 - Hamilton
Round 2 - 10/11 May 2025 - Levin

Round 3 - 7/8 June 2025 - Hamilton

Round 4 - 11/12/13 July 2025 - New Plymouth
Round 5  - 2/3 August 2025 - Hamilton
Finals - 30/31 August 2025 - New Plymouth

In season 2 we are offering between 18 and 26 games of hockey over 6 weekends depending on if you make finals

Please note that round 4 in New Plymouth, which is at the end of the July school holidays, will be run alongside the senior's finals weekend so that the juniors get to watch the seniors play their finals. If season 3 of KIHL senior is anything to go by, it's even possible that some of our top juniors could be double-playing in senior finals.

31st January 2025 - First Payment Due ($220 deposit) - must be paid to be eligible for the league list. The full cost is $350 + $75 for a Jersey. 

14th February 2025 -  If a player registers for the league list but does not make the list to be announced by the 14th of February a full refund will be given. If a player does make the league list then the deposit becomes non-refundable.

21st February 2025 - Second and Final Payment is due ($205 less $75 if you have stayed in the same franchise and don't require a Jersey) - Final payment must be paid to be eligible to play. 

Jerseys.  

1/ If you are playing seniors and you are a protected player playing in the same franchise you can wear your seniors Jersey

2/ If you have your jersey from season 1 and you know you are playing in the same franchise you can wear your jersey from last season whether it's a div1 or div2 jersey.

3/ If you want you can order a Jersey without a name (just with your number) 

New for 2025

We will be setting up a franchise-jersey secondhand page. This page is where you will be able to buy, sell, or trade your unnamed jersey from season 3 onwards.