Typically, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) rearranges the hockey divisions every two years.  Breaking that precedent, this season will be the third in a row in which the league has made changes to the composition of the schools playing hockey in Divisions II and III (D-II and D-III).

 

The number of teams available to play in D-II and D-III has steadily decreased since the 2019-2020 season ended.  With several teams migrating to Division I and several smaller programs consolidating to form co-operative squads, the previous 18 teams of D-II and D-III have been reduced to just 12 teams this season.  Last season’s divisional arrangement was viewed by some as less than optimal, with each division having such a small number of teams that they were required to play each other three times during the regular season.  Rather than have the same league organization as last season, but with even one less team in each of D-II and D-III, and because a number of traditional D-III squads indicated they would prefer to play in D-II, RIIL decided to return to an organization similar to that of the COVID shortened 2021 campaign.  This season will feature the elimination of D-III entirely, and incorporation of those squads into D-II.

 

The new Division II will be comprised of 12 teams divided into two sub-divisions, D-IIA and D-IIB.  Each team will play two games with the five other teams in its subdivision, once at home and once away, and will have one contest each with the six teams in the opposite sub-division.  That will produce a total of 16 league games during the regular season.  Although that is two fewer games than the traditional 18 game season, teams are free to add up to eight non-league games to their schedules if they so desire.

 

To arrive at the 12 teams comprising D-II this season, each both D-II and D-III lost a single team from last season’s line up.  Last season’s D-II state champions, North Kingstown, moved to D-I, while the co-op team from North Providence, Johnston, and Tiverton was broken up and absorbed by two of the other D-II teams in the league.  North Smithfield formed a co-op team with North Providence and Johnston, and will be referred to as simply North Smithfield on this website.  The former co-op squad comprised of Rogers, Middletown, and Rocky Hill has dropped its association with Rocky Hill this season and will feature now feature the players from Tiverton.  The team will now be known as RMT.  Finally, one other change occurred this season to a D-II team but will not be immediately obvious.  PSW, the co-op team of Providence Country Day, St. Raphael Academy, and The Wheeler School, will no longer be getting players from Wheeler, as the school has decided to move to a different league.  An exception is being made for the Wheeler players already on the team from previous campaigns, which will allow them to continue playing for the co-op squad.  The team will continue to be known as PSW until the sophomores currently on the roster graduate in three years.

 

2022-23 Division II Organization

 

Division II A                                                   Division II B

Portsmouth                                                      RMT

Narrigansette / CHARIHO                             PSW

Ponaganset                                                      Lincoln

South Kingstown                                            North Smithfield

Mt. Hope                                                         Cranston West

Coventry                                                         WWEWG