As a parent and coach of one of the club teams I think it is important to know all the facts before signing with any club. Listed below are some questions you should ask before putting down a deposit.
1- Cost. Know what you get for this cost.
2- Winter/Spring season. Are they offering this and if so how much will this cost.
3- Coach. I can go on forever about this subject. Bottom line. I have seen some real good coaches in some of the smaller clubs and I have seen some bad coaches in the larger clubs. Know who is coaching your child before you put down that deposit. BTW- If they can't tell you who is coaching your child's team by now, they don't have one yet. Stay away.
4- Coaches philosophy on playing time. Some parents don't care about playing time as long as little Johnny makes the team. You see this w/ the stronger clubs. How is your kid going to get better if he doesn't play. Not to mention his self esteem.
5- How many kids on a team ? 24 kids or more they are taking your money and playing time will be reduced.
6- How many kids on the team at your child's position ? Know this. If they have more then 6 defenseman, 6 attackman, 2 goalies or 9 middies on any one team then playing time will be reduced to less then 1/2 a game p/ kid. That's not a lot of playing time for $1400.
7- Practice location and days they will practice. Important if you have multiple kids.

If you know the answer to these questions you can make an intelligent decision and you will be less likely to be disappointed at the end of the season. Hope this helps.