The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
The other side to it is he isn't hustling or working hard each shift he's skating with his head down, dragging his feet, taking LONG shifts (this really irks me), and just looks dis-interested (I don't know maybe he is).
Sounds to me like it's a confidence issue. I've only been playing hockey for a year and whenever I'm playing against people who are way, way better than me I end up trying to blend in as much as possible by doing the things you're describing (for some reason it just seems better to look like I'm not trying than it is to look like I suck). However, whenever I'm playing people my own skill level I'm skating with much more intensity. I'm stupid, I know
He should really consider joining a team that is closer to his skill level. He will have a lot more fun not constantly worrying about making a mistake.
My only complaint with beer league hockey is.. I can't get out and play!
my work schedule as been hell when trying to fit in hockey (I work shift work and my team is in a weekend league). I haven't played all season, and to make matters worse, I have played since breaking my foot blocking a slapshot back in January.
I have a game on December 29th, so in the meantime I'm looking at going to a couple of stick n puck and drop-in game sessions. Which brings me to another issue:
Drop-in hockey games where the higher skilled guys have the nerve to bark at the guys who are trying to get better. IT'S DROP-IN FFS!! It's usually these guys who will stay on for 15 minute shifts yet call guys off. Guaranteed there's always ten guys like this to make it misery for both sides.
I live a play in the middle east and generally the guys are cool. Few people feel like ending up in the hospital nor getting deported after getting charged.
But one guy last night had to be a total ******.
Went after 3 of our guys all smaller than him. Each time it was very minor battling which he totally lost it. Totally unnecessary.
Hes a good player and obviously played at a high level maybe junior A. Here he is going after one of our guys who is a temp and normally plays at a prep college in the US. Just a young smallish guy.
I live a play in the middle east and generally the guys are cool. Few people feel like ending up in the hospital nor getting deported after getting charged.
But one guy last night had to be a total ******.
Went after 3 of our guys all smaller than him. Each time it was very minor battling which he totally lost it. Totally unnecessary.
Hes a good player and obviously played at a high level maybe junior A. Here he is going after one of our guys who is a temp and normally plays at a prep college in the US. Just a young smallish guy.
There are guys like that everywhere. Shanghai was pretty bad in this respect, scared away a few players actually.
Pretty sure if you ever ask McCarthy he'd be able to tell you about it haha.
My only complaint with beer league hockey is.. I can't get out and play!
my work schedule as been hell when trying to fit in hockey (I work shift work and my team is in a weekend league). I haven't played all season, and to make matters worse, I have played since breaking my foot blocking a slapshot back in January.
I have a game on December 29th, so in the meantime I'm looking at going to a couple of stick n puck and drop-in game sessions. Which brings me to another issue:
Drop-in hockey games where the higher skilled guys have the nerve to bark at the guys who are trying to get better. IT'S DROP-IN FFS!! It's usually these guys who will stay on for 15 minute shifts yet call guys off. Guaranteed there's always ten guys like this to make it misery for both sides.
Sign up on this site and look for dedicated drop in groups. I tried it when I wanted to get a little more hockey in and found a weekly drop in group that was specifically for beginners-intermediate level. Had a much better time than playing at an open casual drop in.
Sign up on this site and look for dedicated drop in groups. I tried it when I wanted to get a little more hockey in and found a weekly drop in group that was specifically for beginners-intermediate level. Had a much better time than playing at an open casual drop in.
Looking for some advice on a small problem I have with my team, nothing major but looking for advice.
I recently came back from school and joined up on a roller team with my friend and his team. I've played with them before but only about 15 games or so in previous seasons so I know some of the guys.
Anyways, because its a roller league you tend to see the guys out there for like 3-5 minutes a shift which is ridiculous. You then see guys get tired and wait for a whistle for a change and see them lolly gagging out there. I would like to have us all skate hard for 1-2 minutes and then change shifts. However, I'm not going to bust my ass for a minute and a half, change and then be on the bench for the next 6-7 minutes. I've brought it up that we need to keep our shifts shorter but with little success. Any ideas?
Looking for some advice on a small problem I have with my team, nothing major but looking for advice.
I recently came back from school and joined up on a roller team with my friend and his team. I've played with them before but only about 15 games or so in previous seasons so I know some of the guys.
Anyways, because its a roller league you tend to see the guys out there for like 3-5 minutes a shift which is ridiculous. You then see guys get tired and wait for a whistle for a change and see them lolly gagging out there. I would like to have us all skate hard for 1-2 minutes and then change shifts. However, I'm not going to bust my ass for a minute and a half, change and then be on the bench for the next 6-7 minutes. I've brought it up that we need to keep our shifts shorter but with little success. Any ideas?
Find another team? Not much you can do really if you bring it up and no one cares. I don't know maybe shifts tend to be longer in roller hockey, but where you call this a minor problem in my opinion that's about the biggest problem you can have on a team, alongside playing with guys who constantly take penalties.
It's just ****** hockey, plain and simple. If guys are coasting out their so they can last a 3:00+ shift then they aren't going to be playing very well, and it's no fun sitting on the bench 5:00+ minutes getting cold for your next shift. Not to mention only getting 2 or 3 in a period. It also encourages a negative re-enforcement cycle, in that if players know they're going to be waiting a long time for their next shift it creates the mindset where you want stay on the ice as long as possible to get the most out of the shift.
My first beginner team we had this effect creep up on us a couple times, but thankfully we always nipped it in the bud and it only happened a couple of times. Those games weren't all that fun, and personally I'd never stick with a team that did it consistently.
Almost each of our defensemen pinch regardless of their chances of getting the puck. Most times it ends up on an odd man rush. Opponents are averaging 37 shots a game on us. Not saying that this contributes fully, but my goodness, it's okay to back out of the zone once in a while so your partner is not left high and dry! We're probably fortunate we haven't had any loss margins in the double digits.
Teams that snitch on you if you don't ahve the proper equipment. Who cares if I don't have padding in my helmet or whatever? it's not your head. snitches.
Teams that snitch on you if you don't ahve the proper equipment. Who cares if I don't have padding in my helmet or whatever? it's not your head. snitches.
Remember: Snitches get stitches. I was in a league a couple of years ago that had pretty lax roster requirements. Pretty much anybody could play on the team as long as they had signed the roster at the begging of the season. We had a ton of guys sign the roster knowing that we would need subs at some point. Because our team wasn't exactly liked, other teams pulled roster checks on us (we had to go back to the locker room, grab ID, wait in line while the score keeper made sure we were all on the roster) on the regular. We always had legit players and we always won when teams did that. Made it so much sweeter... But seriously, why no delay of game penalty if there are no illegal players? The refs didn't like us very much either, so we didn't get very far with that one.
now, I will say the reffing situation is poor. several of them play in the league (there is two silver b leagues, so at least they are opposite) but they have played with 2/3 of the players. we have had a couple of games get reviewed just due to sheer bias, and letting the game get out of control. some of them are grade A douches, and it feels like they know how to push some of our guys buttons so they are getting extra minutes and stuff.
we already have one guy 12 penalty minutes from getting a season ban. dont get me wrong, a lot of the issue is with our guys, but the refs havent been on our side all season. from what i hear in the locker room i am coming to a team with a bad reputation that doesnt involve a lot of the current players. just a tad unfair to us...but what are you gonna do? I will most likely sign up with them again next season so i should get used to it!
For me the worse thing is when a player or team who shouldn't be in a league actually are, and even though they're a step above, don't hold back. Joined some friends of mine in a co-ed rec floor hockey league years ago for players who didn't play hockey on a regular basis - fairly low level play as you can imagine. One game the opposing team all show up in matching jerseys with their names and numbers on the back and matching gloves. Go figure. They also start running up the score and are playing rough, even against the females on our team. One guy against the boards turns and fully hoofs my stick away from him as I reach around him for the ball. I get peeved and body check him into the wall and three of them do the gorilla-puffed-up chest thing at me, wanting to all fight me. I walk away, remembering it's supposed to be a super casual league. Just don't understand some people, do they reallly need to inflate their own egos that badly?
In floor hockey?! That....is really sad. I feel bad for them.
I've had a pretty bad shoulder injury for about a month now. I played about 3 or 4 times a week before I fell into the boards really awkwardly and suffered a grade 1 dislocation of the collarbone. All the muscle around my shoulder and neck were tweaked pretty bad too. I had to go to Physiotherapy twice a week.
The part that sucks is that I was working out and playing on the regular. I was getting very fit and pretty damn good on the ice too. Before I got injured, my power skating instructor said he thought I could be playing in an A or B level league - and for a guy who quit playing at 11 and just picked it up again recently, that's exactly what I've been working towards.
Anyway, setbacks like this are a bummer. My upper body is getting flabby, but at least I can play without any pain again!
I was playing on the weekend in what is supposed to be a non contact recreational league. I was taking the puck across the line and got rubbed out on the boards, shich I normally don't really care about, so I nudged off the guy and continued to the puck (which I got to) and passed it off....I am now standing completely still. I look up and see a guy who is much larger than me (which is saying alot as I am over 6ft and about 220lbs) coming right at me at full speed....I plant my feet and lean in knowing I was being lined up for a big hit. I knocked him down (I know...I asked how myself).
From here the refs look me in the eye and say it's clean so the play returns to my end, I get back in time to see my goalie smother the puck and have three of their guys come at me with taunts and chirps. One drops his gloves to call me out for a fight....while his full cage is still on. Now I am also wearing a cage (we all have to in this league) so I removed my helmet and agreed to go. At this point now the same three guys come at me. Thankfully my team helped with the two extras. I jerseyed the one idiot who was still caged up and sat on his back. Now, of course I was chirping all of the other team with some rather colourful comments of their parental lineage, their choice in clothing and how I have taken care of their female family members.
All the refs do is give me and one other guy coincidentals.
I was playing on the weekend in what is supposed to be a non contact recreational league. I was taking the puck across the line and got rubbed out on the boards, shich I normally don't really care about, so I nudged off the guy and continued to the puck (which I got to) and passed it off....I am now standing completely still. I look up and see a guy who is much larger than me (which is saying alot as I am over 6ft and about 220lbs) coming right at me at full speed....I plant my feet and lean in knowing I was being lined up for a big hit. I knocked him down (I know...I asked how myself).
From here the refs look me in the eye and say it's clean so the play returns to my end, I get back in time to see my goalie smother the puck and have three of their guys come at me with taunts and chirps. One drops his gloves to call me out for a fight....while his full cage is still on. Now I am also wearing a cage (we all have to in this league) so I removed my helmet and agreed to go. At this point now the same three guys come at me. Thankfully my team helped with the two extras. I jerseyed the one idiot who was still caged up and sat on his back. Now, of course I was chirping all of the other team with some rather colourful comments of their parental lineage, their choice in clothing and how I have taken care of their female family members.
All the refs do is give me and one other guy coincidentals.
WTF?!?!?!?!?!
bush league to the highest
From my 20 years of rec league experience it seems like every once in awhile the good majority of players on the ice are all in a bad mood and stuff starts to happen. It starts to get really crazy when the refs are in a bad mood or don't like players on both teams and let things go. I don't mind getting hit in non check leagues or fighting in no fighting leagues but it would be nice to know we're hitting and fighting today. At least you sounded prepared for what went down, I think that's the key to staying safe while playing hockey no matter what they happen to call the league-it's still hockey and there are still lots of crazy people out there.
Remember: Snitches get stitches. I was in a league a couple of years ago that had pretty lax roster requirements. Pretty much anybody could play on the team as long as they had signed the roster at the begging of the season. We had a ton of guys sign the roster knowing that we would need subs at some point. Because our team wasn't exactly liked, other teams pulled roster checks on us (we had to go back to the locker room, grab ID, wait in line while the score keeper made sure we were all on the roster) on the regular. We always had legit players and we always won when teams did that. Made it so much sweeter... But seriously, why no delay of game penalty if there are no illegal players? The refs didn't like us very much either, so we didn't get very far with that one.
From the little I know about the USA hockey rules if you roster check and nobody is illegal it's supposed to be a delay of game penalty. But if the refs don't like you then pretty much no calls are going to go your way. I've been on a team that won a championship by roster checking. We were getting our ***** handed to us, had a bad history with the team, they were letting us know we were getting our ***** handed to us by them but a guy on our team noticed it wasn't their usual goalie in net. Turns out their goalie got thrown in jail the night before, no subs are allowed in playoffs so we won the championship while losing 6-1. Needless to say the other team was not happy with our actions. A decade later I still feel like since they were taunting us and using an illegal player then equal douchery should not be frowned upon and we still laugh about it. I even kept the score sheet.
From my 20 years of rec league experience it seems like every once in awhile the good majority of players on the ice are all in a bad mood and stuff starts to happen. It starts to get really crazy when the refs are in a bad mood or don't like players on both teams and let things go. I don't mind getting hit in non check leagues or fighting in no fighting leagues but it would be nice to know we're hitting and fighting today. At least you sounded prepared for what went down, I think that's the key to staying safe while playing hockey no matter what they happen to call the league-it's still hockey and there are still lots of crazy people out there.
ya it was a frekin gong show out there...it also helps I used to be a massive goon when I was a kid but I cleaned that up cause no one likes that guy. and I remember why I quit that league years back.
There are some great leagues out here in Nova Scotia where everyone plays hard...but clean. One league I play in will actually suspend for life, guys who are just plain trash (nothing but fights, dirty hits, cheap shots). Makes it more fun for us who actually have real jobs to go to in the morning.
Passes that are 15-20 feet away from me. Had about half a dozen of them last night. I call for a pass and am on the left side of the ice cutting to the middle. Lock eyes with the defenseman. A few seconds later he fires the pass to the left boards and at this point I'm now on the right side. Dude: head up, look where the guy is going, and lead the friggin pass. Comes to the bench "I saw you on the left side..." Yeah, earlier in the shift. I'm not standing still the whole game.
Another one, on the rush up the ice, I'm skating into the center ice faceoff dot, pass goes to the left boards. To whom? I see it and LUNGE and stretch for it and it's still two feet past my stick.
That said, I did launch a pass into my teammates shins and also slid it behind him on the 2-on-1. So I'm terrible too...but at least I'm within a couple feet of the guy...
Passes that are 15-20 feet away from me. Had about half a dozen of them last night. I call for a pass and am on the left side of the ice cutting to the middle. Lock eyes with the defenseman. A few seconds later he fires the pass to the left boards and at this point I'm now on the right side. Dude: head up, look where the guy is going, and lead the friggin pass. Comes to the bench "I saw you on the left side..." Yeah, earlier in the shift. I'm not standing still the whole game.
Another one, on the rush up the ice, I'm skating into the center ice faceoff dot, pass goes to the left boards. To whom? I see it and LUNGE and stretch for it and it's still two feet past my stick.
That said, I did launch a pass into my teammates shins and also slid it behind him on the 2-on-1. So I'm terrible too...but at least I'm within a couple feet of the guy...
I always tell my teammates to relax, take your time, it's a non check league so it's not like you have to panic and move the puck before somebody flattens you. I'd rather have somebody lose the puck along the boards in a battle than a horrendous pass up the middle of the ice. And know where your teammates are BEFORE you get the puck.
but I cleaned that up cause no one likes that guy. and I remember why I quit that league years back. 
