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.
With the embarrassing moments thread, I figured an opposite was needed. What is a moment you witnessed for one of your teams or took part in that is so memorable, so epic, that it's etched into your brain forever.
I'll start.
This was way back, 1996 maybe, out near Regina, wicked snow/ice storm made me and my family (I was like 6 or 7 at the time) have to trek through the snow and ice to the arena (we had to pull over a solid km away). Anyways, this was a tournament and my team was fairly good (Regina had tons of tournies every year). This team had the best player I ever played with, Neil Sonder (in the WHL these days). So we play this team, the Kings, in the final match. An epic back and forth affair leaves us down 9-8 with seconds left. Time ticking away, we pull the goalie, out goes Neil (who had a broke bone in his foot) takes the puck and in a mad scrum pops it in with 0:01 remaining. So 9-9 we head into overtime, 1OT, 2OT, 3OT...half way through the 4th Overtime...they score, game over. Yes a sad ending but what a game. I'll never forget that one.
My second tale happened only 2 years ago in a summer hockey league. In this more diverse age group, we had guys from 13-18 years old. Our goalie was a young guy, 13 years old, supreme talent. Anyways, it was a 3 team league. My team was most guys from my school/playing league (so like 15/16 year old division B). The purple team was older players, all of them 18 and fairly good (division A comparable). We get to the "championship" and were getting crushed 7-3 heading into the final 20. Leave it to the biggest clutch player I've ever witnessed to break the game. Puts of a natural hat-trick in the first 10 minutes. Sets up a beauty soon after. So we're tied 7-7. Shortly after, the other teams scores (couldn't hold them off forever) and are up 8-7. Our guy, Mr.Clutch, takes the puck from behind our net, skates up past the circle, dangles the first defensemsn out of pants (he fell down), breaks up the middle of the ice, with one hand knocks the other defenseman on his ass and goes in all alone, dangles the goalie and shelfs it backhand. About 30 seconds into OT, we win the face off to him on the point and he tears a slap shot to win the game 9-8. 5 goals, 1 Assist in the final 21 minutes. Un-friggin believable.
I also had the joy of playing with him last year in the champion ship for real league hockey. Down 2-0, he scores a hat trick to win us the game in the last period. Ended his career on a high-note.
14 years old, 5 miles from the rink, no drive, pouring rain, called the coach to tell him I couldn't make the game. There was something in his voice the way he said "if you can't make it you can't make it", like he didn't believe me. I walked the 5 miles to the rink in the pouring rain, gear on my back refusing to even hitch hike, played the game in somewhat damp, somewhat wet, somewhat dry gear then walked all the way home.
Midget in-house league. Shorthanded. Blocked a shot from the point past the defenseman and into the neutral zone. I scoop up the puck at about center ice for the breakaway.
I deke left, shoot right. Saved. Since I had my momentum going full speed I peel off to my left, while the rebound goes into the right corner. I was beginning my backcheck when I look over my left shoulder to see the defenseman having some trouble corralling the puck.
I decide to turn my backcheck into a shorthanded forcheck. I make a hard left turn and head full speed into the corner where the defenseman is having trouble with the puck. He finally gets it settled, but not before I rock him with an open ice hit. I steal the puck, crash hard to the net, and slam home a nice garbage goal with the rest of the opposing team on top of me.
Probably my best individual effort I've ever given. The kid I laid out was pretty stout too. He was a good friend of mine. I broke his balls all day after the game. It felt good.
-When I finally got proper fitting skates as a teenager, taught myself to skate, and could actually play rec hockey albeit at a very low level
-Becoming the rec hockey goalie phenom for a few months, and almost getting a shutout.
-I think I may have once stopped a shot by a member of Women's team Canada, when she was actually trying to beat me.(She was one of our many coaches) I'm not absolutly positive but I think I got it.
Hardly epic, but a couple of things stand out for me.
I almost never ever score in games. In scrimmages I score a lot more for some reason, but in games I play it very safe as a defenseman. Anyway we are in their zone and my defenseman gives me a pass from his side at the point. I take a wrist shot and it goes in bottom right to make it 1-0. They score 2 more to make it 2-1, and then with 30 seconds left in their zone again my defenseman makes the same move to me. I just thought '**** it' and took a slapshot that went glove high and straight past the goalie tying the game. We won in the shootout after.
Second thing is when I played for my university team in Scotland, I hadn't scored a goal in 2 seasons (I was one of the worst players on the team). In my final game I take a sloppy wrist shot from the point and it goes in bottom right, pretty much identical to the 1st goal in the game above, and my team goes nuts. T'was noice!
I had shattered my knee at another training camp and couldn't skate. I was supposed to be out for 8 to 10 weeks. I went to provincials and sat on the bench, not dressed. Two girls got injured on our team so we only had 3 defensemen. I dressed in our last round robin game.
We ended up winning and I got MVP for the tournament after only playing 5 games. (3 goals, 6 assists) My knee was swollen like a melon and I couldn't walk after any of the games, but we won.
Best series of my life.
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"I channeled my inner Morneau, took the stick and hit the mother****** to the moooon!"
i once got a hatrick and a gordie howe hatrick in one game in the playoffs.
i scored 2 goals in the first period, a slapshot from the point on a pp, and a breakaway that i buried top shelf. Then, I got in a fight cuz a guy ran into our goalie. In the third, I scored another slapshot top shelf, and then, (the assist was sort of lame) i assisted an empty netter...
still pretty awesome though, the best hockey I've ever played...
