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So I've said it before, but I cannot express to you cats the enjoyment I get from my Sunday skate with the boy. If you are lucky enough to get the opportunity to compete(I use that word loosely) with your kid, you're winning. I look forward to it every week, it's awesome, pre skate lockerroom, skate, post game lockerroom(I have beers, no go for him)...,it's something words cannot grasp. I'm a fortunate dad. I hope I can do this with my daughter at some point as well.

there truly is NOTHING better then playing hockey with your kids. these are my two goons, and I'd play with them everyday if it was possible... one of our local rinks does "family hockey" which usually turns into Dads vs Lads. its the best 2 hour skates I ever have.

I really can't wait! Same reason I LOVE playing pond hockey with my girls. My oldest daughter ('03) played in the local spring women's league and had her first taste of adult hockey. She really enjoyed the no-drama just show up and play attitude. They were going to put her at wing, but after scoring her team's first goal of the season from D, had her teammates support and respect for the rest of the games. The locker room before/after is less likely for us.

Had a game last night against the only team left in the league I haven't played against (but have played two games for). Felt good getting on the ice and taking my normal warm up shots, and had a couple players saying I looked sharp and switched on :) First ten minutes, my team were on fire, getting a quick two goals including one of the best bottle flipping top shelf shots I've seen in a long time. It was 17 minutes into the first period that I let one in through a particularly leaky five hole, then two minutes later, a freak shot that got tipped just in front of me and flipped high up and over me, resulting in a weird twisting, arms behind the back save attempt that didn't quite work. Into the second period 2-2 Let one in through the leaky five hole again in the second on a breakaway, where I realised that I'm screwing up while going paddle down, leaving the five hole open too long, and decided I'm keeping the gloves high and stick upright for the rest of the game, which seemed to work, as they kept going five hole after the early shots going in, but kept it clean after that. Some frustration on the ice from the other team led to a 5 on 3 power play for us with three minutes left, and the equaliser. End of regulation tied 3-3, and it was my time to shine as we went to the shootout. The first three rounds and the scoresheet was clean. The other goalie let in one on round four, but then so did I. Easy save for him round five, and I pulled out a ridiculous toe stretch that just kept it out the net. Sixth round, our captain completely undressed their goalie, leaving him way out of position for an easy backhand to an open net. Next shot my way sailed wide to the left of the net, and we took the win :) Felt good after being so close for so many games to get it over the edge!

I'm putting this here because it was funny. At practice last night I finally got to talk to this guy who is SUPER good, just glides across the ice and looks effortless. I was like I gotta pick this dude's brain and maybe learn a thing or two from him. I ask him how long he's been playing, normal chit chat stuff, and then he says, "Oh by the way, my name is Steve, but for some reason [our coach] keeps calling me Pat. I haven't said anything to him yet, though." I totally thought this dude's name was Pat and apparently I'm not the only one who thought so.

FBV is patented, Sparx is using the old BFD which is a hollow with a flat spot in the middle. BFD patent ran out so anyone can use it, FBV is still protected and is exclusive to Blackstone Machines. A lot of places that do BFD will lie and say it's FBV, but it's not.

It's truer than I want it to be.

Just got these, and they seem pretty great. I just got a pair of speedplates as well and the combination of the two has really changed how my skates feel. One funny thing, i think i over tightened the laces by the toebox, and although it felt fine during the game, I had a few hotspots the next day on the sides of my feet.. The padding seemed to allow me to crank the front of the skate tighter without causing any pain. The comfort over the toes was awesome, and my foot felt more snug in the front of the boot. I had to play around with the position a few times to get the insert placed just right, but it was immediately obvious when it was right. I used some scotch tape to hold it in place during my first skate, and I am not even sure if I need to stick them in permanently. We will see. Anyways, a surprisingly effective little add on.

Haglunds is about lack of heel lock more so than what the speed plate is designed to do.

I ordered some of these today. It will be a while before I'm able to try them but I'm convinced that they will work great from all the feedback. I am curious. Are these similar to the Toe Glove that was in the Kor Shift 2 skates?

So I've been on a 5 year hiatus from playing hockey after an ankle injury, and when I got hurt I was at a pretty novice level. To ease back into the game, I bought some new skates and paid for an 8-week "Adult Hockey 101" session. Well, when I signed up, there were supposed to be 2 other people in the session with me; however, 3 weeks in and they've both been no-shows. Turns out one guy got injured outside of hockey, and the other never paid, so essentially I'm getting 8 weeks of 1-hour private hockey instruction at a huge discount compared to what private lessons would be.

Team won last night against our bitter rivals, putting us in the championship for the second season in a row. I hated not being on the ice but I was happy to be there. I had planned on suiting up for the championship, even as a skater, and sitting on the bench for the game but unfortunately I don't think that's likely at this point. The guys I'm sure would be more than happy to help me out there but I'd prefer to walk out there on my own.

Yesterday my younger son graduated high school. He was class president and as a result led the graduation ceremony. He led everyone in, introduced everyone and gave a speech representing the class. We had VIP seats in the first row. It was maybe the best day of my life. He was incredible - and I am not just saying that because he is my son. He was poised, in command of the situation and funny. I don't know how someone who is only 18 can do that. I am beyond proud and humbled.