bunnyman666

When I was a lad, the fields would have just enough water to freeze, so we had the best of both worlds: ice to skate on; but if you fell through, you had a muddy skate rather than a rescue situation. Of course it has not been cold enough around where I live for the best part of twenty years. I definitely recommend a low-key drop in for your first times. I felt like I had jumped into the high-energy drop ins too quickly, but it was going to be a minimum of a six month wait for a stick and puck with no games for me. Going to twerpfest can also be highly stressful as a neophyte goalie. If you can take your friends to your first drop in, I would HIGHLY recommend it. It will be 1,000% less stressful.

Opti- You are getting to be a bloody good goalie for having been at it in as little time as you have done this!!!! Good onya, matey!!!!!

Good purchase!!!!

I know what you're saying, Opti. I don't get cancelling games for the Super Bowl, myself; but I don't get American football, either. No offense to American football fans is intended. Winter holiday cancellations make WAAAAAAAAY more sense, IMO.

Where I live, there is a skate every day next week and TWICE on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, I have to work every day this coming week EXCEPT New Year's Eve. No, I am too old and out of shape to do the double. NYE is ALWAYS full, even OVER-FULL. I imagine I am going to split ice time between three goalies on Thursday.

If you had 16 weeks to wait, the Protechsport is an EXCELLENT value at $300 CAD for an all-fibreglass unit. If I were to suddenly find that I can't get a fibreglass SK2000 clone, that is the direction I would go. Opti is right about the NME8- fine masque for the money.

NME3 is not really a good helmet for ice, as it is made of polycarbonate. A good fibreglass shell would be much better. fyi- it is the titanium cages that are the problem on the higher-end Bauer helmet. Look to spend a few clams on the lid. With Christmas clearance and new models coming, you can get a better lid than the NME3; it will just be a bit spendier. As far as the Vaughn Ventus LT88 CA goes, I have the LT80 (which was in the LT88's spot in the Vaughn line-up). I went with Vaughn because it fit better; but with the way I have reinforced my LT80, mine does NOT resemble the stock unit. The belly is lacking, and the arms are kinda thin as a stock unit (thin arms and belly are what some complain about as far as all Vaughn units go). I have done a fair bit of reinforcement to my unit (extra shoulder caps, added foam in the belly, supplemented biceps protection, and augmented wrist protection on the catcher side). Modding is not a big deal, you just need donor pieces (I use cheap shoulder pads and the like), a Speedy Stitcher, and some E6000 glue. Do some research, follow directions and you will be fine. If the Warrior fits better, it is the preferred unit for many I have spoken with. Also, you should decide whether or not you will tuck the CA into your breezers (pants); some breezers allow for tucking, others don't. There is no right or wrong way. I recommend that you take your breezers with you when trying on CA units. As always: YMMV. Whatever you do, just have fun and be safe.

Drop in report: Donny McDangles was back and dangling- I did stop him a couple of times, but he lit me up pretty well. Had some weird stops and found one more place on the CA that needs bolstering. Used the new glove today- it does close; however, it needs to break in a bit more. It was much better than the first game I used my Warrior for certain. No stingers, and would swallow pucks better than my Warrior. Now if I could just upgrade me...

Tomorrow is the first game with my new Factory Mad glove. I can close it pretty well and I have only been messing with it on my couch whilst tele. MUCH better than the Warrior that never could close or open until I spent nearly two C notes to get it reworked. I wouldn't play a championship game with this glove until it has seen some ice time, but it closes good enough for shinny :) Hoping that the twerps are sleeping in tomorrow morning. It ain't fun getting lit up by college players :( However- the skate is at 9:30 a.m. and I think we will be in a twerp-free zone. No offense to any of you under 25, please note. Report tomorrow.

Opti- that game could have come unhinged much worse than it had; YOU kept it from being a 15 goal game.

Yesterday was another interesting drop in game: 1) Donny Mc Dangles was up to his old tricks again. I did trip him with the goalie stick (not quite on purpose) but saved the goal. 2) I challenged a few near the hash marks, either making the glove save or getting burnt. 3) Since I switched from my heavily modded Vortek (that went from a 34+2" to a 34-2") to my 33+1" Vaughns, I have let in more in the 5 hole when down in the butterfly. 4) Need to work on positioning and speed, as I was caught in weird places and gave away big, open nets. 5) But the weird saves keep coming. 6) Even weirder goals just squirt in from nowhere, which leads me to number seven: 7) By the time I will feel fully competent in goal, I will probably be too bloody old to play goal.

One of my favourite rinks to play in is about 20' shorter and 5' narrower than an NHL spec rink. The only spots for spectators is above the rinks (one side roller, the other side ice) in the upstairs bar. Weirdly enough, the pic of your rink @magnets reminds me of the rink I describe, especially with the lack of spectator space at the goal ends. The main exception is that the silly rink I describe has clear plexiglass. It would make more sense if they used opaque plastic, as the boards nearly butt up against the walls like in your rink.

^ Time to quit the team ;) Bloody emoticon didn't work. No, I said that with tongue in cheek. But it sounds HIGHLY frustrating to say the least.

There you go.

Okay. It's the old man uncle in me that wants to keep my goalie bretheren from being sick. Carry on, young man. Just be safe :)

@ badger_14, I spent most of my 20's ill, as I was trying to make my mark in the ranks of cycling and multisport (duathlon) overtraining. I was ALWAYS sick with some sort of respiratory illness. When someone actually talked some sense into me, I was *this* close to having some REAL bad stuff going on. When I stopped going so hard (work/play/partying), I wasn't getting ill like that anymore. I am off of my soap box. I just read these things and think of where I was when I was younger. Just try hard to rest more. If you feel ill, take a good rest. I know it's hard, but overworking AND overplaying comes back to haunt you. That was your bunnyman666 sermon about ample rest. ;)

I am saying this with love and respect; however- wtf, matey?!? Seriously- I don't want you hurting yourself! I want to read more stories. Be careful.

Opti- I find your specs fascinating. That is one CRAZY curve on those pads!!!!! I know that so many people do some downright WEIRD stuff to get their pads to curve like that. At least you're not going to have to do anything to cut the life of your pads shorter by bending them yourself. I can't wait to read your impressions of these pads, especially a few months into owning them.

Opti- Passau makes some nice, nice stuff. It is highly rumoured (by more believable sources) that they actually manufactured my Warrior Messiah (pre-Smith) glove. They just do great stuff and since they don't have to pay the high NHL fee, they pass that savings on to you. Nice looking bit of kit.

When I was at an all-age stick and puck, there was one kid who would shoot at my cage, and there was another who would shoot at my crotch area. Needless to say, that got old. Cage shots are noisy, and your cup only prevents injury, not stingers. I warned both kids that if they were to get the puck anywhere near those areas again, I would leave the crease when they would come up to shoot. Cage aimer didn't believe me until the time AFTER he dinged me in the cage AGAIN. Needless to say the next time he was up, I skated to the bench. He complained to the manager on duty, who then asked him,"What did bunnyman tell you about aiming at the cage?" Crotch shooter stopped aiming there as soon as I left the crease on Cage Aimer. Now having been a tendy, I know what I like in a warm up. Shoot at my glove, shoot at my blocker, shoot at my stick. Don't deke me until I have had a few shots on those areas. Don't go threefer (as in three guys shooting at once), or I will leave the crease. And if I skate out again, I will not deke the goalie and will keep the shots low in warm up.

I have had the distinction of skating in the old St. Louis Arena, the old Maple Leaf Garden, and the old Molson Centre. St. Louis Arena had the softest ice ever. All three places were done as a "sell tickets and you get the ice" deals in the late '80s and I was in high school and Junior hockey. The closest I get to playing on NHL ice these days is stick and puck at the Blues practise facility. Opti- does Honda Center tear down their ice in the summer?

Played pickup versus college and ex-college players along with high level high schoolers. Got lit up like a Christmas tree with the first few plays. Donny McDangles, Wheely VonSniper and Celly O' Shooter all were there. Three goalies. We never figured out a system, but I let the better goalies stay on longer. Didn't have a good warm up, felt out of sorts until the third time I got out in the crease. Not depressing, but there were a few I'd like to have back. I was firmly the third best goalie dressed out.

You looked like you were in pain, Opti. Good onya for staying in.

Heh heh- being 50% English and 50% American, I see both sides of Thanksgiving. How can I be 100% behind a holiday thanking G'd that they got away from Ol' Blighty? But I loves me a good roast dinner. My mum embraced the whole Thanksgiving dinner thing okay. After all- I am a U.S. citizen. Black Friday is the only adult drop in this next week. Bummer!!!!

Did drop in yesterday. It ended up being 4-on-4, one goalie (me) and shooter tutor. Got scored on with my back turned (drinking water). Yeah- that took skill. Dealt with Donnie McDangles. With the team I had playing against him (roller guys who played ice the first time and a couple were on rental skates), McDangles scored 8/10x against me. Oh, well. When three guys left, it became 3-on-3 half ice. I didn't do too terribly, but nobody in the NHL has to worry about their jobs for certain. People who haven't seen my "Screw U" sweater (pic on Instagram @bunnydevildude #sillyhockeysweaters ) got a giggle. I let in a couple of weird ones that I probably should have had. But I haven't started playing goal until this past year and have had zero coaching. I don't beat myself up as that is pointless.