Played pickup hockey in socal for the first time ever (optimusreim's neck of the woods) and found some good skates w good groups of guys, but it was a bit funny to see the difference in style between canadians and americans. Not that much of a gap in individual skills, but lots more cherrypicking and generally less hustle on the defensive side of the puck. Some guys get the puck and become essentially autistic, hogging it and skating straight ahrad until they get stripped