JoeyJ0506

Looks familiar... Although, in your situation the people that run the league have the option to move the dominant teams up (from the sounds of it). This is a small local rink, one adult league, no skill tiers... makes for some not-so-much-fun nights.

I don't know much about goalie equipment. But I wonder if, being a smaller company, they were able to adapt to the size/fit regulations on C/As more quickly than the "Big Boys." I know the major players, based on an article I read the other day, were having issues getting the new stuff done in time.

If it is lingering go to the doctor and get the steroid pack. If it is bad enough it can overwhelm your immune system's ability to fight it off naturally. I worked landscaping one summer and had a massive pile of it fall out of a tree and hit me in the face, neck, arms, and legs. I'm with you, it is nasty nasty nasty stuff.

I had no idea you had one available

My brother and I just went halfsies on a Sparx. We are both very excited for the convenience this machine is going to give us.

This

I thought about that point, but I'm not so sure about that. I am sure there are plenty of players that feel comfortable with a certain person doing their skates, and would not be too happy with the idea of "that guy" not having done their skates for them. There are guys that don't care about their gear specifics, but there are also players on that team that are known fanatics about things being the same Every.Single.Time. (See: Crosby, Sidney).

Pretty cool seeing Dana Heinze tweet this morning about how the Penguins make use of The SPARX machine:

I have had pets my entire life, Collies as a kid until I moved out after college, and now Mere and I have two cats. I have been in your shoes with a couple of the Collies... It's just heartbreaking. I really feel for you. Again, there aren't really words when a part of your life/family suddenly isn't there anymore. It just sucks, plain and simple. I am right there with you, I plan pretty much everything around my hockey schedule. Very rarely will I not make a game unless I am significantly ill, or I had prior obligations that cannot be avoided or delayed. Fortunately, the teams I play for are mostly comprised of similar-minded people. It blows my mind that some of these teams have 20+ players on their roster and cannot get 10 to 12 guys to a game. But, even if you have to forfeit, at least let the other team know so they can save themselves the late-night drive to the rink and loss of sleep.

I'm very sorry to hear this. Nothing to say that will make it any easier. On my own rant: Holiday-Season hockey has been a nightmare. 6 of my last 8 games have been forfeits by the other team. All but one of them were done via the "Don't tell anyone and just don't show up" method of forfeiting. A few have been 11pm or later games where we don't know we won't be actually playing until we are already dressed and ready to go on the ice... There is also no penalty or disciplinary action done for forfeiting a game so... Teams will continue to do it. I have two games this coming Saturday (12/23) and am just waiting to hear that the other teams cannot get enough skaters.

Locker rooms are a disaster there, but new lighting, new boards, new benches, and a new chilling unit have all been installed in the past two years (Chiller was done last week). There are plans in the pipe for spectator seating and new locker rooms/showers. It just takes time to raise the money needed for the projects. But, the place is definitely on the up-swing.

Mark, it's actually at Hess Ice Rink in New Castle, PA. Honestly, the majority of the guys that play in that league are from your way (Youngstown area, and a ton of YSU guys). There is only one skill-tier in the league, so you have beginners/amateurs mixed with guys that played Semi-Pro/College/Juniors, etc. The team I am on was assembled from the "Free Agent" list (Getting on an established team means you know somebody, or they liked the college/junior experience listed on your Free Agent resume) so the majority of my team is composed of college kids that wanted to try ice hockey out for the first time. We are getting beat pretty badly every game, but it is extra ice time, so that is not a huge deal to me. I paid up first game. I know what it's like to run a team and have guys that won't pay until you put a gun to their head. But, the captain and I are going to have a conversation about what we are doing for the rest of the season. I agree, 10 skaters and a goalie (max) is best. And I agree, 3 D is more than enough most nights. Talked to one of the other guys on the team this morning, he got 6 shifts the entire game.

To this point, went to my game for this team tonight and we had 20+ guys show up to play. I skated one shift and left. 7 defensemen is a joke. Subs should only be asked to come if a bunch of regulars drop out. This free for all is getting old quick.

It just seems like it is always to one extreme or the other, does it not? I got placed, as a free agent, on a team at another rink (I just wanted a team on which I could show up, play, and leave) and the captain has a "more the merrier" approach. We have between 16 and 20 skaters every game... it's rough.

Good thing you've got a month to iron it out then

Went back to play a puck in the corner last night and my left skate got caught in a rut. Well, my foot stopped moving, but everything above it didn't. Ankle twisted awkwardly under me, immediately knew I sprained it. Was "okay" the rest of the game, just laced up the last eyelet and tightened down for some extra stability. But, per usual with these things, my ankle blew up the second I took my boot off and it is a pretty shade of purple this morning. Probably will be off the ice for a week or so.

CLEARLY, this means you are getting AT LEAST two goals at WF!

Torts and Saad never really saw eye-to-eye.

@Louie picked one up last week and said that the 9K shells line up perfectly with the attachment points on the new Super Tacks Girdle.

We were, either, one or two in goals scored throughout the regular season and still finished at .500... we either won, or lost, our games by scores of 8-7, 10-9, etc. we always had to put up high goal counts to have a chance to win. Well, our normal guy was sick and/or out of town for the first three games of the playoffs and we were able to knock out all of the top-seeded teams we played. Our replacement was not a brick wall by any means, but he made the routine saves. Of course, come championship game time, our normal guy says that he is ready to play. You could tell everyone was deflated when they saw him in the locker room pre-game. We went down 1-0 early on a bad goal (weak wrister from the blue line by a defenseman just trying to get a change). We worked our asses off to tie the game before the end of the first. Off the ensuing faceoff, they scored on a short-side, back-hand dribbler from below the goal line... may as well have called the game after that. It was SO demoralizing. Any time we would start to mount a comeback, a bad goal was sure to kill it. Like I said, you don't have to win the game, just don't lose it.

Same, lost a championship game last night. My gripe, I do not ever expect a goalie to win a game, but I do expect them not to lose the game... Well, we would have been better off with a five gallon bucket between the pipes.

Had a ref in our area tell a guy on my team (that wears a cage) that he won't call a high-sticking penalty if the person taking the stick up-high is wearing a cage because "You aren't even going to get hurt because of the cage." Except, the same guy that did not get called for that high stick knocked another guy's teeth out the next period with a high stick... Call the penalty, cage or not, so people learn to carry their sticks down.

Yeah, I take it as him saying that he is pushing 60 and wishes these kind of skates were available to him in his prime when he "could skate."

Yessir, was told that there are not enough resources to bring me to their level, or even just compensate me a bit more fairly. The, "when _______ retires" comment came from that meeting. Issue being, the one that may retire really has no intention of doing so, at all.

Listening to my manager & owner complain about the quality of work of the other two employees in my department (both 30+ year employees), rave about the work I am doing, yet refusing to pay me equally, or at least offer a raise, until one of the two retires...