badger_14

They did - both velcro pieces and the garter belt itself. (Which led to an interesting conversation with the salesclerk about what it was and why it went with the knee pads.) It should be a simple enough solution.

Update: I went with the 1x, and they are indeed very comfortable. However, they do slide down without attachments, at least when wearing relatively smooth undergarments. So I'll have to try the garter belt (or there may be some sort of attachment loop in my pants? I hadn't checked, to be honest.) The thigh end is pretty rigid, and I have some fierce bruises from where it slid down, but once they're seated right and stay up it should be fine. Also, my knees don't feel nearly as terrible, so I'll count that a win.

I mean, my gear is not actively on fire, and my usual pack of hoodlums pick up group isn't likely to have regular ice time til the end of April, so yes. I may go and try on the current mess of options anyway - if it turns out the new iterations aren't as good, I'd still like to know that the old ones are feasible.

An excellent rundown. Thanks for the info. I'll give the Bauers a look.

Having risen, vaccinated, from the benthic depths of the pandemic, I've realized it's time for new knee pads. I thought about it last time I played (March 2020, after finally being cleared after my back surgery), but then the pandemic happened and it just wasn't a priority and I hadn't played again til this past Saturday. I definitely need (kneed?) new (knew?) knee pads/guards. Right now I am using Bauer Supreme knee guards, which I quite like - they fit well, help up reasonably, stayed up without wrapping them in a kilometer of tape or wearing socks over them, were protective to as far as my average level of play. But the seams are splitting and the padding is getting battered, so it's time. I'm down for just buying another pair of the Bauers, but I'm open to suggestions. My leg pads (Warrior) did come with knee pads, but they were intermediates and just didn't fit my senior-sized leg. A pal wears the Warrior ones, but she also wears socks over them, and I get so damned hot wearing socks. I have: a thick thigh and a short leg. I play at about a C level: a mix of good, sensible people and people who take clappers from the hash marks. Sometimes when I feel like a butt-kicking, I play for a higher-level group. Thoughts? Just stick with the Bauers? Expand my horizons somewhere? What are your fave knee guards and why?

Non-essential businesses closed in MA. Call volume on the ambulance is way down - even 911 calls are down. (Cardiac arrest pays no heed to pandemics.) The staff at the local ER is absolutely haggard, but it felt like some semblance of normalcy to see them yesterday.

Pretty sure at this point virtually every rink in MA is closed. 0 emails from the goalie list for several days now, and all the major adult leagues cancelled/suspended. The gym I work at closed x3 weeks and laid off nearly everyone (jerks), so I'm picking up a second 24h on the ambulance. I can't say I'm not a bit worried, but I can't just not work, either. I do wish it was at least warm enough to swim. 😛

Mazel tov! What an adorable bean.

Finally successfully played in one (1) game last night! Exhausting, but no pain, and not really as bad as it could've been given I haven't played in a game for nearly 6 months. I had selected what was listed as a novice/D skate, which of course it wasn't (more C/mixed), did alright, still feel ok this morning. Cautiously optimistic about returning to Saturday hockey with the nerds.

I moved pretty well but my body is not used to skating AT ALL, nevermind in gear. Swimming 3600m in a workout means NOTHING to the ice gods, apparently. At least I remembered how to get dressed...

With approval of the physical therapist, I got back to the ice today for about a half hour and took a few shots. Felt surprisingly good for not having skated in 4 months, though my stamina is absolute pants.

I've used intermediate gear and been fine with it - occasionally I'd wished the glove had more padding, but for the most part I wasn't bothered. I got all new pads/glove/blocker in the fall, and in the Warrior glove I have (which is senior) you can swap the interior for intermediate size, if that would work better.

Finally cleared to go back on the ambulance! Unfortunately that means I'm working Christmas eve (7am Tuesday to 7am Wednesday). That's OT for the 7 Christmas hours, which is nice, but also means I miss my church's Christmas eve service. 😞 I haven't missed it since before I joined the choir, so I'm feeling a bit down about it. On the other hand, I'm performing a solo at the solstice service and was told to costume myself "as festively as possible", so I'm tremendously excited for Saturday.

That's dedication, on top of the cost to play already! Do other youth sports have similar issues? Are there more flexible school options for kids?

The nearest ice rink, I could walk to in 10 minutes or so, and do so to get my skates done. The rink I typically skate (when healthy) at is a 15-20 minute drive at that time of day (0700 on a Saturday). I happen to live in an area (metro Boston) where you can't swing a cat and not hit a rink. Do they all have adult hockey times? No, but they all absolutely host kids programs. I would prefer to travel a half hour at most. I have to get there, get dressed, play, get undressed, and get home. For a 9pm session/game, more than that is simply not worth it for me. However, as noted, I have the luxury of many, many rinks in that 30 minute radius. Before I had a car, I was willing to travel further because the rink had to be transit or foot accessible (with gear). The year I learned to play, it took me nearly 2 hours to get to the rink. Two buses and a half-mile walk. Glad I don't have to do that anymore.