My First Hockey Game

[awall 0]

I played in my first Hockey game this weekend all my work is finally seeing its payoff. Sorta. I played Right Wing on the 3rd shift, luckily my center and left wing are experienced and were able to take up some of the slack.

The first thing I learned was that everyone else moves ALOT faster than I do, I might have well just been an orange practice cone (apologies to puckmugger) ;) Luckily I had learned a little about positioning and knew the general area where I needed hang about to make myself a nuisance when we were on the defensive and I was occasionally in position for passes because the other team realized I was the weak link and generally left me open. My goalie during tuesday night practice tends to do that to which lets me score from time to time. Anyway I had one nice time where I had my man covered and was keeping him close to the boards, when the bastard flipped the puck over my shoulder! I thought that this was supposed to be I-League! I must admit that I was impressed, I can't even get my shots to come off the ice any yet.

I had one shot near the goal, but I misjudged and ended up sending it into the boards and around the side. I gotta remember to look where I want the shot to go, when I do I tend to be pretty accurate (in practice at least).

I also got my first penalty. I was going after the puck in the corner and fighting for it against another guy. I twisted myself to try to put my bulk between him and the puck and as we were digging for it I noticed him going down. The ref blows the whistle and everyone is looking at me and I get sent to the box. I'm looking around going what did I do? I passed the ref and asked what I did, I figured that the condemned should at least know what they're being punished for, and he told me that I elbowed the guy behind me and knocked him down. I kinda doubted that, the other guy was going down before my elbow made contact with him. I wasn't about to argue with the ref, its my first game after all and he might have been right after all. :)

In the end we tied 2 all and I learned a lot about what I need to be practicing on. We play our 2nd game this weekend and it ought to be entertaining, my teammates tell me that the other team is made up of people who should be C & D Leaguers so I can expect to have a profound impact on the outcome of the game. NOT!

If you guys have any advice or insight I'd love to hear it, if not I hope you enjoyed the tale.

Awall

[Turco35 0]

A lot of I-league players should be in D or C.

Just keep playing in the games. You will learn a lot more playing in a game rather than practice.

I also found that playing guys that are a lot better then you makes you a better player, because it makes you play harder.

Good luck.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

I would suggest that for you, while working on your skills, to make sure you try to be in the right place at the right time. when you see one of your guys prepare for a shot, head for the front of the net, raise some hell if you have to. You can be just as useful as more skilled players if you play positions correctly. Another thing to keep in mind is that, while its good to touch the puck in the game once in a while, dont get too excited. The quicker you get rid of the puck, the quicker you get it back. make a pass, then head for the net.

good luck!

[ponty 0]

It sounds like you have this down but the biggest thing I tell new guys is to just have fun. Dont worry about the skill level of those around you as most guys are cool with those who are new to the game and are willing to teach.

That said, number one, work on your skating. Everything else from there is down hill. Once you feel solid on your skates you will get more leverage behind your shots and they will begin to lift off the ice.

Welcome to the sport and good luck.

[Sticks of Fury 0]

Have an awareness(peripherial vision) of where your team mates are and the opposition so once you get the puck you know where to direct it quickly or keep it if you have time. And think ahead of what team mates and opposition is doing.

[Fonya 0]

Sweet man, congrats on your first game. Keep up the hardwork!

[awall 0]

Thanks for all the advice. I look forward to trying some stuff out. I've been trying to do some net research on how best to play the various positions and have come up with a few things. I figure for right now if I can play a good position it will mitigate my lack of speed.

[ktang 34]

awall:

Are you doing off-ice training, too?

Others on this board will know more than me about training, but single-leg squats would be good for your balance and stability.

I don't think it's possible to learn the proper skating technique unless the legs are strong enough. If they aren't, then people skate straight-legged (like Frankenstein).

[awall 0]

awall:

Are you doing off-ice training, too?

Others on this board will know more than me about training, but single-leg squats would be good for your balance and stability.

I don't think it's possible to learn the proper skating technique unless the legs are strong enough. If the aren't, then people skate straight-legged (like Frankenstein).

Its kinda ironic for you to bring that up. One of my coaches told me when I first started skating that I needed to be doing squats, anyway I did what anybody does when they hear advice that they don't like and ignored it. Fast forward to after my first game when everyone was smoking me and the error of my ways was was not only brought forward, but slapped me around some. Needless to say I have just started doing squats and other exercises I pickedup out of Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. I did manage to tell my coach that he told me so and he just laughed. Another exercise I do on the ice at the direction of my private coach is hop across the blueline, make sure both feet come up off the ice and both feet touch down at the same time. Right now I can make it across the ice once without getting winded so that is an improvement.

[pantherfan 0]

How many single leg squats would be good to start out with because i'd never done them before and i can't do that many(about 5) till i can't lift up

Also is it right down so your thigh is all touching your calf???

[modernice 0]

I think alot of new players tire themselves out chasing the puck down...

Don't chase the puck, chase your position. Learn positional hockey. Always keep your feet moving and work harder than anyone else.

If you are working hard out there, your teammates will enjoy having you around.

Skill is secondary to hard work ethic, at this point; skills take 1000 of hours to cultivate. Hard work can be applied immediately.

Have Fun!

keep us posted on your progress... :)

[4ZManny 0]

I think alot of new players tire themselves out chasing the puck down...

Don't chase the puck, chase your position. Learn positional hockey. Always keep your feet moving and work harder than anyone else.

If you are working hard out there, your teammates will enjoy having you around.

Skill is secondary to hard work ethic, at this point; skills take 1000 of hours to cultivate. Hard work can be applied immediately.

Have Fun!

keep us posted on your progress... :)

:D

The emoticon says it all, Keep Smiling!!!

Hockey is a Game, Games are fun. Always stay positive and put your best effort forth, that is what other players will respect. It is all about the team on and off the ice, not the individual. So carry these attitudes with you and hockey will give you more than you can imagine.

I agree with GB learn how to move in accordance with the other players on the ice(learn how your position works) and it will be a magical game for many years to come!

[ktang 34]

How many single leg squats would be good to start out with because i'd never done them before and i can't do that many(about 5) till i can't lift up

Also is it right down so your thigh is all touching your calf???

I think the ideal is 3 sets of 8-10 reps, but I'm not an exercise expert!

Another good exercise is the lunge walk, with dumbells when you can handle it.

About how low to get: there have been a few studies that I have read about how low to get before pushing back up, and the proper relative positioning of the balls of the feet, knees, and hips. They are all contradictory in their conclusions, which I expect because of the differences in the test subjects and what the studies are trying to illustrate etc.

E.g. when I was really young we were told to go as low as possible, then we were told to go until the knee was at 90 degrees, and then later we were told to go slightly lower until the thigh is parallel to the floor. So, which is the safest?

I'm not an exercise expert, and I don't want to quote possibly outdated sources, so I would ask you to get proper instruction from a true, up-to-date exercise expert.

[ktang 34]

awall:

Are you doing off-ice training, too?

Others on this board will know more than me about training, but single-leg squats would be good for your balance and stability.

I don't think it's possible to learn the proper skating technique unless the legs are strong enough. If the aren't, then people skate straight-legged (like Frankenstein).

Its kinda ironic for you to bring that up. One of my coaches told me when I first started skating that I needed to be doing squats, anyway I did what anybody does when they hear advice that they don't like and ignored it. Fast forward to after my first game when everyone was smoking me and the error of my ways was was not only brought forward, but slapped me around some. Needless to say I have just started doing squats and other exercises I pickedup out of Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. I did manage to tell my coach that he told me so and he just laughed. Another exercise I do on the ice at the direction of my private coach is hop across the blueline, make sure both feet come up off the ice and both feet touch down at the same time. Right now I can make it across the ice once without getting winded so that is an improvement.

I coached minor hockey the last 2 years (8- to 11-year olds), and you can see some parents imploring their kids, "bend your knees!". But, except for a few of them, the kids at those ages don't have quite enough strength to get low enough, or to stay low enough, so you see them bending at the waist instead.

So, Hockey Canada is suggesting that we ask the kids to do some wall- and then some single-leg squats while they watch TV. Just a few, not overdoing it. By mid-season, the kids who do them start to skate better (faster, more stable).

[EndBoards 0]

Yeah, lots of people will tell you that technique is more important than strength & conditioning when it comes to skating.. That's absolutely true, however you can't acheive proper technique without having a certain level of strength. There's no way you can get a proper knee bend without leg strength. You can't get full extension without a certain level of flexibility..

Work on leg strength, core strength, and flexibility. You'll really be amazed at how much difference it makes..

For whoever asked about squats.. Thigh touching calf is way too low. Your muscles lose their leverage and you risk hyperextending your knee. Keep your feet flat, heels planted, squat down till your thighs are paralell with the floor, then press back up. Keep your head level, and your back in a strong position. The bar should ride lower than you think on your shoulders. There's a 'pocket' in your back muscles where the bar will fit nicely. Experiment a little bit while the bar is still up on the rack.

[EndBoards 0]

Depending on the skill level of your league, it's probably going to be a while before you get a goal. My league is mixed-skill and it took me about 35-40 games to get a goal - and I came in with about 10-20 drop-in sessions of experience under my belt. If you're in I league, you won't have ex-pro/college players defending you so you'll probably pot one quicker than I did.

Anyway, until you really get your legs under you and develop some offensive ability, the best way to help your team is defensively. Assuming you play wing, make it your goal to allow no goals, assists, or even shots on goal to the defensemen that you're covering. Think about it - if the other team regularly gets 2-3 points from their defense, and you take that away from them, that's every bit as valuable as you scoring 2-3 points. It'll never show up on the scoresheet, but it will show up in the W-L column.

For example - there's one guy in our league that's outright awesome. He's usually one of the top 5 or 6 scorers even though he plays D. He normally gets at least one goal, if not more, plus a multiple assists in each game.

In one game, I worked my shifts so that I covered him every time. I was involved offensively when the opportunity was there, but as soon as their team touched the puck, I immediately tracked down this guy and shadowed him until our shifts ended. He got a shot or two, but no points.

The way I see it, preventing him from scoring 3-5 points helps my team just as much as me scoring 3-5 points.

[ghoh 0]

Got my first goal EVER tonight in a D level scrimmage. Awesome feeling when I picked up the rebound and saw it go off my backhand and under the pads. 13 scrimmages prior to and tonight was the first one. In the past few weeks I learned that I'm not a finesse player (obvious to others). As many others have said here..Go to the Net. Its working for me and I feel like others appreciate it.

[awall 0]

Got my first goal EVER tonight in a D level scrimmage. Awesome feeling when I picked up the rebound and saw it go off my backhand and under the pads. 13 scrimmages prior to and tonight was the first one. In the past few weeks I learned that I'm not a finesse player (obvious to others). As many others have said here..Go to the Net. Its working for me and I feel like others appreciate it.

Congratulations! I hope this is the first of many more to come! Keep up the good work.

[puckmugger 0]

Congrats on the first game Awall. That's awesome.

Scott

[awall 0]

We had our second game this weekend and we lost 1- 4. We had 4 people out and were playing with replacements (ringers). The team that beat us usually beats teams 10 - 1 and is due to move up to at least D league if not C, we're in an I-League so you can do the math. I will freely admit that the 2nd and 3rd goals were my fault because they started me out on Defence and I didn't know what I should be doing or how I should have been covering and the guy scored from a location where I should have been. Luckily one of my friends smacked our team captain upside the head and asked him if he was REALLY sure he wanted me playing D this early against this good of team. Needless to say he saw the light and put me back at wing where I could do the least damage.

The team we played against really played their positions well and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Which brings me up to my questions. When playing wing in the defensive zone I have a tendancy to hover about the upper half of the zone, close to the blue line which puts me in a great position to attempt a breakout if I weren't so slow. If the Right Defender goes past the goal I move closer to cover. Is this what I'm supposed to be doing? Any advice or pointers here? Also a question about offsides. As I understand it, if the puck moves out of the offensive zone we all have to move out or be counted off sides. How far out do we need to go, the neutral zone or all the way back to or defensive zone?

Thanks all.

Awall

[EndBoards 0]

awall.. don't sweat it. D is hard to play. If you had been in the right spot on those goals, the guy that scored would've probably moved somewhere else and scored from there. That goes with the territory when you're playing a really good team..

In the D zone, don't worry about a breakaway. As a wing your #1 job is to cover that D man and prevent him from contributing to their attack. The best way to do that is to eliminate him as a passing option for his teammates. Stay between him and the puck. He's going to move around and try to lose you, so you have to position yourself so that you can see what's happening with the puck AND see where he's at with your peripheral vision.

If he makes a break for the net, you cover him until you see that your D-men or center has picked him up. Sometimes this means that you follow him all the way to the net - say if he cuts right into the slot and your teammates don't see him. Other times, your D-man or center might see him early on - in which case you'd pass him off to them around the top of the circle or at the faceoff dot.

Either way, be ready to hop back out to your point in a hurry, because someone from the other team will head straight for the spot you vacated and will be wide open.

[WingsVK97 0]

EndBoards is right about D being something that takes a lot of time to get used to. I'm still pretty new to hockey and have lots to learn. I'm starting my 5th year playing after starting at 22 years old. I play defense regularly on my adult rec team, mainly because I skate backwards pretty well, but it's also the only position I've really wanted to play since I started. Wing and center are fine, but I've just always wanted to become a good defenseman.

Awall, don't worry about it. D is totally different. You aren't trying to make the pretty play or the pretty pass. Instead, you're suppose to ruin them. If this was you're first crack at it yeah, no wonder you had a time with it. If defense is something you really want to try, then give it some time till you're more comfortable all around. And a thing I really like is when you've got a consistant partner. It lets you take some risks cause you know what the other guy is going to do. You work together and get more comfortable taking some risks cause you know the other guy will cover.

As for your offsides question, if the puck comes out of the offensive zone, everyone on your team has to clear out to behind the offensive blue line. The blue line closest to the goal you're shooting on.

[Chadd 916]

EndBoards is right about D being something that takes a lot of time to get used to. I'm still pretty new to hockey and have lots to learn. I'm starting my 5th year playing after starting at 22 years old. I play defense regularly on my adult rec team, mainly because I skate backwards pretty well, but it's also the only position I've really wanted to play since I started. Wing and center are fine, but I've just always wanted to become a good defenseman.

Awall, don't worry about it. D is totally different. You aren't trying to make the pretty play or the pretty pass. Instead, you're suppose to ruin them. If this was you're first crack at it yeah, no wonder you had a time with it. If defense is something you really want to try, then give it some time till you're more comfortable all around. And a thing I really like is when you've got a consistant partner. It lets you take some risks cause you know what the other guy is going to do. You work together and get more comfortable taking some risks cause you know the other guy will cover.

As for your offsides question, if the puck comes out of the offensive zone, everyone on your team has to clear out to behind the offensive blue line. The blue line closest to the goal you're shooting on.

I have to disagree somewhat. My favorite part about playing D is hitting someone with a great outlet pass. Well, that and drilling a big slapper on net.

[Hipster 5]

Congratulations Awall on taking up the sport. Its probably the toughest sport to start when your an adult, so don't worry about a thing if your not filling the net your first few years.

Just remember, bent knees, lower center of gravity and proper skating position are the foundation of your game.

If you have time, get a street hockey net and practice your shot. I reccomend using a regular puck rather than a ball, as it promotes proper shooting technique (spin the puck off your blade from heel to toe).

When your on offense and your teamates have the puck in the corner or behind the net, hang around between the face off cirles just out of the comfort zone of their defensemen. You'll get plaenty of open looks out there, and if you've worked on your shot, you'll get your share of goals.

Good luck buddy.

[Sven 1]

Just in addition:

If you got well fitting equipment (fitting, not expensive) all the things you have to learn will be easier.

When i learned hockey, i had wrong skates. It took longer and it was more painful.

But im sure you are fine.

Just something i wanted to add