what can I play

[kev946 0]

how much more competitive hockey can be played and at what level after a decent highschool/midget aa player leaves the team? what do average aa players wanting to playing more hockey play after they turn 18? do msot play juniors?

[gavin 0]

If you're not headed to NCAA or CIS, think about going to play college club hockey. If you're not too pressed for education (don't be, life won't pass you by if you take a year or two off) you could play bush league Juniors or whatever you can make. Nothing better than "making a living" from hockey, although you probably will just get taken care of, not exactly put on a payroll.

Other than that, "join the workforce" and play men's league. Senior A is really competetive and it's usually sponsored by beer companies etc and so it's free and a lotta fun. The road trips that my Senior A team goes on are great, they get us first-class accomadation and we take a big coach and they make it kinda special for us.

[HotBacon 0]

I had a similar question after graduating college. In our area there wasn't much other than low caliber men's leagues so I gave it up for 5 years. Now I'm about a month or two into starting up again and going through the same search.

I would LOVE to find a league like you are talking about Gavin. So far I've only found press releases about a minor league team in my area, but that's about it (see my thread asking about it - http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=21400).

[gavin 0]

Which one are you talking about? The Iron Mountain Vets or playing for Eagle River Falcons? The Falcons are the the GLHL, it's been around for almost 100 years, teams in Michigan and Wisconson. The fans are great, the commissioner seems like a really level headed guy, and overall just a good experience for this neck of the woods.

I don't think Senior A hockey would have as much support where you are because of all the NCAA hockey, but then again there is a lotta college hockey around here and we still seem to get fans out for both. *shrug* good luck searching.

[HotBacon 0]

I was talking about the Senior A league. The beer leagues we have around here are - pay $250 for 10 games, forget about practices, forget about road trips, forget about team comraderie, forget about competition, just pay to compete for ice time w/ a group of "hockey players". And I use the term "hockey players" loosely since alot of the guys have never skated or played the game before (inlcuding mennonites rolling out in shin pads taped on top of their jeans w/ no socks, no pants, sometimes a jersey, and a bike helmet). Not exactly the kind of game I'm looking for.

[chippa13 1844]

I was talking about the Senior A league. The beer leagues we have around here are - pay $250 for 10 games, forget about practices, forget about road trips, forget about team comraderie, forget about competition, just pay to compete for ice time w/ a group of "hockey players". And I use the term "hockey players" loosely since alot of the guys have never skated or played the game before (inlcuding mennonites rolling out in shin pads taped on top of their jeans w/ no socks, no pants, sometimes a jersey, and a bike helmet). Not exactly the kind of game I'm looking for.

Those hardly sound like beer leagues to me. The ones around here are great. Good competition, not too much bullshit, and everyone wears gear. No jeans and shins. Sure, we don't have practices, but what 34 year old wants to skate drills, I know I don't. As for comradarie, the teams I'm on have been together for years and we have a great time. Guys stand up for each other and the beer doesn't care if you win or lose.

[gavin 0]

Yeah the "beer league" that I play for (Iron Mountain Vets) is a good one, guys keep the shifts quick, we work hard and play excellent positioning. But it's still a far cry from Senior A. In Senior A, you have practices to work on skills that you need for games. And like I said, everything is paid for and we get to go do crazy things on our road trips. But we are serious enough that those who drink, will be sober by noon the next day and will take a sauna or something to loosen up before the Sat. night game.

[t1tan 19]

I wish I could find something at least semi-competative around my area(suburbs west of chicago area), the most I can find are no-check adult leagues. I've always played full-contact and not really sure I'll enjoy not being able to lay out some bodies cause that's what I'm used to I'm afraid I'll forget and get thrown out of the league, lol.