First Organized Game!

[goobergo 0]

Alright so my town finally got their first hockey rink this summer and are now starting their winter leagues. I am playing in my first 'organized' hockey game this evening and am nervous as hell. My exposure to hockey was from when I was twelve and playing roller hockey. We had a team that played in a couple roller tournaments but nothing serious. My exposure to ice hockey was on a pond with a bunch of people playing about 4 on 4 or whatever we could get together on the weekends. I have played pickup ice hockey about 10 times since the rink opened and am starting to feel a little confident on my skates. I signed up for the 'B' league but of course they had to condense the A and B league due to lack of signups. Anyway, here are a couple of questions for all of you fortunate individuals who have played a lot of ice hockey.

1. I don't know what position to tell them I play, I am very quick on my skates and can keep up with just about anyone; however, my stickhandling is still coming up to par with my roller skills, I have a good wrist shot, but a horrible slap shot.

2. My sticks are both about 4-5 years old, still in good shape but old. I feel like I can get nothing behind my slap shot. I am 23 but only 5'7". I don't know if I am just weak, if a better stick would help, or if it could be due to poor form.

3. I have Mission S400 skates with the 'Pitch 3' design. Does anyone know if a more forward pitch would more closely resemble my "Hi-lo" Mission roller chassis?

4. I have played soccer my whole life but I have never been coached to play position in hockey. I would imagine the best thing to do is stay in your appropriate area and not play "magnet hockey" does anyone know a website with a description of different positions?

Thanks for your help guys. Sorry for my ignorance and I hope some of you may have some answers for me.

[Storm 0]

Hi goobergo,

1. Soccer, good stamina, 5'7", imo say forward.

2. You can get by without using your slap shot.

3. Not qualified to answer.

4. Don't know of any web sites and have not played soccer but I think in soccer you use corridors. Hockey can be played the same way.

Good luck!

[M-Cohen 0]

In relation to number 2. Your sticks blades may have gone soft. Which means when you take a slapshot the blade just bends and the puck is shot either quite terribly or nowhere at all. I would suggest a new stick (s).

[--notorious 0]

Since your fast and you got a good wrister and bad slapper. I suggest forward.Like metro said forward needs some stamina which i assume you have from soccer.Just play on your side and dig in the corners if your the wing.End to end for center. I just googled this it seemed to have something.

http://hockey.lifetips.com/subcat/69153/ho...wing/index.html

[DamnLocust 0]

It's kinda funny.. I've been playing hockey for years and started playing soccer here and there a couple of years back. Right away i was able to read plays and anticipate what was happening next, because of my experience playing hockey. In both games, especially on Defence, you want to play the angles and manage time and space (both yours and your opponents') efficiently.