How do I deal with a Puck Hog?

[The Iron Maiden 0]

Hi all,

I need some advice on how to deal with another forward on my team. He NEVER passes the puck when we are going into the other teams' zone. He always gets stripped of the puck, want to do it all himself, causes turnovers and squashes any offensive chances for the rest of us. All the other teams in our league know this and they just take advantage of him/us. I play Right Wing and have recently put the brakes on at the opposing teams' blue line because its guarunteed that there will be a turnover, and the play will be headed to our defensive zone. Ive spoken to the coach regarding this and he says that this has been discussed before, and just to keep trying. How do I deal with this?

Thank You,

Ivana

[Maka 0]

In the even that you're playing in a check league, you can set him up for a lesson he won't soon forget. Get behind him, and pass the puck up through his legs or anywhere from behind him. This will basically set him up to get leveled as he's looking for the puck. This should send him a pretty clear message to use his teammates.

[repus 0]

If your coach isn't going to do anything about it, start skating in behind him and using his stripped pucks as your opportunity to pick up the free pucks. Shoot through him a few times from there also :)

-dave

[Chadd 916]

Step offside at the blue line when he doesn't look up, then say that you thought he was going to pass. After this happens a couple times, he should get the point.

[Slapshot9123 0]

Agreed, I did the same thing to a new kid on my team this year. He scored 2 goals in the first game of the year so after that he thought he could do everything himself. So one day I knew who the big hitter was on the other team and when we were on the ice I threw a pass behind him and this kid just cleaned his clock. Wasnt they way I wanted to resolve the problem but we brought the issue up with him and the coach. It just had to happen, now the first thing he does is look for a pass.

[hyprlte 0]

Step offside at the blue line when he doesn't look up, then say that you thought he was going to pass. After this happens a couple times, he should get the point.

id do the exact same thing. Tried it and it worked perfect

[hockeymom 2]

The one thing I'm not hearing here is to actually talk to the guy who is not passing. Not sure if you are trying to avoid ruffled feelings (other than your own) or what is going on, but that certainly seems like the place to start.

Is he not seeing you? Do you only think you are open?

I do like the idea of causing an offside as a way of altering the status quo.

[Chadd 916]

The one thing I'm not hearing here is to actually talk to the guy who is not passing. Not sure if you are trying to avoid ruffled feelings (other than your own) or what is going on, but that certainly seems like the place to start.

Is he not seeing you? Do you only think you are open?

I do like the idea of causing an offside as a way of altering the status quo.

Good idea, I was assuming that discussion had already taken place.

[DamnLocust 0]

Always trying to resolve issues with words, eh mom?

Talk to your D about it as well, and get open when they've got the puck so that he's not their only option when looking up for a breakout pass.

It's not unheard of to steal the puck from your own teammate

I've actually knocked teammates off the puck and onto their ass in pickup hockey (trust me, they deserved it), and although I wouldnt do it in a game, perhaps you could get away with it in practice or a scrimmage.

[Blackthidot 0]

Unless the rest of your teammates are going to have your back when you confront him its not worth even saying anything to him cause your going to look like the ass.

A few things I do because I am the one who does most of the passing is this...

When he is on a breakaway and you have the puck, look at at him and dump it.

The skating offsides thing works great too.

Being sarcastic in practice helps too. Like get the puck and be like everyone watch out Im gonna do it all myself, stick handle through everyone and lose the puck at the blue line!

This is my fav of all time. Go up to him and ask, hey how many points do you get if you score? Oh and how many do you get if you get an assist? When he answers just say oh yeah thats what I thought. Once you ask him around 4 times he will know what your talking about.

[All Torhs Team 0]

Unless the rest of your teammates are going to have your back when you confront him its not worth even saying anything to him cause your going to look like the ass.

How is HE going to look like the ass?

Sit him down, on the bench is perfect, and say "hey look man, idk if your not seein me out there but theres been a couple times you could have passed it but didnt".

If it were me I wouldnt dick around with the issue and try to save feelings when the team is suffering. Be straight up with the guy and let him know whats up. (Unless its a very relaxed beer league or somethin then you might wan another approach)

EDIT---And I want to add something that I learned on MSH. About 5 months ago I was in a heated argument with an older guy on MSH about teammates and stuff. We never came to an agreement but he just ended his part by telling me how hockey is more then a game. To many people in this day and age take it way to seriously and we'll look back on it and regret it. Keep your friends as long as you can, odds are your not going to be playing hockey for a living.

I know my original post and my edited post kind of contradict each other, but use your best judgement to decide what to do.

[Blackthidot 0]

Because when there are people around the idiot who is usually being accused says I dont do that and then starts asking people and thats when everyone loses his balls and has nothing to say.

[hockeymom 2]

Always trying to resolve issues with words, eh mom?

LMAO DamnLocust!! And if that doesn't work, slug 'em LOL

Boggles my mind that bitching and whining and tactics are the default strategies, rather than directly talking about the problem.

When in difficulty - go to the ONE person who can actually resolve your issue... the person you HAVE the issue with.

Not the coach (although they are supposed to be at the helm), not your other linemates (although they can help)

....the guy who isn't passing the puck is the only one who can actually start passing the puck.

People don't pass the puck for a couple of reasons...

1. they honestly don't see you (the only way to resolve that is to start talking)

2. you're covered although you honestly don't realize it (how many times have we seen people call for a pass even tho' they are covered, again, the only way to get to this one is to start talking about it)

3. you suck so they hang onto the puck

4. you don't suck, but they think you do, so they hang onto the puck

5. they are an arrogant jerk on a dysfunctional line that doesn't communicate

Iron Maiden, reading between the lines, you probably have some "political undercurrents" on your team/line. The tactics might work as an "attention getter" but you still need to actually talk to the guy.

Either way, your choice is address it directly and resolve it or just suck it up for the rest of the season.

[gman 0]

3. you suck so they hang onto the puck

What is the text message code for "I just cracked my head on the floor because I fell out of my chair laughing so now I have to go to the hospital??? Reason #3 is the one I would guess for me not getting any passes.

IJCMHOTFBIFOOMCLSNIHTGTTH........

Great one hockeymom :D

[DamnLocust 0]

Boggles my mind that bitching and whining and tactics are the default strategies, rather than directly talking about the problem.

I'm often the one on the team who gets to hear the bitching and whining, and half the time I have to relay a message and basically go back and forth between the two knuckleheads who cant get their acts together. I've noticed that a lot of it has to do with pride and arrogance on both sides.

Nobody like to have their game criticized, especially when they know there are faults in it. Nothing stings quite as much as when somebody points out the hole in my game that I've so desperately been trying to hide (the fact that I have none)

There are some guys who I've pretty much given up on since they continually make the same mistakes and get angry with you when you bring them up to them. With people like this in the world, nobody wants to confront the issues. It's easier to bitch about it to others.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

The famous puck hog are most often the best players. Gretzky was chased out of his native town because of it.

Try to be better then him(the puckhog) and if you are better then him, you might able to complain. a great player doesn't see the play the same then an average player. A great player often holds the puck longer to slow down the play or to create more opportunities. An ordinary player will never be able to slow down the play.

And if you know he's gonna lose the puck sometimes, try to cover him instead of quitting on the play.

But I agree there are some players that are really not seeing the play properly...

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Not only the parents were jealous but the players on his team were mistreating him because they said he wasn't passing enough but in fact they were jealous. I red that on his biography last year. In minor hockey around here, it's always like that. Once, a young player starts to shine from the majority, parents and people around starts to be jealous and they start to qualified him as a puck hog. It is like that and I think it will never change.

Isn't normal that a better player have the puck more often and more longer then a bad player? I think so.

[top 0]

go offside.. give him him suicide passes put him thru hell and he's gonna learn

[CrazedHockeyDad 0]

The famous puck hog are most often the best players.

Players who handle the puck more will score more goals.

Players who always receive passes but don't return the favor will be the leading scorer on their line.

Players who never get passes will rarely score.

In light of these general realities, your position can be seen as a self-fulfilling self-justification: I score more, so I'm a better player. I'm a better player, so I'll keep the puck. My linemates don't score as much as I do so why pass to them? Oh look. I just scored. I'm a better player.....

The OP said this guy gets stripped at the blue line. I've seen this guy. My kid's played with him. He's SELFISH.

This is a team sport.

[LkptTiger 1]

The famous puck hog are most often the best players.

Not...true...at...all.

[The Iron Maiden 0]

Hi All,

Thank you all so much for your help. I really apprieciate your opinions. Just to add a little, this guy has been told before a few times by other teammates. Im not alone on this. He is lacking in abilities and hockey sense severely. I am the only female on the team so I am reluctant to speak my mind, I dont want to cause a gender rift. Ill try going offside on him. We have a practice Wednesday night and a game on Thursday night....Ill keep you all posted.

Thanks

Ivana

[hockeymom 2]

Iron Maiden, as the lone woman I can understand your reluctance to make waves... but don't let it stop you. If you don't speak up (yeah, being sensitive to the political realities) nothing can change. This guy sounds like he might be more ignorant (doesn't know) than selfish (doesn't care).

Going offside will certainly shake up the status quo and might create the opening to talk about how your line is working. It might explain a lot if he doesn't see the ice or his linemates.

Glad you're trying different stuff. My favourite definition of insanity is...

Insanity is doing the same thing over, and over, and over again... expecting a different result.

I'll be interested in hearing how this one evolves.

[Project824 0]

Iron Maiden, as the lone woman I can understand your reluctance to make waves... but don't let it stop you. If you don't speak up (yeah, being sensitive to the political realities) nothing can change. This guy sounds like he might be more ignorant (doesn't know) than selfish (doesn't care).

Going offside will certainly shake up the status quo and might create the opening to talk about how your line is working. It might explain a lot if he doesn't see the ice or his linemates.

Glad you're trying different stuff. My favourite definition of insanity is...

Insanity is doing the same thing over, and over, and over again... expecting a different result.

I'll be interested in hearing how this one evolves.

Going with the whole gender thing, couldn't that backfire pretty badly, "That chick has no idea what offsides is" type of deal. Now they'll hate him for not passing and you for not staying onsides.

[CrazedHockeyDad 0]

Going with the whole gender thing, couldn't that backfire pretty badly, "That chick has no idea what offsides is" type of deal. Now they'll hate him for not passing and you for not staying onsides.

Agreed. Be careful doing anything that can make you look bad...especially as the lone female....unless your numbers are way better than his. A lot of people don't see past the numbers.

How old are your players? There is another channel for kids......the parent-coach channel.

[top 0]

yes thats true alot of ppl dont see past the number they see the press and it says you have like 10 pts in 30 games and they thing you suck when your probably the best kid on the team just you set up everyone on plays like the quarter back everyone is credited for their performace cuz i would rather stop a goal then make one cuz the objective is not to get goals scored on you