How do I deal with a Puck Hog?

[LkptTiger 1]

Holy Run-On-Sentence, Batman!

[hockeymom 2]

Holy Run-On-Sentence, Batman!

English major? LOL

[gman 0]

Holy Run-On-Sentence, Batman!

English major? LOL

"I'd like to buy a period".

[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.

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.

Project, you make a good point, but from what Iron Maiden has posted thus far, I don't see the gender issue at play yet, other than, perhaps, in her (legitimate but not effective) concern about speaking up. If the guy was not passing only to her, yes... but it appears he is not passing to ANYONE.

As I see it, causing an offside is only effective as a short-term tactic to get attention to "this isn't working" and to create an opportunity for the line to start talking about what would work.

Beyond that, I think it is better than what IM has been doing - pulling up at the blue line and waiting for the "inevitable" turn-over. Arguably, at that point she isn't in the play and may be seen as a contributing factor. At least by blowing over the blueline it is obvious she was there, a possibility for a pass if open.

DamnLocust had excellent insight into the difficulty of speaking into other people's egos and issues in his earlier post. It is tricky, certainly sometimes amplified with the gender differences (men and women really do communicate differently). And certainly talk doesn't always work - but it is the best shot at causing change.

The first step in persuasion is to park your own opinion and judgments and learn to understand "what's up" for the other guy. Only when you understand what they think, what is important to them and where they are coming from - can you get them to listen to your p.o.v. - in large part because they have "told" you what you need to say in order to persuade them.

"seek first to understand and then be understood" is the communication rule to this.

I teach manipulation and persuasion (aka communication LOL) and this stuff really does work. Especially in difficult situations with egos or tempers stirred up.

[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.

Project, you make a good point, but from what Iron Maiden has posted thus far, I don't see the gender issue at play yet, other than, perhaps, in her (legitimate but not effective) concern about speaking up. If the guy was not passing only to her, yes... but it appears he is not passing to ANYONE.

As I see it, causing an offside is only effective as a short-term tactic to get attention to "this isn't working" and to create an opportunity for the line to start talking about what would work.

Beyond that, I think it is better than what IM has been doing - pulling up at the blue line and waiting for the "inevitable" turn-over. Arguably, at that point she isn't in the play and may be seen as a contributing factor. At least by blowing over the blueline it is obvious she was there, a possibility for a pass if open.

DamnLocust had excellent insight into the difficulty of speaking into other people's egos and issues in his earlier post. It is tricky, certainly sometimes amplified with the gender differences (men and women really do communicate differently). And certainly talk doesn't always work - but it is the best shot at causing change.

The first step in persuasion is to park your own opinion and judgments and learn to understand "what's up" for the other guy. Only when you understand what they think, what is important to them and where they are coming from - can you get them to listen to your p.o.v. - in large part because they have "told" you what you need to say in order to persuade them.

"seek first to understand and then be understood" is the communication rule to this.

I teach manipulation and persuasion (aka communication LOL) and this stuff really does work. Especially in difficult situations with egos or tempers stirred up.

Yea, that was just my point of view. I'm still a big fan of talking about it, even if it is just beer league. Who knows, you might find out he really does have no vision, or maybe you're just not as open as you think you are. We've all certainly played with those guys who get instant blinders once they touch the puck and they're off to the races. We've also played with those guys who yell and are "always open", when they're literally 2 zones ahead of you standing on the far blueline flatfooted with their stick in the air, meanwhile there are 5 opponents in between you. Being open is more than just being ahead of the puck carrier without a defender right on you. You have to create an angle to receive the pass unless your teammate is a magician with the puck. But then again maybe we're getting way too technical for beer league.

[DamnLocust 0]

after reading through some of the posts here, I'm thinking that this could be a whole lot simpler than most of us are making it.

I find that my line works best when we're communicating on the bench as the game is progressing, talking about the previous shift. When something works, we try to figure out WHY it worked, and try to replicate it. If something isn't working, we agree on a strategy to use our next time out.

Having these conversations on the bench will make it a whole lot easier to confront the teammate as well as give him an outlet to let you know what's going on. An easy way to go about it is to let him know where you will be when he's got the puck. "When you've got the puck on the right wing, I'll drive in the left and cut at the top of the circles, look for me", or something to that effect. Even better would be, "when you got into trouble on the left side, I was driving up the middle to the net" This shows him that you are trying to get open for him, and that you DO see that he's losing the puck, and maybe it's time he gave someone else a chance.

Hopefully this is as clear in writing as it is in my head. I was kinda rambling.

[hockeymom 2]

after reading through some of the posts here, I'm thinking that this could be a whole lot simpler than most of us are making it.

I find that my line works best when we're communicating on the bench as the game is progressing, talking about the previous shift. When something works, we try to figure out WHY it worked, and try to replicate it. If something isn't working, we agree on a strategy to use our next time out.

Having these conversations on the bench will make it a whole lot easier to confront the teammate as well as give him an outlet to let you know what's going on. An easy way to go about it is to let him know where you will be when he's got the puck. "When you've got the puck on the right wing, I'll drive in the left and cut at the top of the circles, look for me", or something to that effect. Even better would be, "when you got into trouble on the left side, I was driving up the middle to the net" This shows him that you are trying to get open for him, and that you DO see that he's losing the puck, and maybe it's time he gave someone else a chance.

Hopefully this is as clear in writing as it is in my head. I was kinda rambling.

I think that is pure gold DamnLocust! Great advise!

[DamnLocust 0]

I think that is pure gold DamnLocust! Great advise!

-pats self on the back

[fatwabbit 93]

there's a guy here who does the same thing during drop ins... loves to hotdog and stuff... I just make sure I bring one light and one dark jersey, and wear the opposite of what he wears...

if i'm unlucky enough to be on the same team, then I just stop calling for the puck... I'll just wait in our own end, and when he loses the puck and shouts about 'where's the support', I just reply that I thought he could do everything himself.

[CrazedHockeyDad 0]

Yea, that was just my point of view. I'm still a big fan of talking about it, even if it is just beer league. Who knows, you might find out he really does have no vision, or maybe you're just not as open as you think you are. We've all certainly played with those guys who get instant blinders once they touch the puck and they're off to the races. We've also played with those guys who yell and are "always open", when they're literally 2 zones ahead of you standing on the far blueline flatfooted with their stick in the air, meanwhile there are 5 opponents in between you.

LOL

As much as all the above is true, in a rush to try to find something positive to say about human nature let's not gloss over the fact that one of the possible scenarios is so common that it has a name for it:

PUCKHOG!

The fundamental problem with them is that they don't really appreciate the 'team' aspect of the game, and I mean 'appreciate' as in 'understand' as well as in 'like'. Their idea of a pretty goal is probably a solo effort, not the fruit of a stunning passing combo.

You are not too likely to see this kind of conceptual limitation at the higher levels of the game. It is as self-limiting for the hog as it is frustrating for those who have to play with him/her.

[hockeymom 2]

in a rush to try to find something positive to say about human nature let's not gloss over the fact that one of the possible scenarios is so common that it has a name for it:

PUCKHOG!

umm... you've read the thread and that's your take on it? It's a glossed over attempt to be positive or nice?

I thought it was how to get a puckhog to pass the puck...and keep team dynamics in place while doing it.

[CrazedHockeyDad 0]

in a rush to try to find something positive to say about human nature let's not gloss over the fact that one of the possible scenarios is so common that it has a name for it:

PUCKHOG!

umm... you've read the thread and that's your take on it? It's a glossed over attempt to be positive or nice?

I thought it was how to get a puckhog to pass the puck...and keep team dynamics in place while doing it.

My comment does not relate to the whole thread. In some posts I sense some effort to find possibly 'innocent' motives for the behavior. One poster went so far as to assert that puckhogs were usually the best players on the team. These could both be seen as constituting a range of apologist positions, all which I think are unproductive or worse.

I merely point out that selfish behavior is universal among the species and explains this type of play completely. Ockham's razor.

In this case, team dynamics probably do not need to be kept "in place". They're probably less than ideal given the original post. What is needed is a change, and the majority of the posts have been about ways to do that. What the right approach is depends on a the OP and her situation. I would suggest that if the OP's take on the situation is correct then that this points to a failure of the team management (if there is one). They have the power, and the reponsibility in this situation.

[Jim A 4]

how do the other 3 people work into the equation? typically the best thing to do with a puckhog is not giive him the puck til late in the situation..use the remaining 4 to move the puck around/up the rink/floor, heck use him as a decoy..

communication is helpful..then again it helps if you have a relationship with a guy...I can tell some guys "hey puckhog" on the bench and be joking but mean it and they get it ..but on a squad where I sub (such as Ogie's) I'll be vocal on the rink..but for the most part keep my comments to the team, and not to a individual