beer league heroes

[houk 0]

Last night I was playing on my weekly beer league team. Its a pretty good league, over 30. Lots of former OHL, University players. This is a non contact league but the team we played against was so "gooney". Slew footing people, sticking legs out for knee on knee contact. The atmosphere of the game was so chippy to the point it was dangerous. Couple of guys got into fights last night..all this for non contact rec league. The other team had a couple of guys who thought they were going to make the NHL even at age 35.

Anybody else have experience with teams like this? What to do?

[Remman 0]

These games happen in every beer league. IMO, not worth fighting. If I get taken down I get up and skate off. Fighting leads to ejection and a game or two suspension, and we pay good money to play so why waste it by trying to start a fight that gets broken up immediately. I won't back down from people but in beer league it's not worth the aggravation.

[sjsharks11 0]

These games happen in every beer league. IMO, not worth fighting. If I get taken down I get up and skate off. Fighting leads to ejection and a game or two suspension, and we pay good money to play so why waste it by trying to start a fight that gets broken up immediately. I won't back down from people but in beer league it's not worth the aggravation.

The refs in the beer league in my town enjoy watching the fights. hahaha

[Remman 0]

We have one ref who lets a lot go. He just lets us play and hit until something really gets out of hand. And most of the guys are old and out of shape, IMO, not worth my effort and bruising my hand over...

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

Guys seem to forget that most people have a job to go to the next morning. It's really not worth getting into the trouble.

[hunterphfr 12]

Buddy of mine sitting on his bench after being challenged by a guy on the other team that wasn't going to take no for an answer. As fights about to start....

one ref says to other ref "let em go this'll be good".

[DBLMINR 0]

i think the same "tough guys" play in these leagues all over the country.LOL

[Law Goalie 147]

The problem is created by those plaers and teams that will flout the rules right up to the borderline of being penalised. There are people who get their jollies hurting others in hockey. They *like* the idea that you're limping around the office the next day. Usually, ignoring them is best, but sometimes if they're real pricks they'll escalate just to see if they can get a reaction. At that point, the only thing you can do *on the ice* is hurt them so badly in return they will not or cannot continue.

Of course, you can also get them banned from the league.

[Doctor Hook 0]

If people take liberties on the ice, they should expect consequences. That's how I approach beer league. Play hard but with respect.

[booyaagrandma 4]

If people take liberties on the ice, they should expect consequences. That's how I approach beer league. Play hard but with respect.

I'll second that,its a game that everybody is supposed to be able to enjoy playing.Some people just have no idea of sportmanship and most likely conduct themselves the same way off the ice.Play hard, but play smart.Usually the goons play that way because they don't have skills to keep up ,so burn 'em and light the lamp and them enjoy a hearty celebration with your linemates right in their slot. :)

[ean 0]

I play beer league and I see this and I attribute it to a few things:

1. Guys who grew up playing but never made it to the "show" so instead act as if their local beer league is the eastern conference finals.

2. Guys who didn't grow up playing but saw Cam Neely on TV and decided to follow suit.

[hockeyplus 0]

Samething here!!! Few player look like Happy Gilmore on the ice!!! They hits and slash all night long!!

[dalebert 8]

There is a team in the local beer league over here that has a pretty solid following, they play pretty clean and have a good record I think they're in 2nd or 3rd. Another team decided to recruit half of the local colleges best players and within the first 5 minutes one of them had his helmet and gloves off looking for a fight. Made it kind of obvious why they were playing that game.

[srv2miker 0]

Some people are just assholes. Look around you - they're everywhere. Butting in line at the grocery store, cutting you off in traffic, trying to start fights in clubs. Why wouldn't you expect to find the same guys at the rink? That's my take on it.

[ean 0]

just got out of a beer league game.my 2nd game with this team which is in the lowest level league. The team we were playing had a reputation for just being a bunch of instigators always looking for trouble.

We ended up losing the game (only 7 skaters on our team) but the best part of the game was that one of their many little twirps was some 5 foot 5 dude who would love to play the man if you would dump it in on him while he was playing D. Mind you this is non check beer league and meanwhile he's throwing hip checks.

Last 4 mins of the game a guy on our team is on his own on a 1 on 3 (hey we were tired), so as usual the little twirp tries to "stand up" our boy and prevent him from getting down ice. Well my teammate whose about a foot taller than the little guy skates through him and his gloves/stick hit the little guy in the face. The ref calls my teammate for a penalty and the little guy is on the ice freaking out while "checking for blood". It was hilarious.

[hockeyherb 1]

This topic is pretty much the premise of this documentary...

Hockey Night in Texas

[Taoism 0]

Playing around Boston I had the displeasure of playing against a ton of people who were like that. Always throwing cheapshots, trying to get a someone to fight them.

Had a few threaten to beat me up in the parking lot when I refused to fight on the ice. They generally had a lot less balls without the pads and the advantage of better balance/skating. Always very apologetic when they realized they were about to get pummeled for running their mouth.

[thegongshow13 0]

I had a game tonight and our goalie didn't show up. Now most of the other team was cool and knew they were going to win anyway so they would just dump the puck into the corner (they were already up by like 5 goals). But one guy had no clue what sportsmanship was, he was shooting at the net whenever he crossed the blue line and he didn't even keep the puck low, was shooting it high everytime even though we had someone in front of the net trying to protect it, just a douchebag. Not to mention he tried to start like 3 fights throughout the night. Just the best kind of hero.

[JR97 2]

But one guy had no clue what sportsmanship was, he was shooting at the net whenever he crossed the blue line and he didn't even keep the puck low, was shooting it high everytime even though we had someone in front of the net trying to protect it, just a douchebag.

omg. One season we were lucky if our goalie showed up no later than 10 min. late. So we went with the extra "attacker" quite a bit. Last man back would mind the net. Most teams were cool enough not to shoot high, but because we were one of the top teams, most teams wouldn't hesitate to try and get some goals on us before our goalie would show up.

But there was one team that was ripping slapshots at me head high. During one of the stoppages we were asking wtf and they just got tough about it. Despite all of that crap, they only scored 2 or 3 goals on me and we scored 15. I filled up the stat sheet nicely with 3 g 5 a and probably 8 saves. :) The worst was a glove save. Damn that hurt.

On the flip side we refused to shoot on net if the other team's goalie was late. If they went without a goalie the whole game we'd score enough to win but that's it. We had one guy that didn't care and he'd shoot ever damn time so we'd do our best to keep the puck away from him. He'd usually tell us to f off when we told him to knock it off. But this guy was also that kind of hero where if he saw that you were open, he'd skate up right to you and shoot. "hey, JR97's open.. that must be a better place to be."

[mrusse01 0]

On the flip side we refused to shoot on net if the other team's goalie was late.

Bravo, that is a class move. Used to happen to a team of mine quite frequently in roller hockey because the games were pretty early so a lot of guys use to have to rush from work...I couldn't stand the pricks that would try and score from their own end on the EN.

[Chadd 916]

On the flip side we refused to shoot on net if the other team's goalie was late.

Bravo, that is a class move. Used to happen to a team of mine quite frequently in roller hockey because the games were pretty early so a lot of guys use to have to rush from work...I couldn't stand the pricks that would try and score from their own end on the EN.

If the other team doesn't have a goalie or he's late, I've always believed in putting a couple on the board. Not running up the score to pad stats but a few to ensure that nothing crazy happens late. Those long shots never seem to work, the best way to play is pretty much straight up and taking shots from good positions.

[Jarick 5]

I think, from the perspective of a lower level player, that guys will see what happens on TV and mimic it.

For example, last night we had a player drive to the net, goalie made a save, another guy gave him a cross check to the back, and there was a scrum. Because of the league, the officials handed out penalties and got in right away and handled it well. But in retrospect, it would have made no sense...it's a rec league.

The day before, we played an exhibition game (with ref), and the team was laying slashes and cross checks left and right, ref made I think one call the whole night. Very different, and again, no real reason to cross check someone in a non-league game.

[Doctor Hook 0]

Playing around Boston I had the displeasure of playing against a ton of people who were like that. Always throwing cheapshots, trying to get a someone to fight them.

Had a few threaten to beat me up in the parking lot when I refused to fight on the ice. They generally had a lot less balls without the pads and the advantage of better balance/skating. Always very apologetic when they realized they were about to get pummeled for running their mouth.

What area/level in Boston? I played in Walpole/Foxboro D level and found it way chippier than my Boston area league. I miss it.

[Grave77Digger 1]

I scored 5 goals in one of my games this season and was harrased all night with "novice league superstar" . I cant help it the goalie sucked that night. There are idiots in every league though. The one team we play often is to good for our level of play. Once they get up on the scoreboard they start body checking and cross checking. Its pathetic really.

[KingPest19 0]

If people take liberties on the ice, they should expect consequences. That's how I approach beer league. Play hard but with respect.

What gets me is when these guys play cheap and dirty and then have the balls to whine about when it happens to them.

Had a game one night where this guy just wasnt afraid to put the lumber around the ankles. Im coming down the wing and got him a step on him , his d partner comes over and makes a good play next thing I know Ive taken one across the ankles from behind and am falling down. Get up give the guy a little tap letting him know. Next time Im coming down the ice it happens again. From my stomach he got a two hander flush on his ankle. Did that set him off. What the fuck am I doing ? its beer league etc etc etc. Looked at him and told him live by the sword die by the sword. You dont want it to happen to you dont do it. And a few choice other words involving the womens bathroom. Needless to say the slashing stopped.

Next period starts. Puck coming up the boards to his side of point. We're basically in a race for the puck except hes got the look in his eye that hes not going to stop. Well at the last second I touch the puck jam on the brakes pull the arm back in and tuck the shoulder. He didnt have too much to say from his position on the ice. After that the guy pretty much chilled out.