Didn't enjoy my first season of organized hockey

[Chanimal 0]

I think there are two scenarios where you can have a good time playing adult hockey, and I am experiencing both of them at the same time:

1. You are on a good team and win a fair share of the games - I am only a beginner/intermediate player, i.e., decent on the skates, hands of stones. But I chose to join the work team and looked at it as a good way to get to know the people I work with. Turns out they are all decent players. Believe me, when you are winning, you have fun, and even though I can probably say I am the worst on the team, I am enjoying myself. I bust my hump on the PK, and go into the corner when I can, and yeah, they may not pass to me as much, but I never saw myself as the Richard trophy winner. We have a good record, and everyone is happy even though you did not "choose" to be on the same team. The only downside is when refs choose not to make calls because they say you are better skaters then your opposition and you should be able to play with another guy waterskiing off you.....

2. You are there for the company, and couldn't care less about the score - My spring team is a bunch of guys I grew up with. 90% of them don't skate the other 9 months out of the year. We are in the bottom division, and content with it. By the time the season goes to playoff, we'd start getting our legs under us. The best part of this team is the beer afterwards upstairs. It's nice when the waitress reserves the patio for you proactively. Yes, she looks up our schedule and reserve us the patio each game. So what we lose more than we win? But nothing is perfect, what I find in the lower division games is that there are more cheap shots. The puck would have left my stick and gone down the ice, and some dickhead would still come bump you and rub you out, as he is "finishing the play".

Try Coast Hockey in Richmond if you want a change of scenary. I played at 8-rinks with ASHL a couple of years and unless you have a team of friends and associates, there are just too many dinks and delusional guys still thinking the stands are full of scouts, waiting to sign them to that $$$.

[rubberduckie 0]

Sadly there is idiots at all levels of hockey. The key is just getting on a good team. My beer league team is first off a good bunch of guys. Luckily, we win more then we lose, which always helps, but it is the after game drinks that just compliment the hockey being played. We have 'beer cards' that help raise a team fund, and we are sponsored by a local pub, which is like a home away from home now (can't say enough good things about our sponsor). We go there after almost every game.

We ask two questions when we look for new players

1) what level of hockey did you play?

2) do you like to drink beer?

[gxc999 7]

The people that play (I think in any game) and are real a-holes usually fall into one of two categories. 1) Massive failure in life or 2) Dude who couldn't hack it in the lowest level of minors and has something to prove and will until the day he dies. Some leagues are legitimately cool, except for one or two dirty players but that apparently is something that cannot be avoided.

As for lawyers being a-holes, it's not any more so than regular people, lawyers just have more practice. Theft of Services, I had to laugh at that one. If the idiot actually bothers you with a lawsuit, remind him of bar association complaints.

[Lostkoz 0]

Lostkoz: How many teams in the league?

There are 16 teams with each team having 11-14 skaters. Usually not everyone shows up so we end up on average with about 9 or 10 people plus a goalie. Everyone gets plenty of ice time. We play 12 games a season for about $130. It is a fun league to play in.

[number21 3]

i guess i kind of lucked out. I have gone blind into two teams and been happy with both of them. I just started playing two years ago at 26, the first team i lucked into was at the lowest level, but was still pretty competitive. A lot of the experienced guys really helped me with my game giving me pointers and advice about the little ins and outs of the game. The downside of that team was the C was ripping us off overcharging us per player. (you could argue supply/demand - but it was just him pocketing some extra cash)

the second team was a USA hockey run league with an evaluation skate and draft. But i was happy with the team i ended up on, but didn't like the the league consisted of 4 teams.

things have gotten chipy at time in both leagues but most of the guys leave it on the ice. Sure there a asses scattered through out, but in my limited experience in Chicago, it's been nothing like what was described in the first post.

[CannonBall 0]

My first season of beer league ice hockey is almost over and I joined the team with one really good friend and another guy that helped me out a lot and stills helps me.

It has been probably the most enjoyable experience I've had in awhile and even better that we're doing well as a team. Every game is entertaining if we win or lose. It's also a non checking league.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Be careful when starting a team with friends that you haven't actually played with. I've seen it work out great, but I've also seen friendships strained when one guy calls his friend out for, say, staying on the ice too long, refusing to pass, or any number of other things. Are you going to throw your buddy off the team because he isn't good enough to play on your team, or because he is a jackass on or off the ice ? Will he expect you to quit the team if he gets thrown off ?

[Chadd 916]

Be careful when starting a team with friends that you haven't actually played with. I've seen it work out great, but I've also seen friendships strained when one guy calls his friend out for, say, staying on the ice too long, refusing to pass, or any number of other things. Are you going to throw your buddy off the team because he isn't good enough to play on your team, or because he is a jackass on or off the ice ? Will he expect you to quit the team if he gets thrown off ?

The solution there is not having a friend who is an asshole. ;)

[NuggyBuggy 0]

The solution there is not having a friend who is an asshole. ;)

Ah, if only life were so easy. I've known guys who were the meekest guys off the ice, and as soon as they hit the ice they're the first to drop gloves for the slightest perceived infraction. I have friends who would give you the shirt off their back but not the courtesy of a less-than-5-minute shift. I know guys who are quiet as a mouse outside the rink, very mild-mannered, and as soon as they're on the bench they're talking smack to everyone in earshot, on both teams. There seems to be something about suiting up that makes some people do a complete Jekyll and Hyde.

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

Be careful when starting a team with friends that you haven't actually played with. I've seen it work out great, but I've also seen friendships strained when one guy calls his friend out for, say, staying on the ice too long, refusing to pass, or any number of other things. Are you going to throw your buddy off the team because he isn't good enough to play on your team, or because he is a jackass on or off the ice ? Will he expect you to quit the team if he gets thrown off ?

The solution there is not having a friend who is an asshole. ;)

Yeah, the point of playing with a friend or friends is to have a good time. Even if your friend is on the ice too long, or makes a mistake, you don't "call them out"...You make fun of him for it and everyone laughs and forgets about it.

[ktang 34]

Be careful when starting a team with friends that you haven't actually played with. I've seen it work out great, but I've also seen friendships strained when one guy calls his friend out for, say, staying on the ice too long, refusing to pass, or any number of other things. Are you going to throw your buddy off the team because he isn't good enough to play on your team, or because he is a jackass on or off the ice ? Will he expect you to quit the team if he gets thrown off ?

The solution there is not having a friend who is an asshole. ;)

Yeah, the point of playing with a friend or friends is to have a good time. Even if your friend is on the ice too long, or makes a mistake, you don't "call them out"...You make fun of him for it and everyone laughs and forgets about it.

There is a competitive gap between pickup / shinny and a team that plays in a league. Things that might be OK for pickup / shinny, like not backchecking, getting beat, playing positionally unsound, not keeping up with the play, missing a pass or shot, etc. would get called out on a competitive team.

To the OP: give it another try, but with a different league and team. I played Coast (Richmond) and ASHL (Burnaby), and if there are good refs the cheap shotting is dealt with. But, that's a big IF, because (i) it's hard to get refs who will take the abuse, and (ii) Coast doesn't use certified refs.

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

There is a competitive gap between pickup / shinny and a team that plays in a league. Things that might be OK for pickup / shinny, like not backchecking, getting beat, playing positionally unsound, not keeping up with the play, missing a pass or shot, etc. would get called out on a competitive team.

Things are definitely different when you are on a competitive team, but there are still ways of going about addressing issues without direct confrontation. Instead of saying, "Ktang what the fuck were you doing on that goal? You were just coasting back into the zone as we got scored on!", you just say "come on guys, we need to get back and help out the d or else we're gonna let up goals all night long." :D

[Jarick 5]

All that encouragement crap goes out the window when you've got the one guy who keeps jumping the boards to give you too many men and/or gets his fifth offsides of the night!

I'm usually the guy who sits next to him on the bench and tried to help pick up the pieces of his shattered confidence :lol:

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Instead of saying, "Ktang what the fuck were you doing on that goal? You were just coasting back into the zone as we got scored on!", you just say "come on guys, we need to get back and help out the d or else we're gonna let up goals all night long." :D

Sounds great in theory, but doesn't always work in the real world, especially with stubborn and prideful adults. I played on a team once where almost everyone preached the wisdom of short shifts, until it was their turn to coast up and down for 5 minutes. What do you do after your umpteenth plea for backchecking help/defensive play/short shifts falls on deaf ears ? For some people the answer is either get tired of asking and stew on the bench about it, or say something in a more assertive voice and watch all hell break loose with wounded egos.

[stick9 891]

I've experienced pretty much the same thing in a few leagues here in MA. The things you described are one of the reason why I don't do adult leagues anymore. The other being the cost. I'd rather play pick up with a good group of guys and enjoy my ice time. Too many meat heads take those leagues way too seriously.

I had a guy level me with an open ice hit (great hit if it were a check league) because he wasn't able to get away from me in the corners. When I said something to him "nice check" he said...and this still makes me laugh "this is a mans game". Yeah no **** sherlock, and it's also a no check league you moron.

[Law Goalie 147]

Lawyers are a pain in the ass to deal with as hockey players. I actually had one douchebag call the police after I threw him out of a game. The charge? Theft of services. That guy is still suspended and that happened years ago. It's also not the only case of that type of behavior at our rink.

I only said lawyers were fun to play *with*. :)

I'm also rather spoiled by my particular group - there at some real dickheads in the legal fraternity. At one tournament in Kingston, our designated Peca-impersonator had done an especially good job of shadowing a guy; by the end of the game, they'd been in several dust-ups, and were generally animated. So in the post-game handshake line, our guy murmurs something about chilling out, and his mark blew a fuse. They dragged their guy off the ice as he screamed abuse, culminating in what has become a running joke in the school:

"You just cost yourself a fucking job!"

[rinkrat94 1]

I have been playing in beer leagues for a while know and my experience has been good for the most part. You are going to have morons in any league you play in but if the rink runs a good league and has good refs it is not really not an issue. Try a different rink or league but don't let the morons take away your love of hockey.

[big_bt 0]

There's always dirty bums that still think they're going to make it to the show. I've been beat up to crap more in beer leagues than minor contact hockey. But change leagues if you feel necessary.

Don't let this ruin your love of the game.

[ktang 34]

There is a competitive gap between pickup / shinny and a team that plays in a league. Things that might be OK for pickup / shinny, like not backchecking, getting beat, playing positionally unsound, not keeping up with the play, missing a pass or shot, etc. would get called out on a competitive team.

Things are definitely different when you are on a competitive team, but there are still ways of going about addressing issues without direct confrontation. Instead of saying, "Ktang what the fuck were you doing on that goal? You were just coasting back into the zone as we got scored on!", you just say "come on guys, we need to get back and help out the d or else we're gonna let up goals all night long." :D

I think a lot of the communications style depends on the player's skills growing up, and his/her coaching.

If the player was always a weaker player growing up, and had coaches that always said things like "who's watching the slot... who's watching the slot... WHO'S WATCHING THE SLOT!!!" etc. then, when s/he grows up and ends up on the OP's low-level / beginner beer-league team, s/he dish it back out. Also when s/he takes up coaching kids. And, the cycle continues...

[guasto74 0]

I'll never understand the dichotomy of an adult rec hockey player. The ones who do everything they can to pretend their a pro, e.g., take cheapshots, yell at the ref, crosscheck forwards who are in front of the net, get into fights, and yell at everybody on the bench as they come off all winded from their shift as if they have the same knowledge as Scotty Bowman and generally act like a complete tool. They try and mimic as best they can what they see on t.v. EXCEPT when it comes to how long their shifts are. They see no problem taking 3-5 minutes out there and coming to the bench panting like a dog stuck in a car with the windows up in the middle of summer. They expect that they can do this playing once or twice a week and still have endurance to keep up as the game goes on. When even the pros they try to emulate who are in supreme condition, are only effective if they take one to one and a half minute shifts.

Now I understand that ice time is precious and everyone wants to have their fun so I can even tolerate 2 to maybe 2 and a half minutes here and there but there are plenty of guys that just never come off.

I'm not saying I'm perfect b/c there are times when I make take a little longer out there but I would much rather be able to play both ends of the ice for the duration of the game and be able to support the puck and generally look like a hockey player out there rather than staying out an extra two minutes hoping the puck magically gets on my stick. If more rec players could get this idea wrapped around their head than the hockey would be so much better.

Sorry for the rant.

[chk hrd 164]

I've found that the guys who take the longest shifts don't realize how long they are actually out there because they do very little skating. It's easy to take a 3-5 minute shift when you barely move. If I'm out there longer than 1 1/2 minutes it's usually because I'm stuck and can't get off.

[ag12 0]

I've experienced pretty much the same thing in a few leagues here in MA. The things you described are one of the reason why I don't do adult leagues anymore. The other being the cost. I'd rather play pick up with a good group of guys and enjoy my ice time. Too many meat heads take those leagues way too seriously.

I had a guy level me with an open ice hit (great hit if it were a check league) because he wasn't able to get away from me in the corners. When I said something to him "nice check" he said...and this still makes me laugh "this is a mans game". Yeah no **** sherlock, and it's also a no check league you moron.

Was that in the NESHL?

[CannonBall 0]

I don't mind if someone takes a long shift when they're busting their ass and skating hard the whole time. It's the guy that skates for 30 skates then spends 2 to 3 minutes floating around gasping for air that bugs me.

[JR97 2]

It's funny... you take shorter shifts, you can actually end up with more ice time and better quality shifts. But that is lost on most people. Even in the NHL coaches have to preach it. It's just too easy to stay out there if you're not completely exhausted because the concept of time goes out the window.

Last week I was at a pretty skilled drop in. It was the first time this group got together and the pace was sick. But people were taking short shifts and the whole night people were commenting on how much fun we were having and how fast the shifts were going. Unlike a lot of drop ins, the pace didnt' die down. I thought I was going to die. :) The next night at my regular drop in it was back to 3-5 min. shifts and getting cold on the bench. :(

[chippa13 1844]

I've experienced pretty much the same thing in a few leagues here in MA. The things you described are one of the reason why I don't do adult leagues anymore. The other being the cost. I'd rather play pick up with a good group of guys and enjoy my ice time. Too many meat heads take those leagues way too seriously.

I had a guy level me with an open ice hit (great hit if it were a check league) because he wasn't able to get away from me in the corners. When I said something to him "nice check" he said...and this still makes me laugh "this is a mans game". Yeah no **** sherlock, and it's also a no check league you moron.

Was that in the NESHL?

The New England Shit Hockey League. I was in that for 1 terribly run season back when they first bought out the league my team had been in. One and done, that league was awful.