stick n puck etiquette

[spartansniper 0]

Today i was at a stick and puck with a friend and we were challenged to a 2-2 game of posts. The other two guys were in full gear and my friend and i were in shorts and a t-shirt. These guys were crazy, taking slapshots in front of us, one of which hit my foot and another leaving a nice welt on my friends thigh. Not to mention the full contact hitting. Now i have no problem with the physical aspects of hockey, but am i crazy to think that its common courtesy to tone down the game if ur opponents are "vulnerable" Just wondering all u guys' input on the code of etiquette at stick and puck.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I've always been half-assed whenever I play shinny and I feel everyone else should kind've too especially with guys in your scenario. However I see it more times than not they'll be at least half the guys out there with something to prove. What they want to prove....I just don't know.

Isn't it mandatory to wear equipment there?

[spartansniper 0]

All we need are gloves and helmets

[QandA 0]

Just don't play?

[mack 44]

Tackle one and speedbag him. "Don't take no shit from nobody, Spider."

[biff44 0]

Last time I was playing shinny without leg pads I earned a quick trip to the hospital for stiches. I don't do that anymore. In the heat of the game, it is just too easy for someone to forget and whale away at you. Without pads, it really hurts! Wear the pads.

[LkptTiger 1]

Call me an asshole if you want, but I usually play pretty hard when I am at open hockey. I just don't think I can improve at all if I am going at the game "half-assed." I mean, that is why we go to open hockey, isn't it? To improve?

[Chadd 916]

Stick and puck is a bit different from open hockey.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

I mean, that is why we go to open hockey, isn't it?  To improve?

That's why I hate going to open hockey.

Too many people taking it WAYYYYYYYYYYYY too seriously.

[Chadd 916]

Hitting has always been a big no-no at open hockey no matter what.

[Eazy_b97 1]

What's the difference? Both of these terms are unfamiliar to me

We play Shinny and Pond Hockey......

Pond hockey is no equipment, on outdoor ice where you basically go with friends and play amongst yourself or vs. other people with no equipment, that can get kind've competitive, but rarely does

Shinny is usually all ages and no limit in skill so there's kids from 12 to Ex or current OHLers.

I give'er half ass because that is not my time to improve. Against the competition its just basic skills which I can work on outside of the rink. With such wide gaps in skill level I feel like a jerk going end to end every shift, if I give hard passes kids aren't able to handle it. Occassionally me or a buddy will put forth a few hard shifts to make a hotshot look stupid.

Is it different than this in the states?

[LkptTiger 1]

I mean, that is why we go to open hockey, isn't it?  To improve?

That's why I hate going to open hockey.

Too many people taking it WAYYYYYYYYYYYY too seriously.

I'm sorry, but I have always been taught that you play like you practice. Now, I don't get on the ice looking to put anybody through the boards; hell, I do my best to avoid contact with anybody carrying the puck. But, once I get the puck, I try to flip myself into "game mode." I skate as hard as I can, throw down the best moves I can, make passes as crisp as I can and shoot as hard and as accurate as I can. If I find myself in a situation where, in a game I would shoot, I shoot. I try to turn everything into a learning experience.

I don't think of myself as any better or any more important than anybody else on the ice. I don't think of anybody else on the ice as "the enemy" as I would in a game. I don't go out with intentions of showing anybody up. I just go out and play the game. That's how I have fun.

[Eazy_b97 1]

That's cool, some people are just more competitive than others. It's the guys who intentionally hot dog or go for the kill on the little kids that bother me. Is all "open hockey" contact? I've never played contact shinny.

[mack 44]

Yeah but that's a rule for practise with a team or on your own; not one that holds up for a pick-up game.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

My definition of open hockey is pick-up.

[kosydar 0]

At stick time I just mess around, definitely not trying that hard. No hitting, usually wear no gear. During drop in/open hockey, I'll try a little harder, but I still won't go balls out. I'll wear all my gear, minus shoulder pads. I won't do any hitting unless its with my friends and we're just messing around.

[LkptTiger 1]

Is all "open hockey" contact? I've never played contact shinny.

Nope. I would imagine the insurance for the rink would go through the roof. Every-so-often you find one where the older guys take it upon themselves to make it a "full-check" thing, so all of the guys who don't like that kind of thing will go over to one of the other rinks. But, for the most part, open hockey is non-check. The guys are usually pretty good about it, but every-so-often you will find some prick who decides that he wants to show he's a tough guy. They usually get bitched out and occasionally get whacked pretty good a few times.

[Shorthanded67 0]

I don't get to play drop-in/pick-up hockey as much as I'd like. My whole theory in playing these is to have fun. Granted hockey is hockey and I'll always wear the equipment, but I hate when I see someone take a high-stick or puck in the face or any injury during these sessions.

In my experience, you see all kinds.....the hotshot kid trying the Michigan move every 10 minutes...... the cherry-picker looking for a breakway every 10 seconds....... the old guys trying to put the young kids through the boards for trying the Michigan move and cherry-picking........ the ankle-bending beginner who just stands there and gets discouraged from playing because he never touches the puck.

When I play I try to work on passing and seeing the game better and just adapting to the other different players who you don't play with on a regular basis. If I get a breakaway, I might try something goofy but it's with no intent to embarrass anyone and usually it gets everyone laughing anyway. I won't take a slapper unless it's just myself and the goalie. But the coolest thing to do is to dish the puck to one of those aforementioned "ankle-bending beginners" and let them tip the puck in for a goal or take a shot or whatever. They love it and it's pretty self-gratifying for me too. Plus they tend to try to pick your brain on the bench and I'm all for passing my bad hockey advice on to newbies. :D

[Speed Demon 0]

We have an out door rink in my town that all the guys go to and we only wear skates, gloves and stick. We use a tennis ball because of course it is soft and won't hurt (just as long as it isn't frozen) and the goalies never have enough equipment.

[mack 44]

Back in AK every school around had an outdoor rink and were usually taken up by beer leaguers because you couldn't drink (and check/slash/puff the cheeba) at the metro rinks. These guys all think they're friggin' Gordie Howe and Esposito, even more so after a few flaming Jacks are running in their veins. These are the guys that welcome the contact, the slappers with total disregard of the fact you don't have pads, the constant chirping and the small fights here and there.

I dunno where I'm going with this, it's early and I haven't finished my Fuze, but my point is if you have open rinks like that, those are the ones to hunt down "aggressive" pick-up.

[GekigangarIII 0]

I think the entire point is moot here... The guys came to *stick & puck* not Drop-in. Stick and puck is just skating and shooting, no practice. Drop-in is for playing a pick up game.

Next time they ask you to play a pickup game in S&P tell them to go to a drop-in session.

Stick and puck is there so you can work on your individual skills without a game situation (ie, real improvement).

[mack 44]

God, I'm glad I lived where rinks weren't a problem and there wasn't such a hassle about assigned types of play.

[roadrunner 12]

I usually take it easy at open hockey, but there's always the one ass that thinks he can be huge and hit, shoot hard, and celebrate like he won the cup, that's when I play hard, limiting him to what he does.

It works well.

[Chadd 916]

One rink around here just started having "stick time" the rest only have open hockey, so not too many chances for misunderstanding around here.

There's one guy that plays open hockey on Friday nights down the street that thinks it's ok for him to play dirty but you can't touch him. The funny thing is, he manages to get hit in the face every week. Karma is a wonderful thing.

[mack 44]

I go for my own karma just to make sure I'm there when it happens. This one schmuck was swinging his stick like he was one of the musketeers and just always getting people's shins and/or tripping them. Finally had a 3-1 against him and he goes to block the posts like he's Roy. I trail and when the puck gets to me I just ripped a wrister that took out his shin. That's what you get when you can't control a stick, wear a bike helmet and have spandex leggings in my 'hood. Plus the old man's name was Skippy so he deserved it on basic principle.