Hockey's Simple Pleasures

[legiahockey 3]

comming to a new higher level team. starting out last line. and then by the start of the season being first line.

[jeffw 1]

-Letting yourself into the rink.

-Being on the pond alone.

-Being on the pond with your 10 best friends.

-The beginning of a new season.

-Coaching learn-to-play hockey.

-Free tape.

-Signing an autograph.

I can't argue with any of that. I have the key and alarm code. B) Cant say that I've signed an autograph, tho.

[maxamillion 3]

-that one time when that sick move you've been trying out works

-scoring the gwg in the only win of the season for your beer league team

-connecting tape-to-tape with someone who can actually receive the pass and pocket it.

-helping guys out on the bench

[turc91 0]

Being denied all game finally scoring a garbage goal. dosen't seem pretty but fells the best

[mnpucker 33]

The sound of a puck gliding across a freshly frozen lake or pond, you know the puck is probably gone forever but that sound makes you fire another one just to hear it again.

The sound of a lake making ice, if you have not heard this you are missing out. It has the ability to send chills up your spine similar to the howl of wolves.

The muffled sound of blades cutting ice on a frozen pond after a fresh layer of snow.

The sound a puck makes off the fence net at the neighbor hood outdoor rink.

The sound of the gate latch clanking as you take the ice for your first shift.

Inhaling crisp 10 degree air as you strap your skates on.

A shovel scraping an outdoor rink.

This actually happened to my boys and I, if you are from Minnesota it would probably have more meaning. I took my boys (6 yrs and 8 yrs) down to a small back bay on a nearby lake, the lake was frozen but no snow.....one sheet of ice. We skated around the lake passing, stick handling. We got back to the bay and sat on a downed tree to take a rest. As we sat there I noticed an elderly man approaching us through the cat tail trail from the road.

He appeared to be in his 80's, the first thing he said, "you boys like hockey?" I assumed he was talking to my boys but he was probably talking to me as well based on his age. My boys answered yes. Both of them were wearing Univ. of Minnesota Jerseys, he asked if they liked the Gophers. They did, obviously. He said my brother played for the gophers. Now I was beginning to realize this guy looked familiar. His brother was Minnesota's version of Wayne Gretzky, John Mayasch.

It was kind of a surreal moment. He began sharing stories with us about their childhood, 11 kids and only one pair of skates, he laughed and said, "we picked the right brother"......They played boot hockey with frozen cow pies because they could not afford pucks, amazing stories. I sat there in my flex lite 12's, easton stick, the boys in some high tech gear too, I was almost embarrassed. I realized then and many times since it all boils down to the game and the passion we have for it.

It was a great visit, he asked for our phone number and asked where we lived because he lived nearby as well. A week or so went by and a couple of autographed photos showed up for my boys. Every now and then he stops by to say hi we have a new friend.

Hockey has the ability to bring people together more than any other activity I know of, THAT is hockey's simplest pleasure.

[roller to ice 0]

Being the worst guy on the ice, but having the other guys alot better than you realize the love for the game you have so they set you up perfectly to put one in.

And mnpucker thats the best story ive read on this thread.

[dalebert 8]

That's a really cool story mnpucker and just to add to what I stated earlier I kind of have a story.

I had a father and son come in for skates and the kid was still have dressed from the clinic he just came from. He was very tiny maybe around 5-6 years old. His socks were the colors of the local travel team that plays at the same rink my college team plays at. So as I was fitting him for his skates [very cooperative and the father listened to what I was saying too! :P ] he started telling me all about the stickhandling clinic he was just at and the moves he learned. Then he began telling me about how he wants to make the local travel organization and eventually become an NHL player. So then he asked about my college team and what position I play and so on. As we took the skates off to get them sharpened his father said he needed new socks so I pulled out all the small socks [we have alot of old ones like whalers, old calgary, old kings etc.] to my suprise the little guy started pulling them out and naming all the teams. When I asked him how he knew his father stopped me and told me about his obsession with the sport and its history. As they left I thought to myself wow this kid knows his stuff but I also thought about the impact that little conversation could have had on this kid. It made me think about all the young players that come in and how much I really enjoy my job.

I don't know it might be more of an acquired pleasure but it makes sense to me. :lol:

[sitzlejd 0]

Those stories are what makes our game so great...if you don't play you just don't get it.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

-Being able to share my love of the game with my two sons

-Helping coach their house league Mite, Squirt, and Pee Wee teams

-Watching the kids' hard work pay off with self-confidence

[automorph 0]

seeing people with that extra "talent" always make me smile...........lately playing pickup with some ex-junior and ohl players..........phenomenal players and to think they never made it

[adam14 182]

seeing guys that never think they are too good for shinny. yesterday we went to a local rink which was opened. and it was just the two of us. i called a couple more friends and soon guys started piling in. so here we were in our skates gloves and helmets playing 4-4 with two goalies and 2 lines per team every single one of us was wearing a different jersey and guys of all skill level showed up. I was on the same team as a couple players who play Junior Elite (OHL Equivalent) and have played in 6 games with Lausanne's pro team. they probably had as much fun as we did and i thought it was great that there were 4 or five players on the ice with us, that will be playing pro hockey in switzerland in the next year or two, and just playing shinny, having a blast with everybody else. wish i could see more of that.

[chippa13 1844]

The next time doc allows me to take the ice.

[mnpucker 33]

I think we have determined that hockey has thousands of simple pleasures, we all have our own reasons to love the game. Today I experienced a bit of a downer. I took my youngest boy out to the public outdoor rink near my house (one of about 12 within 5 miles - sorry to all of you who do not have that luxury) we met up with a couple friends. The boys are 9. The boys got their gear on prior to us dads and went out to join an ongoing game. The kids playing were approximately 15 yrs old. When the dads finally got out there our boys informed us that the kids would not let them play.......Shinny is for everyone, sounds like everyone here understands that. Don't forget to look after the young guys when you are out on the ice.

Eventually the boys got out there and the older guys figured out that they should have let them in to begin with. Primarily because the dads and 9 yr olds took it to the 15 year olds. Good old fashioned arse whoopin.

Come to think of it maybe that is one of hockey's little pleasures, There is always a bigger, better, badder dog around every corner.

Oh a couple more little pleasures, knowing that you play a game that everyone respects, except Tiger Woods (but really who gives a crap)

Knowing that you have an ability that nearly every other athlete wishes they had, skating.

Youth Hockey out of town tourneys! Two reasons - Kids get to hang together for a weekend and the Hmilfs hang out by the pool!

[CTK30 0]

I love the feeling of a full speed head on collision

I don't know why

[RadioGaGa 162]

First skate with a new piece of gear.

[starsfan71 9]

First skate with a new piece of gear.

AMEN

I can't wait to get my se16 purely for that feeling. :lol:

[Steve_v3 275]

I had a father and son come in for skates and the kid was still have dressed from the clinic he just came from. He was very tiny maybe around 5-6 years old. His socks were the colors of the local travel team that plays at the same rink my college team plays at. So as I was fitting him for his skates [very cooperative and the father listened to what I was saying too! :P ] he started telling me all about the stickhandling clinic he was just at and the moves he learned. Then he began telling me about how he wants to make the local travel organization and eventually become an NHL player. So then he asked about my college team and what position I play and so on. As we took the skates off to get them sharpened his father said he needed new socks so I pulled out all the small socks [we have alot of old ones like whalers, old calgary, old kings etc.] to my suprise the little guy started pulling them out and naming all the teams. When I asked him how he knew his father stopped me and told me about his obsession with the sport and its history. As they left I thought to myself wow this kid knows his stuff but I also thought about the impact that little conversation could have had on this kid. It made me think about all the young players that come in and how much I really enjoy my job.

When I still worked part time at my LHS I would love getting the kids who just rink rats. All they wanted was gear that fit right and a stick that felt good. They didn't care what brand or how cool it looked. They just loved playing. Also I was able to help a few parents that started learn to play programs that there kids league ran. Then when they came back a few weeks later and would talk about how much fun they had.

The next time doc allows me to take the ice.

My all time best moment was skating for the first time in a year after a serious illness. I still remember getting my gear ready and driving to the rink. The whole time thinking how lucky I was being able to play again. laughing and joking with friends in the locker room. Then steping back on the ice and feeling the wind in my face while warming up. I will always remember that day.

[li7039 0]

Scoring

The smell of the rink

New Sticks

[Spence4101 0]

- Scoring so early into a game that the play is still visible in the ice

- Ripping the perfect slapper

- Catching the opponents' star player looking down at the puck, clobbering him cleanly and then hearing the opponents boos as they think their star can't be hit.

- The echo of a puck hitting the ice in an empty rink

- Catching a pass that is so crisp it almost knocks the stick out of your hand

- Little kids watching you, enamored with the speed of the play

- Coming back from an injury

- Winning a big tourney or any one in general

- Breaking your stick on a pass and skating away in disbelief

- New gear

- Fully broken in skates

[dsjunior1388 81]

I have to admit when I break a stick on the shaft I feel pretty beastly, especially if its a solid wood stick. Just feels cool knowing my slapshot was too much for the old twig lol. Not that my slapshot is anything to talk about. Breaking a blade is no big deal, but busting a shaft makes me smile a little bit.

[SidCaeser 0]

I coordinated my first tournament, 4-on-4 ironman format, which was not a pleasure 95% of the time, but during the games and after words while drinking beers and eating pizza there were a lot of compliments. I left knowing that it is a pleasure providing hockey moments for other players.

[starsfan71 9]

I have to admit when I break a stick on the shaft I feel pretty beastly, especially if its a solid wood stick. Just feels cool knowing my slapshot was too much for the old twig lol. Not that my slapshot is anything to talk about. Breaking a blade is no big deal, but busting a shaft makes me smile a little bit.

I always feel like crap when I break sticks it means I have to fork over another 100+ dollars.

[greech 4]

Yeah breaking sticks is cool, but the best is when you give them to the rink rats that go to every game. I've got a list of kids waiting for my iD one95 to go on me...maybe I've been too generous lately.

[bednarz877 0]

thats not even funny, just weird

[chippa13 1844]

I'm just waiting for the inevitable, "My little brother got my password and posted that" post.