Pick up hockey incident

[tonguesOUT4life 17]

I am invited to join a friends pick up hockey scrimmiage on Thursday nights wich consists of a mixture of guys from ages 17 to 40 they all know eachother and I only know a few ppl. I'm in the ice with them every Thursday for the summer. Today there was a 50 year old man playing on the other team on defence and he was stuck on me like a leech I had the puck along the boards and he hits me from behind. I told him to take it easy it's just pick up and he dropped his gloves instantly and started swinging lool I was protecting myself turns out he couldn't connect any punches but I didn't want to hit a 50 year old man. That's my pops age!! I don't go out acting like a tough guy in pick up and after the game I told him let's leave everything on the ice and grab some beers he insisted to fight between dressing rooms.

I will be seeing this guy again next Thursday. Should I punch his lights out? I have respect for elders it's how I was brought up but I don't think I can tolerate this anymore lol.

[Blueandgold26 1]

What an ass, Classy on your part though. Just laugh at him when he gets pissed and skate away

[number18 0]

i play pick up/shinny a couple times a week and honestly its not worth it. just skate away. some guys are just like that. you cant do anything about it

[Leafsrule16 5]

Yeah man, as much as your balls are telling you just dont do it. Just because hes a classless asshole doesnt mean you have to be the same, just ignore it unless you really have to defend yourself, then you punch his lights out. What a joke, like seriously.

[goblue9280 33]

you sure you didn't sleep with his daughter or something?

[Razr 2]

you sure you didn't sleep with his daughter or something?

haha

Yeah man, just do what you're doing, I've seen that happen a lot at pick up, and have been a part of it before... it's kind of stupid- especially if it's just a bunch of friends...

With my experience... chances are he will come back next week and do one of 2 things:

1) apologize and just say he was irritated with something else

or

2) act like nothing happened and just be a bitter old man

Either way- hold your head up like it sounds you did. Good Character.

::ThumbsUp:: to you.

[tonguesOUT4life 17]

No I didn't do his datah !! (fob accent)

Wen he hit me from behind I was lucky I had a mouth gaurd coz I hit the curb on the boards. Thanks for the replies guys I was just confused this never happened before.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I'd leave it alone.

Did you have any kind of support from the other guys....did they tell him he' was out of line? Just sounds odd.

Besides...it's a litigus (sp?) society...you deck him, he'll probably sue you.

[number18 0]

or he'll complain and try to get you kicked out or something

[LkptTiger 1]

Either you're not telling us the whole story or he's just trying to be a hero. I run across one or two guys like that at almost every "mixed" (younger guys and beer leaguers) skate I'm at during the summer...and they're the reason I've got myself into the habit of putting a shell on over my team pants (**which - because they have my team's logo embroidered on the thigh and stripes down the sides - act as something more like a target for the older guys who want to take things a bit too seriously**) and just kinda gliding/"going through the motions" at most summer skates where I don't know everyone. It's disappointing that guys have to be like that...especially when I'm not there to show anybody up (Hell, I usually have at least one or two of my buddies at most pick-up skates this time of year...so it's not like I'm the only guy my age/skill level out there.

They're everywhere - and it'll usually only get worse as you start playing at higher levels. Last summer a few of my buddies put together a summer league team and got ourselves into a league just to have fun with it (the league was filled with a bunch of ex-pros, a lot of NCAA guys and a handful of us from Juniors - it was actually pretty competitive). One of my buddies on the team happened to be an ex-NHLer who is pretty popular around here...and the few "beer league dreamers" sprinkled throughout the other teams always seemed to gravitate to him. Sometimes they'd chirp, sometimes they'd whack, sometimes they'd shove, but he always stayed cool about it (he could have literally killed any one of them). My buddies and I were just glad he was there because it kept the retards from trying to "sack-up" with any of us...because there were a lot of times we'd see the other team's "real" players would have to step-in and tell their guy(s) to cool it. I don't know what it is...maybe jealousy...but it's just sad.

[K9 Unit 1]

Either you're not telling us the whole story or he's just trying to be a hero. I run across one or two guys like that at almost every "mixed" (younger guys and beer leaguers) skate I'm at during the summer...and they're the reason I've got myself into the habit of putting a shell on over my team pants (**which - because they have my team's logo embroidered on the thigh and stripes down the sides - act as something more like a target for the older guys who want to take things a bit too seriously**) and just kinda gliding/"going through the motions" at most summer skates where I don't know everyone. It's disappointing that guys have to be like that...especially when I'm not there to show anybody up (Hell, I usually have at least one or two of my buddies at most pick-up skates this time of year...so it's not like I'm the only guy my age/skill level out there.

They're everywhere - and it'll usually only get worse as you start playing at higher levels. Last summer a few of my buddies put together a summer league team and got ourselves into a league just to have fun with it (the league was filled with a bunch of ex-pros, a lot of NCAA guys and a handful of us from Juniors - it was actually pretty competitive). One of my buddies on the team happened to be an ex-NHLer who is pretty popular around here...and the few "beer league dreamers" sprinkled throughout the other teams always seemed to gravitate to him. Sometimes they'd chirp, sometimes they'd whack, sometimes they'd shove, but he always stayed cool about it (he could have literally killed any one of them). My buddies and I were just glad he was there because it kept the retards from trying to "sack-up" with any of us...because there were a lot of times we'd see the other team's "real" players would have to step-in and tell their guy(s) to cool it. I don't know what it is...maybe jealousy...but it's just sad.

ye, seen this happen plenty of times...i think sometimes they just identify you as one of the better players around and they just want to show you (in a very very crappy way) their just as good as you...which is obviously not true

I am invited to join a friends pick up hockey scrimmiage on Thursday nights ~~~

good to hear you kept a clear head though

[jmiami 4]

This guy sounds like he has a screw loose. Who is in charge of the pickup game? Why is this guy not barred after trying to fight in the game, and then afterward in the dressing room?

A couple of yo-yo's got in a fight on the ice in an Open game I was in recently. Two minutes later the security guards walk onto the ice and escort the two tough guys off the rink. If they do it again, they will be barred from playing pickup.

You are better off not clocking this guy, as much as it might be tempting. Any idiot who would pick a fight with someone young enough to be their son in a pickup game would not be beneath trying to sue you if you deck him.

This might sound a little extreme, but if he tries his BS again, and the person in charge does not toss him out for good, you can always call the cops, especially if he comes after you off the ice. Don't worry about looking like a p*ssy, you are clearly dealing with an irrational person here who does not belong playing in a friendly pickup game.

And I doubt it would be the first time this guy has been arrested.

[Fletch 219]

Maybe he's a Sharks fan?

[1stLiner91 0]

lol the classic. grumpy old men in puck up games.

something like this happened to me once. I was being a puck hog (for the first time) at a pick up game one day and this old guy said i don't know how to play and other stuff while we were in the dressing room. and while he was in there i was showing a friend of mine my custom one95s and he was amazed with them, asked how much they were i said roughly $800 (CAD). The old man heard me and said "do these make you a better player?!? get better THEN buy expensive stuff" then throws my skates at the wall.

[FatAndSlow 0]

lol the classic. grumpy old men in puck up games.

something like this happened to me once. I was being a puck hog (for the first time) at a pick up game one day and this old guy said i don't know how to play and other stuff while we were in the dressing room. and while he was in there i was showing a friend of mine my custom one95s and he was amazed with them, asked how much they were i said roughly $800 (CAD). The old man heard me and said "do these make you a better player?!? get better THEN buy expensive stuff" then throws my skates at the wall.

Did you do anything? If not, you're a better man than me. I think I show respect to everyone, especially older people but he just straight up disrespected you. Since he is older, he should know better. Personally, I would have pulverized the guy.

[yrhmblnr8r 69]

I've seen beer-leaguers take the game too seriously, but dropping the gloves in pick-up? Come on.

Did noone else on the ice realize that this guy was clown shoes? I would have expected someone else to at least hold him in check with a "What the F, Man?"

Good restraint keeping your gloves on and not engaging him. You said you've got some friends in the pickup. Have them keep an eye out for you and maintain a level head. Eventually, the rest of the skaters out there will see what an idjit this guy is being. If not, ask the rink management to watch a couple scrimmages and act accordingly.

[chippa13 1844]

Not for nothing, but it is extremely rare that anyone at a pickup skate will decide to just drop the gloves on a whim. I'm waiting to hear more of this story.

[psh 25]

If there is a repeat incident, you have to get the guy who organizes the skate to bar this hothead from coming back. If there is a rink manager around, you could also have him keep an eye on what is going on. The manager certainly doesn't want an incident at the rink.

I've seen this happen way too often in pickup with a broad mix of backgrounds. It's always the older guy trying to relive his glory days or to show up the punks or it's the young guy whose hormones are raging and he wants to show up the oldster who sees the older guy as a stand-in for his parents and all the older people with authority over him. It's way more than hockey--it's some strange, psychotic clash of cultures almost. It's painful and embarrassing to see no matter how often you see it.

My high school team used to have a few scrimmages against teams from the adult league in town. I don't think we made it through a single scrimmage without at least one heated confrontation or cheap shot. Thankfully there were always coaches to nip that in the bud. Pick up can turn into a free for all if you're not careful.

[mattzilla 0]

Next time he drops his gloves, drop yours...jersey him and skate away.

[usahockey22 0]

Not for nothing, but it is extremely rare that anyone at a pickup skate will decide to just drop the gloves on a whim. I'm waiting to hear more of this story.

It's really not all that rare, in my experience, and going by what others have said in here. For many people, hockey is more about fighting, cheap shots, and dick measuring than it is about playing the game.

[durke 0]

I think some guys do stupid things like this because they know they can get away with it. He knows that because of his age it's a lose lose situation for you and win win for him. If you kick his butt it's a dumb kid kicking some old mans butt. If he wins he's the cool "tough" old man. In his stupid mind he can only win.

I've seen little guys do the same thing to begger guys. They feel that if they beat a bigger guy they are though. If they loose, well they were suppose to. Win win for them in their little world.

[chk hrd 164]

I think some guys do stupid things like this because they know they can get away with it. He knows that because of his age it's a lose lose situation for you and win win for him. If you kick his butt it's a dumb kid kicking some old mans butt. If he wins he's the cool "tough" old man. In his stupid mind he can only win.

I've seen little guys do the same thing to begger guys. They feel that if they beat a bigger guy they are though. If they loose, well they were suppose to. Win win for them in their little world.

age, size, color and sexual orientation has nothing to do with it, a dick is a dick. You did the right thing, everyone is out there for fun. Talk to the guy running the invite.

[Esa_10 1]

The 50yo you're talking about in the original post is an idiot. But I gotta stick up for the "old beer league heros" here.

My team is all mid 30s - all played good hockey growing up and all play top level beer league (lotta ex pro/college/Sr A, etc) now. In summer league we play nothing but 18-20 YOs trying to hot dog and show off for each other. They don't bug me becasue "they are better" (we've only lost one game). They bug me becuase they all think they're the next Ovechkin - when in reality maybe what 1 or 2 kids from the entire league will actually go somwhere serious in hockey (we've all been there). They hoot and hollar about every goal skate by their bench and do the train after a goal, etc, etc. The "washed up old mad" comments are kinda funny, we give out the old..."Ya, and still skating circles around you". I'm sure I was the same at that age, but it's really annoying. I've never heard so many "gong show hockey" quotes in my life. As for the old guys trying too hard, in my experience it's the complete opposite it's the kids who think there's scouts in the stands whatching the summer beer league.

Like I say, I was like that once I'm sure, but I hope some of you young guys can look back when you're 30-35 playing a team of "next ovechkins" and say, "Jesus, I don't believe I used to act like that"

[durke 0]

Very good point Esa

[pantherfan 0]

Doesn't sound like the guys worth breaking your hand over. Best to leave it if you can especially if this pickup is convenient.