Random Acts of Class

[Grinder 2]

Everyone's got beefs to air about hockey, myself included, but we seldom take the time to talk about the better side of the sport.

I've beefed elsewhere about having a lot of no-shows on my team for four-on-four inline. Last night, we were playing ironman (no subs) yet again, but still making a game of it only being down by two. Third period, eleven minutes and no timeouts left, and we're just gassed, to the point where the faceoff is ready to go, and both our d are still on a knee (smiling, and saying "It's okay, we'll get up when the play comes our way..."). Out of the blue, the other team's center calls a time out, and says "Get your breath back, boys. Good game so far." The only reason they called the time out was to give us a rest.

That's the kind of class you don't see everyday, but I'm sure it's out there. Let's hear about it.

[chippa13 1844]

My first game back after my heart issues, a guy on the other squad that I knew from being an opponent for a while comes by for a tap on the shinnies before the first puck drop.

[shotty 7]

we played a team who only had 7 skaters show up for a playoff game. we had three full lines, so we gave them one (including our best player) and played an amazing game.

[chk hrd 164]

Here is one about the youth of today; my 15 year old son is one of the top players on his team. During a recent tournament he re-injured a nagging groin. HE made the decision to play through the pain (even thoughh we asked him not to) because he did not want to let his team down. During another tourney we had kids who worked it donate all of thier earnings to another team mate that needed some help paying his team bill.

One of the best class act moves I have seen was from Jeremy Roenick. He was playing in a "pro-am" game held here every year. There was a boy who was 4 or 5 years old wearing a JR jersey. When JR saw him his father said he was his favorite player but the kid was to shy to go over to him. JR stopped the conversation he was in with other people and went over (in full gear) to the boy, got on his knees and started talking with him and took pictures. My son has worked as a helper in the same torney since he was about 10. Just about every pro has been a class act and left him with many memories and pictures he will cherish forever.

I've seen many class acts in hockey (pro, youth, beer league), way more than the b.s. moves some people make. It seems like every night someone does something that they didn't have to. I think it is the nature of a true hockey player, regardless of level, to do things that might be considered classy without even a second thought. It is one of the things that makes it a great game.

[Chadd 916]

There is a team full of guys in one of the league here that I have played against for years thatt's mostly made up of EMTs, firemen and cops. Any time there is an injury, they stream off the bench in order to help the guy that is down. It doesn't matter if it is one of their guys, from the other team, or someone on another sheet of ice. I've seen them leave their own game to head to the other sheet of ice to help treat someone before the ambulance arrived and never asked for anything in return. They really are a selfless bunch of guys in that regard.

[syko_hockey 0]

In roller we had 3 players. The other team had about 7 or 8 and by the 3rd period we were down by 12. Rather than trying to jack up the score even more one kid from the other team and the goalie would tap it to the little kid on our team (he was 9, it was 12u) when the kid finally got the puck the goalies stayed in the butterfly position and let the kid score. After the game I personally thanked both the players as they helped the 9 yr old get his first goal

[chk hrd 164]

There is a team full of guys in one of the league here that I have played against for years thatt's mostly made up of EMTs, firemen and cops. Any time there is an injury, they stream off the bench in order to help the guy that is down. It doesn't matter if it is one of their guys, from the other team, or someone on another sheet of ice. I've seen them leave their own game to head to the other sheet of ice to help treat someone before the ambulance arrived and never asked for anything in return. They really are a selfless bunch of guys in that regard.

That takes alot now days. Most people are to worried about lawsits. At a recent tourney I saw a Bantam take a nasty shot from behind and injure his neck, he was on the ice for a good 5 minutes and barely moved while the coached was with him. I shit you not, right on the other side of the glass was a guy who is a doctor (and a friend of the rink owner hosting the tourney). He stood there with his thumb up his ass watching everything and didn't even bother to do anything, even when the kid was taken off the ice.

[chippa13 1844]

It is a shame that our litigious society causes folks who could help to think twice.

As for the kid with the groin injury, yes, it is great to see the kid want to suck it up for the team but that is more a situation where the coach has to protect the kid from himself and not play him.

[fatwabbit 93]

I agree with chk_hrd... its becoming increasing apparent that people are worried about getting involved due to lawsuits etc... I really admire the professionals in the emergency and medical line for helping those in need (those that actually help).

Not sure if you consider it a class act, but a couple of really good players at drop in would only create plays and pass, and not try to score themselves. Usually they would try to make a play so that the newbie/beginners are in the open instead of trying to deke past everyone and score.

[technophile 0]

We have a bunch of police/firemen/EMT hockey players around here too (they have two full teams, plus they play in the leagues as individuals), which I've always found very comforting. :D They're great guys, they've treated all kinds of random stuff (including a young kid who was horsing around and cracked his head on the outside of the boards while watching a tournament).

[All Torhs Team 0]

A couple years back a United Kingdom team flew over and toured the States, playing various teams over the country. We arranged it so each of our guys took in one of their guys back to our own houses and what not. Coaches took the coaches and each player hosted another player. Just tried to save them on some hotel costs and a few meals while they stopped in our town. Good friendship games for sure.

[eric42434224 1]

One game, the guy who brings all our puck for warm-ups was a no show. The other team only had 6 pucks for warm ups but gave us three. Not a big deal, but it was classy, and the small things do count.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

There is a team full of guys in one of the league here that I have played against for years thatt's mostly made up of EMTs, firemen and cops. Any time there is an injury, they stream off the bench in order to help the guy that is down. It doesn't matter if it is one of their guys, from the other team, or someone on another sheet of ice. I've seen them leave their own game to head to the other sheet of ice to help treat someone before the ambulance arrived and never asked for anything in return. They really are a selfless bunch of guys in that regard.

We had an incident like that here a few years back in which a player went into the boards body-first but with his other leg tucked inward (imagine being on the floor with your legs forming a 4. He jabbed the skate blade into his inner thigh, cutting an artery. Luckily the team they were playing was the firemen team and they immediately jumped on and helped the guy. Chances are it would've been much more serious if it was just a regular team out there.

[t1tan 19]

Things like that is the reason I try to make it known I'm an EMT so if anybody needs me they can grab me out of the shop.

[psh 25]

There is a team full of guys in one of the league here that I have played against for years thatt's mostly made up of EMTs, firemen and cops. Any time there is an injury, they stream off the bench in order to help the guy that is down. It doesn't matter if it is one of their guys, from the other team, or someone on another sheet of ice. I've seen them leave their own game to head to the other sheet of ice to help treat someone before the ambulance arrived and never asked for anything in return. They really are a selfless bunch of guys in that regard.

That takes alot now days. Most people are to worried about lawsits. At a recent tourney I saw a Bantam take a nasty shot from behind and injure his neck, he was on the ice for a good 5 minutes and barely moved while the coached was with him. I shit you not, right on the other side of the glass was a guy who is a doctor (and a friend of the rink owner hosting the tourney). He stood there with his thumb up his ass watching everything and didn't even bother to do anything, even when the kid was taken off the ice.

That's really too bad. Most, if not all, jurisdictions in the US have good Samaritan laws that provide blanket protection from lawsuits if someone makes a good faith effort to assist someone who has been injured. Maybe people just aren't aware of such laws. For example, here is the relevant law in Minnesota, which I know best:

604A.01 Subd. 2. General immunity from liability. (a) A person who, without compensation or the

expectation of compensation, renders emergency care, advice, or assistance at the scene of an

emergency or during transit to a location where professional medical care can be rendered, is

not liable for any civil damages as a result of acts or omissions by that person in rendering the

emergency care, advice, or assistance, unless the person acts in a willful and wanton or reckless

manner in providing the care, advice, or assistance. This subdivision does not apply to a person

rendering emergency care, advice, or assistance during the course of regular employment, and

receiving compensation or expecting to receive compensation for rendering the care, advice, or

assistance.

Professionals are held to a higher standard, but if you're just a regular Joe trying to help, you are totally immune from a lawsuit unless you are willfully or wantonly reckless with the victim. So, unless you try to amputate a guy's leg after he has torn an ACL, or put a tourniquet on his neck you don't have much to worry about.

Everyone's got beefs to air about hockey, myself included, but we seldom take the time to talk about the better side of the sport.

I've beefed elsewhere about having a lot of no-shows on my team for four-on-four inline. Last night, we were playing ironman (no subs) yet again, but still making a game of it only being down by two. Third period, eleven minutes and no timeouts left, and we're just gassed, to the point where the faceoff is ready to go, and both our d are still on a knee (smiling, and saying "It's okay, we'll get up when the play comes our way..."). Out of the blue, the other team's center calls a time out, and says "Get your breath back, boys. Good game so far." The only reason they called the time out was to give us a rest.

That's the kind of class you don't see everyday, but I'm sure it's out there. Let's hear about it.

I don' tknow why, but this story has always struck me as a good one. Some players are so picky about their equipment, but Mats just lent his out to a reporter who wanted to skate:

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=500399

I've seen better write-ups of that story, but this was the first one I could find.

[yrhmblnr8r 69]

If the goalie is running late, but in the locker room getting ready, we usually take our timeout before the first faceoff to give him more time. A couple of times, the other team has taken their timeout immediately after ours.

I've been on each side of this at different times. It's beer league hockey, so are you really going to need the timeout later to diagram a play?

[Scoobersti 0]

If the goalie is running late, but in the locker room getting ready, we usually take our timeout before the first faceoff to give him more time. A couple of times, the other team has taken their timeout immediately after ours.

I've been on each side of this at different times. It's beer league hockey, so are you really going to need the timeout later to diagram a play?

I might start suggesting that for our team. I think if I don't see their goalie I'll skate over and ask if he/she is getting ready and just needs a little more time. I'm not the C or the A so I'll have to see if my captains agree though.

[chippa13 1844]

No self respecting player wants to play against no goalie. Unfortunately, there are those guys who'd refuse to wait but they're also the ones who take a slapper at some poor kid standing in the net until the goalie shows.

[lotus 2]

If the goalie is running late, but in the locker room getting ready, we usually take our timeout before the first faceoff to give him more time. A couple of times, the other team has taken their timeout immediately after ours.

I've been on each side of this at different times. It's beer league hockey, so are you really going to need the timeout later to diagram a play?

That's a good idea. It's never crossed my mind. I'll suggest it to my summer rec team. Though the last time it happened we were against a rather good team who seemed to have no problem playing against us 6 on 5 with no goalie.

[camhockey16 5]

i would say this was more than classy - i dont want to think what would have happened if this guy was playing in the KHL.

http://www.totalprosports.com/more/swedish...s-players-life/

[camhockey16 5]

here's another one from ryan miller

http://www.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=&id=54741

[chk hrd 164]

to add to his class he gave the photographer his stick after the game

[k.nick91 0]

there a guy i played hs hockey with, he is one year behind me. hes a senior this year, its his last year to play hockey. this is an extremely talented player who has had off ice problems and multiple atttitude problems. id seen him get kicked out of our practices and get suspended by the coach for games for his poor behavior. on the ice he has maybe the most talent on the team but wastes it, he is a puck hogging d (as soon as he gets the puck he tries to go coast to coast and looses it deking or rips a heavy slapper over the net). if he screwed up hed smash his stick and throw a fit and take himself completely out of the play, needless to say he wasnt the teams most valuable player.

ive been away at college and came back to watch one of the games. i started looking for said player and watched his throughout the game in which he played incredible, unselfish (not usually the case), had a goal and a couple assists along with a lot of strong solid defensive play. he looked like an entirely different player. i asked my parents about him after the game to find out that he hadnt just changed on the ice. he had caused no problems in practices or games, cooperated with the coach, even been named captain for a couple of games (the team has new captains every game this year). i also found out he is working 3 jobs to pay for his hockey and is basically on his own paying for expenses like even food. he is living in a house with another guy on the team basically by themselves as their parents do not help them at all. the parents on the team were so impressed that they bought him all the team apparel (hoody, warmup suit, ect) also some of the dads put together about 400 dollars to help pay for his hockey.

his turnaround has completely inspired me and while he may not have stared out a classy guy, i think that shows how much more it required to turn him around to the guy he is today.

[SidCaeser 0]

I had this saved for a long while. I lost it when I got my new computer. I remember reading this article about Kris Draper and Brendan Shanahan in the Detroit Free Press when it was first out. I know there are great players everywhere, but the Red Wings of the 1990's was probably, collectively, the best team seen on & off the ice.

http://krisdraper33.tripod.com/mykrisdraperpage/id26.html

[Wallzy41 9]

I've been practicing with a minor groin pull(nothing major, just enough to be a P.I.T.A.), and my friends and I had been planning a 2v2 scrimmage on Wednesday after school. Tonight after 2h of skating, I feel like crap. Just when I feel like texting a friend about it... friend #2 comes in and says: "Hey I know you've been hurting, so we're gonna fill your place and let you rest up so you can play with us next week :)". In a sense, it makes me sad that I can't play, but I'm thankful that my friends care enough to let my health take priority over the game I love, so I can play.