SWI

[shoeshine boy 242]

obviously this is a question for adult leagues. does your league do anything if players show up obviously drunk?

last night in my Rec League (all skill levels play together) one of the players showed up extremely drunk. after the first period the refs, after consulting with a league officer on the other team told the player to leave the ice which he did with no complaint. we've had a few recent injuries (nothing too serious) happen due to players showing up drunk. so far it's only been the drunk player who was injured but we're afraid that sooner or later one of these guys is going to hurt someone else. we understand it's a beer league but the beer comes after. :)

has this been a problem for any of your leagues and if so, how have you handled it?

[porky45 1]

I was one of the drunk people in my league at one time. I never got hurt (or hurt others) and just made funny plays offensively and defensively. Pretty sure the refs knew I was intoxicated, but since I was able to keep my composure, keep it clean and give them a good laugh, nothing ever came of it.

I think it has more to do with the intoxicated players actions. I'd much rather see a sober angry guy who just wants to fight (i'm a happy drunk so it's not me) get thrown out of a game then a guy whose drunk, not really hurting anyone (except is ego) get tossed.

I may be a lone ranger on this one though?

[raganblink 82]

You're not.

3/4ths of the fights in rec leagues that i have seen have been by some guy whose freaking toasted. A lot of people are mean drunks and just want to get into fights. Here if they can tell you're drunk then you cant skate.

Conversely, I think it needs to be mandatory in any organized pond hockey tournament that all players must chug a beer before each pond hockey game. It is super fun playing hockey drunk if you're a happy drunk and not a douche drunk. Makes everything much more enjoyable for everyone.

[xrickyb86x 1]

So are these dudes driving to the rink drunk? Or do your rinks have bars (or maybe a nice hiding place lol)? Because the driving aspect might be a more serious problem then acting like fools on the rink.

[sitzlejd 0]

I kind of enjoy playing after a couple beers, but never more than a couple. I find I'm more loose on the ice and don't grip the stick quite as hard. That said, I don't even get to do that anymore b/c nobody else on my team does it and I feel weird being the only one to knock a couple back. At our old rink there was a bar and my team at the time would meet up for a couple brews before the game. Never had any issue with people being too drunk on my team or the opposition.

[porky45 1]

So are these dudes driving to the rink drunk? Or do your rinks have bars (or maybe a nice hiding place lol)? Because the driving aspect might be a more serious problem then acting like fools on the rink.

Driving is what girlfriends are for! and if no girlfriend then that is what pregame locker room is for!

I honestly think I was a better player drunk (on ice, not inline) then sober. I was drunk all season and did great and then we got to the championship and I elected not to drink and I did horrible. Maybe a coincidence. Either way I don't necessarily condone drinking and skating! especially not the A-holes that like to pick fights.

[Chadd 916]

It's an automatic game misconduct in our league, USA Hockey rules.

[Half 2]

The majority of my Gold team shows up trashed every game. They have more fun and it makes playing in front of our goalie tolerable. My local rink has had REFS show up trashed, hell they serve beer there.

[shoeshine boy 242]

So are these dudes driving to the rink drunk? Or do your rinks have bars (or maybe a nice hiding place lol)? Because the driving aspect might be a more serious problem then acting like fools on the rink.

well see, that's the other problem we have. we've all started wondering how last night's drunk guy got to the rink. I wasn't looking for her but I never saw his wife. we don't want to try to play "mom" for these guys but do people really sit around all day on Sunday getting wasted?

and no, these rinks don't have bars and alcohol is not allowed inside the facility so pre-game locker room drinking is not an option either.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Beer in the locker room isn't allowed in any of the rinks we drink in either ;)

I've played after a couple before...and honestly...I wouldn't want to have more than 2 in me on the ice. Too many ways to get hurt.

Now...softball on the other hand. Played in a tourney with my buddies mens league team. They were cracking beers with their Egg McMuffins at 9:00am. They also polished of 40 drink tickets plus the case they brought (12-13 guys tops) between Games 1 & 2.

On summer in our Co-Ed league...we decided to drink and BBQ between midday games. Nothing better than 3-4 beers and a couple burgers at 12:30...with a game at 2:30. Surprisingly, we played pretty good. If I recall...that was the only game we won *L*

[shoeshine boy 242]

It's an automatic game misconduct in our league, USA Hockey rules.

we were looking for something like that. do you happen to know the rule number for that one?

[n3ss 0]

our rink has a bar inside. you can show up an hour early and drink, then walk around 15 feet to the locker room area.

[B19Kress 0]

They make it a point during the captains meeting at the beginning of the year if anyone show up drunk they are out that game and the next. Especially Saturday's in the fall (look at my location if you can't figure that out).

[chk hrd 164]

In our lleagues players are not allowed to play intoxicated, but beer is allowed in the locker rooms "for after the games"

That said, I've seen players bring beer, in the actual beer bottes/cans to the bench.

Personally, I am against it. It is to easy for someone to get hurt and it usually is someone oher than the drunk that gets it.

[tro 4]

A guy on my summer league team showed up plastered.

To start he put his jeresey on backwards (and not to be funny), he is the top player in the league and he was flying around trying to dangle every player, scored 1 goal. Kept trying to beat everyone, got knocked into the boards, the ref had seen enough and sent him to the stands 10 min into the game(can't beleive it took that long).

[armada 0]

Having a case of beer on the bench for guys to share during pick up/league games is a normality here. People usually don't abuse this and wait till after the game is done to really start drinking.

[xrickyb86x 1]

After game locker room beers are a MUST but getting absolutely plastered before a game is ridiculous IMO.

[Chadd 916]

we were looking for something like that. do you happen to know the rule number for that one?

I stand corrected, that is a rink/league rule.

[cptjeff 0]

Beer in the locker room isn't allowed in any of the rinks we drink in either ;)

Same. Not that we ever care- the only issue is that we as staff have to make sure there aren't beer cans visible when the kids get there for public skate the next morning.

If an employee ever gives you trouble about it, just give them one and they'll shut up. Probably what they were after anyway.

Also, I have seen a guy so drunk the ref kicked him off the ice. It was a really late game at a tournament that got delayed, there was a bar at the rink, and our team was one that was well known for drinking. All but maybe 2 or three of us were at least buzzed that game, but he was literally tripping over himself in warmups.

[puckhoggy 0]

never been SWI but i do hate the raunchy smell of a guy who did the game before and u can smell it over their gear and jersey. maybe something spills in the locker room. but oh man does it stink when the guys have some drinks and it gets all over them and dont clean up their crap before they next time they skate.

[psh 25]

Shows a lack of respect for yourself, your team mates, and your opponents. I despise people who skate drunk. A drink in the locker room isn't too troubling, but being buzzed or drunk is bad news. Hockey is a dangerous sport, and you lack body control and reaction time when you're drunk. It's not a far step from driving drunk. There is no place for it, and there is no excuse.

[zebra_steve 11]

we were looking for something like that. do you happen to know the rule number for that one?

USA Hockey - Rule 109c

Now I don't even want to get into the liability that may be involved in this one..... Never mind that it's just plain stupid to engage in an activity that requires fine motor skills while under the influence of something that is know to specifically degrade those skills!

Worse case I ever saw (was playing on this team) was a guy that tripped jumping the boards and literally crawled across the blue line trying to pick up his stick..... We threw him off the bench and later had a talk about alcohol and responsibility.

[shoeshine boy 242]

USA Hockey - Rule 109c

this reads as though it only covers use on the bench not being intoxicated while playing.

in the end we can do whatever we want. now we're having problems with our players bringing beer into the locker rooms and leaving the cans in the trash. our rinks do not allow alcohol in the building so this is becoming a major problem. :(

[lotus 2]

I got into a "fight" with an older intoxicated gentlemen this past summer. He hooked me down on a breakaway, I got up and kept going, he slashed me on the side of my head and knocked me down. My ear was ringing, I got up and cross checked him in the head. I skated away right to the box, he jumped me from behind. Smelled like liquor the whole time he punched my cage with two of his teammates on me. Then I landed one on his cageless ass. If I didn't wear a cage, I wouldn't start a fight with someone who does hahaha.

Two summers ago I reffed an inline hockey game. First game of the season and this guy was pretty obviously drunk. He falls backwards while standing up in warmups and lands right on his wrists. Teammates come over and tell him to stop moving since the bone was clearly visible through his jersey. EMTs took care of him, he couldn't feel a thing the whole time. Total idiot. Besides which, he paid in full and doesn't even play a game!

[Deerok 3]

Lotus,

Did that first incident happen at Chelsea Piers?

I've seen a few drunk players when I've occasionally subbed on weekends.

To each their own; I've done it once but it's not particularly enjoyable for me.