Is it rude to practice where private lessons are being held on the rink?

[IniNew 53]

I hate when people start pickup games at stick and puck. Thats not the purpose of it either. Just as rude and not any better than the lesson givers either in my opinion. If you feel bad doing it, you shouldn't do it.

I dont feel bad for starting a pick up game. We at least include everyone that wants to play. And when your rink doesn't offer pick-up it's the only chance we get.

[eric42434224 1]

I find it comparable to cigarette smoking. You can do it if EVERYONE is OK with it. If smoking impinges on even one persons right to enjoy clean air, you need to stop. If a pick up game inpinges even slightly on even one persons ability to do or enjoy what he paid for, then you shouldnt do it. I would make sure to ask everyone there if it is OK to start a pick-up game before I did it, as you are essentially taking away half the ice.

[hamstercaster 2]

Seems to me like someone's taking advantage of cheap ice to get goalie lessons or make a few extra bucks. Here, goalie coaches or goalies being coached need to secure some ice time and pay for it on top of paying the goalie coach. More often than not the goalie coach will secure ice time and will charge his goalies at the lesson accordingly

[twolinepass 0]

My rink calls stick and puck Gretzky hour and they prohibit any sort of coaching. The lame thing is that they limit it to 40 players + 2 goalies so it get really packed and when I go I end up going at like 6 am on the weekends and even then it gets crowded.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

My rink calls stick and puck Gretzky hour and they prohibit any sort of coaching. The lame thing is that they limit it to 40 players + 2 goalies so it get really packed and when I go I end up going at like 6 am on the weekends and even then it gets crowded.

Sounds like Sharks Ice San Jose.

[xrickyb86x 1]

Stick and Puck is 40 players and 4 goalies total. $12. I rarely go but have actually gone twice in the past month. It fills up insanely fast because youth hockey practices take place right before and those kids stick around. There's never a problem with coaching going on during the skates. Only problem I have is them filling up and rejecting people at the door only to have 5 employees throw on some skates and come out. Not cool. Also, some of the older teens (14-16) are cocky. It's cool though. Their kids. They'll learn they're going to be playing beer league hockey just like me pretty soon. Hahaha.

[Lumberjack23 0]

I actually do take private lessons with an instructor and we simply take up the corner along the boards, leaving almost 3/4 of free ice to everyone else. What's different about this is that the travel team that plays at the arena will take up each end of the ice to the blue line to simply work on goalie skills with their coach. While leaving 15 poeple approximately 180$ of good money with nothing but neutral zone to work with.

So being new to hockey, i am not to sure if this is common practice or not across the nation or nations including Canada, "since we have some posters from there". Or am I in the right to actually see this as a problem.

what rink is it?

[iceNsteel 0]

The local rink doesn't specifically have stick & puck and drop-in times. You usually just have to go to the skate and see if it's a drop-in game, of if people are just screwing around.

[Ducksgo 0]

what rink is it?

Well I take lessons over at East West Ice Palace in Artesia, CA and the rink that paying customers have issues with, is at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood California. They have stick time every day Mon-Friday at 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m and again at 1:50 to 2:50 p.m. Doesn't matter what day you go on or time, there will always be some dumb coaches who are training goalies at both ends of the ice and expect you to play in the neutral zone.

UPDATE: I got some balls and tried talking to the coaches about giving us more room to practice on. And their Russians with attitudes and it simply went no where, while asking politely. So I'm not to sure what to do now.

[Lumberjack23 0]

Well I take lessons over at East West Ice Palace in Artesia, CA and the rink that paying customers have issues with, is at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood California. They have stick time every day Mon-Friday at 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m and again at 1:50 to 2:50 p.m. Doesn't matter what day you go on or time, there will always be some dumb coaches who are training goalies at both ends of the ice and expect you to play in the neutral zone.

UPDATE: I got some balls and tried talking to the coaches about giving us more room to practice on. And their Russians with attitudes and it simply went no where, while asking politely. So I'm not to sure what to do now.

Go to a different rink! Westminster designates half the ice to lessons and the other half to other people to do what they wish, try there.

[Chadd 916]

UPDATE: I got some balls and tried talking to the coaches about giving us more room to practice on. And their Russians with attitudes and it simply went no where, while asking politely. So I'm not to sure what to do now.

Wire a couple slapshots through their practice, you'll get their attention.

[skyscrape 5]

Wire a couple slapshots through their practice, you'll get their attention.

that is what I do! It typically works.

[TheGasman 0]

Wire a couple slapshots through their practice, you'll get their attention.

I would work more on my break aways and over exaggerated celebrations after.

[Krev 86]

Well I take lessons over at East West Ice Palace in Artesia, CA and the rink that paying customers have issues with, is at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood California. They have stick time every day Mon-Friday at 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m and again at 1:50 to 2:50 p.m. Doesn't matter what day you go on or time, there will always be some dumb coaches who are training goalies at both ends of the ice and expect you to play in the neutral zone.

I used to be one of those kids getting lessons at GG in Lakewood years ago.

That said, me and my coach would try to stick to a small section along the boards in the neutral zone. Didn't really need the nets to work on foot speed and stickhandling.

[Neo5370 132]

Is there another rink you can go to? If I were you I'd try politely to tell the rink manager why the situation sucks for customers who aren't getting what they pay for and that if it doesn't change me and my friends will take our business elsewhere. It might not amount to a hill of beans though b/c I doubt any rink gets rich off stick n' puck admission.

Just thought of a better idea. Maybe you can ask your rink manager to put a few extra nets out on the side boards so there goalies and shooters alike will have a net to use.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I'd go with the slapshot idea. High and hard.

[pittu 15]

First off, I know this is an incredibly old post......but I hear that management appreciates not opening new threads when old ones will suffice.... :)

I skate almost everyday during my lunch hour at a local rinks public skate. Since it is noon on weekdays, there are very few people that ever show up. After a month or so of just skating, the rink manager tells me I can take a stick and puck out since there are occasionally kids that he lets do the same. So I started just stickhandling and working on end to end rushes and give and gos to myself off the boards, etc...no nets or shooting.

Well, occasionally, a very (nice looking) talented figure skater shows up and basically uses the entire sheet working on her routine, pirouettes... whatever. No problem for me, good practice skating with my head up, lol. Short story long, she complains and the rink manager reluctantly asks me to put the puck away, which I did.

I realize it is a "public skate", so its no problem to have no sticks and pucks, but then how is it OK for a figure skater to use a whole sheet of ice without regard for others during the same "public skate"?

My passive aggressive solution was to constantly put myself on a path that intersected hers just prior to any of her jumps...

That seemed to get her attention..lol.

BTW, I found this thread just browsing thru the general discussions...wow, what a treasure trove of interesting stuff!!!

Glad I found this place :)

[SouthpawTRK 1]

yeah, i get a bit annoyed when figure skaters are at public skate and use every bit of the ice at their discretion. unfortunately, with a lot of rinks the figure skaters seem to have carte blanche when it comes to ice time.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

I agree 100%. I keep lobbying for some kind of stick time. They keep telling me they have no time in the schedule for it. I call BS. During the week, the public skate time is 11am-2pm and as its during the day, the ice is fairly empty except for the figure skaters who have no regard for anyone else skating. Why not cut it down to 12noon to 2pm and give the hockey guys an hour? Maybe even just one or two days a week? Or at least reserve one end zone for guys who want to go out and practice hockey skating without fear of running into the figure skaters? Very frustrating how the figure skaters seem to get all the time they want but us hockey guys get nothing.

[Bimmer 0]

First off, $12 seems steep..My rink, the only time you can get private hockey lessons is during S&P, so we have no choice...I don't think you can hold it against a guy wanting private instuction if the only time the rink will allow it is S&P, on the other hand a whole team using S&P for practice is BS..

[GoBucky 0]

Sounds like it might be time to have a little talk with the rink manager. If its stick and puck they shouldnt be giving private goalie lessons.

I feel the same way about parents/people who come to public skate and expect to have a huge part of the rink to themselves to give lessons to other people.

Around here we seem to have problems with people who want to give figure skating lessons during public skate and then when you skate anywhere near them they give you a dirty look like you are doing something wrong.

[goblue9280 33]

$13 at my rink for S&P... you can buy a pack of 10 passes for $65, but they are only good for the 5:30am on Tu/Th. I've gone to the past 2 Thursday morning ones for some exercise (my 7-year old comes with me). 2 weeks ago, we were the only ones there. This past week, there were two other adults and then a coach working with two kids. So the coach/kids went down to one end, and took all but 3 of the pucks that the rink put out with them. I just skated down without saying a word and fired half the pucks down to our end... problem solved.

[Thinkingjack 51]

15 bucks for the 5am stick time at my rink nearby and nothing is more annoying than showing up and some jerk is coaching four goalies and half a team with him shooting on the kid. We're not allowed to bring in our own pucks so we use the pucks they provide and they take them all from us, but boy watch out, if you go and take some back you're gonna get some "asshole, dickhead, prick" comments sent to you. Its really really annoying.

[Tondog 12]

15 bucks for the 5am stick time at my rink nearby and nothing is more annoying than showing up and some jerk is coaching four goalies and half a team with him shooting on the kid. We're not allowed to bring in our own pucks so we use the pucks they provide and they take them all from us, but boy watch out, if you go and take some back you're gonna get some "asshole, dickhead, prick" comments sent to you. Its really really annoying.

"Cram it in your arse!" would be applicable here. Don't let them bother you. Your money is as good as theirs.

[Bimmer 0]

I've got a question for you guys..I have been bringing my 8 year old to S&P with me, we both wear full gear but lately there have been a bunch of high school kids going and all they do is full wind up slap shots at an unattended goal constantly..sometimes without regard to whoever is near the net (like my 8 year old)...Am I being a dick if I tell them to watch out for my son (and others his age on the ice at the time) or is this just expected because it is publick S&P?? I have not said anything, but c'mon, these little guys are just trying to get some ice time too..