whats the longest you went not playing hockey

[phonak 0]

About 6 weeks.

[Super_Newfie 0]

I stopped playing when I was 15 for 15 years. Started playing again 3 years ago, with 1 game an week. Now I'm playing 3-4 games a week and loving it. Bought all low end gear 3 years ago and now I'm starting to upgrade it as it's wearing out. I'm even playing through the summers now which I never did before.

[Hoopster 0]

Stopped playing at a semi-competitive level in my early 20's when I went out to Australia, played every week out there and loved every second of it but it was definitely more of a social/beer thing. Then went about 10 years without really playing at all, had a few practices or games here and there, but never for an extended period until the start of this year when I started back with a rec team, great fun but I'm still breathing out my rear end fairly quickly. Good to be back on the ice though!

[Okita 0]

10 years! And I'm determined to get way better than I was back then

[Stodgy 8]

Quit playing in 79 after getting concussed by John Blum who went on tto play for the Oilers, Bruins, and Wings in a pickup game. Started playing again a year ago with low budget equipment at first to see if I would like it. Now I have just about upgraded everything thanks to this website. I could just kick myself for not getting back to it earlier in my life. Oh well I will make the best of it while I can.

[Bengerm77 11]

13 Years. I quit when I got into high school, but picked it up again 8 months ago.

[jmiami 4]

26 years. Took a break after a high-school injury made me sit out senior year and developed new interests after that. Have always followed the game since then and never lost love, but it never occurred to me that I could try playing again. It was my 85 year-old mother who got me playing again with one simple question a few years ago.

Ma: "Do you still play ice hockey?"

Me: "No...not anymore"

Ma: "Why the hell not?"

And that was all it took to get me going again. Like at least one other poster here, I started off in Open and realized that my Cooper gear was older than the guys I was playing with. A visit to an LHS followed with the staff falling over with laughter when I asked why the socks they sell don't have stirrups.

Playing men's league on a team now for past couple years and loving it. As you might imagine, I am the oldest guy on the team and the generation gap leads to many fun exchanges when we are having beers after the game. Going back to play was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. Thanks Ma!

[dalelewis22 0]

I would say 11 years. I tried to start a college club team from 1990 to 1991 but it never took flight. I stopped playing after that and resumed playing in 2003 and have been playing twice a week ever since. I LOVE THIS SPORT.

[hunterphfr 12]

And that was all it took to get me going again. Like at least one other poster here, I started off in Open and realized that my Cooper gear was older than the guys I was playing with. A visit to an LHS followed with the staff falling over with laughter when I asked why the socks they sell don't have stirrups.

Goalie on our Tuesday team hovers around or over the age eligible to join AARP. We got new jerseys and matching socks a few years ago. He told me I'd have to get him socks with stirrups. I told him he was going to have to knit his own because they didn't make them that way anymore. He asked if there wasn't anybody left that made them, I had to explain that stirrups were no longer available.

Thread pertinent comment is that I took about 8 years off after moving to Florida. Brought all my gear down in the first year, needed new skates and have extremely tough to fit feet. Gave it up and just did other things. Got back into it when my son started to play.

[greyskull 21]

Nearly 10 years. Life/University/Playing in a band got more important to me, and I lost interest. Mostly played roller hockey as a kid, for about 9 years, with a bit of ice hockey.

Saw a poster at an away game for the Ice team I support for a stick and puck session and thought... Well I'm getting a bit porky after all this drinking and good living; why not do exercise that is fun.

Boy have I fallen back in love with the game.

[iceman8310 105]

2002 - 2008 6 years. Thinking about taking a break now.

[Cams 7]

Aside from dealing with a 2-3 year absence dealing with a childhood illness at age 12, I have only been taking extended breaks. This spring/summer I haven't been on the ice much. That is due to my wifes work schedule mostly. Also, I have been having a problem with recurring stiffness in my neck/shoulder area, that doesn't really have a diagnosis. I think it's tension/stress. Plus, I also have recently had a weird weakness (for lack of better explanation) in my hip on one side. I am back on the ice in 2 or 3 weeks coming up, and hope those issues are behind me! Plus, my life, generally speaking, has me very busy already. The plate is very full, so hockey as a hobby has declined a bit.

There have been times, where I have pondered stopping anything hockey related, as sometimes I feel I need a break from the game, but I love it too much to do that.

[Orange&Black12 1]

Hi guys. The longest for me was about 5 years. I stopped when i was 14. My parents wanted to move away and i had to quit cause nobody could/wanted me to drive all the way to the rink then. I started again when i got my drivers licence. Since then i play for the same beer league team. Got named captain in my 3rd season and i really enjoy it since my first skate

[clayman 2]

20 years. I quit when I was about 8 (I played goal, because I could barely skate, and couldn't stop at all).

My dad played until he was about 60. I used to go with him to tournaments and stuff, but was never interested in hockey. Along comes the 1993 Maple Leafs, and I start following them. Never forget the late nights that spring watching the west coast games on CBC.

Last year I bought skates for my wife and I (she'd never skated before), and saw a flyer in the arena for an adult developmental program and league. I always knew there were adult leagues (because my dad ran a team in one for many years), but I never realized there were adult BEGINNER leagues. I hit the LHS and spent about $500 on slightly better than bottom end gear (Bauer X:30 instead of X:20, for example - I didn't want CRAP to learn in... ). After a couple months of going to Friday night developmental classes (taught with little kids who could skate circles around most of the adults), I went to a couple Tuesday night pickup games. Tuesdays are specifically for beginners and include an hour of drills before an hour of pickup. There are always some higher skilled guys who come out and just send perfect passes to the noobs to try to help them improve. (I honestly wonder if they get to play for free, which would be just fine, since honestly I think if I was a skilled player, it would suck to pay to play with noobs...)

I decided to give the spring league a shot, since its only 10 games. If I hate it, then I send my gear to play it again sports and forget it ever happened. I got placed on a team who was clearly far above me in skill level (but still division 5). Many a time I could feel their glaring at me when I screwed up. I also pushed myself as hard as possible and in the process was often dying for air when I got back to the bench, my feet were killing me, and fairly often I'd fall awkwardly. (I've pulled abdomen and neck muscles a few times from falling and tensing up... Man is it even painful to roll over while in bed after that!)

I loved it, and I upgraded my equipment. The only thing I have left from my beginnings are my shoulders, which I plan to replace this week. I've dropped 25lbs in the last couple months, and that has really helped with my stamina. Not to say I was in shape, because I'm certainly not. But its a whole lot easier to skate hard for a full game when you're 25lbs lighter. About 40 more to go ;)

I've improved significantly, and actually get a few scoring chances per game now! Once in a while, I even hit the back of the net ;)

My biggest issues right now are my lack of being able to stop hard on my left side, cant really skate backwards, and can only do (really sloppy) crossovers while turning to my left. Typical noob issues, I suppose. I'm also horribly slow, and my puck control and ability to skate with the puck are pretty terrible. I usually try to pass it off as soon as I get it, or else it gets knocked away pretty quick.

Oh, and I also still don't know how to take a slap shot. I feel like an idiot while the rest of the team is warming up taking slappers at the goalie, I'm usually just skating around in the neutral zone with a puck working on stick handling. It's pretty embarrassing!!

Anyway, that's my story! Sorry for the short novel ;)

Very cool!

[clayman 2]

I played when I was a kid in the 70's in California but when I moved to Arizona as a 19 year old the only ice was about 100 miles away, so after commuting for a while I ended up quitting. Fast forward 34 years and I'm living in Oregon- My daughter and I are taking a shortcut through what I thought was a commercial area and there was a rink, 10 minutes from my house! We pulled in and when I walked into the building it all came back to me, how much I missed the feel of the rink and the sport. I did a bunch of research on skates and went back in a week and bought new skates! My last new skates were 1975 Bauer Special Pro 99's, which I still have! Two weeks later I bought all new equipment as most of my old stuff was pretty deteriorated and I'm still trying to get my feet back under me after about 5 months! I can't believe I waited this long!

[rayuelo 1]

47 years.

Since I actually started playing, the longest I went without was the last 6 weeks due to injury.

[hunt3rsean 44]

I started playing hockey in mites/midgets and stopped in 1996 because the family had to move across the country. We went from readily available hockey (Joliet, IL) to where it was pretty much non-existant (Portland, OR). That issue plus money costs caused my parents not to keep me playing. Then in 2000 some friends got me into roller hockey a little bit as it was pretty popular out here. I never really played a lot but it kept me in some form of hockey. Then stopped playing that altogether in 2003. Then in 2007/2008 a work friend got me to join his men's league ice team and I've been playing since. Although, I may have to take a necessary break as I've fractured my left wrist twice (non-hockey related) and the last time it didn't heal properly so I have to go back. Doctor claims it may require surgery so that will be a bummer.

[Beleafer 14]

I stopped after first year bantam (13 turning 14). Getting back into it now (I'm 18 now).

[TeamStickel 0]

18 years. Last game when I was 17. Kids started playing, got into coaching. Got invited to play on a team. Found out how out of shape I was. Helped me quit smoking and drinking that light beer crap, IPA only now.

[Hockey11 4]

39 years! Played my last game in 1975 just after high school. Did not play again until early this year (2014) when my grandson went to an NHL game and was hooked. Started teaching him to skate, bought equipment for both of us, and play as much as possible now. It took several outings to feel comfortable again. I wish I could progress as fast as my grandson. It's amazing how quick an 8 year old with passion for the game can learn things. Anyway...both of us are loving it!

[beanhead 22]

21 years. Quit at the age of 16 when it wasn't fun anymore. I was always one of the smallest on the ice, so I became a favorite for the opposing team to smash into the boards. There was not a lot of rinks in our area for practice at the time and all the kids pretty much just chased the puck. Nobody would pass or make plays. When I watch high school games now, the kids are much more skilled than we were. There are also about 10 ice surfaces within an hour drive, as opposed to 2 ice surfaces when I was growing up.

Last year my daughter wanted to learn to ice skate. I found my Bauer Supreme 3000's (circa 1991) in the basement and went to the rink. I forgot how much I liked to skate when I was younger and decided I ought to do it regularly for exercise. I started public skating about 3 times a week. That led to me wanting to play in the open hockey sessions at the local rink. I bought all new equipment since I had sold all mine years ago.

Now I play open hockey about once a week. I enjoy it now since I don't have to worry about others smashing me into the boards. Me and the guys I play with know we are not going to the NHL, so we just have a good time. My work schedule does not allow me to play on a regular league, so I just stick to pick up hockey.

[stnlycup67 38]

17 years...started playing men's league when I was 15...played till I was 30....just started playing again last winter

[enis750 48]

Quit when I was about 14 ('94)

didn't pick it back up again until about 2001 - 2002

played for another 6 years, played some senior, quit league and played pick up twice a week for 2 years

took 2 years off and back at it this year playing both league and pick up, skating around 3 times a week or so

I now have a 4yr old son who's learning how to skate, and hope he will play next year

upgraded much of my gear this winter (a few times w some stuff as so much has changed)

dipped into the world of fantasy hockey and I'm back in it FULL BORE!!!! LOL!

[tattoosbyjay 30]

23 yrs just started playing again this year

[B1scu1t 15]

I was away for 12 years. Played up until I started driving a truck over the road at 21 years old. Still would play on weekends off. Moved to Columbus Ohio in 2001 for a job not driving. Never got on a team but played drop in until I went back driving over the road in April 2002 and moved to BFE. Took my equipment back home to Michigan and it's long been missing at my parents house. Last year I took a new job in the Columbus area and moved to a suburb in February. Over the summer found the cheap pair of skates I bought a few years back and started out skating. Decided to sign up on the list for D level to see if anyone would want me. Immediately got an email asking me to play and I said yes, not having ANY equipment at the time.

I can't believe how much I missed it and how much fun it is. And hockey in Columbus has grown quite a bit in the last 12 years.