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BenderHockey

San Diego area?

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Hey guys, I have the chance to potentially move to the San Diego area. I wanted to see if there are any locals on the board. If so, how is the hockey over there? Rinks, pro shops? I would be moving from the NYC/NJ area. Thanks in advance.

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Yea, the best place to play is going to be SDIA (sdice.com). No shops to speak of, besides hockeygiant, hockeymonkey and hockeytron up in the santa ana/anaheim area.

What level of play are you looking for? My team needs players...

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I disagree, SDIA sucks. Poorly ran and the quality of the ice is subpar. Best ice and facility hands down is the Kroc. Best pick up unfortunately is at 5:30am on Saturdays in Escondido but in terms of least amount of douchebaggery and better quality of play it's better than anything else.

The only good shop in Southern California in my opinion is Jake's up in LA next to where the Kings practice. I wish they were open when I was a kid playing up in LA.

http://jakeshockey.com/

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I disagree, SDIA sucks. Poorly ran and the quality of the ice is subpar. Best ice and facility hands down is the Kroc. Best pick up unfortunately is at 5:30am on Saturdays in Escondido but in terms of least amount of douchebaggery and better quality of play it's better than anything else.

The only good shop in Southern California in my opinion is Jake's up in LA next to where the Kings practice. I wish they were open when I was a kid playing up in LA.

http://jakeshockey.com/

i definitely agree! I started playing ice hockey when i was 6 till i was about 14 in los angeles where i lived then stopped but Im going to get back into it now and going to join the Adult league at the Kroc center here in sd. its definitely nicer than the other rinks ive seen down here. Ive been doing a little research and haven't seen any hockey shops, the closest one is the hockey monkey in Santa Ana which im going to this weekend so im excited for that; going to get all new gear. btw, how is stick time and the pick up games at the kroc center??

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i definitely agree! I started playing ice hockey when i was 6 till i was about 14 in los angeles where i lived then stopped but Im going to get back into it now and going to join the Adult league at the Kroc center here in sd. its definitely nicer than the other rinks ive seen down here. Ive been doing a little research and haven't seen any hockey shops, the closest one is the hockey monkey in Santa Ana which im going to this weekend so im excited for that; going to get all new gear. btw, how is stick time and the pick up games at the kroc center??

Kroc's stick time is okay. It's overrun with the Saints (the inhouse team) players who stick around after their practice. Pick up is a lot faster than anywhere in San Diego. The overall skill level at Kroc I feel like is a lot higher than the other rinks. I haven't been to Kroc pick up in a while though because I work during the day.

I live in San Diego and the best place for ice hockey is without a doubt Iceoplex in Escondido. Roller hockey at the Escondido Sports Center with sportcourt flooring and a roof.

There are small proshops at both SDIA and Iceoplex but your best option is Play it Again sports in Mira Mesa. The location in Mira Mesa specializes in hockey equipment and the store managers/workers all play hockey.

Let me know if you have any other questions, Iv lived here my whole life and I have no doubt that its one of the best places one could ever live.

The two pro shops don't really offer much. It's okay if you need emergency gear. The Play It Again has helpful staff, yes. However, their selection is severely lacking.

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Figured this would be a good time to pop my posting cherry. What team at Iceoplex? I play there on Sundays along with down at UTC on Monday and Wednesday.

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Figured this would be a good time to pop my posting cherry. What team at Iceoplex? I play there on Sundays along with down at UTC on Monday and Wednesday.

windigo, you?

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SDIA has morning skate at 11-3 where there are literally 12 or so people on the ice. The ice isn't exactly cherry, it kind of varies depending on the day.

They do have leagues and classes but I haven't been in the area long enough to see what's good with that.

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SDIA has morning skate at 11-3 where there are literally 12 or so people on the ice. The ice isn't exactly cherry, it kind of varies depending on the day.

They do have leagues and classes but I haven't been in the area long enough to see what's good with that.

Yea the public skate during the week is awesome. 12 is probably on the high end. Usually its 4 or 5 figure skaters, no kids.

I moved from SDIA to Iceoplex recently. The dressing rooms are somehow worse, but the ice is much better. They actually, you know, put water down when they cut it.

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Not sure, but the general consensus from what I hear is that the PIAS in Mira Mesa is the best place in the area for hockey. I haven't been in a while, though.



I might have to try the Iceoplex then. It's just SDIA is so damn close to me, I don't need a car to get there.

SDIA isn't too bad. The ice is pretty hard, it's just not cut very well. That said, it's still better to get a late game than an early game since the early game is right after a 3 hour public skating session and the ice is chewed up badly. The iceoplex ice is barely even skateable during a public session, but its pretty good during hockey.

I only went from SDIA to Iceoplex because the moved my team up a division. I'm easily the worst player in whatever league I play in, and the rest of my team there wasn't exactly fantastic either. They sent us a trio of hotshot kids who completely disrupted the locker room and moved us up. Iceoplex is also a lot closer for me (5 min vs 20), though the distance isn't why I switched.

You'll probably be happy in either, honestly.

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Hey guys, I just moved to SD about a year ago and would like to start playing ice hockey.

Since this is my post on MSH, I wanted to give a short intro. I am 24 and have never played ice hockey. I played roller hockey when I was a kid (from age 6-10) and have been a hockey fan my whole life. My inline skating is still good (ice skating is only OK), but it has been almost 15 years since I had a stick in my hand so my stick handling and shooting are pretty poor. I plan to take some skills classes over the next few months. My goal is to join a beginner/novice league in the Fall/Winter.

I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with any of the classes/clinics at SDIA or Iceoplex?
From the previous posts, it looks like Iceoplex is better for league play (less douchebags). But I am curious if one is better than the other for classes/clinics (better coaches, better drills, less crowded etc). Currently, I am leaning towards SDIA because it is a little closer to where I live.
Also, if anyone has a coach/instructor they can recommend for private sessions, I would appreciate that as well. I am hoping to mix in a few private sessions, so I can be ready for the Fall/Winter season.

Thanks in advance!

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Ughhh. Must be nice. C'mon SB!

Went to the open house they had last Friday, its coming along! Don't know what they were thinking only putting one full sheet down, but couldn't be more excited to not have to drive down to Oxnard.

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Optimus, I know man I know. SD's one of the few places I could move to too.

Jsp, I haven't heard any updates, just what I can see from the webcam. Are they still on schedule for the September opening? Looks like Paradise is going to be right in your backyard, lucky dog. Hey at least it cuts down the drive about an hour or so for us. PS: We need our own thread, I keep hijacking this one haha.

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