is it just me or is D1 easier than D3 mens league?

[teamohiogocincyswords6111 1]

It seem as if D3 is harder than D1 due to the out of control slashes and crazy stick lifting. D1 just seems to be an easier cleaner puck moving league and it seems a lot easier to carry the puck down the ice. Is it this way for anyone else?

[IPv6Freely 2094]

The skill level is higher but it always seems “easier” because there’s less stickwork, more structure, better passing etc. 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

Playing D1 (or 'A' around my parts) is 'easier' because we have played the game at certain level has us relying more on our hockey IQ. Hence, the better play that is expected to come with players at that level. D3/C level hockey has a decent amount of guys who got into the game later in life so men's league is the most competitive level of hockey they've ever participated in. The footwork is lacking so the natural thing is to use arms and sticks to impede your opponent's progress. It's the nature of the beast haha. Had a C3 game to officiate last evening and its the same thing every single time. 20 guys on each bench. Pregame talks about lines and positioning. Pregame music. Matching sweaters with name plates. Each team has a couple of guys who've played the game at a higher level but just are older. The rest of the guys out there slashing and hooking and complaining EVERYTHING haha. It's all good though at the end of the day: we play for the love of the game.

[clarkiestooth 235]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 7:52 PM, teamohiogocincyswords6111 said:

It seem as if D3 is harder than D1 due to the out of control slashes and crazy stick lifting. D1 just seems to be an easier cleaner puck moving league and it seems a lot easier to carry the puck down the ice. Is it this way for anyone else?

In a sense, "A" level is easier because when you move the puck knowledgably and on target, it makes things easier for all. From a safety aspect, the less experienced players are absolutely more dangerous. They have formed their "vision" of hockey through watching the NHL and the movie, "Slapshot".

It's also an age thing.  If you've grown up playing with a full cage at all times, many don't respect the damage a stick/puck/elbow can cause. I'm 55 years old now, and play A level, so most players are in their 20's. It bothers me that the young guys often don't show this respect. Conversely, when I play in the 50+ Tier 1 Nationals(ex career pros,D1/2 college players) the play is fast, but you can play safely without a facemask or shield (quite a few old Jofas out there).

[xstartxtodayx 343]

On 6/30/2017 at 8:18 AM, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

...Had a C3 game to officiate last evening and its the same thing every single time. 20 guys on each bench. Pregame talks about lines and positioning. Pregame music. Matching sweaters with name plates. Each team has a couple of guys who've played the game at a higher level but just are older. The rest of the guys out there slashing and hooking and complaining EVERYTHING haha. It's all good though at the end of the day: we play for the love of the game.

This!  I'd classify myself as one of the "couple of guys who've played the game at a higher level but just are older" and what you stated there has been so evident the past couple of years.  Long story short, I played high school and college (small club league in the tri state area) and then played high level mens leagues for a while, then snapped my ACL and took about 7 or 8 years off (put it off, got married, had a couple kids, then finally got around to fixing it haha).  So now I've been back at it for almost 3 years and am definitely that older out of shape guy... my hockey IQ is still good but I'm definitely not as quick as I used to be.  I play on a low level mens league team and it is exactly how you described... beautiful matching jerseys that took them 3 mos to agree on, team water bottles, group chat with lines and PP/PK lines, game plans, post game break downs, etc, it's incredible how into it these guys are but unfortunately none have ever played any sort of competitive hockey and lack a lot of the hockey IQ.  Last season I joined a mid level team as a second team and immediately had that revelation about "playing with better players makes you better", that goes for both sides, it's so much better to play with and against guys that know what they're doing out there and at the end of the day makes those late night games much more enjoyable.

Sorry for the long story, it's just nice to see I wasn't the only one going through this (and my wife is tired of hearing me talk about it with her )

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

7 minutes ago, xstartxtodayx said:

This!  I'd classify myself as one of the "couple of guys who've played the game at a higher level but just are older" and what you stated there has been so evident the past couple of years.  Long story short, I played high school and college (small club league in the tri state area) and then played high level mens leagues for a while, then snapped my ACL and took about 7 or 8 years off (put it off, got married, had a couple kids, then finally got around to fixing it haha).  So now I've been back at it for almost 3 years and am definitely that older out of shape guy... my hockey IQ is still good but I'm definitely not as quick as I used to be.  I play on a low level mens league team and it is exactly how you described... beautiful matching jerseys that took them 3 mos to agree on, team water bottles, group chat with lines and PP/PK lines, game plans, post game break downs, etc, it's incredible how into it these guys are but unfortunately none have ever played any sort of competitive hockey and lack a lot of the hockey IQ.  Last season I joined a mid level team as a second team and immediately had that revelation about "playing with better players makes you better", that goes for both sides, it's so much better to play with and against guys that know what they're doing out there and at the end of the day makes those late night games much more enjoyable.

Sorry for the long story, it's just nice to see I wasn't the only one going through this (and my wife is tired of hearing me talk about it with her )

Haha no, your story is EXACTLY what I've observed over my 7+ years of playing/officiating men's league after graduating college. Your personal experience is validation of my observations. And to your point, it is so true. I'd rather be the worse player in my league, knowing I have a chance to get better, than play down and lose my skill at a quick pace.

[marka 526]

Howdy,

I'm a new player, so I'm exactly the type of "no hockey IQ PITA" player you all are talking about.  Hell, I like cool jerseys too!  :-)

But I was talking about this same thing with a buddy that used to play HS and Junior, then took a break and has over the past year gotten back into hockey.  Mostly this was in the context of me telling him that I found it a lot easier to play with folks that were more skilled than me, but he also mentioned how much more fun it is for him playing with higher level groups, even though he had to work on his conditioning / ramp his speed back up to do it.

 

My question is... Outside of a time machine I'm not going back to age 6 and start playing hockey when I should have.  How, as a 47 year old, can I work on improving my hockey IQ?  I play a decent bit, maybe four times a week or so, and am slowly getting better at the IQ part, but are there off-ice ways to improve it?

Mark

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

10 minutes ago, marka said:

 

My question is... Outside of a time machine I'm not going back to age 6 and start playing hockey when I should have.  How, as a 47 year old, can I work on improving my hockey IQ?  I play a decent bit, maybe four times a week or so, and am slowly getting better at the IQ part, but are there off-ice ways to improve it?

Mark

My biggest thing that I've done is watch high level hockey as a student and not as a fan. NHL. AHL/ECHL. NCAA. CHL. Tier I/II JRs (USA). While most of MSH members can't/didn't play at these levels, we can all learn from the players who do. While we may not have the speed and strength of these elite hockey players, the basics of hockey are still there. You have a USHL team in your backyard. Next time you have a chance to catch a game, watch the players and not the game. Same thing with professional hockey watch the players. How they work individually. How they work as a team. See the things that the players do well (especially the area(s) you are seeking improvement). From there, you can give yourself another way of seeing how a certain action in hockey is done correctly. 

[xstartxtodayx 343]

3 hours ago, marka said:

Howdy,

I'm a new player, so I'm exactly the type of "no hockey IQ PITA" player you all are talking about.  Hell, I like cool jerseys too!  :-)

But I was talking about this same thing with a buddy that used to play HS and Junior, then took a break and has over the past year gotten back into hockey.  Mostly this was in the context of me telling him that I found it a lot easier to play with folks that were more skilled than me, but he also mentioned how much more fun it is for him playing with higher level groups, even though he had to work on his conditioning / ramp his speed back up to do it.

 

My question is... Outside of a time machine I'm not going back to age 6 and start playing hockey when I should have.  How, as a 47 year old, can I work on improving my hockey IQ?  I play a decent bit, maybe four times a week or so, and am slowly getting better at the IQ part, but are there off-ice ways to improve it?

Mark

2 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

My biggest thing that I've done is watch high level hockey as a student and not as a fan. NHL. AHL/ECHL. NCAA. CHL. Tier I/II JRs (USA). While most of MSH members can't/didn't play at these levels, we can all learn from the players who do. While we may not have the speed and strength of these elite hockey players, the basics of hockey are still there. You have a USHL team in your backyard. Next time you have a chance to catch a game, watch the players and not the game. Same thing with professional hockey watch the players. How they work individually. How they work as a team. See the things that the players do well (especially the area(s) you are seeking improvement). From there, you can give yourself another way of seeing how a certain action in hockey is done correctly. 

I agree with what was said, you need to watch as a student and observe what's going on, not only with the play but away from the play how guys position themselves and read plays.  Personally I love going to games and sitting in the corners rather than along the sidelines, this gives me more of that feel of being out there on the ice and seeing plays.  From there you can try to observe your teammates, pick up their tendencies and try to work better with one another, and then later on try to watch the other team while you're on the bench and see if you notice any patterns.  Hockey is a thinking game and the faster you can think and anticipate what's going on the better you'll get (and it also helps you conserve what limited energy us old guys have since you'll be more likely to be in the right spot haha).

 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

Exactly. Since we don't have the luxury of having coaches and practices, we are left with working out physically and mentally. The mind, in general, holds up longer than the body.

[chippa13 1844]

I always find it easier playing against better players because they understand positioning.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

On 7/2/2017 at 10:22 AM, clarkiestooth said:

In a sense, "A" level is easier because when you move the puck knowledgably and on target, it makes things easier for all. From a safety aspect, the less experienced players are absolutely more dangerous. They have formed their "vision" of hockey through watching the NHL and the movie, "Slapshot".

It's also an age thing.  If you've grown up playing with a full cage at all times, many don't respect the damage a stick/puck/elbow can cause. I'm 55 years old now, and play A level, so most players are in their 20's. It bothers me that the young guys often don't show this respect. Conversely, when I play in the 50+ Tier 1 Nationals(ex career pros,D1/2 college players) the play is fast, but you can play safely without a facemask or shield (quite a few old Jofas out there).

Truth. I'm one of the young guys has worn a half-er in the past, but won't wear it because of what you've correctly pointed out. Actually, SJ9 was the first time I didn't wear a cage while playing in years haha. 

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 7/3/2017 at 8:28 AM, xstartxtodayx said:

This!  I'd classify myself as one of the "couple of guys who've played the game at a higher level but just are older" and what you stated there has been so evident the past couple of years.  Long story short, I played high school and college (small club league in the tri state area) and then played high level mens leagues for a while, then snapped my ACL and took about 7 or 8 years off (put it off, got married, had a couple kids, then finally got around to fixing it haha).  So now I've been back at it for almost 3 years and am definitely that older out of shape guy... my hockey IQ is still good but I'm definitely not as quick as I used to be.  I play on a low level mens league team and it is exactly how you described... beautiful matching jerseys that took them 3 mos to agree on, team water bottles, group chat with lines and PP/PK lines, game plans, post game break downs, etc, it's incredible how into it these guys are but unfortunately none have ever played any sort of competitive hockey and lack a lot of the hockey IQ.  Last season I joined a mid level team as a second team and immediately had that revelation about "playing with better players makes you better", that goes for both sides, it's so much better to play with and against guys that know what they're doing out there and at the end of the day makes those late night games much more enjoyable.

Sorry for the long story, it's just nice to see I wasn't the only one going through this (and my wife is tired of hearing me talk about it with her )

It is nice to just get covered or you can just pass to a spot and who should be there is 

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 7/3/2017 at 10:21 AM, marka said:

Howdy,

I'm a new player, so I'm exactly the type of "no hockey IQ PITA" player you all are talking about.  Hell, I like cool jerseys too!  :-)

But I was talking about this same thing with a buddy that used to play HS and Junior, then took a break and has over the past year gotten back into hockey.  Mostly this was in the context of me telling him that I found it a lot easier to play with folks that were more skilled than me, but he also mentioned how much more fun it is for him playing with higher level groups, even though he had to work on his conditioning / ramp his speed back up to do it.

 

My question is... Outside of a time machine I'm not going back to age 6 and start playing hockey when I should have.  How, as a 47 year old, can I work on improving my hockey IQ?  I play a decent bit, maybe four times a week or so, and am slowly getting better at the IQ part, but are there off-ice ways to improve it?

Mark

Go to college games or pro games and pick positions and observe.  Look for set ups.   Conditioning wise I suggest cycling.    As a team: get people to pass for the right reason ,many times the puck only gets passed when a player is in hot water and getting rid of the hot potato.      Also make an effort to slow the present situation down  , do it with breathing ,or a count ,you have more time  than you think you have. Easier said then done  I know.  Also puck handling, set up a practice area  . Puck handle with your eyes closed side to side ,front to back  ,in awkward positions.   If you want to move your feet get a slide board  . Eyes closed . Build that second nature feel. This in a game situation will give you more time and create opportunity  

[FlyChicaga 21]

I agree wholeheartedly with the above... I was playing in a low-level rec league, and I also play in a much more competitive C league (more like a B league). I have way more fun in the C league. Guys are more controlled, plays develop, and most importantly there is WAY less slashing, whining, etc. You go into the corner in the D rec league and bump into someone, next thing you know there's a huge scrum and someone comes unglued. In the C league, guys play competitively and push and shove a bit and just move on, since it's part of the game, and nothing that will get anyone hurt.

 

I'm going to miss my teammates in the rec league, but I won't miss the hockey.