Confirmed with Link: Bobby Ryan takes on a couple of beerleague plugs over $100 bucks

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Mens league and beer league are the same to me.

We have beer in the parking lot before and after.

In my age group and area of town, all the house leaguers seem to have stopped playing, and all the people who played higher level still love to play often.

I think it's harder to find a 25 year old friend to come play hockey who isn't good at hockey.

All the ones who aren't good at hockey have excuses " I got rid of my equipment when I moved" , "I can't find my helmet it's been years" , " my skates don't fit" etc. Then all the more serious players always have their gear in their car and are ready to go at a moment's notice.

That will change. House/rec/beer league I was in, was mostly mid 30s to 50s. Once you get older and you want to do something once a week to have fun and get some exercise, the thought of playing hockey comes roaring back. And yes, it was a lot of bad (like me!) players, newbies to the sport, and folks who were out of shape.

 

[Proust*]

My league has like 12 divisions. The guys can barely skate in the bottom divisions. The top divisions are full of ex-CIS, College, Junior A, CHL, ECHL players.

Bobby Ryan would probably be in Div 3.

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

My league has like 12 divisions. The guys can barely skate in the bottom divisions. The top divisions are full of ex-CIS, College, Junior A, CHL, ECHL players.

Bobby Ryan would probably be in Div 3.

Bobby Ryan is, himself, an ex-CHL player.

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

My league has like 12 divisions. The guys can barely skate in the bottom divisions. The top divisions are full of ex-CIS, College, Junior A, CHL, ECHL players.

Bobby Ryan would probably be in Div 3.

I spare in division 1 in the OSMHL. That league features a lot of local NHLers playing thru the summer. Last year we had Huberdeau, Gudbranson, Toffoli, etc. Toffoli was playing when I spared for my friend's team (he plays in the A) and every one else was either ex-AHL/college or current AHL/College.

 

[The Lewler]

Mens league and beer league are the same to me.

We have beer in the parking lot before and after.

In my age group and area of town, all the house leaguers seem to have stopped playing, and all the people who played higher level still love to play often.

I think it's harder to find a 25 year old friend to come play hockey who isn't good at hockey.

All the ones who aren't good at hockey have excuses " I got rid of my equipment when I moved" , "I can't find my helmet it's been years" , " my skates don't fit" etc. Then all the more serious players always have their gear in their car and are ready to go at a moment's notice.

Do you have tryouts?

 

[Holdurbreathe]

I agree. One thing people really don't realize is the strength of these guys on their skates. I could catch bobby ryan with the his head down looking at the puck in his feet and i would go flying while he goes "did someone try to hit me?"

But I'm replying to the people that seem to infer what you put in quotations. The people that think it's so ridiculous that someone who isn't in the NHL could beat a player in the NHL at one particular skill - the nhl player's weakest one to boot.

I know a few guys (that played junior,college, run camps, ass. coach junior teams right now, who are in their early to mid 20s, in shape, on the ice several times a week(and their greatest strength is footspeed) where i would put money on them winning in a lap against bobby ryan. So for me to hear someone think they could beat ryan in a straight line doesn't seem so eye popping to me. Ryan didn't get to the NHL because of his speed. He got there despite his speed. That goes to show you how good the rest of his game is.

I think what people are questioning is the comment from a poster that said they could beat Ryan in a race.

Even if that individual met all the criteria indicated in the BOLDED, there is absolutely no guarantee that person would beat Ryan in a sprint from goal line to goal line or even a lap of the rink.

Watching pros skate from ice level, isn't like watching a game on TV.

Even players some posters believe are slow, when compared to other pros, just aren't close to representative of anything you will see in a beer league in terms of speed.

So while it is possible that a player that played hockey at a high level could be faster than Ryan, I think you are talking about the less than 1 percenters and that isn't representative of beer leaguers in general.

Fact is Bobby Ryan isn't even trying hard in those videos!!

 

[jbeck5]

Do you have tryouts?

no. not at all. We're all buddies from back in the day. We have 2 goalies and have a mix of 30-some guys and 3 goalies(with 20 showing up per night, and 2 goalies) so we have 2 lines and we just go at her for an hour with no refs or whistles. Everyone is buddy buddy and the games are skilled not chippy. Everyones drinking beer lol.

My summer league(actual league with refs) is about to start and it was roughly similar competition last year.

 

[slamigo]

That will change. House/rec/beer league I was in, was mostly mid 30s to 50s. Once you get older and you want to do something once a week to have fun and get some exercise, the thought of playing hockey comes roaring back. And yes, it was a lot of bad (like me!) players, newbies to the sport, and folks who were out of shape.

This. There's a huge amount of hockey dads like myself that just want to go once a week and giggle and curse and drink a beer. It's an hour away from real life where you don't think about any work, family issues. The guys who take it too seriously don't get invited back to play.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Mens league and beer league are the same to me.

We have beer in the parking lot before and after.

In my age group and area of town, all the house leaguers seem to have stopped playing, and all the people who played higher level still love to play often.

I think it's harder to find a 25 year old friend to come play hockey who isn't good at hockey.

All the ones who aren't good at hockey have excuses " I got rid of my equipment when I moved" , "I can't find my helmet it's been years" , " my skates don't fit" etc. Then all the more serious players always have their gear in their car and are ready to go at a moment's notice.

Ok we get it, you and your posse are good at hockey.

The fact is, most beer leaguers aren't ex AAA and OHL players who "have their gear ready at a moment's notice". That's the point everyone is trying to make to you.

 

[Othello*]

The guy in the video is way worse than any beer leaguers I've ever seen.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

The guy in the video is way worse than any beer leaguers I've ever seen.

I wonder if you could beat him in a race

 

[slamigo]

The guy in the video is way worse than any beer leaguers I've ever seen.

Not really. Lots of guys start playing hockey in their 30s or haven't played hockey since they were 13. Those decades of inactivity take their toll. Go watch some games.
It's actually horrible to watch. When we're playing, it feels like everything is happening so quickly and you have no time to do anything with the puck. Then you watch from the bar and realize just how slow and uncoordinated everyone is. Lol.
We even joke about having the defibrillator on the bench because someone is going to probably need it.

 

[jbeck5]

Ok we get it, you and your posse are good at hockey.

The fact is, most beer leaguers aren't ex AAA and OHL players who "have their gear ready at a moment's notice". That's the point everyone is trying to make to you.

I think it would have been more interesting to see guys who played competitive(guys who could have been on their team at 14 type guys) and see how much they've separated instead of some guy who's career achievements consist of a goal at the odr.

 

[Alfie#11]

Not really. Lots of guys start playing hockey in their 30s or haven't played hockey since they were 13. Those decades of inactivity take their toll. Go watch some games.
It's actually horrible to watch. When we're playing, it feels like everything is happening so quickly and you have no time to do anything with the puck. Then you watch from the bar and realize just how slow and uncoordinated everyone is. Lol.
We even joke about having the defibrillator on the bench because someone is going to probably need it.

Spot on.

Some of the guys I know in my league have taken to making videos with GoPros of their games and putting them on Youtube. Nearly everyone has commented on how different (and worse) they look than how they feel they are doing when on the ice.

This is beer league. This an example (you really don't watch the whole thing lol) of D/E level beer league in the league I play in, in Toronto. There are worse levels than this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7N0PhswR3U

I appreciate some beer leaguers are guys who played at high levels but most are not. What some guys are describing sounds more like teams that would be trying to win the Allan Cup rather than your average, once a week beer leaguer.

 

[Alfie#11]

I think it would have been more interesting to see guys who played competitive(guys who could have been on their team at 14 type guys) and see how much they've separated instead of some guy who's career achievements consist of a goal at the odr.

Maybe but I think the idea was to show NHLer vs average beer leaguer for laughs. The dudes in the video (and most people who play hockey) and not the players you're describing or your group of friends. It gives the joe schmo who never played against these guys some idea of the gap.

Guys who played high level competitive minor hockey (AAA etc), junior, CIS etc. should already know they gap as they are the players who got left behind as the NHLers made their way through the ranks.

Let's not forget all the fans who may have never even played hockey before and may not have much grasp on how difficult it is to play hockey at a high level.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Spot on.

Some of the guys I know in my league have taken to making videos with GoPros of their games and putting them on Youtube. Nearly everyone has commented on how different (and worse) they look than how they feel they are doing when on the ice.

This is beer league. This an example (you really don't watch the whole thing lol) of D/E level beer league in the league I play in, in Toronto. There are worse levels than this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7N0PhswR3U

I appreciate some beer leaguers are guys who played at high levels but most are not. What some guys are describing sounds more like teams that would be trying to win the Allan Cup rather than your average, once a week beer leaguer.

Yes, that video is exactly how it is. Great stuff.

 

[sens2k9]

Watching pros skate from ice level, isn't like watching a game on TV.

This guy gets it.

 

[slamigo]

This guy gets it.

Yup. My first Sens game I went to I had ice level seats at the old Civic Centre (or whatever it was called). Stan Neckar skated into the corner during the warmup and did a quick stop. He shaved an 8"x10" paper thin sheet of ice that floated up into the air about shoulder level and then fell back to earth like a leaf. So strange that I'll never forget that, but the power and precision that these guys skate with is unreal when you watch up close.

 

[jbeck5]

Speaking of Neckar...how the hell is it pronounced "netscash". I can get the "c" making a TS sound but the "AR" making a "ash" is confusing as ****.

Also, I can skate faster than Stanislav Neckar.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Speaking of Neckar...how the hell is it pronounced "netscash". I can get the "c" making a TS sound but the "AR" making a "ash" is confusing as ****.

Also, I can skate faster than Stanislav Neckar.

You're good at hockey. We get it.

Congrats

 

[Othello*]

You're good at hockey. We get it.

Congrats

Skating fast =/= being good at hockey.

 

[jbeck5]

You're good at hockey. We get it.

Congrats

Well he's like 60 isn't he?

 

[jbeck5]

Skating fast =/= being good at hockey.

Exactly. And I'm not even a fast skater. lol

 

[mattlef]

Two new videos are up.

One poor dude gets introduced to the 16 wheeler known as BR6 and the first episode of #WhateverItatakes the story of what it takes to make the NHL

click here for videos

 

[Do Make Say Think]

You're good at hockey. We get it.

Congrats

I'll have you know he's better than good: he would have been in the NHL if now was 20 years ago and he was as good, nay, incredible, as he is today