Advice: Anyone suffer from The Beer League Blues?

[beedee]

While the title may be a bit dramatic I was wondering if anyone else out there gets their britches in a bunch regarding ice time, especially those whom play winger? I've been playing Beer League for many years (played youth hockey as well) but recently have become a little bothered with how the wingers tend to get shorted(mod edit) when it comes to ice time. (when having more than 10 skaters)

It is rare that we ever have the magic number of 10 skaters, so what ends up happening is we always play with 2 lines of D, usually 2 centers, and then the ol' rotate a player through the wings, or even through lw/c/rw. I know it comes with the territory but last night kind of struck a nerve with me. We had 4 D, 2 C and 6 W. While everyone tries to take short shifts, it rarely happens. I kept track of my shifts and netted out at 4 in the first period, and 3 in the 2nd and 3rd. I skate all out for(mod edit)my shifts and routinely look to change around :45 to 1:00 on the nose, if the play permits.

What I want to know is, have any of you guys felt these frustrations? Did you end up switching to play defense or center? It is unfair(mod edit) that out of a 42 minute game (14 minute stopped time periods) the wingers are skating around 10 minutes or so a game.

I mean for this thread as a way of learning how other wingers deal with the situation, or if anyone else has advice I'm all ears. I'll be waiting in the corner untwisting my britches.

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[PS12]

While the title may be a bit dramatic I was wondering if anyone else out there gets their britches in a bunch regarding ice time, especially those whom play winger? I've been playing Beer League for many years (played youth hockey as well) but recently have become a little bothered with how the wingers tend to get shorted(mod edit) when it comes to ice time. (when having more than 10 skaters)

It is rare that we ever have the magic number of 10 skaters, so what ends up happening is we always play with 2 lines of D, usually 2 centers, and then the ol' rotate a player through the wings, or even through lw/c/rw. I know it comes with the territory but last night kind of struck a nerve with me. We had 4 D, 2 C and 6 W. While everyone tries to take short shifts, it rarely happens. I kept track of my shifts and netted out at 4 in the first period, and 3 in the 2nd and 3rd. I skate all out for(mod edit)my shifts and routinely look to change around :45 to 1:00 on the nose, if the play permits.

What I want to know is, have any of you guys felt these frustrations? Did you end up switching to play defense or center? It is unfair(mod edit) that out of a 42 minute game (14 minute stopped time periods) the wingers are skating around 10 minutes or so a game.

I mean for this thread as a way of learning how other wingers deal with the situation, or if anyone else has advice I'm all ears. I'll be waiting in the corner untwisting my britches.

I get frustrated when i swap in for one teammate. Ive learned to deal with it by just playing my game which means skating as hard as i can each shift.
One tournament we were wings. Hed stay out there for 3-4 mins at a time. I usually do about a minute but then started cutting it back. I hopped on the ice. Skated hard for one play and hopped off. Did that a couple of times. His shifts got shorter after that.

Last game we were the two centers. After first period i was glad when the one d guy came up to play o so i switched to wing to replace the guy who shifted back to d.
3 mins go by and the new center is starting to get annoyed. After 4 and the center doesnt look like hes getting off the ice so the new center tells him to change it up. He had to remind him a few more times.

I accept that my teammate is slow and doesnt really push which is why he can coast out there. My other teammate did not.

Communication is key. Id probably have more ice time if i told my slow teammate to switch it up more. But its tricky. Some people get offended if you tell them to get off and then it starts a vicious cycle of people staying out longer to get their fair share.

Ironically my slow teammate has complainef about people staying out too long. Lol.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

I hate when people decide to take 2-3 minute shifts.. It drives me nuts.

I don't feel like taking marathon shifts, I'd rather go all out(mod edit), go hard on the forecheck and backcheck and play both ends of the ice each shift and then get off the ice panting and regaining my breath for the next shift. I hate when some people decide to go on for a few minutes float and then pretty much proclaim "well, I can take longer shifts so I why not?"

We'd be a much better team with actual short shifts that are strictly adhered to but there are some people out there who don't seem to have common logic or fairness among teammates in sports. It seems like to me, some people don't play to win and that they the saying "As long as I have fun that's all that matters" a little too seriously. I know it's rec/beer league, I know I'm not in the NHL but I like having a competitive game and winning and not being forced to take 5 minute shifts to compensate for you taking a 5 minute shift and then having to float on the blue line for a few minutes because I play way harder then you.. etc


/end rant

 

[Mav3rick07]

This is why I love playing goalie. I get to play all game.

Sorry I couldn't help.

 

[intangible]

Sounds to me like the issue is much less rotating and much more idiot players not taking appropriate shift lengths. I'd talk to the team and institute expected shift lengths.

I'm playing on a crap C-level team just for fun and we hadn't won a game. Then the other better defenseman and I decided we were going to start taking ultra short shifts. I'm talking 15-30 seconds. It was almost comical how often we switched. But at 30 and overweight and 56 and bad knees, it was a necessity that led to us getting a huge win.

If players can't gauge themselves to minute shifts, I'd start mandating the 30-45 second shifts and have the next line start pulling guys off. Sad that we have to do this as adults, but it happens.

 

[Blackshad]

I used to play forward. Than i understood i would be half of the game on the ice if I played D. Even more if there was missing forwards and we ended up playing 3 D.

 

[RandV]

Yeah I've been lucky in the last few years but I remember some games where we had 3 lines and guys would start taking 2-3 minute shifts, as someone who thrives on quicker shifts it just wasn't any fun. I'm pretty sure we never actually won any of those games, as it's the absolute worst way to play organized hockey. If guys want to do that they should just go to drop in hockey where 5 minute shifts are the norm.

Seems like there's three different ways you can deal with it. First is to get everyone to buy in to minute shifts from the start. Now for beer league I think the 30-45 second shift thing is a little too much, generally you want to keep it to a minute and have some leeway up to 90 seconds. Second and third way is through peer pressure, either make sure there's at least one guy on the line that will sub off properly so hopefully his linemates will follow, or on a whistle simply have the next line jump the boards forcing the guys on the ice to come off.

I think the large majority of beer leaguers will go along with this. If you come across one guy that simply refuses to come off, just kick him off the team.

 

[beedee]

Thanks for all of the replys. Im not sure how to really go about possibly playing on the blue line for our team as the current 4 D have been playing it for many years.

 

[ragingrabbit]

I pretty much try to lead by example. I never, ever played more than two minutes max back in my day as a lad. I am old, I can't be out there longer than two minutes. And what kills me is when I get chirped on my bench for a short shift!!!

On the pickup stuff I play on, I always say to the others that we have this many players on the bench, let's take advantage of the ability to have fresh legs. Puckup hockey is the hardest to police the shift lengths, I realise. Then there are occasions where there are only twelve skaters total, and long shifts are a necessity. I love when 25-30 show, as we get nice, short shifts.

In a beer league game I played this past saturday night, some were grumbling about the zillions of people showing up. I don't think 8 defense and eleven forwards is too many. We could play nice, short shifts. And we did, nobody was gassed after the middle of the first period. The locker rooms were a different story, however, as they are sinfully small.

 

[shoeshine boy]

on those occasions when you have 11 try pitching the idea of 3 centers. centers skate more than anybody else so why not run 3 to keep them fresher?
when you have 12 make sure the centers sit when you have penalties. the other thing you can do is whatever position takes a penalty that's the position that sits. if a D takes a penalty then you send out 3 forwards and 1 D and have one forward drop back to D. this gives your forwards more ice time and also rests your D a little.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

Yeah I used to play forward. I'm small but a great skater so I just said I'd go back on D. Love the increased ice-time lol.

 

[tarheelhockey]

It's idiotic to give your wingers shorter shifts than your centers. The centers are skating crease-to-crease and usually have to be the first guy back defensively. Your team is giving the opponent a huge advantage by long-shifting its centers.

on those occasions when you have 11 try pitching the idea of 3 centers.

That's the appropriate solution.

10 players = 4D, 2C, 4W
11 players = 4D, 3C, 4W
12 players = 4D, 3C, 5W
13 players = 4D, 3C, 6W
14 players = 5D, 3C, 6W
15 players = 6D, 3C, 6W
16 players = 6D, 4C, 6W
17+ players = 6D, 4C, 7+W

 

[mikitas donut]

We usually have 15 skaters (9 forwards, 6 D) and people still take like 3 minutes shifts. It bugs me not so much for the ice time, but people getting tired and sluggish. Fresh legs are the way to go.

I try to keep my shifts to about 45 seconds and my wingers are catching on. Other guys on the team are starting to catch on too.

 

[TLow97]

I'm fat and get tired quick. I envy nobody for ice time.

Although on the PK I feel Suter-like. So there's that...

In an ideal situation, we run 9 forwards and 5 D. Because of uneven ice time, my team actually has a different entry fee for forwards (lower) and defensemen (higher).

 

[theMajor]

ice time isnt a problem for me this season ( i played 58 minutes out of 60 last game ) but when it was i always spoke up. we all pay the same amount of money to be on the ice, theres no sense in some people getting loads more ice time than others. if people are taking really long shifts it almost always catches up to them/your team in the 3rd period and breakdowns start to happen. i find that the people taking 3+ minute shifts are floaters that arent really skating....if youre pushing yourself and skating hard, you wont be able to stay out there and be effective after 90ish seconds. bring it up to your captain and see what he thinks

 

[The Tikkanen]

It's idiotic to give your wingers shorter shifts than your centers. The centers are skating crease-to-crease and usually have to be the first guy back defensively. Your team is giving the opponent a huge advantage by long-shifting its centers.



That's the appropriate solution.

10 players = 4D, 2C, 4W
11 players = 4D, 3C, 4W
12 players = 4D, 3C, 5W
13 players = 4D, 3C, 6W
14 players = 5D, 3C, 6W
15 players = 6D, 3C, 6W
16 players = 6D, 4C, 6W
17+ players = 6D, 4C, 7+W

That's a good break down. I've found when there are more than 2 lines by the time the season ends people either decide to leave or guys are dispatched. It's just not that much fun especially if you're not winning.

 

[Islespuck89]

Sometimes it happens especially when there is a penalty and it messes stuff up. You have to account that better players play a bit more. I am by no means a good player. I am playing in a lower level beer league now than in the past and I am probably the 2nd or 3rd best forward on my team and 1st or 2nd fastest skater.

Last game I had to sit on the PP for fairness of playing time, we had a guy who is legitimately the worst player in our entire division "14 teams" out there for 2 min and he wouldn't come off cause he wanted his ice time. This is after I scored a pp goal 6 minutes prior and cut the lead to 1.

I think playing time should be even among all players for the game, The captain has to set the record straight skate hard for 45 seconds to min 15 and that's it. I also think on the PK, PP and in a close game up a goal down a goal in last 2-3 min you need to roll out your best players for the situation. I have sat many of times cause of this, it sucks but it's reality.

 

[fallsviewafro*]

This is why I love playing goalie. I get to play all game.

Sorry I couldn't help.

Ice time problems? Sorry, can't help ya. That full 60 minutes is looong...

 

[Mikeaveli]

I go hard every one of my shifts so I don't mind getting extra time to recover, but when it gets in the 2-3 minute territory it gets a bit annoying.

 

[Slats432]

I agree it can be tough. I am someone who recovers quickly...also a little impatient, but I always keep it to myself.

 

[beedee]

I agree it can be tough. I am someone who recovers quickly...also a little impatient, but I always keep it to myself.

This speaks to me very much. While I'm 39 and don't recover quite as quick as say the 29 year olds on the team, I do give it my all and am always right in the middle of the pack regarding goals/assists throughout the years.

I don't want to be "that guy" that is griping about ice time on the bench, as I know there is an ebb & flow to beer league where one day you get 13 guys showing up and ice time is limited, and the following week you get 7 guys showing up and you are wishing for more players.

Anyhow, thanks everyone for their input and suggestions, I'm going to think about how to approach it and use some of these ideas.

 

[PS12]

This speaks to me very much. While I'm 39 and don't recover quite as quick as say the 29 year olds on the team, I do give it my all and am always right in the middle of the pack regarding goals/assists throughout the years.

I don't want to be "that guy" that is griping about ice time on the bench, as I know there is an ebb & flow to beer league where one day you get 13 guys showing up and ice time is limited, and the following week you get 7 guys showing up and you are wishing for more players.

Anyhow, thanks everyone for their input and suggestions, I'm going to think about how to approach it and use some of these ideas.

Yeah i dont want to be that guy either. Its difficult to keep quiet when you rely on quick subbing so that you dont get cold on the bench.

 

[Paul4587]

Yeah I do and it's annoying. There are always players on my team who will switch and choose positions weekly in order to maximize their ice time as well which is frustrating.

In a running clock beer league game having more than 10 players is really unnecessary and leaves me feeling like I've barely even played at the end of most games.

 

[Jarick]

It's really annoying when you have players who don't know how to take a shift.

We have 3-4 players who can't figure this out and end up taking two minute shifts. Everyone else is shooting for 45-60 seconds. These guys won't change obviously when the puck is in our end, but they won't change if the puck is in the offensive zone and even if the puck gets dumped in and they've been out for 90 seconds they still stay out there.

Really annoying because a lot of times one or two of them will be on for basically two shifts and the next guy ends up missing some shifts.

Additionally frustrating because we want to roll three lines going 45 seconds each so we can keep the pace of the game up, but these guys want to glide around for 2+ minutes.

 

[CornKicker]

i switched to defence a couple years ago for this reason, more ice time. and now i feel my wing game is way better since i played defence.