Beer League Frustrations Vent Thread.

[Fanned On It]

Is wearing pads that much of an inconvenience that these guys refuse to do so? I SORT of get the no shoulder-pad thing (I choose to wear those sherwood 5030 light shoulder-pads) but there are a couple of guys out there that are wearing roller-pants without any padding around the thigh area and just a jock-strap underneath. I don't get it. I think I read some guy on here also doesn't wear thigh padding while playing ice-hockey. What's the deal? Is it an comfortability thing? An ego thing?

 

[Wilch]

Is wearing pads that much of an inconvenience that these guys refuse to do so? I SORT of get the no shoulder-pad thing (I choose to wear those sherwood 5030 light shoulder-pads) but there are a couple of guys out there that are wearing roller-pants without any padding around the thigh area and just a jock-strap underneath. I don't get it. I think I read some guy on here also doesn't wear thigh padding while playing ice-hockey. What's the deal? Is it an comfortability thing? An ego thing?

I actually feel more uncomfortable playing without protection with the looming threat of a serious injury.

Most of the modern protective gear are made so well they don't significantly hinder players movements anyway.

 

[Danko]

I actually feel more uncomfortable playing without protection with the looming threat of a serious injury.

Most of the modern protective gear are made so well they don't significantly hinder players movements anyway.

I disagree, I personally used to wear Bauer Shoulder Pads that I purchased in 2011...I find that I lose mobility and feel significantly hindered in finding the puck while wearing the shoulder pads, I feel completely top heavy and cannot make quick movements if the puck is near me...I play for 3 teams full time year round and average about 70 games per Winter, since I made the decision to stop wearing shoulder pads my range of motion has increased dramatically, im able to pick the puck up a lot quicker and just feel more confident with the puck.

My goal scoring has gone up dramatically and my puck location/sonar is a lot better...with that said, I don't recommend people not wear shoulder pads...Im an idiot as I'm the type of player who blocks shots and im always concerned about catching a puck to the chest and getting seriously heart...i've started just covering my chest with my gloves when attempting to block a shot.

Maybe I just haven't found the right shoulder pads but the brand new bauers i purchased a few years back just completely bog me down.

 

[windycity]

New team in our D league - so far they have won 12-0, 9-0 and 8-0. Think maybe they're playing a level down?

 

[TickleMeYandle]

New team in our D league - so far they have won 12-0, 9-0 and 8-0. Think maybe they're playing a level down?

I'm surprised they haven't been moved to the correct level yet. Even in the league I play in - where the person in charge does as little as possible in as untimely a manner as possible - the team that won their first game 20-0 was moved up immediately.

 

[RandV]

I disagree, I personally used to wear Bauer Shoulder Pads that I purchased in 2011...I find that I lose mobility and feel significantly hindered in finding the puck while wearing the shoulder pads, I feel completely top heavy and cannot make quick movements if the puck is near me...I play for 3 teams full time year round and average about 70 games per Winter, since I made the decision to stop wearing shoulder pads my range of motion has increased dramatically, im able to pick the puck up a lot quicker and just feel more confident with the puck.

My goal scoring has gone up dramatically and my puck location/sonar is a lot better...with that said, I don't recommend people not wear shoulder pads...Im an idiot as I'm the type of player who blocks shots and im always concerned about catching a puck to the chest and getting seriously heart...i've started just covering my chest with my gloves when attempting to block a shot.

Maybe I just haven't found the right shoulder pads but the brand new bauers i purchased a few years back just completely bog me down.

I don't know about playing without shoulder pads, but the ones I got have a number of pieces that use velcro and are detachable. I've found the greatest level of comfort from detaching the arm guards, so what's left is the top shoulder pads and the chest/back protector. I feel no restriction in my movement this way and only have to expose a minimal amount of skin.

 

[windycity]

I'm surprised they haven't been moved to the correct level yet. Even in the league I play in - where the person in charge does as little as possible in as untimely a manner as possible - the team that won their first game 20-0 was moved up immediately.

well there's only the 1 division in the league. I don't really have a problem with it as they might not have known the lower level this was at (though it is called a novice league). But after this season, they had either better move to another league or be broken up and their players distributed amongst the other teams (who are all fairly comparable).

 

[Ozz]

well there's only the 1 division in the league. I don't really have a problem with it as they might not have known the lower level this was at (though it is called a novice league). But after this season, they had either better move to another league or be broken up and their players distributed amongst the other teams (who are all fairly comparable).

That's definitely possible. At one of the places we play, there are 5 divisions and they're all basically described as "for beginners". Any team who fits into the bottom 3 divisions, I'd say they would never stand a cold chance in Hell of ever beating a team that properly fits into the top 2.

I'm a 1+ PPG player in the top division but when I play down a few levels on a friend's team as a sub, I end up being a freakin' ringer.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

How about teams that use the "wheel of goaltenders" when it comes to using a goalie?

 

[TUCKER 06]

I don't know about playing without shoulder pads, but the ones I got have a number of pieces that use velcro and are detachable. I've found the greatest level of comfort from detaching the arm guards, so what's left is the top shoulder pads and the chest/back protector. I feel no restriction in my movement this way and only have to expose a minimal amount of skin.

This is how I skate too, only my shoulder pads made the decision for me. One of the arm guards fell off and I just couldn't be bothered to sew it back in. Not to mention the range of motion for my arms has increased dramatically.

 

[The Tikkanen]

How about teams that use the "wheel of goaltenders" when it comes to using a goalie?

And when it's your team to play them the wheel always seems to fall on the best goalie you've never seen before.

 

[Ozz]

I never mind seeing a random tendy. Sometimes we have a replacement for ours, though our #1 is the usual one on the roster anyway. He's a firefighter so sometimes things come up last minute and he has no choice but to miss hockey. Though he's the best, our other guys have been known to steal games here and there.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

This will primarily make sense to goaltenders, I think...(since 90% of goaltending is wanting to stop the puck more than the opponent wants to put the puck in the net).

Ever have a skate where you wanted to want to play well, but you couldn't do it (want to play well)? I was a half-step slow on everything this morning.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

And when it's your team to play them the wheel always seems to fall on the best goalie you've never seen before.

Yup, 4 of our 5 losses this year have come to the same team and a "sub goalie". The only time we beat them (although outplayed every game) we destroyed them with the real goalie between the pipes. He was between the pipes in round 1 of double elimination playoffs last week and they lost. Guess what? This past week they had a sub goalie again.

 

[rinkrat22]

And when it's your team to play them the wheel always seems to fall on the best goalie you've never seen before.

its funny, one of our Dmen is a former AHL goalie. guy had his knee blown out, ended his career. doesn't care to play in goal anymore because it hurts to walk for a couple of days afterwards. Once or twice a season he has to sub and the other teams always throw a fit until he takes his mask off and the realize he always plays for us. He's a ginger so they know right away. its kinda funny though listening to guys ***** about it till they firgure it out.

 

[snizzbone*]

its funny, one of our Dmen is a former AHL goalie. guy had his knee blown out, ended his career. doesn't care to play in goal anymore because it hurts to walk for a couple of days afterwards. Once or twice a season he has to sub and the other teams always throw a fit until he takes his mask off and the realize he always plays for us. He's a ginger so they know right away. its kinda funny though listening to guys ***** about it till they firgure it out.

That's so awesome haha.

 

[Ozz]

One of this year's Frozen Four players is a friend of ours and brothers to one of our teammates. He's a goalie primarily, skates on D for us, and is still one of the fastest and best players while hardly trying. We haven't got the heart to actually have him play net for us though.

 

[TickleMeYandle]

How about teams that use the "wheel of goaltenders" when it comes to using a goalie?

I gotta laugh at that one...my husband's team has at least 5 different people on it that all play in net. So 4 of them skate out for this league, but could easily jump in to sub if necessary. They truly do have a 'wheel of goaltenders.'

 

[KidRobot]

Only gripe this season is the fact we didn't move up Divisions. We lost in the Division 8 championship prior to me joining the team (which to my understanding we weeded the worst player off) and stuck in Division 8 (of 8 teams). So now we're winning every game by 5 goals and the 3rd periods are usually laughs. I'd rather lose a tight 2-3 game than play against guys that can't skate.

 

[Aucoin11*]

One of this year's Frozen Four players is a friend of ours and brothers to one of our teammates. He's a goalie primarily, skates on D for us, and is still one of the fastest and best players while hardly trying. We haven't got the heart to actually have him play net for us though.

He won't want to play goalie against that tea cup competition. Don't ask him.

 

[Ozz]

He won't want to play goalie against that tea cup competition. Don't ask him.

That's the point.

 

[CunniJA]

Apparently, I'm getting good enough for some guy to just plow me over for no apparent reason while I'm just on a change. That made me pretty angry.

On the plus side, the idiot helped enable our overtime game winner! In our second playoff game, we were down 3-0 before a goal with 5:20 left, a goal with 1:20 left, and then a goal with literally 1 second left before scoring 30 seconds into that overtime partially thanks to hondo over there leaving his team on a 3 on 2 (princess goalie had taken an unsportsmanlike on our last-second GTG)!

Shouted a few expletives at the guy after the goal. Don't know how I didn't get a penalty on that one.

 

[predfan24]

#1 team in our league during the regular season. We had a bye first round, won the second round game handily, our third round game was during the middle of the day at 1 o clock on a Saturday. What a crappy time slot. We were missing 7 players including our goalie and several of the players who were our best players. We could only get 2 subs to come out so we were noticeably short.'

Other team showed up with a few more guys and their best players. They were a solid team during the regular season. We battled hard and I'm proud of the guys who were there. It was tied until the 3rd period when they pulled ahead and we ended up losing 3-1.

It simply sucks when a season goes through the fall/winter sessions and all comes to an end because a game gets scheduled in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. Of course people already have plans. Oh well such is beer league hockey I suppose.

 

[str8shooter]

I hate when players are intentionally sandbagging yes... but an example here that isn't. A little bit ago, hadn't played in like 5 or 6 months, first time back on ice, played with my friend's beginner+ league team (second lowest level out of 4) since they were short a ton of skaters, I was probably the best skater, and set up a goal but didn't score, hell I even only shot once. Team won by 3, got chirped at anyway. Some people just like to

 

[leftwinger37]

I actually feel more uncomfortable playing without protection with the looming threat of a serious injury.

Most of the modern protective gear are made so well they don't significantly hinder players movements anyway.

I agree. Even with padding injuries can occur, but it's all about reducing the risk. I know I'd be able to move around a little better and I know my shot would probably be better, but I also think my physical game would suffer.

Outside of drop-in, I don't really trust guys that don't play with full gear. From my experience, guys that don't wear shoulder pads constantly want the puck, but will not do whatever it takes to get it (go to the corners, take/deliver a big hit) and generally end up being perimeter players.

That said, there are exceptions to every rule and I'm sure "doesn't wear shoulder pads guy" is going to tell me that he's the beer-league Gary Roberts, but I'm just calling it like I see it. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, I'm just trying to stay off of the IR so I can keep putting food on the table.