Beer League post game handshake - is it ever ok NOT to shake a guy's hand?

[nyk16]

I play in a large beer league. Most of the guys are great to play with, but there are a few jerks who mouth off, run up scores, fight and so on. If one of these guys has acted particularly offensive in a game, is it ok NOT to shake his hand during the post game handshake routine?

I know we are supposed to put any bad feelings aside during the handshake, and I generally do, but I just feel like such a hypocrite saying "nice game", or "good skate" to one of these guys as though nothing happened.

Thoughts?

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[AndreD]

You can just have a brief tap and skate by, you don't really need to say anything. However unless there has been intent to injure I don't see how they could have done anything bad enough to warrant skipping past them entirely. No point creating bad feelings, especially with guys like that.

 

[Ozz]

I always tap gloves at the very least with whomever is in the line, no matter what. If one can't bring themselves to at least do that, that's their own problem.

 

[Pittsburgh Proud]

I didn't go into the handshake line once and I'm a real big advocate of we are all here to have fun and have a good time. We were losing by about 5 with 4 minutes left in the game. I took a high sticking penalty apologized to the guy, I didn't mean to do it, he was cool and I went to the box. Well then the other team decides they need to take a timeout before the powerplay. I was pretty livid. I was yelling from the box and kept it up after they scored and I stayed out the rest of the game. No need for the time out when your up by 5 goals with 4 minutes to play. I didn't get in line and the dude I was really giving it to tried to come to me to shake my hand and I basically told him to **** off and continued to give him **** for calling the time out, he saw nothing wrong with it.

Edit: Other than that time my glove is always off ready for an actual handshake after games.

 

[Ampersand]

When the games over, you have to put it behind you, and shake hands like a man/woman.

 

[Jarick]

I can't stand the beer league post game handshake. It's really stupid. I get the sportsmanship thing but I always feel like an 8 year old going through it. I mean, we just played a meaningless regular season game in a meaningless adult rec league at C level.

I did skip it once, when a guy hit me from behind one shift and then railed me into the boards knocking the wind out of me. This was a no-check league and he got tossed. As he got tossed he skated by the bench and asked how I liked the hit. The guys were running us all night long for no reason, so I skipped the line.

 

[Steelhead16]

I can't stand the beer league post game handshake. It's really stupid. I get the sportsmanship thing but I always feel like an 8 year old going through it. I mean, we just played a meaningless regular season game in a meaningless adult rec league at C level.

I did skip it once, when a guy hit me from behind one shift and then railed me into the boards knocking the wind out of me. This was a no-check league and he got tossed. As he got tossed he skated by the bench and asked how I liked the hit. The guys were running us all night long for no reason, so I skipped the line.

That.

Play and go home. Chat up guys you know on the other team off the ice after the game. Even if nothing bad comes from it, nothing good ever comes from it so what's the point?

 

[jorbjorb]

usually if i'm pissed off i'll leave my glove on and just pound fists.

no hand shake at all is stupid

 

[Bexlyspeed]

unless there is really bad blood or you really feel that somebody was trying to hurt you, than there is no reason not to shake hands, yeah its not the stanley cup final but obviously if you are playing at 11PM on a weeknight you love the sport and so do the other guys so its a measure of respect for your opponents and the sport.

 

[pelts35.com]

The only time I didn't shake hands was a couple of games ago in a rare 8-4 win by my team. The horn blew, I do my postgame routine of sweeping the snow from the crease to the sides of the posts, tap both posts and turn around to grab my water bottle. Next thing I know is a puck hits my pads as I'm turned around and the guy who shot it is smiling and he proceeds to skate right by me. I gave him a look and he tells me to f myself. I then start to skate after him, but my teammates got in my way. We get to line to shake hands and he's the first one in line and has the audacity to stick his hand out. I just look at him and skate by.

Jarick, I'm not sure why you would feel that way. The world's best athletes shake hands after a competition. Saying it's "stupid" is ignorant IMO.

 

[hyster110]

The only time I didn't shake hands was a couple of games ago in a rare 8-4 win by my team. The horn blew, I do my postgame routine of sweeping the snow from the crease to the sides of the posts, tap both posts and turn around to grab my water bottle. Next thing I know is a puck hits my pads as I'm turned around and the guy who shot it is smiling and he proceeds to skate right by me. I gave him a look and he tells me to f myself. I then start to skate after him, but my teammates got in my way. We get to line to shake hands and he's the first one in line and has the audacity to stick his hand out. I just look at him and skate by.

Jarick, I'm not sure why you would feel that way. The world's best athletes shake hands after a competition. Saying it's "stupid" is ignorant IMO.

a lot of pro athletes hate the hand shake line

 

[Greeneye]

I hate the handshakes. I always do it but I have no problem not shaking someone's hand if they were a d-bag for the previous hour.

 

[Aftcomet*]

unless there is really bad blood or you really feel that somebody was trying to hurt you

I have no idea why there should be "bad blood" or attempts to injure in beer hockey. Anyone attempting to injure someone should be charged and arrested IMO. There's no place for that especially in a recreational game.

Beer hockey should be shinny that's more organized and where people are trying to win (but not by any means necessary).

I also believe there shouldn't be handshakes. I think people should just line up and tap gloves along the way if anything. Pro hockey players don't do it after every game, why should recreational players?

 

[beenhereandthere]

Interesting question, if you really don't feel like shaking 1 guys hand out of 10 of whatever...just skip the whole thing. Yell good game to the whole team instead. Not shaking just 1 guys hand, when you shook the rest of his team, stands out too much.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I can't stand the beer league post game handshake. It's really stupid. I get the sportsmanship thing but I always feel like an 8 year old going through it. I mean, we just played a meaningless regular season game in a meaningless adult rec league at C level.

I did skip it once, when a guy hit me from behind one shift and then railed me into the boards knocking the wind out of me. This was a no-check league and he got tossed. As he got tossed he skated by the bench and asked how I liked the hit. The guys were running us all night long for no reason, so I skipped the line.

Agreed 100%. Pro athletes don't shake hand after every game. Make it for the championship game and move on. It's just more time wasted where the zamboni could be running so league times are more accurate. And it's a good way to transfer bacteria, gross, dirty hockey gloves, then mix in blood, snot, saliva and shake the guys hand afterwards. What is the point? I keep my gloves and and go through the motion but I think it's a complete waste of time.

 

[CarlWinslow]

I have done it on several occasions. Some people simply don't deserve the courtesy.

If you did something during the game that maybe wasn't bad enough to skip the line I might just do a tap and make a comment.

 

[Harv]

I've never seen anything good come out of a post-game handshake. It causes more problems than it's worth. If your old than youth hockey you shouldn't be subject to the handshake line.

You get crap like this when you are forced to do a handshake line.

 

[AIREAYE]

The one things I admire about pro basketball (and there isn't many, I'm not a fan of the sport lol) is the amount of good sportsmanship post-game. You see guys congratulate each other, share a laugh etc. There's a respect there that you don't see in hockey.

 

[Jarick]

Football is similar too. I think it's in large part because a lot of these players know each other from NCAA, where pretty much all of them played. In hockey, the guys come from at least a dozen different leagues all over the globe.

I actually enjoy BS'ing with guys from the other team waiting for the zamboni before the game a lot more than the handshakes afterwards. But regular pickup games and beers in the lot afterwards makes for much better camaraderie.

 

[capebretoncanadien]

When the games over, you have to put it behind you, and shake hands like a man/woman.

100% agree...move on.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Guys that don't shake hands are lesser players.

Seriously, man up and be the bigger person. Have some respect for the other team and congratulate them on the game. Not shaking hands is unsportsmanlike.

 

[OnTheIce]

I have no problem not touching gloves or shaking hands with a player on the other team that's showed zero respect for me and my team.

I also think the whole process is juvenile.

 

[ponder]

I like the post-game handshake, hockey can get chippy but it's still just a game, the post-game handshake is a good way to put things behind you.

I've never seen anything good come out of a post-game handshake. It causes more problems than it's worth. If your old than youth hockey you shouldn't be subject to the handshake line.

You get crap like this when you are forced to do a handshake line.

This pretty much never happens though, it's ridiculously rare. I've never played in a game where anything like this has happened, at all.

 

[CarlWinslow]

Guys that don't shake hands are lesser players.

Seriously, man up and be the bigger person. Have some respect for the other team and congratulate them on the game. Not shaking hands is unsportsmanlike.

And what if the opponent did something to make me skip the handshake line? I'm supposed to just forget about the disrespect and lack of sportsmanship he showed during the game because it happened while the clock was still running?

Forget that. As far as I'm concerned, during the game, show me respect and sportsmanship and I will gladly shake your hand afterwards.

 

[mooseOAK*]

The one things I admire about pro basketball (and there isn't many, I'm not a fan of the sport lol) is the amount of good sportsmanship post-game. You see guys congratulate each other, share a laugh etc. There's a respect there that you don't see in hockey.

That's one of the things that I like least about basketball, the hugging and the smiling between opponents.

On topic, shake their hand after the game whatever happens during it.