Fighting in Beer Leagues

[nullterm]

Ice604 is probably the worst I'm guessing. Super late start times, poorly managed, but cheap.

Throw in reffing. ASHL refs are more experienced and generally somewhat better at keeping a lid on things. Ice604 games can get hairy alot more frequently, partly also cause there's also more guys who started as adult and for whatever reason take it way too seriously.

And 604 is also pretty notorious for playoff ringers.

You get what you pay for.

 

[mbhhofr]

I officiated at every level of the game. I worked Jr. national championship games in both Canada (Memorial Cup) and the US. I was fortunate enough to to get a try out with the NHL. I liked the game so much, that over the years, I also worked Beer League in both Canada and the US. The players knew me. They respected me and I respected them and you know what, you still have jerks that think that they're playing for the Stanley Cup, no matter what Beer League it is. As a referee, I also broke up fights in Beer League. Whenever I had guys that got too frisky, I would remind them that they had to go to work the next day.

 

[McDugan]

Is there an actual point to all this?

Clearly there is a point - someone is superior to someone else. That absolutely must be established.

 

[hlrsr]

I think he's talking about Coast. Delta is the planetice league? Even though it's more expensive, I believe it's slightly cheaper per skater per game than Coast, last time I checked. I've played both and find planetice to give you waaay more ice time. That's my main complaint with Coast. Some games being 10-12-10 is just unacceptable.

Yeah I'm talking about Planet Ice. Out there you get 20/20 running time for 1st and 2nd, then 15 stop time for the 3rd (5 minute running OT change on the fly if necessary, no shootout). Only thing is you get a pretty short warmup. In Coast/ASHL/Ice604 as long as the ice is ready you can get out there and warm up until it's time to drop the puck, but in Delta you are only allowed to get on the ice once the scorekeeper has started the 5 minute warmup clock or you get a penalty.

I think you're right about the cost per game being lower, at least that's what the league guy was claiming a year ago. Still expensive as **** though.

 

[nullterm]

In Coast/ASHL/Ice604 as long as the ice is ready you can get out there and warm up until it's time to drop the puck, but in Delta you are only allowed to get on the ice once the scorekeeper has started the 5 minute warmup clock or you get a penalty.

Some of my 604 games in North Van the zamboni driver was giving us heck for getting on the ice before our alloted start time (after the zamboni doors had closed). The league tried making it a penalty to get on the ice before the ref or something. But I'm not sure if it lasted very long. Don't play 604 anymore so not sure what happened.

 

[Guffaw]

This kind of thing happens all the time in our men's leagues (Philly suburbs). Slashing to injure, kicking skates out from behind, slashes to the head at times, punches etc. I play an aggressive style so I'm involved in it ALOT. First on the receiving end then a swift retaliation. What are you supposed to do when someone tries to hurt you? I know it's not right, but I have to defend myself.

I told myself I'll give it one more year. If the BS keeps up I'll stick to organized pickup and shinny. Like I told the rink general manager in an email, I don't come to the rink for that garbage. This is supposed to be fun.

 

[Guffaw]

My C league team has two guys that played Junior A/B, one ex D-I, three ex D-III players and a number of guys who played travel hockey as kids. And a lot of those guys take plenty of penalties. Has nothing at all to do with the experience level of the player. Has to do with the mental state of the player. For every hack that's out there whacking away, there's an ex-Junior/College player doing the exact same thing.

IMO, the refs have to walk a fine line, between keeping the games safe and keeping them going.

It's usually the 2-3rd year players, but I agree that it can be either. We have a ~50 something that played pro hockey decades ago. The dirtiest player in the league and pissed that he just can't dominate anymore. Elbows, two handers to the hands, constant bs at the face off circle. One of those "I'm 250lbs, your 170lbs so I'm gonna do whatever I want to you"

 

[mbhhofr]

Some of my 604 games in North Van the zamboni driver was giving us heck for getting on the ice before our alloted start time (after the zamboni doors had closed). The league tried making it a penalty to get on the ice before the ref or something. But I'm not sure if it lasted very long. Don't play 604 anymore so not sure what happened.

That reminds me of a Beer League player, who wasn't a bad Jr. player in his day, who went onto the ice before the Zamboni driver was finished flooding it. The player skated into the Zamboni and broke his arm. He was the talk of the town.

 

[Jimmy Carter]

This kind of thing happens all the time in our men's leagues (Philly suburbs). Slashing to injure, kicking skates out from behind, slashes to the head at times, punches etc. I play an aggressive style so I'm involved in it ALOT. First on the receiving end then a swift retaliation. What are you supposed to do when someone tries to hurt you? I know it's not right, but I have to defend myself.

I told myself I'll give it one more year. If the BS keeps up I'll stick to organized pickup and shinny. Like I told the rink general manager in an email, I don't come to the rink for that garbage. This is supposed to be fun.

I don't blame you for sticking up for yourself if others are coming after you and purposly trying to injure you. If you're league won't take action and throw the guy out, then you gotta do something to put an end to it. It's a shame you may have to quit the league because of **** like that.

I feel pretty fortunate to play in what seems to be a fairly tame beer league, at least after reading some of the stories here my league seems fairly easy going haha

 

[Hunter Gathers]

LOL what?

When I reffed the pricing went as follows:

Mites - 25
Squirts - 32
PeeWee - 40
Bantom - 45
Midget - 50
Adult(BEER LEAGUE) - 50
Middle School - 75
High School - 90

And thats PER GAME. You got ripped off buddy if you were getting 20 bucks or something

Any of the leagues I played in with my father (I played both travel with my team and also in an over 40 league with my father just for fun), the refs were paid and then got tipped fromt he players. Every player put in $1-2 so the refs went home with another $40-60 on top of the league money. And that's per ref (I never played in any house league that had less than two refs).

 

[leftwinger37]

My C league team has two guys that played Junior A/B, one ex D-I, three ex D-III players and a number of guys who played travel hockey as kids. And a lot of those guys take plenty of penalties. Has nothing at all to do with the experience level of the player. Has to do with the mental state of the player. For every hack that's out there whacking away, there's an ex-Junior/College player doing the exact same thing.

IMO, the refs have to walk a fine line, between keeping the games safe and keeping them going.

I agree, I've played with guys who played junior A, minor pro, and college. In my opinion, these guys are the most likely to fight/commit flagrant penalties. I guess they feel like they've got nothing to lose because they'll always be able to play somewhere else.

At the same time, these players usually have a target on their backs, so most times it is in retaliation. That doesn't make it right, but I suppose they're just used to playing with that "eye for an eye" mentality.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Wow. It's about $360/game/team here. Your league is about half the price

You could always move to Kitimat to enjoy it.

The downside is...you have to move to Kitimat.

 

[Dallas Stars]

It's going to happen either way, I don't have a problem with it. Happens all the time in my league, although I'm not one to ever drop the gloves. If two guys decide to go at it in the heat of the moment let them...

 

[Gibson19]

It's going to happen either way, I don't have a problem with it. Happens all the time in my league, although I'm not one to ever drop the gloves. If two guys decide to go at it in the heat of the moment let them...

Agreed. Although I think it's 95 percent of the time completely unnecessary, they are grown adults and can make their own decisions. If you agree to a fight you can handle the consequences.

 

[Crabovski*]

Well whos better to fight the guy at pick up or your wife at home? Maybe the guy at work? Id still take out the rage at pick up, most acceptable imo.

 

[Dylbot]

I'm not the type to fight at all, and I clearly don't hve that kind of mindset, but you'd think these guys would be worried about being charged with assault. In a non-contact league where fighting is prohibited, punching someone in the face is ground for charges in my opinion. If they ever really hurt someone they could be in pretty deep trouble with the law.

 

[TLow97]

Well whos better to fight the guy at pick up or your wife at home? Maybe the guy at work? Id still take out the rage at pick up, most acceptable imo.

If a person is brought to the point of choosing between the two, counseling may be in order...

 

[ean]

It's pretty funny how the blame is shifted back to the refs for allowing things to escalate to the point where a fight starts. I guess it's always easier for the little people in the world to shift blame rather than putting it on the players that cause the issues.

Actually, you're pretty spot on, I think many of the beer league altercations ive seen have been due to the refs. A lot of times they dont want to call minor roughs just because it will stop the clock. So a lot of small stuff goes and things just escalate. I dont blame them though, its hard to ref beer league without turning into a ragin alcoholic.

 

[Crabovski*]

If a person is brought to the point of choosing between the two, counseling may be in order...

Dkm HF is my counseling

 

[Gavy]

My buddy called me up to play a game for his team because they were short.
Anyways, this is what went down.
I'm chasing a player down along the boards who has the puck, I trip him (not on purpose) and he goes down and I just said " my bad,buddy" and get ready to head to the box. This guy with a full cage on, gets up and throws the ****ing puck at me. I couldn't believe it. He then comes after me ready to fight so I just lost it and dropped him.
He must have been a little nuts because I was way bigger than him

 

[Beezeral]

It's funny. The guy that usually gets into a fight in beer league is usually the young guy who is still living with his parents and has no job. The rest of us have work in the morning and just want to make sure they don't get hurt or something

 

[seventieslord]

This was a good thread.

You're not playing for the Stanley cup though.

So yes, you can have all that called, if you are willing to play a period a week for the next 2 years until players get it, which, at that level, they never will.

They would learn if it was called every time.

 

[Joe Cole]

It happens, and it dampens the mood for everyone.

When it is about to happen to someone on one of my teams, obviously you can sense that the tempers are starting to flare, I always step in and put myself in front to my player and stop him. (I keep myself safe as well)

If he is determined to go at it, I then step aside and that player is now no longer part of my team, regardless of what the league says.

There are exceptions, but, that is my rule.

 

[noobman]

For every hack that's out there whacking away, there's an ex-Junior/College player doing the exact same thing.

You get two types of goony, dirty players in beer league. One type is the one that never really played competitive hockey at any level, and thus takes beer league hockey way too seriously. The other type is the player who played at a relatively high level for a long time and doesn't know how to turn off his or her competitiveness.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Meh. Hockey is fast paced even in beer leagues, though not nearly as fast as pros (obviously). Sometimes collisions, trips, or slashes happen, and people get pissed.

I've seen a few fights in pick up hockey. I've seen a few fights in beer league hockey. Most of the time there is a ********* on one of the teams provoking it, and trust me when is say this, it's hard not to slash them in the back of the ankles.

I've never been in a fight in beer league or pick up, but I did get tripped up once going head on with a goalie. The trip was obviously intentional since I had already passed the guy. It took every nerve in my body not to get up and punch him in the mouth. Not only because my back went right into the post, but because he could've seriously hurt the goalie. This was in pick up hockey.

He said, "Oh- I'm sorry, man"
I just skated by him with a mean grill. I started playing like a ****** towards him after that.