Just got back from playing at the Joe

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

My beer league team that has done charity games in the past set up a scrimmage to be played at Joe Louis Arena in its last year.

Members of each team were from our different levels. It was a hard fought game, but my team fell short 5-4 after they scored an empty netter to make it 5-3 and we got one back with 3 seconds left to make it 5-4.

It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. No matter what I think about that building or the team that plays in it... there is just an aura of awesomeness around it.

I will see what pictures we gathered from all of the GoPros and picture takers in the stands to maybe document some stuff... but it was so much cooler to play there than I ever thought it was going to be.

Click to read more...

 

[jaster]

That's really cool. I've had a couple friends that have played at the Joe too, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. Closest I've gotten is doing Score-O once back in 2004.

I'm debating trying to detach a seat and run out with it at the last game there this season. If I do, I'm sure someone will post pictures of that. Won't be me

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I would absolutely love to play a beer league game at the Joe before it shuts down. I've only ever open-skated there one time, and that was yeeeaaarrrrssss ago.

 

[ap3x]

Sounds pretty cool. Cheers to that.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Pics man, we need those pics!

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I was a little busy playing and we were a little busy at the bar after the game.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

I had a budddy who just played a drop-in game there on Friday. Is this the same day you had played as well? Buddy said it was expensive but since it is the last year I think it would be worth every penny.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Sunday. For me it was $100

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Sunday. For me it was $100

Yeah that is a bit costly for a scrimmage but it is a chance most people won't get. I'd have to say I would skate there given the opportunity. Did they let you tour the concourse and such with nobody else there?

 

[Panic at the Back]

I'm just a casual around here. Got the email about forum updates, deleted it, then realized I saw "I just got back from PLAYING at the Joe"..

Undelete, clicked.

Now to wait for the pics.

Very cool.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Yeah that is a bit costly for a scrimmage but it is a chance most people won't get. I'd have to say I would skate there given the opportunity. Did they let you tour the concourse and such with nobody else there?

Eh, "tour the concourse" is a bit much. We came in through the Olympia side door and walked through it to get to the locker rooms (We were in the Little Caesars and Midget rooms... They have the actual locker rooms locked up tight). They had us wait on main concourse area, but we could only go between sec 121 and the suite elevator. They were sticklers about anything else. The guy we had taking pictures almost got kicked out because he went out of their bounds.

I will definitely have to see if anyone was lucky enough to get some video/pics of my two best moments. Stopping a penalty shot (we did those in lieu of actual box time) and also breaking up a breakaway by diving out and poke checking the puck between the circles through the skater's legs. It wasn't quite a Hasek play, which I'm dying to pull off, but it felt ****ing amazing.

 

[opivy]

So I live in Denver now, and I work charity tournaments for the Avs, the format is that you play 6 games and one will be at the Pepsi center. I both play and ref, each ref also will ref 1-2 games at the Pepsi center. For playing, you get 4 tickets and for reffing you get 2 upper-level tickets for each game or one lower level ticket for each game.

The Avs really do a good job of interacting with their fanbase, I've been very surprised. Also Iginla is an amazingly nice person, I've reffed many of his kids games and he's just an awesome person to talk to and be around.

Congrats on skating at the Joe! I wish I could have done that, I don't regret leaving home but I sure do miss it.

 

[Satrebil]

I've played hockey at the Joe. Pucks really do jump off the end boards.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I've played hockey at the Joe. Pucks really do jump off the end boards.

Yes they do. Got victimized on the first goal by it. Shot wide bounced off the back boards harder than I'm used to. Couldn't play it and it went to their guy who fiveholed it. Three minutes into the game we were down 1-0 on a broken ass play.

Basically, the type of goal that aar0000n would light up Howie for surrendering.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

I take it you are a goaltender.. Where abouts do you play out of?

 

[Ozz]

Very cool! I've skated there, toured the locker rooms and most areas behind the scenes, proposed to my wife at center ice, but have not played hockey there. Had I known about a drop-in event going on I probably would have gone for it! Is this something they do often or at least plan to do again?

Closest I've come to that was playing at an AHL rink as a peewee, then a D2 college rink o on which we used to practice on all the time.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Very cool! I've skated there, toured the locker rooms and most areas behind the scenes, proposed to my wife at center ice, but have not played hockey there. Had I known about a drop-in event going on I probably would have gone for it! Is this something they do often or at least plan to do again?

Closest I've come to that was playing at an AHL rink as a peewee, then a D2 college rink o on which we used to practice on all the time.

This one was orchestrated by a teammate of mine. I have no idea. There is a reddit group called RenttheJoe (probably designed for this very purpose) And they're expanding it across other NHL stadiums. I'm going to play at Nationwide in February.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

https://imgur.com/gallery/PgsVf

Here is the first grouping of pictures. This is from a teammates wife's phone. We should have a great deal more to be pulled together as the days go forward

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

So I live in Denver now, and I work charity tournaments for the Avs, the format is that you play 6 games and one will be at the Pepsi center. I both play and ref, each ref also will ref 1-2 games at the Pepsi center. For playing, you get 4 tickets and for reffing you get 2 upper-level tickets for each game or one lower level ticket for each game.

The Avs really do a good job of interacting with their fanbase, I've been very surprised. Also Iginla is an amazingly nice person, I've reffed many of his kids games and he's just an awesome person to talk to and be around.

Congrats on skating at the Joe! I wish I could have done that, I don't regret leaving home but I sure do miss it.

A bunch of guys I skate with on Tuesday nights played in this tournament and had a blast. I think they may have won their division. I seem to remember some rumblings of the winners getting to play a drop-in game with a bunch of Aves alumni. I am not sure that ever came to fruition or not. I agree it is a very cool concept.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

How was the ice?

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

How was the ice?

We were in Detroit... so it was there....

But in all seriousness... we actually had Al Sobotka do the cut for our second period... that was the most fantastic ice I've ever skated on.

 

[Bench]

https://imgur.com/gallery/PgsVf

Here is the first grouping of pictures. This is from a teammates wife's phone. We should have a great deal more to be pulled together as the days go forward

Looks like a blast, man. Very jealous you got to skate on that rink. With it's impending demolition, you guys will be one of the last groups to do this.