To retaliate or not to retaliate? How do you handle dirty players?

[ccarrigan]

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I didn't paint a picture of the entire scenario nor did you ask if there were extenuating circumstances that caused him to stick out his leg (for the record, there were not). I think it is fair to say that you are "coming at this not only like you know the intent of the person, but exactly what happened" and retaliating "based in kind" with your statement.

With my previous post, I was just trying to offer a rebuttal and add some clarity for my rationale. I'm not seeking anyone's approval and if you disagree with me, that's fine. We all see the game a different way and play it a differnt way; that's what keeps it interesting. If you it suits your needs to see me as some kind of meat-head then so be it.

In regard to your question about whether you should expect retaliation for getting a stick in someone's face, I think that is for the person who took the high-stick to decide. That's the point of this whole thread; "to retaliate or not to retaliate."
I guess where we disagree is that I don't place that high of a value on my interpretation of the other person's intent.

Got it. Without knowing the full situation because that's not possible, you will retaliate if you feel it's necessary.

 

[Davegarri]

So I play in a non-checking league (unfortunately) and last night we were up 5-0 in our first playoff game with 15 seconds to go. I was skating into the other team's zone with the puck with the intention just to kill the clock.

But some d-bag on the other team decided it was a great decision to go after me and target my head with his shoulder. Luckily, he didn't get that great of a shot on me, just got me in the jaw, which still didn't feel that great. So naturally, I got pissed.

He skated behind his net with it stumbling around (this guy is a total bender he could barely skate) and as he came out from behind his own net out of nowhere I came around and piledrove him. It was a clean hit by all means, I hit him right in the chest, but I'm decently sized, I'm 6ft and around 195 pounds and I know how to hit from playing football for 15 years. Their whole team got furious and the guy stood up and threw his stick at me like a tomahawk, it was a horribad throw and missed by like 50 feet. It was hilarious.

It probably wasn't a great reaction, but I don't appreciate my head getting targeted with 15 seconds to go.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

So I play in a non-checking league (unfortunately) and last night we were up 5-0 in our first playoff game with 15 seconds to go. I was skating into the other team's zone with the puck with the intention just to kill the clock.

But some d-bag on the other team decided it was a great decision to go after me and target my head with his shoulder. Luckily, he didn't get that great of a shot on me, just got me in the jaw, which still didn't feel that great. So naturally, I got pissed.

He skated behind his net with it stumbling around (this guy is a total bender he could barely skate) and as he came out from behind his own net out of nowhere I came around and piledrove him. It was a clean hit by all means, I hit him right in the chest, but I'm decently sized, I'm 6ft and around 195 pounds and I know how to hit from playing football for 15 years. Their whole team got furious and the guy stood up and threw his stick at me like a tomahawk, it was a horribad throw and missed by like 50 feet. It was hilarious.

It probably wasn't a great reaction, but I don't appreciate my head getting targeted with 15 seconds to go.

Those two bolded sentences RARELY go together, not saying it doesn't happen, but RARELY does it.

 

[Davegarri]

Those two bolded sentences RARELY go together, not saying it doesn't happen, but RARELY does it.

Believe me I know. The guy was a terrible hockey player. The ref came up to me after the game and said it looked like he didn't do it on purpose, he's just that bad of a skater that when he tried to defend me he just skated into me, at the time I obviously thought in my mind it was on purpose lol

 

[ccarrigan]

Believe me I know. The guy was a terrible hockey player. The ref came up to me after the game and said it looked like he didn't do it on purpose, he's just that bad of a skater that when he tried to defend me he just skated into me, at the time I obviously thought in my mind it was on purpose lol

This scenario is the exact scenario I'm talking about. Something happens, you take it one way, it may or may not have been intentional, and people react. The problem is maybe you pile drive him and snap his arm when he lands funny, all because he was a bender and couldn't figure out how to stop.

I guess I just advocate a little tolerance, especially in bang bang plays where things happen so fast.

 

[heretik27]

I only lost my temper once while playing and it was in the last year I played. I was parked near the front of the net and the fat kid playing defense decided to literally wrap his arms around me. The play started going back down the ice and he was still bear hugging me while I skated up to the blue line and had enough. I turned around and popped him one in his cage only to be met with the response "what the hell was that for?".

Only other time I was going to lose it they called the game at the end of the 2nd period. The worst team in our league (2 wins all season) was running our goalie all game and late in the second period a player ran his skate over one of our players wrists causing everyone quite the scare (we had a parent who was an emergency room nurse save the day). Anyways, the kid on the other team made the comment to one of his teammates that he should have stepped on his neck and if I had another shift before the end of that period with him I was going to probably do something I'd regret later on.

My personal belief though is that the best way you can get back at someone is to do it on the scoreboard. Beat them. Make them regret pissing you off and fueling your fire. Unless the play is severe enough to warrant standing up for yourself, the chippy game to game stuff is nothing to get your pants in a twist over. Don't be the guy that tomahawks his stick across the ice... I've seen it.

 

[biturbo19]

If it's an honestly dirty attack?


Probably spend the rest of the game waiting for a chance to staple them to the boards clean.

Ultimately report them to whoever the "authortity" happens to be in whatever case i guess, if it's really bad/recurring problem or something.



If we're just talking unregulated pickup stuff or something, i'd probably take matters more into my own hands...but i've never really encountered much really dirty play in that sort of game non-competitive game. So who knows.

 

[Davegarri]

This scenario is the exact scenario I'm talking about. Something happens, you take it one way, it may or may not have been intentional, and people react. The problem is maybe you pile drive him and snap his arm when he lands funny, all because he was a bender and couldn't figure out how to stop.

I guess I just advocate a little tolerance, especially in bang bang plays where things happen so fast.

Well that was just the refs explanation, doesn't mean it was true. To help my case I did have a minor concussion from it, my head has been pounding every day ever since then lol

 

[hockey17jp]

I never go out of my way to get back at a dirty player, but if anyone touches my goalie while I'm on the ice I will hit them. I don't care if I take a penalty, I don't tolerate that nonsense.

I try not to go after guys after big hits, because that's basically what they want you to do. Retaliation almost always results in a trip to the box, so it really isn't worth it.

 

[Goonzilla]

Last night I took just my second penalty for the season. Last couple of minutes of the game and we we were well ahead.

The biggest guy on their team runs me, I'm not sure what for. It was pointless. Didn't put me down and we got tangled up for a couple of seconds. I didn't fuss about it, it was clean, just unnecessary.

A few seconds later he's wheeling behind the the net and I'm coming around from the other side. All's fair in love and war so I thought I'd have my turn, I didn't belt him, just gave him a bit of a nudge and muscled him back a little. Dude tries to grab me in a bear hug, so I carry through and finish a decent check with him into the boards. It was clean.

He stays down, winded him good; and everyone gets angry all of a sudden, especially the smaller guys. The checkee starts *****ing and moaning and I'm like 'dude...'. Just don't understand some people.

The moral of the story is don't be dishing or trying to dish it out if you can't take it in kind.

 

[Rangediddy]

I basically just chirp the guy who did something until he gets so annoyed he stops doing anything that warrants further chirping. Line up next to him at faceoffs and tell him he's a POS, his team's a joke and it starts with him, he's a p**** for playing the way he does. Just don't stop ragging on him. He'll either smarten up or get so annoyed he takes the penalty.

I've actually got in one guys head so much after slew footing a teammate that I got him to take 3 straight penalties on me in one period and after 3 you're out of the game.