Would you play co-ed hockey with your GF/wife?

[shoeshine boy]

oh, and I do have a rule about saying "sweetie", "honey" or "baby" on the bench to your SO.

 

[Jim Bob]

The only drama like this I was involved with was when a dad hacked at my stick because he felt like I hurt his daughter.

 

[HasbeenHallzy]

This may come off harsh, but I hate playing with girls so I probably wouldn't....

 

[FLYLine27*]

In like a league? HELL NO.

In like a friendly game of puck with fam and friends? Sure.

 

[BwoyHockeyfan8]

One of the guys used to bring his wife once and awhile to our beer league team. she would get hit usually once a game or once every two games. Everytime (big hit or small) the husband would skate out of his crease and start a line brawl.

 

[Deleted member 274563]

.

 

[leftwinger37]

If my wife played, sure why not. At least we could put this notion to bed that it's all booze and strippers... OK, so she would see that there are no strippers anyway.

 

[Jim Bob]

My favorite story on this topic was when one guy on my team and his GF played on different teams.

He was good. But, she was really, really good. Like NCAA D3 National Player of the Year good.

He would go hard to try and shut her down.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I play with and against plenty of couples, it's a non-issue.

There is one couple that has zero on ice chemistry, to the point where they demand to play on separate lines, but we all think that's just funny.

 

[shoeshine boy]

Seriously you guys who have issues with women playing hockey with men are lame. Just because couples or a woman plays on a team does not automatically mean drama or bullcrap. I've played with many couples or females since I started playing hockey and haven't once encountered crap or drama like ya'll have blown it up to be. There are women who play well and can take a hit like a guy, there are couples who can play together and have fun, so seriously take your head out of your behinds.

seconded. I know that guys are in a tough spot because of how many of them were raised to "never hit a girl" but I've always found it odd that some guys think women shouldn't play sports with men simply because of the issues the men have with it. my gf has played on the same "men's team" for 10+ years. at first some of the guys would pull out the old "you don't hit a girl!" when an opposing player hit her. eventually she got them to understand that she can take care of herself out there and now she takes care of things herself.

 

[beakerboy]

Out of curiosity, do most of you guys chiming in here play in actual contact leagues still? I'm trying to fathom how bad a hit can be in a no-hitting league such that it would warrant starting a line brawl.

For what its worth, I've played with girls in some low level (but still competitive) no-hitting leagues, and they were always able to take care of themselves since the ones who wanted to play those tended to be good hockey players anyways.

I've played with a bunch of girls (and couples) in the current non-competitive leagues and drop ins I play in and there isn't ever a problem there.

 

[icon6668]

my team is about half and half, we share changing rooms as we don't have enough for women to have their own rooms.

We actaully won our division 2 years running with a mixed team, it's awesome to see some guys go extra hard to not get beaten by women and still lose.

We actually have 2 couples on our team, sometime sits a bit painful when one of them gets ****** when they're playing badly so the other tries to cheer them up, but other than that it's all good.

Me, my mate and his misses visited Canada a few years ago and joined a team and it was a real suprise to see how everyone reacted when she walked in and started getting changed. Apparently women get their own area over there. A few games into the season noone gave a ****.

I remember once when my buddy first started dating his misses they were on different teams and someone on his team hit her in the corner from behind (no contact league) He actually jumped his own guy! It was so funny to see in the stands.

 

[nystromshairstylist]

It's not that I have a stance that women shouldn't be able to play or should be banned or aren't good enough, because I don't and aren't saying that, rather I'm not a fan of it and don't enjoy playing against females because there can be some problems that arise that have been referenced in here by me and some others, including some overly protective males too eager to play the knight in shining armor when there's no need.

I recall one game in particular, a playoff game where a team had 3 or 4 females, who could play and skate and who dish it out when they can and aren't shy about a little discrete stick work. I had one of them, who could play a bit, trying to drive wide around me to the net. I was skating backwards with her, closed the gap on her and gave her a little push. She fell down, nowhere near the boards, there was no shoulder, hip, elbow or anything dirty and the ref had zero problem. Next thing I've got a couple of girls coming after me, yelling how 'she's had two concussions', stick thrown at me, etc. it was crazy.

If they're gonna play, which they are, they can't expect and there shouldn't be special treatment. It's an issue from my experience.

Agree with this poster; there's a number of women in my league (more at the lower division, fewer at the higher one) and we played against a team that was about 50% women, several of whom would put their stick between your legs if you stopped in front of the crease, or cross-check your neck, so after a few times of enduring that, I turned around and shoved one of them back. Of course the refs who had been tolerating her miscreant activities suddenly found their whistle and gave me a penalty.

I've also had to endure in the lower division where if the girl opponent falls within 15 feet of you, its a tripping penalty outright. Very frustrating.

That said, the better skilled girls are fun/fine to play with, and the ones I've skated with who played high level college were no different than male players, and were probably as tough as any in some cases. Women like that are no issue, its the lesser skilled/noobs ones who make things much more...challenging.

 

[puckpilot]

Out of curiosity, do most of you guys chiming in here play in actual contact leagues still? I'm trying to fathom how bad a hit can be in a no-hitting league such that it would warrant starting a line brawl.

From where I play, it's unusual, but it can be pretty bad when it does happen. Some dudes got really small pee-pees and think a mean nothing game is game seven. I've seen a lot of crap. Here are some of the hits on girls in non-contact leagues I've seen.

One broke the girls collar bone. Another dislocated a shoulder. Another hit a girl so hard, it slingshotted her from the middle of the face-off circles face first into the end boards. Another time a girl did a small chop on a guy's stick in front of the net. The turned around and did a full extension crosscheck to her chest.

In every case it was a guy roughly 6ft 200lbs against a 5'2 100lb girl. And then there's the stuff some of these jag-offs do to other guys.

A hit in a non-contact league can be way worse because nobody is suspecting it and so they don't protect themselves as much, if at all.

One time, a girl had the puck along the boards. I was standing behind her about a foot away just poking at the puck. It's basically shinny. But then one of her idiot team mates decides to come charging in at a hundred miles an hour, hits me from behind, I slam into the girl's back, and she goes face first into the boards.

 

[Goonzilla]

From where I play, it's unusual, but it can be pretty bad when it does happen. Some dudes got really small pee-pees and think a mean nothing game is game seven. I've seen a lot of crap. Here are some of the hits on girls in non-contact leagues I've seen.

One broke the girls collar bone. Another dislocated a shoulder. Another hit a girl so hard, it slingshotted her from the middle of the face-off circles face first into the end boards. Another time a girl did a small chop on a guy's stick in front of the net. The turned around and did a full extension crosscheck to her chest.

In every case it was a guy roughly 6ft 200lbs against a 5'2 100lb girl. And then there's the stuff some of these jag-offs do to other guys.

A hit in a non-contact league can be way worse because nobody is suspecting it and so they don't protect themselves as much, if at all.

One time, a girl had the puck along the boards. I was standing behind her about a foot away just poking at the puck. It's basically shinny. But then one of her idiot team mates decides to come charging in at a hundred miles an hour, hits me from behind, I slam into the girl's back, and she goes face first into the boards.

Well there you have it. What you're essentially criticising is guys that treat everybody equally, 'jag off' and rough play or otherwise.

I'm no fan of dirty play, but I'm also no fan of special treatment. If it's at lower level leagues it's probably more of an issue and not just with females, because you likely get a wider disparity of skill levels in general, including between guys.

If females can skate and play and just be another player, there's no issue at all, but when someone says they want to be treated equally and then either expect different or get different treatment it's an issue; and it's nothing to do with sexism or being sexist.

As for hits in non-contact leagues, some level of 'hit' is always gonna happen, intentional or otherwise; and I don't get around looking to bang people, but plenty come my way. You always stay alert, on or off the play; that goes without saying. If you're oblivious to that likelihood you're playing the wrong game. If there is a collision, you don't want to be the person coming off second best.

 

[puckpilot]

Well there you have it. What you're essentially criticising is guys that treat everybody equally, 'jag off' and rough play or otherwise.

No, this has nothing to do equal treatment. It has to do with common decency.

This league explicitly says that it's supposed to be for fun, nothing more than glorified shinny. Refs are instructed to tell players to cool it when things get too intense. There are no play offs. Expectations are clearly stated, yet guys still don't get it, or they just don't give a crap because they want to feel like a 'real' hockey player.

And those are the type of people who you find out don't play in a men's league, and I suspect because they know if they tried half the crap they did in co-ed in a men's league they'd get their ***** handed to them.

As for 'some level of hits', sorry man, shouldn't happen if people give a crap about it. Worst case should be accidental collision. I've played with plenty of pickup groups where player's skill levels range from ex collage and ex juniors to beginners and nobody ends up face first into the boards, because all the players give a crap.

If it's a competitive league, then it's a competitive league, and all the normal expectations apply. But in the co-ed league I play, they don't.

 

[beakerboy]

From where I play, it's unusual, but it can be pretty bad when it does happen. Some dudes got really small pee-pees and think a mean nothing game is game seven. I've seen a lot of crap. Here are some of the hits on girls in non-contact leagues I've seen.

One broke the girls collar bone. Another dislocated a shoulder. Another hit a girl so hard, it slingshotted her from the middle of the face-off circles face first into the end boards. Another time a girl did a small chop on a guy's stick in front of the net. The turned around and did a full extension crosscheck to her chest.

In every case it was a guy roughly 6ft 200lbs against a 5'2 100lb girl. And then there's the stuff some of these jag-offs do to other guys.

A hit in a non-contact league can be way worse because nobody is suspecting it and so they don't protect themselves as much, if at all.

One time, a girl had the puck along the boards. I was standing behind her about a foot away just poking at the puck. It's basically shinny. But then one of her idiot team mates decides to come charging in at a hundred miles an hour, hits me from behind, I slam into the girl's back, and she goes face first into the boards.

See, I think that this is less of a guy/girl mixed team thing and more of an idiot in a non-contact league thing, at least if I get the way you described it. I mean, I get incidental contact in a non-hitting league. Stuff happens, sometimes people are bad skaters and can't avoid contact, pinching someone off on the boards can sometimes be a bit more forceful than you intended, etc. But what you describe mostly sounds intentional rather than incidental or accidental.

I'm with you that worst case in rec/co-ed should be accidental collision, and really, in the glorified shinny that you say you play and which certainly describes the place I play pretty well, I make darn sure that I'm aware of where the guys who can't skate well are for safety's sake. Also to give them a bit of time with the puck, since it's rec after all.

 

[varano]

I don't think I could do it... If someone touched her I would take guys heads off

 

[Brunomics]

I don't think I could do it... If someone touched her I would take guys heads off

I have the same thought you do. I would be suspended 75% of the time.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

If I had a girlfriend who was as good as me in hockey, I would take her to drop-in, make her wear a white jersey while I put on dark, have us go full-tilt out on the ice, then take her home and **** the living daylights out of her.

After a shower, anyway.

 

[Drrocket9]

I played for years with a goalie who's wife was also on our roster as a skater or alternate.

She's a tough honest forward with good balance and holds her own out there

She's been an opponent and nailed me pretty good in a non check league.

Also played on my line in a tournament we won in Vegas, and helped me get an MVP for left wing

They have been married for 30 years easily.

We have had a few women on our teams over the years. They changed with us and were never considered to be anything but fellow players, though we did of course show proper respect to them while changing.

 

[SJGoalie32]

Played with my wife off & on in a lower level rec league for several years now.

I play goalie in a high level rec league, but skate out to play at a lower-intermediate co-ed level with her. I've been playing hockey in some form for 25 years, while she can't skate particularly fast, so there is a definite skill mismatch. But I really enjoy the time on ice with her. I love that she took an interest in the sport, I love how much she enjoys it, and it's fun to go out there as a teammate with her.

I'm more proud of her accomplishments than anyone else's, but (as on-ice captain) I treat everybody on the bench the same. I don't give her special treatment compared to the rest of the team, and I pass her the puck as much as I do with any of the girls on our team.

I also don't "white knight" for her. I made it clear from the outset that I was going to treat her pretty much like any other hockey player/teammate and not rush to her aid or defense out there beyond what I'd do for anyone else. If she gets bumped and falls, I'm not going to rush to her defense. If someone fouls her in the course of a normal hockey play, I'm going to let the refs handle it--whether they call the penalty or not. If someone trips her or slashes her or cross-checks her as a regular part of the game play, those are regular fouls that I'm not going to involve myself with, at least no more so than I'd lobby for a penalty call for any other teammate. Even if she gets hurt as part of a regular hockey play--a puck hits her, she takes an errant high stick, etc.--I stay out of it. If she can't take a trip or a slash on her own, she shouldn't be playing. And she accepts and prefers that largely hands-off treatment.

The only time I said step in is if someone delivered a dirty hit or a cheap shot to her. I've played long enough to know the difference between a borderline penalty in regular game play and a clearly reckless/intentional dirty hit. I've had a few borderline cheap shots sent my way, but since I am the biggest scoring threat on my team I accept a degree of that. But if you're up by 3 with 90 seconds left in the game and you're violently cross-checking a player (be it my wife or anybody else) who has scored a combined 1 goal over 3 seasons.....then I'll do something.

 

[Lays]

I definitely couldn't if I'm playing where's I'm actually trying, it was with a few friends and their girls were playing around too and it was for fun then I could do it, not when I'm actually trying. I'd be too focused on her and if a guy hits her/cross checks her I would pound the dudes face. I'd probably always been checking up on her and trying to pass to her to make her feel good. Probably a good trait that I have. I couldn't focus on me and me playing well if she's out on the ice with me, plus the chirps I'd be getting from the other team about doing inappropriate things with her would throw me off my game. I hate it even when they watch me play too as I try to hard and do stupid dekes. Maybe that's just me but I wouldn't enjoy it at all and since my girlfriend isn't interested in anything hockey related (besides Henrik Lundqvist) I'm glad I don't have to worry about her asking me to play with me and my buddies. I'm not exactly overprotective but I'd rather her not play with me, some things you need to do alone and me playing with my buddies only is much more fun for me and hockey usually helps me get away from things in my life and I do need alone time

Edit- I probably sound like a complete dbag to my girl and yes I do spend time with her