Advice on skating and playing hockey

[Stoner]

Where's a good place to skate in/around Buffalo now through the fall?

[IKnowPhysics]

Where's a good place to skate in/around Buffalo now through the fall?

 

I expect that Pepsi Center (Northtown Center?) would have at least two sheets through the summer.

[Stoner]

Northtown Center calendar http://www.amherst.ny.us/pdf/recreation/icecenter/calendar.pdf

 

North Buffalo Ice Rink - 156 Tacoma Avenue http://www.bisonhockey.net/page/show/519699-public-skating

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Northtown Center calendar http://www.amherst.ny.us/pdf/recreation/icecenter/calendar.pdf

 

North Buffalo Ice Rink - 156 Tacoma Avenue http://www.bisonhockey.net/page/show/519699-public-skating

 

After you work off those calories, head up to Johnny's Meats and grab yourself a nice bag of sausage and some of Grandma's tripe and put them all back on.....

[Stoner]

After you work off those calories, head up to Johnny's Meats and grab yourself a nice bag of sausage and some of Grandma's tripe and put them all back on.....

 

Frank's Sunny Italy Family is right by the Tacoma Ave. rink.

[Stoner]

Hit up the North Buffalo Rink today and really enjoyed it. The ice was good, and I couldn't believe it was only two bucks. I loved the array of Sabres photos above the rink but am blaming my rusty performance on the glowering face of a larger than life Lindy Ruff. Freaked me out. Millsie was up there, too.

[shrader]

Hit up the North Buffalo Rink today and really enjoyed it. The ice was good, and I couldn't believe it was only two bucks. I loved the array of Sabres photos above the rink but am blaming my rusty performance on the glowering face of a larger than life Lindy Ruff. Freaked me out. Millsie was up there, too.

 

Does the Lindy picture come with a robot arm that repetitively slams a stick across your face?

[Stoner]

I can get into a class for hockey beginners this month and need at least a caged helmet and stick. I don't want to spend a lot at first. Can anyone recommend a place that sells used equipment in the Buffalo area? Or would a "cheap" new helmet and stick not set me back as much as I'm thinking?

[Taro T]

I can get into a class for hockey beginners this month and need at least a caged helmet and stick. I don't want to spend a lot at first. Can anyone recommend a place that sells used equipment in the Buffalo area? Or would a "cheap" new helmet and stick not set me back as much as I'm thinking?

A wooden stick is reasonably inexpensive. Get yourself a new helmet.

[IKnowPhysics]

In my adult league there's a team that played in a lower division last season that was playing in our higher division this season. The other teams in that lower division complained that the team "was too rough," so the league manager decided that the team had to play one level up. Despite their veteran goalie/captain's warning that they would get demolished playing in the higher level, the players on the team thought they could hang, so they decided to play this season one division up.

 

We played them again yesterday, but because of scheduling weirdness, we needed a substitute goalie. We grabbed one of the goalies who had played on the ice before us, which by coincidence happened to be the league manager. He's been playing in net for about a year.

 

These guys are not very good. And the guys on the team are a mix: some nice guys that are happy playing and a joy to play against, and a sprinkling of dumbasses. We were up 7-2 about midway through the game when we decided to back off and play possession, and we held this until about six minutes left in the third. One of their guys was able to net one off a rebound.

 

So he decides to celebrate the goal, "WOOOOOOO FIVE HOLE, BITCH!" Keep in mind that the goalie he decided to taunt is the both the Gary Bettman and Brendan Shanaban of the league, and he's been playing goalie for only a year, and he's playing at least one level up, and he's playing his second game in a row.

 

Naturally, the taunt attracts the attention of some of our teammates, but since we usually have cool heads, it got more attention of the refs instead, who realized what the game was. He gets assessed a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. Of course, being a dumbass, when he was told this, he flips his ######, initially refuses to get in the box, then refuses to stop running his mouth. He earns the ten and is told to leave.

 

The ref skates by the bench and says, "well, you might as well run up the score on these guys now." We didn't take him seriously, but we did score on the ensuing powerplay; good possession down deep, and a nice feed to a crashing point man, good slapshot from the top of the circle. And of course one or two of the other dumbasses on the other team get butthurt. "Nice slapshot, BRO," one sarcastically chirps, poorly. We line up for the faceoff at center, and their guys lineup, but their bench keeps running their mouth until, almost expectedly and inevitably, one of their guys throws a slur out. The ref calls the game on the spot with about five minutes left to go. They perfected their 0-14 season on a technical.

 

Ceremonially, we head for our goalie to give him his pats and thank him for subbing. In an unusual move, because of the way the game ended, the refs waive off the customary hand shake, so we head for the bench to exit. More interesting ly, the non-dumbass guys from the other team line up to shake hands at center ice, defiant to the refs' order to skip it. Upon noticing this, we immediately line up too and give them their due.

 

 

I'm not angry or emotional about this game, but it was the weirdest finish in a long time. Definitely not the biggest of ###### moves I've seen on the ice, but just weirdest combination of dumbest and bushleaguey-est.

 

tl;dr: Down 7-2, goal taunt from a a bad loser, gets himself ejected, slur ends the game early, good guys on other team uphold the handshake. Weird.

[IKnowPhysics]

I can get into a class for hockey beginners this month and need at least a caged helmet and stick. I don't want to spend a lot at first. Can anyone recommend a place that sells used equipment in the Buffalo area? Or would a "cheap" new helmet and stick not set me back as much as I'm thinking?

 

Put the dough into a decent lid. It'll last you for quite a few years. Get one that fits well; I can offer tips on this.

 

Stick-wise, get a wooden stick (these are <$50; I like Sherwood) or if you have the little extra capital, pick up a cheapo composite ($50-75, I like Easton). As a beginner, your stick will last quite a while and you definitely don't need to spend more money here.

 

So, for example, just looking at what Great Skate has on sale, this wouldn't be the worst thing if the helmet fits:

Easton cheapo composite stick: $60

http://www.greatskat...lex/detail.html

Bauer 4500 helmet combo: $90

http://www.greatskat...mbo/detail.html

 

Cheaper helmets are probably available at non-hockey-specific sporting goods stores, like ######. Like the Bauer 2100 for $50 here: http://www.dicksspor...ductId=12010873

 

Just make sure your lid and cage fit well. If it doesn't, it'll be uncomfortable and/or painful, it might slide all around your noggin, and if you take one in the chin, it may not feel that good if the cage doesn't do its job.

Edited June 9, 2014 by IKnowPhysics

[josie]

 

Ceremonially, we head for our goalie to give him his pats and thank him for subbing. In an unusual move, because of the way the game ended, the refs waive off the customary hand shake, so we head for the bench to exit. More interesting ly, the non-dumbass guys from the other team line up to shake hands at center ice, defiant to the refs' order to skip it. Upon noticing this, we immediately line up too and give them their due.

 

 

Wow, good on those guys and your team to reciprocate. It's a shame how a couple of bad apples and leave a bad taste in your mouth. Interesting the ref waived the handshake, too. Dumbasses sadly seem to abound in what should be fun hockey. Had a situation where a walk-on on my team was a real douche to the other team's goalie after injuring him. Ruined the whole game. I'll never understand.

[MattPie]

Cheaper helmets are probably available at non-hockey-specific sporting goods stores, like ######. Like the Bauer 2100 for $50 here: http://www.dicksspor...ductId=12010873

 

What's funny is Pandora's Boxx will get through the filter.

[darksabre]

 

 

Put the dough into a decent lid. It'll last you for quite a few years. Get one that fits well; I can offer tips on this.

 

Stick-wise, get a wooden stick (these are <$50; I like Sherwood) or if you have the little extra capital, pick up a cheapo composite ($50-75, I like Easton). As a beginner, your stick will last quite a while and you definitely don't need to spend more money here.

 

So, for example, just looking at what Great Skate has on sale, this wouldn't be the worst thing if the helmet fits:

Easton cheapo composite stick: $60

http://www.greatskat...lex/detail.html

Bauer 4500 helmet combo: $90

http://www.greatskat...mbo/detail.html

 

Cheaper helmets are probably available at non-hockey-specific sporting goods stores, like ######. Like the Bauer 2100 for $50 here: http://www.dicksspor...ductId=12010873

 

Just make sure your lid and cage fit well. If it doesn't, it'll be uncomfortable and/or painful, it might slide all around your noggin, and if you take one in the chin, it may not feel that good if the cage doesn't do its job.

 

I've been rocking a 4500 combo for years. I've never worn a helmet I like more. It's old fashioned but it works. Highly recommended.

 

PA, skip the cheap ones at Dick's. You'll be glad you did.

Edited June 9, 2014 by d4rksabre

[shrader]

I agree with everyone on the helmet. Don't cheap out on that one. Protecting your head is always priority #1 and a decent helmet feels so much better than the crappy ones.

[Stoner]

Thanks all, especially Physics. I'm excited to be taking this baby step toward actually playing hockey. The class is just skating, shooting and passing drills though. There won't be any scrimmaging.

[drnkirishone]

Thanks all, especially Physics. I'm excited to be taking this baby step toward actually playing hockey. The class is just skating, shooting and passing drills though. There won't be any scrimmaging.

the foundation needed to play hockey and a good middle step to playing. I agree with what everyone said about the helmet will only add. Go to a store that sells hockey gear and try the different brand helmets on. Back when I played I loved the cooper (became bauer) helmet it fit my head perfect. When I went to buy a new helmet I got a ccm one and it just felt wrong for the shape of my head.

Far as hockey sticks. Go with the cheap wooden or 2piece composite models. Also talk to the sales man about how upright you want to be with 2 hands on the stick and again find something your comfortable with

 

As with anything sport related find something your comfortable with. $15 or so is a small price to pay to learn some hockey skill and not be thinking god I hate this I should of got the other one

Edited June 10, 2014 by drnkirishone

[Andrew Amerk]

I can't stop laughing that ###### Sporting Goods is censored.

 

Ironically, Dick's Sporting Goods is not.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Andrew Amerk

[shrader]

I can't stop laughing that ###### Sporting Goods is censored.

 

Ironically, Dick's Sporting Goods is not.

 

Why is it ironic? Without the apostrophe it is a completely different word. I doubt the common use of that one would be to talk about multiple Richards sitting in a room.

[IKnowPhysics]

Thanks all, especially Physics. I'm excited to be taking this baby step toward actually playing hockey. The class is just skating, shooting and passing drills though. There won't be any scrimmaging.

 

You're welcome. I'm excited for you.

 

Dome Piece Fitting Tips:

• Different brands will fit differently.
  
• The "size" of the helmet (small, medium, large, xl) determines the width of the helmet.
  
• All helmets will have some way of adjusting the front-to-back fit (sometimes a philips head screwdriver is necessary for cheaper helmets, more expensive helmets have snapping mechanisms for quicker adjustment).
  
• To fit your helmet, jack open the helmet as far as you can front-to-back and test the width. This will give you a good idea which size helmet you need.
  
• Then adjust the helmet front-to-back so it fits snugly (but doesn't pinch your head).
  
• Flop your head around side to side and front to back to see if the helmet slides around on your head. If it does, figure out why it's loose (side to side? pick a smaller size or different brand. front to back? adjust the helmet more, but if you can't, pick a similar size in a different brand).
  
• The fit of your cage is just as important as your helmet. Especially when you get pucks, sticks, elbows, shoulders, and fists to your face. edit: and ice surfaces, dasher boards, goal posts, glass boards, stantions, goalie pads, and everything else that you'll happily run into out there
  
• If you are tempted by a helmet/cage combo and the cage doesn't fit right, don't buy it unless you want to replace the cage. However, at a hockey-specific shop, it's perfectly ok to ask one of the guys working there if it's ok to swap out cages for something that fits better. More often than not, they'll say yes, and will sometimes let you get the combo price.
  
• Size up your cage after you find a helmet that fits perfect.
  
• Cages come in different sizes. Size controls the length and width of the cage.
  
• Cage width is how wide the cage is relative to the helmet. Make deathly sure that the cage fits into both of the upside-down J-shaped brackets onto the side of the helmet. If it doesn't, it's not the right width and those brackets won't stop the cage from being busted up into your face upon impact. No bueno.
  
• Cage length is how the chin cup fits up-down relative to your chin. Make sure it's not too short, IE, your chin presses against the chin cup, preventing those J-shaped brackets from doing their job. If your chin cup is pressed against your chin, the cage can't do it's job, and your jaw will take any and all impact. Again, no bueno. Make sure it's not too long, hopefully, not more than 1/2" from your chin.
  
• In general, first try cages of the same brand as your helmet, it can make finding cages that fits somewhat easier. But don't be afraid to mix and match brands and sizes to get the right fit.
  
• You will appreciate your perfect-fitting helmet as much as your perfect-fitting skates.
  

Good luck and enjoy your skating lessons!

Edited June 10, 2014 by IKnowPhysics

[Stoner]

Never did take those lessons (yet). Shocker. (And I never got my Sabres tat.)

 

Getting ready for a new skating season. My goal is to finally progress from one footed snow plow stops to real hockey stops, learn crossovers, start to seriously skate backwards and take some steps toward actually playing hockey or some reasonable facsimile thereof.

 

Reevaluating things:

 

Tying skates. I kept having to stop to retie my skates after they started feeling loose at the top. I found this trick. 1:15 in the video: youtube.com/watch?v=gEDw1I4XwQI

 

And I think I need wides. Using the instructions in the video here youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU, I traced my feet on a piece of paper and did the calculations. I'm 11 inches long and 4.25 inches wide. That seems to argue for a wide. I also took out the foot bed and stood on it and noticed that I was over the edges in one spot, just below the first joints of the toes.

 

I got the skates at Great Skate. Their return policy is cash in the first 30 days and exchange "after 30 days." Are they really going to let me get new skates after almost a year? If so, great. If not, I would think it would matter if someone screwed up the sizing. I didn't feel like I was given much attention. As for not exchanging them before now, some days they felt OK, most of the time I felt like something was off, but as a newbie I wasn't sure if the discomfort was just part of the learning process. They're definitely tight in that one area, when putting on and taking off. When skating I often felt squeezed, albeit not terribly, and my feet would cramp up at first.

 

Age-old hockey tradition: blame the equipment!

[darksabre]

Never did take those lessons (yet). Shocker. (And I never got my Sabres tat.)

 

Getting ready for a new skating season. My goal is to finally progress from one footed snow plow stops to real hockey stops, learn crossovers, start to seriously skate backwards and take some steps toward actually playing hockey or some reasonable facsimile thereof.

 

Reevaluating things:

 

Tying skates. I kept having to stop to retie my skates after they started feeling loose at the top. I found this trick. 1:15 in the video: youtube.com/watch?v=gEDw1I4XwQI

 

And I think I need wides. Using the instructions in the video here youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU, I traced my feet on a piece of paper and did the calculations. I'm 11 inches long and 4.25 inches wide. That seems to argue for a wide. I also took out the foot bed and stood on it and noticed that I was over the edges in one spot, just below the first joints of the toes.

 

I got the skates at Great Skate. Their return policy is cash in the first 30 days and exchange "after 30 days." Are they really going to let me get new skates after almost a year? If so, great. If not, I would think it would matter if someone screwed up the sizing. I didn't feel like I was given much attention. As for not exchanging them before now, some days they felt OK, most of the time I felt like something was off, but as a newbie I wasn't sure if the discomfort was just part of the learning process. They're definitely tight in that one area, when putting on and taking off. When skating I often felt squeezed, albeit not terribly, and my feet would cramp up at first.

 

Age-old hockey tradition: blame the equipment!

 

If you have ANY doubt that your skates were sized wrong, you should stop in at the Pure Hockey which is a block over from Great Skate. Ask them to size you. They should have you stand on this CCM Footsizer contraption and gauge your fit.

 

What Make/Model/Size did they end up putting you in at Great Skate? I'll bet it was a Bauer Vapor in a...10D?

Edited October 10, 2014 by d4rksabre

[Stoner]

If you have ANY doubt that your skates were sized wrong, you should stop in at the Pure Hockey which is a block over from Great Skate. Ask them to size you. They should have you stand on this CCM Footsizer contraption and gauge your fit.

 

What Make/Model/Size did they end up putting you in at Great Skate? I'll bet it was a Bauer Vapor in a...10D?

 

9D.

[darksabre]

9D.

 

That makes sense based on their past sizing trends. They updated them for this year and you'd probably be a 10 now.

 

Is it a Bauer Vapor boot? That will matter when talking about widths and fit.

 

For reference, my foot measurement is 11.5" by 4" and I wear a 10EE, so you should definitely be in a wide in the Bauer Vapor boot if you're over that 4" mark.

[Stoner]

That makes sense based on their past sizing trends. They updated them for this year and you'd probably be a 10 now.

 

Is it a Bauer Vapor boot? That will matter when talking about widths and fit.

 

For reference, my foot measurement is 11.5" by 4" and I wear a 10EE, so you should definitely be in a wide in the Bauer Vapor boot if you're over that 4" mark.

 

Yep, Vapor. The very sexy X-50.

 

Hey you might have a future at hockey carnivals guessing people's skates.