Advice on skating and playing hockey

[ubkev]

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

A hockey bag can be a brutal environment.

Summer and Fall all my gear comes out of the bag as soon as I get home from the rink. Washable stuff goes in the wash and everything gets hung out in the clothes line. Skates and shins are aired out and scrubbed if necessary. No stinky gear!

[ubkev]

14 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

So long as I'm on the subject. I recognize the necessity of it, but I'm tired of having to wait in the parking lot while my son plays/practices. At least he's able to get on the ice it's just boring sitting here. (I'm doing it now actually)

Unlimited data and stand up comedy specials. Or a show on netflix.

[Taro T]

16 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

So long as I'm on the subject. I recognize the necessity of it, but I'm tired of having to wait in the parking lot while my son plays/practices. At least he's able to get on the ice it's just boring sitting here. (I'm doing it now actually)

Does your normal practice rink have the "Live Barn" camera system?  If so, you can watch the practice (or game, or free skate, etc.) on-line.  Pretty sure they charge for access to the app, but don't believe it is very pricey.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

XM channel 95. All the time.

I was reading books for awhile but now it's dark too early.

Don't get me wrong there is a whole social scene out here in the parking lot I'm just not into it. 

Yes they do and I have live barn. Let's just say that live barn hasn't been working recently

Bummer.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

A rink near here was fined pretty heavily for blatantly breaking the rules and now a lot of the others are paranoid 

Makes sense.  Yeah, considering how easy it can be to not follow the exact letter of the rules & how easy it is for people w/ no skin the the game to not care, makes a LOT of sense for the Live Barn to mysteriously have "glitches."  Will have to check whether my local rink has it working or not next time.  Pretty sure it isn't but not positive of it, now that 6ou mention it.

[French Collection]

34 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

So long as I'm on the subject. I recognize the necessity of it, but I'm tired of having to wait in the parking lot while my son plays/practices. At least he's able to get on the ice it's just boring sitting here. (I'm doing it now actually)

I am lucky that my son’s practices are in a rink that can hold 4000 people so there is plenty of space for parents to practice social distancing.

[PromoTheRobot]

My goalkeeping days are over now with two rebuilt knees. But I did put the skates on the other day just to test them out. Happy to report I didn't fall. Not ready to play league on them yet though, unless I can find a "remedial" learn-to-play kind of league. Someplace where the odds of getting injured are low.

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

My goalkeeping days are over now with two rebuilt knees. But I did put the skates on the other day just to test them out. Happy to report I didn't fall. Not ready to play league on them yet though, unless I can find a "remedial" learn-to-play kind of league. Someplace where the odds of getting injured are low.

1st time bavk on the ice must've been a strange feeling.  Were you wearing goalie skates or "real" skates?

How long do you have to avoid "injury risk" situations?  (Is that a forever thing or just a temporary need the ligaments & tendons to get stronger thing?)  Here in Ra-cha-cha, there are a few "learn to skate" programs that spend about 1/2 the session in drills & then in a pickup game in the area and also over 40 & over 50 leagues.  Would expect there'd be something like those in NH.  And if not, IIRC you aren't too far from Bah-stan there.  An evening drive & there would have to be a bunch of options available, one would expect.

[North Buffalo]

? Hard to try on helmets, but time to upgrade... Need a face shield bc covid and was thinking it was time to get a new helmet to go along with it... hockey monkey and pure hockey have them only in black and one way over priced navy blue.  Any other sites sell different colors and recommendations?  Brands?

[ubkev]

1 hour ago, North Buffalo said:

? Hard to try on helmets, but time to upgrade... Need a face shield bc covid and was thinking it was time to get a new helmet to go along with it... hockey monkey and pure hockey have them only in black and one way over priced navy blue.  Any other sites sell different colors and recommendations?  Brands?

Tough finding stuff on Monkey and Pure Hockey right now. Recommendations, eh, a bucket is a bucket. However, more expensive doesn't equal safer. This is the most recent study (I could find) Virginia Tech did on helmet safety. https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/hockey-helmet-ratings.html There are some real expensive clunkers in there.

[SDS]

4 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Tough finding stuff on Monkey and Pure Hockey right now. Recommendations, eh, a bucket is a bucket. However, more expensive doesn't equal safer. This is the most recent study (I could find) Virginia Tech did on helmet safety. https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/hockey-helmet-ratings.html There are some real expensive clunkers in there.

I don’t know what number it is, but I have a Bauer re-akt  helmet that was $250 that is the most comfortable helmet I have ever worn.

[ubkev]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

I don’t know what number it is, but I have a Bauer re-akt  helmet that was $250 that is the most comfortable helmet I have ever worn.

There's the rub. There's 4 star re-act helmets and 1 star re-act helmets. It's a trip to look through it. Why so much difference in between products.

[SDS]

13 minutes ago, ubkev said:

There's the rub. There's 4 star re-act helmets and 1 star re-act helmets. It's a trip to look through it. Why so much difference in between products.

I think it is an original Re-Akt before the model numbers.

Basically, due to the steroids, my noggin' was getting huge ala Barry Bonds and I needed a new lid. This was like heaven over that vice.

[North Buffalo]

Thanks for all the advice... i will look into it.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 9/2/2020 at 10:11 PM, Taro T said:

1st time bavk on the ice must've been a strange feeling.  Were you wearing goalie skates or "real" skates?

How long do you have to avoid "injury risk" situations?  (Is that a forever thing or just a temporary need the ligaments & tendons to get stronger thing?)  Here in Ra-cha-cha, there are a few "learn to skate" programs that spend about 1/2 the session in drills & then in a pickup game in the area and also over 40 & over 50 leagues.  Would expect there'd be something like those in NH.  And if not, IIRC you aren't too far from Bah-stan there.  An evening drive & there would have to be a bunch of options available, one would expect.

I had two Conformis knees installed. They call it a total knee replacement but really it's only the cartilage surfaces get ground down and covered with a 3D-printed prosthetic, plus a plastic meniscus.  The rest of the knee is intact: patella, ligaments, etc. You can be walking pretty quickly but doing anything stressful might take a year for things to feel right. One knee is 15 months and the other is 9. The 9-month knee still gets twinges if I make a false move.

Obviously I can't take a shot off the knee but my shin guards protect me well. Goaltending is out of the question with the up-and-down. Covid has reduced the number of leagues around here. Most are C/D level. Still too much for me to risk. I did find one novice/beginner league near Boston, about 45 minutes drive from me. Still deciding.

[ubkev]

Hilarious game last night. We were up 5-1 and lost 10-9 in a shootout. I was on the ice for every goal we scored and only 1 that they scored. I've got legit advanced stats. 

[dudacek]

7 hours ago, ubkev said:

Hilarious game last night. We were up 5-1 and lost 10-9 in a shootout. I was on the ice for every goal we scored and only 1 that they scored. I've got legit advanced stats. 

Yeah, but how was your Corsi?

[ubkev]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Yeah, but how was your Corsi?

Great! Our line matching appears to be terrible though.

[Mustache of God]

My wife and I just moved to North Buffalo this past month from NYC and I'm looking to get on the ice now that I've gotten settled a little bit. It seems that most of the rinks around here have suspended their open hockey / skate & shoot / league play but allow for private rentals. Anyone here have a line on private scrimmages that need an extra body? Skillwise, I'm not a good player but I don't also suck. Started playing ice hockey about 6 years ago and have been on the ice like 2x per week since then. 

[#freejame]

Found it! 

Recently moved back to the area from the South, so there’s many more options for skating. I’ve been on the ice a couple times a year over the last 5-6 years probably, but nothing consistent. Signed up for 30 weeks of games starting after Labor Day. It’s going to be a brutal adjustment but I’ll get there. 

Anyone else skating these days?

[LTS]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

Found it! 

Recently moved back to the area from the South, so there’s many more options for skating. I’ve been on the ice a couple times a year over the last 5-6 years probably, but nothing consistent. Signed up for 30 weeks of games starting after Labor Day. It’s going to be a brutal adjustment but I’ll get there. 

Anyone else skating these days?

I'm in Rochester. I play once a week in the summer and twice a week in the fall and spring. I sub on a few other nights periodically. It's not high level, certainly I'm not able to play high level but I look forward to it still, even when games start at 10:30pm (although I look forward to those far less).

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

Found it! 

Recently moved back to the area from the South, so there’s many more options for skating. I’ve been on the ice a couple times a year over the last 5-6 years probably, but nothing consistent. Signed up for 30 weeks of games starting after Labor Day. It’s going to be a brutal adjustment but I’ll get there. 

Anyone else skating these days?

I'm just getting back to skating after covid caused me to hang up the skates. I showed up at a drop in skate and potted six goals. I couldn't believe it. Yes the defense and goaltending was bad, but I had not skated in so long. Felt good. I am taking summer off and going to use the winter to skate a lot more as my cold weather exercise. Not sure about playing in a league, though. I'm not as competitive as I use to be and my tolerance for punks is WAY down, so I think its only drop in for me. 

Still, skating is a cool freedom, if that makes sense and being on the ice and playing is still a great joy. 

[Taro T]

19 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I'm just getting back to skating after covid caused me to hang up the skates. I showed up at a drop in skate and potted six goals. I couldn't believe it. Yes the defense and goaltending was bad, but I had not skated in so long. Felt good. I am taking summer off and going to use the winter to skate a lot more as my cold weather exercise. Not sure about playing in a league, though. I'm not as competitive as I use to be and my tolerance for punks is WAY down, so I think its only drop in for me. 

Still, skating is a cool freedom, if that makes sense and being on the ice and playing is still a great joy. 

Good for you getting back into the game.

Not sure where you're based out of but if you're in a place like WNY you'd be able to find a league for any skill level / age.  And for the most part, if you're willing to drive a little ways you can pick which night you want to play at that skill level for the most part.

And there are pickup/drop in leagues at all sorts of times and days too.

Still play once/ week in the winter.  Haven't played in the spring or summer in a couple of years; just too darn busy.

 

 

[Pimlach]

Very old thread. 

 

Did @PASabreFan ever learn to skate and master the hockey stop (both directions)?  Is he now a men's league enforcer down in Erie, Pa?  

Edited August 25 by Pimlach

[Weave]

37 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Very old thread. 

 

Did @PASabreFan very learn to skate and master the hockey stop (both directions)?  Is he now a men's league enforcer down in Erie, Pa?  

Edna with the blue ribbon apple strudel attends all the games.