Blue Collar, White Collar

Hockey's a funny sport. It's a blue collar game at a white collar price. What do I mean? Watch how goals get scored ("65% . . .").

Hockey is about grit and determination, more than grace and beauty. That's not to say there isn't any grace in hockey, but to be good as a team, you have to outwork your opponents, grind in the corners, fight for position in front of the net,


(available, with some other good shots here) and fight through plenty of contact, whether you play in a checking league, or, like most adult rec-leagues, a "no" check league (the strength of the quotations varies depending on the league). Not to mention, there are inevitably a couple guys who think they are still trying out for the NHL, and think brawling will help. So you gotta be willing to stick up for yourself. Sometimes a little scrap is good to get the blood flowing. Not many pretty boys; hockey players are notorious for being a little low-brow. Which is fine. That's how we like it (says the lawyer in his downtown office . . .)

But, to get all the equipment, it's gonna cost you. For new, intermediate-level stuff, you're looking at around $1000 for everything. If you want the newest hottest skates ($600), the cool 1-piece stick ($200), and fancy protective equipment (helmet, shield, shinguards, pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, all at $100+) you can spend a lot more (God help you if you want to play goalie . . .). Which explains why a lot of folks are still skating on their 16 year-old skates that are too big for them, and using elbow pads that are held on by osmosis.

You haven't paid your league fees yet. Our league runs about $600 for the winter season. Want to practice? $10+ per pick-up (or "drop-in") game, unless you live in Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan where the ponds freeze and they put outdoor rinks on fields in the winter where you can play for free. That doesn't work here in San Francisco and Oakland. Broken stick? A couple of times a season (makes most of us re-think that fancy 1-piece). Tape? A couple of bucks a roll. Skate sharpening? Check. Bridge toll? Yup. Your week to bring the beer? No wonder my wife raises the occasional eyebrow.

So, blue-collar sport, white collar price tag.

The New Skate Dilemma

Last summer my velveteen rabbit skates, a pair of 1990 Bauer 3000 Custom Supreme's finally gave out. The upper started to separate from the sole, and no amount of new rivets was going to save it. Plus, I'm working now, and 16 years later it might be time for new skates. So I went shopping.

I had two friends who were extremely unhappy with the new skates they bought (Bauers, of course) because they were so stiff they could never be broken in. So I was leary, and did some research. I learned two things of note:

(1) My velveteen rabbit skates, which I had worn for 16 years, were always too big for me. I wear a 10 to 10 1/2 shoe, and my skates were 9 1/2s. I always figured that was right. Turns out I'm now properly in an 8 1/2 skate, and I LOVE IT. Huge improvement.

(2) People often pay more for the "better" skate. But "better" often means stiffer, and depending on your weight that's not necessarily "better."

So, for those of you looking for new skates, take a look at Scott Noble's take on new skate buying, which was extremely helpful for me: http://www.epinions.com/content_3832651908

Scott also published a book, Hockey for Weekend Warriors. The lessons in it are really directed at the novice hockey player, but the equipment buying sections are quite good for players at any level. And he's pretty funny (funnier than me, anyway).


Note: No, I'm not Scott's friend.

The Facemask (I like my teeth)

My 2-year old daughter has a favorite book for me to read her, John Newby's "Heart of the Game." Guess what it's about . . .

(Found at fine booksellers everywhere) You'll note that the little guy on the cover has a facemask. For some reason that's my girl's favorite thing to talk about. She just loves the facemask. So do I.

In our league, a facemask, although strongly recommended, is optional. As a result, several guys don't wear masks, and the half-shield is the choice for others. One of our better players, four years ago or so, was skating along the boards at the blue line during warm-ups when one of our lesser players decided it was a good time to practice her slapshot (yes, "her" -- we were co-ed back then). 19 stiches, and 5% less vision in his left eye later, he switched to the cage.

Karma will get you. Just a few weeks back, our guy had graduated back to the half shield. And he got hit in the face, lacerating his tongue. Ouch. I swear a stick gets up in my grill at least once a game. Of course, several guys on my own team continue to wear the half-shield . . . better them than me.

Now, there's one rule I take issue with USA Hockey over. They state that any high stick that draws blood (causes injury is actually what they say) is an automatic major penalty. What that really means is that if a guy is stupid enough not to wear a cage or full shield, and gets high sticked, the other player is guilty for his stupidity. I think this should be changed. If a player without a mask or with a half-shield is cut as a result of a high stick, there should be no major penalty unless the high stick was malicious (in which case it wouldn't matter if there was an injury). But that's just me. In the mean time, enjoy explaining your cuts, breaks, and missing teeth to your significant other, boss, co-workers, friends . . .

Base Plays: Offense

My team has several players (including me) who have never been coached. As a result, we try to keep things simple. Here is our base offense (or at least what I'd like our base offense to be). You can click on the images for for larger views:

The Guy With the Half Shield

Thursday night we have a showdown. Because the league hasn't posted the scores from last week's game, we don't know if we're tied for first with the team we're playing this week, or one game back from them (we lost, don't know about them).

The team is a new team to the league; a bunch of new guys, not just an old team with a recylced name. We've played them twice; not really enough time to know them very well. But one guy isn't new: "the guy with the half shield."

He's played on three teams now in our division, and he's been a goon for each of them. He's known alternatively as "the guy with the half shield," "Flyers" (for the sweater he often wears . . . that one's often a bad sign), "25," and a few others, some of which don't belong on this forum. He's a good player, a natural goal scorer, and off the ice perfectly decent. I've enjoyed playing with him several times during pick-up games. But when he's trying to win, it's a different story.

Last time we played (our 6-2 win), he got a game misconduct for fighting. I don't think we've ever made it through a game against him when he hasn't been whistled for roughing, and in our league you normally don't get that call unless it's (a) blatant; or (b) a pattern. In his case, it's usually both.

To add fuel to the fire, last year we finished the regular season in 3rd and were set to play the 8th place team. They only had 6 guys and "the guy with the half shield" had just finished his season with his team losing their playoff game immediately before ours. "Hey, these guys are really shorthanded. You mind if I play for them?"

He's good, but no ringer, so we figured what's the harm? And promptly go out and lose to them in overtime. And believe it, he was in on each of their goals. So he's not our favorite guy (not to say we didn't let him skate with us one night we were shorthanded . . . ).

So in addition to battling for first in our division, we've got "the guy with the half shield" to look forward to . . . and his artificially-colored red goatee.

Basics

So, leading the league, at 10-1, you lose to the second worst team, at 2-8-1. Time for some remedial advice. How did it happen? Not having our top three scorers hurt. Spending nearly an entire period shorthanded hurt. Turnovers hurt. Basically, not playing as well as we normally do hurt. Nonetheless, time to get back to the basics:

(1) Forwards: need to crash the net on the offensive end. We're getting shots, but not rebounds, even when the puck is sitting there. When you have an open shot, take it, and when you see someone taking a shot, crash the slot in front of the net (the slot, not the crease).

(2) Clearing: we have to do a better job clearing our zone. That means make the pass when it's open (don't wait for someone to force you to make the pass), and covering/using the boards effectively. When the puck is coming around the boards, the forward has to be there to pick it up. If someone is barreling down on you and (a) you don't have time for a pass; or (b) there isn't one open, just dump the puck down the boards.

(3) Defensemen (and centers): we need to keep the slot/crease in front of our net clear of opposing players. Most goals scored against us come from too many opposing players left uncovered in the slot and cleaning up second and third rebounds. One thing to keep in mind as a defenseman is that when you see an opposing player wind up for a shot, don't look at the shot, look for other opposing players in and around the slot to cover.

Thus endeth the basics . . .

The "Old" Goalie

Goalies are a different breed.

Last Tuesday we were 10-1, leading the league, and playing one of the worst teams in the league who were 2-8-1. The wrinkle: their goaltender used to be our goaltender.

Two years ago the "tribal council" (there are four of us) decided we needed a new team. We were in the middle of a run of bad seasons with more or less the same group of guys, and it felt like we were getting worse every week. So, halfway through the season, we decided this was the last season for that group. We had played with the same goaltender since we started playing together. The guy was old, slow, out of position, couldn't contain rebounds, and thought he should be playing in the NHL.

And he was volatile. If he got shelled one night (and our defense wasn't that great), he would let us know that we sucked. He got in a couple of fights (only thrown out once that I can remember), and he would complain incessently about one thing or another. Before every game there was a new ailment or sickness that you could count on to slow him up. After every goal, he would lay on his back for a few dramatic seconds (sometimes as long as until the puck was dropped on the face off) to demonstrate his dispair at the unthinkable: someone actually scored on him. And that was on good nights. On bad nights, he wouldn't even change with us after a game. He'd just drag his stuff out of the locker room and into the hallway, change in a huff, and not say a word to us before leaving for the night. But he never gave up a bad goal . . . just ask him.

Anyway, among the many other problems with our team was that our goaltender just wasn't very good. He was a nice guy (hockey mentality aside), and reliable: he never missed games, but he was good for a couple of soft goals a night. We needed a change.

We played the second half of that season without much care, and really just couldn't wait for the opportunity to start fresh. Come Summer time, the search for better players was on. Everything was falling into place, but we had a problem: we needed a new goalie.

Used to be goalies were in short supply. They played for free and everyone clammored to get them. Then, somewhere along the line (I think it was when rollerblades got popular and the Sharks came to San Jose), everyone decided they could play goalie. Now there's a glut of them, but there aren't a lot of good ones. We needed to cut through the chaff. After realizing that none of the tribal council was doing what we should have done, mine the local pick-up (or "drop-in") hockey games for talent, we contacted the league's head-guy for a recommendation. Just so happens, someone had just come by looking for a new team at about our level. Younger guy (most of us are in our 30s), had recently moved to the Bay Area from Boston, where he was a roller-hockey goaltender for a college club team. He came to a practice we had that summer, and it was clear: he was our guy. Problem was, another team in our league had also contacted him, and he was playing on their summer team (our guys rarely want to play during the summer). So we wined and dined him (which is to say, took him out for a couple of drinks near where we all work), and told him we planned to move up to the next division, as long as we could start winning. Which, mind you, was true. So he opted for us in the Fall, but kept subbing for the other guys whenever they needed him (which was always), as long as they weren't playing us.

He is a solid netminder. A little small, but quick, with a great glove hand. And he doesn't freak out after every goal. In fact, he kind of enjoys games where he gets shelled. He figures it's better practice for him. I'm a forward, and the more I handle the puck in a game, the happier I am. I guess it's the same for him. But there aren't many goalies who think that way. It was a real bonus.

He really only has two draw-backs. First, he's not great at containing rebounds. That we could forgive -- he was a huge upgrade over the first guy. Second, he's never shown up on time in his life. Suffice it to say, as the team captain I suffered a lot of misery and ulcers wondering whether he was actually going to make it to our games on time. Now, he dresses quickly, so that makes up for it . . . a little. And the fact is he never actually missed a game for us. Once we had to start a game without him, while he changed next to the rink, and one of our defenseman was on in his place. The other team went easy on us while he changed, which was gracious. Other teams in our league would not have been so kind. Karma was on their side. They won the game easily anyway.

So, after one good, but not great year, we figured we were still a couple of players away from moving up. During the summer our team had a bad run, and we realized we were still pretty far away from it. So our goaltender tells us (still playing for both teams), unless we're moving up, he's going to play for the other guys. After all, he played for them first and started playing for us because he thought we were moving up. Reasonable. Besides, he just moved down to Santa Clara (near San Jose), and the commute to Oakland is ridiculous. My wife pointed out that's a sign that he's not long for our league in any case. We were sorry to lose him, as he was one of the better goaltenders in our league. Nonetheless, life moves on.

So, we find another young goalie, who, as it turns out, is an upgrade. Bigger, faster, better positioning, awesome communicator with the defense, and controls rebounds. But the "old" guy always gives us problems. So he's who we played last Tuesday. We were 10-1, tied for first. We're averaging 5+ goals a game, giving up about 2 goals against. Basically, it looks like we're going to move up next season. And we're playing old goalie's 2-8-1 team, averaging fewer than 2 goals a game and giving up about 5.

So, naturally, what happens? Our two best goal scorers, brothers, are out. One, our best player, announced three weeks ago that he's moving to Madison, Wisconsin. Literally, half of our offense (1/5 of our goals and 1/4 of our assists) moved with him a week ago. His brother, an even more prolific goal scorer (this season, at least), tells us that with his first muy thai (kick-boxing) fight coming up, he needs to attend his practices Tuesday and Thursdays, so he can't make our games unless they are late. Tuesday's game, of course, was at a perfectly reasonable 7:30. There went nearly half our offense. And we played like it was even more than that.

Despite completely outplaying the bad guys, outshooting them 31-19, and playing the last 4:30 without a goaltender and without giving up a empty-net goal, we lose 3-1. Despite our new goalie's heroics, just like in the old days, we give up a bunch of odd-man rushes, and the bad guys capitalized. And our old goalie joins us in the parking lot for beers, maybe just to remind us that he left us because we're not ready to move up. He never actually said it, but he didn't have to.

At least we weren't ready last Tuesday.

Eric, the Mad Ref

Game time: naturally, the worst pair of refs in the league. Older guy with glasses. Tries hard, but seems to mess stuff up a lot. Likes the off-setting penalty when someone gets frisky. Doesn't matter too much if the other guy retaliates, chances are, you're both going. But hey, we're not exactly NHL players ourselves. So a little bad reffing, while deserving of some ribbing, isn't the end of the world.

The other ref is the "Ref with the half-shield," Eric. Didn't recognize him before this year (when the league "upgraded" refs). He's called about 8 of our games, and he's awful. His rule, apparently, is if someone falls, there's a penalty, and when in doubt, call something. Except (and it's a big exception), despite the leagues efforts to install the new, tighter called USA hockey rules for interference, he's decided the crease/slot is a "penalty-free" zone. Did I mention he is inconsistent on the blue-lines, calls off-sides based on team reactions, and routinely waves off icing where it will help the icing team?

The bad guys are scrappy in front of the net, and the referees are letting them do it: remember, the "penalty-free" zone? One of our guys, who's missed probably 7 of our 11 games so far including the last three -- so he's itching to skate -- is getting man-handled in there. Early in the second period, he gets drilled in the back while in their crease. The goaltender (our old one) covers up, and there's a whistle. Naturally, our guy gives a hard shove to the defenseman who just cross-checked him.

Tweet!! 2-minutes for roughing. Our guy is pissed. Really pissed. So he mouths off to Eric, the ref who made the call. And he won't let it go. All the way to the box he's yapping away. When he gets there: Tweet!! 2 more minutes for unsportsmanlike (good call). And our guy loses it. Now he's about to fight the ref. Hmmm. Not the recommended technique. Now he's gone: game misconduct (deserved). He slams the penalty box shut, he slams the door to the rink shut, and he starts swinging his stick wildly to break it. Thing is, it's not breaking, which just pisses him off even more. Finally, it snaps, and he's off to the locker room . . . oops. No key. It's still on our bench. What to do? He can't come back on the ice for it, and has his skates on, so can't walk around the concrete behind the rink to get it. Somehow it works out (I was on the ice, so I'm not sure), and he's gone.

Back to the game. Down 2-0, shorthanded for 4 minutes on our guy's double minor that came before his game misconduct, and things aren't looking good.

Note: Eric still messed this up. First, it all started because he apparently thought cross-checking in the slot is legal. The other team's goaltender shares my skepticism, as he told us over beers in the parking lot: "Your guy was just getting abused in there. I couldn't believe he got that call." Second, the call was: 2 for roughing; 2 for unsportsmanlike; game misconduct for unsportsmanlike. Each minor penalty was worth 2 minutes, but hockey nerds, write this down: the game-misconduct carries an additional automatic 5-minute major. Eric, not knowing the rules, didn't assess it (thankfully).

The guy who got tossed? His girlfriend is in the stands. Between periods she says she overheard Eric saying he wasn't going to call a penalty for any of the cross-checks because he thinks our guy dives too much. Nice.

With 1:40 to play in the game, we have a 2-1 breakaway. I come into their zone with my wing carrying the puck. He takes a shot on net, which the goaltender covers as I skate by. The defenseman takes a run at me and very clearly "interferes" with me. As I'm hurtling towards the boards with this guy riding me in, I dig my skates into the ice, lower my shoulder, give him a shove, and drop the guy. Whistle. 2 for interference on him. The ref who blew the whistle is about to drop the puck when Eric tells me I'm going, too, for roughing. Now, I gave the guy a shove, and landed on top of him, so it was a reasonable call, but I was upset about the heretofore uncalled interference, so, in my best nicey-nicey I'm -the-team-captain-and-have-a-right-to-know voice, ask Eric, "what did you see that was roughing?" "I thought I might have seen you try to punch him." Ah -- since he thought he might have seen something, must have been the other ref that made the call. I skate quietly to the box and finish the game there.

After the game, I ask the other guy, "hey, you called a good game (which was sort of true), what did you see me do that was roughing?" "Oh, I didn't see anything. Eric made the call." Eric is off the ice now, but next to the stairs leading down to our locker room. "What did you see that you thought was roughing?" Same "I thought you maybe . . ." response. So I laugh to myself, tell him he's watching a different game than we're playing, and keep laughing loud enough for him to hear it as I head down the stairs. Cocky and uncalled for? Sure. I get 3/4 of the way down, and he decides to chase after me, yelling at me. We exchange pleasantries, such as me telling him (again) that he's the worst ref in the league, by far. He tells me that he hates calling my team's games -- they are his least favorite. And his parting shot is, "the irony is I was trying to help you guys at the end." Nice. Note to refs: don't try to "help" a team. Know the rules, and call what you see.

So, I sent my second email of the year off to the league chief asking the Eric not call our games anymore. Of course he's got a league to run, so he'll ignore it, and Eric will still be there. Oh well. There's sure to be more from Eric the Mad Ref before the season is over.

Note: my teammates tell me it did look like I punched the guy on the way down. I know I didn't, but I did give him a shove, and I guess it did look bad. Now here's my point. If that's what Eric saw, then he should say so, not "I think you might . . ." There's no penalty for "I think you might . . ."

Hockey in the 'Hood?

What is this? Well, it's a blog about hockey. Not hockey, adult rec-league hockey. A bunch of guys (way) past their prime, lacing up the skates, taping up the sticks, and living out their dreams once a week.

I just re-watched this http://www.zoomcom.ca/beerleague/ for the 20th time. It's us. And I hope I can do "us" justice.

I'm the captain of my rec team in Oakland, California. And yes, to answer your question, there is a lot of hockey in Oakland. Not just Oakland, but the whole San Francisco Bay Area. Our rink, the Oakland Ice Center http://www.oaklandice.com, has eight adult divisions, each with about 8 teams (give or take). And it's in the hood. Not the kind of place you want to hang out late at night. Which, of course, is when we play.

So what's going to be here? First, thoughts about my team. What's going on, who's doing what, and how it's playing out in the locker room, on the ice, and in the parking lot after the game with the beer. (Note to self: check to make sure everyone's cool about this, or keep this disguised). Second, thoughts about rec-hockey generally: resources (if I feel like it), equipment, etc. We'll see. I'm just starting out, so who's to say for sure?