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Aniki posted:Speaking of the RecZone, this guy apparently plays there. That should make the next game own. I would watch go watch that.
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May 17, 2011 06:44
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sellouts posted:Because some of us have to go to work in the morning and don't want to limp around all day or spend a bunch more of our own money on a doctors visit on top of the insane league fees we already pay? I don't think anyone is looking down on players for not going down to block shots. The question, as I understand it, is "Am I being a db for blocking a shot in beer league hockey?" I look at is the same way as wearing a cage/visor versus going without. You're an adult. If you want to take the risk, you deserve the results. The unfortunate side effect of people skating with a cage their whole lives is a greater tendency to skate with their stick around their shoulders.
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May 17, 2011 15:07
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I was responding to the quoted question of why would I [block shots], but your comparison is true. I don't think you're being a db if you go to block shots, but you're right in saying you deserve what you get from it. I can't tell if it's the fact people have worn cages all their life or that they started playing hockey later in life that causes them to keep their sticks high. I think it's more how long you've been playing and if you've ever had real coaching that determines it more as it just seems to be a bigger problem at lower levels of adult hockey. Both probably have something to do with it.
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May 17, 2011 17:33
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sellouts posted:I can't tell if it's the fact people have worn cages all their life or that they started playing hockey later in life that causes them to keep their sticks high. I think it's more how long you've been playing and if you've ever had real coaching that determines it more as it just seems to be a bigger problem at lower levels of adult hockey. Both probably have something to do with it. I'll almost guarantee that it's from not having a coach constantly yell at them to "KEEP YOUR loving STICK ON THE ICE ARRRRGH I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL BREAK IT IF YOU DON'T!"
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May 17, 2011 22:21
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Minister Robathan posted:I'll almost guarantee that it's from not having a coach constantly yell at them to "KEEP YOUR loving STICK ON THE ICE ARRRRGH I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL BREAK IT IF YOU DON'T!"  Eddie constantly bitches about players not having their sticks down, it's basically coach lite, all the lessons, none of the sweat.
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May 17, 2011 22:27
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I dont go down to block shots in beer league, playoffs or not, I'd rather be in position to make a play after the shot. It's just not worth the possible pain. On the other hand, if I'm shooting, I'm shooting, if a guy wants to throw his body infront of my shot then that's on him.
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May 17, 2011 22:42
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D C posted:I dont go down to block shots in beer league, playoffs or not, I'd rather be in position to make a play after the shot. It's just not worth the possible pain. I had a guy dive head-first in front of one of my shots one time. The puck clanged right off his cage between the eyes and he was woozy for a few seconds. The shot came from the corner on the goal line too. It was pretty 
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May 17, 2011 22:45
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:I had a guy dive head-first in front of one of my shots one time. The puck clanged right off his cage between the eyes and he was woozy for a few seconds. The shot came from the corner on the goal line too. It was pretty I'm pretty sure I broke a guys foot last season, left the game and he wasnt there the next time we played them.
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May 17, 2011 23:13
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xzzy posted:Have them watch Blackhawks games. "...now stop it right here!"
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May 18, 2011 01:49
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For anyone in New York, World Ice Arena has dropped their league prices in order to attract more players. It's $3500 for a team ($3000 if you pay by May 30th), and $300 for a free agent. That makes it one of the cheapest leagues in the area. Definitely can use more guys as we only have 4 teams in a single division, and there's an overabundance of goalies. Check out their facebook page if you're interested: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/World-Ice-Arena-Adult-Hockey/155183504499942
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May 18, 2011 07:49
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Just found out our summer inline league starts next monday. Im super pumped which is a little odd since Ive been playing ice lately. Finally Im on a team of guys that were assembled rather than being put together by the league coordinators. We should have a really solid team and hopefully finish somewhere in the middle of the pack at the very least. As for blocking shots, its situational. If the guy is winding up for a well prepared slap shot, I will usually try to either get my legs involved or my stick. If its an unprepared snap shot or something, I might take a knee but I always turn my face and its personally not worth getting hit in the face/neck area. Im not getting paid and if I go to the hospital or dentist, my team isnt paying my co-pay. Unless you're getting paid, I dont really see sacrificing your safety beyond the normal hockey expectations. On a random side note, my brother in law just returned from the IIHF World Men's Championship in Slovakia with 2 goals and an assist in the prelims. Hopefully hes got some new sticks for me when I see them in July. If only he would start using a lower flex so that I could get more out of my wrist shots. Maybe he can sacrifice his professional career for my beer league wrist shot. BTW pro-stock sticks weigh nothing. Im pretty sure they are filled with helium.
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May 19, 2011 02:42
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So I'm 6'4" and I would like to buckle down a get a pair of better quality sticks. I hate however, putting those wood shaft extensions. I find they kind of mess with the balance and flex. Back in the wood days some companies would make taller wood sticks for guys like me, does anyone do that now with the composites? Edit: I get in the way of shots but nothing crazy like diving slides in front of the point or putting my face in the way of the guy with the rocket slapper. Most of the time I just take it in the shins/skates. I've been dinged in the face good twice but both of those where from a team mate taking a swing at a rolling/bouncing puck and having to shoot of in a crazy direction. Petit.Conan fucked around with this message at 03:00 on May 19, 2011 |
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May 19, 2011 02:55
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Petit.Conan posted:So I'm 6'4" and I would like to buckle down a get a pair of better quality sticks. Seconding this.
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May 19, 2011 03:11
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Petit.Conan posted:So I'm 6'4" and I would like to buckle down a get a pair of better quality sticks. Easton sticks tend to be some of the longest uncut, I know a lot of pros will have longer sticks custom made but Im not sure about if they are readily available to the general public. There really is no better feeling than a 1 piece stick without any plugs or extensions.
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May 19, 2011 04:39
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So what level of gear do you guys go with for like low beer league? For comparison would you get protective gear above like say an x:30 pad/pant or is that pretty good enough for that level?
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May 19, 2011 19:11
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Cheap gear falls apart quicker. Start with the cheap stuff and as it wears down and needs replacing, buy better stuff if you want it. Over time, if you end up playing a lot of hockey, you'll end up with all nice gear. I don't think its really necessary to start with high end stuff. The difference between the high end stuff and low end stuff is build quality and extra protection or padded flaps in certain areas. Until you've taken a chop in that specific area and want that extra padding, there's no sense in paying twice the price for something.
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May 19, 2011 19:28
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I talked about them earlier but I don't think I would recommend x:20 pants to anyone at any level. They don't offer much protection and I don't think they would last more than one season, if that.
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May 19, 2011 19:42
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RBK 4k shinguards which are amazing. The removable liner is nice and they stay in place. Not super high level but way nicer than my old Tour shinguards which finally died this past summer. 8k prostock helmet with cage. If I didnt get it for free I would probably do 4k level. but drat the padding on the inside is so comfy. Easton EQ 3 Gloves. Easton gloves are my favorite if only they came with the Eagle palms. I have a set of RBK 8k sitting around from the AHL all star game that feel too bulky and tight on my hands despite being 14s. They look like a red white and blue robocop hand. I need new pants, old pair of koho that really dont offer much pretection other than in the top of the thigh. I will probably spend around $100 for a pair that should last me a Loooong time. Mid tier stuff is good for beer leagues, price point and durability will ususally be right in the sweet spot. If you are playing no-hit, dont go crazy on the shoulder pads unless you want to. I see shin guards being one of the most important things to invest in since they see the most action with your gloves seeing about the same. Pants are up to you, expensive pants last longer most times but cost more and offer more protection. The biggest differences in low-high level gear is obviously price, but for the price you get better build quality, lighter materials and better protection. Weight and comfort really stick out to me the most with higher level gear.
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May 19, 2011 19:45
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Petit.Conan posted:So I'm 6'4" and I would like to buckle down a get a pair of better quality sticks. Hope you can find a shop near you that sells pro-return sticks, its the only way ive found.
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May 19, 2011 23:18
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Yeah I have a bunch of mid level stuff and I try to upgrade my worst piece every season to something higher end. I really wish I spent more/was more picky with my skates, but sometimes I think I have to get burned hard to learn a lesson. I really like my Bauer 8500 helmet, it's so light and that gel pad stuff is awesome comfy and it breathes real well too. Also the reebok 10k shinguards I picked up seem to be basically bullet proof from all sides, they where a little heavy/bulky but I'm use to them now. I really want to get a pair of higher end Tackla's this year but my Sherwood's haven't really given me any reason to curb them at all. Edit: Yeah it's starting to seem that way. A friend told me Pro Hockey Life sells a small selection of tall composite sticks, but he's like 5'6" so I think they all look tall to him. And I know Easton sells a couple of mid level sticks that are a few inches taller but not really tall enough for me. Petit.Conan fucked around with this message at 23:26 on May 19, 2011 |
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May 19, 2011 23:23
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Caught a puck on my left skates holder and cracked a piece of the front column off with a big crack going through the center as well. Didn't realize it and played 45 more minutes wondering why my turns were so tough.
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May 20, 2011 05:12
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Acethomas posted:Caught a puck on my left skates holder and cracked a piece of the front column off with a big crack going through the center as well. Didn't realize it and played 45 more minutes wondering why my turns were so tough. Heh, I broke a holder last week and was wondering for an hour why my right skate was so noisy.
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May 20, 2011 05:14
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At pickup Tuesday I decided to get in the way of a shot from a dude that played in the chl last year. I avoided everything except the stick blade that hit the top of my glove. Somehow it missed the padding and bashed the front of a knuckle. Its not too bad but has a greenish shade to it today.
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May 20, 2011 17:27
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Petit.Conan posted:So I'm 6'4" and I would like to buckle down a get a pair of better quality sticks. The new Warrior sticks with the "dagger taper" are reallllllly long because of the crazy taper. Since the flex point and taper are sow low, they make the sticks longer as it doesn't affect the stick as much when they are cut because of the taper. Try one of those, plus they are awesome sticks to boot. Also Bauer has a totalOne carbon stick extension that is about 7-8" long you can try if weight balance is a big issue.
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May 20, 2011 18:44
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Fingers McGee posted:a dude that played in the chl last year Did he try to fight you?
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May 20, 2011 19:09
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Dangerllama posted:Did he try to fight you? No, but he is a dick and takes pickup way too seriously. He did mention last week he basically just fought while he was there.
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May 20, 2011 22:03
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Fingers McGee posted:No, but he is a dick and takes pickup way too seriously. He did mention last week he basically just fought while he was there.
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May 20, 2011 22:32
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Heh. I was only half joking. But that's odd, most guys I know that played at a high level (Division I and better) are usually super laid back at drop-in. They're just there because they love the game. The ex-captain of a local CHL team occasionally comes to drop-in (he coaches Junior and all his kids skate there over the summer). He's basically the nicest and most awesome guy I've ever played with. Got better hands than half the guys in the NHL too. Whenever I take the puck off of him (about once or twice a game, when he's already got two guys on him), I just look at him all 
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May 20, 2011 23:43
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Verman posted:
I think high end equipment is the way to go. Even if you grab last year's top stuff on closeout. A few months ago I snagged a pair of Warrior Hustler pants, and I grabbed a pair of Reebok pro stock shoulders. At this time last year I had a pair of mid-level Bauer pants & shoulders. I don't feel like there's a single gap in coverage on me anymore, but I actually feel more mobile than I did in the lower-level stuff. I'm no longer concerned about going into the boards while making a play on the puck, and for the odd game that gets moderately physical for rec. league I have plenty of padding to absorb any impact. Speaking of which, I've had a few recent collisions making plays on the puck in open ice and skated away feeling fine. My Bauer shoulder pads usually left me with sore ribs/shoulder/whatever any time I got blasted. Factor in the build quality, and you've got a high quality piece of gear that will likely last you for a while and protect you well in the process. Regardless of what level you're playing at, there's still a hard piece of rubber flying around with large dudes on ice chasing it. Totally worth the money IMO.
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May 21, 2011 03:03
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Keep in mind this: pro stock isn't made for durability, but rather performance. This is very much the true for sticks and gloves. Case in point: pro gloves are made with nylon now because it's lighter weight and not as "grabby" as wet leather. High end adult gloves, on the other hand, are made with leather because of its durability. I swear by leather. A lot of high end sticks are also substantially less durable than their mid-tier counterparts. If you're being paid to play, it doesn't matter if that stick lasts you 3 games or 3 months. Those of us who aren't sponsored by Warrior, on the other hand, probably want slightly more durable gear. I find the sweet spot for both sticks and gloves is right around the $100 mark. Any more and you sacrifice durability for performance (particularly for gains that probably aren't realized in B/C league). Any less and you're getting lower quality gear. That said, none of this applies to protective gear or skates. There, you really do get what you pay for. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 05:05 on May 21, 2011 |
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May 21, 2011 05:03
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Dangerllama posted:Keep in mind this: pro stock isn't made for durability, but rather performance. This is very much the true for sticks and gloves. I just switched to pair of Nylon gloves. Or Tufftek-- whatever they call it now. I don't plan on going back to leather any time soon. I've yet to get a tear on them, but they've gone through about a year of at least two skates per week and they're holding up fine. More importantly, (as you mentioned) they don't retain as much water and sweat. I've heard the Nylon being touted as more breathable than the leather, though that could be attributed to better overall venting on the gloves. Broke in pretty fast, too. Gotta disagree with you on high end sticks being less durable. I grabbed a Warrior Chronic (on closeout, again) and have put it through 7 or 8 months of abuse. I play D, so it's been hit by pucks, slashed, stepped on, repeatedly slammed into the ice and torqued heavily on slapshots, etc. Beyond a few deep nicks in the blade (which admittedly do worry me a bit, but they're clearly from skates), it's holding up fine. Blade hasn't gone soft, no cracks in the shaft. Hell, the paint hasn't even begun to chip off. Compare this to the two mid-level Bauers I rotated for a season that looked like they'd gone through hell (which includes deep gouges where the blade meets that shaft that looked more like stress fractures than skate damage), or the guys on my team that bought mid-level Warriors and are ready to trash them after 4 months of play. As far as I'm concerned, last year's high end gear on closeout is totally the way to go.
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May 21, 2011 18:15
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I can probably get my broken skate holder fixed under warranty, YAY! It'll probably take 4 weeks, BOO!
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May 21, 2011 19:42
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Thufir posted:I can probably get my broken skate holder fixed under warranty, YAY! How did it break?
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May 21, 2011 20:29
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poser posted:How did it break? 
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May 21, 2011 20:43
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Evil Mother Teresa posted:I just switched to pair of Nylon gloves. Or Tufftek-- whatever they call it now. I don't plan on going back to leather any time soon. I've yet to get a tear on them, but they've gone through about a year of at least two skates per week and they're holding up fine. More importantly, (as you mentioned) they don't retain as much water and sweat. I've heard the Nylon being touted as more breathable than the leather, though that could be attributed to better overall venting on the gloves. Broke in pretty fast, too. Heh. I use a Kronik too. When I think super high end, I think more in the $200 range. But I may just have skewed preference curve. Sounds like we can at least agree that Warrior sticks are the tits!
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May 21, 2011 20:52
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Dangerllama posted:Case in point: pro gloves are made with nylon now because it's lighter weight and not as "grabby" as wet leather. High end adult gloves, on the other hand, are made with leather because of its durability. I swear by leather. Evil Mother Teresa posted:Gotta disagree with you on high end sticks being less durable. I grabbed a Warrior Chronic (on closeout, again) and have put it through 7 or 8 months of abuse. I play D, so it's been hit by pucks, slashed, stepped on, repeatedly slammed into the ice and torqued heavily on slapshots, etc. Beyond a few deep nicks in the blade (which admittedly do worry me a bit, but they're clearly from skates), it's holding up fine. Blade hasn't gone soft, no cracks in the shaft. Hell, the paint hasn't even begun to chip off. Compare this to the two mid-level Bauers I rotated for a season that looked like they'd gone through hell (which includes deep gouges where the blade meets that shaft that looked more like stress fractures than skate damage), or the guys on my team that bought mid-level Warriors and are ready to trash them after 4 months of play. Also, you're comparing pro stock equipment to mid-level equipment, which really isn't fair. You should compare it to pro-level equipment (which is not the same as pro stock).
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May 21, 2011 21:01
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Dangerllama posted:Heh. I use a Kronik too. When I think super high end, I think more in the $200 range. But I may just have skewed preference curve. KRONIK! I thought it looked weird when I typed it out before. Stupid marketing gimmick name. Ha ha. I thought it was the top-level retail stick when it came out? If it wasn't, then the build quality is awesome. And yeah, Warrior sticks are the absolute tits. I'm fighting the urge to buy a Widow, but I've managed to free up some cash, and I want to drop from a 100 flex to an 85. Plus I really want to give that Gionta curve a try. So all signs are pointing towards me making a completely stupid, unnecessary purchase. coldwind posted:Sample size = 1 PS stick, 6 mid-level sticks? Should have clarified- I was chiefly comparing top end retail to mid-level. I used an alleged Vapor 60 pro stock shaft for a bit (though apparently they may have just been custom ordered, but via the same means the teams order. Whatever; they were a good deal for a pair. TSR FTW). I didn't really have a bad experience with them, they were just too whippy for me because I was gung-ho about playing a 75 flex to get more on my wrister. They seemed pretty well put together. I wouldn't see them snapping prematurely any time soon. Also they weren't grip; I really dislike non-grip shafts. The first thing I replaced the cheapo Bauers with was a Dolomite shaft when that was still Warrior's top model. Took a beating, still totally usable. Obviously these are shafts only. I can't comment on blades for each because I had a hard-on for TPS Tkachuk curves for a while. Also, all of these high end sticks were light as hell.
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May 21, 2011 22:15
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Pro stock sticks generally use a higher percentage of carbon fiber and less fiberglass than even top of the line retail versions, which makes them lighter and less durable at the same time. In fact, that relationship tends to go all the way down the line, the cheaper the stick, the more durable it tends to be (as it uses more fiberglass and/or wood on the really cheap ones). Also I have decided to give the Combat 52 caliber a try, people really seem to love it even over the most expensive stuff out there.
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May 21, 2011 23:44
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bewbies posted:Also I have decided to give the Combat 52 caliber a try, people really seem to love it even over the most expensive stuff out there. I think you'll be very pleased with that one.
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May 22, 2011 02:01
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A simple, inexpensive and oft-neglected piece of equipment that I highly recommend, if people don't already use them, are suspenders. I bought a pair at the beginning of this season and they add so much comfort and stability. If you don't wear suspenders you're probably forced to tighten the buckle on your pants extremely tight, and I've always found that uncomfortable, particularly when getting into a deep knee bend or when sitting down. In my unqualified, unscientific opinion I also believe that wearing your pants super tight around the waist pinches your quad muscles in an undesirable way. With suspenders I'm wearing hockey pants but it barely feels like I'm wearing hockey pants, which is great because everyone secretly wants to do things pantless 
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