Beer League Hockey

[FortySixMac]

Curious if anyone on here plays? If so, where at and what level?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[lifelinksplit]

If I lived somewhere with leagues/facilities, I'd play. My wife used to play goalie in bozeman and played with a couple of local brewers from Madison River so they would have a pony keg most games. We do however have a pretty sweet outdoor rink in our small town(Philipsburg) and have a tourney every January I play in with friends from Missoula. Unfortunately we just got ice down this last weekend with all the warm temps.

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[evdog]

I used to in Vancouver. Very low level rec league. I think there are only 3 rinks in San Diego so I've never bothered bringing my gear down here. I'm going to this time just to clear it out of my parents basement. Not sure it will ever get used....

[FortySixMac]

If I lived somewhere with leagues/facilities, I'd play. My wife used to play goalie in bozeman and played with a couple of local brewers from Madison River so they would have a pony keg most games. We do however have a pretty sweet outdoor rink in our small town(Philipsburg) and have a tourney every January I play in with friends from Missoula. Unfortunately we just got ice down this last weekend with all the warm temps.

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

Looked up Philipsburg on the map — looks like a sweet little spot to live! That’s pretty cool you guys make an outdoor rink. How long does it typically stay in operation (outside of this year seemingly)?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[FortySixMac]

I used to in Vancouver. Very low level rec league. I think there are only 3 rinks in San Diego so I've never bothered bringing my gear down here. I'm going to this time just to clear it out of my parents basement. Not sure it will ever get used....

Man, I think low level rec in Vancouver must be like semi-pro here in the states, haha. No interest in picking it up in SD?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[moose pit]

Hung up my skates with the start of the vid. Probably for the best. The men's B league was pretty competitive here in PG. It was getting really hard to play with a bunch of 20 year olds that were WHL level kids... and I didn't want to be the team dad. I figure calling it quits with 4 season championships out of my last 5 years was as good as it could get.

[evdog]

Man, I think low level rec in Vancouver must be like semi-pro here in the states, haha.

Not at all, since skating is such a big variable. Lots of people like me couldn't play organized hockey growing up but can afford to now, but still don't skate well. Also, at places like UBC and work teams we've always had people on international exchanges from UK, Oz, South africa, etc who have never skated before but have playing ice hockey in Canada on their bucket list.

So beginner / rec can still be pretty low level. And there is every skill level in between up to semi pro-ish. Work teams can be hugely variable with said internationals, beginners and the occasional junior/AHL level player. One year at UBC we had a few exchange students from Quebec who signed up for the beginner level (my team) but were actually really good.... a goalie and two skaters. After barely winning any games for a couple seasons we won the league that year : )

I'd be up to playing drop in hockey if I could find a spot offering that. Not super interested in committing to a league with late night ice times when most of the rinks are an hour away though.

[east or bust]

I’ve played in a bunch after graduating.

Harrisburg PA, Scottsdale AZ, now in Jackson.

From what I remember the league in Harrisburg had the greatest player variability, it was true beer league. We had a few ex pro players on our team but also had guys who weren’t strong players. There was a lot of chippy shit in that league.

Arizona was a lot younger of a scene. It was faster paced and more competitive. Apparently there was a league in North Scottsdale that had a very high percentage of ex pro and D1 players. Never got the chance to lace up with them but would have liked to.

Playing on a co-rec team in Jackson currently, very relaxed and fun. Would like to get on a Sunday men’s league team in the New Year. There’s also the Moose… have had some thoughts about trying out. Have practiced with them and it’s fast, I’d be a very middle of the road player on that team. They play in the Black Diamond hockey league (BDHL), whatever that is.


eta - forgot about Idaho Falls. They played on Fridays and Sundays which didn’t mesh with the ski pow in Jackson schedule. May have played 2 times and it was pretty similar to the Harrisburg league. Overall I was pretty bummed with the showing, but on a positive note they just built a big new rink that hosts a USPHL team. Hopefully that sparks more interest. Hockey should be way bigger up here than it is.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[NBABUCKS1]

eob- went to the moose game last night.

What's the deal with them? you have to pay? they get paid?

Place was packed so they are definitely bringing in a ton of revenue, just trying to figure out how it all works?


As or my beer league. I started playing as an adult in Kodiak AK. We had free ice at 7 pm, 3 nights a week. Drop in. Insane deal and time. I left AK and haven't played since. I was terrible and a lot of people took it way too seriously but man did I love playing.

[skuff]

I'm playing in a coed league that has a variety of skill levels. Anywhere from former D1 players, there's a former Women's Team Canada player, a former Women's Team USA player and people that hadn't started playing hockey until they were thirtysomething. Ages range from ~18 years old to mid 60s

There are ~100 players for 10 teams, each team is named after whatever color jersey they wear. Our league ended last night after 16 weeks, with 3 rounds of playoff games. Next session starts in 2 weeks.

Every player has a "rating" and each session there's a draft. The GMs get together and try their best to balance out the teams. If you stay in the league long enough, this type of setup makes it so you eventually play on the same team with everyone in the league. Making it less likely you get chippy against the current opponent that was on your team last session

Much beer consumed before and after games

[Supermoon]

That sounds fun. I just picked up hockey last year at 39, so I’m a true beginner but I want to get into a league this coming year. It’s fun to be so bad at something again, and the cardio kicks my ass.

[skuff]

This league is so much fun, everyone is nice. And if they're not nice, they're told to relax. If you get 3 penalties in 1 game, you're booted out of the game and can't play in the next game. That doesn't mean players don't get aggressive, it means the players know what the limits are. Better players back off a bit when a less skilled player is carrying the puck. Teams want to win games but not at the cost of being a dick. The higher rated players are limited to 2 goals per game with everyone else limited to 3 goals per game. Also helps to have refs that are players in the league

I've played in other leagues where I get anxious about the upcoming opponent because of the chippy bullshit I know will happen.
Don't start none, won't be none

[lifelinksplit]

We have a pretty sweet setup for such a small town. Nice warming building/locker rooms/and garage for mini-zam. Also have a refrigeration set-up for the ice and halfway decent boards. Went for a skate 2nite since our Brewer's Tournament is this weekend. Lots of hockey, drunken shenanigans, and great falls mullets!

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[m2711c]

the emanating foot stank of that there foto is gagging me...


fact.

[lifelinksplit]

the emanating foot stank of that there foto is gagging me...


fact.

You sure it isn't the Getzlaf jersey...











But you ain't joking, my ma was the dd for our hockey team growing up and everytime I see a dodge caravan the ol factory memories kick in. Prob worse than Virginia slim 100's...

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[Self Jupiter]

We have a pretty sweet setup for such a small town. Nice warming building/locker rooms/and garage for mini-zam. Also have a refrigeration set-up for the ice and halfway decent boards. Went for a skate 2nite since our Brewer's Tournament is this weekend. Lots of hockey, drunken shenanigans, and great falls mullets!

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

Track lighting, decor… windows? Fuckin lux man :FMicon:

[Percy Rideout]

We have 2 rinks for less than 15,000 people in a ski town.

Bunch of leagues. In our men's league most played at the college level or better.

I skated once with Wes Mantooth, solid player but he hurt his shoulder shortly after and I haven't seen him since.

Unique to Aspen, many here start their hockey playing career as adults due to cheapish (and desirable) ice times (think 7pm 8pm ish for you poor city folk that play at 1am), cheap hand me down gear, and a lot of interest. I've never seen it anywhere else, and its so damn cool.

Our lowest league (C League) plays on Friday nights and attracts more fans than any other level. It's a literal party in the stands.

[skuff]

We have 2 rinks for less than 15,000 people in a ski town.

Bunch of leagues. In our men's league most played at the college level or better.

I skated once with Wes Mantooth, solid player but he hurt his shoulder shortly after and I haven't seen him since.

Unique to Aspen, many here start their hockey playing career as adults due to cheapish (and desirable) ice times (think 7pm 8pm ish for you poor city folk that play at 1am), cheap hand me down gear, and a lot of interest. I've never seen it anywhere else, and its so damn cool.

Our lowest league (C League) plays on Friday nights and attracts more fans than any other level. It's a literal party in the stands.

Always love the fans in the stands, I like it better when they're cheering for the other team

The spectators don't really care what's happening on the ice, just be there and yell whenever. It's hilarious, both teams get a kick out of the families and friends watching

There are 2 rinks at the high school where we play and 1 of the players is the high school principal. We once played a game when ~a dozen high school students showed up with oversized photos of the principal's face. Every time the principal touched the puck, the students would scream and wave the giant face photos around. Classic

[Supermoon]

“Shoot it!”

[singlecross]

“Shoot it!”

Funny, our goalie was always yelling “Backcheck!!”… it didn’t seem to motivate us. Actually the opposite. When we would make it within earshot we would reply with “Suzanne eats pussy… your wife is a dyke!!” The other teams thought it was hilarious the we’d heckle our own goalie. I miss you Beer League.

[From_the_NEK]

Total beer leaguer here. Play HS and college club hockey through 2002. Then became a beer leaguer. In 2019 we were short goalies due to various reasons so I decided to add that to my list of things I do okay but not great.
Unfortunately my arena hasn't had an organized league since the early 90's when too much drinking and fighting shut the league down. Now it is just several loosely organized "pick-up" groups that play occasionally throughout the week. There was a movement to get a league started backup a few years ago and then the pandemic hit and no one picked up the ball.

Here I am a couple weeks ago making a desperation save as my sister tries to score on me.

[skuff]

^^^ Great photo ^^^

[skuff]

My league has ~10 goalies that rotate through the teams. Before the game, when 1 team has more points in the league standings than the other, the team that has fewer points gets 1st pick of net minders.

There can be some groaning/sadness about getting the weaker goaltender