Anyone here play hockey?

[Warick]

If so, what level do you play, or have you played? What position.

I started playing hockey last July on an I-League team in Dallas (The Frozen Waffles). I still can't skate for poop, but I'm getting better. My stick handling is a sub par, but I can move the puck, and I have a 4 mph slapshot.

This is by far the most difficult sport I have ever played, but, I'm having a blast! After playing a few games, I have a definite appreciation for the speed, and skill that NHL players have. They make it look so easy.

I started out alternating between left wing, and right wing. My skating has improved some (I still can't stop very well), so they moved me to center for the last two games.

Anyone have any tips for stopping, and wrist/slap shots? My shots travel at the speed of smell, and the goaltender can take a nap before the puck gets to him/her.

For anyone who is thinking about playing, but never have, it's a BLAST! I highly recommend it. Take some skating, and hockey classes, and join an instructional league. Awesome workout, and a lot of fun.

 

[theebs]

sounds great man, good luck.

I have no advice. I could never afford the constant and ever rising costs of playing organized hockey as a kid as I always wanted to.

So I played street hockey a ton and we played on frozen ravines, streams and ponds and then rented out a rink for a few hours every now and then.

it is great. It is a skill unlike any other sport. Nothing like playing on ice your first time and winding up for a slap shot and missing then in turn falling back directly on your head...! awesome.

If I ever move home I will teach my son to play and make sure we have the money for him to play if he wants to.

as far as learning to skate, its like dribbling, you have to practice a ton. Being able to skate fluently backwards is maybe the most important and it is difficult to get down!

good luck.

 

[junk]

Yes, I play. I grew up playing, quit in college (no rink) and picked it up again when I got a job out of college.

It's a great game. I think one of the reasons hockey isn't very popular is that you can't easily grab a few friends and go play like you can with football, basketball or baseball. The rules are kind of odd as well. Plus it's a pretty awful TV sport. You almost have to watch it live to really appreciate it. I'd actually recommend junior hockey or college hockey if you are checking it out for the first time. A little easier to get closer to the action.

It's great exercise as well (although in adult hockey, it's usually a wash due to the beer drinking that goes along with it).

Stopping and shooting.....practice, practice, practice. Bang a puck off the boards before games. Don't worry about slap shots, concentrate on wrist shots and snap shots (and backhands). You'll score way more goals that way than you would with a slap shot anyway.

Stopping...be sure to turn 90 degrees from the direction you're going. Outside foot should have your weight on the inside edge. That'll stop you quickly and put you in a position to push off quickly and go the other direction.

 

[Hostile]

I have never played because I can't skate to save my life. I am a human Zamboni. I sweat like a beast, crash, and slick the ice.

Hockey live is one of the great sports ever. Watching it on TV is nothing in comparison. I had the privilege of seeing Wayne Gretkzy play live in Phoenix several years ago. He was with the LA Kings and they were playing the Calgary Flames and Theo Fleury. This was before the Winnepeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes.

I can't hardly begin to tell you what it was like to see Gretzky live. They called the area behind the goal his office. If he got the puck back there the defense was at his mercy almost. I will never forget seeing him shoot the puck off the back of the goaltender's leg and score the goal. The gap between the pipe and his leg as he slid side to side trying to stay with Gretzky was tiny. Maybe 3 inches at the most. One flick of the wrist and the lamp turned red. Magical.

I had a chance to see Mark Messier live when the Rangers came to Phoenix to play the Coyotes. Messier has to be the ultimate leader I have ever seen in sports. His presence on the ice was something you could feel. His lines worked harder when he was on the ice with them. You could feel it. It's hard to explain.

It's a great sport and I hope you really enjoy it.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I can't stand on roller skates much less ice skates plus ice is just to darn cold.

 

[Nors]

I have never played because I can't skate to save my life. I am a human Zamboni. I sweat like a beast, crash, and slick the ice.

Hockey live is one of the great sports ever. Watching it on TV is nothing in comparison. I had the privilege of seeing Wayne Gretkzy play live in Phoenix several years ago. He was with the LA Kings and they were playing the Calgary Flames and Theo Fleury. This was before the Winnepeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes.

I can't hardly begin to tell you what it was like to see Gretzky live. They called the area behind the goal his office. If he got the puck back there the defense was at his mercy almost. I will never forget seeing him shoot the puck off the back of the goaltender's leg and score the goal. The gap between the pipe and his leg as he slid side to side trying to stay with Gretzky was tiny. Maybe 3 inches at the most. One flick of the wrist and the lamp turned red. Magical.

I had a chance to see Mark Messier live when the Rangers came to Phoenix to play the Coyotes. Messier has to be the ultimate leader I have ever seen in sports. His presence on the ice was something you could feel. His lines worked harder when he was on the ice with them. You could feel it. It's hard to explain.

It's a great sport and I hope you really enjoy it.

Define several years ago and Gretzky - LOL


I was a Hartford Whaler Season Ticket holder and saw Gretzky in his prime late 80's early 90's. He was amazing. Best pure skater was Coffey.

Hall of Famer under Radar - Ronnie Francis. Kid came up at age 17 and was a NHL stud.

 

[Warick]

theebs: Nothing like playing on ice your first time and winding up for a slap shot and missing then in turn falling back directly on your head...! awesome.

Hahaha, yeah, I've done that a few times. Not too long ago in a game, I was skating in alone from the high slot towards goal, and a teammate along the corner boards passed the puck right to me, and I tried to do the ol' one timer, and ended up almost doing a cartwheel. I got grief over that for a few weeks.

junk: It's a great game. I think one of the reasons hockey isn't very popular is that you can't easily grab a few friends and go play like you can with football, basketball or baseball.Plus it's a pretty awful TV sport.

I agree. When I was younger, there were only a few rinks in the Dallas area, and you couldn't play hockey on them because it was they were for general skate only. Now, there are hockey rinks all over the Dallas area. I agree with you that it's not a friendly tv sport. I do think that HDTV will help though, since you will be able to see more of the ice, plays develop, and the puck will be easier to follow.

junk: Stopping and shooting.....practice, practice, practice. Bang a puck off the boards before games. Don't worry about slap shots, concentrate on wrist shots and snap shots (and backhands). You'll score way more goals that way than you would with a slap shot anyway.

Thanks for the tips, junk. I really appreciate it.

Since you are obviously a good player, I wonder if you can answer this question for me. I've been told that when you are doing a wrist/snap shot, that you want a snapping action towards the end of the stick rotation. What exactly do they mean by snapping? when you follow through with the stick swing, do you snap the wrist in rotation (tisting the stick, sort of flipping the blade forward kind of thing), or is it something else. I'm kinda stumped on that.

Basically, the way I shoot is (I'm left handed), left hand halfway down the shaft, right hand up high, I sweep the stick forward, sorta pushing the stick into the ice, forcing the stick to flex as it goes, then push forward with the left hand low, and pull with the right hand backwards.

hostile: I have never played because I can't skate to save my life. I am a human Zamboni. Hockey live is one of the great sports ever. Watching it on TV is nothing in comparison. I had the privilege of seeing Wayne Gretkzy play live in Phoenix several years ago. He was with the LA Kings and they were playing the Calgary Flames and Theo Fleury. This was before the Winnepeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes.

I can't hardly begin to tell you what it was like to see Gretzky live. They called the area behind the goal his office. If he got the puck back there the defense was at his mercy almost. I will never forget seeing him shoot the puck off the back of the goaltender's leg and score the goal. The gap between the pipe and his leg as he slid side to side trying to stay with Gretzky was tiny. Maybe 3 inches at the most. One flick of the wrist and the lamp turned red. Magical.

I had a chance to see Mark Messier live when the Rangers came to Phoenix to play the Coyotes. Messier has to be the ultimate leader I have ever seen in sports. His presence on the ice was something you could feel. His lines worked harder when he was on the ice with them. You could feel it. It's hard to explain.

It's a great sport and I hope you really enjoy it.

Hostile, I couldn't skate either. I couldn't stand up let alone skate. My ex girlfriend convinced me to take lessons (she played), and I'm glad I did. within 6 months, I was skating pretty well considering, although, I'm still learning to skate backwards.

Hockey is a great sport, and I'm a big Dallas Stars fan. Thanks to friends with season tix, and extra seats, I've been to almost all of the home games this season, and sat in a suite the other night for the Phoenix game. Great game. I never saw Gretzky play live, but as a coach, it's funny watching him flip his lid on the bench, especially at the refs. I took this pic at a Stars/Yotes game a while back.

http://i3.***BLOCKED***/albums/y67/Warick/random%20stuff/thesteamedone.jpg

 

[Warick]

I can't stand on roller skates much less ice skates plus ice is just to darn cold.

Yeager, the ice is cold, but trust me, after about 5 minutes on the ice, skating around in those pads, you feel like you are in a furnace. A 30 second shift is the longest 30 seconds of your life, especially if you are over 40.

 

[Nors]

Gretzky retired 9 years ago.

 

[CowboysFan02]

I used to play during Jr. High and High School, I was a center for the most part.

For stick handling get a tennis ball(a little more active than a puck/ball, and it works off the ice too) and just move it back and forth, like others have said it takes practice. First start by looking at the puck/tennis ball, and slowly as you get better start to look up watching it in your peripheral vision.

For shooting/accuracy use 2 liter bottles as targets, if you have a net to practice with, put the bottles in the top corners. And don't forget the hard angle shots from the side of the net, helps with accuracy. A snap shot is when you snap the puck/ball with a quick flick of the wrist, oh and another thing as far a accuracy, your follow through dictates where your shot is going to go to some extent. If you watch the pros, watch as they take theirs shots the amount of flex their stick have when they shoot, so to get more power/speed put a little pressure on the stick as you shoot. When they talk about guys leaning into their shots they actually mean it.

And one last thing in this long winded post, for skating crab, run side ways foot over foot, it will help with foot quickness and when your turning. For Faceoffs put both hands over the top of the stick like you were holding on a banister and choke up on the top of the stick.

Oh and don't forget to have fun, if your not having fun it will get old, and you won't improve. I think that is all, feel free to pm me if you have more specific questions, and I'll see if I can help.

 

[tomson75]

Hockey was one of eight sports my old man received scholarship offers for as a senior in high school, and is the only sport of the eight that he never taught me how to play. I'll never forgive him for it.

I have several friends in the northern VA area that have recently joined leagues. If I ever get my *** out of the sticks, and back to civilization (which I'm not sure I want to do at this point), I'm definitely going to join them. Sounds like a blast.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Yeager, the ice is cold, but trust me, after about 5 minutes on the ice, skating around in those pads, you feel like you are in a furnace. A 30 second shift is the longest 30 seconds of your life, especially if you are over 40.

Not when you are laying on your butt every 5 seconds.

 

[trickblue]

We played street hockey when I was a kid but growing up in Texas, we didn't have ice rinks that far back. It was always a lot of fun and it got pretty intense at times...

I had Stars season tickets my last two years in Dallas, which was their first two seasons, and like many have said it is a blast to watch live. It is unbelievable to see the speed, skill and agility of those athletes. Watching on TV doesn't even compare. The first season was a lot of fun as the Stars hosted "Hockey 101" at Reunion Arena to teach us footballers how to understand the game.

My favorite players were Shane Churla, Neal Broten and Darrien Hatcher...

Good Times...

 

[CdnCowboy]

I have been skating and playing practically my whole life.

For slapshots you want to slide your hand down further then your normal stick handling grip until about half-way down the shaft (like someone said earlier), when you are beginning to learn, the windup isn't too important, make sure that you are hitting the puck correctly and transferring your weight through the puck. At the start, take a short windup, come down and hit the ice an inch or two being the puck, putting your strength behind the stick and hit the puck in the middle of the blade. Follow through with rolling your wrists over after the puck is released. A general rule I followed was if i wanted to shoot high, i follow through higher, and if I wanted to shoot low, I followed through low. As a beginner I suspect that all of your shots would be on the ice, so maybe just keep that in mind as you start to improve.

For stopping it is much like skiing if you have any experience there. If you are stopping right foot forward, you will be on your outside edge of your left foot and your inside edge of your right foot. Obviously this is the opposite for left foot forward stopping. Make sure your knees are bent and you have good balance. All it is is balance so after a while it will get easier when you have the correct balance and muscle memory.

For anyone thinking about getting season tickets, get them! Hockey needs you! After the lockout the NHL has lost its tv rights with espn, so with more popularity, hopefully they can get back on. I have had Flames season tickets until I went out of town for university, but I am on the waiting list to get some more once I graduate.

I hope this helped in your questions though, and if you have any other questions you can PM me to make sure that I get them.

 

[MapleLeaf]

...I wasn't selected in the bantam draft like millions of other Canadians. I continued until midget, then crossed over to football.

Biggest mistake beginner skaters make is standing too tall on their skates. First tip bend your knees and lower your center of gravity - not exaggerated - just a natural sports position and learn to skate in that fashion.

It will make the next skill easier...stopping. As the previous poster stated stopping abruptly on skates is similar to stopping in downhill skiing.

Like in skiing you aggressively change the alignment of your skate blades from parallel forward to 90 degrees from the direction you were skating.

If you want a better shot do what millions of Canadian kids have done...learn it on the concrete or road with a tennis ball.

The key is the weight transfer onto your forward foot. If you look at stop pictures of NHL players you will see that just finished hockey motion. Watch videos of how they set up their body for the shot.

It usually starts with a wide triangular base on both skates with the puck centered under the chin. A downward swing of your stick toward the puck with a complete weight transfer to your forward foot after impact. Practice it on your feet first before trying to master it on skates.

What is the biggest problem for advanced beginners after they learn how to master skating...strength in their ankles and legs. Much of the skating techniques and shooting motions place a premium on weight transfer and doing them at a fast speed is challenging.

See a small video I found on YouTube about "how to skate". What's important to note is the instructor's body below the waist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZrkdYKCFM&feature=related

 

[Warick]

If I ever get my *** out of the sticks, and back to civilization (which I'm not sure I want to do at this point), I'm definitely going to join them. Sounds like a blast.

tomson, it IS a blast, and I'm learning a lot. I was encouraged after last fridays game, when several people told me that my skating, and game in general have improved greatly since I started.

CdnCowboy, thanks for the tips. I have been practicing some of what you've said, and it's helping. I'm just going to keep practicing whenever I get time. And don't worry, the Stars get a lot of my money, especially lately. I'm thinking about buying the playoff tix package if they make it (I'm sure they will). Hopefully, they make it past the first round this year.


davidyee, thanks for those tips. I'm using my old wooden stick, and a tennis ball to practice shots, puck movement, and control. Also, I'm working on strengthening my legs, and ankles. Lot of leg presses, knee bends, stairs, etc. I can feel a difference, and several people who come to our games have told me they have noticed a difference in both speed, and control. I have a long way to go, but it's a start.

I'm hoping to have someone video tape me playing, so I can look and see how well I'm skating, etc., and see what I need to improve on. If I do, I'll post some links to the video here so you can see what I need to improve on. Heck, if nothing else, you might get a good laugh out of it.
:laugh2:

 

[the kid 05]

why i love hockey ---->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TErFILssw
the only team sport that lets you settle things how they used to be settled

 

[Warick]

Yeah, I saw one of those last night while at the Stars/Flames game. Steve Ott, and Jerome Iginla. Nice little scrap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehd1-FucLnc

 

[MapleLeaf]

davidyee, thanks for those tips. I'm using my old wooden stick, and a tennis ball to practice shots, puck movement, and control. Also, I'm working on strengthening my legs, and ankles. Lot of leg presses, knee bends, stairs, etc. I can feel a difference, and several people who come to our games have told me they have noticed a difference in both speed, and control. I have a long way to go, but it's a start.

...where you will eventually hit the wall is when your skating becomes much more aggressive and the turns you want to make are much sharper and faster.

You will have to practice your edge control and challenge your core and ankles to maintain a clean line and your balance over your skates.

If you got a good guy to sharpen your skates you should see that you are only riding on approximately an inch and a quarter of your skate blade.

Also if you put a penny on the top of the blade you should see a distinctive concave cut to the blade producing two exterior edges.

The one inch on either edge is what is holding up your entire weight as you skate around. Having strong ankles, legs and core muscles will help you alot in mastering skating.

 

[Warick]

Well, I got my 2nd career goal last week. Backhander from the left side of the net. Caught the goalie sliding towards that side of the net, and the puck went 5 hole. We won 3-0, and are on a 2 game winning streak.

Later in the 3rd period, I had my table set when we caught the other team on a 2 on none, and he passed the puck to me. I tried to one time it on net, and completely whiffed. I should have caught the puck, then shot. My teammate was pissed he didn't get an assist on such an easy play.