Back Again

So back in May I hurt my shoulder – wakeboarding, not hockey-related.  That put me on the sidelines for a few weeks, and then I was very busy planning and preparing for a trip around the country with my daughter.  That put me into August, by which time, of course, I’d gotten rather lazy and out of shape again.

After a year’s break, the boy-child is wanting to play again, so I had him dig out his equipment and see what fit … at thirteen, after a year, what fit would be shin pads.  So $600 later he has all new equipment.

The girl-child has been saying that she wants to play as well.  When she started saying this, she was heavily involved in dance four or five nights a week, so it wasn’t an option.  Now she’s less involved in formal dance lessons and she’s still been saying periodically that she’d like to try it. 

She has a busier schedule, though, with work, college soon, and a teenage girl’s social life – but the hockey options for someone sixteen-plus are less formal than for the younger kids, with drop-ins and clinics where you can just show up for one instead of signing up for weeks of them.

So I figured what the hell … I’ll let her try it a couple times and see what she thinks.

First we went to Play it Again Sports to look at used equipment, but two things put me off.  First, nothing there is organized, and I hate trying to find things in a disorganized mess; and, second, the thought of putting my little girl in someone’s old, sweat-stained castoff gave me qualms.  Now, I’d put the boy-child in a used jock if I needed to save money, and not think twice about it, but girls are different.

Another shopping trip and another $600 for gear and the girl-child’s fully equipped.  I took a chance that she’d actually like it and I wouldn’t wind up wasting the money, because she’s never played a team sport before. 

A few days later, off to the skate and shoot we all went.

Apparently, skating on hockey skates is different than figure skates (the only other skating the girl-child’s done).  Who knew?

I didn’t think it would be that different, but I’ve never worn figure skates, so that was an assumption.  The girl noticed it, though, and that, plus the pounds of equipment, made her considerably less graceful than a decade of dance training would lead one to expect.

She was also a bit wide-eyed and seemed nervous.  Her only experience on-ice has been public skates where everyone goes ‘round-and-‘round in the same direction.  The chaos of a skate and shoot, with scrimmages at either end and skaters at center ice, was a very different experience for her.

The boy and I spent some time chasing each other around the ice, then the three of us practiced passing a bit.  That went better than I expected it to, with the girl-child never having held a hockey stick before.  She missed some, but she was generally on target and had good speed on the puck for her first time.

I spent the last fifteen minutes of the skate practicing a hockey stop with my left foot forward.  Something I still can’t do, so it’s more like a just barely controlled skidding turn. 

I think the gamble on buying her equipment was worth it, because a few days later she came over and asked: “So when’s the next hockey?”

I assumed she meant the next Solar Bears games we could go to, so I started reading off their schedule.

“No, no, no,” she said. “Hockey.”

So it’s harder for her to find time to do something and she doesn’t want to go alone yet, which complicates it further, but it looks like there’ll be three of us on the ice when we can all make it now.

Sunday Clinic

I made it through about half of today’s clinic before leaving the ice with an equipment problem.

First we started off skating the face-off dots forward – two reps of that, then another two reps carrying a puck.  With the puck, I concentrated on either keeping my head up or at least looking up at least half the time.  I wasn’t the slowest in either of these and no one passed me, which made me happy.

Then we had two reps of skating the face-off dots where we skated forward east-west (cross-ice) and backward north-south.  At the start of the second rep of this, I lost my edge transitioning from forward to backward and hit the ice hard.  Head bounced off the ice pretty good, but the pads, helmet, and mouthpiece did their job, so I hardly felt it.

The right skate hadn’t felt quite right last week either, so I decided to get them sharpened after the clinic, but midway through the next drill it seemed to have gotten worse (or I just noticed it more), so I left the ice.

In the pro shop they confirmed my concerns and noted that the inside-edge of my right skate was mostly not there.  Since that’s my cross-over leg, my stopping leg, and my transition leg, it’s inside edge is somewhat important.

Sunday Clinic

Today’s clinic started with a High-Low drill:

Two skaters from the goal-line along either side.  Take the puck around cones set on the face-off dots – either far or near, depending on which side you’re starting from – then into the zone for a shot.

We ran this drill with groups at both ends of the ice, so there were four skaters converging in the neutral zone at any given time.  Good practice for keeping your head up and knowing where the other skaters are.

This was followed by a passing drill the length of the ice:

From the goal-line pass to the blue-line, then to the far blue-line, finally to center-ice.  The skater at center-ice takes the puck into the zone for a shot and everyone else follows their pass to a new position.

Finally we went around the face-off circle, picking up a puck after once around, then around again and take a shot on goal. 

After a few reps of this, we changed it up to include skating backwards – always facing goal.

Game 2

So game number two for me, after skipping last week due to taking an ass to the groin. 

Even strength teams tonight and we lost 3-4 in overtime.  I wasn’t on the ice for any goals against and was out there for one of our goals, so I feel better about my performance than I did last time.

The goal I was on the ice for was a nice little wrap-around.  I was left wing and I think I was in good position to take a pass from him when he was back there or pick up the rebound.  Maybe a little too close to the goal, though.

I think I played my positions better – tonight I was mostly at wing, with one shift on defense.  After the first game I found a site that lays out the proper position in different situations, something I probably should have learned before the first game.

One confusing situation that kept occurring was in our zone, where, as I understand it, I’m supposed to keep an eye on their defenseman at the point on my side.

But he was never there, he was more down in the slot, so I spent a lot of time in this big box of open ice.

My instinct is to head down their too and keep him off the puck, but our center said, no.  Let our defense clear him out and stay where I should be to take the puck for a breakout.

One thing about the boy-child, who’s still on a bit of a hiatus from hockey, is that he plays his position well.  Having been in a game, now, and felt the temptation to get down there into the play, I have a lot of respect for him doing that.

As in the first game, I think my best shift of the night was a clear that set up a breakaway.  I got the puck in our zone and saw a clear lane out to our center at the blue-line and the other wing almost there.  My pass was on target to the center and I wasn’t too far behind them down the ice.  No goal, but it was a decent play on my part.

I think I was also able to put more pressure on the other team than last game.  I was still behind people a lot, but rather than trying to catch up and touch the puck, I lifted a lot of sticks and kept them in mind that I was back there.

I fell less in this game.  All but one the result of being bumped off balance by other players – it’s no-checking, but you can’t avoid all contact.  The one was rather spectacular, as it involved my leg giving out while I was trying to climb over the boards to the bench – pancaked onto my back right there.  My goal now is to make it through a game without the ref having to say: “You okay, man?”

With about 5:00 left in the third, my right thigh started aching on top.  Twinging from moderate to muttered-obscenity.  Weak and worse when I put weight on the leg, I made it through a last shift in the period – they scored 0:30 into overtime, so I didn’t have to see if it would handle that.

It was an unpleasant ride home, with lots of grunts and mutterings, but the pain subsided after a stop at Friday’s, so all it needed was a bit of rest.  Or vodka.  Rest or vodka, one.

The late end to these games is unfortunate, because there’re no massage places open on my drive home (well, no legitimate massage places).  I would so pay for a massage after these games.

Monday Clinic

Only seven skaters at the start and eleven when the late arrivals finally showed, so Coach went easy on us as far as the end-to-end skating went.  Tonight we stayed around the net, practicing deflections.

First off, taking position between the goal and the point, about at the paint of the face-off circle.  Face the point, legs apart and stick on the ice in front of you with the blade in-line with the path the puck will take.  Now pray that the guy taking the shot from the point doesn’t lift it to groin level, because we had enough of that shit last week.

When I started this drill, I was reacting late and trying to pull my stick back and toward the puck.  This created something of a curling motion, which I was told to avoid.  So hold the stick firmly and just move it side to side, trying to get it into the path of the puck a bit.  By the time the evening was done, I was getting a bit and earned some praise from the goalie when I did it right.  Did I get any past him?  I have no idea, it was behind me.

Also lots of advice about making a ramp with your blade to lift the puck and how it has to be a way-shallow angle to keep it below the crossbar.

A few reps of this on one side, then Coach set up two shooters, so we’d take a shot from one point, then hightail to the other side of the net for a second shot.

Then we took turns shooting, lining up at the blue line.  Take the shot and then follow it to the net to deflect a shot from the next in line.

Last was a two-man attack from center ice.  Skate the puck in and pass back, backhand, to the trailer who’s stopped near the top of the circle.  Then head for the net and set up to deflect his shot. 

This was a high note for me, because my passes were generally on target.  I may not be able to shoot or skate that well yet, but if I can touch the puck I have a decent chance of getting it to someone who can.

Clinic Catch Up

There was no Sunday clinic last week (4/8) because the rink was closed for Easter.  Monday’s clinic ended abruptly in the following manner.

After a brief skating drill, the first puck drill was to carry the puck from the goal-line, down the ice to the other zone, take a shot from just inside the far blue-line, and then pivot to skate backwards to the starting point.  Not entirely difficult.

So I go … and the puck slips off my stick back to my feet, so I kick it up.  It goes off the back of my stick to my right where one of the guys coming back to the line sees it and taps it toward me, so it’s now over to my left. 

I’m trying to regain the puck and people are skating backwards toward me.  Do I really need to say any more?

My head’s down and I slammed right into the back of this guy.  He went down and rolled over to give me a “what the fuck?”-look, which I richly deserved.

Now for me, I didn’t go down, but since we’re both crouched and skating, his ass and my cup were at a level.  Unfortunately, my cup was not entirely cupping correctly.  It had ridden up a bit and the left one was, apparently, a bit out.  So the left one was caught between the edge of the cup and my thigh, and the top of the cup pounded into my lower gut.  It was a two-fer.

I spent the rest of that clinic on the bench clutching myself.

Today’s drill went better.

First off, three skaters each take a puck and head the length of the ice.  First skater enters the zone and takes a shot.  Second skater hangs at the blue-line to center, then heads into the zone for a shot.  Third skater hangs along the blue-line to the left side and then heads in for a shot.

Next up was a little thing that I can’t even begin to draw a picture of.  Two groups at either end of the ice.  On the whistle, three skaters from each group each take a puck and head for center ice, where they enter the center face-off circle and skate around puck-handling. 

Yes, six crappy, beginning skaters all trying to control their pucks while they skate around in that little circle.  On the second whistle, the survivors exit the Thunderdome circle and take shots on goal.

An easy one’s next – from behind the goal-line, take the puck out of the zone, pass it hard to the far boards, then skate over to pick the puck up and take a shot.

Then we did some four-person passing, follow your pass to your next position.

And finally a drill with cones.  I don’t like cones, they make my ankles hurt.  Which probably means I need to do more drills with sharp turns and stop skating just in straight lines.

Equipment Review

So having used it all for a while and now finally played a game, it seems like a good idea to review my equipment and see what I’m happy with and what I’m not.  Maybe decide what order to upgrade things in.

Skates

Bauer Vapor X:50 – not a single complaint about these skates.  Comfortable, light, and durable, these were the best money I’ve spent on hockey equipment so far.

Shin Guards

Reebok 6K – no complaints about these, either.  They’re comfortable and I’ve hit the ice often enough to evaluate how well they protect my knees.

Pants

Easton Synergy S16 – not much to say about pants, I think.  Comfortable and I’ve tested them enough to know they’ll protect me on impact.

Shoulder

CCM Vector 06 – these will probably be the next thing I replace.  These are really thin around the sides and belly.  Part of the problem may be a sizing issue.  I’m tall, but relatively thin; so a large fits my chest well, but doesn’t meet up with the pants and an extra-large meets the pants, but winds up loose around the chest.

The Bauer X:60s offer more protection and are lighter, so I’ll probably pick one up this month, as the inventory closeouts are all running.

Elbow

Reebok 8K – after much testing, these have proven effective, so I’m happy with them.

Gloves

Reebok 6K – no complaints at all.

Helmet

CCM Vector 10 – my head’s hit the ice and a puck’s hit my face, so I can’t fault the protective qualities of this helmet.  Near the end of a game or practice, it does become a bit uncomfortable around the temples.  I’ll stick with it, but at some point I’ll try some new ones on.

Currently I have a wire cage, but I want to try the visor/cage combination to see if it improves visibility.

Stick

I hate hockey sticks. Length, flex, curve type, curve depth, pattern, material, lie, grip, face, blade length … I’ve bought cars with fewer options. I started off with a wooden Easton stick because it had the $12.99 feature.  Heavy and no flex at all, I replaced this with the same pattern in a composite. This was okay, but I wanted something that offered a little more curve to cup the puck a bit and somewhat more open to help me lift it. So I moved on to a Bauer pattern that seemed to match what I was looking for.

I can see myself spending a lot of money on sticks, looking for the right pattern and features – which equally means that I’ll be giving a number of sticks away when I decide what I don’t like. Luckily all the blade patterns are available on a range of sticks, so that’ll keep the cost down.  The clinic coach just got a new Combat stick that he was trying out Monday.  Slapshots from the far goal line that hit the glass at head height with disturbing velocity.