beer league puck hog complaint

[ScJeff]

Alright heres the story. I play the puck alot. I play in a pickup league with some older people (military and dads friends).

A play happened where the puck came in, i waas playing it. The defencemen yelled "leave it leave it!". There was aplayer right on him(literally 6 inches apart), so i chipped it up the baords to my forward who got a breakaway.

The next time he got the puck at our blueline, he turned around and took a slapshot at my head, obviously i wasnt expecting it as noone was aroudn him, and he was on my team. He then said "next time i say leave the puck there effn leave it there!"

He later apologized for shooting at me, sayign it was out of frustration. however he did say that i better leave the puck more, they come out to play hockey and tocuh the puck so if they come back i better not pass it up to a forward.

Personally i am always looking forward. My goal is to set up a forward at center ice or farther up, and if thats nto available i use my defencemen, and dont force anything. I really dont think i should change the way i play becasue they want to touch the puck more. Im out to play hockey too, and thats how i play.

A few people supported him, a few peopel supported me. Generally it was defencemen who thought i shouldnt do it, but it was forwards who supported me. In most of my leagues im complemented on my puck handling. Here im bashed for it because "the want to play the puck". I told him there was aman right on him so i passed it up, he said he did care he called for it.

I was almost wanting to say "Im sure some of you guys come out to score, so why dont i just let in every shot because thats what you come out to do?"

Anyhow, im tempted to boycot passing to him for a few weeks. SHould i ignore it? Should i stop leaving the crease to get them to STFU? Or are they being pricks?

[LukePhillips]

If someone on my own team (even in pickup) wheeled around and blasted a shot at my head, there would have been a throwdown right then and there. that is beyond uncalled for, and beyond idiotic on his part. I wouldn't be questioning if I should play the puck to him anyone more, because I wouldn't be on the same ice as him.

[ScJeff]

Hes like 55, im 18. Im not dropping the gloves on an old guy. It missed my head by just a bit.

[Goalieworld20]

just keep doing wat your doing. dont let it bug u. if he attempts to hurt u again then confront him but other than that, play your game.

I play the puck alot and always want to make breakouts and stuff, but luckily im a kid and on a team so my D knows wats up. The D shopuld know that it doesnt always need to touch the puck.

and yea that woulda been a great comeback, it made sense haha

[bc30]

It's hard to tell from just one example, what you should be doing in all situations, but having been in enough similar situations over the years, I'll chime in with some advice.

You are playing pickup with older guys - it's pretty common that they want to play their game, the way that they are used to, they way they did with every goalie they used before you got there. The last thing they want to see is some gung-ho, 18 y.o. goaltender taking over every loose puck, just because he can.

It may be "your game" to play the puck a lot, but it can easily be perceived as showing up your defenseman if you never leave him the puck. Think about it - he's 55 years old and just busted his hump to get back into his own end and get the puck, only to have it shot away from him.

Shooting the puck at you was wrong, but so is assuming it's more important for you to play the puck than let him do it. Certain situations will require you to play the puck yourself, but it will go a long way if you leave it for them more often than not.

I can only assume that the play in question was a "last straw" situation - it had less to do with how that one play turned out than his perception that you are taking away his reason for being there.

[habs-fan]

If one of my teamate does that to me, for any reason, I just skate off the ice, right then and there.

[Goalies29]

Horse hockey, if your playing with army guys most of them k now the score and really shouldn't complain. If he fires a puck at you there is no going back and he crossed the line. And as an older player he should lnow better, this is an idiot with a problem and I've seen a few like that. He still thinks he has a shot at something, don't take it and don't back down.

[adavis]

Originally Posted by LukePhillips

If someone on my own team (even in pickup) wheeled around and blasted a shot at my head, there would have been a throwdown right then and there. that is beyond uncalled for, and beyond idiotic on his part. I wouldn't be questioning if I should play the puck to him anyone more, because I wouldn't be on the same ice as him.

Ditto to this, majorly uncool. At the very least I'd talk to him off ice about this and probably not politely.

[blue-zoom]

Where was your Dad in all this. I live in Ottawa area also and in the leagues i play, i do play the puck and if someone has a problem with it i will go play elsewhere. Where is this 55 old tough guy, would love to go and replace you for a game 55 or not, if he would of shot at me, i would of made him meet Mr blocker, you are 17 and he is 55 for god sakes. There is enough hockey in Ottawa, go play elsewhere where you will be appreciated.

[dylanh]

Sorry, but if he would have done that to me, that motherf%$#@r would never be able to play hockey again!

4 years ago...in pick-up no less, I covered the puck with my catcher, some a-hole comes in and takes a full-force two handed chop on my glove. Broke my index finger. I got up (in excrutiating pain) and gave him a a two handed slash across the back of his legs. After he hit the ice, I pummeled him with about 8 punches to the side of his head.

If someone is stupid enough to take a two-handed chop on a goalies catcher, or fire a slapshot at their head....IN PICK-UP, then they deserve a beating of biblical proportions.

[Cias]

i think you did the right play, as you said a foward was trailing his ass. if he was alone id probaly say just leave it for him, but when someone is fore checking that hard id do the same thing you did every time

[Ryeno42]

If the "D" says "leave it" you leave it.

If they turn it over then do what you want.

They called it , then it is theirs.

The reason for this is that they might have a breakout play or something already set up in their head on what move to do when they get the puck.

[kohomcm]

Originally Posted by ScJeff

I play in a pickup league with some older people (military and dads friends).

A play happened where the puck came in, i waas playing it. The defencemen yelled "leave it leave it!".

The head shot thing was bad, but it i their pick up.


Again its a pick up. Just let him have the puck

[tommyboy27]

Agreed. Let the baby have his bottle. If your D says leave it then leave it. Just let him know that he has a man on him and position yourself in case he coughs up the puck.

But for him to turn and fire one at your head is totally un-called for! I don't care how old, tough, what a great guy he is off the ice, whatever! That guy would be picking his teeth out of my blocker. Or better yet, if you can handle the puck well, fire one at his head and see how he likes it!

I don't get these arseholes who play pick-up with so much intensity. Play the game or stay the f@ck home! Its pick-up people, not game 7 of the playoffs.

[Twitch]

i would have just deflected his shot into the net.