jagknife Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 so since a majority of us played/still play, anyone in Bergan County (NJ)/Rockland County (NY) area? i'm looking to play but havent much since i moved back from buffalo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Played hockey for years, so skating is pretty much just like walking for me. Second nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeControl Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) Can't believe how many play or played roller hockey! Never was exposed to much of it in Northern NJ. It was street and ice in the late 70s. trying to get my kid to skate and play some goalie now. I'm a decent skater and stick handler for an old guy, except for my left outside edge. can't quite get a good one foot hockey stop on it! but yet I can power off of it doing crossovers. btw, falling gets harder as the age gets up there. it's a great game!!! playing pond hockey with my 9 year old is a dream come true! also, anyone who doesn't skate or play can't possibly realize just how good these NHL players are! simply amazing what they can make look automatic Edited February 1, 2011 by EdgeControl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 also, anyone who doesn't skate or play can't possibly realize just how good these NHL players are! simply amazing what they can make look automatic Very true, especially if you ever have the chance to sit in the first few rows. It's unbelievable how fast they do things. As for pond hockey, I just played for the first time in my life on Monday. It's a shame it took me 23 years but I can't wait to get back out there. My parents had me convinced that it doesn't get cold enough around here, but then a year or two ago one of my Rutgers roller hockey teammates from South Jersey said he had a frozen pond behind his house. I figured if it was cold enough by his house it has to be cold enough around here (Central Jersey) so I figured my parents were just afraid of me falling through the ice. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Well hockey didn't catch on here until the mid 90s. I started playing in 96 (I was 25). I've played for my colleges first roller team ( they've moved to an ice team since then). I still play in adult league all year. In this past off season I tried ice but I'm not really getting the hang of it. It sounds crazy to those who play ice, but I feel more on top of the ice than I should. I feel more planted on roller. I started off playing mostly D but the past couple years I've moved up to forward. I think it's not so much as I've become faster as it is the other guys slowing down more than me. Of all the sports I've played none compares to hockey. And I'm fortunate to be able to play it, even at my minimal skill level. Makes me really appreciate what the pros can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekes Head Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 we had ponds on both sides of my house growing up, so every winter i would go ice fishing on one and skated on the other. when i lived in chicago, pond hockey/frozen tennis courts were everywhere you went out in the suburbs. was fantastic. i can't really do much. i have the knees of pavel bure so i can't turn or skate backwards. i still like to fvck around though. wish my knees weren't so bad so i could actually play again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exit56 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 i played in college at seton hall (club team) and on a men's league for the 10 years since, tore my ACL playing last year, been rehabbing so I can lace 'em up again for 6 months.. can't wait to play again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils26 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've been playing ice hockey since I was 5 or 6. However, around age 14 or 15, I basically suffered a serious injury in August or September of every year that kept me out for a while; hip problems related to tightness, a bunch of groin muscle tears, a hammy tear or two, despite a lot of stretching to try and avoid this. After lots of rehab I may have finally fixed those problems, but now I'm out for at least the next 3 months working to rehab a sports hernia that may require surgery. So basically I've tried to play quite often, but injuries have really prevented me from getting to any higher level of hockey. Fingers crossed that I can finally get back to playing the game I love, even if it is a late night men's league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've been playing roller at a high level since I was 8, made the transistion over to ice a few years ago. Would've have been much earlier but when i was little I fell at an ice open skate (swear someone pushed me from behind) and bashed my face up so my parents threw out that idea pretty quick. I'd say I'm pretty fluid in both - every once in a while I have trouble stopping on ice bringing up bad roller hockey habits of rounding out stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChilltownDevs2673 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've been ice skating since I could walk just never played hockey. I grew up in Jersey City and we had one skating rink, Pershing Field, and it was expensive to learn. I roller blade now and ice skate both very well. My HS won the States in 2000, Hudson Catholic. In fact our jersey hangs on the concourse near the Goal Bar. I can shoot a puck and skate with a stick and shoot on the move. I gotta work on my defense. I mostly grew up playing organized baseball all my life and is my favorite sport of all with hockey being number 2. Basketball I also played heavily in the YMCA, leagues, and Intramural in college. I play both sports at a high level and I'd love to get that good at hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franconianhell Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 In a few weeks i will be going to Germany to play a tournament with my team. Can't wait!! That's awesome! Where are you going there and what kind of tournament? If it's not too far away i'll come around and cheer for your team! Concerning myself, i am good on roller blades, but never made it to ice. Not that i didn't want to, but we don't have many rinks, and living in a soccer country...i don't have too many people willing to come with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Wow thats awesome! Good luck! Keep us all posted on how you do. Thanks. AWESOME Chi! Did you bulk up enough Well i haven't been knocked on my a$$ for a while, and i was driving the net with a lot of sucsess saturday, so i am going to go with a yes. Who knew that triathlon would be the key to hockey sucsess (I'm sure a lot of people out there would have known this, but i like to think of it as some sort of minor miracle) That's awesome! Where are you going there and what kind of tournament? If it's not too far away i'll come around and cheer for your team! Concerning myself, i am good on roller blades, but never made it to ice. Not that i didn't want to, but we don't have many rinks, and living in a soccer country...i don't have too many people willing to come with me We are playing in Cologne. Its a four team tournament between two recreational teams in England and two in Germany. We are playing the all English game in the UK before we travel, then the two German teams when we arrive. We have played out there before, we lost both our games against the Cologne team last time we travelled. We were a very new club then with lots of beginners (myself included) and we lost 24-0 in the first game. We had a joint team function the night before the second game, which was slightly messy, and only lost the second game 8-6. A couple of guys on there team were drafted into the NHL but never went across, i need to find out who they are. It was slightly embarasing getting schooled by some 50 year olds untill we found out that. A couple of our guys had played elite league in the UK and ED1/2. We are hoping to give them a better game this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franconianhell Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Is it the cologne sharks alumni team? Anyway it's great for you then if you play there in the lanxess arena / their training rink. And by the time you come over theres carneval going on, so lots of time to party when you're not playing. Unfortunately that's too far to go for me, and...well i hate the city and their team, but i hope you have lot of fun going on! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmorc2003 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 As a kid I used to play constantly in the basement, starting with the sticks we got from stick day games at Brendan Byrne. My parents also took me ice skating, but playing organized ice hockey was never practical/feasible. I just started playing ice hockey last year and love it (i played baseball my entire life and some hoops). I was able to pick it up pretty quick since I skated as a kid and spent enough time shooting and passing in the basement, but having never played for real the hardest part was getting that hockey sense on the ice. Knowing where to be, what to do, and what to look for is what I'm working on, but I'm having a blast. Im also watching hockey much differently and understanding the little things more now that I've actually played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerzey Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've been ice skating since I could walk just never played hockey. I grew up in Jersey City and we had one skating rink, Pershing Field, and it was expensive to learn. I roller blade now and ice skate both very well. My HS won the States in 2000, Hudson Catholic. In fact our jersey hangs on the concourse near the Goal Bar. I can shoot a puck and skate with a stick and shoot on the move. I gotta work on my defense. I mostly grew up playing organized baseball all my life and is my favorite sport of all with hockey being number 2. Basketball I also played heavily in the YMCA, leagues, and Intramural in college. I play both sports at a high level and I'd love to get that good at hockey. Is that the rink that's completely outside? I scored my first goal there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Poster Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Started playing in 1982 at age 8. Back then, there weren't as many arenas in Northern NJ as there are today in which to play and practice, so i had many 2 AM and 3 AM practices then go to school. I feel old considering i remember when Mennen was only one arena. Besides going through the standard youth ranks, I won 3 Varsity letters in H.S. and played against Delbarton standout, NJ HOF'er and MTL Draft pick Derek Maguire. I still have a deep dislike for Delbarton to this day. Back then public played private schools in tournaments and it could be rather unfriendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerzey Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Has anyone ever attended the hockey camp/school in Brick? The first year I attended that was Jim Dowd's first year in the NHL (but he still showed up) and Bruce Driver showed up as a guest and skated with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Is it the cologne sharks alumni team? Anyway it's great for you then if you play there in the lanxess arena / their training rink. And by the time you come over theres carneval going on, so lots of time to party when you're not playing. Unfortunately that's too far to go for me, and...well i hate the city and their team, but i hope you have lot of fun going on! :-) They are the ice pirates? i don't know if they are the Sharks alumni team but they were good. Yeah we played on the training rink last time, loved it! Best ice i have ever played on. Carnival you say? that doesn't bode well for hockey performance LOL. Thanks, shame you couldnt make it down, i have never met anyone off the forum before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franconianhell Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 They are the ice pirates? i don't know if they are the Sharks alumni team but they were good. Yeah we played on the training rink last time, loved it! Best ice i have ever played on. Carnival you say? that doesn't bode well for hockey performance LOL. Thanks, shame you couldnt make it down, i have never met anyone off the forum before. Well i don't think its the sharks alumni team, i have never heard of the cologne ice pirates, i'm sorry Yeah, cologne is "carnival capital" of germany...lots of parties, lots of "beer" (they have their own brew there, not everybodys favourite lol) lots of women a.s.o It's like 300 miles away from where i live, so i'm sorry i can't make it, but tell me how it ended up! And you can even catch a german league game when you're there, the sharks do have home games! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChilltownDevs2673 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Is that the rink that's completely outside? I scored my first goal there. Yea its in a park and is open around the side with a roof on top. In the summer the take up the ice and have roller hockey there. It has the best polished concrete surface in the tri state area. It acts just like ice with roller blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim777 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm not a good skater but I do have a new pair of 7Ks My son keeps asking me if he can get Crazy Lights when he outgrows his size 2 skates, and I keep telling him maybe.... But I love ice skating, it's sooo much easier than roller blading. I go 2 hours a week at the Flyer's Skatezone in Voorhees. I'm thinking of doing one of the over-40 leagues, but being a poor skater and quite a bit over 40 I might not take the plunge. Maybe if my skating improves a bit I'll reconsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 There's only one way to improve your skating though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim777 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 There's only one way to improve your skating though.... By making it far more dangerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouse Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I started playing / skating in college. We had a club team that practiced once a week and took everybody. I was terrible, but we weren't that serious, and guys were real supportive. I started getting in more my junior and senior years (I was still terrible, but at least I could skate). I scored my 1 goal by accident -- we were playing the only team worse than us, and I outraced everybody to grab a dump behind the net, tried to pass it out to my center, missed, but banked it off the back of the goalie's skate and in. I wasn't even sure the goal was mine, but I geeked out when the bench told me. Felt better about the lucky goal when Dog scored the GWG the same way in a playoff game a couple years later. I can't afford to join a league right now, and the pick up nights in Brooklyn fills up real fast, so I haven't gotten to play in a few years, but I miss it soooo much. Skating/hitting (or usually getting hit) kept me sane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'm not a good skater but I do have a new pair of 7Ks My son keeps asking me if he can get Crazy Lights when he outgrows his size 2 skates, and I keep telling him maybe.... But I love ice skating, it's sooo much easier than roller blading. I go 2 hours a week at the Flyer's Skatezone in Voorhees. I'm thinking of doing one of the over-40 leagues, but being a poor skater and quite a bit over 40 I might not take the plunge. Maybe if my skating improves a bit I'll reconsider. Kids that young don't really need such expensive equipment, you should save yourself the money on the skates and put that money toward signing up for that over 40 league! Go for it man, you don't want to look back years from now regretting not even giving it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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