UPDATED-Roller hockey meet!

[thelastonealive]

#1....i have inline skates, a hockey stick, knee pads, a helmet and gloves.

#2.....Im out of shape,

#3.....im a terrible hockey player.

granted i fix #2, can rob come out and play?

I'm in the exact same boat, only I don't actually own skates, kneepads, a helmet, or gloves. So if I'm in, you can surely be in. It'll make me look less bad by comparison perhaps!

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on buying inline skates? Good/less good brands, how much I should expect to spend, etc? Is there a difference between "hockey skates" and inline skates that do not say they are for hockey? I was looking the other day at a pair that was $55 at Dick's Sporting Goods but I held off, thinking they might be crap.

[jagknife]

I'm in the exact same boat, only I don't actually own skates, kneepads, a helmet, or gloves. So if I'm in, you can surely be in. It'll make me look less bad by comparison perhaps!

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on buying inline skates? Good/less good brands, how much I should expect to spend, etc? Is there a difference between "hockey skates" and inline skates that do not say they are for hockey? I was looking the other day at a pair that was $55 at Dick's Sporting Goods but I held off, thinking they might be crap.

havent worn shin guards for roller in god knows how long.

For skates, I've typically gone with Missions. If we're playing outdoor, go for wheels with a hardness of 80 or more. Indoor, go softer.

Oh and I'm in decent shape, its a matter of all around hockey skills, don't have many, lol, but I can keep up and compete.

[mouse]

I'm in Brooklyn.

[devilsfan26]

I'm in the exact same boat, only I don't actually own skates, kneepads, a helmet, or gloves. So if I'm in, you can surely be in. It'll make me look less bad by comparison perhaps!

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on buying inline skates? Good/less good brands, how much I should expect to spend, etc? Is there a difference between "hockey skates" and inline skates that do not say they are for hockey? I was looking the other day at a pair that was $55 at Dick's Sporting Goods but I held off, thinking they might be crap.

You should be able to go to that new MonkeySports store on Route 9 North in Woodbridge and get a pair of skates for around $100 if you're just looking for something affordable to use outside. As for brands, I have always preferred Mission and Tour.

Yea there's a difference between hockey skates and inline skates, inline skates sometimes have the brake on the back and I think they're more designed for going straight and not so much the agility needed for hockey.

Also make sure you get the right size, for most brands your skate size is 1.5 less than your shoe size.

Edited February 20, 2011 by devilsfan26

[Blown01NJ]

So does everyone want to do this at an outdoor rink? As I said the rink in Edison is rentable, and if we get a lot of guys it really wouldnt be much money for a few hours.

If outside I gotta grab a new stick/wheels.

Puck? Ball?

Im in Woodbridge by the way.

[jagknife]

Edison is about an hour from me, very doable

I have two pucks we can use [feels more natural to me to use them than using the roller hockey balls]

[hasunow]

havent worn shin guards for roller in god knows how long.

For skates, I've typically gone with Missions. If we're playing outdoor, go for wheels with a hardness of 80 or more. Indoor, go softer.

Oh and I'm in decent shape, its a matter of all around hockey skills, don't have many, lol, but I can keep up and compete.

I've been playing for 15+ years and here's what i have learned about skates...

You can actually spend up to $500+ on skates but no one wants to do that (myself included...ever) but you can expect to spend anywhere from $100 to $150 for a pair of decent skates. The biggest difference when you spend more is basically the weight of the skate. It all really matters what comfortable for you (wallet and foot). I would NEVER buy a skate without trying it on cause they are all very different in shape, size, comfort. Some skates even actually allow you to 'bake' them. Meaning after you buy them, a hockey store can put them in a special oven until they warm up. While they are still warm you put your foot in them and the insides actually shape themselves to your foot. It's a very cool feature actually but not all skates have it so make sure you check before baking them.

- Each brand of skate has distinct characteristics...

- Mission: VERY narrow skates with a VERY hard boot. Rock solid skates with a light weight boot. And when i mean a hard skate, some people can't even put these on without their feet hurting intensely (myself included). If you have a narrow foot, these are great.

- Bauer: Solid all around skate, not too narrow and not too wide. My favorite skate (if i had more money) but not a huge selection as they mainly focus on ice skates. And can get fairly pricey.

- Reebok: Extremely comfortable, soft and wide boot. Some of the most comfortable skates I've ever worn but because of this tend to be on the much heavier side when compared to the other 2 brands. I wear these because I am flat footed & have a wide foot. These skates range greatly in price from the $100 to $400.

And as wheels, i don't expect anyone to go out and buy new wheels if they've already shelled out a large amount of $ for new skates but as Jagknifesaid, the harder the wheels the better. If they are soft they tend to chip away faster on a non-indoor surface.

I also wouldn't get just a pair of 'inline' skates cause those skates don't have great durability and the buckles and such will break if they get hit by a stick,puck or ball. They also don't have great protection if you were to get hit in the foot too.

Hope that helps and wasn't too much reading.

[Meals on Wheels]

I really hope we could get this going. I think RU is a great meet up for anyone in the central jersey area. I'd love to play more roller hockey but now that I'm 25 and have a full time job it's really a matter of finding the people to play with. Who better than a group of loyal Devils fans?

While we're on the topic, does anyone know of any good roller hockey leagues I can register in this spring? I live in North Brunswick and I already know of Inman. Maybe some of us can get a team going this spring? Thanks for the input...

[Blown01NJ]

IMO Inman is the best league in this area. I have played in Rahway, Aberdeen and Wall as well, but Inman is better. I have been playing 4v4 puck there for the last 5 or 6 years.

Edison is about an hour from me, very doable

I have two pucks we can use [feels more natural to me to use them than using the roller hockey balls]

Yea I've got a few indoor roller pucks. Much lighter/different than an ice hockey puck.

[ChilltownDevs2673]

Im in Jersey City. Edison or RU works for me.

[njd3b1ink]

if this gets goin, deff post the location/time/date. my brothers and I would be very interested in coming to this. Also there are some roller pucks that do a good job of giving the same feel as an ice puck.

[Aznjsn]

So does everyone want to do this at an outdoor rink? As I said the rink in Edison is rentable, and if we get a lot of guys it really wouldnt be much money for a few hours.

If outside I gotta grab a new stick/wheels.

Puck? Ball?

Im in Woodbridge by the way.

We can regularly do outdoor rinks when springtime comes but if we wanna play soon let's play indoor then, I'm down. I'm assuming Saturdays are best..

Blown do u know what that indoor rink is called?

How does Saturday. March 12th sound for our first meet @ this indoor Edison rink? We'd prolly have to pay for reservation but let's just see how many heads are available that day.

[thelastonealive]

You should be able to go to that new MonkeySports store on Route 9 North in Woodbridge and get a pair of skates for around $100 if you're just looking for something affordable to use outside. As for brands, I have always preferred Mission and Tour.

Yea there's a difference between hockey skates and inline skates, inline skates sometimes have the brake on the back and I think they're more designed for going straight and not so much the agility needed for hockey.

Also make sure you get the right size, for most brands your skate size is 1.5 less than your shoe size.

I was hoping you'd answer because I know you know your stuff here, I appreciate the input so much. I've been meaning to check out MonkeySports but haven't gotten there yet, I'll try and go this week.

Hope that helps and wasn't too much reading.

That helps immensely, and I like to have as much information as possible before buying when it's gonna set me out a bunch of money, so it's certainly not too much to read. I appreciate the time you took to help out!

[Blown01NJ]

We can regularly do outdoor rinks when springtime comes but if we wanna play soon let's play indoor then, I'm down. I'm assuming Saturdays are best..

Blown do u know what that indoor rink is called?

How does Saturday. March 12th sound for our first meet @ this indoor Edison rink? We'd prolly have to pay for reservation but let's just see how many heads are available that day.

Indoor is worlds better. As Ive mentioned I prefer indoor as well because the puck is going to move a lot better, and those of us who are familiar and play indoor dont have to destroy our current equipment on the outdoor rink, although I guess this goes both ways for guys who play outdoor.

The rink in Edison is at Inman Sports Club. http://www.inmansportsclub.com/hockey-.html

They just installed new boards/glass that are now the same as a regular ice hockey rink, so it's pretty legit. I know the guy who runs the hockey league well enough to enquire about rink time. I have rented the rink with one of the teams I play on and it was $100 for an hour. Really not too bad considering what you get, and with a bunch of us that cost would be nominal at most.

I'd be down for afternoon that Saturday, but I have tickets for Devs/Isles that day.

Edited February 20, 2011 by Blown01NJ

[ChilltownDevs2673]

Indoor is worlds better. As Ive mentioned I prefer indoor as well because the puck is going to move a lot better, and those of us who are familiar and play indoor dont have to destroy our current equipment on the outdoor rink, although I guess this goes both ways for guys who play outdoor.

The rink in Edison is at Inman Sports Club. http://www.inmansportsclub.com/hockey-.html

They just installed new boards/glass that are now the same as a regular ice hockey rink, so it's pretty legit. I know the guy who runs the hockey league well enough to enquire about rink time. I have rented the rink with one of the teams I play on and it was $100 for an hour. Really not too bad considering what you get, and with a bunch of us that cost would be nominal at most.

I'd be down for afternoon that Saturday, but I have tickets for Devs/Isles that day.

As do I!

[NewarkDevil5]

I'd be down for anything in Middlesex County (Fords, RU, etc.) since I'm in Edison. Need a goalie? Fords Park is free and has two rinks btw.

[CRASHER]

We have this thread about every 18 months and a game NEVER comes from it.... let me know when you ACTUALLY figure out a game and I'll go

[Aznjsn]

As do I!

Oh yeah I should have checked that haha. what time is the devs vs isles game that day? I don't have access to devils calendar right now, if it's at night I was thinkin of doing an afternoon meet anyways haha.

[mouse]

Damn, I'm out of town that weekend. I'll definitely be down for this, though, assuming it works out. Thanks for trying to put this together.

[thelastonealive]

Oh yeah I should have checked that haha. what time is the devs vs isles game that day? I don't have access to devils calendar right now, if it's at night I was thinkin of doing an afternoon meet anyways haha.

It's at night. The only remaining home afternoon game for the Devils is April 10th.

[hasunow]

I see that a lot of people are making mention of the indoor rink at Edison (Inman hockey) and i just wanted to add my 2 cents on it...

I'll start this out with saying they just redid the boards and the made the rink a bit larger then before and it's a really, really nice rink. Probably one of the best quality rinks around BUT i would prefer not to play there. My reason being is the ownership & how things are run there. I used to play there (on 2 teams) and never had a problem with anything except the officiating and scheduling. And last April i was severely injured on purpose there. In a non-checking league (all roller hockey is non-checking)some random kid who whose team was loosing by a large margin with seconds left to go took a run at me from center ice and full on checked me from behind with 4 seconds left to go. I crashed face / shoulder first into the boards and broke my right collar bone clean in half. The league did nothing about this. After the other team saw that i was severely injured, literally left the bench, went to the locker room, changed and left the building. No one who worked there stopped them or even recorded what happened. No penalty. No accident report. No one there even called the hospital. A spectator in the stands called. They don't have as much as a band-aide there, much less a first aid kit at all. When i called the league the next day, the referees who worked the game that this happened in refused to give me an accident report because they all get paid off the books and are told to not do anything by the head of the league. The head of the league took 4 months... 4 MONTHS to even contact me and give me information on the player who hit me. Which he wasn't even sure if this was the right kid. The head of the league told me he kicked that team out because they were constantly starting fights with other teams. That team still plays there(used to be Brick City Bears, now just Brick City). I still to this day don't know who hit me and no one from the other team ever apologized or anything. After that i never played in the league there again as i refuse to give them my money.

Now this isn't a sob story where i want pity from anyone. I have recovered and just started playing again in a different league in Aberdeen. This also doesn't mean i don't want anyone to play there as this is my choice. I am just one person out of what seems like 15-20 people so majority always wins and that's perfectly okay with me. I just wouldn't play there. I would just prefer we not play there and support the kind of organization they run and i also wanted to let everyone know how this league is run (or not run for that matter).

Thanks for listening. And the rink at Rutger is real good by the way.

[Blown01NJ]

I see that a lot of people are making mention of the indoor rink at Edison (Inman hockey) and i just wanted to add my 2 cents on it...

I'll start this out with saying they just redid the boards and the made the rink a bit larger then before and it's a really, really nice rink. Probably one of the best quality rinks around BUT i would prefer not to play there. My reason being is the ownership & how things are run there. I used to play there (on 2 teams) and never had a problem with anything except the officiating and scheduling. And last April i was severely injured on purpose there. In a non-checking league (all roller hockey is non-checking)some random kid who whose team was loosing by a large margin with seconds left to go took a run at me from center ice and full on checked me from behind with 4 seconds left to go. I crashed face / shoulder first into the boards and broke my right collar bone clean in half. The league did nothing about this. After the other team saw that i was severely injured, literally left the bench, went to the locker room, changed and left the building. No one who worked there stopped them or even recorded what happened. No penalty. No accident report. No one there even called the hospital. A spectator in the stands called. They don't have as much as a band-aide there, much less a first aid kit at all. When i called the league the next day, the referees who worked the game that this happened in refused to give me an accident report because they all get paid off the books and are told to not do anything by the head of the league. The head of the league took 4 months... 4 MONTHS to even contact me and give me information on the player who hit me. Which he wasn't even sure if this was the right kid. The head of the league told me he kicked that team out because they were constantly starting fights with other teams. That team still plays there(used to be Brick City Bears, now just Brick City). I still to this day don't know who hit me and no one from the other team ever apologized or anything. After that i never played in the league there again as i refuse to give them my money.

Now this isn't a sob story where i want pity from anyone. I have recovered and just started playing again in a different league in Aberdeen. This also doesn't mean i don't want anyone to play there as this is my choice. I am just one person out of what seems like 15-20 people so majority always wins and that's perfectly okay with me. I just wouldn't play there. I would just prefer we not play there and support the kind of organization they run and i also wanted to let everyone know how this league is run (or not run for that matter).

Thanks for listening. And the rink at Rutger is real good by the way.

I dont doubt that all the refs are paid off the books. That doesnt surprise me. While I understand your frustration, its a rec league, Im not sure what type of response would have been warranted. Clearly someone could have called an ambulence or something, but when you play in a recreational leage where contact does happen, you have to assume some responsibility for the off chance that something might happen, no?

I broke my nose there on a high stick once. I never expected anything from the league. I have insurance. What did you want to do, sue someone?

Again, I do understand the frustration in what seems like a lackluster effort and neglegence on their part in terms of not responding quickly to the initial incident, but after that Im not sure how much they can do. Dont get me wrong.

What team did you play for?

As far as the rink at RU, is that an indoor rink? What's associated with getting time there?

Just as a side note, I had an incident there last week with one of the teams hacking the shiit out of me and basically trying to injure me multiple times. Calls were made etc, and this is just a reflection of the character of the team we played. This was one of those kids that literally wanted to drag the 'fight' outside the rink. Completely ridiculous.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Blown01NJ

[hasunow]

I dont doubt that all the refs are paid off the books. That doesnt surprise me. While I understand your frustration, its a rec league, Im not sure what type of response would have been warranted. Clearly someone could have called an ambulence or something, but when you play in a recreational leage where contact does happen, you have to assume some responsibility for the off chance that something might happen, no?

I broke my nose there on a high stick once. I never expected anything from the league. I have insurance. What did you want to do, sue someone?

You are 100% right, there is always a chance of someone getting hurt. I've been playing for 15+ years but never have i had something of this severity ever happen to me or a teammate happen because like you said, its a rec league. And no I didn't expect to sue the kid. I just expected it to be handled with a little more professionalism. This kid didn't accidentally high stick someone. He took a run at me from about 5 strides away with my back to him and planted me and like a coward ran for the hills when he saw what he did. I have insurance too but it's not like they cover everything. Like i said, not looking for sympathy, just wanted to let everyone know how i felt about this particular place. And is it really that hard to maybe suspend the kid for a game or 2, is that so much to ask?

But regardless... this is about playing roller hockey outdoors with some Devil fan friends. No need to side track, sorry if i might have caused a stir.

The RU rink is an outside rink and it's really free for anyone as long as their isn't a sanctioned game or practice going.

I played for the team in mens E league called the Samurai (my avatar logo). We had red flames jerseys with the Samurai logo on them.

Edited February 21, 2011 by hasunow

[Blown01NJ]

You are 100% right, there is always a chance of someone getting hurt. I've been playing for 15+ years but never have i had something of this severity ever happen to me or a teammate happen because like you said, its a rec league. And no I didn't expect to sue the kid. I just expected it to be handled with a little more professionalism. This kid didn't accidentally high stick someone. He took a run at me from about 5 strides away with my back to him and planted me and like a coward ran for the hills when he saw what he did. I have insurance too but it's not like they cover everything. Like i said, not looking for sympathy, just wanted to let everyone know how i felt about this particular place. And is it really that hard to maybe suspend the kid for a game or 2, is that so much to ask?

But regardless... this is about playing roller hockey outdoors with some Devil fan friends. No need to side track, sorry if i might have caused a stir.

The RU rink is an outside rink and it's really free for anyone as long as their isn't a sanctioned game or practice going.

I played for the team in mens E league called the Samurai (my avatar logo). We had red flames jerseys with the Samurai logo on them.

I've probably played against you at some point. People like that really piss me off, and after what happened to me last week I really think the league should do a better job of heading those people off before they hurt someone (again)

Nothing is worse than a coward like that, it gets me angry just sitting here thinking about it. I played on the North Stars, The Foot Clan, Rolling Thunder, and a few other teams in C,D and E leagues.

The team I had an issue with last week was The Minions. Total pieces of trash.

Is the RU rink asphalt?

Edited February 21, 2011 by Blown01NJ

[MikeyBacks]

I've probably played against you at some point. People like that really piss me off, and after what happened to me last week I really think the league should do a better job of heading those people off before they hurt someone (again)

Nothing is worse than a coward like that, it gets me angry just sitting here thinking about it. I played on the North Stars, The Foot Clan, Rolling Thunder, and a few other teams in C,D and E leagues.

The team I had an issue with last week was The Minions. Total pieces of trash.

Is the RU rink asphalt?

I've probably played against all of you that play at inman. I currently play for 3 teams in the E league. Double O' Sevens, Red Evil Empire, and Deathsticks.

Has anyone played at LongBranch or Millburn? both rinks are outdoor rinks