Do you play hockey?

[Hank 0]

Yeah - "D" is the position to play! I enjoyed chipping in my fair share of points while @ any of the forward positions, but there's something about playing defense - more intense I guess

Yeah, the whole ice "looks" different when on D too. It's like the game slows down a bit more. Love playing there. But my Monday night league is so good I really suck at D when playing at that calibre.

[Dabura 12,206]

Played from about 8 to 16. D. Won nationals! Then quit due to injuries.

But I'm not bitter.

:nonono:

[wingsfan979802 0]

i learned how to skate at age 5 but my parents never wanted to spend the money to get me into a hockey team. so now at the age of 15, it is to late for me, i tried out for an ice hockey team, but i was slower than every player, including the goalies. so i can't skate because i never really skated much. then i tried for roller hockey, but not enough people came to it to try out. so i will try again but more people have to show up. i want to play.

[eva unit zero 271]

i learned how to skate at age 5 but my parents never wanted to spend the money to get me into a hockey team. so now at the age of 15, it is to late for me, i tried out for an ice hockey team, but i was slower than every player, including the goalies. so i can't skate because i never really skated much. then i tried for roller hockey, but not enough people came to it to try out. so i will try again but more people have to show up. i want to play.

I started at 14, and went on to play college. Go to a hockey camp and/or take some power skating classes. If you are in the Ann Arbor area, go to Red Berenson's Hockey Camp at Yost..it's a good one. Steve Knuble (Mike's brother) runs a solid camp as well, also in Ann Arbor.

[Dabura 12,206]

I too have played sparingly since I've injured my back 3 years ago...Used to play 3 to 4 times per week...Man I wish I could play more

Oh well - life goes on

I've come to regard it as a blessing in disguise. I love where my life's at right now, and I know there's no way things would be this way had I kept going.

That said, I wouldn't mind coaching one day....

[Hank 0]

That's when ya play like Bryan Marchment - 1 knee here - 1 knee there

DANG-IT!!! I forgot about that move.

[x107metallica 0]

I grew up playing hockey all my life and still play....plus i i got the ultimate hockey job i drive a zamboni at the disc in dearborn

[wingsfan979802 0]

I started at 14, and went on to play college. Go to a hockey camp and/or take some power skating classes. If you are in the Ann Arbor area, go to Red Berenson's Hockey Camp at Yost..it's a good one. Steve Knuble (Mike's brother) runs a solid camp as well, also in Ann Arbor.

yeah, i will have to talk to my parents about that. i can do everthying else... i just need to learn to skate well on ice.

wish i could drive

[Bargoalie 0]

Started playing hockey the first year Wings training camp was held here in T.C. in a beginners league.Played goalie till this past Nov. when I tore My ACL in a game. THAT SUCKED. Our team was called the GRINDERS. Darren McCarty was our sponsor. Taking a season off, hope to play next year if the Wife lets me.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

I play D in an old man's beer league. Got a playoff game this saturday. Can't wait

[puckhog419 0]

i've played since i was 7 and now i am 19. i've played all sorts of leagues and i just recently tried out for san jose state's ice hockey club. i got cut from the team but i still gave it a good shot. i am a roller hockey player because i could never afford to play ice hockey and i just figured "why not give it a shot" when it came to tryouts.

i actually just got an email about some professional roller hockey teams that are going to have their inaugural season and are holding tryouts. i am going to tryout for the teams and hopefully do better then i did in college tryouts. i am actually not sure what to expect from them but i hope i preform my best.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I played from the ages of 6-16, playing a primarily penalty kill, grind line specialist role, playing varying levels from house to travel. In my last full year I played, I led my team in both assists and penalty minutes, maybe flying off the handle too quickly occasionally

At age 16, I blew my left knee out in training camp and that officially ended my playing career - 2 years before I was slated to play for MSU, good timing, huh?

I knew my ability and skill and can comfortably admit that I was never going past the collegiate ranks, but still would have loved the chance just to play even limited minutes at that level... I'm 25 now, my knee still bothers me a bit, but I've started skating again and am looking to join a "beer league" in the near future and start playing again.

I also coached from 16-19 and am looking to get back into that as well.

[Guest DetroitIan]

Played for 6 years. 3 years in high school. We won 2 Big 9 Championships. I havent played organized hockey since. To this day I kick myself for not trying to play in college. But its too late now. Im 23 now. So basically all I can hope for at this point, is to join a beer league or something. Either way, I wanna start playing on a team again asap. I miss it so bad.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Some teams prefer less players - more icetime.

I play forward in my Monday night league but this past spring I played defense for a tournament. I loved it! Even though you don't get nearly as much offensive glory there's just something about shutting guys down, mucking in corners and making a nice first pass. I might switch to defense full time.

You didn't even mention the best part................lining people up and railroading them!

Although to be quite honest all of the times i've had to pick myself up off the ice its been due to getting crushed going back for a puck. You gotta have a certain something in you to willingly get to the puck first knowing the other guy has no other intention other than ripping you through the boards.

Oh yeah, and who cares about goals, chicks dig guys who block shots! At least I always told myself that.

[eva unit zero 271]

Oh yeah, and who cares about goals, chicks dig guys who make other guys feel pain!

Fixed it.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Yeah, the whole ice "looks" different when on D too. It's like the game slows down a bit more. Love playing there. But my Monday night league is so good I really suck at D when playing at that calibre.

Definitely, IMO the game is slower on D. Especially if you don't get involved offensively. Nobody would ever have mistaken me for Bobby Orr or Brian Leetch that's for sure. I think mentally, along with my body slowing down I started to get pissed that I was getting older and kept having to face kids that were 18 or 19 or in their early 20's with a ton of jump. When I couldn't squeeze guys off along the boards anymore and they started to squeak past me I think I my brain caught up to my body and said that it's time.

Although if I can find one I think i'll join a true "adult" league someday. I'm only 30 now so if I could find a 30 and over or someday a 40 and over that'd be peachy.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Funny how playing defense was brought into this.

I could never play defense full time. I don't know why, but I just never stuck with it.

It's funny too, since I was never a huge offensive threat when I was a kid playing, and I was mostly a defensive forward or checking line forward. I usually played on the PK and stuff like that, since I never scored a lot of goals.

Oh well. I actually do play defense a little bit in my senior league, but not often.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Fewer skaters means more playing time. I once played a game where we only had 8 skaters-myself and one other center, 3 wingers, and 3 D, and our other center spent half the game in the box...so I saw a lot of ice. It was fun, even though we were beaten like 8-1.

Once in my inline league we played an iron man tournament where you had 4 skaters and a goalie and that was it. You played the entire game and sometimes 2 in one day. Suffice to say it wasn't much fun and no matter how hard you tried to pace yourself you couldn't help but get gassed. Games would get ridiculous with the score but by the end even the top offensive guys would be so gassed they couldn't lift the puck or really do anything. Picture Mats Sundin-ish penalty shots one right after another. Lots of puking going on too so it was sort of gross.

Funny how playing defense was brought into this.

I could never play defense full time. I don't know why, but I just never stuck with it.

It's funny too, since I was never a huge offensive threat when I was a kid playing, and I was mostly a defensive forward or checking line forward. I usually played on the PK and stuff like that, since I never scored a lot of goals.

Oh well. I actually do play defense a little bit in my senior league, but not often.

Well, my hero was always Dino so I wanted to be a fiesty, goal scorer. Well, one out of the 2 attributes wasn't too bad Of course they immediately stuck my butt on D (on the offside to boot) and it just stuck.

My mediocre claim to fame is that my nickname was Ceasar. Not because I was great or anything but because I got tossed out of so many games.

[redwingfan19 293]

The thing I love about defense is that you always have to be in perfect position. I just loved sitting back at the blue line and the neutral zone watching over they prey like a hawk. I loved being in the corners in my end mucking it up and applying lumber to the guys who tried to take over my area in front of the net and mess with my goalie. I guess as I got older I liked playing defense more, but my coach would never let me play cause he wanted my playing in my natural LW position and score goals rather than prevent them..

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

The thing I love about defense is that you always have to be in perfect position. I just loved sitting back at the blue line and the neutral zone watching over they prey like a hawk. I loved being in the corners in my end mucking it up and applying lumber to the guys who tried to take over my area in front of the net and mess with my goalie. I guess as I got older I liked playing defense more, but my coach would never let me play cause he wanted my playing in my natural LW position and score goals rather than prevent them..

I played D basically over 20 years. I can appreciate what you're saying. Especially since I was a pretty slow skater I had to stay back a bit and never really developed much offense. Although playing the offside did give me lots of one-time opportunities. A couple actually went in over those 20 years if memory serves. I took alot of pride in shutting down other teams and blocking shots. I loved to block shots almost to the point of stupidity. I will say this though, I would take back all of it in a second and work on my offense if I could. I'm 30 years old and I have a set of hands that look like they belong to a blind ginsu chef. Knuckles all pointed and cock-eyed, scar tissue all over and just pain some days. To this day if I bump the top of my hand into something it'll swell up and you can't see any knuckles on the top of my hand. It's like one ballooned mass. I would trade all of those punches and in hindsight, some pretty ignorant behavior for hands that didn't hurt anymore and could score goals. Nobody tells you this when your 18 and want to be billy badass though.

[Crashnburnluder 385]

Ive been playing since I was ab out 7, Im currently down In Virginia playing D1 Club for the Liberty Flames in the Acha where we compete pretty well. Im heading in too my junior year and still looking for a national title.... haha hopefully I have one coming... I saw someone else plays in the ACHA who ever that was who you play for... and what level...???

[Echolalia 2,961]

Played IM at WMU

I'm playing there currently and love it, despite the lack of physicality and amount of games.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Stealing a quote from the movie Mallrats...

Rene: What are you doing? You promised me breakfast.

Brodie: Breakfast, shmreakfast. Look at the score, for Christ's sake. It's only the second period and I'm up 12 to 2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, "the Whale," they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime.

So, playing hockey realated video games is the extent of my hockey experience as well.

[Flip-check 6]

These days I'm pulling a Scott Niedermayer temporary retirement from league play... I'm 24 now, the last time I played a whole September to March season was probably at 19. Between moving across the country a couple times, work, school, and everything else, it simply got shunted off to the side.

Anybody who's stayed off the competitive ice for that long knows how long that really is though. I occasionally drop in at Farmington for the public games, but that's seriously the extent of my skating this past summer--whenever I get back into league play, I definitely want to make sure I'm in tip-top shape for it too. It probably doesn't matter to up my conditioning for any kind of rec league, but it matters to me.

Stealing a quote from the movie Mallrats...

It's a good one, there's also this from Swingers (referencing NHL 93/94, the greatest hockey games ever) :

Trent: I wish they still had fights in this game so I could *****-slap Wayne.

Mike: What? They don't have fighting anymore?

Trent: Doesn't that suck?

Mike: Why'd they get rid of the fighting? It was the best part of the old version.

Sue: I think kids were hittin' each other or somethin', man.

Trent: Yeah but you know what, Mike? You can make their heads bleed in this one.

Mike: Make somebody's head bleed.

Sue: No man, we're in the playoffs.

Trent: I'm gonna make Wayne Gretzky's head bleed for super-fan #99 over here.

[Icer 0]

The thing I love about defense is that you always have to be in perfect position.

The thing I hate about defense is that even when you play in the perfect position the other guy still finds a way to score on a deflection or a lucky bounce. I prefer center.