silent_jay

Just curious I've had some good discussions and some bad one with people about hockey and I was just curious as to what level of hockey the members have played that I have been conversing with for a couple of months now.
I started when I was 4 and it was forever from then on all the way up through minor hockey.

Me I've played in the CJHL Jr.A twice, EOJB Jr.B twice , OHL twice, QMJHL, NOJHL Jr.A, UHL (United Hockey League) all very high calibre leagues, plus I was 16 when I started in Jr.A and 17 in the OHL.

Thank in advance for the input.

peace.

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djtestudo

I've played on the street, with a plastic stick and a tennis ball, alternating shootouts with friends.

I think your resume is a little more impressive

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silent_jay

Thanks for the compliment, I just would like to know the level of hockey knowledge I am dealing with or if they are just stats readers.

Man I still love road hockey even at 26 although my body doesn't like it as much as when I was a teenager.

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Spartak

I don't really participate in hockey discussions, but I enjoy the sport.

However, the only hockey I played was when I was about 8, on a frozen over tennis court, with by best friends' brother's old hockey stick, wearing boots with such grip that could slide easily on ice.

If the city council plan to build an ice rink goes ahead, I might give proper ice hockey a go.

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bigbad

Played minor hockey until I was about 10 and my Dad lost his job and we couldn't afford it anymore. After that used to play street hockey almost every night after school, then a floor hockey league during high school, and more recently a beer league with a couple of my buddies, with the occasional street game thrown in once in a while.

Besides all that though, I'm a major stats reader, since I get in arguments with buddies all the time and it's easier to shut someone up with some provable numbers than with pointless arguing of opinion

silent_jay

Don't take this the wrong way bigbad but I just knew you were a stats reader, just by the arguments that you used they weren't from a players standpoint. thanks for sharing. Oh yeah and stats don't always shut people who have played the game up we have knowledge that can't be found in stats.

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absorbentishe

I played mostly non competitive until HS. A lot of roller blade hockey with friends during the summer, and pond hockey in the winter. Haven't played since 96 though. Totally miss that. I'll never say I know everything about the sport, I totally love to watch the speed/skills displayed by the players. I watch every Red Wing game on TV, and attend our local ECHL team games a few times a season. Don't have as much time or money as I used to.

silent_jay

The ECHL is some good hockey the players still have something to prove, and that long bus ride home after a loss is a bitch. Roller blade hockey in the summe ris always fun.

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Ace_O_Spades

ummm i played two years when i was 5-6

makes me an expert

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Feh.

powerclown

I played in local leagues until Bantam level. Left wing & goalie. One year, I had 6 shutouts. I also went to hockey school in Montreal, where the Canadiens were teaching, and in Toronto where I stayed at a Toronto local player's house. I remember he had a smokin' hot sister. Good times.

archer2371

pee-wee for awhile then I moved to West Texas, where there was no ice for literally, a 500 mile radius. So fell out of practice, took up wrestling, and now I play rugby. But I am off topic, I played goalie, was pretty good, never had a save percentage below .920, and GAA was never above 1.60, it was pee-wee tho, so there were a lot of missed shots, but I did have a nose for finding the puck in tough situations.

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ledhead

played lots of street hockey and a couple of seasons of roller hockey when i was younger. shoot, all we did during the summer was play hockey or baseball (the only people who wanted to play baseball were the dumbass kids next door.)
my dad never let me play ice hockey even though i asked him probably a million times. i even had a couple of friends that played ice hockey and he still would not let me. he said it was too expensive and i was too small and would get hurt.

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bigbad

Hey, I have a tiny itty bitty bit of experience But having not played anywhere near the professional level, all I can really use is stats if I want to prove a point. None of my friends have played seriously either, so I don't have to worry about player knowledge, you gotta be careful when using stuff like insider knowledge though, because overgeneralization and anecdotal evidence can really hurt your argument.

Also, you should've included nationality in the question so we could see what percentage of people that played hockey were Canadian

ledhead

i am a little bit french canadien, but mostly american.

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"If you can count the number of cylinders on one hand....it is NOT a race car." big bubba

"Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way"

stickyrice

I started skating when I was 11 and have played roller hockey mainly for the past 8 years. I've played in the NIHA, WCRHL, NARCH and BC jr. Voodoo program (when the Vancouver Voodoo existed). Never got into ice hockey really because we couldn't afford it when I was younger and my parents both worked so it would've been impossible with all the early morning practices.

I play ice hockey on and off now but not as much as roller hockey. I still love playing both though.

I also play all positions. How fun is it playing goalie in roller hockey with 4 on 4 and no offsides? ugh.

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tooth

Farm pond.

Broke my two front teeth. So I'm pretty sure that makes me semi-pro.

dy156

A friend rented out the hockey rink of a minor league team, and we got to use some of the equipment. It was alot of fun. That's it though. I had muscles sore where i didn't know muscles existed to get sore.

dylanmarsh

Started at 6 and played all the way through High School, but stopped after I moved from Boston to Phoenix.

exponent_doobie

Started playing road hockey since I was 5. I begged my parents to join ice hockey but money was way too tight.

So I just played lots of road and roller hockey until I hit the teens. For the last 5 years I've just played indoor hockey with some buds that play competitive ice hockey.

silent_jay

Ya hockey is an expensive sport to get into hell just my skates alone cost $600 about 8-10 years ago, thank god they still fit, now.

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forseti-6

Nintendo.

Just kidding. I used to play street hockey with neighborhood kids. I was always goalie since I couldn't skate good enough.

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silent_jay

I played goalie once when I was like 6 and my team lost 11-0 never put on a pair of pads again

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TheShadow

I played as a goaltender when I was younger, up until around the age of 13. My knee got a bit messed up, so I had to quit playing that position. I started playing casually again 3 years ago, and have been playing at the local ice rink whenever I have had the chance - as a forward this time. Other than that, I play street hockey and roller hockey. Guess that's about it.

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Hanxter

about 6 games short of making it to the minors - slapper crushed my left shin guard - broke my ankle - i was done...
but bounced around men's leagues as a rightie till i was 35 - nose broke 4 times - over 30 stitches - a couple of missing chiclettes...
once played a team of mostly state cops - one guy on D was gunning me for the whole game till i took his nose out of the game - we enjoyed a few cold ones at a local bar afterward - he said "that's the last time you'll ever hit a state cop" - i'm 5'7"- he's 6'5"

silent_jay

Hankster I have had other discussions and you are the most qualified person to ask do you not think that a person who has played hockey for the majority of their lives much like we have has more knowledge than the armchair quarterbacks? I have been told that experience does not equal knowledge by a few people in different posts I'm sure you've seen them as you are an admin. I'm not trying to be a dick or anything but I want a real hockey person's opinion.

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Hanxter

my opinion on the subject is this...
i know many gallery gods who've never laced them up but DO have a great knowledge of the game...
you are right in saying some don't know beyond the stats, however, that doesn't take away their knowledge of hockey...
while it's true that having a feel is quite different between playing and watching - there are many coaches who are successful and never played while there are many players who've failed as coaches...
overall - when on the ice level - the perspective is very much different then sitting in the stands or off the boob - being able to feel the puck and know where the targets/obstacles are is a talent in itself - some have said you can't learn it - it's born in you...

only two rules of hockey - keep your head up and your stick down

silent_jay

I agree that it is possible to have knowledge of the game even though people have never played, but it is not the same knowledge one get's like you said from being on the ice and actually thinking that quick. thanks for the input Hanxter

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Kaos

I played for 5 years. Starting when I was 8 till I was 13.

I played Goalie for the first 3 years (won a championship), and played Defence for 2 years (won a championship also).

Then I grew out of my equipment, and family couldn't afford to replace 75% of my equipment. Plus I was a slow grower and kids were already getting bigger a lot faster than I was. To this day I wish I hadn't quit, but I knew that my playing days would have ended when I turned older and playing would have gotten a lot more serious towards becoming professional.

ReggErving

None...we play hoops here.

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jcookc6

Played High School hockey in Massachusetts in the late 50's. A little leather helmut, no face mask, no mouth guard. No glass on the rinks, just link fence. Talk about "Old time hockey".

TheShadow

I'm just curious as to your reason for pushing this idea in the couple of hockey threads that exist. We get your point that you think that playing hockey makes you know the game better. Trust me, we do.

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Dr.Who

Minor hockey t'ill junior. I was goalie in the last 5 or so. I stop at 17 cause the passion wasn't there anymore. Turn to basketball for a few years until a injury sideline me for good.

Now in my late 20's, I play just for fun every week with my friends.

jizzmasterp

I played house league until I was 12. Cost/practice times were the main reason I quit. I play pond hockey and am thinking of joing an Adult summer league.

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silent_jay

read the posts I'm sure you can figure out my reasons for thinking this way.

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splck

I played 4 years of minor then moved to a country that never heard of hockey, let alone ice.

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nice line eh?

streak_56

I played all the way through to midget and am now currently playing intramural hockey at OSU.

Not where I'd like to be playing but we all can't be playing for the NHL now.... still lovin the game more than ever