Beer Leagues, Gear, and other Non-Pro Related Items

TSC

SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
SoSH Member
Oct 25, 2007
12,280
Between here and everywhere.
Found out yesterday that I was selected to play hockey in Aalsborg, Denmark in August as part of a US Disabled Veteran/Denmark Disabled Veteran friendly.

If anyone knows anything about the area - it'd be appreciated. I'm super excited for this opportunity. The USA Hockey Disabled Warrior program is sending 2 teams comprised of players from all over the US who are in the program. The Denmark team is putting us up in lodging and providing meals for us, so all we need to pay for is our own flights, and spending money for once in country.
 
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Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Found out yesterday that I was selected to play hockey in Aalsborg, Denmark in August as part of a US Disabled Veteran/Denmark Disabled Veteran friendly.

If anyone knows anything about the area - it'd be appreciated. I'm super excited for this opportunity. The USA Hockey Disabled Warrior program is sending 2 teams comprised of players from all over the US who are in the program. The Denmark team is putting us up in lodging and providing meals for us, so all we need to pay for is our own flights, and spending money for once in country.
Super cool.

I have a friend who is in Denmark. I will reach out...if you don’t hear from me, remind me.
 

wiffleballhero

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
When do you know your skates are done?
What do you look for when trying on new boots?

I think this is the ninth season I've been skating on the same pair of Vapors. They were not high end Vapors either, but truth be told, I think they have been great skates. But now I am starting to wonder if it is time to move on. While I still have steel, I'm starting to have this funny thing where I can't pull them tight enough to feel locked-in side-to-side without restricting my forward lean too much. And the padding in the boot is starting to wear down enough that plastic is pushing through. I've moved to a funky lacing pattern where the pull 'up' on the laces between the last two eyelets tightens the ankle a bit more (wax laces do magical things) but this feels like a stop gap.

So, I think I should move on. I like the feel of the Vapor since I still have relatively narrow feet, but I am wondering if it is time to move on, should I consider a different skate altogether, too. Also, I have weird feet in one respect: my right foot is nearly a half size bigger than my left. Usually, with shoes, I just buy something a bit too tight for my right foot and let it stretch out the leather. Not an option with skates. So I am trying to also decide if I should go tight on my right to the point of a little pain or go loose on the left to the point of it being a slightly bad fit. These current Vapors, in this respect, have been OK, but not stellar. I am wearing a 9.5, but really would rather be in a 9 since I wear a 10.5 shoe. I am am gunning to have the new pair in a 9. Any chance CCMs run a hair longer? If you make the pitch I might be willing to foolishly talk myself into a pair of Trues.

The thing about skates, also, is that I am dreading making a bad purchase and being stuck with them and dreading breaking them in. I am not a heavy enough guy or powerful enough skater to need what I think is on offer in $600-1000 skates, but everything I've looked at below $275 strikes me as pretty sub-par for the level I am playing at which is, admittedly, beer league.
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
The last time I bought was because mine were falling apart after 8 or so years of use, 3 of which was when I still played competitively vs. beer league. Two of the eyelits broke and it was just falling apart. I've always had Bauer, so I went with them but no idea what to look for.

In terms of pricing, 4 or so years ago I found a bunch of good deals in the late-February / March timeframe if you can hold out another couple months.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
The thing about skates, also, is that I am dreading making a bad purchase and being stuck with them and dreading breaking them in. I am not a heavy enough guy or powerful enough skater to need what I think is on offer in $600-1000 skates, but everything I've looked at below $275 strikes me as pretty sub-par for the level I am playing at which is, admittedly, beer league.
Definitely make sure you pick a line that fits your foot profile, narrow or wide feet play much differently in the various lines. As someone with clown feet I picked the wrong line of skates last time and it was impossibly uncomfortable, so I bit the bullet and moved from the Vapor to the Nexus line and it was night and day. And then I had a kid an haven't skated in over 20 months.
 

wiffleballhero

Member
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Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
found a bunch of good deals in the late-February / March timeframe if you can hold out another couple months.
I've wondered about this. I'd like to get them, bake them, profile them and skate on them enough so they are ready for the March playoffs, but I'm cheap so I can wait a few weeks here, for sure.


Definitely make sure you pick a line that fits your foot profile,
Yeah, this is why I am likely to just stick with the Vapor.

And then I had a kid an haven't skated in over 20 months.
Apropos:

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/frozen-peas-and-me-the-vasectomy-thread.7285/post-3713032
I guess I should buy the skates.
 

wiffleballhero

Member
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Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
You gotta wait for someone to die for those to open up.
You know, those things are so rare and so obviously awesome that I can't believe nobody has started making them again just for beer leaguers. I offered a guy $100 for one hanging on the wall of a used gear store. I also offered another guy playing against me $100 before a game -- I was willing to just give him my helmet right there on the ice. I don't need the HEEC sticker. How hard would it be to get a lawyer to write a liability waiver that gets sent with the cage? Any welders around?

And the thing is, if I ever find one it is likely to be at a yard sale for 50 cents.
 

tonyandpals

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Mar 18, 2004
7,856
Burlington
Skated for the first time in a while (8 months?) last night. Stinkysocks is usually pretty good with having enough guys. Not last night, 6 on 5 and I was on the 5...ugh. First time skating since breaking my nose last summer. Was an odd feeling out there and it's actually sore today. Probably the most strenuous activity I've done (sadly) since then. Guess I should schedule that follow up...

Anyone skating on the regular in the Burlington/Woburn/Bedford area that needs aging forward?
 

McDrew

Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2006
4,060
Portland, OR
Saw this article about Brayden Schenn using a stick with a hole in it for aerodynamics. Aparrently that's a stick feature of the future.

I saw this originally from TOVI
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
There was a Mission stick or some non-major brand that had a bunch of holes in like 2010. They broke very easily. Biz and Whit have made fun of it on Chiclets. Like T Blades.

Edit: Didn’t TSC review a TOVI? Had a couple of videos of him missing short side high and setting up a breakout for the D zone team. Fucking forwards.
 

wiffleballhero

Member
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Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
There is a joke here somewhere about how my stick always seems to have holes in it anyway.

I'm not buying it. Is the expectation that you will not tape the stick? Seems like a recipe for taking an already expensive habit and cranking it up a little more. But I hope other people start to get these so I can blame my relatively crappy shot on the fact that I don't have one.
 

TSC

SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
SoSH Member
Oct 25, 2007
12,280
Between here and everywhere.
There was a Mission stick or some non-major brand that had a bunch of holes in like 2010. They broke very easily. Biz and Whit have made fun of it on Chiclets. Like T Blades.

Edit: Didn’t TSC review a TOVI? Had a couple of videos of him missing short side high and setting up a breakout for the D zone team. Fucking forwards.
I did, I reviewed them for BeerLeagueTalk.com (now defunct).

AND I DID NOT MISS, I HIT THE NET WITH AN ABSOLUTE LASER.

View: https://twitter.com/DisneyCPT/status/1212777282047217664?s=20


I have three or four of their sticks. Long story short - I love them. The proprietary adhesive they've created that's used in lieu of tape might be a pretty significant breakthrough in stick technology. It's way tackier, repels ice buildup super well, and lasts longer than traditional tape. Also - the sweetspot on those blades is massive. I've reviewed and used probably 10-15 sticks over the past 2 years, and by far the TOVI is the most consistent in getting off a good, hard shot regardless of where I catch it on the blade. I've noticed (especially with Warriors) that somtimes if I catch a slapshot a bit too forward on the blade the puck flutters/doesn't come off as crisp. That's almost never an issue with the Tovi.

Here's the company: https://tovihockey.com/

They're from Massachusetts.
 

RIFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,087
Rhode Island
Has anyone ever used a dual lie stick like the Warrior W28? Time for a new stick and saw All Black added the AB28 with a dual lie.
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
What's different about them? I usually just grab something around $100 from Pure Hockey that has the blade I like every few months.
 

wiffleballhero

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Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
These sticks seem like a great idea -- obvious when you think about it, unimaginable before seeing it.

I'm tempted to give one a try.

Funny, I used to think tennis was a pricey habit.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,734
Deep inside Muppet Labs
My skate sharpener had "the talk" with me about my 25 year old CCM 652s. So I need a new pair of skates. I don't play hardcore any more, I might play a few games a year now and the rest of the time would be recreation skating. I love how light the modern skates are today but I don't want to pay $800 for a pair. Any suggestions?
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
Could you just get new steel? Or a new holder? Not sure what the issue is exactly or if new tech would fit but that’s a cheap solution.

Otherwise you can find decent deals come springtime if you’re vigilant enough.
 

tonyandpals

Well-Known Member
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Mar 18, 2004
7,856
Burlington
I need new skates as well. My boot disintegrated on my old Bauers during a tourney over a year ago and I've been using a pair of borrowed CCMs that fit, but don't really fit. Plan on hitting up Cooke's in Wilmington to get properly sized and all that jazz.
 

locknload

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
3,773
Haverhill MA
I need new skates as well. My boot disintegrated on my old Bauers during a tourney over a year ago and I've been using a pair of borrowed CCMs that fit, but don't really fit. Plan on hitting up Cooke's in Wilmington to get properly sized and all that jazz.
If you are in the area the old Pure hockey by the burlington mall is now a Bauer shop and it has the fancy foot scanning thing. They also have an indoor ice rink and will let you take skates for a test drive.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,734
Deep inside Muppet Labs
Could you just get new steel? Or a new holder? Not sure what the issue is exactly or if new tech would fit but that’s a cheap solution.

Otherwise you can find decent deals come springtime if you’re vigilant enough.
The holder is cracked on my right boot, the blades don't fit in there well any more and essentially the skates are worn out.

I'll look around come spring, Play It Again up here seems to have a good selection. What do typical hockey skates go for these days? $300?
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
If you're only playing once a week or so, you can find a pair of new lower-mid grade CCMs or Bauers for under $200.

Check CCM Jetspeed 280s or somthing akin to that.
 

tonyandpals

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Mar 18, 2004
7,856
Burlington
If you are in the area the old Pure hockey by the burlington mall is now a Bauer shop and it has the fancy foot scanning thing. They also have an indoor ice rink and will let you take skates for a test drive.
Yeah that's just across town from me. I like giving the mom + pop shop a shot. If that doesn't work out I'll head over there.
 

RIFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,087
Rhode Island
Going from really old to new means that the "cheaper" skates will still seem like a luxury. Best value is finding last year's model on clearance. My son just got a pair of Bauer Vapors (don't recall what model) marked down $140 so they cost him under $200.
 

Dropkick Izzy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 28, 2003
5,978
Miltappan
Any suggestions / recommendations on glove patching or repalming? Is it worth it? Do people even do this anymore?

I have pair of vintage Easton Synergys that I don’t really want it part with. With that said, if it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg ...
 

TSC

SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
SoSH Member
Oct 25, 2007
12,280
Between here and everywhere.
Any suggestions / recommendations on glove patching or repalming? Is it worth it? Do people even do this anymore?

I have pair of vintage Easton Synergys that I don’t really want it part with. With that said, if it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg ...
John at www.islandsportsrepair.com does this.

$38 for a pair, including the palms and the guessets

Send him an email with pictures and he'll send you back all the info you need. @ john@islandsportsrepair.com
 

soup17

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
242
I lost one of the small pads in my goalie pants that attach by velcro to the outside of the thighs (inside the pants obviously). I have googled it and looked at a lot of hockey equipment websites but came up empty. Any suggestions?
 

tonyandpals

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Mar 18, 2004
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Burlington
So I went the Bauer Store route and I ended up going with a pair of Vapor x2.9 (https://www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-vapor-x2-9-ice-hockey-skates-senior/itm/37310-41/). I had started with a pair of Supremes at the $300 price point, which was my ceiling, and they felt really good compared to what I've been wearing. Of course he asked me if I wanted to try on the Vapors, which were $50 more. Glad I did beacause the fit around the heel was so much better. Felt more locked in than the Supremes. So I went with Vapors. Baked them on and they feel great. Turns out I had a $50 reward waiting for me at checkout, so that worked out well. Will be putting them to the test tonight.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
So I went the Bauer Store route and I ended up going with a pair of Vapor x2.9 (https://www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-vapor-x2-9-ice-hockey-skates-senior/itm/37310-41/). I had started with a pair of Supremes at the $300 price point, which was my ceiling, and they felt really good compared to what I've been wearing. Of course he asked me if I wanted to try on the Vapors, which were $50 more. Glad I did beacause the fit around the heel was so much better. Felt more locked in than the Supremes. So I went with Vapors. Baked them on and they feel great. Turns out I had a $50 reward waiting for me at checkout, so that worked out well. Will be putting them to the test tonight.
Nice the last pair of skates I bought was in 2002. Those didn't even feel great as the stock of skates for size 15s weren't the easiest to find.
 

tonyandpals

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Mar 18, 2004
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Burlington
Nice the last pair of skates I bought was in 2002. Those didn't even feel great as the stock of skates for size 15s weren't the easiest to find.
I could see finding 15s being an issue...

Skates felt good. Always a bit of an adjustment on new steel as I tend to run them into the ground. Pretty tentative at first and the skate was little higher level than I have been playing at lately, but felt good after half way through. Having a full bench was a nice way to ease into it. The next hour only had 1/2 sitting so I was able to play with them as well and really work them in. If you're on the fence and have been putting it off as long as I have, just bite the bullet and get it over with.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Yeah wanna start teaching my son to skate maybe I'll take the plunge. Anyone have a suggestion where to find large skates?
 

wiffleballhero

Member
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Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
I ended up going with a pair of Vapor x2.9 (
the skate was little higher level than I have been playing at lately,
This is funny, this is the skate I ended up buying too and I had the exact same experience first time out. I went to an open stick hour just to get on them and I immediately felt disconcertingly high off the ice, even coming from another pair of Vapors. But two skates in, I love them. Short of getting lighter skates, and paying big cash for dropping those 75 grams, I can't imagine needing higher end skates. These are really good.

I also ended up getting a 9 after previously skating in a 9.5 that always seemed a touch too big. I was anxious about foot pain in a 9, but it was the right choice.

edit:

And another thing. Why can't Bauer and CCM just come together and reset the industry in terms of sizing. It is absurd that they are working 1.5 under normal. It is not like they are on some system that is normal to Canada even.
 
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wiffleballhero

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
Well, it was one thing to get sent home from work until September (College prof, so, in effect) but the madness is really setting in now:

Just got word that my beer league is (all but certainly) cancelling the remainder of the playoffs. We are in the semis right now with our best team we've had since I've been on the team, and the best version of this team in a decade. We have a pretty favorable match-up in the semis and are a coin flip vs whomever we would get in the finals (we are the 2 seed, with the same number of points, but a tiebreaker disadvantage vs. the 1 seed).

All for nothing. And, we'll not have a good draft pick for next year so this is sort of our shot. What can you do?


EDIT:

My game is back on. This is so weird. I'm trying to decide if I am going to play. As you may know, I maintain an extreme, irrational investment in my beer league hockey. But this might be too much even for me, but I am also a morally weak person. I'll probably go.
 
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santadevil

wears depends
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SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,472
Saskatchestan
We played what we thought was our final over 30 game Thursday night...now we've been told we can play our Monday game too

Not sure if I'll be going
 

wiffleballhero

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 28, 2009
4,533
In the simulacrum
I played. We won. I made efforts to keep a distance and get out of there as fast as possible. I'd consider my exposure there to have been really minimal. But the rest of these people sure seemed to be whistling past the graveyard. The finals will hardly be any fun, if they go down.