Hockey Season kicks into gear

[nhlivefreeordie]

Tomorrow, 10/2, Hockey season officially starts, all other sports are obsolete from here on out, until Lord Stanley once again on the line, and Pittsburgh brings it home again.

GO PENS!!!!!

[Laura]

GO KINGS!!

My dh is from da burg, so he was a happy man last season!!

My son is a hockey player, so we are 'all hockey, all the time'!!

Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

Excellent Laura, another hockey fan in the midst, what we don't have in numbers we make up for with commitment. These first few games are painful to watch, players doing things you won't see two weeks from now. I watched Boston/Washington, nothing real impressive, but hey, any hockey is good hockey.

[Laura]

Watched the Montreal vs Toronto game, because it was a "Hockey Night in Canada".....and I get to watch Don Cherry!!

HE is the bomb. My kid LOVES him. I would give just about anything for Don Cherry to coach my kid just ONE season!!

There are two seasons at our house:
Summer and Hockey!

Laura

[rockymtngirl]

I don't start watching hockey until baseball and football are over (usually). Joe Sakic retired from the Av's so I figure we have a couple of down years ahead of us!

[nhlivefreeordie]

Laura, same way here, gardening season, and hockey season..:D

Mike Lange, is awesome on the radio, I like him better than any other announcer.

rockymtngirl,
The Avs are my second favorite team, and yes, it is going to be a while before we will enjoy watching them play. There will never be another Forsberg, Sakic, Bourque, Roy powerhouse ever again, I hope Hejduk can step up.

Pens host the Rangers tonight at Mellon, the Stanley Cup Champion banner gets raised before the game, wish I could be there.

Go Pens!!

[nhlivefreeordie]

Penguins looked sharp, defeat New York Rangers in home opener, YES!!! 3-2

[Laura]

Caught the last 5 min of the Pens game (had to work).....

Poor Carolina. My daughter LOVES that team.....

Chicago took 50+ shots as did Montreal the night before!

I love to watch a good goalie battle!!

My boy has games this weekend....so I will be at the rink, then home to watch the games.
Ah Life is Good!

Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

The Penguins look like they have been playing all summer, game 2 against the NY Islanders was pretty scrappy, the Islanders were up 2-0 after the first, but with the way the Pens were playing, you could tell they weren't panicked. Tied it up in the third and sent it to a shoot out, ( we have stellar shootout specialists ) Letang and Crosby buried it for the win, Fleury turned away both of their first two shooters. I have a good feeling, just hope no one gets hurt this year.

[Laura]

I've been working my backside off and have not seen as much as I would like!
It's tough being a Kings fan, as their games don't start till 10:30pm......about my bed time!
I did see them go up 1-0 against the Sharks......I hope it lasted!

It's hard to go to an NHL game and stay seated. I am so used to standing on the glass and watching my boy play.....

Have a good day!
laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

I hear you on the late games, I try to watch the Avalanche whenever I can, but it makes for a rough day after, but I have sacrificed a lot of sleep over the years, most folks don't get it. But when you come from a place where hockey is a religion, it is a hard habit to break.
Your Kings did manage to hold on in a wild game 6-4. In fact there were several high scoring games last night, the hated Flyers beat the hated Capitals 6-5, and that game was scoreless after 1 period.
I rarely sit more than a couple minutes at hockey games, for the last several years I have been going to Penguins games thanks to my old job. They owned a row of seats at center ice, and we got to go to 4-6 games a year. Now that I don't work there any more, tv will have to do. We still go to Penn State Icers games whenever they are home, and UNH Wildcats games when we visit NH during the season. If you ever want to see pure hockey fan fanaticism, go to a UNH game at the Whitemore Center in Durham. They know how to do hockey there. I will also go watch any kids games that I can, hockey is hockey, no matter who plays, it is all good. I coached for 12 years back in NH, I miss it, and may at some point in the future, get back into it, to help kids learn the sport.

[Laura]

Youth hockey organizations LOVE hockey coaches that are NOT dads!!
Seems that goalies and D-men always get the short end of the stick when it comes to coaching and extra instructions.....everyone loves a scorer, but are pretty quick to blame the d man and goalie for GA.
Never mind when the forwards don't back check!! HA HA

I am with you....I can watch any game, any time (peewees and up). Although the little ones are cute, it is like watching paint dry! Once they start hitting then it gets interesting!
Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

Seems that goalies and D-men always get the short end of the stick when it comes to coaching and extra instructions.....everyone loves a scorer, but are pretty quick to blame the d man and goalie for GA.
Never mind when the forwards don't back check!! HA HA



That is a direct result of the talking heads on the sports channels. They are the most worthless use of space I can think of, I don't need to be told what I saw, or what to think about it. They ALL do the sport a disservice, they are about politics and money, not the sport. The same thing happens in other sports too. I coached Pop Warner football for 15 years as well, 10-13 year olds, my boys came through my team at some point, but I did not move from team to team with them like other fathers do. I also told the dads that did, they would listen to direction from me, and their kids would play where it was best suited for the team. I also made every attempt to credit the line with any runners success, or quaterbacks stats. ( I played line in school, I know all about doing the hard work for no glory :wink:)
My theory was, if the kid showed up for practice and worked hard, then it was my job to find a place for him ( or her, yes I had 4 females come through the program ) to excel or at the very least, feel that he was contributing.
No one was a superstar, and we won and lost as a team. I worked out well, kids still send me letters and cards, even though they are all dealing with their own families now. Coaching is VERY rewarding, if you do it for the right reasons, they kids know who is there for THEM, and who is there for their own kids only.
I believe you helped me decide that I need to search out a local hockey team that needs some help, thanks.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Last night was pathetic. I still haven't figured out how a team can go from doing most everything right, to playing like they hadn't been on the ice in years...hard to watch those games. I don't mind losing if you are playing with focus and sticking to a game plan. Last night looked like we didn't have one.....Coyotes win 2-0:(

[Laura]

Coaching is VERY rewarding, if you do it for the right reasons, they kids know who is there for THEM, and who is there for their own kids only.

This year, our head coach doesn't have a child on the team. Nor do the two assistants.
My head coach is as passive as the day is long....
We have a kid on the team that was a determent last year. He took that same stupid kid again this year, who not only is a determent to the team, but is disrespectful to the coaches and other adults. He's horrible.
My boy is an alternate captain. He has gone to the coaches on several occasions. Nothing has been done. When he says anything to the boy, the captain of the team sits by, not supporting his alternates, and watches as this puke of a kid goes into a cussing fit.......
I told my boy just to whip his a$$ and call it a day.....
If my coach had any stones, he would address this.
This stupid kid is tearing this team apart. There is a clear division in the locker room, caused by him alone. And the coaches stand by and do NOTHING.

Some kids are 'hard cases'. Rough home life, playing sports with "the rich kids" when you are not, your daddy is absent, your mom is a drunk......
(That's not the case with our head case. He is undiciplined and disrespectful)
Those are usually the most aggressive kids on the team.
Left to their own devices.....they will take too many penalties.
But let a GOOD coach come along side them, dig deep into the kid and show him his worth in and OUT of hockey.....show the kid you care......and I have seen kids that are CLEARLY marked for incarceration, turn into amazing young men. I have seen boys that NO coach wanted, that were great players, that when ONE coach gave a crap about the whole child.......turn this kid around.
He is an honor student now, in his senior year. He's not been in trouble since he was 12, he's now 18. He's college bound, respectful, and wow a delight to talk to.
I always loved the kid.....he had fire, and I knew inside was an amazing young man. I told that every time he came in the box.

My theory was, if the kid showed up for practice and worked hard, then it was my job to find a place for him ( or her, yes I had 4 females come through the program ) to excel or at the very least, feel that he was contributing.

Amen.
My son says "you play like you practice"....and there are kids on the team this year that bust their butts in practice, and see VERY LITTLE ice time. Then you have the horses butt that is the biggest loafer on the team, but gets ice time (I think most of that is so coach doesn't have to listen to mommy and daddy cry about ice time).

You sound like a great coach! There's a lot of kids out there that need a coach just like you!!

Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

And the coaches stand by and do NOTHING.

Sounds like the team doesn't have any coaches. It is a serious job, you can really screw a kid up, ( or turn him around ) if you aren't focused on the whole kid. I liked winning as much as anyone, but I sat kids for disciplinary infractions, that were the best players on the team. And we lost some of those games. Tough walking that line of doing the right thing, and letting others down who worked hard to win.


But let a GOOD coach come along side them, dig deep into the kid and show him his worth in and OUT of hockey.....show the kid you care......and I have seen kids that are CLEARLY marked for incarceration, turn into amazing young men. I have seen boys that NO coach wanted, that were great players, that when ONE coach gave a crap about the whole child.......turn this kid around.

Those kids that you turn around are some of your fondest memories. In that same line, I was reading my local paper from back home last week, ( I read the online version every day ) and saw something that broke my heart. I had one such player, that was marked for incarceration, in fact he was always in trouble with the school or police, if it wasn't hockey season. During hockey season he was an angel, listened to me intently, stayed out of trouble, and worked exceptionally hard. At 95 pounds as a 13 year old, he was one of the smallest players on the team, he was also the most feared,( by our team and those we played ) nothing dirty, just crushing hits, he had learned the method of using velocity, timing, point of impact and balance to it's best advantage. After he left our program due to age, he got back into trouble, and his parents sent him off to Valley Forge. We exchanged a couple letters while he was there, he made the DEAN'S LIST!!!! Was getting excellent grades, I was happy. I lost contact with him after I left NH, but the newspaper last week had a story about him being arrested for Cocaine distribution, and it was a LARGE quantity. I was bummed out for days, he had the potential to be something, but no one was at the wheel steering him.



Then you have the horses butt that is the biggest loafer on the team, but gets ice time (I think most of that is so coach doesn't have to listen to mommy and daddy cry about ice time).


I used to tell those parents that " you can try to take my job anytime you want, you can do it at the next board meeting", and then give them the date, place, and time, as I skated away I would tell them " but right now the kids get my attention, not you"

[nhlivefreeordie]

Last night was a much better game. We defeated the lowly Flyers 5-4. The game wasn't without it's scraps as might be expected. And in typical Flyer behavior, one of their " stars " ( and that is a real stretch ) Scott Hartnell while in a tussle with Kris Letang, BIT one of Letang's finger bad enough that there was blood every where. That guy is an animal. there is no place for that behavior in any sport, I hope they sanction him quickly, we don't need those kind of people in hockey, the other major sports have all we need.

[Laura]

I lost contact with him after I left NH, but the newspaper last week had a story about him being arrested for Cocaine distribution, and it was a LARGE quantity. I was bummed out for days, he had the potential to be something, but no one was at the wheel steering him

That's a heartbreaker.
My dh coached a boy for a couple seasons. Rough life....sad story.
My daughter and I were shopping in the ladies section and all the sudden I feel someone hanging around my neck. It's Zack. He totally ditched his girlfriend so he could come say hi. He was 17! So it does make a difference when people reach out, care for the whole kid......it does.
And so few do. :-(

I used to tell those parents that " you can try to take my job anytime you want, you can do it at the next board meeting", and then give them the date, place, and time, as I skated away I would tell them " but right now the kids get my attention, not you"

My boys freshman year, he was 5'0, 98lbs.
At tryouts, he flipped 1 senior and 1 junior. The two best kids on the team.
He was put on a D line with the biggest and strongest D man.
Because OBVIOUSLY at his size, he'd be the weakest.
Not.
There was another D man that made the team that year.
5'6, 145llbs.
SLOW as molasses. Ices the puck, rims it around the boards, and thats about it. Does NOT hit.
He was put with the weakest D man on the team, Because OBVIOUSLY at his size, he's the strongest.
Not.

So my kids sophomore year, the coach switches my kid and the other kid.
My boy is now with the weakest.
And he was shuffled to 3rd line. He was 1rst line.
And there were games he only played 3-4 shifts.
No powerplay. No penalty kill.
His partner couldn't do it.

I said nothing.
Was I pi$$ed....you bet.
I told the boy: You have two choices. Suck it up and know next year you will get more ice than you know what to do with OR tell the coach this is crap.
He chose to suck it up.

This year the coach has shown me without a doubt he is a tool. He thinks "big means good". Not so. He has no control of the team, on or off the ice.
I, as the parent have kept my mouth shut. I have tried to guide my boy (who is an alternate) to make good decisions.........
But
My wheels are about to fall off.
At the end of this season......I will have paid $10,000.00 in assessments for 4 years of hockey.......that doesn't include equipment, travel, hotels, lift and nutrition coach, private lessons, spirit wear, jerseys, and more. This season alone is $3050.00. That's a lot of jack.

I am about to have a come to Jesus with this man........
I don't want to be "that parent" but I don't know how much more I can take!!

It is a serious job, you can really screw a kid up, ( or turn him around ) if you aren't focused on the whole kid. I liked winning as much as anyone, but I sat kids for disciplinary infractions, that were the best players on the team. And we lost some of those games. Tough walking that line of doing the right thing, and letting others down who worked hard to win.

If your dw is on board, you should get back into coaching, or you could billet a kid. Some people have this coaching gift, and totally get it.....you sound like that person!!

Laura

[Boris859]

lets go Detroit Red Wings!!,thas my team,although the Penguins are my 2nd favorite I was pretty bummed when the wings choked in the finals last season,,Justin Abdelkader who played for the wings last season in the playoffs is from my hometown and his pops was my math teacher,,or his grand pops maybe,,anyhow,lookin for good things from them again,,guess we'll see

[nhlivefreeordie]

That's a heartbreaker.
My dh coached a boy for a couple seasons. Rough life....sad story.
My daughter and I were shopping in the ladies section and all the sudden I feel someone hanging around my neck. It's Zack. He totally ditched his girlfriend so he could come say hi. He was 17! So it does make a difference when people reach out, care for the whole kid......it does.
And so few do. :-(



My boys freshman year, he was 5'0, 98lbs.
At tryouts, he flipped 1 senior and 1 junior. The two best kids on the team.
He was put on a D line with the biggest and strongest D man.
Because OBVIOUSLY at his size, he'd be the weakest.
Not.
There was another D man that made the team that year.
5'6, 145llbs.
SLOW as molasses. Ices the puck, rims it around the boards, and thats about it. Does NOT hit.
He was put with the weakest D man on the team, Because OBVIOUSLY at his size, he's the strongest.
Not.

So my kids sophomore year, the coach switches my kid and the other kid.
My boy is now with the weakest.
And he was shuffled to 3rd line. He was 1rst line.
And there were games he only played 3-4 shifts.
No powerplay. No penalty kill.
His partner couldn't do it.

I said nothing.
Was I pi$$ed....you bet.
I told the boy: You have two choices. Suck it up and know next year you will get more ice than you know what to do with OR tell the coach this is crap.
He chose to suck it up.

This year the coach has shown me without a doubt he is a tool. He thinks "big means good". Not so. He has no control of the team, on or off the ice.
I, as the parent have kept my mouth shut. I have tried to guide my boy (who is an alternate) to make good decisions.........
But
My wheels are about to fall off.
At the end of this season......I will have paid $10,000.00 in assessments for 4 years of hockey.......that doesn't include equipment, travel, hotels, lift and nutrition coach, private lessons, spirit wear, jerseys, and more. This season alone is $3050.00. That's a lot of jack.

I am about to have a come to Jesus with this man........
I don't want to be "that parent" but I don't know how much more I can take!!



If your dw is on board, you should get back into coaching, or you could billet a kid. Some people have this coaching gift, and totally get it.....you sound like that person!!

Laura

I can understand how upset you are, and you have every right to be, this coach is not doing anyone any good, including himself. Unfortunately, most programs are always short of volunteers and take most anyone willing to commit the time.
You son seems to have decided he is going to suck it up, I would talk to him first before approaching the coach, maybe your son would rather you suck it up too. Can he get on another team? I know the kind of money you have invested, and it isn't right to have to deal with an idiot like this, but your money is not wasted, it has been invested, maybe see if you can get him some one on one instruction with a responsible older boy, HS maybe, or local College, give the instructor some money for weekly instruction, maybe 1 or two hours a week in addition to his team play. Then next year move on, and warn anyone coming in. The coach sounds less than enthusiastic about the kids, maybe in this case, it would be appropriate to contact whoever it is that has put him in this position. Recruit some other parent too, in that situation, the more the better.

[Laura]

Can he get on another team? I know the kind of money you have invested, and it isn't right to have to deal with an idiot like this, but your money is not wasted, it has been invested, maybe see if you can get him some one on one instruction with a responsible older boy, HS maybe, or local College, give the instructor some money for weekly instruction, maybe 1 or two hours a week in addition to his team play. Then next year move on, and warn anyone coming in. The coach sounds less than enthusiastic about the kids, maybe in this case, it would be appropriate to contact whoever it is that has put him in this position. Recruit some other parent too, in that situation, the more the better.

The way it works here is you are owned by a school based on geographical lines. My son cannot just quit and go to another team, he has to be released. The coach would NEVER do it and my kid would never ask. He wants to spend his senior year in high school hockey mentoring the
freshman. All hockey in this state is "club" so the schools don't recognize us. Fine with me. They can keep their dirty politics to themselves.

Coach is a nice guy......but a non-confrontationalist supreme.
He practices "build up the bad kid with compliments and maybe he will come around". Meanwhile, his top line who works their butts off gets NO recognition, and it's starting to wear on them......
I told them "YOU play for the love of the game....you win because YOU want to win. You skate your guts out because YOU want to. DON"T expect anyone to tell you good job. Let your stats reflect your effort. Know that the fans in the stands appreciate your work......you can hear them cheering every time you step on the ice".
Easy for me to say, I am old.......and kids like a good atta boy from their coaches now and then.

It's frustrating.
One stupid bad kid last year.
Three stupid bad kids this year.
Like a disease, this is spreading because coach will not step in and meet out any sort of consequences for determental behavior.

Grrrrr.

Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

Sorry Mom, you are in a bad position, about the best thing you can do is approach this whole year as a learning experience, and teach your son as many life lessons as possible, a lot of bad circumstances CAN lead to a better understanding of life.
As a way to make up for what he isn't getting taught now, you might send him to a couple weeks of hockey camp. I use to take a girlfriends son to Hockey de la Capitale at Laval University in Olde Quebec City. It is far and away, the best hockey school in the world. There are kids from all countries there, in fact, the first time Chris went, there was only one other english speaking kid on the team. They live and breath hockey the whole time they are there. Very regimented, and focused. Kids with any ability at all will come home from a week there a full two years ahead of where they would be without. Two week camps are even better. They are not overly expensive either, which is a big plus. You usually have to reserve at least a few months in advance. They have a web site.
It is great your son is going to help the younger players, those kind of kids usually improve their own game by teaching the basics to others.

[Laura]

Thanks for the heads up on the hockey camp!

So true about life lessons......that is why I have not flipped out.
Life is like a box of chocolates.....you never know what's inside until you bite into it....and no one else can really tell you what it tastes like. You have to do it yourself.

*deep sigh*

We have a game today, so I am looking forward to watchin' him play.

Do you know of a 'school' or dvd or SOMETHING that can teach a kid to fight? A kid on our team last year is playing Jr's this year (17) and just got the snot beat out of him in a fight Saturday.
Watching the video......I am told "he didn't square up right / he didn't know if the kid he was fighting was a righty or lefty / and he led into the fight with his shoulder".
How do you teach a kid to fight? Not something he will do in High School, but it is possible in Jrs.

Thanks
Laura

[nhlivefreeordie]

Any kids that I had who were not naturally aggressive, and physically able to handle themselves, were told to focus on skills, the natural fighters are easily identifiable, and you don't teach them, they either have it or not. The fact that your son is skilled and aggressive bodes well for him.:wink:

[Laura]

The boy that got the snot knocked out of him is NOT aggressive......he's a D man, but doesn't like to be hit, or hit.....

My kid is not a 'fighter' but get in his goalies 'space'.......yeah, well, uncomfortable things are about to happen!! He's very aggressive....but will something just 'click' when he gets in a fight?
I think he's a 'lefty' because one time a kid came in and poked the goalie after the whistle, and my kid just drilled this kid with a left.
When we watched the video.....he said he didn't "think" he just swung, and that was that......

How about my LA Kings!!
The D is a wee bit shaky.....but that Smyth, Williams, Kopitar line is smokin' hot!!

[nhlivefreeordie]

The Kings are having a good start as are the Pens. We embarrassed Toronto last night 5-2. The Red Wings have lost Franzen for 4 months, that about erases any chance they had of finishing with any home ice advantage.

As for the kid who got his A** kicked, if he isn't going to fight, someone needs to teach him to skate faster...:wink:

[Laura]

FIRST:

How bout those LA KINGS!!!
Kopitar with the SNI-PA shot....how did he see that ity bity corner? Who cares, it went in!! I may dig out my Hurdey jersey from the deep recesses of my closet and begin wearing it on game days again!!!

SECOND:

Ok, major mommy rant.
Liberal coach. I am not sure if he is Obama or not. I never see them in the same room at the same time......it could be true. ANYWAY.
My kid scored a hat trick on Sunday.
2 on slapshots from the point.
1 he drove the net.

There was a question if a kid on the team had tipped it in. This kid is a freshman. He is WEEEEE bity, and the coaches never play him. Sat.'s game he play ONE five second shift, and had to serve the 2 min of another stupid players 2 and 10. Those are the ONLY two time the kid hit the ice.
My boy went to the coaches Sunday am and asked if they would play the boy more.....because he won't get better sitting on the bench, and he doesn't take penalties like player Y does.
So they played him Sunday.

LAST NIGHT THE TEAM MANAGER came up to my boy and said HE WAS TAKING AWAY one of my son's goals because it belonged to this boy. MY KID AND THE BOY explained that the kid did NOT tip it, but it was my son's goal. YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE in the video, that the boy did not tip it, it was a clear blast from the point.........

So I emailed the coaches and team manager this am and told them.....hey my kid earned his hat trick, and if you would like to see the video I am more than happy to burn you a copy..........


OMG really? This coach......wants to make this kid "feel good" by GIVING him a goal. Taking it away from MY KID WHO EARNED IT and giving it to this boy because he is small, and doesn't play alot and won't have many chances to score..........
THIS KID DOESN"T WANT THE COACHES CHARITY AND SAID SO HIMSELF.

I am just about to come out of my skin.
Freakin' liberal.

THIRD:

PHEW, exhale.
Ok, so the Kings look pretty good so far. I'd love to see them pick up so D. Maybe one more goal getter.
We never seem to pick anyone up at trade time.......maybe because we are never going to the playoffs??? I duno.

[Laura]

Toronto Maple Leafs.

What's up?

The coach and GM should be FIRED for doing what they are doing to this team.

It is a travesty to see Darcy Tucker in an Av's jersey.


Shame Shame, burke and wilson. You need to go!!!

[nhlivefreeordie]

The Avs have had a surprisingly good start. The Maple Leafs are horrible. Those guys will be kept around at least for 20 games I would think before changes will be demanded.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Another win for the Penguins tonight 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes. We just completed our first road trip of the year and came home 4-0 from the road and 6-1 on the season. Great start for us, Fleury is 5-0 so far.