My over-30 team finished 1-2 in the USA Hockey Nationals in Green Bay and once again failed to make the medal round. We played better than we did the previous year, but we’re still coming up short at key moments in games. As we watched the final, I was wondering what made those two teams [...]

As my Edge over-30 team enters the final week of practices before heading to the nationals in Green Bay, I’ve been thinking about the difference between recreational hockey and competitive hockey. While my house league team has some players with college experience and we strive to win, or at least play the best we can [...]

Just got back from a tournament in Port Colborne, Canada. I love playing in Canada. Scoring a goal there (alas, our team did not get enough to win the tourney) is like a religious experience.  The community rinks are clean, and each has its own personality. The Teeder Kennedy rink has open benches. Having the [...]

I was warming up with a teammate before a recent game by passing one of those balls that has the same weight as a puck. We have a new assistant coach this year, and a while ago he was giving us tips on catching a pass. He said that our stick should always be to [...]

I play in a house league, and I think in all the seven or eight years of  the league we’ve had fewer than a half-dozen games reffed by women. Now, refs of either gender can miss a hook or a trip or not want to call icing in the 9:30 p.m. game to get everyone [...]