Tell us about your hockey playing background

[Star Platinum]

As I've been slowly integrating myself into this community, I've seen little bits of people talking about their experiences not just being fans of the sport, but of actually having played the sport. As a guy who grew up in Northern California with really no hockey culture at all (the Golden Seals don't count), other than sometimes reading articles in the paper and watching what would could of the 1980 gold medal team, I had no real exposure to hockey until the Sharks came into being. We had an ice rink in town and sometimes kids would have birthday parties there, which gave kids like me the opportunity to clutch onto the side rail for dear life as we tried to figure out how to skate. I never was a particularly good athlete in any of the sports, so other than youth leagues, I never advanced far in any of them.

But I think it would be interesting to have people talk about their experiences playing hockey - What position did you play? What level did you get to? Were you a left shot or right shot and did anybody pressure you to pick one over the other.

Hopefully people will find this an interesting topic and a fun way to learn a little more about each other.

Click to read more...

 

[Munnyro]

I got into hockey through video games in the late 80s/early 90s. Rollerbladed a lot back then too. I went to school in the Bay Area and after the US/CAN Olympic game in 2010, I joined a learn to play team @ 27 yrs old. Shoutout to the old Valco rink.

Been playing ever since. I like center but often stuck on D because folks are unable to understand how to play defense/read a play. Never quite understood that but here we are even in an immediate division. Maybe because I grew up playing soccer.

I've also ref'd off and on through the years. Probably ref'd ~100 beer league games so not a ton.

 

[Alaskanice]

My passion for hockey started with the ‘80 Miracle on Ice. I watched Rangers and Devils games on the MSG network and came to be a Devils fan due to John Maclean and Sean Burke.
Being in California, I started playing roller hockey. First on tennis courts then in organized leagues across the Bay Area. I then turned to ice hockey but roller was my first love.
Eventually, I had kids and hung up the skates. 23 years that I enjoyed thoroughly and put forth my best effort. I am a center first and foremost but I’ve played every position, even goaltender. Just to know how it is for them.
This game addded to my life and I am an absolute fan of the San Jose Sharks.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Currently beer leaguer
Undersized defenseman
5'10'', 160lbs
In your face, 110% effort all the time
Decent gap control
Decent backwards skating but poor lateral mobility
Decent vision
Noodle of a shot
I hate offense-only forwards

 

[coooldude]

Fun to read everyone's stories!

Born in the 80s, when the Sharks came to town I became a R catch goalie (weirdo), played on the Santa Clara Jr Blackhawks and SJ Blades travel teams. Was tiny and a late bloomer, and when I stopped making the A team because of it, the B team practices were 1130pm and Mom said "F that." Did another sport through soph year college, but it was a Hockey Hiatus for 10 years until I picked up men's league and grad school club in my mid twenties.

In the upper echelon of grad school club, playing with guys who played NCAA Div 1,2,3 or college club, I was a responsible energy winger with very little offensive contribution - Grier style baby. At lower levels I played C/W. Now, in men's league, I float around wherever the team needs, often D which requires more reads and hockey sense typically, even at a B/C level. Somehow I'm still decently fast and now normal sized and solid on the skates. Still love to play a two way game but better naturally at the defensive side because of my goalie roots, so learning how to be more creative and aggressive on offense, but pretty good at making transition passes or setting folks up in the OZ. My worst attributes are probably on puck (stickhandling and finish) and you can always get better at skating, especially as the level ramps up.

I also hate offense only forwards. But the thing I hate the most is whiners and people who don't skate hard. Just play a hard game and have fun!

One of the great pleasures of hockey is it feels like I'm still getting better as a player even in my middle age.

 

[Boy Hedican]

I was a first California born kid in my family, who comes from Massachusetts. SJ is my home town. Every summer I’d go back east and watch my cousins play and I was jelly. Then the Sharks came and I got obsessed. I still remember the Mercury News story that had all the rules with drawings of ref gestures. We got some street hockey sticks and tried to play, got NHL on Genesis and learned a bit more about the game.

But it wasn’t till 26 years old (2006) did I finally try hockey on ice via Sharks Ice Saturday morning learn to play program. I joined a new team following that class and haven’t stopped playing since (except for Covid).

I’m now a beer league vet at Sharks Ice.

I shoot left, despite feeling more comfortable shooting right. Puck handling just felt better left handed.

I play all positions, but mainly D lately cuz peeps don’t wanna play it, or can’t. Some guys I know have been playing for 10+ years still can’t cross over backwards .

But I like D, especially breaking out. I get to feel like a quarter back with a good first pass.

I’m a conservative D man, but when I play F I’m much more aggressive and love deeking D-men (especially considering I play D a lot).

I love C when I’m in shape. Otherwise i lose my assignments too much.

I love the game. Will never stop playing, and learning. Currently working on a my Bedard-mechanics-shot. Off ice it is getting nasty, but still trying to translate it to ice and game situations. It’s feeling more natural every practice.

 

[Munnyro]

I hate offense-only forwards

Alwayssss clapping for the puck 100 feet away.

 

[fasterthanlight]

I was born in the early 90s on the peninsula. My family didn't know anything about hockey but I got into it, mostly because of Owen Nolan. I learned to skate around 17 at the end of high school at ice oasis redwood city and Belmont ice (rip to both).

I went to college in Minnesota and played on a club team which 1) was full contact, and 2) had a wild variance of skill, from me who was just learning to skate all the way to a few folks would could have played juniors. I'm thankful to have escaped without a concussion. There, I got to see a bit of US hockey culture different than the Bay --- waiting for ice at Shattuck and seeing what these 10 year olds can do was crazy.

Anyway, I've played ever since in beer leagues --- playing hockey has been a highlight of my life and I'm thankful for having had the opportunity.

 

[TheBeard]

Born in '77. Grew up in Montreal. Played hockey because it was the law. Was a goaltender because that was also the law. Gave it up when Alexandre Daigle kept making me look like a bitch in practice.

Was a Montreal fan, but father was a Bruins fan. Decided to just start fresh when the NHL announced the league was expanding to NorCal. Have been a Sharks fan even before they were the Sharks. It was incredibly difficult watching games back then and sometimes I didn't even know they won or lost until 2 days later because the game would end too late for the newspapers.

Good times.

 

[Barrie22]

Grew up in small town northern ontario, so hockey was basically life from age 4 and on. For as long as i could think i was a bruins fan. Seeing my favorite player bourque being traded because he was never able to get a good enough team to win it for boston stung, kept on going strong because of thornton being drafted. Then the lockout happened and the cheap owner was a big part of the lost season and then the dismantling of a strong bruins team going into and out of the lockout. Then the trade happened and i have hated boston ever since and been a sharks fan.

 

[karltonian]

NHL 93 baby (technically NHLPA)

 

[Boy Hedican]

I know we talked about this years ago, but I’m surprised an HF Boards team hasn’t emerged at Sharks Ice yet

 

[karltonian]

I know we talked about this years ago, but I’m surprised an HF Boards team hasn’t emerged at Sharks Ice yet

You'd have to admit to being a HFer

 

[sampler]

I grew up in the bay area... went to the sharks inaugural game in 1991 as a 9 year old and was hooked on hockey/sharks. I roller bladed at first and started skating around freshman year, played throughout college, and now an out of shape huffin' and puffin' beer leaguer at Vallco.

I've been rather sharks obsessed forever, but I really got into it after the romak turek Owen nolan game seven goal, and then subsequently through college during the era of Owen Nolan, Vinny Damphousse and the great between the legs PO goal by cheech, and the defeat of the colorado dream team (remember when kariya and sellane decided to take $1M each to play with each other and they partnered with sakic, forsberg, hejduk, Tanguay, Rob Blake, etc. ...)

 

[Sharksfan66]

This is a fun idea.

I got into hockey at the Old Skate and Splash off Capitol Expressway. Started out as a goalie and played roller at Grimac (I think it was called) until Rollin' Ice opened up at the old fair grounds. Anyone else play at any of these places? Anyway, roller hockey was basically my life through Jr High, playing multiple teams at a time (people never made the goalies pay!). When we could afford it, my mom would get us nose bleed tickets to Sharks games. One time we got move of the game and got to sit right behind the bench. One of my best childhood memories. Hockey was how me and my mom boneded.

Then when I got into high school, I joined a rock band and kind of went off that way. Came back to hockey after college for a beer league at the Sports Plex in Silver Creek. Those were good times, though I don't think I was as effective as I remember being before. Then I got married and started having kids and got busy. I'm in the East Bay now and would love to get my kids into a hockey league to, you know, pass it on, but nothing's near us that I'm aware of. Maybe someday if we see a resurgence around hockey in this area. The future is teal, right?

One last fun fact: When my mom later got remarried, she got married in a Sharks jersey and I officiated the wedding in a ref's uniform. So you could say, hockey has been a big part of our family's life.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Alwayssss clapping for the puck 100 feet away.

Which is interesting given recent events.

If you watch Celebrini in practice/scrimmage it has been noticeable that he taps his stick and calls for the puck a lot, but honestly I don't find it annoying from him. It's cause he's always moving, pushing the pace, always communicating or drawing players with his voice, and those kinds of forwards are actually really awesome to play with. Maybe I'm just so enamored by him like a shiny toy. I love him so much already lol

 

[NiWa]

Which is interesting given recent events.

If you watch Celebrini in practice/scrimmage it has been noticeable that he taps his stick and calls for the puck a lot, but honestly I don't find it annoying from him. It's cause he's always moving, pushing the pace, always communicating or drawing players with his voice, and those kinds of forwards are actually really awesome to play with. Maybe I'm just so enamored by him like a shiny toy. I love him so much already lol

He's just looks so fricking good. From watching some of the camp shifts, he just oozes compete with a combination of shiftiness - and all that at rapid pace.


As for the hockey background - my dad played 2 years of pro in the top German league before being drafted to military services. Protective mom kept me off the ice until I was a teenager. Got excited for the sport playing EA's NHL games in the 90s (and watching some real games with my dad).
Around the same time bought some inline skates during a trip to the US and shortly after the whole neighborhood picked them up and we started playing street hockey like mad. Like 6+ hours every day during the summer.
One of the local lads was playing for the Jr. German national hockey team and we went from being scrubs to pretty damn good. Played regional tourneys and our highlight was only losing in overtime against the "Adler Mannheim" U20 team (we were about 2 years younger on average).
Our goalie ran hot and they were getting extremely scared to lose to the point that once they finally won they actually gave us lots of free equipment.

I played pretty exclusively LD. My slapshot was crap but I could do pretty much everything else pretty well.

During college I started playing some ice hockey on rinks as well. Loved it, but just about good enough to get invited to play some pick up games.

I tried a lot of different sports, but hockey will always be my favorite.


My connection to the Sharks is Christian Ehrhoff - he was from the same team my dad used to play for and when he got drafted I immediately became a Sharks fan. Watching him in Germany pre-draft he was just so good already. As a teenager in the top German league you could just see immediately that his skating was something that was just one level above everyone else.

 

[themelkman]

From smalltown Alberta, hockey here is pretty much a way of life. I started playing from the age of 10ish just in regular leagues and continue to do so in the beer leagues. I love playing hockey and there is really no other sport I have as much fun with.

I am a big left shooting playmakerish kinda D man, I skate slow and my hands are stone, but I can make some good passes and get in peoples way alot.

My connection to the sharks is that I loved Joe Thorton as a young child and thought he was the coolest player ever (and also the sharks logo being so sweet probably helped), and now ive been stuck with them since.

Been to SJ three times now and seen a few games and always love the atmosphere. Living there someday would be very cool but unfortunately I want to own a house someday so probably not realistic.

 

[landshark]

My mother would drop 6 year old me off at my grandparents house every morning before school and I'd walk or bike from the school back to my grand parents' house after. Two yards down from my grandparents were some older kids (12-13 years old) that froze their yard over and made a half rink every winter. They'd dress me up in goalie gear and stick me in the net after school every day. I really wanted to fit in with these older kids to start with, but I f***ing loved it! Every winter until we moved from Chicago to Florida when I was 11 this would be the after school thing.

We moved to a very rural area of Florida, there was no hockey locally. I put the experience to good use behind the plate while trying to follow the motherf***ing Blackhawks who weren't on TV because WWIII was still alive for whatever reason. Then the Sharks happened and I decided to start following them. I thought that apex predators like Sharks was a great mascot and that teal was soooo good!!! For whatever reason growing up in the greater Chicagoland area I had a natural predilection to actively dislike NY and LA teams of any sport so "BEAT L.A.!!" came really easy for me after moving from po' dunk-no-where Florida to Portland as my training wheels city before finally moving to San Francisco in 2000.

Not a lot of hockey in my past, not really any organized hockey in my past. But, I developed a love for the game. I remember finally finding out WTF +/- was when I was about 17 years old, a buddy of mine took to hockey through video games and we'd double team the computer on NHL 9X... We'd also watch the playoffs since that was about all the hockey that would be on regular TV in a non-hockey market via ESPN. We just couldn't piece together how the f*** they were counting plus / minus. Commentators never explained it, despite bringing it up fairly frequently. I mean, we figured out the basics, but the power play/penalty kill stuff would make it "not make sense" when we'd look at the box scores in the paper.

Hockey almost had a bit of a mystique about it. That just made it all the more fascinating for me.