biggest pet peave of minor hockey..?

Ok, what is the one thing that annoyed you the most about players in minor hockey. For me, since our aaa teams never had a trainer, it was always tough to tell if a player was genuinely hurt or not. Although most of the time, we just took the kids word for it, we had a player who used to push it really bad. One time he said he got hit in his head during a tournament, but then went on to play 6 more games in the tournament. We all figured it was just some weak headache he was having, then he goes on to skip our games the next weekend, citing that he had a concussion. The next time, we were a bit shorthanded due to real injuries, and in a practice 4 days before, he got hit in the foot with a puck. Now he skated it off, and finished practice, but was limping around afterward. He then proceeded to play in a highschool game the next night, but elected to skip our games in the upcoming weekend, saying he had "bruised tissues in his foot" -- (he always used like the exact medical term the doctor used to make it sound worse..for example he separated his ac clavical, rather then simply he separated his shoulder, etc). The worst of all his "injuries" though was when he claimed to have separated his shoulder. We knew he got slashed on his upper arm during a game on a saturday. Now he finished the game, played in our game the next day, played in a highschool game the day after that, then he goes on to skip our tournament the upcoming weekend. I've always been pretty trusting and indifferent when someone gets hurt, saying like, "well you dont know, its not your body, etc" but even this one got me off. The thing about this player was that he was one of those guys who found a way to scream on everyone when they made mistakes, and always looked for a scapegoat when he messed up...anyway...what made you guys crazy about other players in minor hockey??

Players who get pissed off at you who dont play your position(Forward getting angry at a defenseman when he cant get them a breakaway pass) and selfish players. I cant stand selfish players. They drive me off the wall. theres just so many ways they can screw a team over.

For me it was the ridiculous amount of favoritism at try-outs based on who's father was this or that with the program. I was a player who was ALWAYS (no exaggeration) one of the last players cut from the A team, and on more than a few occassions there were players on the A team who were my inferiors (not massively so but noticeably) who were kept up on A because there father was more involved with the program than mine ( my dad's from England and didn't know a thing about hockey). It was pretty bad and I heard the same thing from others. I wasn't too bitter as I had a great 13 years playing B level hockey and I was one of the better players in B, but still I very quickly lost faith in the objectivity of the evaluation process. No complaints really though, minor hockey was great for me and gave me the skills to have a great recreational activity for my adult life and one which I can do very well at. I love playing hockey even if it's just a pick-up game at the rink. :)

Mine is players who don't take the game seriously, and just **** around in the lockerroom.

How house league players always got the shaft in comparison to the Rep Leagues.

As a player, it was politics. If you didn't make the Peewee rep team when you were 12, you would never make the rep team in bantam or midget either. The only new players who ever made teams for the first time in bantam or midget were players who had just moved in from another town.

Conversely, one of the things that always bothered me was the guys who complained they didn't make rep teams or get a regular shift on them because of 'politics' (not suggesting your complaints are unwarranted, Van, just going on my own experience in Kelowna.) A couple of high school friends of mine used to ***** about the coach's son that always made rep teams 'even though everybody knows he doesn't deserve it.' The kid they were talking about was Jason Ruff, who somehow managed a 136-point season in the WHL and a short NHL career in spite of that lack of ability.

The last straw for me in minor hockey was a season playing house for a guy who sponsored and coached his kid's team. That should never be allowed, but I guess the MHA wanted his money. The son was actually a decent player, but was also a huge pain in the ass, and his dad made him captain and let him order the other players around. The following year was the one where they adjusted the age categories, and the prospect of possibly having to spend another year in bantam with those two (the kid was a year younger than me) was enough to get me to quit.

Players who get pissed off at you who dont play your position(Forward getting angry at a defenseman when he cant get them a breakaway pass) and selfish players. I cant stand selfish players. They drive me off the wall. theres just so many ways they can screw a team over.

Wow, you and me think exactly alike.

In my experience it's always the same kind of guys that hold these characteristics: The Braggers. The one's who think that they're better tahn everyone else and that they can do no worng. The ones who complain about thier icetime, the ones who take dumb penalties, the ones who don't back check. They always seem to be terribly Arrogant.

My experiences in minor hockey were pretty good actually. The only real hiccup was when we moved across town and suddenly I was in no man's land as to which zone I belonged to. By the time it was sorted out, tryouts had already started and with the late start I wasn't able to make an impression to make the rep teams.

But there were some things then and there are more things now that really bother me.

1. Forwards who don't backcheck (this has actually gotten worse as I've gotten older.)

2. Too many coaches. Until I hit Bantam we only ever had 3 coaches. Last week I saw a peewee team with 7!

3. Backup goalies in Novice. Give me a break. Up until Peewee all teams only had one goalie when I was a kid. I can't imagine it's a whole lot of fun for these kids to sit on the bench.

4. Coaches who teach 7 year old kids to dump and chase.

5. Coaches who scream and yell and swear at refs and other coaches in front of kids. Show some class there big guy, we all know how tough you are.

6. Parents who tell their 7 year old kids what they should've done on the ice. After a game the only important question you should be asing your kid is "Did you have fun?"

7. Coaches who have set power play and penalty killing units in novice and atom. Hey Scotty Bowman, it ain't the NHL and it ain't about you , it's about the kids so let 'em play.

A Coach who only plays 7 players all game and only uses the other players when his best players need a rest. High school this was a huge problem...how the hell did he expect the other players to get better? the Players need GAME EXPIRENCE. So we had players who played on the team for 4 years and still looked like they were in the 2nd year when there high school years were done.

If you're in Canada, that can't happen. The Hockey Canada rulebook states that a maximum of five team officials are allowed on the bench. That includes coaches, assistant coaches and trainers. If you are seeing Hockey Canada sanctioned games with 7 coaches/trainers on a bench, the referee isn't doing his job.

It was a practice actually. And they were doing ridiculous drills that were far, far beyond their skill level. Over coaching seems to be a big problem. Hell 5 seems like too many. Head Coach, then what forwards, defence and goalies. That's only four, what does the other guy coach?

I have to say that my biggest pet peeve is the refs. They are the ONLY paid people in all minor hockey, and as such, have a job to perform. On a regular basis, I see refs trying to take over the game, or just plain ol missing call after call. Yet, NOBODY can talk to the ref without potentially getting slapped with a suspension. If I don't do my job at work, I would get canned pretty damn fast. All I'd like to see is a little accountability with these officials, the good ones are few and very, very, far between.
I've coached in 2 different cities and the situation hasn't changed. And the big losers? The kids playing the games of course!

Just my 2 cents...

I have to say that my biggest pet peeve is the refs. They are the ONLY paid people in all minor hockey, and as such, have a job to perform. On a regular basis, I see refs trying to take over the game, or just plain ol missing call after call. Yet, NOBODY can talk to the ref without potentially getting slapped with a suspension. If I don't do my job at work, I would get canned pretty damn fast. All I'd like to see is a little accountability with these officials, the good ones are few and very, very, far between.
I've coached in 2 different cities and the situation hasn't changed. And the big losers? The kids playing the games of course!

Just my 2 cents...

:shakehead :shakehead :shakehead

I guess ILL add to this is my other biggest peeve is comming across COACH after COACH who DOESNT EVEN KNOW THE RULES! They argue calls and have NOTHING to back it up and HALF the time they are saying the wrong thing. Then they get mad when you IGNORE them but of course im going to IGNORE a coach who doesnt know the rules. Every USA Hockey coach get a Rulebook in the mail with there coaching stuff and if they dont take the time to learn the rules then I am sure not going to go over and explain anything to them.

PERFECT Example I had a week ago...

Girl is going in on a breakaway....defending player while BEHIND the girl takes his stick and turns it OVER onto the girls stick....Girl cannot get a shot off...I call Penalty Shot because he HOOKED her by turning his stick over on top of hers....the Coach start FLIPPING out saying that they CAN do that with there stick....I mean GIVE ME A BREAK..he was a Peewee coach so he already had at least 3 years coaching expirence and he DIDNT even know that is illegal. :shakehead

PERFECT Example I had a week ago...

Girl is going in on a breakaway....defending player while BEHIND the girl takes his stick and turns it OVER onto the girls stick....Girl cannot get a shot off...I call Penalty Shot because he HOOKED her by turning his stick over on top of hers....the Coach start FLIPPING out saying that they CAN do that with there stick....I mean GIVE ME A BREAK..he was a Peewee coach so he already had at least 3 years coaching expirence and he DIDNT even know that is illegal. :shakehead


It may be a rule but I would agrue that call: sounds like a good defensive play...I know if they called that on me every time I was playing i would never stay out of the box...

One of mine are when a player knocks the other teams player into their own goalie and the other team scores and the goalie freaks out because it the guy was in the crease. Freak out on your own player not the ref.

It may be a rule but I would agrue that call: sounds like a good defensive play...I know if they called that on me every time I was playing i would never stay out of the box...


It was an obvious call..he wasnt even arguing the penalty shot he was arguing the hooking call. ..not the type you see in the NHL of course because they know better but she couldnt even move her stick with his curled on top of hers. I tell the kids all the time..LIFT the stick dont turn your stick over on theres.

It was an obvious call..he wasnt even arguing the penalty shot he was arguing the hooking call. ..not the type you see in the NHL of course because they know better but she couldnt even move her stick with his curled on top of hers. I tell the kids all the time..LIFT the stick dont turn your stick over on theres.

Or try and hold it down without turning your stick over.

Or try and hold it down without turning your stick over.

Ya that would be fine also.

Either players who take the game way to seriously, the coaches that take the game to seriously, and the freaking parents that think their kid has a chance at the NHL. Guess what you won't make the NHL so stop thinking you will, and just enjoy the game.

It was an obvious call..he wasnt even arguing the penalty shot he was arguing the hooking call. ..not the type you see in the NHL of course because they know better but she couldnt even move her stick with his curled on top of hers. I tell the kids all the time..LIFT the stick dont turn your stick over on theres.


Ok that makes more sense: I guess I reado your first post wrong...

One of my biggest complaints has to be that there was no ice hockey in my area when I first got into hockey when I was about 5 or 6, so I've been playing roller hockey since then. Now I'm 17 and I want to make the transition from roller to ice hockey, but I have to deal with going from being among the best on the team to now being among the worst on the team because everyone else has been playing ice hockey for years. :madfire:

...but by far my biggest complaint is that my damn high school is too poor to afford a team. :banghead:

One of mine are when a player knocks the other teams player into their own goalie and the other team scores and the goalie freaks out because it the guy was in the crease. Freak out on your own player not the ref.

If a goalie is watching the puck (which he should be almost to the exclusion of all else) he doesn't always see that it was his guy who pushed the player in him. And yes I do speak from personal expeirence as recently as last night. Didn't know my own guy was partially to blame until he apologized at the period break.

HOWEVER, 90% of forwards in that situation do not in any way try to avoid the goalie; either by slowing down or curling away. And of that 90% I would say there's probably a healthy 10% or so who try to get a shot in on their way by.

I've been burned by a few of those calls, but I've had a few go my way too because I complained. And the other reason is simply convenience. Yelling at my own guys out of frustration doesn't help anything, in fact it can be pretty harmful to the team. Sometimes refs just happen to be targets of convenience. It sucks, but it is what it is.

This reminds me of a midget house game I called last season.

A defenceman shoved an opposing forward into goaltender, knocking the net off. There was nothing the forward could have done, so I called the defenceman for Interference. Oh boy did that piss the defenceman, the goaltender and their team off. I ended up giving the goaltender 2 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and a 10 Minute Misconduct because he still wouldn't shutup...the defenceman wouldn't shutup, so I gave him a dime (ref slang for a 10 Minute Misconduct)... Then as I was reporting the penalties, their coach was standing at their gate yelling at me with vulgar language loud enough for people in the stands to hear, so I went straight to a Game Misconduct for him.

At the end of the game, the goaltender called me a f'ing idiot as he shook my hand. That earned him another dime, which was his second of the game, which meant an automatic Game Misconduct. Being after the game, that got him a one-game suspension. (All Game Misconducts in the last 10:00 of the game earn an automatic one game in Canada.)

It really makes you wonder what some coaches are teaching their players in terms of self-control when a goaltender earns himself a suspension because his defenceman threw a player into him....Then again, this IS midget house. :speechles
and not only midget house, but midget house in PG...lol....

once, WAY back in the day I was reffing a pee-wee tourny, and I had a parent that was constantly yelling at me. Started right at the start of the game when I gave her son a penalty. Well, she wouldn't shut up, so knowing the coach I asked him to get her to calm down between periods. I saw him try, and was w/in ear shot of what he said. I thanked him, and he said I wouldn't yet...lol...next thing I know, as soon as I'm getting on the ice again I'm getting yelled at again by said parent.

I had her removed from the building, and she wasn't allowed back in for the rest of the tourny...oh man was she pissed! lol

I was at the rink earlier today doing some community service for my hockey team.

I was standing there watching a mite house game(probably like 6-7 year old). The father standing next to me was like yelling instructions to his kid on the ice. And the kid would watch the dad, do what the father said, then looked back up at the dad after he did what he was told and wait for more instructions.

I felt like telling him he really shouldn't be doing that, but I figure he'd prolly get pissed(because his son and team were playing poorly) so I just laughed at how ridiculous that is.

This reminds me of a midget house game I called last season.

A defenceman shoved an opposing forward into goaltender, knocking the net off. There was nothing the forward could have done, so I called the defenceman for Interference. Oh boy did that piss the defenceman, the goaltender and their team off. I ended up giving the goaltender 2 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and a 10 Minute Misconduct because he still wouldn't shutup...the defenceman wouldn't shutup, so I gave him a dime (ref slang for a 10 Minute Misconduct)... Then as I was reporting the penalties, their coach was standing at their gate yelling at me with vulgar language loud enough for people in the stands to hear, so I went straight to a Game Misconduct for him.

At the end of the game, the goaltender called me a f'ing idiot as he shook my hand. That earned him another dime, which was his second of the game, which meant an automatic Game Misconduct. Being after the game, that got him a one-game suspension. (All Game Misconducts in the last 10:00 of the game earn an automatic one game in Canada.)

It really makes you wonder what some coaches are teaching their players in terms of self-control when a goaltender earns himself a suspension because his defenceman threw a player into him....Then again, this IS midget house. :speechles

And once again that all goes back with the coaches not knowing the rules. When THEY start complaining about it the kids take notice and the parents take notice so then they automacticlly assume that WE the refs are wrong(because god forbit the coach of the team that the parents are paying so much money for would be wrong right? :rolleyes: ). Then we pretty much have to hear it from the crowd every call we make for the rest of the game and the players (not always but you know those types of games im talking about).

I was at the rink earlier today doing some community service for my hockey team.

I was standing there watching a mite house game(probably like 6-7 year old). The father standing next to me was like yelling instructions to his kid on the ice. And the kid would watch the dad, do what the father said, then looked back up at the dad after he did what he was told and wait for more instructions.

I felt like telling him he really shouldn't be doing that, but I figure he'd prolly get pissed(because his son and team were playing poorly) so I just laughed at how ridiculous that is.

I've seen that before. The worst is when the kid has the puck and the coach is yelling for him to pass to a guy wide open on like a 3 on 1, but the dad keeps telling him not to pass and to shoot it himself all the time. These are the guys who end up being the selfish morons who never learn to pass and try to be a one-man team. :shakehead

I'm a goalie. I've complained to a ref twice. Once a player for no reason slashed me on the side of my neck and the ref didn't see it and the other time was in OT when a player WITHOUT a stick was credited with a goal on an obvious kick... how else could he have scored? Ref didn't see it that way. Was very mad. My dad is a volunteer coach. Has taught me never to complain. He hates sitting with other parents because they're nuts and take away from the fun of puck. He sits kids if they complain to the Ref. Says its his job to talk to the Ref not theirs. Respect him for it and now I'm getting mad with my loudmouthed coach who has his son (who should be our last resort guy) CENTER the first line. He can barely get the puck to his two very talented wingers. Loud coaches ruin hockey for me. I also hate it as a goalie when my defense decides to pinch and gets beat doing it.

Once a player for no reason slashed me on the side of my neck and the ref didn't see it

This happened to me a few years ago in a street hockey game. I was playing goal, and this guy was standing right in the middle of my crease, so I was like inside the net. I gave the guy a little hack to the ankle, and he busts out some lumberjack on my neck. Meanwhile the ref is right behind the net, and somehow missed it. The only thing he did with regards to that play was come over to me when I was laying there with my neck bleeding and the coach taking a look at it, and he said, "Well the girls will like that one in school tomorrow." I kinda laughed, but then when I was about to ask him if he was gonna call a major penalty on the guy, he like ran away, then a few seconds later I found out he didn't even call a penalty at all. :dunno:

I'm not sure about the USA Hockey rulebook, but here in Canada, you can direct a puck into the net with your skate. You just cannot have a distinct kicking motion. I'm not saying the guy didn't kick it in on you...just stating our rule.



.


Yes you can direct a puck into the net in USA Hockey. Same rule here...just cant have a distinct kicking motion. .

Brings me to a question Van...maybe you know....


There is a loose puck a inside the crease...Offensive players stops and knocks the puck in while he is stopping...it looked like he did it on purpose....but yet it wasnt a kicking motion....good goal or not? I ask this because I know the NHL has the same rule about directing the puck into the net without kicking it but i have seen twice in the NHL a goal to be dissallowed because a player did that...once again on purpose but no kicking motion. What would you say to it?

Thanks :)

I don't know about that one, I think these people who write the rulebooks need to clarify what is deemed a kicking motion. You say you have seen this happen in the NHL and the goal was disallowed, but I have seen the same thing where the goal was allowed (for example: Jay Pandolfo Game 6 2003 Stanley Cup Finals), so it probably depends on the ref's interpretation of the rule, which is why they need to define what they mean by "kicking motion" better.

Another story to tell all...I was doing a peewee game today and a kick looses his stick..kid from the other team kicks it...wasnt sure if it was on purpose or not because the puck was right near them so i didnt do anything..then as the kid is going to pick up his stick the other kid kicks it away from him again....arm goes right up for an interference call......i make the call and the coach starts at it.....he saying.."WHAT do you CALL For that?!" I say nicely...its interference coach....and then he saids "Bullsh*t....a kid can kick another kids stick if he drops it" i give him the unsportsmanlike for the "Bullsh*t" comment and also for his extremely stupid comment(but that didnt factor in). Yes coach its perfectly legal for a kid to kick another kids stick away when he drops it. Sigh. :shakehead

Also some large kid earlier in the game grabbed the puck out of midair and held on it..did a little basketball deke to avoid the other player then dropped it....i quickly called delay of game (closing hand on the puck) and the coach is COMPLETELY clueless why i gave his kid the calll...im skating away and hear him tell the kid "Dont worry you didnt do anything wrong, he doesnt know the rules" I just ignored it though. :shakehead ...that was from the other team.

OK...I have been reading this thread for a while, and I think it is time for me to respond.

I am a Level 3 official in USA Hockey. Have been for over 25 years. I have done college, Jr B, and high school. State tournaments and National tournaments over the years.

Therefore, I feel qualified to address several posts in this thread.

1. 'Directing' vs. 'deflecting' - Deflecting the puck is when the puck hits somebody and bounces off him. If a shot comes in from the point, player doesnt see it and it hits him in the rear end and goes in, it counts. If the player sees it and sticks his rear end out so that the puck hits it and goes in, that's 'directing' the puck, and that wont count.

2. Same idea with a delayed penalty. you need possesion and control of the puck before the whistle is blown. A rebound ofj the GK or a blocked shot is NOT change of possesion and the whistle shouldn't be blown.

3. If a player closes his hand on the puck in the air, gives a basketball deke with it, then drops it, it is NOT a minor penalty. It is just a faceoff. If a player closes his hand on the puck while it is on the ice, or if he picks it up off the ice, it is a minor penalty for delay of game. If I was that coach, I'd have gone nuts, too.

Daddy

3. If a player closes his hand on the puck in the air, gives a basketball deke with it, then drops it, it is NOT a minor penalty. It is just a faceoff. If a player closes his hand on the puck while it is on the ice, or if he picks it up off the ice, it is a minor penalty for delay of game. If I was that coach, I'd have gone nuts, too.

Daddy


Your right..I was wrong..(Feels like an idiot..but hey I was taught that way from a higher lvl official and "assumed" he knew his stuff". It is just a face off..which the USA rulebook should REALLY think about changing..why you ask....Lets say Team B dumps the puck in while Team A is changing...4 of Team B are flying into the offensive zone with just one Defensman back...all he has to do is grab the puck in mid air and hold onto it...easy faceoff and no penalty. Took what could have been a great opprotunity away from Team B with that 4 man rush into the offensive zone. Its also the same in the NCAA rulebook. I dont know why this rule is allowed but I did notice that I had made the wrong call after re-looking it up in my rule book.

Also if the kids really want to use that rulebook to there advantage....if there are facing a lot of pressure in there zone...and need a faceoff badly or a stoppage.the kid could just bounce the puck off the board and catch it....no penalty and they get there stoppage. It just does not make sense to me.

According to the Hockey Canada rulebook anyway...

1. For the puck going in off the body, I agree. However, with a skate, you can intentionally turn your foot to direct the puck into the net. You just cannot have a distinct kicking motion. It's the same as the NHL rule.



According to the USA Hockey Rulebook..Rule 614(d)

".....The goal shall not be allowed if the puck has been kicked, thrown, or otherwise DIRECTED INTO THE GOAL BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN A STICK."

Therefore, if you intentionally turn your foot to direct the puck into the net (kicking motion or not), it ain't gonna count. On the other hand, if you are standing there, tied up by a defenseman, the puck hits your skate and goes in, that will count.

That's the difference between 'directed' into the net, and 'deflected' into the net.

Your point is well taken about closing your hand on the puck. It's surprising that more players don't take advantage of that rule. I think most American players believe that it is a minor penalty. In the NCAA book, it is a minor penalty.

If a mite or squirt player needs a stoppage of play, all they have to do is take a slapshot. Immediate whistle, no penalty. I have never seen it done.

Daddy

Oh I have so many, but i'll just start with this...

players who take their sweet time getting to the bench. you're shift doesn't end when the coach calls the line change, you have to get your butt off the ice.

Oh I have so many, but i'll just start with this...

players who take their sweet time getting to the bench. you're shift doesn't end when the coach calls the line change, you have to get your butt off the ice.

To say nothing of setting yourself up for a bench penalty for too many men on the ice.

That's another call that most coaches don't understand.

How bout when a player dives to poke check the puck away from the opposing player, and knocks down the puck-carrier AFTER hitting the puck??

Trip or no trip???

How bout when a player dives to poke check the puck away from the opposing player, and knocks down the puck-carrier AFTER hitting the puck??

Trip or no trip???

Trip. There is no way the ref can know 100% that there wasnt an intent to take the player down while going for the puck or not. The player knows there is a chance he will trip the player while diving to knock the puck away but thats his risk.

It doesnt matter if he hits the puck first...that is an NHL rule and youth hockey doesnt go by it.

If a kid is on a breakaway...the dman behind him dives...hits the puck away then the player falls over the skick there will still be a penalty...it wont be a penalty shot because he didnt have a scoring chance anymore while he was tripped since the player hit the puck away first.

Please speak for your own rulebook. Just because it is not in the USA Hockey rulebook, don't go assuming it is just an NHL rule.

Under Hockey Canada rules, this situation does not warrant a penalty. If you don't believe me, Rule 85(c) states the following...

Where a player uses her stick, knee, hand, foot, arm or elbow in any manner or falls or slides along the ice directly in the path of the puck, causing the puck carrier to trip and lose possession of the puck, a penalty shall be assessed.
Note: If a player in the process of falling or sliding along the ice, hits or knocks the puck from her opponent's stick prior to making actual body contact, the tripping action shall be ignored.

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/develop/officials/rulebook/rule85.html


:o
Yea just an USA Rule.