Skating Practice With Pucks - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

TapeToTape · 10-14-2009, 10:23 AM

Anyone know of a public skate time where you can bring a stick and a puck? I'd like to practice before the outdoor rinks get set up. (Especially in the south)

HotHotHeat · 10-14-2009, 10:30 AM

The Oval will love you for bringing a stick and puck.

an_album_cover · 10-14-2009, 10:38 AM

Check the arena websites. They usually have drop-in shinny times. I don't know if any arena will let you even bring a stick during public skating, so a stick AND puck is likely out of the question.

TapeToTape · 10-14-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

The Oval will love you for bringing a stick and puck.

That seems sarcastic. Had a rough experience?

TapeToTape · 10-14-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by an_album_cover

Check the arena websites. They usually have drop-in shinny times. I don't know if any arena will let you even bring a stick during public skating, so a stick AND puck is likely out of the question.

I really need both.

I was under the impression that most of the shinny times are filled with guys that kick ass. I need practice shooting against the boards and stick handling around. My first searches yielded nothing mentioning sticks / pucks at all.

an_album_cover · 10-14-2009, 11:03 AM

^ Not to sound rude, but it should be pretty obvious why they wouldn't want sticks and pucks out during public skating.

You have 20+ people, ranging from little kids to seniors, skating around with no protective equipment. And you want to be stick handling and shooting a puck around?

The reason why they have public skating is because they already have a time for sticks and pucks: shinny. Yeah, sometimes you get a bunch of idiots who still think scouts are watching them, but until the outdoor rinks are done, this might be your only choice. That, or if you can get a bunch of people together, you can rent out an arena.

TapeToTape · 10-14-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by an_album_cover

^ Not to sound rude, but it should be pretty obvious why they wouldn't want sticks and pucks out during public skating.

You have 20+ people, ranging from little kids to seniors, skating around with no protective equipment. And you want to be stick handling and shooting a puck around?

The reason why they have public skating is because they already have a time for sticks and pucks: shinny. Yeah, sometimes you get a bunch of idiots who still think scouts are watching them, but until the outdoor rinks are done, this might be your only choice. That, or if you can get a bunch of people together, you can rent out an arena.

I understand, and didn't think it would just be a blanket public skating / free for all. I just figured there might be some hybrid time set aside somewhere.

mrgreen · 10-14-2009, 11:50 AM

I'm in a similar boat. Need to practice stick handling etc to get up to a decent standard, but nowhere to practice on the ice anywhere. Your best bet is getting a practice ball and practicing off-ice. Doesn't help your skating though.

HotHotHeat · 10-14-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TapeToTape

That seems sarcastic. Had a rough experience?

Sometimes playing stupid isn't the greatest idea.

an_album_cover · 10-14-2009, 12:09 PM

Puck handle at home. Practice skating at the Oval, or any other arena with public skating.

Not ideal, but it's better than nothing.

valo403 · 10-14-2009, 12:14 PM

I played the noon drop-ins at Village Square pretty much every day for a couple months a few years back and it definitely wasn't filled with "guys that kick ass". Most days there were around 8-12 guys, sometimes a goalie or two, occasionally there would be a couple good players but most guys were pretty average players just looking to get a skate in. I think you were required to have full lower body gear (shin pads, pants) and a helmet. I couldn't tell you if it's changed since then but it's worth a shot, nobody seemed to care if there were a few guys who were at a lower level at all, after all it is just pick-up.

TapeToTape · 10-14-2009, 07:57 PM

Thanks valo, I'll definitely follow up on that.

Ice · 10-14-2009, 09:08 PM

Don't rinks up there have stick time?

missdpuck · 10-14-2009, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ice

Don't rinks up there have stick time?

Funny, huh? You have stick and puck out there as we do here.....and they don't have it up there? Sounds funky to me.

valo403 · 10-14-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missdpuck

Funny, huh? You have stick and puck out there as we do here.....and they don't have it up there? Sounds funky to me.

There's less need for stick and puck when you can fill a drop in with guys in full gear and goalies every single day. Places where hockey isn't so widespread have way more people who would rather do the stick and puck thing and less that are up for full on games every day.

missdpuck · 10-14-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valo403

There's less need for stick and puck when you can fill a drop in with guys in full gear and goalies every single day. Places where hockey isn't so widespread have way more people who would rather do the stick and puck thing and less that are up for full on games every day.

Our lunchtime shinny is full everyday (often with polo players believe it or not)

My local rink has 4-5 games a night...that's just the adult rec folks.

TRIX · 10-14-2009, 09:29 PM

stick and puck? seriously...that exists? wow, never knew

for those needing practice, playing against better players IS good practice

missdpuck · 10-14-2009, 09:32 PM

Here you can't participate in stick and puck unless you bring a kid out onto the ice with you. That's how they prevent the spontaneous shinny thing I guess. It's for 1 hour between 4-5.

I get a kick out of the subtext of some of these posts (In Canada we're too cool for stick and puck

) I'm trying to be funny not nasty btw

Ice · 10-14-2009, 09:35 PM

Here anyone can participate in stick time.

I guess we have stick time because we can't freeze anything outside to skate on. Most of the time, the last half hour or 45 minutes of stick time turns into pick up, but the first half is usually working on moves, shots and skating. A lot of kids schedule their power skating right before stick time so they can head over the other sheet to practice what they just worked on. I prefer stick time to adult pick up because I'm small and some guys are just big dumb jerks. I prefer to stick to playing pick up with all women, or at least nice guys who are beginners and not out to crush me.

jayswin · 10-14-2009, 09:40 PM

Stick time eh? I've definitly never heard of that, it's usually either skating only or shinny. That's kind of weird that we wouldn't have more of that in Canada, it would be cool sometimes to just go practice stichandling and shooting without a game being started as soon as the ice is ready all the time. God knows Jayems could use that.