New to sport
2/4/2013
Mike Bologna
Hello
I just found this site searching around for places to try and play hockey with people. I've never played formal hockey but once or twice a year some friends and I get together for some low quality hockey.
I read the descriptions of levels and I'm probably somewhere between 2 & 3. Which probably isn't that important yet as I don't own any pads.
I guess first thing is where do people go to find all this gear if they are not sure how dedicated they will be?
Second if I get all the gear,I was looking at the games and only a couple show a skill level. The ones with no posted level just a free for all?
Thanks for any answers. Also I am guessing there are other important things I need to know so feel free to fire those at me as well if you'd like.
Mike
2/4/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Here are my two cents..
I had a very similar background as you. I moved from up north where there wasn't anything as organized as JMS unless you were playing high school. I played a lot of pond hockey and thought I'd be a 2 or 3 as well.. I recommend to DEFINITELY play a few 1's and lower level community games to get a feel for it.
As far as gear goes, I had a hard time finding used adult gear. There's always eBay, Craigslist, play it again, etc.. But I ended up biting the bullet and went to total hockey and buying a bunch of stuff new. I'm glad I did that because A, I feel obligated now to get my money's worth out of the money I spent on gear and B, it's SO much easier then trying to piece together used equipment.
2/4/2013
Mike Bologna
Thanks for the response Jeff. So one thing is when I signed up it turned me into a 3. Could I even sign up for a 1 level event? I have a feeling I might have to go into a store just to even get an idea what size I'm suppose to wear in all this equipment. Any suggestions on lower priced gear that won't instantly turn to garbage?
2/4/2013
Zach DeGrote
i just found this site and i just played pond hockey so i just had skates and gloves and i just ordered everything else from hockey monkey and i paid 160 for shin elbow shoulder pads helmet and breezer id check it out its a good site
2/5/2013
Mike Bologna
Did the sizing charts work out alright? I have no idea how any of the gear works or how it fits haha. I am a complete noob at this
2/5/2013
Mike Bologna
oh another question. are there compatibility issues I should be aware of if I buy different brands for each piece of gear?
2/5/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Compatibility is a non issue. Just like a pair of jeans, a large Easton shoulder pad may not fit like a large Bauer shoulder pad.. Check out totalhockey.com as well.. They have a huge "red tag" selection, plus they have a few locations in the cities here. I'm not sure if you can return Internet orders to one of their locations, but it may be worth checking out. I got the majority of my gear there, at the minnetonka location. I'd go check some stuff out before making any purchases online. Nice guys there, won't make fun of you if you are inept to hockey.
2/5/2013
Jeff Zwilling
I got breezers, gloves, elbows, helmet, gear bag, socks, for about $260. I wouldn't worry about dropping a ton of money on a stick right away either. Start out with a cheap composite or even a woody until you get into "game shape."
2/5/2013
Wade Mueller
I consistently find good quality used gear from Instant Replay Sports in Bloomington: http://www.instantreplaysports.biz/ Play It Again Sports in Burnsville always has a huge selection of used hockey gear as well. Good luck and welcome to JMS!
2/5/2013
Mike Bologna
Good to hear I don't have to worry about matching brands. I am gonna order try ordering some things from total hockey. I guess you can return in store so that is kinda nice. I got a couple wood sticks so I'll just use those for now.
So do I need to get special stuff to wear under all this gear and what about those sock things?
2/5/2013
Jeff Zwilling
I used a cotton t shirt my first couple of games.. They get drenched in sweat. I finally bought an under Armour heat gear tshirt and that made a huge difference in keeping me dry. I also wear a cup/shorts combo from shock doctor. They are really nice because they have Velcro at the bottom to keep your socks from falling down. Socks are pretty universal, just pull then up over your shin pads.
2/5/2013
Mike Bologna
ok well I just ordered shoulders, breezers, socks, couple jerseys and elbow pads from total hockey. once that comes in I'll go try on helmets gloves and shin pads. prolly get some of those cup shorts too if they hold the socks up haha. do you have a full cage for your helmet? also I requested a level change to at least a 2. still be a few weeks before all this gear is rounded up and I can hit the ice though
2/5/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Definitely full cage. It's just not worth taking a stick to the face and messing up your mug when you have a day job..
2/5/2013
Mike Bologna
Ok that was my plan too. I assume those are brand dependent. So Easton helmet Easton cage?
2/5/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Not necessarily.. I would suggest just getting a combo helmet and cage. The majority are sold as combos anyway. But different cages can be used on different helmets, you just may need to change hardware and things out. I went cheap and got the Bauer 2100 combo for $50. No complaints from me.. It's adjustable and works for what I need it for. Of course the more you spend the more you get.. Lighter, better airflow, more comfortable. More protective? Perhaps. But I'm on a budget and just need what will get my by.
2/6/2013
Mike Bologna
I'm trying to keep my gear costs as low as possible as well. I'll look into that helmet. They had some deals on the red tag site but kinda want to try then on dirst
2/6/2013
Mike Bologna
Wade thanks for the store ideas. I checked that one website and they have no items listed. Also there is a play it again kinda by me so ill try that out.
2/6/2013
Wade Mueller
Yeah, Instant Replay never has stuff listed on the site itself, you have to go there. The only reason I mention Burnsville Play It Again in particular, is that they have a crazy amount of hockey gear at that store. They even have actual used MN Wild skates for sale. Turns out Nick Schultz and I have the same size feet :) See you on the ice!
2/6/2013
Mike Bologna
Oh nice haha. Well maybe I'll need to make a trip down that way and check it out. Thanks for the tip.
2/8/2013
Mike Bologna
Been doing some shopping and during that process I realized there is a good chance my skates are too large. How easy is it to sell a pair of used skates and how would I determine the value?
2/8/2013
Jeff Zwilling
How did you determine they were too big? How do they feel, can you skate well in them? Craigslist would probably be a solid resource. As far as value, I'd post the age/condition/make/model on here and I bet someone could give you a good idea what to sell them for. Or see if you can find a similar pair on ebay and see what the market is dictating.
2/8/2013
Mike Bologna
Well I seem to be able to skate in them but I wear size 11.5 or 12 shoes and everything seems to say I should wear 10.5 to 11 in skates. Also I got ee which I didn't know meant anything at the time haha.
The skates are Nike quest v2. I've owned them for a while now but didn't use them until three years ago so I think they are in good shape. Have some puck marks on the blade holder things.
2/8/2013
Ben Bristow
If you can't wait to play, Barb dropped off loaner gear for me when I first started. Tell her how big you are and she can determine the size of the gear you need.
2/8/2013
Ben Bristow
I was hooked after my first skate. It took me 45 minutes to figure out which order to put the gear on.
2/8/2013
Mike Bologna
Haha I was watching some YouTube vids to try and figure out how everything works. Some of my stuff is supposed to show today, hopefully it fits.
Also found a place with the skates I have in case that is helpful
http://icehockeyxchange.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=icehockeyxchange&Product_Code=SK0NI1S0501&Category_Code=Used_Skates
Hopefully that works
2/8/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Throw em on Craigslist for 75, see what happens. I'd probably take the first fifty dollar bill I see, but like I say, I'm not a very good reference in terms of skates. I'm a size 12ish shoe and I skate in size 11 Easton's. the size charts are guidelines, if it works for you then rock on.
2/8/2013
Mike Bologna
Yeah, I'm thinking maybe I'll go try on some smaller ones and if they feel amazing I'll throw these boys on eBay. I know they are too wide but I don't know if my form is good enough for incorrect skates to slow me down.
Also, are elbow pads supposed to prevent your arms from completely extending?
2/8/2013
Mike Bologna
Oops meat to say on Craigslist also about the elbow pads I mean my arm is always a little bent when they are on
2/9/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Yep, elbow pads are kinda restrictive and awkward when doing anything other then holding a hockey stick. When you're holding your stick, your elbows are bent anyway.
2/9/2013
Mike Bologna
Ok that's good. I think my gear list is up to having elbow pads and breezers that seem to fit. Shoulder pads get here Monday hopefully they fit and the two jerseys I got work with them. Getting really close.
What kind of socks do you wear under your skates?
2/9/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Socks are pure preference. Some like thicker cotton socks, some like thinner. Whatever feels most comfortable to you.. I wear anything as long as its full length.
2/9/2013
Mike Bologna
Well I went to the store and tried on some smaller skates and they felt way less sloppy so got suckered into purchasing them, kind of killed my keeping this as inexpensive as possible plan. Hana. Oh well hopefully it is unworthy investment. For the socks I was just curious if you were preferred a specific thickness and it had an effect on what skate size you went with. I did grab a pair of socks while I as getting the skates that are quite a bit thinner than the beast wool ones I had been wearing.
2/9/2013
Jeff Zwilling
Nope, I just wear whatever I have clean at the time.
2/9/2013
Mike Bologna
I suppose that's a good way to handle it haha
2/10/2013
Mike Bologna
Well got out on the new skates last night, looks like they are going to take a little getting used to Hana. Also ordered up the remaining gear I need. Really hoping the helmet and gloves work out so I don't have to buy more expensive ones.
2/10/2013
Ryan O'Rourke
Im in a very similar circumstance with buying new gear, I ended up going to Hockey Giant in Bloomingtion to size my gear out. I then ended up going to HockeyTron.com to order my gear, the lowest prices I found around the internet, plus they had good reviews. I will write back when the gear actually shows up as to confirm the sites positive reviews.
2/10/2013
Ryan O'Rourke
You can also use the coupon code "20TRON" to get 20% off your order and they offer free shipping on orders over $99. It ends up being an amazing deal.
2/10/2013
Mike Bologna
Thanks for the tip Ryan. As of now I have everything on order. I tried to get as much from the redtag part of total hockey. I'll check out hockeytron if I need anything else. Hopefully I'll see you on the ice in the near future.
2/10/2013
Mike Bologna
Hey Ryan did you order the Tron branded equipment?
2/11/2013
Ryan O'Rourke
I did, but just the jerseys at this time. I am planning on getting a few sticks from them soon.
2/11/2013
Mike Bologna
that's cool. hopefully everything works out. The sticks look interesting.
My shoulders showed up and I think they fit. one more pad checked off the list. Be ready to go soon.
2/13/2013
Mike Bologna
Well hit a snag, the helmet I ordered turned out to be out of stock. This seems to have delayed the rest of my order from shipping, so it might not make it here for Friday.
Maybe I could try and get some loaner gear to fill in what I don't have.
2/14/2013
Mike Bologna
Ok signed up to play tomorrow at Eden prairie. Unfortunately that is the farthest possible rink from me Haha. Hopefully all my gear works out and I can figure out how to put it on.
2/16/2013
Mike Bologna
Made it out tonight and had a blast but I can see I need a ton of practice. Thanks to everyone for being supportive and friendly.
2/21/2013
Brad Akkerman
You're hooked now Mike. Welcome to the fun and addictive life of hockey! Glad you made it through the uncertain period and got a game under your belt. Now you'll never leave the game!
2/21/2013
Mike Bologna
yeah im looking forward to tomorrow night getting into a level 2 only game.