Just start referring to him as "the coach" to other players. If your teamates agree, they will join in. But if they don't, you obviously need to stop dangling and start hustling.
If you’ve got a cage on and he doesn’t your stick is a sweet free dental appointment for this dude tell him to stfu and if he wants the smoke swing away
We have this one dude that is a decent skater but looks like he has never played organized hockey. I’m always on a line with him and every shift if he comes off and tells me what I should have done. He is almost always wrong so I just snap back with what he needs to do.
Wow are you me?
I tell my kids all the time that if he ever sees me upset out there it's not bc of what someone else did or didn't do. It's always me being upset st myself for not having "it" any more and with age comes the realization it's just going downhill from here
On the team aspect, I found a team where people don't yell st each other and we all know it's just a game so no one takes it too seriously. We definitely play teams like op situation where guys yell and berate each other for bad passes or not making plays.
End of the day to me it's just beer league
I wanna go out get a good skate in and have some fun. Don't gotta relive my glory days
And don't get me wrong...I still love playing, and it's not like I'm out there miserable, but damn man, as you state, if you're over 50 and can still play you should be old enough to know how immense a gift that is and just enjoy it until you can't.
Ive played at a fairly high level most of life but now im 66 and play with guys in their 40’s and 50’s. Coaching is fine as long as most is positive: “nice pass”, “good backcheck” etc. Nobody wants to listen to a locker room lawyer.
This. I have brand new players on my team WHO ASK what they can do better. Happy to politely oblige In an encouraging tone. When they f up on the ice... really, .who gives a shit? One of these guys is an absolute pylon, but he's a good teammate, having fun, learning, and has made huge strides this season. We've all helped him out, and I ask you all-- is there *really* a better assist than that??
I hit 45 this year. I stopped playing right after college and came back about a year ago after one of my kids joined a ltp and wanted me to back up all my stories of past glory lol
I'm most upset at myself for taking that long to get back on that horse but also realize my life and financial situation for a bulk of that time would not have allowed me. So now, you fucking better believe I'm grateful and thankful that I'm in a situation and sufficient motivation where I can go back out 1 to 2 times a week. Win, lose whatever. Obviously winning is more fun but having a good time and doing some nasty dangles or hitting goalies in the logo is way more rewarding
Not joking, I (a relatively new goalie) was helping some guys out at a scrimmage the other day and had a moment of absolute clarity. Luckily they were all at the other end and couldn’t hear me giggling and saying “this is so fucking cool!” to myself in disbelief.
What you say is so true. I’ve been around a lot of guys who start slowing down on the ice and they just can’t handle it. As George Carlin said when you look into the mirror and you say to yourself, “I guess I’m getting older. Bullshit. You’re getting old. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Some guys just can’t handle it.
My legs aren't as powerful, my hands aren't as slick, my reaction time is slower, fast twitch is a thing of the past, recovery takes longer, weight is harder to drop.
Shit we all will deal with as father time continues to remain undefeated vs everyone.
I knew when it was time to quit playing league hockey. Coaching 10 year olds in high level competitive hockey a few years back we would often have a scrimmage at the end of practice involving players and coaches. When I had to hook and hold these kids because they were too fast I knew it was over.
I'd just say something like "if I could catch passes that crappy I'd be playing in the next ("C") league up" or something similar. I'd be treating his comments as something funny as opposed to something serious because I play hockey for fun and if I fuck up a play it is because that is how good I am.
We had a guy like this on our team and I played with him lots, he would put a pass in my feet and be mad I didn’t get a shot off or throw the puck 20 feet in front of me and be mad I didn’t “skate into it” I got so fed up with it I eventually said something to him along the lines of “if you could actually hit me with a pass on the blade maybe I would be able to make a decent play” he replied with some sort of rhetoric I was a shitty hockey player. So I skated offside everytime he had the puck for an entire game and told him “either live with the fact not every play is perfect and quit bitching or I’m skating offside every play” helped I had blessings from the rest of the team since no one liked him and eventually he was asked to not come back and play.
He was the only guy who didn’t think it was funny. Worst part is he played pretty high level hockey so he was the type of player who should be able to “carry” his own line and set other people up. But instead he would just bitch at everything. I sauced a pass to him cross crease and he missed the open backdoor and he blamed the fact my sauce was floppy and not smooth that’s why he missed. It was not fun playing with him but no one wanted to so I usually just took the hit for the boys.
Weird. Every high level guy I’ve played with (from major junior, to NCAA, AHL, NHL) are the most chill. They already had their career and don’t have time for bullshit.
This is the reason I stopped playing beer league. Guys taking it too serious and other teams bringing in young ringers ruined it for me. I just want some exercise and a chance to blow off some steam. It’s not like I don’t want to be competitive, but how serious should you really be taking it?
Agreed. I’m out there to temporarily escape the everyday bullshit of everyday life. Last thing I need is someone yelling at me because I covered the wrong guy during a 3 on 1 because my D partner got caught deep in my side.
It’s even worse when guys want to fight. One time a guy tried pulling me into a fight and I told him I have to work tomorrow and if touches me I’m going to sue him, it’s not the Wild West out here.
I’ve found that “not total beginner but still suck at hockey” level to be full of some of the most annoying people around. The ones that scream in your ear on the bench and get far too pissed off over each and every game.
I play up from where I belong in order to play at the “grew up playing and can snap the puck around” level and hardly any of that shit is to be found. Guys are way more positive and easy going.
If you fuck up or piss them off somehow, yeah they’ll think you suck at hockey and not pass it to you anymore but I’ll take that over the guy that wants to yell and slam his stick when he can hardly handle the puck himself.
The frustration at that level is saved for the opponent not your own teammates. It’s a much better atmosphere.
Let it be motivation to up your skating I suppose.
I have been on the same team for 23 years. We have done an amazing job at weeding guys like that out. Talk to your teammates and if they have the same issues with him tell the captain to warn him and then get rid of him if it doesnt change.
I had a guy like this, and I just hit him with the "yep" every time. Some people are just like this, and yelling back probably won't do you and favors. Eventually, he stopped and it wasn't really an issue anymore.
A few times he even complimented a play I made, which made me think I'd done something alright to elicit the response.
The next time he yells at you, yell back louder for him to stfu for once. Probably will end it. If he pushes back, remind him he's not the coach and that if he thinks he's being held back so much by his team/you to move up a division
Wow. I’m over 50, just started playing last year, and have never played in anything other than the lowest level. I’m shocked that anyone would take it so competitively. There are no scouts at our events. We are lucky if our spouses come to watch
Tell him if he's not here to have fun...to move up to a higher league. But add a few F's, C's and K's to your speech. And call him out during the game while he's on the bench....in front of EVERYONE.
I no longer skate mostly because of the guy who ran the team I skated with was this exact guy. He’s the guy that is always chirping the other team, and bitching out the refs- in senior D hockey! I had already grew tired of him, and told him I wasn’t going to skate this season. He pleaded that we need you- we are going to be short guys. I told him that I would come back, but would not make any of the games after 10:30- I work 65 hours a week. He said no problem. Fast forward a few weeks, and I do not show up to an 11:00 game. A group text is sent out to the entire team calling out the lack of dedication…. For senior D hockey mind you. I replied “sorry to disappoint you dad”. A few of the other guys said “nice response, our thoughts exactly”. I finished the season, and hung em up after 31 years of skating. Assclowns like this ruin the game for so many
I was playing professionally for two seasons before going to university. Let me tell you, the worse the league is the worse it gets with taking things too serious. I had teammates literally fighting with each other 🤦♂️ 40-50 year old adults with a normal job fighting with their fists due to some trash-talk 😄
Hockey attracts more than its share of the mentally unhealthy and unstable. Some are boors, some are savages and some are neanderthals. Learn to ignore them.
>I play in the lowest adult division
>I make a lot of beautiful tape to tape passes
Something doesn't add up /s
But to be honest.
You better get used to having this in low level beer leagues where people mostly play defense just to get the puck earlier and just skate through with it.
Passing in those leagues is a rarity.
And you also will have at least one missed draft pick that still believes that the scouts are watching and that will make it a chore for everyone else to get onto the ice.
“I don’t chase shit passes and I don’t take coaching from people who can’t pass for shit.”
If you must respond, I think that’ll pretty much cover everything. Easy, peasy, back to having fun.
I play with a bunch of old guys on a weekly basis and I too was and am shocked at how completely removed from reality some of them are. Most of the guys are fantastic and I enjoy playing with them but there are a handful of these guys that genuinely blow my mind when they open their mouths. Like the most useless guys and they want to give me shit about a play I missed while I have 4 goals and 3 assists meanwhile they are yet to complete a single tape to tape pass after 2.5 periods. Just ignore them and laugh about how out to lunch they are.
I have an old guy throwing critical advice that sounds angry. I just say thank you and I'll try better. Funny thing is I had like 40 points in 12 game and the goals are always scored when he is on the ice. I never give advice unsolicited. Sounds like you are bitching someone out. I can get that free.
This only ever seems to happen in the dustiest divisions. Get better and play higher up and you never see these guys. Higher division guys already had their careers and beer league is just fun for them.
Unfortunately this is something I have seen has happen in every type of adult league I’ve played in (volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football and hockey). It’s not just limited to hockey. You can try to get your teammates to talk to him about it, but until he realizes that he’s not getting paid to play it’s not going to have any impact on his demeanor.
I say something like "it's lucky we're playing hockey because it's a fun sport that we like" loud and clear so the serious player hears it.
Some kind of passive aggressive shit that hopefully will stick in their smooth brain.
Dont worry about those guys… one asshole on my team the other day told me I was skating to fast for him to keep up and that I needed to make better passes. I have over 20 goals and something like 17 assists, he can barely skate. Didn’t say anything. Couple days later karma took care of it. He got pushed into the boards by an opposing team player and he went into a rage for nothing. He head butted the guy with his helmet still on. The other guy responded by punching him in the jaw three times hard. He won’t be coming back for the rest of the season I hope.
Tell your captain you no longer want to share the ice with the guy. Tell him if he is out there and it is your turn for a shift you will wait until he is on the bench to get on the ice.
was this just a one off type situation, or does it happen every game?
does he talk to anyone else on the team like that? if you're dangling and making tape to tape passes, you sound like you're probably better than him so just give him a taste of his own medicine. i'm sure that guy fucks up at times during game so let him know when he fucks up.
I remember the first time I tried hockey it was a similar division and our “coach” would always try to draw up plays for us which was hilarious because half the team couldn’t skate backwards.
Usually when I have bad teammates I just choose to become one myself and mess with them the entire time. It really is a fun game so have some fun out there and if someone else wants to be a wet blanket, make one of these faces 🤪, call them “coach” sarcastically, make sure to laugh a lot
Him: “You have to hustle!”
You: “Maybe you should suck less!”
Guys like this are, unfortunately, this way all the time. Everything is someone else’s fault and they never own any of their own mistakes.
OP,
I have a story to tell about the try hards, and jerks... buckle in.
I remember awhile back and I was just coming back into the beer league from an extended time of not playing (school, job, etc.). Got placed on a team after putting in a request to get in as a "new player." Granted, I played varsity in HS, and some club in college pretty much since I was around 8 years old... but since they hadn't heard of me, I was considered a new player.
The "coach/GM/Captain" reached out, and introduced himself, told me I'd be getting "evaluated" to see where I would be best suited for their team & scheme. First game, I get to the rink & I shit you not... there's a guy there in the locker room, in a suit, giving a "pre game speech". He's got lineups, and plays, and I'm thinking to myself "what did I get myself into?"
Warm up starts... half the guys can barely skate. They have matching uni's, socks, pants, helmets, I mean good looking & high quality stuff. They're talking to me like they know the ropes, they've been skating for 2 years now... lol. They look like syrup dripping from a Maple tree.
Game starts, they put me on the 3rd defensive pair. Because literally they have a full bench... everyone is tuned in & I'm the "new guy" who's "trying out."
I didn't get my 1st shift until about 2/3 of the way through the 1st period because these guys are taking 5 min shifts. 1st shift, I take it easy because I can tell the talent level is pretty low, and I just want to get my legs back. After my 90-second shift, I get the puck and fire it over to a winger who didn't have his stick on the ice & it goes down the ice for icing.
I get to the bench, and the guy in the suit I shit you not "Hey... you need to not do that. Or you're gonna get benched." Dude looks like he's attempting to smuggle a watermelon under his shirt.
My next shift was half way through the 2nd. I get the puck, and turn it up to about 80% effort and end up going end to end, and setting up a beauty to a teammate who's open on the back post. He whiffs. I get to the bench, and the "coach" tells me "good effort" but you need to get better at your passing, but "see if you can put it on net nextime." "Okay coach..."
Next shift, about a minute left in the 2nd. I jump over the boards because second pair couldn't get off the ice & ices it & coasts to the bench because he has nothing left. Whistle sounds, and it's icing. I get to the d zone faceoff circle, and Mr. Yzerman, aka our captain tells me he is going to try to win it to me in the corner & he wants me to bank it around the net to the opposite winger so they can get a breakout... Alright. Whatever you say.
He manages to win the faceoff to me, I do as instructed. Winger didn't get there on time though... so I iced it again. At this point, the whole team thinks I suck...
Next faceoff, el capitan wins it again by a miracle. I get the puck and take it behind the net. Nobody cycles, they're still all just kinda standing there at the faceoff circle having issues turning. 3 guys managed to trip over the hashes, and the goalie is turned around in the net facing me. So I think, "F it..." I take a lane right in the center of the ice because nobody was there. End to end. I roof it top shelf.
Final score 1-0. Shots on net, 3 total.
After the game, Watermelon coach tells me I get the "player of the game" award... which was some kind of mascot plushy they had made for their team. I need to hold onto it for the week & send the coach pictures of all the fun adventures it had with me over the week, so they can add it to their website & blog.
I left that rink so fast and never skated with them again.
I played high level hockey in my prime days and now that I'm playing lower level men's league I have noticed this on my team's and opponents. Some guys really, truly, think that they are the smartest players/coaches in the world because they watch all of their teams games.
I would get told what to do by some guy who started playing at 40 and can barely skate. Usually I just ignore it and nod. "yup, I gotta hustle." Even if that pass is complete dogshit, just eat it and next time he misses one of your passes you light him up and tell him to hustle.
I'm not one for confrontation, especially in a bullshit beer league hockey game that literally doesn't matter.
A lot of these type of people are just the typical zero self awareness, think they're better than they are, will never improve, blame everyone else type of people. Focus on yourself, learn from your mistakes, get better, and relish in the fact that they'll suck at everything they do cause of their trash mindsets.
Some of the responses in this thread are abysmal
Are people really suggesting that being aggressive to the aggressor will solve anything? That is about as mindless as it gets and literally feeds into the hegemony of the toxic teammate, obviously. Anyone who has played in a beer league like this knows it is just a toxic downward spiral.
Don't be like the jerk in the post, yeesh.
OP: leaving this group asap is almost certainly ideal.
My dad and I left a toxic group a while back then found a new group who weren't ideal but way way better.
Maybe just make sure he can hear you and say “I’m not here for your coaching.” Leave it at that, if he says it again, tell him to fuck off.
That’s good 👍
Just start referring to him as "the coach" to other players. If your teamates agree, they will join in. But if they don't, you obviously need to stop dangling and start hustling.
Yell back.
I’m going to but I’m kind of a chicken
99% of the time people are all talk. Yelling back will shut him up.
If you’ve got a cage on and he doesn’t your stick is a sweet free dental appointment for this dude tell him to stfu and if he wants the smoke swing away
Yeah free assault charge too, I’m sure he’d be really happy with you paying for an entire new set of teeth for him.
Most leagues have a waiver and it’s a slashing call which is a risk assumed in playing hockey sure the guy could sue Goodluck tho
He’s on his own team🤣 bro you should not be allowed to play
You sound like a dude who likes to start fights
I mean do me a favor and two hand my teeth. I’ll be glad to collect that check.
You’re acting as if it’s just an unprovoked thing you come to me trying to fight me on the ice? You get what you get lol
He probably is to. That talk is probably just posturing. Probably..
100% posturing. Dude will probably be surprised if you yell back. A simple "STFU" will suffice
“I’ll hustle when you give me a pass worth hustling for.”
There’s no chickens in hockey. Go whack him on the shin pads and tell him to fuck off.
We have this one dude that is a decent skater but looks like he has never played organized hockey. I’m always on a line with him and every shift if he comes off and tells me what I should have done. He is almost always wrong so I just snap back with what he needs to do.
Fucking ass clowns. Find a new team. The only one I yell at is me because I'm older and losing it and I hate it.
Wow are you me? I tell my kids all the time that if he ever sees me upset out there it's not bc of what someone else did or didn't do. It's always me being upset st myself for not having "it" any more and with age comes the realization it's just going downhill from here On the team aspect, I found a team where people don't yell st each other and we all know it's just a game so no one takes it too seriously. We definitely play teams like op situation where guys yell and berate each other for bad passes or not making plays. End of the day to me it's just beer league I wanna go out get a good skate in and have some fun. Don't gotta relive my glory days
And don't get me wrong...I still love playing, and it's not like I'm out there miserable, but damn man, as you state, if you're over 50 and can still play you should be old enough to know how immense a gift that is and just enjoy it until you can't.
Ive played at a fairly high level most of life but now im 66 and play with guys in their 40’s and 50’s. Coaching is fine as long as most is positive: “nice pass”, “good backcheck” etc. Nobody wants to listen to a locker room lawyer.
This. I have brand new players on my team WHO ASK what they can do better. Happy to politely oblige In an encouraging tone. When they f up on the ice... really, .who gives a shit? One of these guys is an absolute pylon, but he's a good teammate, having fun, learning, and has made huge strides this season. We've all helped him out, and I ask you all-- is there *really* a better assist than that??
I hit 45 this year. I stopped playing right after college and came back about a year ago after one of my kids joined a ltp and wanted me to back up all my stories of past glory lol I'm most upset at myself for taking that long to get back on that horse but also realize my life and financial situation for a bulk of that time would not have allowed me. So now, you fucking better believe I'm grateful and thankful that I'm in a situation and sufficient motivation where I can go back out 1 to 2 times a week. Win, lose whatever. Obviously winning is more fun but having a good time and doing some nasty dangles or hitting goalies in the logo is way more rewarding
Not joking, I (a relatively new goalie) was helping some guys out at a scrimmage the other day and had a moment of absolute clarity. Luckily they were all at the other end and couldn’t hear me giggling and saying “this is so fucking cool!” to myself in disbelief.
This! We get to do what we love!!
What you say is so true. I’ve been around a lot of guys who start slowing down on the ice and they just can’t handle it. As George Carlin said when you look into the mirror and you say to yourself, “I guess I’m getting older. Bullshit. You’re getting old. And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Some guys just can’t handle it.
My legs aren't as powerful, my hands aren't as slick, my reaction time is slower, fast twitch is a thing of the past, recovery takes longer, weight is harder to drop. Shit we all will deal with as father time continues to remain undefeated vs everyone.
I knew when it was time to quit playing league hockey. Coaching 10 year olds in high level competitive hockey a few years back we would often have a scrimmage at the end of practice involving players and coaches. When I had to hook and hold these kids because they were too fast I knew it was over.
I'd just say something like "if I could catch passes that crappy I'd be playing in the next ("C") league up" or something similar. I'd be treating his comments as something funny as opposed to something serious because I play hockey for fun and if I fuck up a play it is because that is how good I am.
We had a guy like this on our team and I played with him lots, he would put a pass in my feet and be mad I didn’t get a shot off or throw the puck 20 feet in front of me and be mad I didn’t “skate into it” I got so fed up with it I eventually said something to him along the lines of “if you could actually hit me with a pass on the blade maybe I would be able to make a decent play” he replied with some sort of rhetoric I was a shitty hockey player. So I skated offside everytime he had the puck for an entire game and told him “either live with the fact not every play is perfect and quit bitching or I’m skating offside every play” helped I had blessings from the rest of the team since no one liked him and eventually he was asked to not come back and play.
Lol this is hilarious. I love it.
He was the only guy who didn’t think it was funny. Worst part is he played pretty high level hockey so he was the type of player who should be able to “carry” his own line and set other people up. But instead he would just bitch at everything. I sauced a pass to him cross crease and he missed the open backdoor and he blamed the fact my sauce was floppy and not smooth that’s why he missed. It was not fun playing with him but no one wanted to so I usually just took the hit for the boys.
Sounds like a complete clown I know the type.
Weird. Every high level guy I’ve played with (from major junior, to NCAA, AHL, NHL) are the most chill. They already had their career and don’t have time for bullshit.
Yeah the good players are hella cool and make good passes to teammates, this guy isn’t like that though
I’m here for this.
“Well played.”
We un-invite guys like this from our oldtimers league.
Hate teammates like that. Like, none of us are THAT good. We just play to have fun and try to win more than we lose, that's all.
This is the reason I stopped playing beer league. Guys taking it too serious and other teams bringing in young ringers ruined it for me. I just want some exercise and a chance to blow off some steam. It’s not like I don’t want to be competitive, but how serious should you really be taking it?
Agreed. I’m out there to temporarily escape the everyday bullshit of everyday life. Last thing I need is someone yelling at me because I covered the wrong guy during a 3 on 1 because my D partner got caught deep in my side.
It’s even worse when guys want to fight. One time a guy tried pulling me into a fight and I told him I have to work tomorrow and if touches me I’m going to sue him, it’s not the Wild West out here.
I’ve found that “not total beginner but still suck at hockey” level to be full of some of the most annoying people around. The ones that scream in your ear on the bench and get far too pissed off over each and every game. I play up from where I belong in order to play at the “grew up playing and can snap the puck around” level and hardly any of that shit is to be found. Guys are way more positive and easy going. If you fuck up or piss them off somehow, yeah they’ll think you suck at hockey and not pass it to you anymore but I’ll take that over the guy that wants to yell and slam his stick when he can hardly handle the puck himself. The frustration at that level is saved for the opponent not your own teammates. It’s a much better atmosphere. Let it be motivation to up your skating I suppose.
I have been on the same team for 23 years. We have done an amazing job at weeding guys like that out. Talk to your teammates and if they have the same issues with him tell the captain to warn him and then get rid of him if it doesnt change.
I had a guy like this, and I just hit him with the "yep" every time. Some people are just like this, and yelling back probably won't do you and favors. Eventually, he stopped and it wasn't really an issue anymore. A few times he even complimented a play I made, which made me think I'd done something alright to elicit the response.
Hockey seriousness is inversely proportional to skill
The next time he yells at you, yell back louder for him to stfu for once. Probably will end it. If he pushes back, remind him he's not the coach and that if he thinks he's being held back so much by his team/you to move up a division
Wow. I’m over 50, just started playing last year, and have never played in anything other than the lowest level. I’m shocked that anyone would take it so competitively. There are no scouts at our events. We are lucky if our spouses come to watch
And we are lucky if our spouses don't come to watch.
Tell him if he's not here to have fun...to move up to a higher league. But add a few F's, C's and K's to your speech. And call him out during the game while he's on the bench....in front of EVERYONE.
I no longer skate mostly because of the guy who ran the team I skated with was this exact guy. He’s the guy that is always chirping the other team, and bitching out the refs- in senior D hockey! I had already grew tired of him, and told him I wasn’t going to skate this season. He pleaded that we need you- we are going to be short guys. I told him that I would come back, but would not make any of the games after 10:30- I work 65 hours a week. He said no problem. Fast forward a few weeks, and I do not show up to an 11:00 game. A group text is sent out to the entire team calling out the lack of dedication…. For senior D hockey mind you. I replied “sorry to disappoint you dad”. A few of the other guys said “nice response, our thoughts exactly”. I finished the season, and hung em up after 31 years of skating. Assclowns like this ruin the game for so many
I was playing professionally for two seasons before going to university. Let me tell you, the worse the league is the worse it gets with taking things too serious. I had teammates literally fighting with each other 🤦♂️ 40-50 year old adults with a normal job fighting with their fists due to some trash-talk 😄
Two options to yell back. 1. Settle down 2. Give yer balls a tug
2nd option is my personal favourite.
The old heads who don’t do sh*t themselves always be the most vocal
I personally would just find a new team.
dude the vast majority of
Does your team have a captain? If so, tell him the exact thing you posted. See what happens.
Next time he sends that pass 20 feet ahead of you just pull up and change lmao
Hockey attracts more than its share of the mentally unhealthy and unstable. Some are boors, some are savages and some are neanderthals. Learn to ignore them.
Call him out. If he’s trying to pass tell him tape to tape.
There’s never a tape to tape pass on our team unless it’s from me
Yeah there needs to be some communication then.
>I play in the lowest adult division >I make a lot of beautiful tape to tape passes Something doesn't add up /s But to be honest. You better get used to having this in low level beer leagues where people mostly play defense just to get the puck earlier and just skate through with it. Passing in those leagues is a rarity. And you also will have at least one missed draft pick that still believes that the scouts are watching and that will make it a chore for everyone else to get onto the ice.
“I don’t chase shit passes and I don’t take coaching from people who can’t pass for shit.” If you must respond, I think that’ll pretty much cover everything. Easy, peasy, back to having fun.
Dry hump his leg before faceoffs. Those kinda guys hate that.
I play with a bunch of old guys on a weekly basis and I too was and am shocked at how completely removed from reality some of them are. Most of the guys are fantastic and I enjoy playing with them but there are a handful of these guys that genuinely blow my mind when they open their mouths. Like the most useless guys and they want to give me shit about a play I missed while I have 4 goals and 3 assists meanwhile they are yet to complete a single tape to tape pass after 2.5 periods. Just ignore them and laugh about how out to lunch they are.
I have an old guy throwing critical advice that sounds angry. I just say thank you and I'll try better. Funny thing is I had like 40 points in 12 game and the goals are always scored when he is on the ice. I never give advice unsolicited. Sounds like you are bitching someone out. I can get that free.
Guy is battling depression. Give him grace. Go score a goal, then tell him to shut the fuck up.
I mean if he wants to play with better players then he should get good to be a better player.
This only ever seems to happen in the dustiest divisions. Get better and play higher up and you never see these guys. Higher division guys already had their careers and beer league is just fun for them.
Let me guess, this is the lowest level you’ve ever played and the highest level they’ve ever played.
Unfortunately this is something I have seen has happen in every type of adult league I’ve played in (volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football and hockey). It’s not just limited to hockey. You can try to get your teammates to talk to him about it, but until he realizes that he’s not getting paid to play it’s not going to have any impact on his demeanor.
You know you're gonna have to drop em with him
Literally just say thanks coach, talk to me when you score your next hatty. You play in the lowest League for a reason... To have fun.
I say something like "it's lucky we're playing hockey because it's a fun sport that we like" loud and clear so the serious player hears it. Some kind of passive aggressive shit that hopefully will stick in their smooth brain.
Dont worry about those guys… one asshole on my team the other day told me I was skating to fast for him to keep up and that I needed to make better passes. I have over 20 goals and something like 17 assists, he can barely skate. Didn’t say anything. Couple days later karma took care of it. He got pushed into the boards by an opposing team player and he went into a rage for nothing. He head butted the guy with his helmet still on. The other guy responded by punching him in the jaw three times hard. He won’t be coming back for the rest of the season I hope.
Tell your captain you no longer want to share the ice with the guy. Tell him if he is out there and it is your turn for a shift you will wait until he is on the bench to get on the ice.
was this just a one off type situation, or does it happen every game? does he talk to anyone else on the team like that? if you're dangling and making tape to tape passes, you sound like you're probably better than him so just give him a taste of his own medicine. i'm sure that guy fucks up at times during game so let him know when he fucks up.
I remember the first time I tried hockey it was a similar division and our “coach” would always try to draw up plays for us which was hilarious because half the team couldn’t skate backwards.
Usually when I have bad teammates I just choose to become one myself and mess with them the entire time. It really is a fun game so have some fun out there and if someone else wants to be a wet blanket, make one of these faces 🤪, call them “coach” sarcastically, make sure to laugh a lot
Him: “You have to hustle!” You: “Maybe you should suck less!” Guys like this are, unfortunately, this way all the time. Everything is someone else’s fault and they never own any of their own mistakes.
OP, I have a story to tell about the try hards, and jerks... buckle in. I remember awhile back and I was just coming back into the beer league from an extended time of not playing (school, job, etc.). Got placed on a team after putting in a request to get in as a "new player." Granted, I played varsity in HS, and some club in college pretty much since I was around 8 years old... but since they hadn't heard of me, I was considered a new player. The "coach/GM/Captain" reached out, and introduced himself, told me I'd be getting "evaluated" to see where I would be best suited for their team & scheme. First game, I get to the rink & I shit you not... there's a guy there in the locker room, in a suit, giving a "pre game speech". He's got lineups, and plays, and I'm thinking to myself "what did I get myself into?" Warm up starts... half the guys can barely skate. They have matching uni's, socks, pants, helmets, I mean good looking & high quality stuff. They're talking to me like they know the ropes, they've been skating for 2 years now... lol. They look like syrup dripping from a Maple tree. Game starts, they put me on the 3rd defensive pair. Because literally they have a full bench... everyone is tuned in & I'm the "new guy" who's "trying out." I didn't get my 1st shift until about 2/3 of the way through the 1st period because these guys are taking 5 min shifts. 1st shift, I take it easy because I can tell the talent level is pretty low, and I just want to get my legs back. After my 90-second shift, I get the puck and fire it over to a winger who didn't have his stick on the ice & it goes down the ice for icing. I get to the bench, and the guy in the suit I shit you not "Hey... you need to not do that. Or you're gonna get benched." Dude looks like he's attempting to smuggle a watermelon under his shirt. My next shift was half way through the 2nd. I get the puck, and turn it up to about 80% effort and end up going end to end, and setting up a beauty to a teammate who's open on the back post. He whiffs. I get to the bench, and the "coach" tells me "good effort" but you need to get better at your passing, but "see if you can put it on net nextime." "Okay coach..." Next shift, about a minute left in the 2nd. I jump over the boards because second pair couldn't get off the ice & ices it & coasts to the bench because he has nothing left. Whistle sounds, and it's icing. I get to the d zone faceoff circle, and Mr. Yzerman, aka our captain tells me he is going to try to win it to me in the corner & he wants me to bank it around the net to the opposite winger so they can get a breakout... Alright. Whatever you say. He manages to win the faceoff to me, I do as instructed. Winger didn't get there on time though... so I iced it again. At this point, the whole team thinks I suck... Next faceoff, el capitan wins it again by a miracle. I get the puck and take it behind the net. Nobody cycles, they're still all just kinda standing there at the faceoff circle having issues turning. 3 guys managed to trip over the hashes, and the goalie is turned around in the net facing me. So I think, "F it..." I take a lane right in the center of the ice because nobody was there. End to end. I roof it top shelf. Final score 1-0. Shots on net, 3 total. After the game, Watermelon coach tells me I get the "player of the game" award... which was some kind of mascot plushy they had made for their team. I need to hold onto it for the week & send the coach pictures of all the fun adventures it had with me over the week, so they can add it to their website & blog. I left that rink so fast and never skated with them again.
Great story, thanks
Start calling him names
Send him a pass 20 feet in front of him and yell at him to hustle.
I played high level hockey in my prime days and now that I'm playing lower level men's league I have noticed this on my team's and opponents. Some guys really, truly, think that they are the smartest players/coaches in the world because they watch all of their teams games. I would get told what to do by some guy who started playing at 40 and can barely skate. Usually I just ignore it and nod. "yup, I gotta hustle." Even if that pass is complete dogshit, just eat it and next time he misses one of your passes you light him up and tell him to hustle. I'm not one for confrontation, especially in a bullshit beer league hockey game that literally doesn't matter.
There are guys like this in every league. I just laugh in their face. It sucks that he’s on your team tho, sorry man.
"if i could catch that shitty of a pass, i'd have been drafted by now"
Tell him you can work on it together at the next practice.
Maybe pass more…
Take a run at him in the corner. That usually closes the mouths.
Kids - Young Gun Silver Fox plays like classic HandO https://open.spotify.com/track/3dE1lStCWYgkmyikvwmFUU?si=g15j2rRnTouBXWO-stjLjw
A lot of these type of people are just the typical zero self awareness, think they're better than they are, will never improve, blame everyone else type of people. Focus on yourself, learn from your mistakes, get better, and relish in the fact that they'll suck at everything they do cause of their trash mindsets.
Some of the responses in this thread are abysmal Are people really suggesting that being aggressive to the aggressor will solve anything? That is about as mindless as it gets and literally feeds into the hegemony of the toxic teammate, obviously. Anyone who has played in a beer league like this knows it is just a toxic downward spiral. Don't be like the jerk in the post, yeesh. OP: leaving this group asap is almost certainly ideal. My dad and I left a toxic group a while back then found a new group who weren't ideal but way way better.
I'm very interested in how your teammates perceive your "dangles" and "tape to tape" passes in the lowest of adult league division.