Rent-A-Goalie Dos and Don'ts

[Patrick Roy's Wink]

I'm thinking about becoming a rent-a-goalie for some extra ice time and cash. I've never done it before so I'm just curious what are some of the dos and don'ts from others who have.

Thanks in advance.

[Murray]

DO: Show up. If you say you're going to be there, BE THERE. Don't be late.

DON'T: Yell at anyone. You're getting paid to be a target. Don't give anyone an earful for not playing defense.

DO: Laugh it up. Joke around with the guys when/if you can, and do your best.

DON'T: Decide not to try if they turn out to be at a way lower level than what you're used to. Take the opportunity to work on something.

DO: If you're going to be late, say if you hit a weird traffic jam, or you blow a tire, etc., let the rent-a-goalie organizer/skate organizer know immediately. It looks good on you.

ANOTHER DO: Thank the guys for the ice on the way out. Tell 'em you'll see them next time.

Rent-a-goalie is a great way to get yourself a bit of pocket money during the week, and can add up pretty quickly to some tasty new gear. Have fun!

[dualshowman]

When I played in my hometown of Chicago, I would sometimes be offered money to play. I never asked to be paid, and I would flatly refuse. I would find money in my pants pocket or shoe sometimes, and I would use it to buy beers or pucks or tape or whatever for the next time I played with that team. I'm not a professional and I don't want to be any different than any other man or woman on skates in that game. I know getting paid to play is a reality in parts of North America, and it seems like am okay thing. I, however, do not what to get used to the idea of there being a difference between paying to play, playing for free, or getting paid. For my part, I gotta think about this: My body is busted and torn up. I have scars external and internal from going hard on playing baseball, hockey, riding motorcycles, doing drugs, drinking booze, and living fast. I'm pleased just to be here.

DO

Play like this is the greatest time of your life

DON'T

Think about the money

[bunnyman666]

I am paid to stay AWAY from a skate!

[MTH]

Yeah, join the crowd.

[ThatCarGuy]

I considered asking to be payed for subbing for DSMHL teams a year or 2 ago. About 50-60% of the house league games I played last season were me subbing around for just about every house team in the Dallas metroplex, 14U and 18U. If I had started asking for money I could have made some awesome profit. 

I was a borrow-a-goalie for house games and occasionally high school hockey practices (I also participated as borrow-a-goalie for a travel team last week). 

Now for the important part:

DO: 

1. Be the wall they rented you to be. Remember that this is a practice. Get everything you can out of it.
2. Let the team your being goalie for know if you're going to be late or have some sort of important matter and you can't make it.
3. Let the team know if you need a quick break. Yes, they rented you, no that does not mean you can only have a drink from your bottle when they say you can.
4. Respect the team. It's free ice time. In fact, you're getting payed for free ice time!
5. A little comedy never hurt anyone. If you're frustrated with yourself do what I do. Do something so ridiculous it makes all your previous mistakes irrelevant.
6. Help feed the pucks up  to the shooters. You can't get as much practice in if they don't have pucks.
7. If a shooter consistently targets somewhere vital (neck, crotch, knees) let the know and politely ask them to stop.
8. Stretch before you go. It's common sense and you should do it before every outing. 

DON'T:

1. Don't be frustrated with your renters. As said above,  You're paid to be a target.
2. Turn your back to the shooter. This is just common sense.
3. Don't over do it. Remember, this is a practice, not the Stanley Cup Finals. You need to save yourself to windmill another day.
4. Don't show your frustration (with yourself or others) to the renters. They probably won't rent an angry goalie.
5. Also as mentioned above; Don't think about money. This is for improving your skill in the sport.
6. Don't ask for higher pay if you get injured. Yes, it'd be courteous if they did give you a couple extra bills but they're not required to. If you really need that extra money for your injury then chances are the renters would have noticed something was off about you on the ice.
7. Do not ever smash your stick. Being the angry teen I am, more than a couple of my sticks have met the post rather quickly. It's no fun to have your favorite stick broken by your anger. Plus you can forget about ever being rented by that group again.
8. Don't tell the shooter what to do. Being helpful is nice and all but some people find it annoying when you tell them what to do. 

This is from my personal experience, excluding the money ones, on what one should do as a rent/borrow-a-goalie.

[estogoalie]

Wait...you mean people can make money at this goaltending thing? ....hmmm...

[coopaloop1234]

3 minutes ago, estogoalie said:

Wait...you mean people can make money at this goaltending thing? ....hmmm...

Only if you're as good as us.

[itis121]

3 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

 About 50-60% of the house league games I played last season were me subbing around for just about every house team in the Dallas metroplex, 14U and 18U.

I got about 25 hours of community service every season subbing in for houseleauge in high school. All I needed to get payed back then, free ice time is the best ice time. Best part was I had fun completing my community service hours.

Some of my teammates tell me about their past experiences renting a goalie is that some of them brag about their level of play. Most of the rentals don't perform to the stories they tell.

My experience with a rental at shinny was the guys who rented the ice didn't have any of their regulars in town that weekend due to reading week (college week break) and I offered to play via a shinny group on Facebook. They didn't get another tendy to reply and had to resort to a rental. I dont meant to bash the other goalie but during the end of the we conversed in the dressing room and told me he plays B level hockey. By the looks of it he seemed to be a brick in net and lack of skill butterflying and skating didn't add up. May be the team he plays with but it's best to be humble about your skill set when subbing/rented by or for a team.

[estogoalie]

15 hours ago, itis121 said:

I got about 25 hours of community service every season subbing in for houseleauge in high school. All I needed to get payed back then, free ice time is the best ice time. Best part was I had fun completing my community service hours.

Wait...you mean in Canada, if you commit a crime, you can repay your debt to society by tending goal? Holy, crap, I gotta move there. ...and then do some bad things so I can get some free ice time 

[itis121]

22 minutes ago, estogoalie said:

Wait...you mean in Canada, if you commit a crime, you can repay your debt to society by tending goal? Holy, crap, I gotta move there. ...and then do some bad things so I can get some free ice time 

lol 40 hours of community service is a requirement to graduate high school. 

[ThatCarGuy]

2 hours ago, itis121 said:

lol 40 hours of community service is a requirement to graduate high school. 

Not down here in the South(ish) . I don't think. If it is required then I'm screwed.

[Mroy31]

2 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Not down here in the South(ish) . I don't think. If it is required then I'm screwed.

Canadian high school, don't worry  

[ThatCarGuy]

1 hour ago, Mroy31 said:

Canadian high school, don't worry  

Phew, I have zero service hours. I wonder if my internship at a corvette restoration shop will get me any hours next year. Maybe I'll ask the restoration guys to paint my mask.....

We've gone quite far away from the thread topic lol.