Introduce Yourself

[Ghostender]

Hi All:

I'm a crossover from the GCN group. While I realize every forum has its own personality, one of the things I really enjoyed there was the "Introduce Yourself" thread. Nice to see where others are coming from, their experiences, aspirations, challenges, and not necessarily just in the tending field.

Is there any interest to start a similar thread here?

Thx

[TheGoalNet]

Feel free to start the topic or roll with it here 

[Ghostender]

OK - but can I (or Admin) change the title of this thread to something like "Introductions" or "Introduce Yourself" . Otherwise I'll just start a new thread..

[SaveByRichter35]

5 hours ago, Ghostender said:

OK - but can I (or Admin) change the title of this thread to something like "Introductions" or "Introduce Yourself" . Otherwise I'll just start a new thread..

You should be able to edit the title yourself if you edit the original post.

[Ghostender]

Hmmm - I guess I should have asked how.

It's a bit weird as, I did edit one of the first posts I entered on this site, but now I can't even seem to be able to do that (??)

[Ghostender]

OK-  can see an "Edit" link in the post I just created - but not in any of my other posts. Looks like you can only edit your last post or the "Edit" option has some sort of shelf life??

[SaveByRichter35]

1 hour ago, Ghostender said:

OK-  can see an "Edit" link in the post I just created - but not in any of my other posts. Looks like you can only edit your last post or the "Edit" option has some sort of shelf life??

Yea I am just realizing that now as well.  I've never seen that before on a message board.  Pretty stupid feature if you ask me.

[TheGoalNet]

Hit edit on your first post and it allows you to change the title 

do only admins have that?

[Ghostender]

When you first post there is "Quote" and "Edit" buttons at the end, but as others have stated, after a short period of time, the "Edit" button disappears

Edited March 6, 2017 by Ghostender

[Hills]

I did it for you, I can't remember when you could edit a thread title after posting it when there are responses.

[bunnyman666]

Wanker through and through

Edited October 27, 2018 by bunnyman666

[Srsieve]

I migrated over here from the Goalie Crease Network and Goalie Store Forums.   As far as my hockey background is concerned, I took a very unlikely path to where I am today.  I played football and basketball in High-School.  We didn't have any rinks nearby in those days, so organized hockey was pretty rare.   I did grow up across the street from a lake, so we did some skating in the winter and some pond hockey.   In college, there was organized floor hockey league in our dorm @ MSU.   That was my first experience with any type of semi-organized hockey.   I was hooked.   When I got out, I stumbled upon another floor hockey group near my house, and played with them for 20+ years.   Mostly as a forward to start, but eventually migrated to goalie out of necessity, as we constantly struggled to find 2 goalies.   I hated it at first, mainly due to lack of proper equipment and any clue about how to play the position.    Over time, I picked up some used street hockey gear and learned to love playing in net.    

Nine years ago, my youngest son started playing hockey, and I started to get the bug to play on the ice as well.   At the age of 40, I signed up for an Adult Hockey Clinic (as a skater) at our local rink and did that for a whole winter to work on my skating.   While there, I noticed that they rarely had two goalies for the sessions.  I asked if they wanted another goalie and they were thrilled.  It gave me a chance to learn under zero pressure and with other old guys like me who were new to the game.    One of the guys from the clinic eventually asked me if I was interested in subbing for their pick-up session at another local rink.   I agreed and have now been a regular goalie there for the past 7 years.   4 years ago I started subbing for a 40+ league at my local rink.  It was the first time I had ever played in any actual games, with Refs.   I loved it and wanted more.    It took me 3 years of subbing to land a regular gig in that league, and then 4 games into that season, I suffered a pretty serious groin/sports-hernia injury.   I took about 4 months off to heal and rehab and came back in Sept.    So far, so good (knock on wood), in part due to the special brace I designed that keeps me from over extending my legs when I butterfly.    

As I side note, I was an Assistant Coach for my Son's team for 5 years and went through Level 4 Coaching Certification.  I worked with the goalies and was in charge of the defensive pairings and changes during games.    I enjoyed doing that, but also don't mind sitting back and watching the games as a parent now that my Son is on the Varsity team for his High School.    He has one year left, so have to soak it in while it lasts.    He now plays with me on Sundays at the pick-up session I mentioned earlier.    It is a real treat to be able to skate together (except when he lights me up for a hat-trick!).    Glad to be part of the new forum!   Cheers!  Mike (aka SrSieve),

Catches: Full-Right

Age: 49

Hometown: Troy, MI

Primary Rinks:  Troy Sports Center, Cranbrook

League:  Michigan Sting Hockey Program (TSC)

Hgt/Wgt:   5'10" / 185

Pads: Vaughn Vision 35+1

C/A: Bauer Supreme

Glove/Blocker: Bauer Supreme

Skates:   Bauer Supreme One-100s

                    

[Ghostender]

Great to see all the great bios

Edited May 17, 2018 by Ghostender

[RichMan]

Hey gang, joined and posted stuff for a couple weeks already and I thought maybe I oughta let people in on the who, what, when and where.

Turning 49 in 2 weeks. I'm a frenchie, meaning I grew up in Gatineau Quebec, right next to Ottawa. Got into hockey at age 7 just playing in parking lots with the local kids. From the beginning I've always been interested in the goalie position. Once I managed to play on ice with actual goalie gear (city borrowed old leather stuff the likes of Plante and Dryden) in my pre-teens, I never looked back. Other than messing around with my son on outside rinks, I never looked to play out, not even D. I am a goalie, born and raised, lolll.

So basically I've been playing the position for over 30 years I guess. I got into coaching in 2006 thanks to the graciousness of Richard Sevigny. He gave me my first brake and I've been at it since. I play as much as I can manage with any teams at any level but do favor high end beer league. You can read more about my path at www.facebook.com/gardienoptimumgoalie/

My online adventure in goalie related forums started as most with the Goaliestore back in 2002. I spread around a little with the likes of Canadiangoalies.com and a few others. As many of you, when Goaliestore changed servers, it kinda went down hill and I lost interest and moved on. Facebook has been helpful in letting me share my thoughts but this site is pretty much what I've been missing.

Et voila! Thanks to the commish and supporting governors for letting me in. I hope to have a ball with you all. I have already recognized a few old usernames from the past. Looking forward to meeting the rest.

Stop you later,

Rich

[loki1416]

Hello all!

 I'm an old player returning to the game. Started skating when I was 8'ish and played till I was 22 (D and Center). At 22 I was moving around a lot for work and decided to rejoin the military. Started out by playing pond hockey in Michigan to high school varsity (same state) to travel league in Alabama when I moved there my junior year. Joined the Air Force right out of HS and played for my bases team in North Dakota and several beer leagues for the next 4 years. Fast forward to a little over a year ago, once I settled in Alabama again, decided I was going to start playing again. BUT, I wanted something different, so decided, why not goalie!? Over the last year and a half I've done the adult training program where I had an experienced goalie coach (just another goalie who's been around the block a few times) showing me the basics then went to the Weekend Warrior adult camp (phenomenal camp, would highly recommend) which led into summer beer league where I played as a goalie. During summer league, went to CAN/AM goalie camp (avoid like the plague). Now I'm playing in the fall league as a D3 goalie (lowest level) and skating in D2 as a center, still love to skate out (mid level, we only have 3 levels). To be honest, I should not be a D3 goalie, but we have so many adult goalies here that we had to move down 3 guys from D2 to fill in for all the D3 teams. So moving up isn't really an option when there are 3 in front of my who go back up first. I've also picked up in other area's as I'm coaching adults in our two adult programs (adult development program and adult development league) on everything from the basics for beginners to advanced play for the advanced guys and taking the things I've learned from the camps to help out youth goalies with drills and questions/etc in our youth house leagues. Will also be going to a coaching clinic in December for my level 1 training. The schedule keeps me pretty busy putting me at 5 days a week with 1-2 sessions of coaching, skating, tending a day (a mixture of all each time).

 Current set up:Vaughn V7 XF Pro legs/catcher/blocker/knee pads (took the top strap off and the thigh boards) (White with black and red stripes). Vaughn Velocity 2300 non-cert cat eye (white with red stripe). Vaughn SLR pro pants (black. these fell into my lap when the guy who ordered them didn't fit right so got a great deal). CCM Extreme Flex Shield C/A (thing is a beast, I feel NOTHING!). Bauer reactor 7000 (I think) skates with step steel.

 Love this setup. First purchase was (besides skates and helmet) Vaughn LT88 everything. It was a good price point to start out without breaking the bank and it let me try something out to see what I liked/didn't like. Sold them off to another new adult level goalie (and yes, I told him what I'm telling you next). Liked the legs, but the chest I had so many shots that stung and that it was so common, it had to go. And the glove? My hand was numb half way through a practice or game. You guys know how it is. Need a new glove, but it doesn't match the blocker now. So the new glove and blocker doesn't match the legs, so now you need new legs. The new helmet (first was just solid black) was a vanity purchase because I thought it would look cool with the new gear but turned out to be a top notch helmet. Any hit to the head doesn't rock me like the 1st helmet nor is it as loud.

[Dharmaboy]

Hello guys

I am a die hard GSBB user since 2005, who was directed to come this way. Kinda nice to see the old GSBB regulars on here. I am a ball hockey goalie who made the switch in 2003 to ice and has never looked back. The knees are busted up from use and my eyes and hands are nowhere what they used to be but I still like throwing on some retro gear and having fun. Glad there is an official forum online instead of the GGSU shenanigans I have to weed through.

Current Setups

Eddie GT3, 2 Cooper SK2000s with HM30s

CCM 860 35+2 Pads

Vaughn V5 Retro Tan Pads

Reebok XLT catcher and blocker

Brians Retro Vintage GNetik catcher and Senior blocker

Edited December 20, 2017 by Dharmaboy

[SaveByRichter35]

Welcome @Dharmaboy

[Scott]

Hey guys, Im 16 years old playing major midget in brantford ON. I started playing hockey(defence) when I was 6 years old but always had a urge to play goal. When I was 10 I finally convinced my dad to sign me up as a goalie and we hunted kijiji (Canadian craigslist) together for gear. I’ve been hooked on playing goal (and hunting for gear) ever since then.  

My current setup

vaughn 2300 pro pads (ordered through an ohl team, I bought them off of the mask painter)

vaughn 2000 pro glove and blocker(also bought off the mask painter)

bauer nme 8 mask(sham sweatbands)

DR bulletproof neck/clavicle protector

Bauer total one NXG OHL return chesty(belly flap and neck flap cut out)

warrior ritual jock 

reebok 20k pants(beefed up)

ccm 500 knee guards

Bauer 1s skates(super feet insoles)(LS3g+ steel)

Bauer 1s stick, 26 inch paddle, p31 curve(refurbished from hockey stick man(Jacob Ingham))

Bauer reactor 6000(1s graphics),  26 inch paddle, p31 curve(refurbished from hockey stick man(Daniel Altshuller)

Under armour compression shirt

 Bauer compression shorts 

under armour skate socks

bauer bag(the pro style)

[SaveByRichter35]

This thread is for introducing yourself and giving some background to your life in hockey.  You don't need to be posting your gear in there.  There are 2 threads for that.

This one for pictures and this one if you don't have pictures and just wanna list it out.

[JediGoalie30]

Hello, all.  Just got back into playing again at the local pickup sessions a few months ago after a long time away due to military moves/deployments, kids, and a career change.  It’s been fun rediscovering the game (and getting myself some new gear ).  I was on the old GSBB when I was playing before, and I remember it being a great resource.  At some point I’m hoping to find myself a league to play in, but my work schedule (3rd shift with rotating weekends) makes it tough to commit. 

[TheGoalNet]

@Gear----->ME - If you haven't seen this thread 

[Lucky Pucker]

New to the site (which is great! Hats off to the community for this!) new to goaltending, and new to organized hockey (not as new to life as I maybe would like - but then younger me didn’t have enough $$$ to be a goalie, so too bad for him!)

Grew up in MTL. By age 5, I was in love with hockey already. I liked Steve Penny, and especially liked that upstart kid with that thing dangling from his face... I begged my parents to play hockey (just as skater), but with one paycheck and 3 kids, I was put into soccer - which I ended up playing for the better part of ~30 years. I did get skates and sticks eventually, and would play shinny almost everyday there was ice, and street hockey when there wasn’t. I was also one of those kids with a Roy jersey (I had the white jersey, which was eventually destroyed by years of street hockey/road grime) All my childhood and into my teens, I would study the goalies, draw goalies, separate the goalies cards from my OPC, Upper Deck, and Pro Set collections. I’d even go into stores and try on blockers and trappers. I just always loved the gear!

Anyway, much later on I followed a girl to Ottawa, blinked, and now ~12 years later, there are kids, a mortgage, real jobs, and two people trying to fake this grown up thing as best we can. In so doing, we signed up my son and later my daughter for skating, and now my son is in hockey. Man, did that kid ever work hard; he is no natural, and there is still no quit in him - AND he loves it! Humbling and Inspiring! Between going to the sports stores and taking him to the arena, I started to get an itch... Then, a very vivid dream, where I was in a store trying on goalie pads. I told my wife about it, and said “I think I want to do this...” Foolishly supportive as always, she said “Yes! Do it!”

Borrowed gear from a similarly-statured buddy, practiced getting dressed in my basement several times to avoid embarrassment in the dressing room, and tried a one-off session with an adult skill academy. Wow. I completely effing sucked! One of the hardest things I’ve ever done - and all those years I spent playing street hockey goalie, and years spent skating...? They did not help one iota. It was bad - like, fall-down-for-no-reason-while-the-coach-talks bad. In my defence, my buddy’s skates were size 10 clunky old CCMs when I am now rocking a size 7, so it felt like I was wearing skis. But I did get a glove save, and skated off with a dumb grin on my face. I still loved it!

I am now signed up for 8 weeks of the academy, and have 2 sessions under my belt - in appropriately-sized skates, which made a huge difference! I’m still doing “shuffle there without falling” when I’m supposed to be doing T-pushes, and sorta-Hasek-style inverted side-stroke when I’m supposed to be doing butterfly slides, but it’s kinda nice to know I have so much room for improvement. 

So that’s me: a guy with an amazing wife, a son (and daughter) who inspires me, and a chance to live out my childhood dream - turned - midlife crisis. I really am a Lucky Pucker!

cheers

Edited October 21, 2019 by Lucky Pucker

[Lucky Pucker]

So this is a blatant bump - not for personal gain or anything, but because I’ve enjoyed reading other’s posts so much. It’s also a way to find out who your neighbours are (which is helpful in price/availability/used gear discussions! )

So while I’m not advocating for mandatory entries here for new members (read: I AM advocating for that, with equal parts of zero authority and zero cred ), I just wanted to remind people of this great thread!

Cheers!

Edited October 21, 2019 by Lucky Pucker

[Znowleopard]

Hi everyone,

So i grew up and still live in Belgium, which is not exactly known for ice hockey (more beer and chocolate), i was introduced to hockey at 5 by a Finnish friend and always wanted to play goalie, but at the time my parents thought it was too expensive. Fast forward to about 4 years ago i had dropped playing rugby, and wanted to get into ice hockey so i started out as a player, and played defense for 3 years, then last summer my team didn't have a goalie, and i had a bit of money so i got my self some secondhand kit and have been playing goalie since September and really enjoying it. hoping to continue to play next year when i go off to uni in the UK. Im only 19 so hopefully i will have enough time to to play at a semi decent level in the future.

[Lucky Pucker]

Sorry @Znowleopard: you had me right up until beer, then I started thinking about all the amazing Belgian beers I’ve tried, and, we’ll... I didn’t really process much after that... 

good luck with uni in the UK! 

Cheers

Edited October 21, 2019 by Lucky Pucker