If a penalty is called in a forest, does anyone hear?

The Summer 2009 preseason ended last Friday. From this Friday onward, all games count in the standings.

Despite the rink’s attempts to try and get everything organized before the season starts, it seems they are still playing catch up. After two weeks of play, our league’s players are still not in their system and so any stats they have accumulated thus far are not being credited. For goals and assists, this oversight is not a big deal. However, the rink is dropping the ball on tracking each player’s penalty minutes.

The Winter league rulebook posted on Skatetown’s website states:

Any player accumulating 50 PIM during the regular season will receive a one game suspension. Any player accumulating 65 PIM will receive another game suspension. Any player accumulating 80 PIM during the regular season will be suspended for the remainder of the season. All suspensions will carry into playoffs or the
next season.

Traditionally, for the Summer season the threshold is lower than 50 penalty minutes before a player gets suspended.

Because there are strict consquences for being called for too many penalties, I believe this is a significant issue – even more so because during this preseason we’ve seen game misconducts handed out to players, and even one player accumulating so many penalties in a game that he/she was ejected. In another game, I even heard of an incident where a player spit at the other team from the bench. These actions could potentially increase these players’ PIM totals for the season, but that these players are getting away without these minutes being recorded is disconcerting. At the same time, it’s almost typical for Skatetown.

Another observation that several players have made was the disappointing lack of anyone from the rink watching our second preseason game – as far as we could tell. The preseason is supposed to be the rink’s window into evaluating each team’s talent. If players are too good for our league, the rink is supposed to identify them during these two weeks. The fact that no one from the rink was in attendance to evaluate each team’s players might come back and bite the rink on the proverbial butt later on. I am absolutely certain there are more than a few players who will now slip through the cracks and be playing in Silver B when they should be two leagues up, in Gold B.

We came into this season with assurances of how things will be improved at Skatetown. One of my closing comments at our last Captain’s meeting was that Skatetown would do itself a huge favor if the rink just applied the rules it has now, rather than to try to continually reinvent the wheel and come up with new rules and policies to cover up their inability or unwillingness to enforce the old ones. While I’m still willing to give the rink the benefit of the doubt as our league’s administration is still relatively new, as of right now it seems as though it’s more of the same.

Singh10.

Band of Brothers

Puck Hogs,

Last night, we played hard right to the end and I’m proud of how we stood up for ourselves.  It’s a hallmark of a true team.

While a lot of my anger from last night has subsided, I’m very frustrated by the ever growing list of cheap shots against us by a certain member of the Pints,  going back several seasons:

• firing a shot at our goalie despite the referee blowing the whistle for going offside.
• injuring the back of one of our teammates, after driving him into the boards from behind.  Our teammate was out for  several weeks as a result.
• laying out another of our teammates with an open ice body check, when our guy wasn’t even looking.
• last night’s antics: slashing our goalie, and then throwing punches when our guys came in to protect him.

All of these transgressions are violations of Skatetown Roseville’s hockey rules.  In isolation, these would be easy to overlook.  However, these assaults on our teammates by this Pints player have become a consistent trend.  Skatetown Roseville and its referees have let this player’s antics continue (without consequence) despite repeated attempts by me to warn them about this player’s actions. We didn’t sign up for this when we signed our registration forms.

I’m still trying to decide how to respond to last night’s game.  Skatetown Roseville has been negligent; I have repeatedly warned them about this player’s lack of respect for our team and the game of hockey in general, and yet the rink has done nothing. Meanwhile our players are assaulted and injured by this “hockey player”.

Regardless, I do want to thank you for giving me a great group of guys to play for.  I consider you all my brothers.

Looking forward to playing an actual game of hockey next week,

Singh10.

My Skatetown Roseville wish list

Sometimes I just stop whatever it is I’m doing, and think about Skatetown Roseville.  I do, really.  I’m one sick puppy.

As far as rinks around the area go, Skatetown is probably one of the nicest but I think there are a few things that might make it better. I’ve decided to compile a wish list of improvements that Skatetown Roseville might want to consider. Here is my preliminary list:

1. Can we get enough paper towels in the locker rooms please?
2. Mount a hockey rink dry erase whiteboard in each of the locker rooms. 
3. Install a few lockers in the locker rooms for teams to lock their stuff.
4. Design a new website!
5. Put up a better display for league champions.
6. Get a real trophy, with the names of teams that have won their league playoffs.  If not that, put up a plaque that lists each league champion for each season.  Make it special, man.

More to come as I think of them.  Maybe, I’ll send this to Skatetown at some point.  In the meantime, what would you like to see?

Singh10.