Getting into inline/ice hockey?
 

Speaking as someone whose hockey play experience is strictly limited to mostly floor hockey, I'm wondering what would be a good way to start getting into roller/ice hockey? I'm planning to take skating lessons to get control first, but what after? How confident should you be with skating before trying to play? Just jump into one of those rec leagues and take crash courses or is there a place for an adult to learn to play hockey somewhere within LM?

Search ice skating in this forum and you will find a few topics of interest as many other members have discussed this here in the past.

You will basically need to be able to skate before trying roller or ice. Do you have any sort of skating experience in the past? If not, your best bet is to enroll yourself in some beginner skating lessons. Once you feel that you have the grasp, step it up to some power skating lessons. You can also do drop in sessions at Richmond Ice or Planet Ice in Delta to practice along with the lessons.

It is up to you... if you want to be a good player, you will need to be a good skater.

my advice is to pick one or the other. inline and ice are two very different concepts.

take some skating lessons, learn the basics... when you have decent control and understand the fundamentals: balance, stopping, cross-overs, etc, take a beginners ice hockey course. you can usually do one over the summer. that will teach you how to control the puck, shoot, pass, etc. once you have been taught the basics there, practise them at stick and puck sessions on your own.

Screw the roller hockey....at least for the learning phase.

Inevitably, you'll choose ice hockey in the long run. Roller hockey will give you bad hockey habits.


Although...nothing wrong with shooting around a ball with your inlines on the street with friends......not really learning hockey or whatever...but this kinda goofing around won't really effect ur hockey habits.

Pick ice. Seriously, it's the better sport out of the two. The only benefit I see with roller > ice is cost I think.

Or I'm correct, the no-offside rules. :lol

another one for ice. it is easier to learn imo, and it is better in all aspects of the game. another couple of things is that ice is a lot more available than roller (year round).

biggest thing stopping me from ice is the cost of it to play, but i will play this winter

As i mentioned....bad habits that form from roller hockey.

rates of roller have been going up every year.. you can look at it this way.. in the off season with roller, youw ill br driving out to langley to play. you will also go through more sticks in roller as your blade will get chewed up very fast.

as for ice.. you have access year round all the time. You DONT have to join leagues.. you can just do stick and puck and drop ins.. and then as you are a bit better, then join leagues at a lower tier, even as part time. Most leagues have payment plans where it is broken down into 3 payments.

go ice or go home! hehe

I started off playing years of roller, transitioning to ice took me forever because I was relatively strong playing roller and ice was a big adjustment to me. Re-learning the balance was huge and took a long time. Playing at a far lower level than I am used to with roller, was also frustrating. I've improved my ice game in the 3 years, but still easily more comfortable and confident playing roller.

Ice IS a better/faster/more fun game, but I still enjoy roller. It's more laid back, easier to learn the beginner skills/game IMO, and the fact that its cheaper also means you don't have as much invested in it if you don't enjoy it.

Skating is THE most important aspect regardless of whether you choose ice or roller, and being able to stop or controlling your speed is a big part of that. You can't really hone your skills if you are constantly worried and thinking about whether you can stop or crash into another player or the boards.

I played Roller in the off season, and Ice for 8 years. Roller is fun in the spring/summer fall time cause of the weather and sun, but the Ice is refreshing in itself, and there isnt much better feeling than waking up at 5:30am and hit the Ice at 6:45 before work/school. Great full body exercise, and all done before some people wake up.

Sleep is important, and eating right. Otherwise you'll get very sluggish and not keep your head up:)




Aslong as you have a hockey boot roller blades, the transition isnt that drastic.

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sorry for jacking your thread but id rather not start a new thread for it is a waste so ill just piggyback of yours. As per OP's thread, i too, am starting to get into ice hockey with floor and a little bit of roller hockey being the only experience i have. I did just buy the complete goalie set at cyclone taylor (dont ask how much) but i honestly have no clue where to begin playing. I am not looking to become the next Patrick Roy or Luongo so im not to keen on joining leagues. I just wanna have fun playing my favorite sport. any advices or suggestions on how to start would be greatly appreciated. I am a goaltender by the way.

first, i would have gone to sports exchange and got an intermediate line of goalie gear... youwill probably go through 2-3 sets in the next 2 years before you find a certain line that suits you...

the fitment of the boot isn't the big issue. i dont think anyone plays roller hockey in fitness inlines... there is a big difference between ice roller, in particular the rocker.. also, pivoting, edge, stopping, turning are all different. on top of that, speed of the game, weight of the puck, and speed of the puck.

it usually takes me about 2-3 games to be 100 percent transitioned from one to the other.. and i have played both for over a decade

As a goalie you'll probably have some pretty chances to get going in drop in or something. I play roller hockey but I'm sure even in ice goalies are a hot commodity.
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well i got the reebok 7000k line which i know is not the best out there but its probably enough for someone just starting out. Im not really too keen on buying used ones. Im not sure how long im gonna be doing ice hockey as i am getting a little older and my body isnt as flexible as it used to be.

sports exchange sells new as well.. actually most of their stuff is new but last year/ d.c models

if u have the time, id goto stick and puck and learn there. Ull have endless amounts of time to learn. Guys who are willing to shoot pucks at u, and u can take a break whenever u feel like it.

RIC has morning sticks and pucks. goalie plays free

Once you do spend some time doing the stick and puck thing, most community centers offer drop-in hockey as well, goalies play free. Usually a good mix of skill levels. You will likely get lit up like a lamp on occassion, but the only way to get better is to play against players who will challenge you. I find beginner shooters sometimes harder to read...because where they aim and try to shoot and where the puck ends up is usually not the same.

It's one thing to learn and practice techniques, but you also need to get yourself into a game situation where you will have defense helping you out, you need to worry about reading plays, and being aware of where the offensive players are and where they are trying to go.

Sorry to thread jack but I just have a quick question about drop-ins and stick and puck.

How do they actually work? Do I need to wear all the equipment or just a helmet for stick and puck? And for drop-ins, how do they work in general? I live near a community center and they have drop-in hockey. Do I just need to show up in my gear and we start playing? How do you do line changes and stuff?

I'm decent at skating and have played hockey before, just haven't really put them together. I finally have time to start playing some hockey since I'm done with my school term.

Drop-in hockey at community centers usually require you to call in about an hour before it starts to sign up, then when you show up you have to sign in and pay. Usually capped at about 20 skaters max. Line changes are just done on your own. Most people playing will be respectful of each others' play time and limit the lengths of their shifts, most. Only a handful of community centers still have ice during the spring/summer months though

With stick and puck, most places only require helmet and gloves. I usually try to wear my full gear minus shoulder pads since its really self practice time, and I'd rather practice with my gear on to better get used to feel of pads while playing

RIC stick and pucks would be the worst place for a goalie who's starting out to learn anything. It just turns into a big shootout and it increases your chances of injury.

Go to a rink (like Richmond Oval) with a buddy and just have him take shots on you from the outside to learn positioning and get a feel for your gear. The most difficult things you'll learn are sliding and moving while you are already down on the ice.

That being said, playing goalie you'll pretty much play anywhere's drop-ins for free. I know the Oval has been looking for goalies on Tuesdays and Thursdays nights. They also have a lunch time drop-in session if that works out for you.

I just had my first few sessions of stick and puck as a goalie and i have to say i need to work on my stamina and skills. It is true that it turns to one big shootout but im more concerned about not being able to last more than 10 mins of endless slapshots and breakaways.
I'd like to join a drop-in hockey game but im worried that i will not be up to the team's standards and most likely be the weakest link.