lovehockey4life Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 So, this past Saturday I had my first hockey games of the season. I've spent these past few months doing a lot of researching and planning on new tactics to this season. I've been playing as a forward in this hockey league for the past two years and now I have a new coach and he's making me play defense.I honestly hate the defense position because he and my teammates keep telling me to stay back behind the blue lines, because I was always the person to go speed off the the other side of the rink to score goals. Now it's pretty much impossible to score goals when he keeps telling me to stay by my home goal.The league also keep offensive leaders standings on their website and I've been working really hard off season to bump my name up as a top leader for the season but I can't do that if my goals and points don't go up as much as a defenseman compared to a forward.I honestly have to say I hate playing defense in general, I talked to my coach about it a few times but he wants to keep me on defense. I'm not enjoying the games anymore and I'm not looking forward to playing them if I'm going to play a position I really don't like.By the way, this is at a recreational hockey that I've been playing at for two years.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 @lovehockey4life Well its supposed to be about having fun. If you're not enjoying it you shouldn't be playing. I don't know all the circumstances, but you make it sound like stats are more important to you than anything. That isn't what its about either. Hockeys a team game where you should all be working together. Like I said, I don't know your situation but is it possible your coach is trying to teach you the other part of the game? The part without the puck, without the glory, but equally as important? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Agreed FC... If it is a recreational league I am assuming this is lower level rec hockey and you are not playing AAA or Jr. As FC stated it sounds like you really favor padding the stats instead of learning different positions and being a good teammate. I understand you might not like playing defense but if you are one of the better players on the Team your Coach probably needs you to play defense. Defense is the toughest position on the ice (sans G) and Coaches typically want the better skaters and decision makers playing on the back end. Think of it as a compliment and stop worrying about the stats... Stop worrying about scoring goals and use this as a learning opportunity. To be a good player you need to learn how to play w/out the puck... plus, your Coach just might see something in your skill-set that warrants you playing defense. Remember, it is a TEAM game... I have Coached for nearly 20 years from B, AAA, Jr, High School and everything in between. They way you are coming across is exactly the type of player I would not want on my Team. Not trying to be a hard-ass but trying to give you some insight into what the Coach may be thinking... if you really "lovehockey4life" you might just give defense a try... otherwise, maybe the game is really not for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Defense is the real work on the ice . The coach may be testing your fortitude or your heart. Maybe he needs a solid skater on the back end and your skill set could really help the team by reducing goals against? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 @lovehockey4life I'd echo some of the other comments here. You seem to have a very superficial appreciation for the game, based solely around goal scoring and stats. Perhaps over time you will come to appreciate all the other facets of the game: the beauty of a nice pass, right on the tape, the feeling that comes from poke checking a good player, stealing the puck, blocking a shot or pass, intercepting a pass in the neutral zone, winning a one-on-one battle. I played center all my life, but have played defense in rec hockey after I lost my wheels. I wouldn't play any other position! Playing D you have great potential to control the play, especially in the neutral zone. You can use your smarts and positioning to outplay even the most skilled players. It's an awesome feeling. I encourage you to explore all these other aspects of the game. That's where the real glory lies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I played center all my life, but have played defense in rec hockey after I lost my wheels. I wouldn't play any other position! Playing D you have great potential to control the play, especially in the neutral zone. You can use your smarts and positioning to outplay even the most skilled players. I started out playing center, then switched to D when I played on an intramural team where I was one of the few guys who could skate backwards (!). Never looked back (no pun intended). On D you have the whole play in front of you and you can control the flow in a way that a forward just can't. Also, you hit people instead of them hitting you. AND, you get more ice time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I started out playing center, then switched to D when I played on an intramural team where I was one of the few guys who could skate backwards (!). Never looked back (no pun intended). On D you have the whole play in front of you and you can control the flow in a way that a forward just can't. Also, you hit people instead of them hitting you. AND, you get more ice time! All true. You do generally have to be able to skate backwards to do so. Maybe that's part of the OP's issue - if he's not the greatest backwards skater than it's unfair to put him in that position. On the other hand, if he is, it's a great compliment. On my beer team, our best players are generally on D, particularly against strong teams. It gives us the best chance of success. Most of us were centers originally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I played defense my entire life because (A) I was slow as hell and (B) I had good vision for a crisp first pass. That is about all I ever had going for me, I seldom crossed the blue line, hell I usually hated to go more than ten feet away from the goalie. I was that damn slow. I always admired the d-men who dared to venture ahead and play almost as a 4th forward, who had the wheels and instincts to get back on defense. I used to envy them. To this day, when i watch an NHL game, I don't watch the Seguin's or the Krejci's, I watch the Trevor Daley's and the Dougie Hamilton's. I study d-men, see who is tentative, who cannot wait to get the puck off their stick, who plays with confidence, who is not afraid to block shots and sacrifice their body. To me, forwards are boring, defenseman are where it is. In a rec league, if you don't like the way you are being used, stick around, in five minutes it will change. People will get hurt, lose interest and drift away. If I was coaching and someone showed up and told me they didn't want to play the position that i had assigned them and they were giving less than total effort and showed themselves to be disinterested, there is no way on Gods green Earth that I would move them up. It is the hockey equivalent of play me where I want or I am taking my ball and going home. A coach has to take charge of the team and do what is best for the team. If a player is pouting over a positional assignment and the coach gives in, based solely for the sake of appeasing a malcontent will lose his team. I would nail the sucker to the position that I had assigned him to come hell or high water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I played defense my entire life because (A) I was slow as hell and (B) I had good vision for a crisp first pass. That is about all I ever had going for me, I seldom crossed the blue line, hell I usually hated to go more than ten feet away from the goalie. I was that damn slow The Flyers have a contract for you! It will probably come with a full NMC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Defensemen get more ice than forwards. You have more control of the game. If this is rec hockey, what's the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 All some very good answers to the OP. I will just add... "....payshens, yung grasshoppa....consetrayt....fookus.....yu do hocki YES, yu be ok....yu do hocki NO, yu be ok......yu do hocki haf so-so....yu squash, lyke graype..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JagerMeister Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 All some very good answers to the OP.I will just add..."....payshens, yung grasshoppa....consetrayt....fookus.....yu do hocki YES, yu be ok....yu do hocki NO, yu be ok......yu do hocki haf so-so....yu squash, lyke graype..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Hehe....nah, I grew up around Koreans and Japanese...they think things like that are hilarious.And I must say, I DO enjoy their 'round eye' jokes. It's all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 The Flyers have a contract for you! It will probably come with a full NMC.I was thinking that about your "we were all centers" comment earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Monet Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I didn't know coaches could demote/ change positions for gamers on EA sports hockey 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samifan Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 RELAX lovehockey4life your coach is just going with his gut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I have a new coach and he's making me play defense. If this is a rec (beer) league, you can do what we all have done. Ignore the coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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