From an email, I read that there is a new rink manager, Todd Larson. The email said he would like to discuss issues with the Adult League players. Let's make a list of issues. Please be objective, nothing personal.

1. Working Zamboni, better ice.
2. Clean locker rooms.
3. Replace light bulbs over the ice, I counted six lights out over the West rink.
4. Repair sound system.
5. My team winning more.

Agreed, a new rink manager was top on my list too.

- Updated and correct stats on the DMAHC.com website
- Maybe something to bring more spectators. I know it is only rec league, but it is still fun to see more than 4 people sitting in the stands.
- Reinstate shootouts to break ties

---

QCI - Goalie #42
Killer Tomatoes - Mid-season Aquisition
Chops League - Skater

New rink managment was vital.
I agree with what has been said so far.
-Let's add fix the grand canyon - I mean fix the parking lot
-Allow enough time between public/figure skating & hockey to properly clean the ice and let it freeze enough to somewhat smooth the toe picks
-It's worth saying again - clean the locker rooms and bathrooms
-Keep the league costs realistic
-allow Joe or somebody who actually cares about the C & D league run the leagues
-Maybe offer some concessions to entice family to watch? How about some spectator heat? My wife always hates it there b/c it is colder than outside all winter long...
-fix loose boards, benches, screws, etc.

If even a good chunk of everyone's suggestions come to fruition (especially locker rooms that do not smell like staph infections), I may return to playing at the MISF next season. There are a lot of HS players on the HS lax team and they have the same complaints about MISF that most of us do...

---

Hockey is love. Lacrosse is passion.

You make a lot of valid arguments. I agree with your assessment.
How about this for subs: They have to be approved by the opposing captain and only if they do not make the total roster more than 10 players (plus a goalie). And/or maybe the number of subs cannot exceed half of the regular roster that showed up without forfeiting the game? I can remember some games where a half a team stayed to sub which basically added a line and a half. How is that fair to the people that pay to be there for the nonsubbed team? What about having subs pay to play? That way people who are not in the league can sub from time to time and it keeps the subbing system fair.
We had a "board" of captains last summer, but the previous management did not listen to them...

---

Hockey is love. Lacrosse is passion.

Last year there was a talk of a system to rate the players. But it never happened.

Do we need a rating system? Are the players in the right league A, B, C, or D?

Just wondering.

i know that this doesn't get noticed so much unless you are a goaltender, but they really need to get at least one new net and maybe two. on the east rink on sunday nights at least one of the nets is bent so it is not square and that makes it so it will not stay on the mourings. every time you go to hug the post the net comes off. its sad when you shoot a puck in warmups and the net moves. lol

Is there any option to run this league either at the bucs arena, or organized on our instead of through Metro?

By that, I mean, can we rent the rink for x hours each week, and use that time for hockey. Someone correct me, but I'm thinking icetime runs about $150/hr. Even at 10 players per team, 2 teams per game/hr, that works out to $7.50/game. Add in paying for refs, and it should work out to less than $10/game/player.

I'm a little out of the loop since I haven't played for a year, but it seems like a good chunk of the league fees are going to pay for Metro to run the league, when really, they aren't doing a thing in that regard.

Add to that, the long list of complaints...

There must be another option that can be set up. Possibly some sort of contract with Metro to ensure that basics needs are met (clean lockers, safe conditions). We all have to sign an agreement with them to play, why not have it work the other way around too?

I remember that too! More than once!

A lot of talk about it actually.

Last summer there was a whole D League team that was playing to dominate rather than teach/learn. They were not in the right league (although my sources tell me they are getting schooled in C this season) for the wrong reasons. It happens from time to time that players intentionally play below their level for dubious reasons, but I would like to think that most did not realize they were good enough to move up or enjoy teaching the game to newer players...

That's what we discussed before. Probably the best way to prevent dominating teams in the REC levels (C & D).

Joe always seemed to be able to assign them. Trying to find where you're supposed to be is annoying and a sign of poor managment.

I'm in favor of this...

By the way, MISF's status as the only summer hockey option made me find something better. Which is why I started playing (and coaching) lacrosse. We plan on having a FREE - you just need your own stick and equipment (hockey or lax helmets with full face masks and gloves are required; elbow, shoulder pads, and a nut cup are highly recommended) - summer rec league at the practice fields at Valley Stadium. Check out the Central Iowa Lacrosse Association for more info.

---

Hockey is love. Lacrosse is passion.

I agree with some of the bad calls (or no calls) we've been getting lately when it comes to reffing. The difficult part is who do you really complain to, at least at this point in the season? We haven't really had any kind of organized reffing the entire time, not to mention, from a ref perspective, who the heck knows what the rules are? I know if I were reffing and a fight broke out, I might have an entirely different ruling on the event than the next guy. Granted, I think since this is STILL a "No/Minimal Contact" league, fighting etc should carry a pretty heavy penalty (at least a game ejection), it shouldn't result in a forfeited game, unless a team had players leaving the bench, etc.

Without seeing what happened, I can't speak to last night's events, but part of the problem I've seen, is the refs aren't using their position to de-escalate situations, either through penalizing or just communicating to the players/teams. For the most part, they just seem to be there to drop the puck, and call blatantly obvious penalties.

Granted, probably no fault of their own because they probably haven't had a whole lot of experience with keeping a heated game under control. From what I've seen happen with these issues, is that one guy will do something inadvertent (either getting a stick too high, or clip someone's skate going for a puck, etc.), then the other player thinks there should have been a call (if there wasn't one), and then retaliates, and then the escalation moves from there. - Something that could quickly be addressed by the ref, either by warning both players, and/or handing out penalties.

It just seems some players just get lost "in the heat of the moment" during a game, and forget that we've all got to get up and go to work the next day for something other than hockey, and some of the garbage that goes on can seriously interfere with someone's livelihood. If someone has a knee blown out because of something that happens in a game, what if they don't have the luxury of a cushy desk job? It's not like they can get put in the IR and use some of their signing bonus money to get them by until they can get back into the lineup...

Sunday... Sunday... Sundaayyy!

Let me lay it out there for ya... As for how the fight started: After a puck drop in the Loffredo zone being won and headed toward the Slap Shot end of the ice, a player from Slap Shot intentionally cross checked a Loffredo player twice in the face. Cross checking for those who don't already know, maybe be defined as the following: A minor penalty (2-minute infraction) which occurs when a player holds his stick in both hands and drives the shaft into an opponent. And as we can probably all agree if you were cross checked twice in the face and the play was nowhere near you... you may feel like the problem needs to be assessed. After a few short words a third cross checking attempt was failed due to a quick reaction time. And a fight was inevitable.

Here is where my problem begins. As those two began to settle their disagreements a second Slap Shot player began to hit the Loffredo player as well. This is commonly known as the Third-Man-In Rule. For those who do not follow... the third man in a fight gets a game misconduct penalty and is out of the game for its duration; created to discourage players from jumping into a fight, even if they are only trying to break it up. After the second Slap Shot player joined in, obviously another Loffredo player went after him. Here is where it gets bad. As those four are resolving their differences, a third... count that... THIRD Slap Shot player super-manned into the altercation. Now you may consider that another third man in rule or some may call it a fourth man in which is totally uncalled for. And where it really, really, really gets bad.... As the line brawl was winding down to an end, players from the Slap Shot bench started coming onto the ice. This is totally not acceptable! The 12 on the ice are the 12 on the ice until everything is worked out. Including the penalties distributed by the referee. Which means until the refs deliver all of the penalties, the players not directly involved STAY ON THE BENCH. Coming off the bench could be taken by the other team as a sign of aggression, resulting in a riot on the ice. Which we don't need or we probably will no longer have a league.

I will be the first to admit... we didn't want to get our first win that way. As I am sure Slap Shot did not want their first loss to be that way. I personally thing that rule is pretty ridiculous. If you fight, you are out for the rest of the game. If you fight in the last five minutes, you are out for the next game as well. But don't pull out of a big top hat that the team that starts the fight forfeits. What magician dreams up that rule anyway? I don't think this league should be a fighting league by any means. We all have jobs and most have families (i.e. kids and wives/girl friends) to explain the black eye too. And no one wants to do that. But this is an adult league, over 18 for a reason. We are all adults. If you want to dance and the other player is willing to oblige, discard the equipment you don't need (helmet, gloves, and stick) and do the tango. But win or lose, leave it on the ice. Off the ice, go drink a beer together. This is supposed to be fun. This is not bad-mitten, this is hockey. There is going to be rough play, you are going to be in contact with other players... if you don't enjoy that sort of thing, I heard chess is very fun.

As far as the referee's go... Their job is NOT to break up the fight as soon as it happens. They are to record the numbers of the players involved in order to distribute penalties. They are not to break up the fight until it A: goes to the ice. or B: the two players involved are tired and have began to stop throwing punches. And as far as this league is goes… We paid more this year for paid referees. Not other C-leaguers and some D-leaguers who are nice enough to give their time to ref our games. If I'm a ref, I'm not stepping into the first punch for $10 and a Gatorade. I am waiting until I feel it is safe to break up the players.

As a final thought (stole that from Jerry Springer):
We respect the game… We have a wolf pack mentality. We work together to accomplish a common goal. We will do anything for our teammates because they are our best friends. We will go to battle for each other no matter what. We are loyal to each other in every way. We are a family, we have an honor code. When it comes down to winning or losing we do it together. We will fight our best friend on the opposing team if it has to be. We are all part of the same fraternity. What is said in the locker room, stays in the locker room. WHAT HAPPENS ON THE ICE IS LEFT ON THE ICE!