Question to those playing Men's Hockey

[C_Dave45]

It's been a few years for me, so I was wondering; Do you guys still drink beer in the dressing rooms and have a "beer fund"?

I was out a few times with a bunch of guys last year, just shinny hockey, private ice. I didn't know anyone other than the guy that invited me. I, naturally threw a few cold ones into a small cooler that I keep in my bag. I cracked one open in the dressing room, offered one or two to guys close to me and they looked at my like I just set up a couple of "rails"!!
"Oh there's no beer allowed in the dressing room" they said through scornful looks. WTF?? Has this tradition gone the same way as nudie posters in construction lockboxes?

When I played men's hockey I always ran the "beer fund". We'd go through 4 or 5 dozen after every game. The end of the year we'd have about $1500 in profit that went either to league dues, jerseys, or one huge-ass party with all food and booze paid for.

I made up "beer cards" that guys would pay $25 for and I'd "punch" their cards for each beer taken.


(oh right......NSFW for the Mormon church workers)
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[sexualbanana]

IIRC, most rinks have a no alcohol policy in their locker rooms. I don't know how stringently that gets followed, though

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
IIRC, most rinks have a no alcohol policy in their locker rooms. I don't know how stringently that gets followed, though

All rinks have "no alcohol". It's not only policy it's provincial law. Always has been.
But a team had to be responsible. We always cleaned up ALL our empties, never left the room a complete mess. Most of the time, we knew the zamboni driver and would either offer him a few beers, or let him keep the empties left in a black garbage bag.

Sometimes, especially end of the year games, it was a huge dressing room party. Ten dozen or so beer, Pizza ordered in, wives/girlfriends/friends would fill the room. (The wives had no objection to naked hockey players wandering around the room). One rink had an awesome guy and he'd just tell us to make sure we closed the door when we left. At around 3 am!

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by C_Dave45


All rinks have "no alcohol". It's not only policy it's provincial law. Always has been.
But a team had to be responsible. We always cleaned up ALL our empties, never left the room a complete mess. Most of the time, we knew the zamboni driver and would either offer him a few beers, or let him keep the empties left in a black garbage bag.

Sometimes, especially end of the year games, it was a huge dressing room party. Ten dozen or so beer, Pizza ordered in, wives/girlfriends/friends would fill the room. (The wives had no objection to naked hockey players wandering around the room). One rink had an awesome guy and he'd just tell us to make sure we closed the door when we left. At around 3 am!

I'd say I haven't seen anyone crack open a cold one before a game

I think for the most part, even the old timers I play with, still want to play a competitive game, even if its shinny

but we do down a few cold ones in the parking lot after the game, and keep beer cards

[dharminder]

All rinks rules are no alcohol allowed. This came from one rink worker and it was said that teams had some beers in the room left it in complete mess and got into a fight in the parking lot.

As said above most not all rinks dont mind if you have beers in the room keep it quite and clean when you leave. No evidence no problem!

The few rinks we play at the rink workers have walked in while we have beers in the open and pretty much turns the blind eye and says that all the pop cans be taken care of.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by r3ccOs


I'd say I haven't seen anyone crack open a cold one before a game

I think for the most part, even the old timers I play with, still want to play a competitive game, even if its shinny

but we do down a few cold ones in the parking lot after the game, and keep beer cards

Uhh...who said anything about a beer before the game?? That's retarded.


And drinking in the parking lot will get you into a lot more trouble than drinking inside a public establishment.

Originally posted by dharminder
All rinks rules are no alcohol allowed. This came from one rink worker and it was said that teams had some beers in the room left it in complete mess and got into a fight in the parking lot.

As said above most not all rinks dont mind if you have beers in the room keep it quite and clean when you leave. No evidence no problem!

The few rinks we play at the rink workers have walked in while we have beers in the open and pretty much turns the blind eye and says that all the pop cans be taken care of.

Every rink has that "urban myth". Guys got drunk, pissed on the ice, started fights, etc. The reason a rink has a "no alcohol" policy is because it's illegal. Period.

Ahh...good to know it's still tolerated then.

[JfuckinC]

city rinks dont allow booze, but i know community rinks dont care if you take your empties usually..

we drink beer after every game when i play with my dad.

[DeathBy240]

In Edmonton, the city owned rinks are really anal about it. But keep the door closed and take your empties when you leave and you're OK. Leave the empties in the garbage can and the league gets in shit.

Community rinks don't seem to care at all. We leave our empties in the garbage can. It would totally defeat the purpose of playing in a beer league if there was no beer!

[littledan]

In my opinion, its more of a "don't ask don't tell" policy. As said before, no evidence = no problem. We still crack open the beers at every shinny and after every couple league games. Semi finals tomorrow night!

[Davetronz]

Yeah, definitely a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Some rinks are stricter than others. Some will cancel your permit if they see alcohol, or if you're playing for a league, threaten to cancel all of their future permits. City of Calgary owned/operated rinks have a zero tolerance policy on alcohol.

I play with an older group of guys who usually go through a few dozen after each game. They run the sub/beer fund, and there isn't hockey without beers in the dressing room.

One younger team does a beer rotation, where each guy brings a case twice during the season. No one brings crap beer, it works out quite well actually.

My primary team isn't much for beer consumption after games. I mean, if someone brings beer, most guys will have one. But no one is typically jumping to buy a case for the team. We'll tend to go to a pub after an early game, rather than have a drink in the dressing room.

I guess it just depends on the rink, rink attendant, time, group and league.

[seer_claw]

Always have a beer after the game, empties get put back into the case they came in. Don't leave a mess and no one really complains.

[colinxx235]

Our company team always packs a full cooler and cracks a bunch after the game.

Just make sure to put your empty back inside the cooler and not the trash can/leave them around like some idiots do...

[R-Audi]

All depends on the rink... NEVER in a city rink. My one team was almost kicked out of the league for trying it... banned from that rink, and had to change our jerseys. 2nd last ice time of the night, and each person had one beer... that we packed out. Rink rat just happen to check if we were still in the room and saw... (Door was locked and someone left)

On the other hand Ive had some private rink rats come tell us to use the sperate garbage can if we do cause they recycle the cans.

[Anomaly]

On our team, if you miss a game without calling, fuck up, etc. you have to bring a case. Usually about 3/4 of the time there's beer. The odd guy or two pre-game. Never had an issue in any of the city rinks, generally as long as you clean up and don't get stupid, no one cares.

[C_Dave45]

Huh. Interesting. Well good to know some traditions are still around. I must've just got in with a bunch of squares.

Originally posted by Davetronz


I play with an older group of guys who usually go through a few dozen after each game. They run the sub/beer fund, and there isn't hockey without beers in the dressing room.

Ahhhhhhh.....home away from home! lol. That's my type of team.

I dunno, I just think a team that drinks together is a lot tighter.
Back in BC I played on a team and we were the same team for years. After every game was spent at least an hour drinking and bullshitting. But we also partied together outside of hockey. Went on out-of-town tournies. All the wives and g/f's knew each other and would party with us.

I played a bit out here, and it was like a few might have a beer here n there, or go for a few at a pub...but it wasn't the same.

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[CanmoreOrLess]

In addition to what has been offered above, I would say when one is offered a beer, to not take it is considered rather rude unless you are a member of AA (at least mention it if so). It is one beer, fifteen minutes if you need to get going. WTF is with some people? Was this a church league?

[leftwing]

If its a city run rink I can see where the scornful looks came from, teams can be kicked out of leagues for breaking this rule. Private rinks have their own rules and I'd say from my experience that its 50/50 whether they allow wobbly pops in the room or not. My team almost always drinks our beer in the parking lot after games and i've never encountered a problem. We also take all our can with us.

OP you mention that you used to drink 4-5 dozen beer after a game! Thats almost unbelievable haha. Our teams usually just bring a 15 or 18 pack and have 1-2 each. Often not everyone stays for beer.

[88CRX]

Nchl has kicked teams out of the league for drinking in the rooms. So we don't anymore. Plus it's usually so late (shitty ice times) everyone just wants to get home haha.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by leftwing
If its a city run rink I can see where the scornful looks came from, teams can be kicked out of leagues for breaking this rule. Private rinks have their own rules and I'd say from my experience that its 50/50 whether they allow wobbly pops in the room or not. My team almost always drinks our beer in the parking lot after games and i've never encountered a problem. We also take all our can with us.

OP you mention that you used to drink 4-5 dozen beer after a game! Thats almost unbelievable haha. Our teams usually just bring a 15 or 18 pack and have 1-2 each. Often not everyone stays for beer.

Well it doesn't matter whether its a city rink or not...it's illegal in any rink. It's just whether management wants to be dicks about it. Or how much a "Flanders" a team wants to be. If we were playing in a tourney or rink that made threats of being suspended, fined or kicked out for drinking, then we'd just lock the locker room door until we were finished and all cans put away. But it's illegal in any rink. Just as drinking in a parking lot is illegal. And, ewww...who wants to stand around outside in the middle of the night in freezing weather drinking beer?!!
Nothing better than an ice cold beer when standing under a hot shower, or relaxing in just your lower gear on and inside a heated dressing room.

Yeah, I brought a minimum of 60 cans of beer every game. I'd NEVER run dry (that's lost sales! ) Our record was a playoff game where I sold 104 cans of beer. We had a 14 man roster. Plus the few wives and girlfriends that would join us.
But anyways...it was at COP arena and it wasn't a league. Just a private rental slot. But they looked at me and said "DRINKING IS ILLEGAL IN THE DRESSING ROOM!!"
And my response was "so is drinking in the parking lot or on the ball field...what's your point"

When I see teams that just play the game, shower, dress, and go home...You're missing out on the best part of mens hockey...the true camaraderie of having teammates. Our team was CLOSE.

[Perceptionist]

Team I played on had a rotation where the guy 'on beer' brings 18 or a 24. We always packed the cans out when we left. Worked great and definitely know what you mean about the camaraderie that goes along with beers in the room.

One time a rink rat came in to clean the room, saw us having beers and reported us to the league. Ended up banned from the arena, fined, and a player suspended. The league basically told us to drink in the parking lot, not the room, and that's what we see lots of teams doing. Now if we drink beers, it means the dressing room is locked and we're careful about it. At the end of the day it really depends on the arena and the guy cleaning the room.