Five Things I Learned in Five Years of Hockey

Five Things I Learned in Five Years of Hockey
Those of you who read this blog may have noticed that I have not written much here lately. This is for a lot of reasons. First off, I am freelance writing for several other publications, which helps pay the bills (yay!) but also distracts me from writing about my Hockey Odyssey (boo!). Another reason is because... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
November 12, 2018 at 1:04 am • 

Top 7 Reasons Why Ice Hockey is the Best Summer Sport

  Some people think summer is baseball season, but ice hockey is the best choice. Here are 7 reasons why! 7. Free air conditioning. Chicago is pretty unfair in that the weather gets cold enough to kill people AND it gets hot enough to kill people. Skip the heat — and the heatstroke – by... Read more »
By Shellie Lewis,
July 23, 2018 at 2:13 am • 

9 Goalie Warm Up Tips

9 Goalie Warm Up Tips
By Bill Collins Note: Bill is a goalie on my Blades of Steel team. Recently, he shared some insight on how players can help get their goalie ready for the game — without injuring them! Here are a few do’s and don’ts for warming up a goalie before your rec league hockey game. Some people,... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
March 2, 2018 at 11:16 am • 
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Adult Beginner Hockey Classes at MB Ice Arena

Adult Beginner Hockey Classes at MB Ice Arena
MB Ice Arena, the official training facility of the Chicago Blackhawks, will be offering hockey lessons for adults, starting later this month. The lessons cost $150 for nine one-hour sessions; that averages to $16.66 per class, which is a good price. It looks like these classes are geared towards absolute beginners, so if you have... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
March 1, 2018 at 7:26 pm • 

Adult Beginner Hockey Lessons in Evanston

Adult Beginner Hockey Lessons in Evanston
The Robert Crown Center in Evanston (map) is now offering beginner hockey lessons for adults. According to the website: This is an introduction class to skating & stick/puck handling. Participants should have some basic skating skills before start of class. A helmet/stick/elbow and knee pads are required. Equipment not provided.  The class is taught by... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
July 12, 2017 at 1:05 am • 

Playing Hockey: A Life-Changing Decision

Playing Hockey: A Life-Changing Decision
Four years ago, I made the decision to learn how to play hockey. And as dramatic as it may sound, it was one of the best decisions of my life. I think what is particularly amazing is that I actually stuck with it for four years. When I was in college, I didn’t stick with... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
June 28, 2017 at 10:00 pm • 
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Playing A Level Up

Playing A Level Up

Not too long ago, a friend named Mike asked me to sub on his team, the Danglers, for a Saturday afternoon game. I was excited. The Danglers play in the Federal League at Johnny's Ice House, which is a step up, skill-wise, from the Heartland Novice Hockey League that I currently play in. I was eager to see if I could hack it at the next level. Would I fit in? Or would I make a dumb mistake that costs us the game?

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By Sal Barry,
December 27, 2016 at 1:39 am • 

The $7 hockey stick rack

The $7 hockey stick rack

Hockey sticks are a pain to store. I guess I could put mine in a closet, but I have little closet space to begin with. Plus, I don't want them buried behind a bunch of other things. Hockey sticks also don't stand too well on their own. For a while, I was stashing them behind my bedroom door, but they would fall down if the door hit them, and also mark up the walls. One day, I decided to go to the hardware store to buy some wood to make a stick rack -- but I found something better and easier that cost only $6.98 plus tax.

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By Sal Barry,
October 17, 2016 at 12:00 pm • 

Three Things I Learned in Three Years of Hockey

Three Things I Learned in Three Years of Hockey

It's hard to believe that I've been learning the great game of hockey for three years now. I've taken around 100 lessons, have played in well over 100 league games and probably close to 100 pickup games in my three-year hockey odyssey. I don't feel as self-conscious as I used to when entering a rink, but there are still so many times that I feel like a beginner. I've learned a lot since starting hockey, but here are my three biggest takeaways from three years on the ice.

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By Sal Barry,
September 12, 2016 at 10:30 am • 
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GoShelf Dryrack: A New Way to Air Out Stinky Hockey Gear

GoShelf Dryrack: A New Way to Air Out Stinky Hockey Gear
Steven Tran did not start hockey until he was an adult. Although he is from Toronto, he did not begin playing until he was 24. That’s younger than when I started, but pretty old by Canadian standards, considering that most kids in Canada are practically born with skates already on their feet. And like myself... Read more »
By Sal Barry,
June 2, 2016 at 1:14 am •