Pick Up Hockey

Book excerpt: This book is dedicated to all who play pickup hockey and, who given enough time, energy and help, could easily write a book like this one. As you read this collection of pickup hockey memories, anecdotes and insights, you may think, "been there, done that." Our experiences are almost national if not universal. A pickup hockey team is not part of an organized league, there are no referees, no stats are kept and there is no score keeper. Most pickup teams are organized by a small group of guys for the love of the game. They will gather enough players, usually 20 skaters and 2 goaltenders, by invitation, so that the group is closed and they own the ice-time. Some rinks offer off-peak hours for 'shinny', a kind of pickup hockey that is open to all comers. Pick Up Hockey presents experiences in the arena, suggests how to pick, teams, how to play with few players, how to know when to quit playing with the younger group, acknowledges that the end will come and much more. Bryan Patterson is a practicing nuclear power engineer who finds the time to play pick up hockey three times a week. He had lots of help with ideas for this book from his hockey playing buddies. For more information see website: www.pickuphockeygame.com