I wouldn’t go around saying there are unwritten rules for beer league conduct and etiquette. However, I think everybody knows the deal when they lace ‘em up out there with the rest of the washed up has beens of the world. Most of the time when you’re playing beer league hockey, you’re stuck with an absolutely atrocious ice slot. We’re talking 10:30pm puck drops when a lot of guys have to get up at like 5 the next morning for work. So a lot of guys are already looking for some excuses to miss a game here and there, especially when it comes to goalies who are stuck having to play behind a group of 10-15 guys who are allergic to playing defense. I wouldn’t wish being a beer league hockey goalie on even my most hated enemy. But yeah, when it comes to beer leagues there’s a pretty large spectrum of skill levels out there all playing on the same ice.

You have your guys who have played at some pretty high levels and have just recently given up the dream of going pro. You have your guys who probably peaked in high school and maybe went on to play at the club level in college. You have your buddies who never really played organized hockey before but they just want to be a part of the team and drink some booze. And because there’s such a wide spectrum of skill sets, some games can get a little out of hand. Now when you’re playing in a beer league, everybody there is a full grown adult. So you shouldn’t have to worry about hurting any feelings out there by running up the score or anything. But at the very least, you can start mixing in a few assisted goals if you’re really starting to beat the shit out of a team. At least make it look like you have to put in a little work out there. But to flip the puck up to yourself, bat it around your defender and then bat it into the back of the net?