What's fun?

[DannyG]

I need some experience help here:

What type or formats of tournaments is everybody familiar with?

So far, I've got the regular old round-robin/playoff format, and the restricted-roster, iron-man format. Actually, I have been told about three different variations of the iron-man theme.

Anybody got any other ways to put on a tourney? I want all the ideas I can get! Maybe something you may have experienced in another sports even would be adaptable to hockey...

Let me know whatever you got.

Thanks!

-Dan

[RichardGraham]

Hi Danny,

I'm a big fan of Patty Twogood's Topcat Hockey co-ed tournaments. They're a blast. I will always remember one of the team names:

Vicious and Delicious.

LOL.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[sactosaxons]

A bit off the post topic but one of my all-time favorite team names was for a senior division men's team called the Gerihattricks!!

[DannyG]

Yeah, yeah, and if I were from Idaho, I'd call my team the Boise Novas...c'mon, fellahs, tournament formats, eh???

[MDE3]

Were the related to "Team Viagra"? Who had "Play Hard" stenciled to the back of their jerseys?

[ClarkAddison]

Hi Danny,

There was a tournament (Kind of) that I played in last summer. There is a guy that is an alumni of Illinois State University that as an excuse to "get the band back together" every year came up with this format.

He invites all former alumni and pretty much anyone else that wants to play to Chicago (Darien to be exact). His only rule is that they need to be at least "B" level. Last year he got about 60 guys.

They throw all the names in a hat and draw teams. The tournament is done all weekend, reffed by the players. It was a blast. Good competition, fun, great meeting guys from all over. My team lost every game but it was probably the most fun I ever had. It's a great break from the win at all costs tournaments we usually play in.





http://www.eteamz.com/ChillDawgz/images/NPMikeShot.jpg

[DannyG]

Thanks! that's a good one.

I have done that one before, we called it a "festival" tournament, where everybody signs up as an individual, and we make the teams up on site...you're right, it almost totally eliminates the "us vs. them" mentality, and creates more of "Them and us, playing the game together for fun" mind set.

[Huck]

I play in a small puck league at the Family Sports Center outside of Pittsburgh that is set up the same way, a draft of players to fill four teams. The games are clean and you do get to meet different people. I would definitely recommend this format for a tournament.

Huck

[LuRules]

Dry Ice and the old Bladium in SF have midnight tournaments (for adults) that run from 9pm ish until the next am. Helps that both rinks have bars and players bring their drinks on the bench during the game ; )

[columbus_RHstar]

Huck, I played there in the Ironman they had last year, any word on other tournaments this summer?

Danny, one of the things a local league did was have the winners of each division play the champs from the closest division ie, 6u vs 8u, 10u vs 12u, and so on and so forth. It was pretty fun to play the older guys to see if your team could compete.

[RichardGraham]

Hi MD,

Did you hear about the gang that hijacked a shipment of Viagra?

Apparently, they were hardened criminals. /wtimages/icons/shocked.gif

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[DannyG]

They were trying to avoid being arrested for assault with a dead weapon...

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[bonesy21]

hey richard,

yeah that stinkin shipment was headed towards my party palace...now im hurtin for it, cuz theres too many ladies and i cant please any of them, so get that shipment back on track, i need my viagra.....

[bonesy21]

goodness gracious......maybe well have to come out for that...that would be great....a lot of players, and alot of fun...but my greatest experience is gonna be out in florida this summer. our chicago magic is going to bring a grill and some lawn chairs and sit outside the stadium and have a few burgers and a few corona's and blue moons, anyone and everyone is more than welcome to join...well be out there...what more can you ask for....hockey, sun, the weber grill, and a few tooo many beers....thats what im talkin about....

bonesy