The Four Types of Ringers in Beer League Hockey!
For whatever reason, ringers seem to dominate Beer League Hockey more than any other adult sport. Depending on the side you find yourself on, ringers can make the game frustrating, fun, ultra-competitive or worst of all, contribute to you hanging up your skates for good, which is a sad day for any beer leaguer.
While the reasons for this apparent ringer phenomenon are debatable, there do appear to be four types of ringers that populate rinks throughout the United States and Canada. We examine each of them below:
The Selective Influencer
If ever there were a most admirable type of ringer, this is the one! Such a player recognizes that they single handedly can change the outcome of a game and so they choose to hold back by just playing defense, rarely shooting, or slowing down their skating to a pedestrian clip. On occasion, these players may kick it into high gear to get their team a needed goal or to get back at an opposing player for a cheap shot.
As a beer league goalie, I kind of enjoy playing against such players. They can make the game challenging and yet they’re not looking to embarrass you on the ice.
The Showoff
The showoff is my least favorite ringer and has me continually asking the question, “what makes playing in a lower-level league so much fun for you?” I know some reading this will say, “well, it’s because they get to score at will.” I get that, but does that make it fun? Think about that mindset in any other adult sport? Do these types of ringers exist in adult softball, baseball, or basketball to the extent they do in beer league hockey? I would argue that the answer is a resounding “no!”
While I will personally never understand why it’s fun for players with vastly superior levels of talent to play in a lower-level league, I do know that they can make the game intensely frustrating for players like me and I have the suspensions to prove it!
The Pretender
Next to the “showoff,” the “pretender” is my least favorite ringer to play against. In some instances, they might even be the worst! Why? Because this type of ringer scores at any point during the game, no matter the score of the game or no matter the impact they have already had on the game! Frustrated opposing players will cross check, chirp, trip and hook these players only to elicit a response like, “I’m just getting lucky” or they will even sheepishly skate away. Teammates may even tell the ringer to settle down and apologize on his behalf.
As a goalie, I once had a guy score six on me! He couldn’t have been more polite throughout the game as he didn’t celebrate when he scored and didn’t talk trash, so during the handshake line, I said, “you didn’t act like a dick, but you shouldn’t be in this league!” To which the player said, “I’ve never scored more than one goal in a game in my life.” Ok pal!
The Has Been
I have conflicted thoughts about the “has been.” This is a player who played at an ultra-elite level, perhaps it was D1 college hockey, the ECHL or AHL, but here they are playing against you in a beer league hockey game! While their skill level enables them to completely dominate a game, opposing players may find themselves enamored with the fact that this player played against players, who made it to the NHL! Such past experiences provide much cachet to players of this caliber and opposing players find themselves deferential as a result!
When my beer league team started to improve, it was due to us recruiting a player who had experience playing in the ECHL! I will never forget facing his slap shot in warmups for the first time and wondering, “where did this guy come from?” Opposing players were no fans of my teammate and he was rightly bestowed the title of “ringer,” but once other teams found out that he had brief professional experience, he was respected.
The world of beer league hockey is one of wild and wacky characters with varied professional and personal backgrounds, who come together to share in the game they love. For better or for worse, ringers will always be a part of this strange and wonderful world!
