| The most recent entry of an NHLer playing adult | | | | very noticebale, and as for his bodycheck, well, let's |
| recreational hockey is Benoit Hogue, having fun in the | | | | just say that when you are an NHLer playing the |
| beer-league in Long Island. He joins others including; | | | | beer leagues, theres always one in the crowd that |
| Matt Cooke, Joey Kocur and Cliff Ronning, who are | | | | tries to prove themself against you. |
| also featured in this ever expanding article. | | | | Most people would say the open-ice hit was justified. |
| NHL players are all locked out. They are not allowed | | | | Joey Kocur |
| to play or sign for any NHL team. They are, | | | | This 2004/05 lockout isn't the first one where NHL |
| however, free to play for any other team in any | | | | players ended up playing in the Beer-Leagues. The Al |
| other league that they choose. Some have gone to | | | | Dittrich recreational hockey team out of Pontiac, |
| Europe and Russia, some will play in the minors, but | | | | Michigan added Joey Kocur to their line-up during the |
| many aren't playing anywhere. Or are they? | | | | NHL lockout in '92. |
| As Tom Cochrane once crooned "My boy's gonna | | | | Later that season he joined another Detroit team, |
| play in the Beer League." | | | | the Red Wings. Two years later he returned to the |
| Benoit Hogue | | | | Al Dittrich dressing room and brought with him a |
| Benoit Hogue, a former New York Islander whose | | | | token of appreciation - The Stanley Cup. |
| name appears on the Stanley Cup, is just one of the | | | | This isn't the only time an NHL'er has joined the beer |
| boys. After 15 years in the NHL Benoit is now playing | | | | leagues to keep in shape. Its just one of the rare |
| for the fun of it. | | | | instances that it has made the press. |
| As reported in the Long Island Press, Benoit Hogue, | | | | Cliff Ronning |
| 38, has joined with his friends on three different | | | | Another instance of note comes from Cliff Ronning. |
| teams. One of them the Rinx Ratz of the no-hitting | | | | "I was skating with beer-league players -- guys who |
| Midnight Hockey League. "I have a good time. I love | | | | play the game for the love of it," he says. "I was |
| to get on the ice. I love to play, " he says. | | | | paying $10 a night to go and skate -- it shows how |
| By all reports he's a class act on the ice, using his skill | | | | much I still wanted to play. Playing with guys who |
| to make the others around him better, rather than | | | | were 40 and 50 and never got the chance to play in |
| taking over the game for himself. | | | | the NHL was a fun experience. You get back to |
| Matt Cooke | | | | what hockey really is, where you're playing for the |
| In February of 2005, Matt Cooke played for the | | | | love of the game." The 38-year-old Ronning, signed |
| Adtek Rockets out of Burnaby 8 -Rinks in British | | | | with the Islanders Jan 9, 2004 as a free agent after |
| Columbia. No points in a 5-2 loss but he did manage | | | | sitting out the first half of the season... playing beer |
| to get a body checking penalty. Called in as a spare | | | | league hockey. |
| to give the Adtek Rockets 12 skaters on the night, | | | | Cliff was also seen playing pick-up hockey in |
| Matt Cooke was playing in a Div 3 game out in | | | | Vancouver lately (February 2005) as a goalie. The |
| Burnaby, BC, Canada. | | | | impression he gave was, as a former professional he |
| But as usual the stats only tell half the story. | | | | didn't want to take over the game, so he chose to |
| Apparently the difference in quality of hockey | | | | play goal where he could let his competitive nature |
| between him and the balance of the players was | | | | flourish. |