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