Over 30 Hockey League

The Jamboree is coming quickly.... please see Billy and Naz (Today) to sign up.

We prefer payment in full when signing up..., but if you don't have the money today and want to play, please pledge your commitment (today) and pay next weekend.

We need commitments and payments ASAP!!!  

We can't proceed with the draft and ordering the shirts until we have all the player commitments by April 6th

Director Announcement

This is the last week of the regular season as we wrap up the 2024 Spring Season (Season #32).  We wanted to thank all of our returning veterans and new rookies who continue to make the Over-30 Hockey League such a fun, competitive and one of the oldest continuous street hockey leagues in existence (circa 1992).

As always, I want to thank the captains (and assistant captains) who are deputized to talk to the referees while running their own Over-30 Hockey League franchise team.  I want to thank the Referees; Joe Shannon, Phil Russo and Ric Aylwin…, along with our timekeeper Jon Picard.

I also want to thank the folks behind the scenes for their various weekly commitments: Kelley Abcunas (Statistician), Scotty Young (Weekly Game Sheets & Special Advisor), Ed Nigro (Retired & Special Advisor), Todd Bryson (Designer and Apparel), and a new appointee Tony Medeiros (Fundraising & Special Events Coordinator)…, and I cannot forget the “New Regime” Mike Naczas (ALD & Everything Else) and Jim Barber (Webmaster & Marketing), without the “New Regime”…, the league would have been out of “Fresh New Ideas” a long time ago.

Running one of the best leagues takes a lot of hard work and dedication…, We spend several hours a week (some, more than others) just to prepare for the three hours of game play on Saturdays and to quote Bill Belichick…, we have “#NoDaysOff.”

Thank you all for being part of the Over-30 League and our 32-years (63-seasons) and counting… we’ll see you for (Seasons 64 & 65) starting in September 2024.

Good luck in the playoffs and stay healthy in the offseason.

Director Warning

This is also the last week for “Hecklers Row”…, as always there are a lot of “Cheers, Jeers and Beers” during the regular season.  But now we ask that you keep it in check for the playoffs and become a fan and not a heckler.

We want the focus to be on the games, and not the heckling.  So, we ask that you please refrain from the banter and let the players focus on playing in the playoffs.

If we see it get out of hand, the league will step in and shut it down immediately.

Also please remember the “Leo & Mike” Rule.  If you bring a spectator up to watch the playoffs, you are responsible for their actions.  Non-players are not allowed to stand on benches and be above the glass.  If a spectator becomes argumentative or unruly, the player that is responsible will be pulled from the game to deal with that person.

Stoppage in play can occur if a situation gets out of control…, so please remind your friends, family, or in the case of Leo & Mike “some random guy” you met in the bar to come watch you play.

#EGM

This is it…, last weekend of the regular season, and this week #EGM (Every Game Matters) and this is also your last chance to get ready for the playoffs.  As you know from history…, on any given Saturday anyone can win with some hard work and even a little bit of luck (we’ll mostly luck!).

This is the last weekend to claim your spot in the standings and remember one thing… “Matchups are key.”

If you’re the Sandbaggers you don’t want to play Royal Family in the first round…, If your White Lies you don’t want to face the Sandbaggers in the first round either…, and we all know you don’t want to be the team with all the individual jinxes (I mean awards)

Reporter Disclaimer: The Seedings are determined by: Points, Wins, Losses and then Head-to-Head records.  The following scenarios may or may not be 100% accurate as the final seedings come from the same person that brought you the draft…, but here’s what we think this weekend has up for grabs;

4:30 Game Sandbaggers vs Royal Family

(if) the Sandbaggers win (15-points) they jump into a tie for 3^rd seed with the Tealsters Union (15-points) and then await the outcome of the 5:30 game.

• Royal Family (11-points) finishes the season at the #6 seed.

(if) Royal Family wins (13-points) they jump up into a tie for the #4 seed with the Sandbaggers (13-points). 

• Tie breaker to Royal Family for their 3-wins (Head-to Head).
• Sandbaggers drop to the 5^th seed and possibly the 6^th seed with a White Lies win only.

(if) they tie… Sandbaggers (14-points) they stay in the 4-spot and Royal Family (12-points) jumps up to a 5^th place tie.., then await the outcome of the 6:30 game.

• (if) White Lies wins (14-points), ties for 4^th place, but drops to the 5^thseed.
  • Tie breaker to Sandbaggers for their 3-wins (Head-to Head).
  • Royal Family (12-points) finishes the season at the #6 seed.

• (if) White Lies loses (12-points), Royal Family (12-points)
  • Tie breaker to White Lies for their 2-wins (Head-to Head).

5:30 Game Tealsters Union vs Black Magic

(if) Black Magic wins (or ties), they lock up the #1 seed (again)

(if) the Tealsters Union wins (17-points), they jump up to a tie for the #2 seed and then await the outcome of Marooned.

• (if) Marooned Wins (or ties) then the Tealsters Union will finish with the 3^rd seed.

(if) Black Magic loses and Marooned wins the 6:30 game, Marooned finishes the season at the #1 seed.

• Tie breaker to Marooned for their 2-wins (Head-to Head).

6:30 Game Marooned vs White Lies

(if) Marooned wins and Black Magic loses…, Marooned finishes the season at the #1 seed. 

• Tie breaker to Marooned for their 2-wins (Head-to Head).

(if) Marooned loses (17-points) and the Tealsters Union win (17-points)

• Tie breaker to Tealsters Union for their 2-wins (Head-to Head) and they finish the season as the #2 seed. 

(if) White Lies wins (14-Points) and Sandbaggers lose (13-points), White Lies will finish in 4^th place.

99 Bottles

99 bottles of Tito’s on the wall… 99 bottles of Tito’s…, You take one down pass it around…, and then “ROOF!” the empty bottle on Marooned goaltender Dale McIssac.

Tim “Tito” Burke showed the spectators watching that Tito Vodka belongs on the top shelf next to his #2 Star and the ball he “shot” for the GWG.

Spelling Bee

Your word is “Shod Foot”

Meaning: Judges have warned that a "shod foot" is regarded as a weapon by the courts to offenders who kick their victims when they are defenseless.

Use it in a sentence please:  Rob gave Mike the ole “Shod Foot” after he (Mike) won the battle for the ball.”

Did you guys see Rob Sheridan and Mike Duggan battling for the ball behind the net under Scoreboards Pub?  It was officially listed as a tripping call…, but thankfully Mike is not a “Snowflake” or he might have been reporting Rob to the Saugus PD for assault.

Then, for reasons unknown, Rob spent the next 60-seconds in the penalty box doing crunches..., as he couldn’t wait to show the League Director is core strength and abs while sitting on his bench.  Hey Donny Maccini…, you should ask Rob for a peek too.

Over-30 Graveyard

This week we wanted to pay our respects to this season’s challenges that we lost during the 2024 Spring Season.

This was Mike Duggan’s second attempt to join the 30-goal Club and a closer attempt at a 20/20 Season.  But, at this point Mike has a better chance of joining the “Mile High Club” on Spirit Airlines.

With Geroge Medeiros spending two periods on the dek floor and then his bench… George’s 7-goal season is about as likely to happen as him slam dunking a basketball at this weekend’s NCAA Final Four.  You’re going to look good in pink George.

Calling hours for both of these challenges are Saturday from 6:30-7:30…, in lieu of flowers, please pay $70 for your spot in the Jamboree…, or $160 for the Over-30 Golf Day event.

Hero or History

The 6:30 Game will feature both Mike Duggan and George Medeiros and their last attempt of the season for their individual challenges.

Standing in their way are goaltenders Sean Roach and Dale McIssac…, they have the power to go down as “Hero’s” or part of Over-30 “History” as the goaltenders of record.

Here’s Andy Brickley’s “Keys to Success” – If there is any hope for these two.

Mike Duggan we notice last weekend you were focused too much with the officiating (or lack of).  You need to just put the focus on shooting “anything and everything” on Sean Roach… and we do mean “anything”…, up to and including “Walmart shots”.  Do not trust your teammates to score on your passes…, they’ve been screwing you all season and today is not the day to start…. SHOOT!!!

Sean Roach do you really want to be the goalie that let up 4-goals to Mike Duggan during the last game of the season?

George Medeiros stay off the floor and score one goal quickly on Dale McIssac…, get into Dale’s head so that he can recount how he let up both goals to you…, but neither was his fault.

Dale McIssac you have the power to help fellow goaltender, Scotty Rosato get out from that pink warm up jersey and make George Medeiros wear it next season (and possibly many many more).

18-years ago

Welcome back to Tommy Gallagher’s “scoring touch”…, you officially played in 3-games and scored your first Over-30 goal since the Spring 2006 season (18-years ago)…, we have a couple of players that were probably in the 5^th grade the last time you scored an Over-30 goal.

There will be no ceremonial ball or award as it wasn’t the GWG or even a milestone…, but we would ask that you please see Mike Naczas before your game next week to have your official 2024 league photo taken.

We apologize that you had to be recognized as the #1 Star and be publicly shamed with a shadow figure photo.  You’re a marquee player and a Team USA Master, and you deserve better.  Please see Naz with your jersey on.

Royal Investigation

The leagues “Investigation Unit” would like to take this moment to publicly apologize to Angelo De Luca and the rest of the Royal Family for being screwed out of being labeled as a “HOT” team in the final weekly standings.

Our internal investigation shows that during the last 3-weeks of competition that clearly something was misaligned, and potential “kickbacks” were paid to the ratings committee.  We could see if this was a Ray Nickerson team.., as those pockets are deep for payoffs and bribery.

Riddle me this:  How can Black Magic be a hot team with a 1-2 record over the last 3-weeks..., and one of those losses were at the hands of the Royal Family who was the last place team.

Royal Declaration

Hear ye, hear ye…, on this date the 6^th of April 2024, the Over-30 League would formally like to recognize the Royal Family as an official “HOT” team in the league standings, The King’s Jester (Sir Fredo Numbnuts of Reading) who’s in charge of the rankings, didn’t take his time to get it right.

It took you two seasons to get there… so you might as well enjoy what it was “supposed” to look like.

Solar Eclipse

Don’t forget this Monday is the solar eclipse…, the last one was 20-years ago and the next one is in 2044.  It will be interesting to see if Dan Broderick is in the 2043-2044 draft and if any of you 40-year olds playing now, will still be playing at Dan’s level in 2044.  There’s a reason they hung a flag in Leominster with his name on it.

Scotty Rosato if you miss the Solar Eclipse please let us know and we can try and recreate it with a “Hockey Eclipse” by having Mike Surette screen you and you’ll see the whole game disappear for 10-15 seconds at a time.

Playoff Heros?

Wanted “Playoff Heros”…, after this week, the Over-30 League will be looking for “Playoff Hero” applications as the league will award 12-Championship Jackets, 1-Championship Trophy and a Lucite for the “2024 Spring Playoff MVP” 

• Applicants should have the ability to play a key role in your team wins.
• Go above and beyond your normal regular season performance.
• Be an impact player throughout the playoffs.
• Payoff bribes to referees, league officials, voting judges and not get outbid by Ray Nickerson like in the 2023 Winter Season

Goodbye 

Our final thanks of the season go to you specifically…, The Readers of the Forum.

We thank you for tuning in each week for inspiration, motivation, humility, and humor as we put our spin on the previous week’s games and current events.

We’ll pick this all back up in the fall… and remember this very important piece of advice…, Don’t forget to check your email for a confirmation letter (and most importantly - reply).

It’s very important that you communicate with the league in the offseason to ensure you are on the 2024-2025 Draft Board…, and you don’t fall victim to a technical glitch like Joe Carlton.  We will be making some changes in the offseason to avoid those glitches.

Until then…, it’s been fun, and we look forward to seeing you all back in the fall.

And with all that said…. We finally say;