The Flint-area adult hockey scene is rolling into the heart of summer, and Gears.Beer Hockey has plenty going on across multiple leagues. Monday 50+ and Wednesday 60+ are separate teams with different rosters, though a few familiar names show up in more than one place by chance.

TLDR: Gears Beer Monday is starting to find the net. No games July 6th. The Wednesday squad has been strong defensively. No games until July 8th. Friday 50+ drop-in hockey has moved to 1 pm from the normal 11 am time.

Gears Beer Monday Team Finding More Offense

The Monday league is down to the final stretch, with only five games left in the season. June 15 was a position round, which means the standings and matchups are tightening up as teams battle for playoff placement. Lukes Lawn is the team to beat, sitting in a strong first-place position.

Gears Beer came out firing Monday night in a high-scoring game against Antcliff. The offense showed real life by repeatedly battling back, but Antcliff came away with the win, 7-5.

A 7-5 loss still stings, but there is a positive sign in that result: Gears Beer is starting to score goals. Earlier in the season, offense was harder to come by. Now the team is generating chances and putting pucks in the net. That matters with only five games left.

Wednesday Gears Beer Gets a Break Until July 8

The Wednesday Gears Beer team is on a short break. There are no Wednesday league games until July 8 because of Powers Youth Hockey Camp activity at the rink.

When Wednesday hockey returns, Gears Beer will meet Rolls Mechanical on July 8. That should be one of the better games on the schedule. Rolls Mechanical has been on a roll as newcoming to the league, Greg Urich is tearing up the score sheet and Jay added Parker to the roster. Gears Beer has one of the stronger defensive profiles in the league and remains in first place.

Wednesday Defense Has Been the Story

The Wednesday squad has allowed only 7 goals against, which says a lot about the team structure. That kind of defensive number does not happen by accident. It takes good positioning, smart backchecking, and steady defensemen.

Friday 50+ Drop-In Hockey Moves to 1 PM

For summer, Friday 50+ drop-in hockey is now at 1 PM through the summer. 

We have had 18 - 20 skaters on Friday the last couple of weeks, with two goalies. Shaggy has been goal-tending and just turned 87! This last Friday Kat was out there as usual, having a blast. Plus, I invited the Kurtz family. Bobby and Beth helped me start the Sunday EHL league back in 2015, and it is amazing to be playing with their son, Gavin, who is a solid hockey player for Grand Blanc.

Happy 87th Birthday to Shaggy

That is worth celebrating. Hockey is a lifetime game when the community is strong enough to keep people on the ice. Shaggy is proof of that. Anyone still getting in the crease at 87 deserves respect from every player in the room.

Different Leagues, Different Rosters, Same Hockey Community

One important note for anyone following the Gears Beer teams: the Monday and Wednesday teams are not the same roster. Each league has its own lineup. There are a few common players here and there, but these are separate teams with separate seasons.

That is part of what makes Flint-area adult hockey interesting. Players move through different leagues, drop-ins, and teams, but the community stays connected.

Final Five Games Will Tell the Story

Both Gears Beer teams have important hockey ahead. Monday is trying to turn more offense into wins. Wednesday is leaning on strong defense and preparing for a big July 8 game against Rolls Mechanical.

The season is not over. The standings can still move. And if the goals keep coming, Gears Beer could make the final stretch a lot more interesting.

Congrats to a few teams from our barn this last weekend.

Jeff Rouse of Rouse Outdoors overtook Maddens to win the 40+ Championship.

Nick Robbins put together a great team to win the 50+ East. David Neuman and Larry Bonham from our Monday 50 league were on that team.

The Tailgaters beat Wolf Pack in the 50+ West for the Championship. I was rooting for the Wolf Pack as Collin Lilly, a former Budtender and Soo Championship teammate, was on that team from Port Huron.

I was able to get a couple of assists and a goal, but scoring was low in the 60+ division. Mike Petty kept the division to teams from our barn, and it was a fun and close set of games. Flint Oldtimers, run by Mike Petty and Art Autro, beat Madd Dogs in a shootout for the Championship. Mike Howard (Howie) was the goal scorer, as usual. 

Congrats to all. There were only a few heated moments and only one fight between longtime team mates who were on the same team on the ice. All in all, great hockey weekend!

Next up is the EHL Championship game on Sunday, April 19th at 10 am CFH, between Budtenders and Solid Ground. Will Solid Ground win again or is this the year of the upset?

Good luck to all the Alumni teams getting ready for the big tournament weekend. I hope the beer distributors are ready:)

Keep you head up and stick on the ice!

My apologies to Ryan Howarth, Howie, of Solid Ground. I'm used to Mike Howard being Howie, and they share a nickname. I referred to Ryan as Howard, and Ryan corrected me and told me he isn't Howard the Duck when we spoke in Skaters Bar.

Ryan did a little trash talking about some Budtenders, and I looked him up; he played at a high level. Check out his record here. Howard the Duck is going to stick in my mind though, you know.