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I have broken 4 sticks in 2.5 years. Maybe I should play less hockey because my wallet is angry even with buying $100 sticks
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Apr 6, 2025 09:13
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That green helmet loving rules.
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Apr 6, 2025 09:29
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I got matching gloves too. It抯 for our spring team down here, every spring I say I抦 gonna grab matching green gear and this year I finally did it. Kids are gonna go nuts.
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Apr 6, 2025 16:44
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Good news! OVA seems to have solved their HVAC issues and the ice was rock-hard today. What a weird rink though, the locker rooms are like a WWII bunker. Bad news! We lost our game to the league抯 best team (making us 3𢴎 with two games to go). We played hard and fought back but a final-minute rocket from a near-side faceoff went past mine and our goalie抯 shoulder to seal the deal. Our next two games are back at KCI and it looks like most of the team is enthusiastic about sticking together for the Summer League. Still not feeling 100% about my personal performance but had a few good moments on D where I feel like I contributed (keeping the puck in the zone, stopping a breakout, et cetera). FreshFeesh fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Apr 7, 2025 |
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Apr 7, 2025 03:04
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New skates continue to own, really really happy with them and how much easier they've made skating. A couple of irritation points, but so far both of my first skates have been a good 1.5-2h on the ice so pretty easy break-in if all that is bothering me is some irritated skin, no blisters or pressure points or anything like that. Its crazy how much more I like sharp blades on these new skates, I was always a little uncomfortable the first couple skates after a sharpen in the old ones and after two skates I'm like hmm should I resharpen? We played a mixer scrimmage between the teams in the L2P league tonight, had a super fun time playing D vs my usual wing/generic forward. Team was gelling, hit that critical mass of people who like to pass most shifts and were doing a really good job of moving the puck around, making little support passes, just lots of fun dynamic play. Most of our forwards don't quite understand the concept of being an outlet or supporting a breakout, pretty often I'd go get a puck from the corner and look for a friend only to see all 4 of my teammates standing in the slot. Had a hard time getting it out of our zone with possession, but we were pretty effective in the offensive zone once we made it there. Just a good night on the ice and fun playing together, sometimes these beginner pick up games get frustrating because no one will pass or play as a team, just skate the puck themselves until it gets taken away. Our actual league season should start next week, I think its gonna be a good group and I'm really hyped to play with a consistent crew and get some good vibes going.
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Apr 7, 2025 03:21
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A teammate passed away last night from an auto accident. He was only 31. I was in our car with my kid getting driving hours for her permit and we drove right by the scene and they had the entire street shut down. I texted my wife something really bad just happened, and then got the email this morning from our captain after the name was released. Absolute gut punch.
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Apr 8, 2025 00:28
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So very sorry for your loss. That's just horrible and can send nothing but condolences.
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Apr 8, 2025 00:58
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Yeah that really sucks. Sorry for your loss, Henrik. 31 is way too young.
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Apr 8, 2025 01:40
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gently caress dude, condolences. 31 and a sudden thing make it extra jarring and words don't feel like much in this situation but really sorry for your loss.
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Apr 8, 2025 01:53
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Man I'm so sorry. That's terrible, that is way too young.
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Apr 8, 2025 03:13
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Reach out to someone if you need to. It抯 easy to think stuff like this shouldn抰 affect you but it does. Sorry about your loss.
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Apr 8, 2025 03:36
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edit: ^poo poo, I'm so sorry to hear that. Wish i had read the thread before posting. Had a great experience last night in one of my first official officiating duties. There's a small 3 team Div 1 league here in Sydney (the way it works is Div 4 is the lowest, Div 1 is the highest in terms of skill level before the semi-pro and pro leagues) that runs games at a rink about 45 minutes south west of the city (30 minutes for me as i live in the south). Games run at 9:30pm on Mondays so it's hard for them to get officials, and up until Saturday they still didn't have anyone so I figured I'd say I can do lines but they need to realise I'm just a newly accredited official (although I've lined 30-40 games in my local beer league). They rang me to ask my experience, and when I told them, they said it sounded fine and they'd put me down for lining duty as they'd rather have a fresh linesman than no linesman at all. Well, come the day, they still only had a ref and one linesman (me), and so rather than cancel they figured gently caress it, let's put me in for a 2-man (mind you, I've only reffed a half dozen times and only ever in my beerleague). I was pretty nervous, but I went ahead anyway. Met the experienced ref, and he was a bit shocked they threw me in at the deep end, but he was super friendly and said we'd make it work. Ended up being an awesome experience. I had to fly up and down the ice, and have never worked so hard officiating, but it was so much fun. Made a few good calls, called a couple of penalties, and at the end the other ref said I did a great job, and gave me a couple of pointers which I was very happy to get. He couldn't believe it was one of my first times reffing, let alone in a 2-man. My biggest gently caress-up (which is still haunting me) is I called a frozen puck a second too early when i lost sight of the puck and thought it was under the goalie's trapper, and of course the moment after the whistle blew, i see the puck trickle through the legs of the keeper into the back of the net. Thankfully it wasn't a one goal game, but I still felt awful. PotatoManJack fucked around with this message at 06:13 on Apr 8, 2025 |
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Apr 8, 2025 06:09
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Dang that sucks. 31 is so young but also seeing the scene has to be haunting. I hope you and your kid and your team are doing ok
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Apr 8, 2025 09:05
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Thanks y'all, I appreciate everyone's sentiments.
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Apr 8, 2025 17:11
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How long do you give new skates to break in before getting them punched out at the pressure points? My new skates feel great except for my accessory navicular bone and bottom of the malleolus and from reading online a lot of people say just go get it punched, but I also only have ~5 hours in the skates and not sure how much they'll continue to break in. I'm currently going to give it another week (probably another 5h) and if it's still bugging me I'll get them punched out, but wondering if this is reasonable. For those of you that unpack your bag between skates to dry your gear, what's your storage/drying setup like? I made a PVC drying rack that sorta looks like a person and while it works I have to stack some gear on it in a specific order and tbh that gets old, also it's ugly. I'm thinking of building a v2, either a redesigned PVC thing or maybe turning an IKEA shelf into a locker stall sorta setup. I've also seen people use hanging wardrobe racks with shelves to store everything, but curious if anyone here has a setup they like. I'm in a pretty small apartment, so it not looking like poo poo is also a bonus.
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Apr 9, 2025 14:29
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In my experience pain points never really go away, they might fade but they're always there. Consider experimenting with bunga pads, I got one of the ankle sleeves several years ago and I snipped out little cubes that I put on my pressure points, then I put my socks over that. This may help identify exactly where you need them punched out. I really only have one spot that bugs me though, it seems like you got more going on. Punching may be the only option. As for drying, I got a nylon strap with some metal hooks on it from Amazon, I think they're actually sold as "hockey gear drying rack". Hangs in my garage from a single screw and keeps everything out of the way.
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Apr 9, 2025 14:43
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Your skates won抰 appreciably break in, especially if you baked them already. If you抳e got some pain points go have them punched.
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Apr 9, 2025 17:58
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Chemmy posted:Your skates won抰 appreciably break in, especially if you baked them already. If you抳e got some pain points go have them punched. ^ Insoles and padding are the only things that break in for sure. You can try baking them again if it's one smaller pressure point before punching. You can add extra fabric in that spot to give it more wiggle if it's not super tight on it. Baking just takes less time and you can do it a couple times. Punching means they're sitting for a day. I had a small spot on the outside of my arch that baking again and trimming the insole more solved nicely. If it's a bigger pressure point just go straight to getting them punched. The person at the pro shop who'd do the punching can help you decide better if it's just foam that can be remolded or not.
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Apr 9, 2025 18:26
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Word, thank you for all the advice! It's a dime sized spot just below and in front of the inside ankle bone, my ankle bones were red after skating but aren't sore whereas the skin over the navicular bone is a little sore and red still. I'll hit the pro shop and see what they say, we have a proper one in the area from what I'm hearing from people. I'll see what they say on re-baking vs punching, I've also heard of people taping foam on pressure points during baking to add a little space there. I also know people who use those bunga sleeves, but it's such a small point I'd rather tweak the skate than have an extra piece of gear to deal with. I thought baking also needed 12h before you could skate them again? I figured punching would be the same, but either way I'll make sure I've got a day or two before a game or something when I get it done.
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Apr 9, 2025 18:38
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:How long do you give new skates to break in before getting them punched out at the pressure points? My new skates feel great except for my accessory navicular bone and bottom of the malleolus and from reading online a lot of people say just go get it punched, but I also only have ~5 hours in the skates and not sure how much they'll continue to break in. I'm currently going to give it another week (probably another 5h) and if it's still bugging me I'll get them punched out, but wondering if this is reasonable. I punched my previous skates after like 1-2 skates. If it's really hurting, then a bit of breaking in won't really help a whole lot, and you'll probably end up hating your skates. Better to get it fixed sooner than later IMO. I have a pegboard on my garage wall that I hang my gear up on when I get home.
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Apr 9, 2025 18:41
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:How long do you give new skates to break in before getting them punched out at the pressure points? Maybe a few weeks, a half dozen to a dozen skates in them to make sure they're molded and finished forming to your foot as much as possible. You could always try heat molding them again, but add some extra padding to the part of your foot affected so that your boot is pushed out a little further in that specific area. meowmeowmeowmeow posted:For those of you that unpack your bag between skates to dry your gear, what's your storage/drying setup like? I made a PVC drying rack that sorta looks like a person and while it works I have to stack some gear on it in a specific order and tbh that gets old, also it's ugly. I'm thinking of building a v2, either a redesigned PVC thing or maybe turning an IKEA shelf into a locker stall sorta setup. I've also seen people use hanging wardrobe racks with shelves to store everything, but curious if anyone here has a setup they like. I'm in a pretty small apartment, so it not looking like poo poo is also a bonus. I have the luxury of a garage. I just open my bag and pull everything out on the floor. I usually leave it for 2 days and it's dry. If I had limited space, I would either have a gear tree (either a metal or PVC option) that can be folded away, or a piece of flat nylon webbing with loops every couple of inches. Find a stud and screw a decent quality eye screw into the ceiling. Hang it and get a few cheap carabineers to clip your gear to it. You could also hang both ends and use it like a laundry line. It's small enough to go in your bag without taking up much room and you can bring it anywhere. Obv the disadvantage is it not being self standing. https://a.co/d/ivHY40C  
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Apr 9, 2025 22:40
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Thanks for the recs on the strap setups, I was looking at them after zxxy mentioned them and with a second vote I'm gonna give one a try, being able to easily put it away when not in use would be real nice.
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Apr 10, 2025 01:38
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I use a gear rack next to my furnace. A nice warm dry spot gets all the gear dry after a day or so. Once it's dry I just pack it back into the bag and push it into the corner. I do try to wash my gear halfway through the season and again at the end (and let it dry out in the sun). Seems to keep it from getting really ripe.
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Apr 10, 2025 16:15
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I hang my gear up in the guest bathroom after every skate and light a scented candle. Not much room in a city condo.
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Apr 10, 2025 17:52
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Yeah, drying rack and a fan. Usually everything is dry in 2h or so with the fan. Everything gets a disinfectant spray down and shoulders/elbows/shin liners all go through the washer 3-4 times a year. It抯 often really humid here and if I don抰 use a fan it just won抰 dry completely.
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Apr 10, 2025 17:56
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I use this drying rack in the corner of my office; I wish it were a few inches taller and that the pegs were sized differently though. As soon as I get back from the rink I hang up my gear, open the window next to the rack, and give a little blast of Fabreeze. I previously had such luxuries as "a garage" and "wall space" and utilized a metal peg board that was superior, but this rack works for now. It's reasonably out of the way enough that I just leave my kit hanging up until it's time to leave for the rink again.
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Apr 10, 2025 18:45
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I noticed my gear was especially smelly the other day during my game. My gear is often the least smelly of most people I play with so it really caught me off guard. I wash the washables weekly and clean my protective gear at least once per year. With our winter season winding down, I did my end of season gear cleaning. I realized I didn't do it after this past summer season so I've got (winter = 24x2 teams + summer 12x2 teams + subbing) likely 80-90 games worth of funk. It was time. As a good reminder to anybody with stinky gear, or newbies who haven't dealt with it yet, consider a gear wash every year or every few months. In my experience its surprisingly effective and lasts a while. My process: What goes into the washing machine (standard cycle, heavy soil, cold or warm water, extra rinse), non bleach laundry detergent and vinegar, air dry is ideal or tumble dry low temp for a few minutes.
Gear to be washed by hand
I use a 27 gallon plastic tote in my garage because its easier than my bathroom. Its large enough to hold all my gear. You could use a 5 gallon bucked and just do one piece of gear at a time. You can use your bathtub as well, but you'll need to clean it out after. You *could* use a large washing machine at a laundry mat if thats easier. Laundry detergent (non bleach) and pour some vinegar in as well, gentle cycle, heavy soil (if thats an option), extra rinse, slow spin I would put the hard plastic pads in soft laundry bags to keep straps from getting caught or tangled, and prevent the plastic from slamming around. Don't put your helmet in there obviously.
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Apr 10, 2025 19:24
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I ain't gonna baby my gear that much, everything except skates and helmet gets stuffed into the washing machine. I pour a big helping of sports wash in and let 'er rip. If I'm feeling energetic I might do two cycles. I don't put the protective stuff through the dryer, it gets air dried. All the damage on my gear has come from using it, not washing it.
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Apr 10, 2025 19:27
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xzzy posted:I ain't gonna baby my gear that much, everything except skates and helmet gets stuffed into the washing machine. I pour a big helping of sports wash in and let 'er rip. If I'm feeling energetic I might do two cycles. I don't put the protective stuff through the dryer, it gets air dried. For myself, its less about damaging my gear more about damaging my front load machine. The plastic paddles inside my machine have been broken in the past and its a bitch to replace them. This is where the laundry mat or a top load machine is ideal. I wasn't able to run to the laundry mat that day, so I just did it in a tote in my garage. Its like, maybe an hour or so of effort, given I've used my gear for a year straight without tending to it, small price to pay.
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Apr 10, 2025 19:38
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I made hockey soup in my tub during Covid and felt really smart until I saw the film of concentrated pestilence left behind that I had to scrub off before my wife came home and killed me.
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Apr 10, 2025 21:15
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I bought a gear drying rack about a decade ago. Still holding up with a few spots of rust. I've been wondering if one of those ozone dryers are worth it. I wash the easy stuff regularly. Haven't really washed my pads in a few years.
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Apr 10, 2025 22:53
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https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-alex-ovechkin-explains-switch-sticks Today I learned Ovechkin has been using a stick produced by https://www.prostockhockeysticks.com for this entire season. The major OEMs weren't making anything he liked anymore. I guess it worked? And I know he's not alone, so many NHLers are using older sticks with new skins, but to move away entirely is interesting and shows how far the manufacturing technology has come. quote:Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin found himself in a strange situation this year, as he managed just eight goals through the first 43 games of the season and was struggling to do what he did best: score. shyduck fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Apr 11, 2025 |
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Apr 11, 2025 22:45
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I抦 not Ovie but I use that brand because Bauer stopped making 4 sided Nexus sticks and they basically still do.
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Apr 11, 2025 23:11
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Yeah, I was loading up an order from there too. I抳e been rocking Warriors, but I didn抰 care for the newest ones. And for 110-170 it makes sense to give them a try. A friend of mine ordered custom sticks from them a couple years in a row now. He抯 a large and heavy guy, so they can make something that fits his 110 flex request.
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Apr 12, 2025 00:01
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It's kinda insane to me that companies like Bauer or CCM won't just keep producing the exact type of stick that Ovechkin wants. Like I get making new technology for the larger public, but you'd think the best goal scorer ever could get the sticks he wanted
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Apr 12, 2025 00:06
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Lost 9-0 in our playoff game to a team that has 5-6 teams in the league and just shares rosters so their Div 6 guys can qualify for Div 10 playoffs. One of their guys got ejected from the game because he would not stop poo poo talking the ref about a called-back goal when they were up 7-0 in the third. Then, because two of their teams are in our four team division, half their roster just walked across the hall to the other dressing room for their other team's game on the other side of our four team bracket, so they could shitkick that game as well. Now both their teams are in the final. We went up to the arena bar to have a beer after our game, and they had 3 full forward lines and were running 3 D because the forwards weren't "good enough" to play back even when they were up 7-2. I have literally never seen that in my 30 plus years of hockey. I'm sure the icetime looks great on the elite prospect pages they keep updated for themselves.
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Apr 12, 2025 06:08
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Wait, can I make one of those for myself??
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Apr 12, 2025 06:12
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^^^ I assume so, otherwise the guys playing half a game while their teammates sit and watch on the bench are just assholes? Anyways all that would be fine if I wasn't on an 8 game streak of taking a hard puck to the mask (that's a lie once it was a baseball swinging stick) Pleads fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Apr 12, 2025 |
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Apr 12, 2025 06:13
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Pleads posted:Lost 9-0 in our playoff game to a team that has 5-6 teams in the league and just shares rosters so their Div 6 guys can qualify for Div 10 playoffs.. Conversely, we won our playoff game 7-3 with all normal roster guys, but our captain wasn抰 there and nobody thought to check that everyone抯 jersey number was on the scoresheet, so we got DQd when the other team bitched that we must have had ringers.
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Apr 12, 2025 16:04
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lol that sucks. Our league checks IDs in the playoffs so that kinda thing is avoided
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Apr 12, 2025 17:41
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