Hockey Teams Gone Wild: A Night Auditor’s Rant and the Hallway Havoc of Tournament Weekends
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you mix three kids’ hockey teams, a hotel hallway, and a staff who’d rather scroll through TikTok than keep order, you’re in for a treat—and maybe a headache. This is the saga of “Hockey Weekends,” as told by an exasperated night auditor on Reddit, who finds themselves picking up the pieces—and the complaints—long after the last slapshot echoes down the corridor.
Because nothing says “hospitality” quite like a mini Stanley Cup tournament right outside your guest rooms.
Welcome to the Hotel Hallway Hockey League
Let’s set the scene: It’s Friday night, and the hotel is abuzz with the arrival of three different kids’ hockey teams. The players, full of sugar and adrenaline, do what any reasonable young athletes would do—set up nets and start playing hallway hockey. The puck? Who knows. The goals? Apparently, sleep deprivation for everyone else.
One long-term guest, desperate for a few hours of peace, valiantly asked the kids (multiple times!) to stop. No dice. The games raged on, echoing through the halls, while other non-hockey guests suffered in silence, perhaps hoping the parents would step in and restore order. They didn’t.
The real kicker? According to our night audit narrator, the front desk staff were MIA in spirit, eyes glued to their phones. No one intervened. The only thing being checked-in was chaos.
Why Hockey Teams Strike Fear into Hotel Staff Everywhere
If you think this is a one-off, think again. The Reddit thread turned into a group therapy session for hospitality workers everywhere, with u/SkwrlTail chiming in: “Don’t know what it is about hockey teams, but I’m sure glad we don’t get them. We get soccer, softball, and a few other games, but no hockey. They’re generally well-behaved and trouble-free. Nothing like what I hear about the hockey groups.”
It’s a recurring theme—hockey teams, especially youth ones, have a reputation for pushing hotels to their limits. One commenter offered a solution that feels both draconian and oddly satisfying: Ban the teams. If you tell the organizing bodies their teams aren’t welcome and follow through, it sends a message loud and clear. “They need the hotels, because if there’s no place for their athletes to stay, then they have to change venues, which is absurdly difficult and expensive,” u/SkwrlTail explained.
But what about the money? Managers often balk at turning away big group bookings, fearing empty rooms and lost revenue. Yet, as several commenters pointed out, losing loyal, non-hockey guests who want to sleep (and aren’t playing knee hockey at 11pm) may be the bigger long-term risk.
Ban? Or Just Bring Down the Hammer?
If outright bans feel too extreme, the Reddit hive-mind has some seriously practical advice. “Make sure they sign an Acceptable Use Agreement. Make it part of the Group Contract and to be signed at check-in by each room,” one user advised. Rules like no alcohol in public areas, quiet hours, and a contact number for the coach are essential. And if things go sideways? “Violation means one warning, then the entire team gets to find other lodgings, and no refunds.”
u/VermilionKoala took it further, suggesting evictions should be swift and merciless: “You ignore your one warning and fail to behave, and it’s ‘get out of this building within 5 minutes before we have the police remove you’. Yes it’s 3am. No I don’t give a [expletive]. OUT. NOW.”
The original poster, u/InformalCulprit, confessed they have no problem making good on threats when they’re working: “I myself have done this on nights when I’ve been working and we had a hockey group. I have no qualms about threats like this, and making good on those threats.” The problem, they lament, is that management rarely backs up the staff, allowing bad behavior to repeat.
Who’s Really Responsible? And Why It Matters
It’s easy to blame the kids, but as u/RoyallyOakie pointed out, “It’s sad that a guest had to talk to the kids. The front desk should have threatened the parents with eviction if it didn’t stop immediately. Now they’ll come back and do the same because you’re the ‘fun’ hotel that doesn’t care.”
The consensus? If hotels don’t take a stand, the cycle continues. Some commenters suggested empowering desk staff with veto power over egregious guests, and others recommended security guards (or, as u/lighthouser41 joked, at least a stern-faced mom in the hallway).
And for those thinking of creative solutions, one user half-jokingly floated the idea of “fake reviews” to shame management into action, while another suggested quietly comping the long-term guest’s stay and citing “multiple complaints” if questioned by the boss.
Above all, the most bittersweet wisdom came from u/TellThemISaidHi: “Never care more than the boss.” To which our night auditor replied, “Oh shhhhiiii! That means I should start caring even less!”
Conclusion: Lessons from the Hallway Hockey Hotel
So, what’s the moral of this hotel horror story? Next time you book a stay and see “Hockey Tournament Weekend” on the calendar, pack earplugs—or maybe a whistle. If you’re on staff, make sure your boss has your back, and don’t be afraid to lay down the law. As this Reddit tale shows, a few bad apples (or slapshots) can ruin the whole bunch, but a little courage, some clear rules, and a willingness to say “game over” can keep things from spiraling.
Have you survived a team sports weekend at a hotel? Got your own tales of hotel havoc (or heroism)? Share your war stories in the comments below—and don’t forget to thank your local night auditor. They’re probably still cleaning up after the last faceoff.
Original Reddit Post: Hockey weekends