Maine Mariners, Bench Twigs, and a Game Winning Shot — Photographing Hockey at Cross Insurance Arena, Portland Maine

I wanted to photograph the Maine Mariners, and I got to, I also found… “Bench twigs”.

Getting In

I searched the Mariners website for clues. Found the media credentials request and the creators network at marinersofmaine.com/creators. The form asks for the basics — name, contact, type of content creator, where you live, and a link to your portfolio. Fill it out and wait.

I waited. For a while. I followed up. I got through. The network has a lot of interested volunteers.

The creators network director reached out, and said that he liked my landscape work around Maine. He asked if I’d ever shot sports. I told him about Scarborough Downs — horse harness racing, and how much fun it is to get slow-shutter tracking shots. He said that was an interesting sport and invited me to a game as a freelancer.

The portal gets you in the queue. The conversation gets you in the building.

I showed up early. I met the creator network director at the gates. He walked me into the media room to set up. I was offered a spot to store my gear, and provided my pass. Bring your laptop. I didn’t. I packed light. That was a mistake.

I asked where I could, and could not, go. The answer: Don’t attempt to get into the rafters or catwalks. No locker rooms. No team bench during gameplay. No private areas like bathrooms. Basically, don’t be an idiot, and watch out for flying pucks.

Diet Winter

It was winter outside at the time, and diet winter inside. You’ll be moving around, but dress accordingly. That close to the ice it stays chilly.

In the tunnel, on the wall on the way from the locker rooms to the ice, there is a piece of tape that reads “Bench Twigs.”

A dry erase board directing where to place shoes. Everything organized and optimized. A hockey gear workshop. A skate sharpener. Bench twigs lined up perfectly in order. Shoes in a line along the wall. The occasional player warming up.

Someone took the time to label an empty wall with a very specific phrase that I have never heard in reference to hockey sticks. It tells you something about the people who work in that building — organized, professional, and willing to have fun. Especially with a makeshift label maker.

Bench twigs. A unique phrase for a hockey stick. Nobody calls them that, or rather, I’ve never heard anyone call them that. Someone here does. A mystery.

Before the Game

Big, strong, stadium lights overhead. The ice reflecting everything as a giant soft box. Lights of all kinds — some flicker, some don’t, all colors, all kinetic. It’s an arena.

Team crew preparing the goals. Zamboni runs laying down a fresh surface ready to be marred by the game action. Stacks of pucks brought out. Water bottles. Med kits. Spare hockey sticks. The machinery of a professional hockey game being assembled piece by piece before anyone in the stands arrives to see the finished product. The Hockey Game itself… the best part, I got to see how it becomes the hockey game.

The early birds and hockey fanatics come first. Starts as a trickle, then grows. Next thing you know the arena is full, and the scoreboard starts counting down to game time. Hockey foghorn! Game-time Go!

Shooting the Game

I’d scoped the arena early, and decided to get above the plexiglass glass first. Player intros. National anthem. Go! Go! Go!

Pick a spot that doesn’t have two or three people shooting the same angle. The team photographers are already working their positions — read the room and find what’s uncovered.

Hockey moves fast. Really fast. Trying to get the puck in frame with a player maneuvering it is hard, and depending on your camera you may not be able to see the puck at all. The puck is a speck in the viewfinder.

Go wide.

It’s easy to get caught up taking the shot. Don’t block the view of paying attendees. Security is nice about it — they’ll redirect you without making it a thing.

I kept looking for ways to get closer. Picking spots near the goals. Looking for the scores. The documentary instinct doesn’t turn off just because the environment is pushing back.

Pro Tips — The Crash Course

Arena light is unpredictable and varied. The ice acts as a natural softbox, use it to set your white balance, or use a gray card. Check it often, you are in chaotic lighting.

Glass is the unseen obstacle, it’s not perfect like your lens. It’s scratched and covered in impact craters from pucks, boards, and bodies. Find a clean spot in glass, and shoot through it with intention.

The Maine Mariners creators program gets a lot of submissions, from a lot of volunteers. I waited my turn, and made it work. You will too.

Bring your laptop. I didn’t. I packed light. That was a mistake. I should have pulled selects before leaving. In my chats with other photographers, Pro Sports has different workflows. You won’t be expected to in this situation, but important to know. Pro Sports like NFL and NBA require your photos to be delivered instantly. Your photos are zapped to editors on and off site in real time.

The Shootout

I picked a spot near the goals and waited.

The shootout was exciting. I hadn’t seen one since the Mighty Ducks movie as a kid. I wasn’t sure I’d get the shot at first — I chose my camera for its resolution, not its speed. They make cameras for speed and sports.

If you want to shoot hockey, get one of those, set it to burst, and let it rip. If you want to document your hockey team, set it to single and take a look around.

Bench Twigs

Who won the game? Maine Mariners, but I’m still left with questions. Who put that piece of tape on the wall? “Bench twigs” — where did the term come from? Is it something only a hockey player or coach would know? Is it Mariners culture only?

Unfortunately, I still don’t know… I wonder if I can find out?