The short answer
Shinny and pickup hockey are the same thing. Shinny is the word most Canadians use, pickup is the word most Americans use, and both mean an informal game with no league, no standings and no fixed teams. Players show up, split into two sides and play.
Drop-in is not a third kind of game. It describes how you get on the ice: you pay for one skate at a time instead of registering for a season. A rink schedule that says "adult drop-in" and a city schedule that says "adult shinny" are usually offering the same hour of hockey.
What each term means
Shinny
The Canadian name for informal hockey, indoors or outdoors. Cities such as Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Kingston use it as the official name of their programs, so you will see "adult shinny" on arena schedules across the country. The word most likely comes from shinty, a Scottish stick-and-ball game.
Pickup hockey
The same game under its American name, also written pick-up hockey. Canadians understand it and use it too, mostly for games a group organizes privately on rented ice.
Drop-in hockey
A pay-per-skate session run by the rink or the city. Anyone who fits the age or level on the schedule can sign up, and whoever comes that day plays. Many drop-ins now ask you to book a spot online because the skater list is capped.
Stick and puck
Open practice ice. Everyone works on skating, stickhandling and shooting on their own, and no game is played. It is the right first step if you are not ready for a game yet.
Scrimmage
An informal game between two existing teams, or one team split in half. The rosters are set before anyone steps on the ice, which is what separates it from pickup.
Pond hockey
Shinny on natural outdoor ice. Usually no goalies, small nets or a pair of boots for posts, and the puck stays on the ice because nobody is wearing full gear.
How a shinny or pickup skate works
- You sign up, online or at the front desk, and pay for that one skate. Private groups collect the money through whoever rented the ice.
- You bring a light jersey and a dark jersey. Teams are decided at the rink, so you will not know your colour until you get there.
- Teams are split on the spot. The old method is sticks in the middle: everyone throws a stick into a pile at centre ice and one player sorts them into two heaps without looking.
- You play. No referees in most skates, no faceoffs after goals, and players call their own offsides if they call them at all. Line changes happen on the fly.
- Nobody keeps score for long. The game ends when the Zamboni doors open.
Indoor adult shinny almost always requires full equipment, and most programs set a minimum age of 18 or 19. Check the schedule before you go, because rinks split their sessions by age and sometimes by level.
The unwritten rules
- No bodychecking and no slap shots. People have work in the morning.
- Keep your shifts short. A minute is plenty when twelve skaters are waiting on the bench.
- Pass to the weaker players. A skate where three people hold the puck all night empties out fast.
- If the sides are lopsided, swap a player or two. Nobody came for a blowout.
- Thank the goalies. Many skates let them play free because the game is worse without them.
The same spirit carries into league play, and it is spelled out in Beer League Hockey Rules and Etiquette.
What it costs
A rink-run drop-in or indoor shinny session typically costs $15 to $30 per skater in the US and Canada. Outdoor city rinks in Canada often run shinny hours free. Private pickup on rented ice costs whatever the hour costs divided by the number of skaters, which is why organizers work so hard to fill the bench. Goalies often pay less or nothing.
Compare that with a league season, which runs a few hundred dollars up front. The full numbers are in What Is Beer League Hockey?
Shinny or a league?
Shinny asks for nothing. You play when you feel like it, and you can stay home when you do not. A league gives you the same teammates every week, standings, playoffs and a reason to show up on a cold Tuesday. Most players end up doing both: a league team for the season and a pickup skate to stay sharp, try a new position or keep playing through the summer.
Shinny is also where teams get built. Captains watch the pickup skate for players who can fill a hole in the roster, so if you are looking for a team, it is the best audition there is. If you are new to the sport, start with How to Start Playing Hockey as an Adult.
Subs, spares and fill-ins
One more pair of words that mean the same thing. When a league team is short for a game, Americans look for a sub or a fill-in, and Canadians usually look for a spare. A spare goalie is the most wanted player in any city. Subbing is a good middle ground between shinny and a full season: a real league game with referees and a scoreboard, and no commitment past tonight.
On BeerLeague.net you can mark your profile as open to subbing and get pinged when a team near you needs your position, and captains can post a sub request from Find a Player.
How to find shinny or pickup hockey near you
- Check the rink schedule. Look for "adult drop-in", "adult shinny", "pickup" or "open hockey". Daytime and late-night slots are the usual ones.
- In Canada, check the city recreation site. Municipal arenas publish a shinny schedule, often with online booking.
- Browse Find a Game for pickup games and scrimmages that organizers have posted with open spots.
- Ask in the locker room. Most private skates fill by word of mouth, and the person running one is usually short a skater or a goalie.
- Run your own. If you rent the ice, post the skate as a pickup game, set the number of skaters and goalies, and let players sign up instead of chasing them in a group chat.
Frequently asked questions
Is shinny the same as pickup hockey?
Yes. Shinny is the Canadian term and pickup hockey is the American one. Both mean an informal game with no league, no standings and teams picked on the spot.
Do I need full equipment for shinny?
Indoors, yes: adult shinny and drop-in programs almost always require full gear. Outdoor shinny is more relaxed, but a helmet and gloves are the sensible minimum.
Can beginners play drop-in hockey?
Yes, if you pick the right session. Many rinks run a beginner or novice drop-in. If the schedule lists only one adult session, ask the front desk what level usually shows up.
Is there a referee at shinny?
Usually not. Players police themselves, and most city sessions are unsupervised unless the schedule says otherwise.
What is the difference between stick and puck and drop-in?
Stick and puck is practice with no game. Drop-in is a game. Rinks sell them as separate sessions.