I've taken hockey photos from the Mites level on through the San Jose Sharks
(with stops at the PCHA, IHL and WHL along the way.) This is what I've usually
found with taking photos at the events.
 
1. Very few people will stop you for a still camera. However, don't come
waltzing in with the big bag of stuff. I carry a 100-300 zoom and a 500 APO
with my Minolta 7XI (soon to upgrade that beast). The bag is about the size
of the square lunchboxes you see in the local variety store. If your bag
doesn't get in the way, then you're liable to have a much better time of
it.
 
2. If the photo holes aren't being used, you can sometime sweet talk the
ushers into letting you take photos from that area. However, the minute
someone with a press pass comes by, you leave. Don't wait to be asked.
 
3. Use fast film. I use Fuji Provia 400, which I push to 1250 (your mileage
may vary on the speed to which you can push the film. Provia 400 can be
pushed to 1600 without a lot of loss. The new Provia 1600 is pretty nice
film, but has a larger granularity.).  I use slide film only--the press
photographers around me use Ektar 1000 (or what ever it turned into), and
Fujicolour 1600.
 
4. If you have a manual focus, manual zoom lens, don't try to follow the
action--it won't work. You can't adjust fast enough. Pick a spot that you
expect some action, like the goalmouth, and focus there and wait. I did
some nature photography a long time back, and a lot of the same rules
apply--you just have to sit in your blind and wait.  This is especially true
if you have a goaltender who doesn't like having his picture taken (hello,
Brian Hayward!)--respect his neurosis, and try to blend in with the
background.
 
5. Don't use flash--especially if you're taking photos through the
plexiglass. All you'll get is flashback, and you'll trash the photos of the
people around you. If you're *way* up there in the rafters, realize that you
can't fill up the entire stadium with your flash unit.
 
6. I don't use manual light settings--I just set my camera to the fastest
speed the lens can move and put it on auto aperture. This helps to protect
my shots from when the team photographers use the strobe.
 
7. Adjust the camera for all the ice-it's not neutral grey. For example, my
camera is set to +2 off of neutral grey. Otherwise you're liable to get
darker shots that you hoped.
 
8. Take the film to somewhere *good* to get it developed. If you're using
push photography, some of the 1 hour places won't even develop it (slides),
or develop it at 400 ISO, which the the highest they have the timers on
their autobaths set. I've used the Fuji mailers, and I use local places that
have the lab in the back. Call up the local university, and ask them
where they have their slides done (if they don't have them done in-house).
 
 
Laurie