Shooting HS Hockey tommorow, tips?

[MSIGuy]

So I'm going to a family friend's, daughter's HS hockey game tomorrow. It's indoors, so I'm guessing the light is going to be ****.

Equipment I have is:
40D w/ Grip
580 EX II
Tamron 28-75 2.8 XR DI ABCDEFG...
Canon 50 1.8
Canon 85 1.8
Canon 70-200 f4L

I've shot some indoor sports before, (volleyball in an absolute **** gym) but wasn't really that happy with the results. I guess I'm looking for some tips.

I'm guessing that I'll be shooting at between 800-1600 (probably 1250-1600) all day to keep a decent shutter. How fast of a shutter do you think I'll need to freeze action in HS hockey? I'm guessing I'll be probally using my 85 1.8 the most tommorow, and no flash. I don't know what the access will be like, we'll see.

So any tips? Suggestions? Ect?

[MSIGuy]

Okay, I just went and saw the like 9 other posts about hockey, and read them. Pretty much what I thought, I just have to hope the light is good enough to give me a good speed @ f4 to keep around a 1/500th speed.

Here's a question I haven't seen discussed. What about Highlight Tone Priority ect? That will increase the noise won't it? No reason to have that on is there?

[Brikwall]

Highlight Tone Priority will disable ISO 3200, which you might just need if shooting at f/4.

[MSIGuy]

Well, I just got done shooting, and while my shooting position was pretty good (by the players, on the edge of the glass) the lighting was terrible. I had to shoot about a stop, to 1 1/2 stops underexposed to get a 1/500th shutter, and even that wasn't freezing the action all the way.

I was shooting 3200 (stop to stop and a half underexposed), 70-200 f4 @ f4, and 1/500th. Results were maybe one keeper per 50 or 75 shots. I was having a hard time focusing in AI Focus using center point only, and found myself limited by how wide the 70 on the 70-200 was.

So then I tried my 580 EX II. I dialed to around 1000-1600 ISO, f4, E-TTL +2/3, HHS, and 1/500th. I was having some problems with my flash not reaching the far end of of the rink which is why I was trying to get as much ambient as I could with the high ISO and wide appeture. Did I do it right, or should I have gone with a larger apeture and kept the SS at 1/250th and below and relied on the strobe to freeze the action? I didn't really try because I figured that I'd have troubles with the reach of my flash.

I'll get some pics up later to show what I'm talking about, and get some C&C. But in the meantime, any input or tips on my shooting?

[Gatorboy]

So then I tried my 580 EX II. I dialed to around 1000-1600 ISO, f4, E-TTL +2/3, HHS, and 1/500th.

Your sync-speed is 1/250. HSS is not what you want to use for stopping action.

http://webs.lanset.com/rcochran/flash/hss.html