To put minor hockey in perspective, here is an interesting article I picked up somewhere along the way.

This is an article taken out of the "Blueliner", a publication put out by the SJHL written by Scott Taylor. It involves a study of ALL Ontario Hockey players born in 1975. Of all the 1975ers- 30,000 of them, give or take a handful- who participated in minor hockey prior to 1991, so few made it that you'll probably win a lotto before your kid gets into the NHL. Here are the facts:

Of that 30,000- 22,000 were still active in 1991- the year of the Ontario Hockey league draft for underage Bantams. (Note: this has since been changed to Minor Midget)

Of those 22,000 players, 232 were drafted by the 16 OHL teams. Of those 232, 105 actually played on OHL game.

Of those 105 players, 90 completed three or four years at the OHL level.

Meanwhile, of those 22,000 players, 23 played NCAA Division I hockey.

That means 133 players competed in an elite "feeder" level to the NHL.

Of the 133 players, 48 were drafted by the NHL in 1993 and 2 signed as free agents. That was the best result for Ontario Hockey- EVER- and it also came at a time when the NHL held its final 12 round draft.

Of those 50 players, 38 signed NHL contracts and only 22 actually played a single NHL game.

On October 1, 1999, 17 of those 22 players were still active- 3 in the NHL.

Of those 30,000 kids born in 1975 who walked into an Ontario Minor Hockey Association office and registered to play youth hockey, 17 made it. That's the most in the history of Ontario Hockey.

To put it mathematically, at the very best, you have a 0.0057 percent chance of watching your kid play in the NHL.

So RELAX. Sit back and enjoy your child’s hockey career, wherever he plays, and whatever level he plays. Encourage, don't push. It is after all, just a game!

Hockey Tip Of The Week

3 ON 1 SITUATION

3-1 Offense - Attack as quickly as possible with the first pass made before top of the slot. Use crosses and picks with the third man going to post. Puck carrier must be a threat.

3 - 1 Defense - Stay in the middle and delay the play, keeping skates in the lateral passing lane and maintain this positioning when puck is high. Attack shooter on a trailer pass when puck is in mid to low slot with stick in lane of most dangerous pass. Take stick of attacker at the post after a wide shot.

10 Ways to Become a Good Hockey Parent

1. Get involved with your son or daughter's team in a positive way.

2. Let your son or daughter know you enjoy having them involved with the game

3. Don’t lose perspective, emphasize the values associated with the game.

4. Be supportive and don’t let expectations become a burden to your son or daughter.

5. Model respectful behaviour for your son or daughter.

6. Be there for your child whether they win or lose.

7. Make safety, respect, fair play and fun a priority.

8. Support your child emotionally

9. Encourage your child to participate but avoid pressuring them to play the game.

10. Communicate with your son's or daughter's coach in a professional effective manner.

What is "Skate Fit For Performance"

Skates that truly fit, work better! Period!!

A qualified skate technician will work through the skate fitting process with you, generally, one on one. The fitting process will be completed in two stages. First the boot will be fit and made comfortable. Second, the blades will be aligned on the boot relative to the foot that is wearing the skate.

Some of the common points in the process are outlined below:
Through a series of questions they will guide you through your boot selection process.

The boots will then be sized correctly for length and width.
Any pressure points in the skates will be removed.

Issues such as arch discomfort or inadequate support may have to be dealt with. This is a necessary part of a true custom skate fitting.
The skate blades are then aligned on the skates to allow for the biomechanical differences in the feet as well as the rest of the body. For example, leg length discrepancies will often effect the blade alignment. Such issues need attention and correction.

Posting the foot or working with the foot bed of the skate to put the foot in a more neutral position. This may be an appropriate tactic to straighten the foot inside the skate boot.

For many skates, a heat fit is a great way to complete the fit and will accommodate any of the last small fit adjustments.

The skates will be sharpened and if required, the blades shape will be profiled to ensure a smooth transition from one end of the blade to the other.

What is Blade Alignment

Before










After

Positioning a skate blade on a boot, in such a manner that it is relative to the foot and the biomechanics of the body of the skater. In short, it is the positioning of the blade on the boot so that the skaters center of gravity is directly over the blade.

Imagine the classic image of a young skater trying to skate while using only the inside edges of their skates. This is a problem that can easily be avoided by repositioning the blade on the boot. Subtle changes to blade positioning on any level of skater can translate into significant gain in performance on the ice.

Blade alignment places your center of gravity directly on top of the blade, allowing you to control both the inside and outside blade edges quickly, equally and efficiently. The positioning of the blade on the boot is relative to your foot and body alignment as well as allowing for the biomechanical differences in your feet and body. Correct alignment will help support you in maintaining a more efficient stride, that will maximize your skating performance.

Blade alignment is something you should consider any time you are having difficulty holding a specific edge. This will be obvious when a skater?s technique is good, but they are only able to hold the desired edge if they compromise their technique.

Common problems such as pronation, supination or leg length discrepancies can cause a skaters center of gravity to fall to the inside or outside edge of the blade. This may cause knee strain, lower back pain and groin injuries, which can be relieved by the adjustment of the blade position to suit the skater.

Blade alignment should be done in store with the skater present. However, skates that have been worn for a period of time will show signs of poor alignment that usually includes twisting of the boot. Although it is not ideal, the blade can be realigned to achieve improvement in performance without the customer being present in the store.
Keep in mind that skates are created as a production line item, and the manufacturing process is not perfect. As such, manufactures generally mount the blade in the middle of the outer sole of the skate, which is generally not the center of gravity for the wearer.