Coach John's Hockey Tips

Concussion Awareness

2006-10-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

With the advent of body checking at a younger age, coaches, trainers and parents need to be more aware of concussion symptoms.

Here are some helpful hints if you suspect a player might have a concussion.

Always assess airway, breathing and circulation. All players who experience a concussion must be seen by a physician before the player can return to play.

Definition:
Change in mental state (confusion) as a result of a trauma. May involve loss of consciousness.

Mechanism:
Blow to the head, face or jaw. May result from a whiplash effect to the neck.

Types of Concussion

First Degree: Player experiences brief period of confusion. There is no loss of consciousness. Symptoms are completely gone in less than fifteen minutes.

Second Degree: Player experiences a loss of consciousness (however brief) or player
experiences symptoms beyond fifteen minutes. Player should see a physician immediately.

Common Symptoms and Signs

-Vacant Stare
-Dizziness
-Poor coordination
-Ringing in the ears
-Delayed responses to questions
-Seeing stars
-Nausea, vomiting
-Sensitivity to light
-Inability to focus
-Sensitivity to noise
-Headache

Please note that some symptoms/signs may appear later so player should be observed even after symptoms/signs seem normal.

Mental Status Testing

For information only. Do not attempt to treat a concussion.

Always have the player consult a physician.

Orientation: Does the player know what the exact time and place is? Does the player know the circumstances of the injury?

Concentration: Can the player spell “world” backwards?

Memory: Does the player know the score of the game?

Any Loss of Consciousness – Initiate Emergency
Action Plan and Call an Ambulance
-Rule out possible neck injury
-Remove the player from further play
-Do not administer medication
-Notify the parent or guardian about the injury
-The player does not return to play unless permitted to do so by a physician

Return To Play

The return to play process only begins after a physician has given the player clearance to return to activity. If any symptoms/signs return during this process, the player must be re-evaluated by a physician.

1. No activity, complete rest. Proceed to step 2 only when symptoms are gone and a physician has given the player clearance.
2. Light aerobic exercise such as walking or stationary cycling. Monitor for symptoms.
3. Sport specific training (e.g. skating).
4. Non-contact drills.
5. Full contact practices.
6. Game play.

Note: Player should proceed through the steps only when it has been demonstrated that there are no return of symptoms. This includes long term symptoms such as, fatigue, irritable behaviour or sleep disturbance. If any symptoms return the player should drop
down to the previous level and must be re-evaluated by a physician.

Prevention

-Players
• Make sure your helmet fits snugly
• Get a custom fitted mouth guard
• Respect other players

-Safety Person/ Trainer
• Discourage checks to the head
• Recognize signs and symptoms of concussion

A Quick Shot is Better Than a Hard Shot

2006-10-23T14:03:00.000-04:00

A hard shot is great but a quick shot is better... I have never witnessed a puck being shot through a goalie, so don't give the goalie time to set and get in the way of the shot.

Quick shots are more effective in getting the puck into the net.

Practice quick shots off both feet. A lot of players can't shoot while skating in stride.
They telegraph the fact they are about to shoot by stopping their feet and gliding before they shoot. Keep your feet moving right through the shot and learn to shoot off both feet.

What is a quick shot?... A quick shot is a shot that minimizes the time a goalie has to
set and react to a shot. If you give the goalie time to prepare for the shot it greatly increases the goalies ability to stop your attempt. If you shoot quickly the goalie is not set. The goalie may be: off balance, their stick is off the ice, moving the wrong way, back in the net to far, etc.

Weak-side ‘One-timers’ are a great example of a quick effective shot. The goalie is set
for the play on one side of the ice and the puck is passed to the opposite side of the ice and the player receiving the pass shoots on net in one motion before letting the goalie get set.

Quickness drill

2006-09-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

One of the most important things in hockey is being quick. Quickness is measured not in over all speed (I consider that as a fast or slow player) but in starts and jumping into open spaces. Some players are not naturally quick but this can be improved!

Here's a great drill to improve a players quickness. Have a partner hold a tennis ball head high and stand 15 feet away from him. When he drops the ball, you try and get it before it bounces a second time.

This can easily be practiced anywhere, at home, on the road (out of town tournaments) and anyone can be your partner (mom, dad, sister, etc.)

The key is practicing! Practice this over the season and you will notice yourself getting quicker! And the coach will notice too!

Time to Lace Up for Another Hockey Season

2006-09-03T12:25:00.000-04:00

The minor hockey years should be a magical period for our kids.

PAUL STOTHART

In hundreds of rinks across Canada -- thousands of minor hockey players will be immersed in the unnerving process of tryouts for competitive hockey teams. In areas such as Toronto, where competitive players were already selected in the spring, teams will begin the equally exciting process of preparing for the upcoming season.

The kids will be equipped with new gear and will be fresh from a summer of video games, soccer and hockey schools. Many over-enthusiastic Dads will undoubtedly have invested $220 in new synthetic hockey sticks -- to increase their kid's shot-speed from 12 mph to 15 mph. Parents and grandparents everywhere will be preparing mentally for another season of shuttling kids up and down the Queensway, the 401, the Bow Valley, or the Metropolitan.

Coaches will be dusting off their clipboards, enticing helpers to run the tryout sessions, and hiring experts to help with the difficult task of selecting the two best goaltenders. And the local hockey association executive will be poised to deal with the complaints that will inevitably follow the final cuts.

It is a time that is fraught with frayed nerves for kids, for parents, and for coaches. This is not surprising for, like it or not, hockey is Canada's game.

While Canadian kids by the millions play other sports and pursue dance and music lessons, none of these pursuits instill the broad passion and emotion that is associated with hockey. Even soccer, the global sport, remains dogged by one-nil scores and images of grown men flopping, diving and writhing like fish around the pitch -- it cannot approach the fervour with which hockey is treated in Canada.

The challenges that face minor hockey players and their coaches evolve significantly as kids grow for 10 years -- from child to adult -- through the minor hockey system.

In the 7-10 age bracket, the strongest players are those who have attended power-skating and hockey camps since they were five years old. These kids will be capable of "going end to end," victimizing defencemen who are desperately trying to back-pedal. The challenge for coaches at this stage is to provide all kids with relatively equal ice-time and attention. One challenge for the top kids is to withstand the taunts from parents, some of whom will jeer the star players for "not passing" or will perceive their own child as being short-changed by the coach.

For 11-12 year olds, the games become longer in duration -- usually 45 minutes stop-time. This can present a deceiving picture of progress or lack thereof, as the extra time allows strong teams to run up scores in the final minutes of games. What would have been a close 4-1 score the previous year in short games can easily become a 10-2 score in this age bracket. The challenge for kids and coaches is to persevere and to continue to work on their basic skills and team play.

Kids in this age bracket often present an entertaining mix of dressing-room personalities -- some are in mid-puberty talking with bravado about kissing girls while others remain more comfortable talking about Lego. The notion of teamwork is also beginning to take form: I recall an incident from my minor peewee team last season where one player realized he had forgotten his mouthguard at home and, by league rules, would therefore be unable to play. Not to be fazed, a teammate quickly pulled an old mouthguard from the mouldy corner of his hockey bag, squirted water in it, and lent it to his teammate for the game! Kids are also beginning to develop self-confidence and attitude; after one particularly strong game last season my post-game remarks were: "Hey, you kids are starting to learn how to play hockey," to which one cheekily replied: "Yeah, and you're starting to learn how to coach!"

By the time kids have reached 13-14 years of age, the games become more physical and dominant kids of a few years earlier discover that there is no longer much room to manoeuvre on the ice. The gap in basic skills -- skating, agility, and stick-handling -- narrows. Those teams that were not competitive a few years previously begin to compete quite aggressively. Some players also begin to drift away from the physical play and the time commitments toward other interests.

Age 15, as young as that may seem, is currently the most important year for competitive minor hockey players. This is the year that will determine whether a player will continue in a top stream -- destined for Junior A or university hockey -- or whether the player will evolve toward a more recreational stream. Scouts are present at many games to observe players in this age bracket. The top players become those who develop unique skills: exceptional quickness, a powerful skating stride, clear vision of the ice, strong physical presence, or an explosive and accurate shot.

The minor hockey years should be a magical period for our kids. The advice for parents, as their kids evolve through these years, is simple. Encourage your kid to practise hard and to play clean. Focus on the entire team and not simply your own child. Don't criticize star players because they want to score goals. Don't count ice-time minutes. Don't burn your kids out. Emphasize school first and foremost. Enjoy the games and the times. In many of these respects, there are life lessons to be learned as our kids move through the minor hockey years.

Paul Stothart lives in Ottawa. He was two-time Canadian university player of the year while at Queen's University and subsequently played in Europe and with Team Canada in Russia. He has coached minor hockey for several years. He scored 50 goals last season on the outdoor rinks of Ottawa.

Improving skating quickness and speed

2006-08-23T05:50:00.000-04:00

Skating is like anything else — the more you practice, the better you’ll be. If you’re not that great a skater, there are drills and exercises that can help you improve. Becoming quicker and faster can be improved with practice.

Is there a difference between quickness and speed?

Yes, there is a difference between quickness and speed. Quickness is first gear but speed is the second, third and fourth gears. Quickness is that first few steps, speed is for the long haul. There are drills you can do to practice both.

Some people think that speed is a Godgiven talent, and they may be right. But you can definitely improve on your speed with hard work and practice. Players should try to improve on their skills each and every day, but especially in the summer months by working out with teammates and with a qualified power skating instructor.

Improve your skating technique and you’ll improve your speed. That means learning proper use of edges, staying low with knees bent and getting the full extension in each stride for maximum power.

When you’re doing on-ice skating drills, start slow and work your way up. Doing drills right is more important than doing them quickly. Using an improper technique quickly means you’ll go nowhere faster.

Off-ice plyometric drills like squats, jumps and sprints are equally important for improving your overall speed. Once again, remember to start slow and work your way up. Don’t be afraid to challenge and push yourself.

With hard work, and proper technique, you will see improvement!

Developing a buy-in culture to get the most out of your TEAM!

2006-08-16T13:34:00.000-04:00

As I have been fortunate to work with players, coaches and teams from Initiation to Junior, I’m always looking for ways to assist to them understand leadership and team building skills in a way that will help them both on and off the playing field.

What I wanted to share with you in this blog are my experiences on the key components necessary to build a supportive culture for players or teammates to help them achieve both their team and their personal goals.

I believe we need to build “Learning Environments” to give teams and ourselves the best chance to be successful.

So from my experience here’s my 7 vital beliefs needed to create a winning team culture:

1. It’s got to be personal

The leader (Coach) is connected personally to the goal by wanting to become better themselves through achieving the goal. This creates an authentic energy to want to jump on-board and be a part of something special

2. Outcome clarity

The leader (Coach) is clear on what it takes to attempt to achieve the goal and that failure is possible, BUT that if all players “Bring It” on a regular basis they will have done all they can do and will feel a sense of pride regardless of the outcome.

3. Plan to play to team strengths

The leader (Coach) wants to spread the credit by developing the leadership capabilities of all their players and they do this by identifying proper roles and strengths through both their physical skill sets and attitudinal strengths.

4. Fail forward

The leader (Coach) has coached what a “good mistake or Advancing Mistake” looks like. A good mistake is a mistake that will keep us moving toward our target but because we may not know how to master a particular skill yet, mistakes are certain, but they will be seen as part of the process.

5. Make the tough calls too

The leader (Coach) stays connected to his team by making the “right” decisions not the “popular or easy” decisions. When teammates see their leaders have struggled with the tough decisions, but have done the right thing, then these players will be willing to go the distance for them.

6. Encourage and stretch

Finally the leader regularly recognizes great effort, performance and results and also “positively challenges” sub-par performances.

7. Put them all together

If you can put all these together then you will CONNECT players to the team by showing that they MATTER, that their skills are IMPORTANT to the team achieving its goals and that EACH players’ contributions will be NEEDED for the TEAM to SUCCEED!

Elevating Comfort Zones for All Skills by Jack Blatherwick

2006-08-16T13:26:00.000-04:00

Without coaching, most athletes will compete and train within their comfort zones.

If we told hockey players to go out on the ice and work on shots for 30 minutes, they’d drop a bunch of pucks in a pile, thirty feet out from the net and crank slapshots, taking plenty of time to wind up. If a coach worked with the same player, there would be drills to force the player to shoot from awkward positions, perhaps while skating full speed, perhaps while being hooked by a defender.

In other words, a good coach would encourage the player to improve his/her shot in game-like situations, most of which are not comfortable. It’s natural for any player - even when practicing in an empty arena with no one watching - to practice slap shots that really have some velocity. But to practice shooting while skating full-speed means some shots will be weaker. When friends are watching, the tendency to practice comfortably is greater, because no one wants to shoot a weak wrist shot when the world is watching.

Last summer we forced a great player to take practice shots quickly, without taking time to dribble and get set. This meant he had to shoot while off-balance at times. The puck might not have been in perfect position, so his weight transfer couldn’t be perfect. Sometimes he had to get up off the ice, receive a pass before feeling comfortable and release the shot immediately. But since this could happen more often than not in a big game, it certainly was worth practicing outside his comfort zone.

When players practice skating, they rarely choose the most difficult agility drills in which they might fall. They’ll probably be conservative on corners, rarely practicing at full speed, because there is too much chance of looking bad. Therefore, from hours of practicing this way, everyone establishes a comfort zone that is below top speed.

Then in the most important competition - perhaps the playoffs to get to the state tournament - when we want to compete at top speed, we suffer two consequences of our comfortable practice habits: skills are not comfortable at high speed and we are unable to sustain the pace for an entire game.

Those of us who never run marathons might wonder why a competitor doesn’t use a stop watch and -simply- cut 10 seconds off each mile. Just 10 seconds? That doesn’t seem like a lot, and the final results over 26 miles would be a personal record.

Part of the answer is physiological. Experienced marathoners in a study (Farrell’s doctoral thesis, 1978) ran at increasing speeds on a treadmill to find out at which speed each one would reach anaerobic threshold.
This is the point, above which lactic acid builds up in the blood and muscles at a rapid rate. Below this threshold, lactic acid stays at a low concentration for long periods of running - even hours.

In other words, when someone runs at a speed above their anaerobic threshold, lactic acid builds up, causing the muscles to work inefficiently. There is a lot of pain in the legs plus a general feeling of stress, the heart rate starts to climb abnormally, and breathing becomes excessive. Hyperventilation is triggered by the acid buildup.

So, marathoners tend to practice and compete at speeds near or below their anaerobic threshold. There are painful consequences to compete above this "comfort zone."

Obviously, they should include many shorter intervals above this point in order to bring their times down.

Hockey players do not often choose to practice or compete outside their "comfort zones" whether that is skating at super-fast speed or shooting in stressful situations. However, the Soviet coaches knew that if they pushed their players each day out of their comfort zones - no matter how much the players hated it - eventually they would be able to compete faster, with a great deal of skill at this pace, and keep it up for an entire game.

Although we cannot plot the physiological comfort zone as neatly for hockey as for a race where athletes compete at a constant speed, the comfort zone in hockey is just as much physical as it is a mental habit. It is only by good coaching that players will improve as much as possible.

Elevating comfort zones is the key to helping players move up to the next level. For some that means becoming the best they can be this season. For others it might mean making their dream team in the future.

No one can reach their potential by practicing within their comfort zone all the time.

Jack Blatherwick has a Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Minnesota. He is a physiologist for the Washington Capitals, and has held the same post for the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. He was also a coach/physiologist on the U.S. Olympic hockey teams in 1980, '84 '88, '92 and '94.

PLYOMETRICS...THE #1 METHOD FOR DEVELOPING SPORT SPECIFIC POWER

2006-08-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

Plyometrics bridges the gap between strength and speed. If you want to improve your athletic performance, the transition from strength training to power training will play an integral part in your success.

Here's why... Maximum strength takes 0.5 to 0.7 seconds to produce. Yet most explosive, athletic movements occur much more rapidly. Whether your objective is to accelerate faster, hit the ball harder, move around the court more quickly, jump higher or throw further.

The key to improving your power and performance lies in generating the highest possible force in the shortest possible time.

Plyometrics plays a primary role in this training objective. Ideally you would first develop a high level of maximal strength before starting a plyometrics program. This gives you the greatest potential for peak power.

Plyometric training is no fad. The word "plyometrics" has been around since the 1960's but athletes were using the technique many years before that.

So how does plyometric training work exactly?

Plyometrics Defined The underlying principle of plyometric training is the stretch-shortening cycle. Very simply... As a muscle stretches and contracts eccentrically (lengthens while it contracts) it produces elastic energy, which it can store. If the muscle then contracts concentrically (shortens while it contracts) this elastic energy can be used to increase the force of the contraction.

A good example is jumping... If an athlete jumps vertically they will invariably dip down just before takeoff. Quickly lowering their centre of gravity stretches the working muscle groups allowing them to contract more forcefully for the jump. In essence a muscle stretched before it contracts will contract much more forcefully.

What role does plyometrics play in all of this?

Plyometric training places increased stretch loads on the working muscles. As the muscles become more tolerant to the increase loads the stretch-shortening cycle becomes more efficient... The muscle stores more elastic energy. It can transfer from the eccentric or stretching phase to the concentric or lengthening phase more rapidly.

This is the key to generating peak power. Plyometrics has received much undeserved blame for overtraining and injury. Like ANY form of fitness training if used incorrectly and irresponsibly plyometrics is not without risk.

The following guidelines will help to make your plyometric training safer and more effective.

Guidelines For Plyometrics... The Least You Should Know

Warming up is crucial. Spend 10mins jogging or skipping followed by 5-10mins of stretching the muscles involved. Don't forget to stretch your lower back.

Plyometrics don't tend to leave you feeling tired or out of breath. Even so stick to your program... now is not a good time to employ your "no pain no gain" philosophy!

Perform plyometric exercises on a soft surface such as grass or a synthetic running track. Two sessions of plyometrics per week is ample. Three is the maximum. Rest completely between sets, 3-5mins at least.

Remember... the idea of plyometrics is not to leave you out of breath. Your goal is to perform each action, each repetition with maximum speed, effort and technique.

A plyometric session should never contain more than 120 ground contacts for any muscle group. Adding additional load such as ankle weights or a weighted vest will increase training demand. But it will also slow down the movement diminishing the training effects of plyometrics. It is not recommended. Try to land on your full foot, rather than the heel or toe. This helps the muscle to absorb the shock rather than bone and joints.

And finally... Try to keep you torso erect during the movements - it prevents undue strain on the lower back.

SPEED ENDURANCE TRAINING

2006-08-16T13:08:00.000-04:00

These speed endurance drills will help you to maintain a higher work rate for longer. They are excellent for improving performance in sports such as football, soccer, hockey and basketball.

In fact... Any athlete that is often required to repeat high intensity sprints in quick succession can benefit from these speed endurance exercises.

Like pure speed and agility training these drills will tax your aerobic energy system. However, there are 2 important distinctions...

1. Speed endurance drills should last from 30 seconds up to 2 minutes rather than 10 seconds for agility drills.

2. Instead of allowing your body to fully recover rest times between sets and repetitions is reduced.

What effects will this have? Your body will produce high levels of lactic acid in a short period of time. By continuing to work at a high intensity you will be conditioning your body to tolerate lactic acid more effectively.

Be warned... Some of these drills are unpleasant! In fact they are more demanding than most situations you are likely to face in competition. Do not; I repeat do not perform these drills after you've just eaten! More importantly... SPEED ENDURANCE DRILLS Speed endurance training should form the later part of pre-season training and in-season training.

It is important that you've developed a solid fitness base beforehand, which includes strength and endurance. Also... Perform a speed endurance session twice a week maximum. This may be reduced to once a week during the competitive season.

Because speed endurance training can be so demanding keep session duration to 20-30 minutes maximum. Rest between sets and reps should be in the form of active recovery. Avoid standing still, sitting down or falling asleep. It goes without saying how important the warm up and cool down are before such a training session.

Use the drills below to make up the speed endurance training session...

HIGH INTENSITY SHUTTLE RUN - Pace out 30 meters on grass or a running track. Place a cone at the start and at 5 meter intervals (7 cones in total).

Sprint from the starting cone to 5 meter cone and back. Turn and sprint to 10 meter cone and back to start. Sprint to 15 meter cone and back to start and so on until you sprint the full 30 meters and back. - Rest for 90 seconds and repeat. Complete a total of 6 sets keeping rest periods to 90 seconds.

PYRAMIDS - Pace out 50 meters placing a cone at the start and then at 10 meter intervals (6 cones in total).

Starting at the first cone sprint all out for 10 meters and walk the remaining 40 meters. Turn and sprint 20 meters and walk for 30 meters. Turn and sprint 30 meters and walk for 20 meters. Turn and sprint 40 meters and walk for 10 meters. Finally... Turn and sprint 50 meters and then turn and sprint 50 meters again back to the start. - This is classed as one set. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 sets. Rest for a full 3 minutes and repeat.

CRUISE AND SPRINT

Mark out a distance of 100 meters. From the start gradually accelerate to reach full speed at about 60 meters. Sprint all out for the final 40 meters. - Slow down gradually, turn and repeat. - Continue for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes. This is one set. Repeat for a total of 6 sets.

HOLLOW SPRINT

Set 5 cones out in 30 meters intervals. Sprint 30 meters, jog 30 meters, sprint 30 meters and jog 30 meters to the final cone. - Turn around and repeat always alternating jogging and sprinting. Work for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes. This is one set, try and complete 6 sets

CROSS DRILL

Using 4 cones mark a box 30 meters by 30 meters. Place another cone in the center of the box. - Starting at the center cone sprint to each corner and back in a clockwise direction. Once you have completed a circuit rest for 60 seconds. - Perform a total of 6 circuits to complete one set. A session could contain up to 4 sets with a 3 minute rest interval between sets.

Five Dot Training

2006-07-26T08:12:00.000-04:00

Five dot training is simply one type of foot quickness training and is an excellent off ice drill to improve foot quickness for hockey players.

Drawing the Dots

Draw five dots on the ground. At the field, use a can of line spray. At home, use chalk or scratch your driveway with a rock, just as you would to play four square or hopscotch.

The distance between those two dots at the bottom should be standing width for your player's feet, perhaps just a little wider actually. The distance to the single center dot is just one hop, as is the distance from the single center dot to the top two dots.

Two Leg Straddle

In this exercise, the player starts with a left foot on the left lower dot, and right foot on the right lower dot.

A hop brings both feet together on the center dot, another hop puts the left foot top left, and the right foot top right.

The player next hops and turns to face the bottom of the dot pattern, and returns to the starting position as shown. The player completes five repetitions before the next player begins.

Tryouts!

2006-07-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

HERE'S HOW COACHES, PARENTS AND YOUTH PLAYERS CAN HELP MAKE SURE THAT TRYOUTS AREN'T SUCH A TRYING EXPERIENCE.

An excellent article by John L. Pitts

It happens every fall. It's back to school time, of course, but it's also very busy in the world of sports.

While some youngsters are playing football and others may be getting excited about baseballs looming World Series, young ice hockey players are preparing themselves for a different kind of challenge - the team tryout.

Whether you’re and eight-year-old looking to join your first organized team, or a teenager hoping to join a travel squad, you have to prove yourself to the coaches. Who are picking the team. And if you’re the parent of a youngster who is getting ready for a tryout, you have an important role, too.

Talk to enough coaches, and you’ll find that the key to successful hockey tryout is to be properly prepared - physically and mentally - before taking the ice in front of the people who are going top be evaluating you. There are probably as many different styles of tryouts as there are coaches. But most of them are going to have a few things in common - prospective players will be evaluated on the basic skills (skating, passing, shooting, stickhandling, etc.) and how ell they function as part of the team.

The first thing a player needs to do, a few weeks before the tryouts, is to begin getting into "Hockey Shape". Even if you’ve been active all summer, you’ll still need to flex your hockey muscles after several months of inactivity. (If ice time is hard to come by, inline skating can help you with conditioning in warm weather. But keep in mind, you still will have to get accustomed to your ice skates and pads again.)

Make no mistakes - the coaches will be able to tell if you’re in shape or not, and it plays a significant role in how they’ll evaluate you. It’s the same whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced player.

"We’re looking for players who are already in reasonably good condition," says Chris Coury, who runs a Midget AAA (age 17 ½ and under) team in Detroit’s huge Little Caesar’s League.

"The best advice we give is this - before the tryout, get yourself in shape," says Dan Esdale, a Massachusetts District Director who helps oversee player development for USA Hockey. "Get some ice time, do some skill work and be in the best shape you can."

In royal Oak, Mich., the local house league opens rinks for preseason conditioning sessions.
"We have 16 or 17 skate sessions scheduled for the preseason, and I’d say maybe a third of the house league kids will participate," says Robert Kristophik, who oversees the league, which involves about 1.300 youngsters.

Getting into shape before a tryout is important, but so is having a good understanding of what you’ll be facing when you get on the rink. Players, or their parent s, should talk to a coach before the tryouts begin to get an idea of what’s going to be required.

Young players, trying to impress coaches before the local association holds its draft, may spend more time on skill drills during tryout sessions.

"We’ll divide the kids into age groups, then have each group skate five times while the coaches are on the ice to evaluate," Kristophik says of his house leagues evaluation process. "It’s not really a tryout, but it’s a chance for the coaches to look at skating, stickhandling, passing and shooting skills." After the evaluations are over, he says, the house league coaches conduct their draft to fill their rosters.

Older players will likely find themselves on the ice in more controlled scrimmages.
"Our typical tryout? What we do is simple - we scrimmage and we scrimmage a lot," Coury says.

What is hockey sense? Coury explains: Some players are really good skater or have some skill with the stick, but they really can’t play. Others, maybe they’re a little ragged in terms of skills, but they know how to play."

To better evaluate different combinations of players, Coury says he conducts scrimmages over a span of five days.

"For the first day or so, you may have some players who are going on pure adrenaline, then gradually you realize that they can’t keep up. Others may start slowly, then really get into the flow of things."

The bottom line, these coaches say, is that the tryout process is all just part of the process of putting a team together. It isn’t a question of whether a coach likes you, it’s a question of whether your skills can help the team better and what the coach can do to help you with your skill development.

USA Hockey High School Section Chairperson, Ted Brill of Grand Rapids, Minn. echoes that philosophy: "we’re are just trying to figure out one thing: Who is ready to play when you drop the puck. Skill are important, but having the sense of what is happening on the ice is the most important thing."

A typical tryout for Bill and his coaches may involve as many as 500 teens hopeful of making a 20 player travel roster. "There is no magic formula, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Brill says. "The thing that players and parents need to keep in, mind is that we’re doing the best that we can."
Physical preparation is an important part of the tryout puzzle, but so is mental preparation. Coaches agree that players need to enjoy themselves during the tryout process. Parents have an important role to play in keeping expectations realistic, especially for young players who are just getting started in the sport.

Brill, who has been coaching since 1960 at all levels in Minnesota, with state and national tittles to his credit, his tryouts always start with a little talk.

"I’ll tell the kids this not a matter of life and death," he says. "It’s supposed to be a game. Pressure is the biggest enemy that a player has to deal with in a tryout situation. Be relaxed, go out and have some fun."

That’s always good advice.

The Six Stages of the Slapshot

2006-07-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

Preperation: The player positions the puck in front of the skate closest to the target: on average, this location optimizes the amount of energy that will be transferred to the puck on the stick's impact. It might be advantageously altered, though, according to the niceties of a player's technique or his intentions on a given shot. Shifting the puck forward, for instance, might decrease energy transfer but will make the shot go higher. (Height is also a function of the angle of the blade relative to the ice as it strikes the puck; a player varies this by rotating the shaft.) Body stance also helps set a shot's direction and height. The leading shoulder is pointed in the intended direction of the shot. For a right-handed shot, turning the stance so that the lead shoulder points more to the left of the net will make the puck go higher and to the left; shoulder to the right aims the shot lower and to the right.

The Windup: The player draws his stick back by raising his posterior arm (the one furthest from the target) and rotates both his trunk and hips to raise the blade of his stick as far behind and above him as possible. The more the trunk, hip and shoulder muscles are stretched, the greater the force generated when they are contracted. The further the stick is drawn back, the greater the velocity of the shot -- giving players with longer arms and sticks an advantage. Nonetheless, a maximum windup may not be the best idea in many game situations. "The success of a shot is not only reaching peak velocity," says Hoshizaki. "There's a trade-off: the more time you spend winding up, the more time the goalie has to prepare. People like Brett Hull score a lot of goals because they have such a quick release."

The Downswing: The shooter rotates his hips, trunk and shoulders, causing the stick to accelerate forward and downward until the blade comes in contact with the ice approximately four inches (10 centimetres) behind the puck. Hoshizaki is still studying why four inches is the optimal distance, but believes that any less reduces the amount the stick can be loaded and any more risks breaking the shaft.

Loading the Stick: At this point, the shooter continues to apply pressure on the stick by pushing the lower hand against the shaft and holding the upper end of the stick close to the body. This causes the shaft to bow and thereby store energy. (A top player can make the shaft bow four to five centimetres.) The height of the lower hand on the shaft is critical. If it is too high, the shooter will not be able to bend the shaft enough to maximize energy load: if it is too low, not as much energy will be transferred to the puck. The best compromise position is set by a variety of other factors. "The right height depends on the strength, height and skill of the player," says Hoshizaki. This is the most important stage of the slapshot because so much of the velocity is generated here.

Impact: As the movement continues, the blade catches the puck, releases energy and accelerates the puck as it clears the ice. Ideally, the puck is struck by the heel of the blade, which is the "sweet spot" of a hockey stick: because it is closer to and in line with the shaft it offers more effective energy transfer. The further out on the blade, the more torque, or twisting force, there is. That's why players can take flick shots off the tip of the blade that rise quickly but lack the speed of shots taken at the heel. During this stage of the slapshot, the shooter rotates the shaft forward so that the blade turns over until it faces down toward the ice. This motion increases the acceleration of the puck by maintaining the force on it instead of letting it roll off an open-face blade.

The Follow-through: The player continues to allow the body to rotate and move forward so the stick moves forward and upward in front of the body. Not all the energy built up in the earlier phases can be transferred to the puck, so the player has to continue to move forward and absorb the rest to maintain his balance. If he didn't follow through fully, he would fall over or risk doing damage to his muscles. As in a golf swing or tennis shot, the follow-through helps shape the action phase (that is, the downswing, loading and impact stages) and is also a valuable teaching cue. If the follow-through is good, it usually means the action phase was completed properly.

From "How Hockey Works." Published in Equinox: January/February, 1994.

All About Pucks

2006-07-03T08:07:00.000-04:00

Nine questions and answers about that elusive object hockey players spend so much time chasing.

Q: Who invented the hockey puck?
A: Originally, hockey players weren’t picky about what they used as a puck: a piece of coal, an apple, a knot of wood, even a hunk of manure. Eventually, a rubber ball similar to a lacrosse ball was used. But -- the story goes -- in the 1860s, when games started to be played in Montreal’s indoor Victoria Rink, the ball broke so many windows that the fed-up arena manager grabbed it, sliced off the top and bottom and threw what was left back on the ice. The players quickly discovered that the new shape reduced bouncing and made passing easier.

Q: Where are pucks made?
A: Most of the hockey pucks used in Canada are made in an old building in the west end of Toronto. The offices of Viceroy Reliable Group look like they must have in the 1950s. Not much has changed in the plant either, since the way Viceroy has made pucks over the years has undergone few refinements. The machines are the same, although in some cases the controls have been automated. “The nice thing about rubber technology is it hasn’t changed much,” says Todd Bruhm, general manager of Reliable. “The hockey puck has stayed relatively the same for 50 or 60 years. ”

Q: What’s in a puck?
A: As simple as a puck looks, it’s made of at least a dozen ingredients. Natural rubber, synthetic rubber and a filler (usually carbon black, or coal dust, which also gives the pucks their black colour) make up about 90% of a puck. Additives such as sulfur and an anti-oxidant make up the rest; they help in the curing process that gives the final product its strength and hardness.

Q: How is a puck made?
A: The ingredients are poured into an automated mixer called a Banbury and then pushed though a form in a process called extrusion. This result is soft logs of rubber compound roughly three feet long. These logs are sliced into slugs, called pre-forms, which are roughly the same size as a puck but a little thicker. At this stage, the pre-forms have none of the characteristics of the final product; in fact, a key can easily be dug into them. So the slugs are placed into molds and cured at 150 degrees C for about 22 minutes.The pucks come out of the mold with knurled, or dimpled edges. The knurling gives the puck texture for better control on the stick. After the pucks are cured, the flash (the excess rubber left over from the mold) is trimmed. If necessary, logos are then applied, usually done by silk-screening.

Q: Are pucks made in Canada tested?
A: Viceroy, which started producing hockey pucks in the 1940s, can test its pucks for hardness and tensile strength, but usually only needs to when it switches suppliers. As long as the formula stays the same and there is no change in suppliers, the variation in pucks is negligible. The key to making a good puck is achieving the right hardness. If a puck is too hard, it will bounce too much and, in some cases, break the glass around the boards. If it’s too soft, it won’t respond properly and will deaden when it hits the boards.

Q: Why are some pucks made in China and Eastern Europe considered dangerous?
A: “Making pucks is not really a difficult process,” says Todd Bruhm, general manager of Viceroy. “There’s no challenge at all for us. The challenge is to set up quality control across the industry.” Some shipments of pucks made in eastern Europe have been too hard and have broken the glass in rinks. Some pucks from China have broken apart producing potentially dangerous projectiles. Bruhm believes that puck makers in these countries have trouble getting raw materials and that’s played havoc with their formulas as they’ve used inappropriate fillers such as clay. “The problem,” says Bruhm, “is all pucks look the same.”

Q: Does the NHL use the same pucks the rest of us do?
A: The NHL rule book states that pucks must be one inch thick and three inches in diameter and weigh between five and one-half and six ounces. That’s the same puck normally used by all hockey players, except younger kids, who often use smaller, lighter pucks.Although Viceroy sells almost 2.5 million pucks in Canada each year -- more than any other puck maker -- it no longer makes the pucks used in the NHL. Those are made by Inglasco Corp., of Sherbrooke, Que., using a more expensive injection process that sees the rubber compound is liquefied, injected into a mold and allowed to set. According to Andre Blanchette, general manager of Inglasco, this method allows the puck maker better control over the final product.

Q: Why are NHL game pucks are frozen?
A: Timekeepers in NHL rinks keep a bucket of frozen pucks in the penalty box with them. When a puck is frozen, a thin layer of ice forms on it, reducing the friction between the puck and the ice surface. After freezing, pucks slide better, go faster and bounce less, making it easier to puckhandle, pass and shoot.

Q: How did the puck get its name?
A: In Shakespeare’s A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream, a mischievous sprite called Puck appears and disappears without warning and early hockey players thought their projectile had similar qualities.

Weekly Drill

2006-06-28T06:10:00.000-04:00

Click on image for larger view

This a great conditioning drill. Players start in corner and must sprint full speed to far blue line and then pivot and skate backwards (moderate pace), pivot around cone and again sprint full speed to next cone. Repeat drill around all cones. Players should do 3 to 5 reiterations of drill. Coach to watch at far side to make sure players still skating hard when they reach last cones. Have a water break afterwards.

Hockey Shooting Tips

2006-06-25T08:35:00.000-04:00

Forehand wrist-shot

This is the most important shot. It's the shot that so many hockey players learn in their living room at a very young age. The most important thing is the weight transfer. The weight transfer is like a lot of other sports such as baseball and golf. Your weight will transfer from your back to your front leg. Stand perpendicular to your target with your stick cupped on the puck and the puck behind your back foot. Transfer your weight as you move the puck forward, and follow through. As you are sliding the puck forward on the ice, quickly reverse your wrists to make the puck rise more. A low or a high follow through will determine how high the puck goes. When you finish your follow through, your stick should be pointing towards your target.

Backhand wrist-shot

The technique is exactly the same as the forehand wrist-shot. However, the most common problem is that people usually put the puck too far in front of them when they start. When you do this, you don't get any power in your shot. Like the forehand wrist-shot, you must cup the puck on your backhand, and bring it back behind you. Lean into the shot and bend your knees to help raise it off the ground. Again, as in the forehand wrist-shot, weight transfer is very important.

Back-hand off a deke

Having a good backhand shot can be very useful in deking. If you only have a good forehand shot, you are very easy for the defense to stop. They don't have to worry about you deking so that you are ready to take a shot on your backhand. They know that you are only interested in going to your forehand, so it makes you easy to stop.
As a right-handed shooter on the right wing, I would skate down the right side of the ice, and then deke to my backhand. When I make the deke, I must bring the puck in close to my body so that I shield it from the defender. Then I dig my skates in and let a backhand wrist-shot go at the net.

Snap-shot

This is an effective quick-release shot. It can be used in the high slot area. When the puck comes from the corner, if you can use the snap-shot to get a quick shot to the far side of the net (since the goalie will be hugging the opposite post), then you'll have a very good chance of scoring.
The technique is just a quick reverse of the wrists. There is no wind-up at all. Follow through in the direction of the target.

Snap-shot off wrong foot

It's very effective when you can let a shot go quickly off your wrong foot. This will allow you to skate towards your target and release very quickly. You will also be balanced and ready to protect yourself from that 250 lb defender who is on you as you let your shot go from the top of the slot.

If you shoot left, the way to practice this is to have someone pass the puck to you from the left corner of the rink. You stand in the slot, and take the snap-shot towards the left side of the goal, as the goalie will be still covering her right side (since the puck just came from the corner). Opposite if you shoot right.

Slap-shot (low, high)

This is one of the least effective shots. It is mainly important for the defense on the powerplay. People like to use it because it looks impressive, but sometimes it's not the best shot in a situation (it does not have a fast release).

When you contact the puck, you should contact the ice one inch behind the puck. It is this impact which causes your shaft to bend, thus giving your shot power. If you are really strong, then you can contact the puck about 3 inches behind it. This will cause the shaft to bend even more, causing an even more powerful shot. Some people like to slide their bottom hand down a little as they take the slap-shot.

The puck should be a little bit lower than the centre of the blade of your stick (closer to the heel than the toe) (see "+" in diagram below). As you shoot the puck, the puck will sort of roll up and propel off the toe of your stick. You don't need a big wind-up when you take a slap-shot. Keep your stick cupped (closed) in your backswing, as you do with the wrist-shot. Like in the wrist-shot, the height of your follow through will determine how high the puck goes. Also, like in the wrist-shot, the most important thing with this shot is the weight transfer. This is where you get a lot of the power. Your weight will shift from your back to your front leg. Keep those knees bent! Click here for Tim Falconer's Six Stages of the Slapshot.

Close in forehand "roofing it" shot

So often the defense take shots from the point, which leave rebounds lying in the crease area, and the forward comes in and shoots it right into the sprawling goalie's pads. If you can lift the puck into the "roof" of the net, over the goalie, you'll get a lot more goals. Dave Andrechuck of the Leafs stays after practice working on this skill, and it sure pays off for him, as he scores a lot of his goals from the crease area.

The way to practice this is to line up a number of puck around the crease. A left-handed shooter starts from the right side of the goal. One by one, pull the puck in towards you with the tip of your stick (this will give the puck momentum) and reverse your wrists very quickly to lift the puck up into the top mesh part ("roof") of the goal.

Close in backhand "roofing it" shot

You will be very dangerous in the crease area if you can also do this on your backhand. It will also come in very handy when you deke the goalie to your backhand on a breakaway. You'll make the goalie have to guess which way you are going if you can deke equally well to both your forehand and backhand.

Summary

Of course shooting technique is not cast in stone. It can vary a lot from player to player, and each may still have very good shots. I would suggest altering your style to see what works for you. Technique is extremely important, but I think that if you can improve your strength (by doing weights and other strengthening exercises), this will also help. The bottom line is that the best way to improve your shot is just to practice, practice, practice. Players, especially young players, should be taking 300 to 500 shots at home off ice depending on their age. Like most things, there is no easy way out. Get a hockey net with targets or a piece of wall and just keep shooting, shooting, shooting!

Laura Stamm's Power Skating Tip

2006-06-22T06:57:00.000-04:00

Q: What is the importance of skating practice to hockey players - who should practice skating technique and why?

LS: Today's hockey is all about speed. Players fly down the ice at speeds not conceived of in years past. Competitive players who aspire to play hockey at a high level must master balance, agility, and maneuverability (BAM). Recreational players inevitably find the game of hockey more fun as their skating improves. Skating is not comprised of a series of natural motions. In fact, the opposite is true; it involves some of the most un-natural motions and maneuvers of the human body. Therefore they must first be taught correctly. Then these motions and maneuvers must be practiced correctly, consistently and repetitively until they become ingrained and natural. Maneuvers should first be practiced without the puck, and as they improve, with the puck.

Q: What is the importance of "skating position" to balance, power and speed?

LS: Skating is an extremely precise and intricate activity. Position is critical; any loss of it will inevitably have a negative result. "Skating position" is actually a combination of many components; these include knee bend, edges, leg drive and leg recovery, weight shift, upper body positioning and control, usage of the arms, etc. The combined correct usage of these components is critical to balance, power, and speed.

Q: Is there a right way and a wrong way to teach hockey skating?

LS: I believe that the right way of teaching is to break down each maneuver into its many motions or parts. Players should learn each part separately and perform drills to perfect each part. The parts must then be put together so that the "whole" maneuver is performed correctly. There are several aspects of perfecting a maneuver. At first we focus on performing the maneuver correctly, then powerfully, then quickly, and finally, all three (correctly, powerfully, quickly), with the puck and then in games and under lots of pressure. When teaching youngsters it's important to understand that it takes several years to achieve the ultimate combination. Elite players can achieve final combination much more quickly. I believe that telling players to "do this" or "do that" or "follow me" doesn't work. They don't know what "this" means. They may think they're doing what you want them to do but each person's interpretation of what you want them to do may be different. Everyone learns differently; the challenge is to reach all students. The teaching methods that I use stress understanding (at all ages). I teach by appealing to the intellectual abilities of the students, then by incorporating all the senses - I want students to see (visualize), feel, hear, and think. I call it the FAST method - FEEL, ACT, SEE, THINK. Some ways of explaining things work for some people but not for others. Some visualizations work for some but not for others. Some drills work for some but not for others. Therefore we must have many different ways of explaining things and use many different drills to teach the same thing. I always try to keep this in mind.

Q: How much skating should be done in hockey practices? When should the puck be incorporated?

LS: I believe that skating should be included in every hockey practice; not just skating for endurance but skating for technique. Even if there's only enough time to practice one move or maneuver for a few minutes out of every hour, this is better than no time at all. I think it's most effective to teach skating maneuvers early in the season, review them often, and have players practice them (on a rotating basis and for short periods) as the season progresses. As players get moderately adept at a particular maneuver they should then practice the maneuver with pucks. Because youngsters can get bored if they don't use pucks we often let them practice the maneuver with pucks even if they're not actually ready for it. When they "mess up" stop and point out their mistakes. A great way of practicing skating technique in a fun manner is to have scrimmages that include "skating rules" - i.e, how many times players have to crossover (or turn, or pivot, or stride, or skate backward) before shooting or passing, etc. Because kids love to "play by the rules" they'll try to conform to them. Thus they'll improve while playing fun games. It's interesting to note that elite and pro players often prefer to learn and practice without the puck because they can concentrate just on the skating techniques. They understand the importance of perfecting technique. They know that incorporating the puck will not be that difficult.

Q: How should coaches approach individual differences?

LS: There are always individual differences - some because of the way people are built, what they're comfortable with, how they learn, what works best for them. I've seen players who skate fast but do not skate the way I would teach them to skate (if I were teaching them). However, if it works for them why try to change it? I always say (this is slang), "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Also, there is no substitute for talent! For example, people used to say that Gretzky could have been better if his posture was better. However, I never saw anyone catch him when he wanted to turn on the jets! Had I taught him from the time he was a child, I would have worked on posture but at his level I wouldn't have tried to change his style because it worked for him.

Q: How long does it take to become a "complete" hockey skater and hockey player? How can I accomplish this?

LS: Becoming a great skater and hockey player is a long-term process. It takes years (approximately ten) to become a great skater/player, just as it takes that long to become a great pianist, dancer, tennis player, etc. Some players think that after one or two power skating clinics they've learned all there is to know about skating. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of my students who have gone on to excel in hockey attended my clinics throughout their childhood and even into their college years. Most of my certified instructors grew up participating in my System.

Q: How can I distinguish between a good power skating program and a mediocre or bad one?

LS: Hockey skating techniques are based upon scientific principles. A good skating program must teach and adhere to these principles. Also, a good skating syllabus should be structured like a pyramid - the object being to build a strong foundation. A lot of time must be spent teaching basic fundamentals. More difficult moves and techniques are introduced as players improve. The most effective learning entails a building block process. It takes time, patience, practice, repetition and lots of trial and error. While fun is always important, fun with learning is what makes a good program. Programs that offer a lot of gimmicks without teaching "hows" and "whys", without addressing individual differences, and without offering methods of improvement, are not. When choosing a power skating program this summer, keep this in mind. Also keep in mind that while "power skating may not be the most fun part of hockey, it is the part of hockey that makes hockey more fun."

Q: How do you define a fast skater? Does "fast" mean how quickly players move their feet?

LS: Some coaches often look for players who have "quick feet" because their interpretation of speed is how quickly players move their feet. Quickness certainly is important because hockey is a sprint sport. But fast feet alone do not necessarily result in speed. Speed is a measure of distance traveled in time (miles per hour or feet per second). Each time players move their feet (stride), they should cover significant distances. Moving the feet fast with improper and incomplete leg drive may look fast, but in studying the distances traveled per stride it becomes obvious that these players often end up "going nowhere fast". Fast efficiency is our goal. Some NHL players who exemplify fast efficiency are Doug Brown (former star with Detroit Red Wings), Brian Rafalski, Mike Modano, Chris Drury, Paul Kariya, Pavel Bure, Sergei Federov, Scott Young, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Sakic, Niklas Lidstrom, Peter Forsberg, Martin St-Louis, Teemu Selanne, Scott and Rob Niedermayer. Scott Niedermayer won the speed competition in the 2004 NHL All Star Skills Competition. TV commentators noted they were amazed because his legs hardly seemed to be moving. This is fast efficiency! Scott Niedermayer is one of my NHL graduates; he's a shining example of my Power Skating System. Skate Great Hockey,

Weekly Drill

2006-06-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

Click on image for larger view

D to D drill with transition. P1 starts across ice and receives pass from P2. P1 swings around D1 and passes to D2. D2 then makes cross ice pass to D1 who starts skating with puck and makes lead pass to P1 and joins the rush. D1’s spot is filled by next D. This drill is run from both sides at same time. As P1 starts out skating to receive pass, P3 also starts at same time and receives pass from P4. Players then alternate each time.

This drill teaches the need for firm passes, leading the player with the pass, quick feet and defence joining the play.

Defenceman's Poke Check tip

2006-06-16T13:49:00.000-04:00

One common mistake amongst not very experienced defencesmen is the way they keep their stick while defending something like a 1 on 1 or 2 on 1.The poke check should almost always be used in these situations, especially in 2 on 1s as you can't exactly take out 2 guys at once.

But to make the poke check effective you have to make sure you keep your stick close to your body, near your hip, or just out infront of you, and then push it out when doing the poke. This GREATLY helps the poke check, since the opposition doesn't know your reach, and has no clue how close they can come to you with the puck.

Avoiding the Big Hits

2006-06-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

Hockey is a dangerous sports, especially in bigger leagues when there can be a huge variety between the size of players. One of the biggest tips is skate in the direction you're looking. If you're skating in different directions things get messy. Someone can easily come to you from the same side your skating at and if your not looking the hits get really dangerous. Defencemen are often prone to getting big hits, though mainly when they move into leagues with bigger players.

Defencemen are usually switching from backwards to forwards and looking to make the break out pass, they aren't particularly concerned about hits, especially when they're the biggest players. Now when a defencemen moves into a bigger league, or players with bigger players on different teams this can cause huge hits. So defencemen especailly, always skate in the direction your looking.

It's also very important to be close to players, especailly infront of the net. As a defencemen, standing infront of the net may make you prone to hits from guys rushing the net. The important thing is to keep an eye out for this and when you see the guy, come to him and absorb him, stay beside him and use your upper body strength to tie his hands up and make him useless.

What it takes to be a Coach.

2006-06-11T12:37:00.000-04:00

There are so many questions one must ask themselves before one decides if they have what it takes to be a coach... Questions like, Do you have your super hero costume pressed and cleaned, Do you have a job that will give you hours of time to work on hockey at the office, and do you have a husband or wife who is willing to have you out of the house every night at meetings, practices or games? Well, if you have all of the above you're lucky...but for the rest of us.... all you need is a bit of free time and a willingness to have the best time of your life.

I hear many coaches complain about "psycho parents", "problem players" and for sympathy sake they will tell you of all the long hours of dedicated service they have put in to minor hockey... what they allways leave out is the fact that THEY LOVE IT... that's why they do it! Sure there is the occasional conflict, and on some occasions you might have to put in an extra 30 minutes on some planning, but the reward and the feeling of accomplishment you will experience will outweigh all of that by a landslide..

In an effort to help coaches on their way, here's a list of the 'best tips' gathered along the way in speaking to many veteran coaches of minor hockey. It seems that when you speak to enough people, they all seem to have the same message, so by sharing them with you, I hope to help you along with your process. (Please remember these are not rules, they are suggestions from coaches who have been around for a long time)

Some Common Rules.

Be Organized

The better organized and prepared you are as a coach the better your team will practice, the more they will learn, and the better they will perform in games. Make sure you have a plan for each practice in place before the practice. Explain the drills to the players before going on the ice and stick to your plan as much as possible, this will decrease ‘talk times’ and increase your time to teach. An organized practice will keep players moving on the ice… there is nothing more frustrating to a parent in the stands watching a practice than watching their child stand around on the ice. Players respond and respect organization, It gives them confidence in your program, and makes your job that much easier and more enjoyable.

Respect and think about your player needs.

When coaching it is important to put yourself on your players level once in a while. This does not mean you become the biggest kid on the ice… this means look at your practice how they do. There is nothing wrong with asking your players if they like certain drills, or getting their advice on their favorite drills. If the team likes a drill they will work harder so you will reward them and do it again. A motivated athlete is a happier athlete, and a happy athlete performs better.

When coaching, it is important to realize that players like to have fun, and if you can design drills with fun and learning in mind, you will get a lot more out of your players.

I have a drill which involves a lot of skating at a high tempo, there's passing and driving to the net and I was suprised the other day when I figured it was time to move on to the next drill (after 5 or 6 repetitions) that they all wanted to go one more time. I learned even though the the kids were working very hard, they were still having fun!

Always strive to better yourself as a coach.

Every experience in coaching is a learning experience. Like your players, you will make many mistakes this season. If you are open to new ideas, and willing to try new ideas you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. During any season there are a lot of great courses that are offered by the Canadian Hockey Association, as well as many books on coaching. In addition to this you will be surrounded by many other coaches in your association. If you do not know something… ask someone, other coaches are always willing to share their knowledge and experience… its all part of the club..

Teach by Example.

Your players will look to you as a resource for not just hockey skills, but also for appropriate behavior. When you teach a new skill demonstrate it to your players. It does not matter if you do not do it well, your players will try to copy you or better you… it’s a natural instinct.

Unfortunately, because your players will watch everything you do, they will also pick up your bad habits if you have any. If you yell at referees, criticize players in front of them, or swear… they will too. The unfortunate part of this is that as a coach you will have to discipline them for their actions, and you are setting a double standard for them and will create problems with any code of discipline you have enacted.

Make sure you are having fun.

If you are not having fun.. your players are not having fun. Plan your practices to teach skills and be enjoyable. Players can learn while having fun.. they will have favorite drills and they excel when challenged. Do not be fooled into thinking that by not making players skate hard, or by being their friend that they will have more fun. You are the coach, they already have friends and they do not need another. Players get great pleasure from obtaining goals you set for them, and by being pushed to their limits. Fun does not mean easy.. it means that the player feels good about an event… succeeding is one of the best ways to make a player feel good.

Be honest with players and parents.

It is always easier to take the path of least resistance. However, as a coach you have the responsibility to be honest with players and parents about behaviors or skills that need improvement. This does not mean you ridicule a player in front of people with ‘brutal honesty’. If you take the time to explain all situations with parents and players they can deal with most situations. If you choose to ignore problems then they will come back to haunt you at a later time.

Remember you are coaching kids… not in the NHL

Many of the players you will encounter will come from different backgrounds and expectations. Because they are children, they are extremely sensitive to things you would not expect. Before you criticize or correct any child’s behavior or skill, take the time to find two things they do well. After you have 2 compliments in place, sandwich the criticism between the two positives and the player will accept it much better.

The second point in dealing with children is remembering that they will not understand drills and directions the first time it is introduced. YOU MUST TEACH BY REPITITION. Let the players do the skill over and over again and they will eventually learn the skill. If a player makes a mistake in a drill, do not stop the whole drill to correct the player, instead take the player aside and correct the problem… have them watch others, and let them go again when it is their turn….. IF EVERYONE IS MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE…YOU EXPLAINED IT WRONG.

The final point in dealing with children is to always remember that what a player hears in casual conversation between coaches or on the bench can be more damaging that a direct comment to a player. If you speak about other players on the ice in a negative way when players can hear you, they will certainly understand that you are doing the same when they are on the ice. If you speak ill of players, they will speak ill of their teammates.. and before long.. you will be dealing with a confidence issue… and that is a tough one to deal with.

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

2006-06-09T17:51:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-07T06:39:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

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"

2006-06-05T07:12:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-05T06:54:00.000-04:00

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.

Hockey Tip Of The Week

2006-06-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

3 ON 2 SITUATION

3 - 2 Offense

Attack as quickly as possible and set up a 2-1 versus one defender.Puck carrier, try to go to net and force the defender to play you.If defenders have backed in cross and drop or cross and pick.On a straight attack the second attacker skate to the post, on a cross the third attacker skates to the post.

3 - 2 Defensemen

Delay the attack and try to stand up at blue line.Weak side defender take one attacker to the post and strong side defender play the 2-1 and pressure the third man if a trailer pass is made to the middle

Skate Fitting Tips: Getting Past the "Skate-Lore"

2006-06-01T07:41:00.000-04:00

Here are some guidelines to help you select new skates.

Please be aware that these are general or "average" statements. They may not apply to everyone.

Boys' feet usually stop growing when the boy reaches age 14 or 15. The rest of the body may grow significantly in height and weight after this, but the feet tend to remain the same size.

Girls' feet will probably not grow after the girl reaches age 13 or 14.

If a skate looks too big for a foot, it probably is.

Shoe widths are different than skate widths. Skates are wider than shoes of the same width classification.
When purchasing skates for a growing child, allow a half-size (about 3/16 in. or 5 mm) for growing room. Generally, this allowance will provide 12 months of skating before it becomes necessary to stretch the boot or buy new skates.

If the fit is correct, the average 10 year-old child will be able to lace up his or her skates securely without assistance.

Fitting Tips

Always match the skate model to the skater's size, ability, and frequency of use.WARNING: Not every skater will benefit from a higher end skate. A boot that is too stiff can significantly hinder a skater's performance by preventing knee bend and proper edge control. Of course, the opposite is also true: larger, more aggressive skaters need a top end boot for proper support and durability.

Hockey skates fit 1 to 1-1/2 sizes smaller than shoes, for both boys' and men's sizing. For example, a size 6 running shoe will correspond to a size 4 1/2 or 5 skate.

Women's skates generally fit 2 sizes smaller than their shoe sizing. For example a women's size 7 1/2 shoe will require about a size 5 1/2 skate.

A skate fits properly only when laced up. When tightened, the laces will draw the foot back into the boot. A skate that feels too small at first can feel fine once it's done up.

On a properly fitting skate, you'll see a nice, even lacing pattern-not less than 2 1/2" from eyelet to eyelet.
A new skate should feel comfortably snug, but without any pressure points. Specific pressure points (for example, ankle bones, small toes) should be stretched ("popped") in-store to relieve local discomfort. Skates stretch a little after break-in, so a wide fitting skate will only get wider over time, most likely creating problems in fit and performance.

To truly evaluate the fit of a skate boot, relax and spend some time in it. In 10 to 15 minutes, the boot will warm up on your foot and feel quite different than when you first put it on. The way it feels after it warms up is the way it will feel when you're skating in it.

Getting a good fit takes time. When you buy skates, plan on spending some quality time in the store. It can take as much as an hour to fit you properly.

The World's Oldest Known Skating Image

2006-06-01T07:36:00.000-04:00

In 1396 Lydwine (also Ludwina and Lidwina), a beautiful 16-year-old girl, from Schiedam in Holland was visited by friends, who invited her to go skating. Legend says that Lydwine's friends insisted that she go skating even though she said she wasn't feeling well. Once they were on the ice Lydwine was knocked down. She broke 6 ribs and was bedridden for the rest of her life. After the accident Lydwine had visions and was given credit for performing many miracles. Lydwine was canonized in 1890 and was named the Patron Saint of Skating in 1944. The Dutch artist, Johannes Brugman, made this image of the fateful fall in 1498. This image provided courtesy of the SchaatsMuseum (Netherlands)

Skating History & Facts

2006-06-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

The oldest pair of skates known date back to about 3000 B.C., found at the bottom of a lake in Switzerland. The skates were made from the leg bones of large animals, holes were bored at each end of the bone and leather straps were used to tie the skates on. The Dutch word for "skate" is "schenkel" which means "leg bone".

Around the 14th Century, the Dutch started using wooden platform skates with flat iron bottom runners. The skates were attached to the skater's shoes with leather straps. Poles were used to propel the skater. Around 1500, the Dutch added a narrow metal double-edged blade, making the poles a thing of the past, as the skater could now push and glide with his feet (called the "Dutch Roll").

In 1848, E. V. Bushnell of Philadelphia, PA invented the first all steel clamp for skates.

In 1865, Jackson Haines, a famous American skater, developed the two plate all metal blade. The blade was attached directly to Haines' boots. The skater became famous for his new dance moves, jumps and spins. Haines added the first toe pick to skates in the 1870's, making toe pick jumps possible.

The first artificial ice rink (mechanically-refrigerated) was built in 1876, at Chelsea, London, England and was named the Glaciarium. It was built near the King's Road in London by John Gamgee.

In 1914, John E. Strauss, a blade maker from St. Paul, Minnesota, invented the first closed toe blade made from one piece of steel, making skates lighter and stronger.

The largest outdoor ice rink is the Fujikyu Highland Promenade Rink in Japan, built in 1967 and boasts an ice area of 165,750 square feet-- equal to 3.8 acres.

Weekly Drill

2006-05-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

Click on image for larger view

Weekly Drill: Race for the puck. Players in pairs skate hard from blueline to redline, back to blueline and then race to puck and shoot on net. Player without puck backchecks. Run from both sides. Always stop facing into rink.

This drill is great for conditioning but should only be run for a short time. I usually have players go through the drill 4 or 5 times and then give them a water break,

Puck Shooting Skills

2006-05-29T08:20:00.000-04:00

The development of hockey shooting skills consists of learning and mastering the techniques, developing accuracy, consistency and power and mastering shooting from different angles and positions.

To become a great shooter, a player needs to practice two to three hundreds shots a week of all the different types of hockey shots (wrist shot, backhand shot, snap shot and slap shot), and will benefit their passing and stick handling. This combination of off-ice and on-ice shooting practice will develop good shooting skills.

All sports are the same; the best players spend hours and hours every week on developing their skills. Hockey is one of the sports where players practice their shots the least. The reason is simple: while on the ice, players spend little time on shooting. Every serious hockey player from the beginner to the junior levels needs to practice hockey shooting off the ice.

Remember that shooting skills are difficult to master and require a lot of time and effort.

Have fun while you learn new shooting skills and become a better player!

Stats!

2006-05-29T08:02:00.000-04:00

How often do you watch a hockey game and think about the statistics being compiled by the coaching staff — probably not very often. And I’m not just referring to “shots on goal” or “saves.” There are any number of stats being created during a typical game, particularly in today’s NHL.

Facing the Competition

It is also important to note who the competition is when considering or compiling worthwhile statistics. For example, in a play-off series with Edmonton, their defense was extremely effective in blocking shots against the Kings. Noting the player (by number) who was doing the blocking, and where he was on the ice when the block occurred, became a valuable piece of information (stat) for the Kings coaching staff.

It’s very common to chart shots using the triangle-shaped, high-percentage zone as the key. Shots taken from within this zone are charted as important factors in a game, regardless of whether the shots were in the offensive or defensive zone.

Importance of Turnovers

Turnovers by your team are also very important to follow through the course of any game. There are patterns that develop by charting these stats. These patterns tell a coaching staff how to react to problems that occurs as a result of these stats (in this instance, turnovers.) If a player’s number keeps coming up who is involved in turnovers that result in out-numbered attacks, or goals against, that player is going to be looked upon as a potential liability. More specifically, there are certain areas (grey zones) that coaches forbid the puck to lost in. These areas are just inside the blue line, four to five feet on either side when defending, or just outside the second blue line when attacking through the neutral zone.

Specific Reasons

The reasons these are considered critical turnover areas are:

If the puck is lost as you attempt to clear your own zone, the opposition has already gained entry, and if your teammates are in the break-out process, you’ll most likely find yourself in an out-numbered attack situation. A high-risk scoring opportunity is thus created for the opposing team.

Moving through the neutral zone, on the other hand, as you approach the second blue line on the attack, attempting to gain entry of the offensive zone presents a similar situation.

Loss of possession four to five feet before entering the final zone, not only stalls the attack, but again, the forwards are now caught up the ice, and the opposition is in a position to outnumber your defense in the transition.

Very simply stated, the puck “must come out” when approaching your own blue line, and the puck “must go in” when approaching the opposition’s blue line.

Some Other Stats

Other statistics not often considered are: goaltender tendencies, regular puck movements, hits, face-offs and others. Sometimes specific players are tracked: centers, wings, defensemen and even goalies.It’s also common when looking for stats, for a coach to segment the game. Each period's stats are analyzed to determine what is important for the next segment or period. Shifts are sometimes altered, match-ups are changed, length of shifts become an issue, etc.

All of the above is very helpful to the coaches to identify areas need a little more attention as they develop.

Power Skating

2006-05-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

Power Skating

For any player, at any level, to improve your skating, you must constantly work and concentrate on repeating the proper techniques. However, one of the great problems in practicing your skating is quite often not your lack of effort but rather your lack of understanding or knowing whether you are practicing proper techniques or, simply, entrenching your bad habits even more.

To quote Jack Blatherwick in his book Overspeed, "Practice does not make perfect, it only makes permanent." For these reasons, when we teach skating to any age or level we try to steer away from the technical jargon and instead try to get you to focus on what I call "skating imagery." It makes teaching and learning much more fun and, more importantly, makes retaining the information much easier. For example, we are constantly being reminded by skating instructors or television commentators about Paul Coffey's 90-degree knee bend or about the full extension of his skate, and both of these observations are 100% correct. But for us mere mortals who would like to emulate Coffey's speed and style (and who wouldn't?), how do we know if we are achieving the 90-degree knee bend or full extension; and for that matter, what do these terms even mean? What follows are some helpful hints, examples of skating imagery and practice driIls, which can be applied both on the ice as well as off the ice using your in-line skates. These hints will allow you to draw pictures in your mind, making it simpler for you to work on the proper skating techniques on your own.

Knee Bend

Helpful Hints: This much is AUTOMATIC, the more you bend your knees -- whether you are skating forwards, backwards or turning -the better your control, balance, speed and power. However, knowing that you should bend your knees more is one thing, DOING IT is another story. Therefore, you must make a great effort to exaggerate the bending of your knees while practicing your skating. Bend the knees lower then what feels comfortable for you, or lower than where you usually skate. In fact, I challenge you to bend your knees too far.

Skating Imagery: As I just discussed, a 90-degree angle of the knee is the optimal knee bend position. However, since it is impossible to play hockey with a measuring stick in your hand, simply bend your knees to a point where you cannot see the toes of your skates. With knee pads on, this means that the knee Is about two inches ahead of your gliding skate and that will ensure that you are at least at a 90-degree angle.

Practice Drill: One excellent practice exercise is called the One-Leg Push. In this drill we are practicing by first using only our right leg to push off from while skating on one side of the ice, and then with only our left on the other side. Concentrate on maintaining your gliding knee at about two inches ahead (90 degrees) of your toes while fully extending the pushing leg. Each push comes from an inside edge digging squarely into the ice (see the next paragraph). You will want to put 100% effort into each thrust to get the most benefit from this drill.

Edge Control

Helpful Hints: As we have discussed, bending your knees is a must for better skating. However, it is just as vital that you bend your ankles as well. What I mean by "bending your ankles" is that you want to have excellent flexibility in the ankles so that you are able to roll the skate to the proper and optimum edge position. The best angle for an edge -- inside or outside edge -- in relation to the ice is 45 degrees. At 45 degrees, you will feel an excellent grip in the ice which will immediately improve your balance, control, speed and power in all aspects of hockey skating. Of course, maintaining an edge at 45 degrees is very difficult and we see many high level players who still have trouble using their edges properly.

Skating Imagery: Once again, describing in detail how your edge should be 45 degrees to the ice may not mean that much to you (especially if you did as poorly in Geometry as I did). Therefore, concentrate on rolling your ankle HALFWAY to the ice; this will automatically put you at the necessary and best angle. Try to picture in your mind that your edges are your grip in the ice, and when your grip is improper, you are sliding along the ice -- losing power and speed -- rather than driving into it. Also, in order to hold an inside or outside edge in the ice, be sure that you have ALL of your body weight centered directly over it.

Practice Drill: An exercise which is super for all levels, from NHL and National Team players to beginning skaters, is the One-Foot Edge Glide. This drill can be worked on at all times - in game warm-ups or in practice. In this exercise you will use one foot gliding on an edge that is half way to the ice (45 degrees) while the other foot is off the ice and held closely to the skating foot. Your goal is to be able to hold your balance on one foot remaining on that edge long enough to form a big half circle in the ice before you push off and duplicate this procedure with the other foot. Remember to maintain a deep knee bend and 100% body weight, and try to keep a good, even pace when practicing this drill. This exercise should be practiced on inside and outside edges as well as both forwards and backwards.

It Doesn't Come Overnight

I'm sure we all wish that we could simply wave a magic wand that would allow us to suddenly skate like Coffey or Pavel Bure. Unfortunately, we know that this is not going to happen, and in fact, there is no magic relating to Coffey or Bure's skating skills either. Their greatness comes from working hard and understanding the proper skating techniques and fundamentals. And you too can definitely make great improvements in your skating if you begin to put these fundamentals to work by visualizing and feeling what you are doing, both correctly and incorrectly. Finally, remember that you can get better at any age or skill level. So try not to get frustrated when practicing your skating. Sometimes the strides you make can be very subtle and may take a long time to achieve, but they are worth it in the long run -when you skate better, the game is much easier to play and certainly much more fun.

Did You Know That?

2006-05-21T10:25:00.000-04:00

Hockey originated in Canada between 1855 and 1860. In 1860 a puck, instead of a ball, was used in play for the first time. In 1879, the first official set of rules was incorporated in Montreal, and in 1893 the first United States Hockey organization was formed. Also in that year, Lord Stanley of Preston established the Stanley Cup Trophy to be awarded to the top hockey association in Canada. The Stanley Cup remains the pinnacle award in professional hockey.

Questions???

2006-05-19T10:10:00.000-04:00

Hopefully, this answers some of your questions.

Over the years, the same few questions keep popping up and I thought I’d answer some of the most frequently asked ones here.

Only a few are listed here, so look for more to come in the following articles.

Everyone has their own hockey philosophies and I am no different. However, the responses that follow are the result of questions and ideas that I have pondered and experimented with throughout my coaching career, a compilation of information and experiences

1. How often should I eat before a practice? An off ice work out? A big Game?

The rule of thumb is about 3 hours prior to the event. Many players like to play "hungry" but frequently replenish themselves throughout competition with simple carbohydrates such as Gatorade or PowerAde, which are immediately available to the body as quick energy. Eating too close to game-time can make you sluggish and even cause cramping, nausea and even vomiting. Just what you don’t want to put your body through in the heat of battle. Proper digestion is key to utilizing the nutrients and energy that food provides us.

2. What types of food should I eat before lacing up the skates?

Any time you ask your mind and your body to perform at a high level, they need ultra-octane fuel. Like a high-performance race car, a hockey player requires top notch fuel. In fact, your body is much more complex than any race car. On the ice, are you driving an ‘82 Pinto or a ‘99 Ferrari? A pre-game meal that is high in complex carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, rice), contains moderate protein levels (fish, chicken) is a good formula. Be disciplined when it comes to high fat foods, foods containing poor fuel, especially prior to a game or workout (french fries, burgers, hot dogs, chips, fast food, deep fried foods, deserts).

If the high-octane fuel never gets to your engine, what’s the point? Stay away from the big T-bone steak and sides of beef as they tend to be much more difficult for your body to breakdown and digest in a short period. Allow 3-4 hours for complete digestion and avoid high fat foods. Lastly, drink plenty of fluids. This too will aid in digestion. Several glasses of water 1-2 hours before competition and frequent re-hydration during competition helps control your body temperature (sweating) and aides in digestion, energy utilization and helps control lactic acid buildup (heavy legs).

3. How often should I sharpen my skates? How do I know when it is time?

I run into this question possibly more than any other. The simple answer is, don’t sharpen your skates as often as you do. Most people are infatuated with sharp skates and grind the expensive steel from their $300-$400 skates much too frequently. Sure, skates need to be sharp, but they never need to be razor sharp. In fact, skates that are too sharp are much more likely to cause knee and ankle injuries and because of excess friction, will decrease your speed, agility and overall performance on the ice.

The function of your blade is to furnish two distinct edges, an inside edge and an outside edge. And the function of your edges is to grip the ice. There are two ways to grip the ice. One is with very sharp skates. Extra sharp skates automatically cut deeply into the ice providing too much grip and not enough "play" or "slide" which is needed when stopping and changing directions. The other way, and the best way to create grip, is to roll your ankles which digs an edge into the ice, allowing you to control the amount and degree of grip. You are now in control, not your skate. Your edges should provide a certain degree of slide, or play (this is called the flat of your skate). A skate that is too sharp does not provide ‘play’ and holds you to the direction of your momentum (similar to a heavy train trying to turn or stop).

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being extra sharp), most people maintain a 9 or 10. I recommend a 7-8. This lets your skates have more movement, but the trick now is to learn how to control your edges through precise angles and pressure. I say that the average player can easily skate 25-30 hours, unless you "lose an edge" (this number of hours may decrease if you are a player who covers more ice per hour or if you are a skilled player who uses their edges extensively). Get into the habit of lightly rubbing your finger along both edges at once. Most high-level players use this test before each ice session to give them the confidence that their edges are faithfully beneath them ready for duty. If when you rub your finger along your blade, you feel a ‘bur’ or a ‘knick’, or the blade is not completely smooth, consider getting them sharpened. Just remember that sharp skates are important, but not as important as blades that are smooth and ‘knick-free’.

The sharpness is definitely important, but even more so is the "hollow" or deepness of the edges. Some sharpening machines grind a deep hollow, which is bad news! Stay away from a deep hollow that will create the "death grip" to the ice and eliminate all ‘play’ (ability to slide when needed). To measure the hollow on your skate blade, turn the boot upside down holding the heal towards your body, with the toe facing away. Like looking through the sights of a gun, close one eye and look down the blade while holding it up to a light. Now place a penny on the blade and measure how much light shows under the coin. More than a slight sliver is too much, and therefore, too much hollow. As you run your finger along the blade, you should feel only a very slight ‘U-shaped groove’ in the blade.

Running your finger along the blade and flipping the boot upside down and looking at the light showing under a coin are the only tests that many top level players use to assure proper edge condition. In fact many players actually "take the edge off the edge". This means, they try to take some of the sharpness and hollow off of their edges by rubbing them several times along a piece of wood or another dulling device. If you are among those who race to the sharpening machine twice a week, you more than likely are not only throwing away money, placing yourself at risk of injury, but are actually decreasing your speed and agility on the ice.

PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE PERFECT GAME

After your favorite pre-game meal (lots of carbohydrates) and a bit of a rest (for digestion time), it’s off to the rink. Once you step into the rink, your preparation should continue through the end of the game and beyond.

What are some ways I can use locker-room time to energize me for a great performance?

I am a firm believer of being active during the game, on the ice and off. If for no other reason, your energy often times feeds your teammates, energy and positive "vibes" tend to be contagious. However, prior to the game, on the way to the rink and in the locker-room, I recommend a more "to yourself" approach. This will give you the opportunity to make sure that you prepare yourself properly and that "all systems are GO".

Pre-game Checklist

Pre-game preparation is a time to make sure everything is in tip top shape and ready for battle. Not only yourself, but your gear, skates and stick. Take care of the entire solder, armor and all and the battle will be easily won. Make sure your skates are properly sharpened with distinct edges and are free of "knicks", make sure your stick is taped the way you like it and double check that all your gear fits correctly. If you are planning to play with an injury (which becomes more prominent with each jump in age level) address it properly.

I will save hockey superstitions for a later article, however, many players make sure the left skate goes on before the right one, and believe it or not, some players even sleep with their game stick the night before. Also, visualization is becoming quite popular, something you may want to try. An interesting side-note to illustrate the prevalence of pre-game routines: If you pulled the fire alarm in an NHL locker-room before a game, no one would flinch. To get their "game faces" on, almost every ear is plugged into listening to music, everything from Classical to Heavy Metal. If it works, use it!

It all boils down to taking care of what is going to take care of you. You don’t want to lose an edge when racing into the corner for a puck, you don’t want your stick to give out on you during a breakaway and you want all of your padding to be in place when you take a hit. Lastly, don’t forget to prepare your body with plenty of warm-ups and stretching (I recommend jumping rope for 10 minutes to warm up your muscles before you stretch. Try freezing a rubber band and then stretching it. Don’t stretch cold!).
There is no right or wrong pre-game approach. However, more than half of all hockey injuries are caused by poor flexibility. In other words, you can cut your chances of injury in half by adequately warming up and stretching prior to each ice session.

What can I do between shifts to make sure I am prepared for the upcoming shift?

Think for a moment about what you do between shifts. Chances are you don’t know and this could be taking away from your speed, stickhandling and overall contribution to your team. Most coaches help you develop your skills and work on plays such as breakouts so that you know your responsibilities on the ice. However, the biggest responsibility you have as a player, both to yourself and your team, is to make sure that you are prepared each time you take the ice. You become a performer on stage and the spot-light is on YOU. What are you going to do? Steal the show, or turn in a so-so performance. The key is to rebound your mind and body from a demanding and exhausting prior shift....in a hurry.

Fatigue is the number one cause of mistakes on the ice. Fatigue causes mental break-downs and when thoughts aren’t clear, you make poor decisions. Since it is impossible to completely eliminate fatigue and its negative effects, your goal should be to POSTPONE fatigue. Controlling fatigue comes primarily from off ice training & conditioning and from a strong work ethic in practice. However, most people don’t realize how easy it is to make fatigue in the shape of "tired legs" and exhaustion go away in just a minute or two, while we are awaiting our next shift.

Martial arts place a big emphasis on breathing and becoming in tuned with your body, and many competitive hockey players do the same. Try taking 10-15 deep breaths as soon as you get off the ice and even during a shift. As you do this, move around a bit. While on the bench, move your legs and shrug your shoulders. Try this standing up. When an airplane pulls into the gate, the captain doesn’t turn its engines off, nor should we. Stay active on the bench, both internally and externally. Keep your muscles warm by moving around and stay vocal offering positive team comments.

Give it all you have during the game and kick your feet up after the game, not between shifts. Lastly, drink plenty of fluids before, during and after each ice session. A hockey player demands a great deal from his/her body. In fact, you are asking your body to do things it is not made to do, and that it can not do naturally and freely without training! Preparing yourself AND keeping yourself "tuned up" throughout the ice session is critical to performing at your highest possible level.

Weekly Drill.

2006-05-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

Click on image for larger view

Weekly Drill: Player 1 skate across ice and turn up towards player 2 in far group. Player 2 passes to player 1 who then makes quick touch pass back to player 2. Player 1 then transitions with pivot (keeping eyes on player with puck at all times) and sprints towards far net. Player hits player 1 with pass making sure to lead player 1 with the pass. Player 1 then skates in on goalie, head up picking spot, shoots and stops for rebound. Alternate from both sides. This drill teaches passing, skating pivots and acceleration, shooting and is good for conditioning if run at top speed.

Once the skill progresses, the addition of a defencemen for one on one drills takes this drill to the next level.

Ready Position for the Goalie

2006-05-17T13:31:00.000-04:00

Getting a good, steady ready position is the first thing goalies should learn how to do. Since during a game goalies are almost always in the ready position, it's important to get it right the first time, and not to get any bad habits.

In the ready position, your knees should be bent at all times. This helps you move faster and react faster to quick shots. Your catching glove should be open and out in front of you a little. The only time your that glove should be closed is when the puck is in it! Your blocker should aslo be held out infront of your knees. It's best that both your gloves are held at the same height.

Your stick should always be on the ice. It's really important to get this right: Stick on the ice at all times! Even when moving from side-to-side or post-to-post, keep your stick on the ice. The puck might hit a stick or skate and deflect right at you and it will probably be on the ice (where your stick should be!!). Your stick should not be touching the toes of your skates. If your stick is against the toes of your skates, and a puck hits your stick, you will give out a really big rebound (usually right out in front) and you will have less control of where it goes. Your stick should be placed at a small angle and far enough in front of your feet so it doesn't touch your toes. You should always keep your head up when in the ready position.

Your legs should be independant from your arms. When you move your legs, your arms don't move with them. You should be ready to move in any direction at any time. You should be comfortable when in your ready position. Try not to lean to far forwards, or backwards. Get a nice balanced position. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet. And above all else, relax! Don't think, react!

The Most Important Skill in Hockey

2006-05-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

Skating is the most important skill in hockey and that is why players spend numerous hours trying to improve their skating abilities. No matter what level a player attains, he can always improve his skating skills. You will often see advanced hockey players (college, professional) seek advice on how to improve their speed, explosiveness and technique.

Learning how to skate is very difficult and requires a lot of dedication and hard work. Focus on one specific area at a time, and apply one tip at a time. Equally important to technical skills are improving leg strength, endurance and flexibility. A good off-ice-training program is essential to increase your speed, explosiveness and endurance, and reduce your risk of injuries.

Each week, I'll update this section with a skating tip starting with Forward Skating this week.

FORWARD SKATING

The forward skating motion should be your first priority when learning how to skate. Although it may look easy, skating in a forward motion is very difficult and requires a lot of time and practice. Learning to skate with a proper technique will make you improve a lot faster and give you the confidence to develop into a great skater in the future.

Proper Technique

• Start with your skates forming a ‘’V’’, knees turned outwards
• Bend your knees (you should not be able to see your toes)
• Push one foot at a time and transfer all your body weight into each stride
• Reach a full extension on each stride with your driving leg and with your ankle
• When you fully extend one leg, rapidly return the leg back to the ‘’V’’ position and extend the other leg
• As you get more comfortable, work on extending faster (you will gain more speed)
Tips
• When skating forward, your feet should always be hip width apart
• Your body is always square to the direction of travel
• Your back should be straight, your head in the centre of your shoulders with eyes focusing forward
• Don’t lean your body to far forward (use the body lean that gives you maximum balance and lets you to take fully extended strides)
• Make sure to always bend your knees (beyond level of comfort) A good knee bend equals more power and more balance
• Skate one foot at a time
• Fully extend on each stride with a quick recovery
• As you become a better skater, focus on taking wider strides for more speed
• Skate with a proper arm swinging movement (arm and leg movements work in rhythm with their opposites)
• Always keep your stick on the ice, except when you are looking to gain top speed

Angles of Checking

2006-05-17T09:37:00.000-04:00

Angles of Checking

This discussion will talk about how it helps you check an opposing player in the following game situations: angles of checking in the corner, defending a "D" to "D" pass in the neutral zone, and attacking a "D" on your defensive blue line.

Checking in the Corner

Whether you are a "D" defending a "F" in the defensive zone or a "F" attacking a "D" in the offensive zone the angles are the same. The normal tendency of most players is to react to the puck going into the corner by skating as fast as they can straight at the player and the puck. The problem with this is that the opposing player has an equal chance of going making a move on you to the left or the right. The attacking player would have to guess or react at the last moment when the opposing player makes their move. This often leads to poor results.
Before you attack or defend the player in the corner, you need to know where you want them to go. You also need to know where your support is and where the less dangerous area of ice is located. Let us say that you want the opposing player to go up the boards, because your wing is there to support. Your first motion towards the opposing player is toward the side of the net you are defending. This will give the impression that the boards are open. Most likely, they will skate up the boards, and you can angle them off without worrying if they cut back toward the net. If they do cut back, they turn back into you. In other words, you have taken control of their options and forced them to go and do what you want them to do.

Defending a "D" to "D" Neutral Zone Regroup Pass

The new rule for offsides has changed the game considerably. Players are now forced to bring the puck back into center ice or the "Neutral Zone" as it is called. The "D" on the opposing team will try to do a "D" to "D" pass giving his/her forwards more time to get out of the offensive zone and come back to support.
Most of the time, players will go straight at the first "D" who has the puck and allow them to make that "D" to "D" pass. Actually, what you want to do is go right down the middle. Your first thought may be that this is crazy. Why not attack the "D", and why allow them to skate with the puck along the boards? It is quite simple. Just remember why they are trying to make the pass in the first place: to buy more time. You want to control them and the play. By going through the middle and then at the "D", you have isolated or blocked off the "D" with the puck. This may make them force a bad pass, an offside, or an icing. At worst the "D" may dump or skate the puck up the strong side of the ice where there is support from your teammates. In other words, you have controlled their options, their time, and the play.

Attacking a "D" on Your Defensive Blue Line

This is very similar to defending a "D" to "D" pass in the neutral zone. However, the reason is slightly different for angling your check from the middle of the two "D" in toward the boards. You will also have a slightly different angle of approach. Attack the "D" by skating in his line of fire. Meaning, if you drew a line from the puck to the net, that would be the line of fire. You need to start by skating as fast as you can to that line and then attack the "D" taking away the shot. As you get close to the "D", you angle from the middle of the two "D" in towards the boards taking the other options away. For example, if you were the right wing attacking the opposing left "D" whom has the puck on your defensive zone blue line along the boards; you would create at least three bad situations to go straight at him/her. First, you give them the opportunity to get a quick shot on net. Second, you give them the opportunity to pass the puck across the center of the zone or the "Slot", as it is called, to a player in a better position to shoot. Finally, you would be giving them the opportunity to pass "D" to "D" across the blue line to the "D" in a more dangerous position to shoot or pass the puck. By going up the middle and back at the "D" toward the boards, you take all of these options away. The "D" would have to shoot or pass the puck through you or traffic making it a difficult play. In most cases the "D" will end up hitting you with the shot or pass, or he/she will just make the safe play and throw the puck back into the corner. In other words, you have again controlled the options and the play of the opposing team forcing them to make a safer play or possibly turning the puck back over to your team.

Hint: Always use your stick to help angle the player in the direction you want them to go. It will also help you take away more of a passing lane by putting your stick in the open area that your body can not and does not cover.

Good Gap Control, Tips From the Stars Brian Leetch

2006-05-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

TIPS from the STARS
With Brian Leetch
Toronto Maple Leafs

GOOD GAP CONTROL LET’S YOU DICTATE THE PLAY

Scoring chances are born out of the amount of time and space given to the team with the puck. Your job as a defender is to limit that time and space, forcing your opponent to give up the puck and put your team on the offensive. That’s why gap control is an important part of the game.
A gap is the amount of space between the puck carrier and the defensive player. Win the battle of the gaps, and you will likely win the hockey game.

TIP #1

By playing a tight gap a defenseman is taking away time and space from his opponent. Doing so will allow the defenseman to dictate where he wants the offensive player to go, which is generally toward the outside of the rink and away from a prime scoring area.

TIP #2

Too often a defenseman will play a loose gap out of respect for an opponent’s speed and skill, and for fear of getting beat. If that’s the case, the offensive player is generally going to take the middle of the ice and have a better angle to shoot on net. You may not get beat physically, but your opponent is going to get a good scoring opportunity.

TIP #3

It’s important to know whether your opponent is a left-handed or right-handed shot, and if he is playing the off-wing or his strong side. If the puck carrier is on his strong side, you may be able to give a little more of a gap because he has to expose the puck by bringing it in front of you as he cuts toward the middle of the ice, which may allow you the opportunity to poke the puck away.

Tip #4

If the forward is on his off-wing and you play too loose a gap, he can cut to the middle of the ice while protecting the puck with his body. That’s why you need to play a tighter gap in these situations.

Tip #5

Always remember to play the body, not the puck. As the puck carrier is skating toward you, watch his chest and play stick on stick to contest the shot or pass.

REMEMBER THIS …

It’s important to work on maintaining tight gaps, especially in practice and in early-season games. Don’t be afraid of getting beat. You want to dictate the play, not your opposition.

Passing With a Purpose

2006-05-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

Once players have begun to develop the skills of passing and receiving the puck, they need to begin to figure out just when, and more importantly, why, to utilize those skills. Hockey is not like football with designed plays beginning from a standstill, or even basketball for that matter, where the ball movement and player movement is slower and more designed plays can be used. In hockey, virtually every situation that a player is confronted with on the ice is different as there are players in a variety of different spots on the ice, moving at a variety of different speeds. When controlling the puck, a player needs to be able to assess the situation and make the best available play, whether it is passing the puck to a teammate, or keeping it himself to move it up the ice.

That’s not to say, that there shouldn’t be a “basic team structure” or “system” for controlling the puck, with players in the properly designated positions on the ice (in any of the zones) when their teammate has the puck. But what can’t happen is that the players feel they “have” to pass the puck to a specific teammate in a specific situation. That can’t happen, because they will never learn how to read the play and make the best play available. That is something that every player needs to learn to be able to compete effectively as they progress in the game.

Every pass should have a purpose. If it doesn’t, it shouldn’t be made. Teams, and individual players work very hard to gain control of the puck. Once they get it, every effort should be made to maintain it. So every pass should be made with that in mind, team puck control. The following are key points to instill in your players for better team puck control.

Make the Easy Play

Great players make the game look easy. That’s because they make the easy play. Going for the “home run” more often that not results in a turnover, when the intended result could be achieved with “a couple of singles”. Trying to pass through a defender or trying to connect on a sixty-foot pass, is not the right play, when you can make a 15-footer to a teammate with more time and space to make a play once they get the puck.

Make Quality Passes

It goes without saying that every pass should be on the stick. If a pass is not made “tape to tape”, that split-second it takes for the teammate to collect it and start to move with it is all of the time it takes for a defender to close in on him and take it away. Just as important as accuracy is velocity. Different situations dictate different passes, but in most instances where a direct pass can be made, the puck should be passed crisply and on the ice. Bouncing, wobbly, slow passes allow the defenders more time to adjust and pursue the puck. Crisp, accurate passes catch defenders out of position and don’t allow them time to get back into the play. Many players recognize the correct situation to make a pass, but if they don’t deliver the pass with authority, it doesn’t matter that they made the right choice.

Move the Puck Quickly

Recognizing which teammates are “open” and “where to move the puck” are essential skills in team puck control. More importantly, players need to be taught to recognize “when” to move it, and the answer is IMMEDIATELY. By waiting just a split second longer, that pass will probably no longer be an option, especially if it is a “long “ pass.

Short Passes are the Best Passes

Occasionally, you can catch 3-4 opposing players out of position and beat them all with one good, long pass. Short passes, 10 to 15 footers, are always the best passes for a couple of reasons. First, they have a greater chance of success. It is much easier to hit your teammate’s stick from 10 feet than it is from 50 feet. Secondly, the puck receiver will most likely have more time to make a play with it when he gets it. As a long pass makes its way to its target, so do the opposing players, as they have more time to adjust. Often, just as the puck arrives, so do the defenders, and the pass is never completed.

Create Something out of Nothing

If a puck carrier has no time or space to make a play, and is being confronted by a defender, the best thing to do, rather than try to beat the defender 1 on 1, is to move the puck to an open teammate, then get open. By moving the puck to a teammate, the player shifts the focus away from himself, which is only an advantage if he moves quickly to an open area to receive a pass back. The “give and go” is an essential part of team puck control and can be used anywhere on the ice. But it is only effective if the initial passer actually “goes” to open ice after making the pass, and breaks down if the payer “gives and watches”.

Use the “Extra Teammate”

Using the boards to make a pass to himself is the most basic “give and go” play a player can make. Moving the puck off the boards (or ff of the back of the goal net), then skating around the defender to pick it up is an effective move to create something out of nothing. The boards can also be used to “bank a pass” or “rim a pass” along the dasher boards in the corners, when there is not a direct pass available to a teammate.

Basic Stickhandling Off Ice Exercises

2006-05-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

Stick Handling

The Facts

Stick handling is one of the most important fundamental skills in hockey. You need good stick handling skills to play heads up hockey, to take and maintain possession of the puck, to win face-offs, to receive and make passes and to shoot the puck.

All the great puck carriers, great passers and great shooters can stick handle, position and shoot or pass the puck with their head up; this requires a lot of focused repetitive training. Because stick handling is such an integral part of hockey, stick handling should be one of the first things that a player learns and practices.

Hockey players can practice stick handling both on and off the ice. The important thing, especially for young players, is simply to have a stick in their hands and play with a puck. Street hockey games are a great way to develop stick handling skills but a player should also practice stick handling alone to focus on his technique and to learn new skills.

Stick handling can be practiced off the ice in your basement, garage or in your driveway. You can use a ball (tennis, golf or roller hockey) but a puck provides a better simulation. The more the puck and stick slide on the surface, the better it is for stick handling.

Learning Stick Handling

First, stick handle with your eyes fixed on the puck. Move the puck within a 12 to 18 inch span using a back and forth soft sweeping motion. Develop a comfortable rhythm, do not over handle the puck There should be very little impact and almost no sound.

Practice side-to-side dribble, forward-to-backward dribble and diagonal dribbling. Master stick handling in a stationary position and then practice stick handling while moving forward, sideways and backwards.

Improving Stick Handling

Gradually take your eyes off the puck and fix them on your target or simply stick handle with your eyes closed. Master stick handling in a stationary position and then practice stick handling while moving forward, sideways and backwards. Develop a feel for the position of the dribbled puck. Stick handle the puck close to your feet and with full arm extension. Practice all the stick handling drills taught by your coach on the ice such as the forehand shift, the backhand shift and puck protection.

Set up cones (use 2 liter pop plastic bottles half filled with water) and stick handle through them. Try not to look at the puck and keep count of the number of times you can stick handle through the cones without losing control of the puck. As you make the move around the cones, practice the fake motion for deeking players.