When a hook is not a hook

By Ken Brody
Oct 23, 2001, 18:27

Striper Ken Brody

How often are you watching a hockey game when you see a player fouled, only to have no penalty called by the on-ice official? I’m sure it’s quite often, especially in professional hockey.

Why does this happen? Because calling every infraction isn’t always the best policy. In fact, the best referees are usually those who (we hear it all the time) “let the players play,” and call penalties—not allthe time—but at the right moments.

Why shouldn’t you as a referee whistle down every single “foul” that you see? First of all, even if you try, you cannot possibly see every infraction committed. You only have two eyes, and the ice is simply too big. Second, you could be setting too exacting a standard for yourself—a standard that could well come back to haunt you. If you let even one “questionable” penalty go uncalled, you will anger and confuse the players, and earn the most dangerous tag of all for a referee: inconsistent.

Third, there will just be too many stoppages in play. The game will drag on, and the players (and, at the professional level, the fans) won’t like it.

Everyone—players, coaches and fans—wants the game fairly called, not overly called.

What’s the situation?

So if judgment is critical, what are the main criteria for calling penalties? Here are some circumstances and situations where penalties should be called.

• Infractions that have the potential to cause injury, such as cheap shots and blind-side fouls.

• Infractions that prevent potential scoring chances and breakaways.

• Infractions that result in an unfair change of possession.

• Infractions involving interference with and/or checking the goalie in the goal crease.

Those are situations where a penalty is almost always appropriate. There are also some other criteria for calling penalties, but only under certain circumstances. They include:

• Fouls which, left uncalled, continue to build up and create an atmosphere or increase the potential for a more serious situation to arise.

• Fouls involving obscene language and gestures, either to incite an opponent or—more seriously—which is directed towards the official.

• Accidental contact which causes injury, or “dangerous” situations you might observe.

What not to call

So if those are examples of what an official should call, what should he or she stay away from? Things like these:

• Incidental contact. A situation where two players are chasing the puck and end up having no place to go but into each other. While there may be extreme or even severe contact, in most cases no penalty is called.

• Minor clutch and grab. A hook, hold, or small (non-violent) slash that is released immediately and does not affect the play.

• Minor flare-ups. A situation where two players push, rough, or low-key slash each other and then separate immediately, allowing the game to go on.

The ref can actually help prevent penalty infractions from occurring if he follows a referee’s credo: Be vocal, be visible. If the players know the ref is watching them in certain situations, and he tells them exactly when to “cut it out,” the hostilities usually cease. Another referee rule, if not quite a credo, is to make sure that the first penalty you call in a game is a good penalty—not a borderline call. It sets the tone for the rest of the contest, and can get players to work either with you or—if it’s a bad call—against you.

Be consistent

Another important aspect is to keep one style of refereeing for an entire game, and do not change it in mid-stream. Whether you call the game loose or tight, do it that way for the whole game. Any change of style during a game will confuse and anger everybody—the players, the coaches, and your partner referee.

Angry players take out their frustrations on their opponents, and you will therefore have created a potentially dangerous situation. No one wants to play under these conditions.

The more experience you get, and the better you get to know the tendencies of players in certain game situations (and, likewise, as they get to know your tendencies) the fewer problems and less violence you will have on the playing surface.

If you stick to the principles discussed here, over the long haul you will eventually find yourself having to call fewer penalties. You might even get some respect!

Ken Brody has been a referee for ice, floor and roller hockey for 20 years in New York, Illinois, and California.

This first appeared in the 04/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The perfect skating surface

By Wayne Anderson
In the ever-expanding world of roller hockey, we’re not only still looking for the perfect wheel and the perfect puck, we’re also looking for that perfect skating surface. Of the several different types of surfaces out there, each has advantages and disadvantages. And a critical part of evaluating a surface is taking into consideration the environment in which the surface will be set.

Is the rink outside or inside? In a climate-controlled environment? Is it partially covered? Is it a partial-use setting, as in an ice rink melted for summer? All these factors can make or break even the best surfaces if they are not designed for use in that specific environment.

What’s out there?

The most skated-on surface is probably asphalt, commonly called “blacktop.” Blacktop covers streets, parking lots and schoolyards across North America. Its major advantages are that it is fairly inexpensive, it holds up well even in harsh climates, and the wheels that come with most in-line skates work well on it.

The major disadvantage is that the surface is fairly rough. Because of that, a hockey ball is the most effective thing to use; few manufactured pucks actually work well on blacktop. Another disadvantage is that, being mainly an outdoor surface, blacktop softens up when Mother Nature turns up the heat.

Another frequently skated-on surface is smooth cement. If your summer roller rink is an ice rink in winter, you’re probably skating on this type of surface. It is not the same type of cement that your sidewalk is made of; it is smoother, looks polished, and is often painted. Because it is so smooth, most pucks work very well on this surface.

The major problem with smooth cement is that over time it tends to crack. Once cracked, it is almost impossible to repair it well enough to play roller hockey on. Therefore, it eventually needs to be overlaid with another roller surface.

One word of advice: Plastics

Over the last year, plastic tile has become a very popular surface for indoor use. With an interlocking tile system, large areas of play can be laid down and taken up fairly easily. Some of these systems go by the trade names Sport Court and Mateflex. The tiles come in various colors, so your lines and circle can be laid right down instead of taped or painted on the surface, and the puck slides extremely well on this type of surface. Also, plastic tile is considered a “safety floor,” which sits well with most insurance companies.

On the down side, this mainly-indoor surface is fickle, and reacts to any change in atmospheric conditions. If there is the slightest change in humidity, you might want to bring your blades rather than your wheels! Another negative—though easily overcome—is that most skaters will want to buy a special set of wheels designed for this surface. Hyper, Bullzeye and Labeda all make a “Sport Court” wheel. Plus, for rink operators, this type of surface system is fairly expensive.

The other surface that has gained popularity recently is a so-called “coating” surface, such as “Roll On” and some tennis court surfaces. There are several different types of these surfaces with textures ranging from gritty to smooth. The surface is fairly “grippy” for your wheels, but the puck action often seems to be slow. And, once again, the surface’s worst enemy is moisture; rain or high humidity will postpone any play until the surface has completely dried.

However, most roll on surfaces are non-porous—and that means water will sit on top, making it easy to squeegee or sponge away the problem. A tennis or outdoor basketball court material will probably be slightly porous, and present some of the wet-tile problems discussed earlier.

Flooring expert Bob Brooks recently told me of a new, scientifically-developed product called “Roller Ice” on which you can actually adjust the skid coefficient. Conversely, with standard “alathetic urethane” (roll-on) coatings, the skid coefficient is fixed, and you’re stuck with whatever you get. But on this new surface, which has excellent puck action and wheel grip, you can tailor the skid factor to your liking.

The nemesis remains

Roller Ice is also multi-layered, with an undercoating that can be colored and can contain lines, advertising, etc., and a top “ice” coating that really does look—and skate—like ice. Once again, however, the moisture nemesis must be addressed.

In the save-the-best-for-last department, we’ll look at a surface that has withstood the test of time: the hardwood floor. That’s right, good old Canadian (or Vermont, if you prefer) Maple. This traditional surface is probably the most forgiving, and the most adaptable, to the varying hardness (durometer rating) of wheels. The major disadvantage, and probably the only one, is cost. Prime lumber is expensive, and most new rinks cannot afford the price tag associated with this type of floors.

Even some existing roller rinks that are being retrofitted into hockey rinks and already have these floors in place face cost dilemmas: upkeep is expensive. However, if maintenance is done correctly, the floor can last forever. There are rinks out there with 50- or 60-year-old hardwood floors still going strong. And even the dreaded moisture monster doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem with hardwood, although standing water (a leaky goalie water bottle) can present a small problem.

Whatever surface you do skate on, the most important thing is to skate safe. So until next month, keep on rolling!

Wayne Anderson is Managing Director of Huron Hockey’s roller hockey schools based in Matawan NJ.

This first appeared in the 04/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

So you want to start a college club?

By Joe Bernardy
College club hockey programs are growing tremendously in the US, as are programs for all age groups. And while college club hockey can be just as exciting and competitive for fans as NCAA hockey is, there are several key elements that must be in place in order to get a league up and running—and to achieve success over the long term.

You begin with one simple fact: you want to start a league. But now what?

Initially, a philosophy needs to be established as to what the league will try to accomplish. In other words, a statement of purpose. Is it just for recreation—a place for college students who happen to play hockey to knock the puck around? Or is the league meant to be as competitive as possible, with player recruitment, sponsors, and gate receipts set as goals for the future? That’s the first decision point.

Next—and this is true in either of the above scenarios—quality people need to be involved at the schools which have been determined to be viable league members. These individuals can be students, faculty, staff or even parties from outside the university, but they should be responsible, and as interested in the start-up as you are. Most schools will require someone affiliated with the university to set up the club. Club sport programs typically will be registered through a club sports department, campus recreation, or extramural sports department.

Follow school rules

Registering properly, through the school’s channels and according to their procedures, and then following the department’s operating requirements is critical. Why? Because, as a new sport on campus, the team needs to build credibility both within the university and within the community. Many clubs register with the university just to be able to use the school name, but the school’s policies and procedures are not actually followed. If it’s a kick-around league, that may work out. But if you have long-term goals for your league to become a serious part of the school’s athletic department, attention to school rules is vital.

After the schools are officially registered and have their officers, constitution and internal organization in place, an extra step which will be helpful in numerous ways is to obtain a supportive and enthusiastic faculty advisor. Having such an individual on your “team” can be beneficial as campus political situations arise—and they inevitably do.

Once the teams are established and the schools have agreed to join together to form and participate in a league, a league commissioner or president needs to be chosen or elected. This can be a political challenge as well. In the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Hockey Association, of which my team is a part, the commissioner is the individual who helped set up each school’s program, and then later simply assumed the position of commissioner. If possible, it is best to select or elect an individual who has no ties to any of the universities in the league. This can help ensure impartiality and objectivity.

After the commissioner is in place, subsequent volunteers can be recruited to handle league finances, publicity, statistics and so forth, or it may be decided that the commissioner can handle it all. The RMCHA was very fortunate in that the booster club of the former IHL Salt Lake Golden Eagles agreed to get involved. This has helped tremendously, due to the booster club members being knowledgeable hockey fans and knowing many of the league administrative and technical ropes. It must be understood that the commissioner is the manager of the league, although he or she will wear many hats. A board of representatives, with delegates from each team, then needs to be formed for discussion and voting purposes.

Policies & procedures

Next, the framework by which the league will operate—its policies and procedures—needs to be set up. In the RMCHA the decision was made to model itself after a highly successful NCAA Division I league, the WCHA. Basically, we borrowed the WCHA’s policies and procedures and then adapted them to the RMCHA’s club level programs. There is rarely a need to reinvent the wheel, and there are many highly successful college leagues and programs after which the league can be modeled.

A league policy and procedures manual can then be drafted, keeping in mind that flexibility needs to be built in. Guidelines must be set up and established as voted upon by the board. Like any “business,” principles must guide the process of operation. Programs need to know their limits and procedures in order to operate effectively and efficiently.

Once the league’s brain trust has agreed upon the policies and procedures—which includes a whole host of topics such as number of games, discipline guidelines, credit-hour requirements, length of periods and penalties, grade point requirements and so forth—then the emphasis can shift toward the promotion of each team.

Again, we must begin with quality individuals being in the critical positions such as club president and coach. In these positions, individuals must want to be involved and accept the responsibility and requirements that go with the territory. These are the front-line people—the ones the school administration and the public will consistently see and pass judgment on. They also need a long-term vision as to what can be accomplished by setting up a quality college club level hockey program for student-athletes.

Especially at the club level, it must be emphasized and accepted that the players are in school first and foremost to get a college education, and then perhaps to play hockey. Even at a recreational level, players play because of a desire to compete. But the end goal in club hockey, it must be remembered, is not getting drafted to play pro.

Each school’s hockey program leader must work in conjunction with the league commissioner, the rink managers and each other to set up a schedule. Competition teams need to have income from gate receipts to pay expenses, which will run substantially more than they will for a recreational team. Many club level programs operate with budgets of $100,000 or more per season.

Pay to play?

In starting out, teams may want to charge their players to play in order to build up some operating capital. Some teams may get sponsorships and not have to charge their players. Keep in mind that by charging players, some authority may be lost by the team’s leadership since players who are paying their own way often feel they’re entitled to their own “freedom.”

At the beginning of the season it needs to be determined if the league and its teams will join any particular national association such as USA Hockey or the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Coaches can also decide if they want to become members of the American Hockey Coaches Association. Insurance coverage for players and administrative personnel needs to be examined at the team and league levels. Check first to see if the schools provide any coverage for its club teams.

Uniforms, of course, need to be purchased. Your budget will determine how extensive the uniforms will be. Just jerseys? Jerseys and socks? Complete uniforms? Home and away uniforms? (We should all be so lucky!) Whatever the case, jerseys seem to take forever to get, so order them early.

If you plan on using the school logo check with the school first. Some schools may not allow their club teams to use their NCAA team logo or lettering style. Some schools will make you jump through hoops to get an approved logo design, but don’t give up! Just do what is required, because then it can’t come back to haunt you—and you won’t end up with a snazzy jersey that you won’t be allowed to wear.

The local referee’s association needs to be contacted to secure a fee schedule. Tell them if you’re playing USA Hockey rules, NCAA rules or a combination of both. If NCAA rules are adopted and the team has joined USA Hockey, check with the District Registrar to ensure USA Hockey will provide insurance coverage. Any individual adaptations of the rules your league may decide on needs to be conveyed to the ref’s association, and it should definitely be done in writing.

Dress for success

Set up your minor officials team. Make sure they are comfortable running the clock. Request that the minor officials wear home team colors and dress nicely for the sake of image. A dress code can be instituted for players as well. Coat and tie is not inappropriate even for college club level programs.

As each team gets organized, the players can be a good source of talent to help with the various aspects of running the program. The team may have accounting majors who could handle the team’s finances; a communications or marketing major who could handle publicity and the media; a physical education major who could set up off-ice conditioning programs. Use the resources readily available with the players. This will benefit your league and the students, who will gain experience in their field of endeavor.

Publicity is especially important for the competition teams. The sports media has an obligation to inform their reading public about pro sports and major college sports. Club sports, however, are usually left to bulletin boards, youth hockey association newsletters and flyers. Club sports are not the mainstream. But the media does like to know what’s going on, even at the club level, and they like to consistently be informed. Calling every Sunday night with updated stats from the weekend games builds credibility, and helps the reporter who most likely is assigned to the pro game or major college game. Gradually, standings and articles might make the grade. There is only so much space and time for sports coverage, so the main thing is to make your information available, take what you can get, and be grateful.

Your league might want to establish that players be required to take a certain number of credit hours over and above what the club sports department may require. Some schools may only require the student be enrolled in one class in order to be eligible. After all, this should be a college league, not a senior league for pseudo-students. Also, in being a club league, players do tend come and go. In the RMCHA, we have cutoff dates in the fall and winter after which no players can be added and the rosters are frozen. This provides some stability and flexibility at the same time.

Stay calm, be organized

As the season approaches, many other topics need to be addressed. Does the team need to purchase any equipment? Will they have tailgate parties or promotions? Should you set up a booster club? How about fund raising events? Recruitment of players? Travel to out-of-state venues? Inviting out-of-state teams to your arena? Will there be team awards? League awards? Selling of team merchandise?

At first it all may seem overwhelming. But understand that each team, and the league, is its own small business and needs to operate as such. Make lists of things to do; write down ideas as you think of them; discuss the ideas and then follow up. Before you know it, your team and your league will be up and running.

The above ideas, procedures and suggestions are intended as an outline, and will hopefully help you bring your league to life. For those willing to tread into these waters, I offer these final words: keep a positive outlook, keep your goal in mind and remember—to paraphrase the late Bob Johnson—everyday is a great day for hockey!

Joe Bernardy is the Utah State Coaching Coordinator for USA Hockey and commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Hockey Association.

This first appeared in the 04/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Roller hockey face-offs

By Wayne Anderson

If goaltending is a coach’s most forgotten aspect of the game when running a practice, face-offs are the second most neglected. Face-offs happen throughout the game, giving coaches a stoppage of play and time to organize a plan of attack. So why do we so often forget about this important item during our practices?

Maybe we just assume because it does happen so often, players already have proper face-off techniques ingrained within them. More often than not, however, especially in roller hockey, that is simply not true.

Face-off Techniques

First the center, or whoever is taking the draw, should move the lower hand down on the shaft of the stick. This provides maximum strength, and lowers his or her center of gravity, offering more stability. Next they must position their feet in the strongest balanced position, which is usually slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. It’s important to use your whole body on a face-off, not just your arms, in order to control as much surface area as possible. Once you step in to take the face-off, you should only concentrate on the puck (or ball) in the official’s hand.

Set your team up before you step in to take the face-off, not while you’re waiting in the circle. After the face-off it is important that you do not let the opposition center jump through (past you), especially on a defensive zone draw where, if he gets by you, he’s alone in front of the net.

Three Ways to Win a Face-off

Basically, there are three ways of winning a draw. First, you can win by being quicker and stronger than your opponent.

Second, you can concentrate on playing the opposition center’s stick and then, if you can take him out of the play, by playing the puck or ball. A common way to employ this strategy is to lift your opponent’s stick and then go after the rubber.

The third option is to tie up the opposition, then use your skate to direct the puck or ball. Each of the above methods should be practiced not only in scrimmages, but also by and against different players in specific face-off drills. All players should practice face-offs because there are times when we prefer to have a left-handed player over a right-handed player taking the draw. And quite often the original face-off person gets tossed off the draw by the official. That’s when it pays to have wingers practiced in the art of taking face-offs—especially if the other side does not.

How Do We Line Up?

Teams should practice specific face-off formations, and attempt to control the puck off the draw. There are countless formations and set plays possible off of face-offs. You can see literally dozens in almost any pro game. This is where we, as coaches, can have some fun. Try different things, because you might be surprised at the outcome, and you’ll never know if something will work in a game unless you try it first in practice.

There are some variables to consider. In the offensive zone, we must be aware of the side of the rink we are on and who is taking the face-off. For example, is the player a right-handed shot on the left-hand side of the rink? Will he be trying to push the puck forward or pull it back? Try to know your opposition’s strengths and weakness. Learn from your past face-off experiences.

In the defensive zone, we don’t want to let the center slip around us and get a good position in front of the net. We also want to be aware of the opposition trying to crash the net. We want to look for opportunities for a quick break out of our defensive end (with an intercepted pass and a maybe a breakaway), especially if we are playing short-handed.

One little trick that may make your opposition to tip their hand as to their strategy is to start to skate into the face-off circle as if you were getting ready, and when your opponent starts to get ready, back out and take a look at the set up. Most teams will not realize what you are doing, and will stay in the same set up. It is not only important that you know what you are doing, but your teammates should be aware of what’s going on around them as well. Keeping your goalkeeper informed during defensive zone face-offs is also very important, because they are the final line of defense.

Practicing

As a team you must practice, practice and practice face-offs. Try different line-ups in both ends of the rink. In the defensive zone, every player must know their responsibilities (goalies included). Remember to always try and draw the puck away from the net—playing to your strengths rather than your weaknesses.

Another important aspect of the face-off is the statistics that result from them. Coaches must keep track of the offensive and defensive zone face-offs won and lost by all of our players. Looking at the stats, you might be surprised who your best face-off man is, but in a clutch situation you’ll be glad to know.

Remember, never go into the face-off circle until you check three things; your team’s set up; your goaltender’s readiness; and your opponent’s position (center and teammates).

One last important factor to be aware of is that you want to have your two best face-off players out on the surface when you are taking the defensive face-off—especially when you are up by a goal late in the game. Once the play develops you can always have that “second” face-off specialist come to the bench, but you’re wise to have a back up out there in a clutch situation.

Practice hard, and have some fun with face-offs.

Wayne Anderson is Managing Director of Huron Hockey’s roller hockey schools based in Matawan NJ.

This first appeared in the 03/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The Junior experience: Playing in Canada

By Sam Laskaris

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Everybody has to make them. Some are fairly simple, like what to have for dinner. Others, however, are much more complex.

Each year many American teenagers who play hockey at elite levels have a tough decision to make: should they remain in the States and try to garner a university scholarship, or should they venture north and attempt to crack the roster of a Major Junior club in the Canadian Hockey League? The CHL, an umbrella organization that includes the Western, Ontario and Quebec Major Junior circuits, is often thought of as a natural step for Canadian youngsters pursuing hockey careers. But for Americans, the college-or-Canada decision is often one of the toughest of their lives.

Colleges and universities offer education and hockey side by side, but Canadian Junior teams offer a brand of hockey that many view as closer to the NHL’s, and therefore exactly the kind of education an aspiring pro hockey player needs most.

During the season, Junior teams play a 66-game schedule within their own regional league, with the best squads then going on to compete each May in the three-league Memorial Cup tournament—the annual championship of the CHL. American college teams generally play about half that many games prior to the NCAA National Championship tournament.

Two high-profile youngsters who have taken the Junior route are Jason Bonsignore of Rochester, NY, and Jamie Langenbrunner of Cloquet, MN. Bonsignore skates for the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves, while Langenbrunner works his magic with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.

His path was clear

Bonsignore, a 6-foot, 215-pound center, is in his third OHL campaign. Though more than 20 US colleges and universities had expressed a potential interest in his services by the time he was in the 10th grade, Bonsignore was already well aware of the path he wanted to take.

“Obviously it was something pushed on me from different people,” says Bonsignore, whose influences included his agent Pat Morris, and Ray Maluta, a former Boston Bruin who was his high school coach. “In my opinion, though, I always wanted to play Major Junior hockey in Canada.”

When he was 16, Bonsignore, whose play has earned him comparisons to Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux, packed his bags and did just that. “I wasn’t developing like I wanted to in Rochester,” says Bonsignore, who was selected in the first round, fourth overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. “And I wasn’t being pushed to.”

Though he was going up against players as many as four years older than him, Bonsignore, at age 15, was the leading scorer of a high school league in his hometown.

The thought of continuing to play against inferior competition didn’t appeal to the well-spoken and mature Bonsignore, who turns 19 in April. “I couldn’t play college for another two years,” says Bonsignore, who began his OHL career with the Newmarket Royals and was traded to Niagara Falls near the midway point of last season. “Besides, I always thought the (CHL) was the best developmental league.”

Despite the relative proximity of the two countries, Bonsignore believes that not all aspiring American players are aware of the options available in the Great White North.

“A lot of the higher profile kids realize it,” says Bonsignore, who represented the US at the past two world junior hockey championships, held last year in the Czech Republic and this year in Alberta, Canada. “Even in Rochester (about a 90-minute drive to the Canadian border) you’d figure a lot of kids would realize what the OHL is all about it. But they don’t.”

Based on his experiences, Bonsignore said he’d highly recommend the CHL. “If I was going to give advice to younger players, I’d say if you can, play Major Junior hockey. It prepares you really well for the NHL. It’s a similar style to the NHL. Plus you’re wearing half the face mask (as opposed to the full face shield worn in the college ranks). And the rules are more like those in the NHL.”

Even the hard facts of life in Junior hockey are more like those in the bigs. Witness that Bonsignore, traded from Niagra Falls to Sudbury on January 10th, is already playing for his third team in as many years.

Though it was his goal to play in the OHL, Bonsignore admits he had a few fears when he first joined the league. “It enters any American kid’s mind on how they will adjust. There’s a lot of different things you have to get used to. You do get the odd joke about being American, but it’s all in good fun.”

Dallas said “Canada”

As for Langenbrunner, he’s believed to be the first native of Minnesota to play in the OHL. And he admits he probably wouldn’t have done so without the strong urging of the brass of the Dallas Stars, the club which selected him in the second round, 35th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

“If you grow up playing hockey in Minnesota, you just hope you get to go on and play college,” says Langenbrunner, who accumulated 89 points (27 goals, 62 assists) in only 27 games during his junior season at Cloquet High School. “That’s what I thought I’d do.”

Dallas officials, however, had different plans for the high-scoring center whom they hope will be a future Star—pun intended.

“They kind of said to me it would be better for me to go play in Canada,” recalls Langenbrunner, who inked a four-year deal (plus an option year) with Dallas shortly after being drafted. “My parents were supportive of anything I’d do. We talked about it a lot. The final decision, though, was mine.”

Langenbrunner agreed to join the OHL Petes—Peterborough general manager Jeff Twohey is also a scout for Dallas, hence the connection—even though he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

“I had no clue what was available in Canada,” says the 6-foot, 185-pound center. “I hadn’t heard a thing about Canada. I’d guess there’s a lot of guys now in the States in the same situation. But there’s also more and more guys who know what’s going on up here.”

Langenbrunner, 19, is now glad he made the move. “If I had stayed, I would have had to play another year of high school hockey,” he says. “I didn’t want to do that. And I’m happy now with the way things have turned out. In the OHL, there’s more games than in college. That’s a definite advantage. And the style of play here is different. It’s more of an NHL style. In college it’s more of a skating style.”

It didn’t take Langenbrunner long to adjust to Peterbor-ough. “It’s like home for most of the season,” he says of the city, located about 100 miles northeast of Toronto. “I miss my family and friends a lot. But I’ve got a lot of friends here now.”

Like Bonsignore, Langenbrunner remembers spending many sleepless nights thinking about his decision to play junior hockey in Canada. “There (were) definitely times when I wondered if I did the right thing,” he says. “We didn’t have a good team last year.”

The Petes, one of the most successful and tradition-rich Junior franchises, suffered one of their worst seasons in their history in 1993/94. A year after they captured the OHL championship and advanced to the Memorial Cup final, the Petes posted a dismal 15-41-10 record.

In the over-all standings of the 16-team league, Peterborough finished ahead of only the Newmarket Royals, who registered a 9-47-10 mark. Langenbrunner led his team in scoring, though, collecting 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in 62 contests.

CHL an inter-national draw

American teenagers aren’t the only foreigners on Canadian Junior teams. Most of the clubs also have one or two players from overseas. Prior to 1992, squads were allowed to entice as many imports as they wanted. But now, with the CHL Import Draft in place, there are restrictions. One rule is that a club cannot have more than two imports (excluding Americans) on its roster.

In the Import Draft, held during the summer, each CHL club can select only one player. During the 1994 draft, players were chosen from the Czech Republic, Kazakhastan, Russia, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Sweden.

Since a lot of these draft picks are based on hunches from contacts overseas, they often don’t pan out. And sometimes players are just unwilling to relocate to North America.

Two players who have made the move, and believe they have bettered themselves by doing so, are Zdenek Nedved and Ivan Salon. Nedved is a third-year right winger with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves while Salon, a left winger, is in his second season with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

Nedved, who des-pite popular belief is not related to New York Rangers center Petr Nedved, was born in the former Czechoslovakia. He decided to come to Canada because he felt his chances of being drafted by an NHL club would be enhanced by being in North America.

During his OHL rookie campaign, Nedved was hampered by injuries and played sparingly, appearing in only 18 games. While scoring just 12 points in those few games, scouts with the Toronto Maple Leafs obviously saw some potential. Toronto chose Nedved in the fifth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

By chalking up 100 points (50 goals, 50 assists) last season, Nedved proved the Maple Leafs had made a wise selection. He’s also putting up huge numbers this season, and developing to a degree he didn’t think would be possible back in his homeland.

“In Czechoslo-vakia I just played the technical part of the game,” Nedved says. “Now I’ve learned to play defensively, attack more and play harder.”

As for Salon, he gave up a position with Poprad, a professional squad in the Czech Elite League to play Junior hockey in Canada. Salon joined Poprad at age 16 and played two seasons with the pro club, collecting a paycheck of almost $500 per month.

Salon had also made some appearances with the Czechoslovakian national team. But when his home country officially split into two nations (the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Salon, who is from Slovakia, didn’t see himself having an international future. Though the Czech Republic had a national side, Slovakia didn’t.

Though he wasn’t drafted after his first WHL season, Salon believes his chances of getting picked this year are greater than they would have been if he had stayed home.

“When I was growing up, I thought we had the (world’s) best hockey in Czechoslovakia,” he says. “As you get older, you see things differently. Now generally I think the best hockey is in Canada.”

A sentiment that is obviously shared by the American teenage players—and other players from around the world—who choose to develop their skills in Canada’s Major Junior leagues.

Sam Laskaris is a freelance sportswriter in Toronto.

This first appeared in the 03/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Finding the perfect player

By Bettina Young Prochnow

Their home away from home is an airport. They watch over 300 hockey games on the ice, and scores more on videotape. They take an up-close and personal look at 250 players a year. Are they the world’s best hockey fans? You could say that, since a professional scout lives, breathes, walks and talks hockey.

“For us, hockey is a way of life,” says Chuck Grillo, vice president and director of player personnel for the San Jose Sharks. “It’s an avocation, not just an occupation.”

Chuck has been on the road for the past 15 years, traveling to all the countries of the world where hockey is played. During the off-season, he helps his wife run a hockey training camp.

Scouts not only know the game, they also know the players—both their assets and their liabilities—and how each fits in the organization of the individual clubs they scout for.

“We draft real people, not real players,” says Grillo, “because real people are going to get better.”

Pyramid power

All of this is found in the scout’s Holy Grail, what Grillo calls a “CP”: a Complete Player. To find this kind of player he has devised a template to follow, something he envisions as the “Pyramid of Success.” Imagine a triangle divided into four horizontal layers. Each layer builds upon the one below it and when you stack them one on top of the other, it all adds up to a CP.

At the base of the pyramid is a player’s personal make-up. This includes the kind of person he is, his emotional stability and mental toughness, his physical fitness, and how he gets along with both his peer group and adults. A scout will dig to find this information, by talking to the player’s coaches and trainers, and even his opposition.

The next building blocks on the pyramid consist of “bottom-line” qualities of a player. Grillo looks at how the player protects the net, how he gives up his body, whether he is strictly a perimeter player, and whether he wins or loses battles for the puck—either against the boards or during face-offs.

“You have to come to play, whether it’s a practice or a game,” says Grillo. “And you also have to be a ‘grit’ player, someone who is hard to play against.” Part of being that kind of player is the ability to play above your size, and he cites players like Jeff Odgers and Rick Tocchet as on-ice examples of that quality.

The next to last level consists of the technical and tactical aspects of a player’s game. How is their team play with or without the puck? Are they unselfish?

At the apex of the pyramid is a player’s focus level. A player needs to be able to critique himself and, seeing his flaws, be willing to improve. “This is where we look for players with goals and dreams,” says Grillo, “The ability to overachieve in your asset category will give you the means to succeed.”

Just because a player might need improvement in one or more areas is no reason to pass on him if all the other elements are right.

“After all,” says Grillo, “you draft a player for what you do like about him.”

Testing son, two, three…

Part of the testing process of his “Pyramid of Suc-cess” has come from watching Dean, the youngest of his six children. “He has been the guinea pig as I have gone along,” Grillo says.

Now a 22-year-old player with the IHL Kansas City Blades, a San Jose affiliate, Dean was once cut from his travel team as a bantam. Not happy with the in-house team he was on, and wanting to grow as a hockey player, he looked for another avenue.

“We talked about whether he was willing to pay the price to get better, the degree of his love of the game and if he enjoyed working hard,” recalls pop Grillo.

The upshot was that Dean moved 600 miles away from home to be billeted in Warroad, MN. There he learned to hunt, fish, and play better hockey. He would see his father only in the summer, when he attended the family training camp. But he later went the University of North Dakota on a scholarship, and is now living proof that a hockey player who was never invited to attend a USA Hockey National Camp, or even made the Maroon & Gold (top 40 high school players) in his home state of Minnesota, can wind up on a pro roster.

Dean, needless to say, scores high in the goals and dreams category.

Top 5 List

Here are Chuck Grillo’s 5 keys to success.

1. Keep your aspirations high and dare to dream.

2. Train more and more as you get older, especially after age 13 when physical development starts. Do pliametrics—bounding, wind sprints, and other anaerobic exercises. Follow a safe weight-lifting program.

3. Go to a hockey camp where you can spend more than just a week. “The day is gone when you took the summer off; use it to get bigger, quicker, stronger and to learn the game.”

4. Learn to enjoy hard work. “The harder you work, the better you feel, (and) the more success you’ll have. Basically, you have to out-work everybody else.”

5. Find a template to follow. Set a standard for yourself, and then raise it.

Bettina Young Prochnow is a hockey player with the NCWHL and has two sons in hockey. She is a columnist for a newspaper in Livermore, CA.

This first appeared in the 03/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Staying in peak condition all year long

By Sam Laskaris

Savage: You have to keep a mental focus. ©BBS

January and February are not the best times to be a hockey player. In most years, the excitement of a new season has long worn off—this year being an exception for NHLers. And the possible thrill of competing in the playoffs is still far in the future. Professional hockey players, however, have to battle through these blasé times. In order to maintain their jobs, they have to keep producing on the ice. And there’s also plenty of off-ice work to be done to remain in top shape.

In this article, four seasoned pros—Dale DeGray, Rick Knickle, Mike Hurlbut and Reggie Savage—offer some insight on keeping in shape during the mid-season. Though they’re currently staying in shape with minor league clubs, all four have spent some time in the National Hockey League.

DeGray, a defenseman, plays for the International Hockey League’s Cleveland Lumberjacks. Knickle, a goaltender, also plays in the IHL, with the Detroit Vipers. Hurlbut, a defenseman, and Savage, a right winger, are toiling with the Cornwall Aces of the American Hockey League.

DeGray says off-ice training has become considerably more important in the years since he started earning a pro paycheck back in 1983. “It’s become an all-year thing now,” he says. “Before you would do a little bit here and a little bit there. (Now) everybody wants to have that edge in the game. And staying in good shape and top shape is the key.”

DeGray, who began the current campaign with the Detroit Vipers and was traded to Cleveland in mid-November, said despite having an 80-game regular season schedule, there’s plenty of time during the year for off-ice workouts aimed at keeping in shape.

“In the NHL, you play throughout the week,” says De-Gray. “But (the IHL) is more like a weekend league. You’re usually playing most of your games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights.”

As a result, depending on their travel schedules, most IHL clubs will do the majority of their off-ice training early on in the week. DeGray says these workouts remain constant during the year, and players for the most part do their own thing in the club’s exercise room—working out on tread mills, lifting weights and riding stationary bikes.

Shape up or ship out

“At this level and in the NHL, if you don’t stay in shape, you’ll be replaced by the next guy who’s just waiting to take your spot,” says DeGray, who from 1986-90 had stints with the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres. He appeared in 168 NHL games.

According to DeGray, players don’t usually compare themselves against teammates during off-ice workouts. “On the bike ride sometimes it’s competitive. (The bike) is set at zero, so the faster you go, the further you ride. We usually ride the bike 30-36 minutes. You’ll get some guys who go hard and then say, ‘I did 6.2 miles. What did you do?’ You say, ‘Oh. 5.4’ And then you get a bit upset. You have the competitive drive to do better than the guy next to you.”

During his pro career, DeGray, 31, has also played for squads in Colorado, Moncton, Newmarket, New Haven, Rochester and San Diego. He also spent the 1991-92 season with Alleghe, a First Division team in Italy.

Though clubs overseas traditionally have 30-to-40 game regular season schedules, DeGray says he worked just as hard to keep in shape while in Italy. “If anything, it got me more into the off-ice training,” he says of his one-year European sojourn.

DeGray believes the lockout affecting the current NHL season will dramatically hinder the players, and not just financially. “It will hurt them a lot,” he says. “You can do anything you want, but no matter what you do off the ice, there’s a difference between being in shape and being in game shape. Anybody who plays the game knows what I’m talking about.”

DeGray adds the commitment level to training during the season varies from player to player.

“You’re always going to have guys that don’t do much during the season because they’re excessively gifted. But if I miss a day of skating, I have to make it up the next day.”

One of DeGray’s teammates earlier this season, Knickle, is one of those players who admits he has a lackadaisical attitude to off-ice preparation.

“I really try to conserve my energy,” Knickle says. “I do what’s best for me. I don’t try to fix anything that’s not broken.”

But that’s not to say Knickle chastises others who work hard off the ice to keep in shape.

Goalies are different

“I never say to anybody ‘Do what I do.’ What works for me might not work for somebody else. Goalies, however,” notes Knickle, “don’t have to be big and strong like the other players. We do some drills for our skating but we don’t need that explosiveness.”

Knickle, who turns 34 on February 26, has experimented with lifting weights in the past. He still does some exercises for his lower legs, but chances are you won’t catch him pumping iron to improve his upper body strength. “I did that one day and then I couldn’t move for the next couple days,” he laughs. “I don’t need that.”

During his pro career, which began during the 1979-80 season, Knickle has had minor league stints in Erie, Rochester, Flint, Sherbrooke, Saginaw, Peoria, Fort Wayne, Albany, Springfield, San Diego, Phoenix and now Detroit. During the past two seasons, he also appeared in 14 NHL games with Los Angeles.

Since a goalie’s main job is stopping the puck, Knickle believes off-ice preparation isn’t really going to help him much. “Being able to see the puck is the key,” says the stopper. “I teach at some hockey schools and I always tell everybody; being able to see the puck is an ability you have or don’t have. It’s not something that can be taught.”

Since hand-eye coordination is vital to netminders, Knickle adds there is one exercise which he occasionally performs. That’s the old bouncing-a-tennis-ball-and-catching-it-off-the-wall routine.

Hurlbut, who is Cornwall’s captain this season, says the mid-season months are traditionally are among the hardest for hockey players.

“Eighty games is a long season,” he says. “By the time January and February roll around, it gets mentally as well as physically hard. Those months seem to drag on. And it’s good once in a while to get away from the rink.”

Most coaches realize this, and in order not to wear down their troops prior to the playoffs they will ease up on the length of practices. “They start to get shorter,” says Hurlbut. “But you’re just working harder for less time.”

And in many cases, after these shortened on-ice sessions, it’s off for another workout in the weight room. “You do the weight circuit and ride the bikes to maintain and improve your cardiovascular system,” says Hurlbut, a 28-year-old alumnus of St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.

Hurlbut, who has appeared in 24 NHL games (23 with the New York Rangers and one with the Quebec Nordiques) said he prefers not to do any off-ice training away from the arena.

“I try to get my work done at the rink,” says Hurlbut, whose minor pro league stops have also taken him to Denver, Flint, San Diego and Binghampton. “When I’m at home, I try to get away from it all. I don’t get any exercise, unless you count walking the dogs.”

Hurlbut’s family, which includes wife Julie and 2-year-old son Jacob, has a pair of golden retrievers.

Watch what you eat, drink

Though he hardly performs any strenuous work at home, Hurlbut, like most other pro athletes, has to keep a close on what he eats during the season.

“Guys at this level are well aware of their nutritional needs. They tend to eat a lot of pasta and a lot of chicken.”

Replenishing one’s fluid loss is also important. “The average guy loses about four pounds of water weight each game,” notes Hurlbut. “You’ll put that right back on again through meals. But if you don’t have a good meal afterwards, you’ll lose about two pounds of muscle or, in some cases, fat.”

Hurlbut’s teammate Savage agrees that the months of January and February can provide some difficult times. “After Christmas everybody starts getting more focused on the playoffs,” says Savage. “And there’s a letdown if you don’t keep the same diet or sleeping patterns. You have to keep a mental focus. You don’t want to fall into any bad habits.”

Savage, 24, says some teams test the fitness levels of their players in mid-season, much as they do at the beginning of training camp. “It’s more to find out about yourself,” says Savage, a fifth-year pro who has had NHL stints with the Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques. “You have to try and keep higher on things like the bench press or squats.”

Chances are those with less than satisfactory results won’t have them go unnoticed. “Sometimes a coach will give you a hint by saying, Did you sleep okay? or Did you eat right?,” Savage says. “Or sometimes a coach will come right out and say you’re not keeping in shape. I’ve seen lots of guys lose their shape.”

Most minor league clubs have limited contacts with dietitians throughout the season. But a lot of NHL teams have them around.

“I used to call quite a few times when I was in Washington,” reveals Savage. “I’d have questions like, Why do I feel sometimes feel lousy after playing two games in two nights but I’m okay after three games in three nights? It’s nice to know you have somebody there to answer those questions.”

Even after the final buzzer has sounded, Savage says pro players still have work to do to keep in shape. “I lose 3-to-5 pounds a game,” he says. “I try to eat a lot of pasta, like lasagna and spaghetti. And the main thing is to drink a lot of water to avoid cramps.”

And before calling it a night, Savage says there’s one final thing he does to maintain his shape. “I always try to do a good stretch before getting into bed.”

So do what you can to avoid hitting your own mid-season wall. Take some tips from these pros, and stay in shape from the season opener right through to the playoff drive.

Sam Laskaris is a freelance sportswriter in Toronto.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Coaching good team defense

By Julia Negro

Mark Morris, head hockey coach of the ECAC’s Clarkson Golden Knights, believes there are several keys to good team defense. Positional play in the defensive zone is a must, along with keeping a “tight unit,” whether playing even-strength or short-handed. Also, forwards should always come back to help out in the defensive zone in a backchecking situation.

Break it up!

To break up the opposition’s attack, there are many points for forwards to concentrate on in a backchecking situation.

• If you have your stick on the puck carrier, take the man!

•Establish your backchecking “lane” immediately.

• Go to, and cover a player without the puck. Do not let him receive a pass or get into position to receive a pass.

• Cover your man until the attack is broken up, or the check is traded off to a defenseman. In trading off, communication is a must!

• Stay in your lane if the man leaves your lane and cuts in front of the defense.

• Stay with your man if he leaves the lane and cuts behind the defense.

• Let the defensemen take the puck carrier unless your man receives the pass.

Morris suggests this technique to teach your team how to play good defense: think of the players forming a box in the defensive zone. Two defensemen on the bottom corners, two forwards on the top corners. The first forward back would support the area of the puck. The second forward would cover the slot area, the strong-side point, and any trailing attackers who are a scoring threat. The last forward back will cover the slot area and the weak-side point. The forwards and weak-side defenseman are also responsible for holding up the forecheckers. “The more you can get your players to visualize their responsibility areas, the better your team will perform defensively,” says Morris, the 1991/92 ECAC Coach of the Year.

Pick up sticks

In playing defense, it is essential that the unit on the ice is always in control of their men, and pressures from the inside out. The defensemen should always favor the center of the ice, especially the slot area, and approach scrambles for the puck from the defensive side. Morris adds that a coach should constantly remind his players to lift the opposition’s stick at opportune times to prevent tip-ins and rebounds.

Players must become proficient in taking the man in order to be successful. When taking the man, concentrate on your opponent and isolate him. Once you decide to take this player, you must stay with him. Finish what you started, and complete the check.

Another key to playing solid defense is to allow the defenders to play the puck carrier and to leave the back-checking forwards with the responsibility of picking up any additional attackers. When the puck is at the point, players should move out to the point and take an inside-out route to go through the man, leading with your stick and following through with your body—always finishing the check.

Morris further suggests doing drills around the net to improve a team’s defensive skills. A drill that he often uses is three-on-two play from the top of the circles down. “We have our players that are getting ready to go stand along the top of the circles to keep the puck alive and in the zone. After practicing the three-on-two situations, we change it to three-on-three. The first forward back in the zone becomes familiar with backing up the defenders in the corners and around the net.”

Morris goes on to explain, “We’ll take one line at a time and have them defend against the next three or four consecutive line rushes. For each rush, we’ll rotate the first forward back so they are facing three different situations from three different rushes. Positioning is everything here, and the players should be staying low with their stick on the ice anticipating an errant pass or stopping a shot.”

It’s a race

A coach should teach the youth player to take their opponent out long enough so that he doesn’t beat you back to the front of the net. This style of defensive play, notes Morris, keeps players in control of the people they are responsible for checking.

Last, but far from least, communication is particularly important in the defensive zone and around the net. Goaltenders have to act as the defensemen’s eyes and make them aware of whom they need to pick up. Goaltenders also help relieve the pressure in the defensive zone whenever possible by clearing the puck to the corner or dumping it out of the zone. And Morris urges the youth coach to remember that the whole team, even the offensive stars, must be proficient in defensive play for the squad to be successful.

Julia Negro is a conditioning instructor at Michigan State University and an Administrator for Huron Hockey School in Traverse City, MI.

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Women’s Hockey: You’ve come a long way baby!

By Bettina Young Prochnow

Erin Whitten and Cammi Granato at the 1994 Women’s World Championships. ©BBS

There’s a 20-year-old photograph in Valerie Tuomie Sanberg’s home that captures her and her teammates the year they were the Minnesota Pee Wee State Champions. In it, all of the girls except one wore figure skates. “The one in hockey skates,” recalls Valerie, “must have had more brothers than the rest of us!”

But oh, what a difference a few years can make. Kelly Dyer, a three-time goalie for Team USA Women’s Hockey in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, says, “When I started, there were no Worlds, no scholarships. It was something I did for pure fun!”

She too started out with a pair of figure skates. But they quickly got traded for goalie skates when the older kids in her Boston neighborhood “threw me in the net—and I liked having pucks thrown at me ever since.” At age 28, Dyer is one of only three women in the world who has broken the professional barrier in ice hockey, and now plays for the West Palm Beach Blaze. The other two trailblazers are Manon Rheaume, who plays for the Las Vegas Thunder, and Erin Whitten, who is with the Utica Blizzard—all teams that are three notches down from the NHL.

No limitations now

“Now that the top threshold has just opened up, and with women’s ice hockey being a full-medal sport in the 1998 Olympics, this is a huge factor for girls,” continues Dyer. “Women have sights in mind. There are no limitations for them in hockey, and (there’s) more opportunity out there at the grassroots level.”

The number of girls playing the sport has been going off the charts. “We had 150 teams in the United States before the 1990 World Championships,” says USA Hockey President Walter L. Bush, Jr. “It grew to 220 in one year. That’s 70 teams. That’s incredible growth.”

And it did not stop there. With history-making Manon Rheaume in goal for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightening in 1992, the number of teams swelled to 352 by 1993. That’s a growth of 57%!

There are approximately 13,000 females currently playing hockey this season in the US—up 1000 players from last year. The largest number are participating in the 13-to-22-year-old age group. Compare this to the 1980’s, when only there were only 3,000 participants. That’s when Lisa Brown, 25-year-old head coach for Princeton Women’s Hockey, and a center on the US National Women’s Team, started playing.

“I played hockey starting at age six, and back then I was the only girl in the youth program.” She played with the boys until she was 13-years-old, when she went to a girl’s program in Royal Oak, MI. From the coaching perspective, “girls have an edge if they play with boys through the peewee age,” says Lisa. “You have to prove you’re good enough to be there, and that produces a player who is tougher mentally and physically.”

Which is good news for girls, since all-girl teams are still the exception rather than the rule around the nation. This is due in part to several factors; the lack of numbers, the lack of ice and, sometimes, an old-fashioned attitude. Bob Stockman of Princeton, NJ, found this out two years ago. That’s when he formed the Princeton Tiger Lilies, a team for 10-to-14-year-old girls, in order to offer them a forum to continue playing hockey.

“I went to rinks that rented thousands of hours of ice to boys’ teams,” he says, “but wouldn’t give us any because they would tell me, ‘hockey is a boys’ game’.”

Stockman, a youth hockey coach, former college player and the father of four daughters ranging in age from 3 to 12 years, quietly continued on until he found the ice he needed. The team finished their second season with an impressive 18-2-2 record playing against East Coast girls’ Prep schools, private day schools, and local club in-house girls’ teams.

Girls in the Garden

The highlight of the Tiger Lilies season, however, was the history-making match up against the Greenwich (CT) Wings in front of 18,000 people at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 1994. This was the first ever all-girls hockey game in the history of the Garden. They played an exhibition game prior to the scheduled NHL Rangers-Penguins game, and held a 3-minute scrimmage during the break between first and second periods before the sell-out crowd.

“There are two elements to this story,” says Stockman. “One is that the attention the game is getting is a great boost for women’s hockey. I’m hoping that the places that rent ice will be more open-minded and rent ice to more girls’ teams, because there is no reason why they shouldn’t.”

“The second thing is that, with a little effort and a little luck, any kid can fulfill a dream of playing in a place like Madison Square Garden!” Regardless of sex.

It comes as no surprise that a match-up between two girls teams occurred in this nation’s northeast corner. Private college prep schools for girls have long offered hockey as varsity sport to their students. Many also have their own rinks, thus easing the ice crunch. Throughout the country, New England boasts the largest number of registered girls’ teams.

Right behind them, however, is Minnesota, with its rich heritage of winter sports and scores of successful high school, junior, college, pro and international players to its credit. Women’s hockey there goes back to 1925, when the University of Minnesota first fielded a women’s team. Fast forward to the 1970s, when girls’ teams in the peewee and Bantam ages were formed, state championships were held, and a Senior women’s team got its start.

A woman on the board

The explosive growth in the 1980s led to more divisions in the Senior league and the formation of the Minnesota Women’s Hockey Association (MWHA) in 1986. By 1987, over 150 girls’ and women’s teams were registered with USA Hockey. With those numbers, a new position—Section Director, Girls/ Women—was added to USA Hockey, and MWHA’s president, Lynn Olson, was tapped to become the first woman on the board in the organization’s 52 years. Olson was re-elected to that position in 1992.

In the 1990s, Minnesota is making history once again with the Minnesota State High School League’s official sanctioning of girls’ ice hockey as a varsity sport for the 94/95 season.

“No other state has done this,” according to John Bartz, the league’s associate director, “and while initially 24 schools in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area are involved, we’re looking at probably doubling in the next two years.”

If this high school program progresses similarly to those programs on the East Coast—where prep schools feed into the college level—then the stage is set for more Minnesota colleges and universities to declare it a Division I varsity sport.

“If 40 institutions sponsor women’s hockey as a varsity sport for two years,” says Donna Noonan, Director of Championships for the NCAA, “then legislation can be drafted to establish a NCAA championship.”

The push for NCAA ranking—with its national ranking, funding, and acceptance—has a way to go. Out of the 40 institutions that have women’s hockey, only 15 currently offer Division I. Those include the schools in the Eastern College Athletic Conference—Bowdoin College, Colby College, Middlebury College, University of New Hampshire, Northeastern University, Providence College, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. Lawrence University, and Wesleyan University—and six Ivy League schools—Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. This support of women’s hockey dates back to 1984 when the ECAC first started hosting championships. Prior to that, the six Ivy League schools were competing annually for league championships since 1976.

Having competitive hockey for girls from the youth level on through high school and college is now more important than ever, since women’s ice hockey is headed to the Olympics in 1998.

Playing “their own game”

“Half of the women on the National Team came out of girls’ programs—they didn’t play with boys,” says Karen Kay, head coach of the 1994 United States Women’s National Team and head coach of women’s hockey at the University of New Hampshire. “It produces good players.”

“Our objective is not to develop a professional athlete in a man’s game,” she continues. “Women want to play their own game, their own way.”

The fluid style of play found in women’s ice hockey emphasizes the skill elements of the sport.

“Our non-checking status creates much more of a finesse game,” Lynn Olson explains. “There’s an emphasis on good passing, skating, and shooting in women’s ice hockey.”

“Girls are like sponges,” says Princeton’s Brown. “As a coach, I see that they are more attentive, eager to learn, and want to know how to get better.”

“As a player,” she adds, “I enjoy the camaraderie of playing with the same sex.”

There’s one aspect of the game that doesn’t change at all however, and that’s its competitiveness.

Keeping players competitive at the highest level, and giving them an opportunity to train in a competitive environment after college, is a big concern. Kay is a member of the newly formed USA Hockey Olympic task-force charged with looking into possible solutions. One of these could be the formation of a 14-team women’s league for national caliber players. Until this or another solution is in place, some players have opted to attend women’s competitive programs in Switzerland and Canada, or that other old stand-by, playing with men.

“You can’t equal them,” says Brown, “But you have to work harder just to keep up with them.”

“I like playing with men,” fellow teammate Kelly Dyer adds, “because it keeps me sharp for when I get together with the women’s team.”

Opportunity & role models

For younger players, USA Hockey sponsors annual development camps for females 15-17 years of age and 18-21 years of age. Eighty participants are chosen through a state and regional try-out process, all in the hopes of identifying possible national team members. That team will need to be ready for the 1997 World Championships, and will also be direct qualifiers for the Olympic team. Look for the first round of try-outs in March and April of 1995.

The exposure that the Olympics will draw to women’s hockey will only spur on the development of quality training programs at all levels. Not to mention the role models it will provide for future female athletes.

“Besides having a real opportunity in the sport,” says Kay. “Girls of today have women like Cammi Granato, (Team USA captain) Cindy Curley, and Manon Rheaume to look up to. In my day, we had to look up to Bobby Orr.”

That hockey offers so much to so many at all skill levels is also shown in the growth of the “over the hill gang.” Senior women’s teams are being registered in numbers never seen before. California doubled its numbers, going from four to nine over the past season alone. There’s a 68-year-old grandmother playing in Minnesota, and a 55-year-old one playing in Oregon. The age and number of older players will only increase as the base of young players progresses through the years.

Whether one plays recreationally or competitively, the future of women’s hockey is crystal clear. Women have developed a passion for the game, and their numbers are only going to increase. Now the infra-structure has to keep up—more ice, more programs, and more collegiate scholarships are needed.

There’s not a female hockey player in the world who would disagree with Kelly Dyer when she says, “Ice hockey is the greatest game in the world, and girls just want to have fun too!

SIDEBAR

100 YEARS OF WOMEN’S HOCKEY

©BBS

With women’s ice hockey set to be introduced as a medal sport at the 1998 Olympics, we thought we’d reflect back on the history of the game, and peer into its near future. The following timeline highlights some of the key moments in the development and evolution of women’s hockey.

1892 The first recorded all-female hockey game is played in Barrie, Ontario.

1910s Local & provincial women’s championships held in Canada.

1916 International women’s tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, features Canadian & American teams.

1920s College teams forming in both US & Canada.

1930s/40s Depression & World War II slow growth of women’s game.

1967 Inaugural Dominion Ladies Hockey Tournament held in Brampton, Ontario. The Dominion is now one of the world’s largest women’s tourneys, fielding over 150 North American teams.

1970s Teams forming in Sweden, Finland, Japan, China, Korea, Norway, Germany, and Switzerland. Canadian provincial & college organizations starting; US college varsity & club teams form in Midwest & East. Special chest pad and pelvic protector gear designed for women.

1980s National tournaments held in US & Canada.

1987 First World Invitational Tournament in Ontario, Canada. Groups lobby the IIHF for creation of a Women’s World Championship.

1989 IIHF president attended European Women’s Championship, and plans drawn for future IIHF Women’s World Championship.

1990 First bi-annual IIHF Women’s World Championship held in Ottawa, Canada: hosts win Gold, Team USA takes Silver.

1991 European Women’s Championships continue during IIHF hiatus.

1992 Second IIHF Championships held in Tampere, Finland. Canada takes Gold again, USA wins Silver.

1993 US Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas. Team USA wins Gold medal, Canada wins silver.

1994 Third IIHF Championships held in Lake Placid, NY. Canada wins third Gold medal, USA takes third Silver.

1995 Inaugural Pacific Rim Tournament, featuring USA, Canada, China & Japan to be held in Spring in San Jose, CA.

1997 Fourth IIHF Women’s World Championships scheduled.

1998 Women’s Ice Hockey debuts as medal sport at Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Talk to my agent: What a player agent can do for you

Oct 22, 2001, 17:10

Agent Don Meehan. ©BBS

Once they’re on the ice, most hockey players can take care of themselves. Off the ice, however, is a different story, especially for those at the elite level of the sport.

For example, almost all National Hockey League players have agents to assist them in what can be complicated legal matters involving their contracts, endorsements and other off-ice activities.

About 125 agents are registered with the NHL Players Association. Though the majority of them are constantly seeking new clients, one agent, Carl Lindros, is not. Though he’s been approached to represent others, Lindros is content to oversee the affairs of his only two clients, sons Eric and Brett, who are property of the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, respectively.

Other well-known hockey agents include Don Meehan, Anton Thun and Mel Bridgman, a former NHL player and general manager. Meehan, who works out of his office in Mississauga, Ontario (a 10-minute drive from Toronto) is one of the most influential men in hockey. He represents about 75 NHL players.

Who do you know?

Meehan’s client list includes some of the biggest names in the NHL; Buffalo’s Pat LaFontaine, Quebec’s Wendel Clark, Trevor Linden of Van-couver, and St. Louis Blues Curtis Joseph and Al MacInnis. But Meehan is selective about who he works with these days.

“At my stage, I work only on a referral basis,” says Meehan, who’s been a player agent since 1982. Why? “I did a test several years ago,” he revealed. “I found out (only) one-third of the players selected in the first round of the draft go on to sign a meaningful second NHL contract.”

This is a vital statistic for agents, considering they only get paid—a commission ranging from 2-to-10 per cent of the deal—when players sign their contracts.

While players can afford to take some time off during the off-season, Meehan said agents must work year-round.

“My month of August and the first two weeks of September are the busiest times of the year,” says Meehan, explaining this is the most hectic period for free agency issues. “Then it lets up a bit once the season starts.”

Meehan has also branched out to the point where he’s not just a player agent. At the turn of this decade, he also started to represent coaches. He now looks after the affairs of eight NHL bench bosses. In addition, Meehan helps represent NHL officials. He assisted the 58-member NHL Officials Association in working out their last collective bargaining agreement with the league in November 1993.

No doubt there are plenty of perks in being a player agent. Tickets are certainly easy to come by. And in terms of money, even a few percentage points of multi-million dollar contracts quickly add up to provide a more than comfortable living.

But what does Meehan think is the best part of his job?

“The friendships.”

And are there any negatives to being a so-called “super agent?”

“There’s really not any downside to it,” says Meehan after a careful consideration.

No set age required for players

Thun, who has been a player agent since 1984, currently has a list of about 50 clients, including 10 NHLers. Those he represents in the bigs include Quebec’s Mike Ricci, Glen Murray of Boston, Washington’s Randy Burridge and Nathan LaFayette of Vancouver.

Thun’s clientele also in-cludes two players who were top-five picks at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft; defenseman Ed Jovanovski and center Jeff O’Neill. Jovanovski, who was chosen by the Florida Panthers was the top pick over-all, while O’Neill, a Hartford Whalers selection, was the fifth player selected.

There is no set age when a player with pro aspirations can have an agent.

“Some players who are in Junior hockey get an agent when they’re 15 or 16,” Thun said. “Others who play college hockey might not need an agent until they’re done with their schooling, at which point they could be 23 years old.”

Several of the players Thun represents are still teenagers toiling at the Junior A level in the Ontario Hockey League. All of these players are considered risk ventures because Thun is not being paid a penny from them now. He’s basically working on a trust relationship, hoping these players are true to their word and retain his services when they turn professional.

As is the case with all other agents, Thun only gets paid if and when his clients sign pro contracts. That’s why he believes agents have to possess several versatile assets.

“There’s a variety of skills you need to have,” he said. “You have to have a good business background. And from the standpoint of recruiting, you have to be a good talent scout.”

Thun estimates he gets to about 120 games per season, looking for more potential players to add to his fold. Sometimes he approaches the athletes and/or their families in hopes of representing them. Other times he’s the one approached.

Almost all other agents work like this as well. Sometimes they aggressively pursue players. But it’s not uncommon to have players come to them, seeking representation.

Plenty of advice available

Thun, whose business is based in the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, said there’s plenty of advice to give to players, even those who are as young as 15 years old.

“What you try to do is to counsel them on what their (playing) options are,” he said. “It’s like buying a car. When you decide you want to buy a car there are so many different ones to choose from. You can go for a Cadillac, a Volvo or a BMW. In the OHL, every city is different.”

Though it’s the player’s agent who goes head-to-head with general managers at contract time, Thun said the athletes are kept well informed of all happenings.

“For the most part they don’t sit in on the meetings with the general managers,” Thun said. “But they’re not kept in the dark. Any proposals made or received, they are made aware of.”

Bridgman is one of the NHL’s newest player agents. He’s only been at this game since last January, and as a result, all of his clients are amateur players.

The most notable Bridgman client is Nolan Baum-gartner, a Junior A defenseman with the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers. Baumgartner was selected in the first round, 10th overall, by the Washington Capitals at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

“I’m learning every day with regards to this job,” Bridgman said.

But it’s not as if Bridgman came into this business with no idea of how it works. After all, he himself was a former Number One draft pick: in 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers deemed Bridgman the cream of the crop in his draft class.

Top pick, GM, agent

Bridgman went on to enjoy a stellar 14-year playing career in the NHL. Besides Philadelphia, he also had stints in Calgary, New Jersey, Detroit and Vancouver. In 977 games, he picked up 701 career points.

After his playing days were over, Bridgman went back to business school in Pennsylvania. Then, when he was considering joining a firm in Phoenix, Bridgman was offered the general manager’s job with the then NHL expansion Ottawa Senators.

As the Senators GM, Bridgman was involved with the signings of several of Ottawa’s new players, including Alexei Yashin, who was the second pick over-all at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

Bridgman isn’t the only former NHL player who’s an agent now. The list of those who have followed this route includes Brian Lawton (the top overall pick in 1983), Tom Laidlaw, Gilles Lupien and David Shand, among others.

Now that Bridgman is getting a taste of how things work from the agent’s side, he likes it. He works out of Los Angeles, and says his family, which includes his wife and four young children, are content with his current hockey job.

“We wanted to stay in one place instead of moving around a lot, which you can’t do if you’re in the hockey business,” he said. “They’re settled down now and they’re happy and excited about it.”

And thanks to their agents, most pro players are happy and excited, too. Secure in the knowledge that their off-ice matters are being well handled for them, the players can concentrate fully on getting the job done where it counts—on the ice.

Sam Laskaris is a freelance sportswriter in Toronto.

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®