A Scorer’s Guide

A scorer’s guide
By Wayne Anderson
Nov 5, 2001, 20:00

With the ever-increasing focus in roller hockey being on offense, more young players are looking to their coaches and parents to provide them with the all important offensive skills that make great goal scorers. In this month’s column I’ll try to give you a handle on those skills and the equally important, but often forgotten, scoring mentality.

Scoring is not just in the skills players master but in the mentality a player has. And make no mistake; all of the great goal scorers have it. It is a feeling inside that they want to be out there during the last minute when the team is down by a goal; a yearning to be out there during the power play; to be in position to make a difference when the game is on the line. And above all, the certain knowledge that they want the puck in the offensive zone.

What you do during those critical times will eventually either set you apart, or sit you on the bench. Unfortunately, these are pressure situations, and times when we must produce the outcome that everyone expects—goals.

The scorer’s profile

The following traits are common among all good goal scorers, and if practiced should help you obtain your goal of improved offense.

Attitude

• Think offense before defense. (But within the framework allowed by your coach!)

• You must respect the team concept, and remember: team before self.

• Enjoy pressure. Playing the crucial parts of the game, e.g. power play, last minute with the game on the line, is something you must want to do.

• Selfishness. But positive selfishness which will benefit the team. “I want to be out there and I want to score. I want us to win.”

• Mental skills. The ability to read transitions to offense are critical.

• Sacrifice. Do whatever it takes to score. The willingness to take punishment and not retaliate is perhaps the most important sacrifice you can make for your team—and your reputation.

• Patience. Hold your position, doing the things that are necessary to score all game long. You must also have a low panic point. Hold onto the puck and wait for the openings to be there.

EQUIPMENT

• Stick. Get a stick that feels like a magic wand. Experiment with length, blade, curve, flex, lie, wood or aluminum, and tape.

The stick is a security blanket for many players, and goal scorers spend much time preparing their sticks prior to the game. However, there is no common denominator between goal scorers and their sticks. Some use short ones, some longer; some have toe curves, others center curves, etc. The real key is consistency, having a stick that feels the same—and feels right—game in, game out.

• Gloves. Try short cuffs for better feel and more flex for the wrist.

• Skates. And knowing how to use them! The ability to use their skates and wheels for handling and controlling rebounds and passes sets offensive wizards apart from the crowd.

• Pads. Often lighter pads lead result in quicker movements to the puck and to the net.

SHOTS

• Variety. Wrist, slap, backhand, snap, tip, and one timers should all be in your shooting arsenal. That way, whatever the situation—whatever position you’re in—you’ll have the right weapon at your disposal.

• Accuracy. All good goal scorers have a wide selection of shots and are confident about using them. But the real key here is accuracy. Even a guided missile is worthless if it doesn’t hit the net.

SKATING

• More emphasis on forward skating and agility, including edges.

• Using your skating skills to attack wide.

• “Cycling” to keep your feet moving in and around the net.

• Quickness to, and on, the loose pucks.

• “Balance” to withstand the bumps and jolts in front of the net.

POSITIONING

• Drive for an opening, a skill known as “driving the gap”.

• Find a spot where you can receive the puck; make it easy for your teammates to hit you with the pass.

• Learn to fight off shadows, and man-on-man coverage, along with stick checks.

• Read the transition to offense, and know when to be going in which direction.

• Play in the slot and around the net (moving in and out, staying in motion).

• Keep your stick on the surface, facing the puck, and always ready to receive a pass or rebound.

Coaching tips

Coaches can help create a better scoring mentality by constantly reminding their players to work on the following skills:

• Shooting the puck/ball.

• Hitting the net.

• Following your shot in.

• Playing your rebound.

• Stick on the surface

• Driving to the net, with and without the puck.

• Stopping at the net, and being ready at all times.

• Making second-effort plays.

It is important to watch and study some of the great goal scorers. On the ice look at Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. On the roller surface, look for John Vecchiarelli—perhaps RHI’s most dynamic scorer. Watch not only what they do with the puck, but more importantly what they do without it. This is an area where goal scorers excel; finding the opening, being ready for the pass, and finishing the play…often by raising their arms in celebration.

Wayne Anderson is Managing Director of Huron Hockey’s roller hockey schools.

This first appeared in the 11/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Teaching One-Handed Puck Control

Teaching one-handed puck control
By Fred Pletsch
Nov 5, 2001, 19:58

Fred Pletsch

Conventional hockey wisdom teaches young puck-chasers to always have two hands on your stick. But watch an NHL player on a breakaway or Mario Lemieux making another defenseman look like a neon orange pylon and you realize there are situations where having two hands on your stick can be a hindrance rather than a help.

“Going around a defenseman to the outside is a situation where having one hand on your stick is the desired solution to the problem,” explains Jim Webster, an astute hockey man with playing and coaching experience at the professional, European, college and junior levels.

It’s a very common hockey move where a forward comes down the ice towards a defenseman, maybe fakes a shot, and pulls the puck to his backhand. “You want to try and keep the puck as far away as possible from the defender and that’s much easier to do with one hand on your stick.” says Webster. “It increases the distance between the puck and the defenseman by another two feet. You also get your body between the puck and the defenseman in a puck protection situation.’

Pittsburgh puck-handling wizards Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr provide all-star examples of players proficient at manipulating the puck with one hand on their stick, according to Webster, who used few tricks of his own to finish third in the Central Hockey League scoring race one season while a member of the New York Islander organization. “They can put the biscuit quickly from way out on the forehand to way out on their backhand with one hand on their stick and, with their reach, the puck can move about 10 feet from one side to another. So if a youngster can put it all the way out with his stick totally extended, he is able to move the puck from one place five or six feet to the right or left very quickly and that makes it very hard for a defenseman to stop him.”

Webster details a learning progression system, the kind utilized in the Huron Hockey School curriculum, for teaching the skill.

“Start by spreading your players out. Give each one a puck, and make them assume the forehand shooting position with the puck on the forehand side of their stick,” details Webster. “Then, on command, have them pull the puck quickly and laterally all the way out and extend their arm and stick on the backhand side, full extension, while still being able to control the puck.” This procedure is repeated until players are comfortable with it. “Again, take it back to your forehand side and pull it all the way out onto your backhand with one hand on your stick.”

Once this element of skill is mastered it’s time to incorporate skating. “Next, have your players skate towards a series of pylons and, at each pylon, they’re asked to pull the puck way out to their backhand and see if they can get their body between the pylon and the puck.” At this stage, the pylon serves as the rear-guard the puck-carrier is trying to shield the puck from, adds Webster.

The final act in the series of progression is to have your player go up against a “dummy” defenseman. “A coach could stand there and all the kids could skate towards him and they would have to go around him to their backhand side, trying to keep the puck away from the coach with one hand on their stick,” concludes Webster.

If ice time permits, it’s sound coaching to introduce the three phases of this skill over three separate practices. Especially at an early age, it’s best not to overwhelm your players with too much to grasp at one particular practice. At the same time it’s a good idea to review phase one at the the second practice before proceeding to phase two.

You should keep two hands on your stick when you’re directly involved in the play, looking for a pass, or carrying the puck in traffic. But there are also definitely times when the youngster should be encouraged to learn how to manipulate, or at least control, the puck with one hand on his stick.

The puck protection technique outlined by Jim Webster is a very common move that’s easy to teach and one he believes we shouldn’t be ignoring at a young age.

Fred Pletsch is the Sports Director at radio stations CJSS/CFLG-FM in Cornwall, Ontario. He served as the play by play voice of the Cornwall Royals for nine seasons.

This first appeared in the 06/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Be Active in the Off-Season

Be active in the off-season
By Mitch Korn
Nov 5, 2001, 19:55

So it’s the “off-season,” you are out of school, and there is not a lot of ice time available. What should you be doing?

First, I’ll tell you what you should not be doing. You are a hockey player, and athlete, and you should not be like the other “normal” people. More and more of the youngsters I meet in the summer are overweight, spending more time in central air conditioned homes with Nintendo and computer games than ever before.

It used to be that when I would ask a group of 32 goalies at one of my schools how many played organized baseball, the response would be almost 100%. Now less than 50% play organized baseball.

Athleticism is the key

Athleticism is the No.1 key trait for a successful goaltender. Guys like Dominik Hasek, Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph and Kelly Hrudy are excellent athletes. You cannot be a great athlete sleeping until noon, spending all day on the couch, and not participating in athletic activities.

I remember being a kid (I’m only 36) and playing outside all day in the summers. We never even wanted lunch. Stick ball, baseball, street hockey, basketball, soccer and other made-up games which involved hand-eye coordination, aerobic training, body flexibility, and the competitive spirit.

I recently went back to my roots in New Jersey. The box on the wall where we all played stick ball was gone. The patch of grass that was always dirt because of a variety of baseball-type games was green and thick. The basketball court had 2 broken hoops. The parking lots where we played street hockey had a few very young kids messing around. I had no problems finding teens hanging out smoking and drinking after dark, What’s going on here?

Today, you have the opportunity to get the jump on your competition and opponents by preparing yourself right now for next season. Work on strength training if you are 16 years of age or older… spend a lot of time on lower body flexibility (the best goalies have it)… watch your diet, and most importantly be active.

Mitch Korn is the goaltender coach for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. In addition, he is an administrator at Miami University (Ohio) and directs the 8-week Summer Hockey School. Miami has Division I ice hockey in the CCHA.

This first appeared in the 06/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The Tretiak clinic

The Tretiak clinic
By James Baxter
Nov 5, 2001, 19:40

Tretiak On What It Takes to be a Goalie

A goalie must be (well) above average in all of these areas:

• Coordination of movement, fluidity

• Concentration

• Thinking, clarity and quickness of thought

• Agility, quick up and down

A goalie must also be thick-skinned, a good listener and learner, a hard worker, and something of a perfectionist. It also helps to have a higher-than-average tolerance for pain.

On the Offseason

Take a rest from hockey, but do not let your reactions slide.

“You should always be working with your gloves,” says Tretiak. “All year long, you should be catching balls and pucks in your glove. That (reflex) goes fast and is hard to get back.”

Bouncing a ball or puck on the deflector is also good practice.

On The Warm-Up

Tretiak could not have survived at the elite level of world hockey for 13 years without knowing a thing or two about conditioning. Like most members of the Soviet Red Army squad, Tretiak was never allowed to get out of shape.

Tretiak’s warm-up consists of a series of long stretches, followed by a series of quick bursts that simulate that motion in game situations. For instance, after a pre-practice stretch in the locker room and then several laps of the ice (so you feel warm), begin with the following drills.

• The standard stuff (gloves and mask off) including; neck rolls, fingers, hands (palms) forearms and shoulders, trunk rotations, hips (left/right/front/back), lower back (drop butt to the heels), hurler’s stretch and, kneeling, lean as far back as possible.

• In a butterfly stance, drop one knee to the ice (pad & toe forward, skate blade toward goal post) and hold for a count of eight. Repeat five times, on both sides. Then begin doing the motion quickly.

• Skating forward in a butterfly stance, drop one knee to the ice with the pad on its side and the toe pointing toward the boards. Hold until nearly at a standstill—the stretch is the focus. Alternating knees, do five times on each. Then, drop one knee, immediately get up, drop the other knee and immediately get back up. Speed now becomes the focus.

• Backward “cha-cha” (as in the dance). The truth is any dance will do, but what the 1-2-3, 1-2-3 motion of the cha-cha allows is the full weight of the player to be transferred from one foot to the other quickly and with some grace. It’s fast, fun and a good way to shake out after the warm-up.

On The Butterfly Stance

Balance is everything in this position. To remain balanced, Tretiak adopted a very compact style that allowed him to explode out to block any puck fired toward the net. Some points:

• Knees bent over 90°, so that the back is curved and butt is low.

• Head is always looking up ice.

• Deflector is angled off the top of the leg pad, slightly in front, not touching.

• Trapper is angled forward, elbow in tight.

• The stick is flat and resting comfortably on the ice with little weight on it. The stick must not be too far forward (creating a “ramp” over the goalie’s shoulder) or too close to his/her feet.

On Drills

A good butterfly goalie must have a sense of the whereabouts of a puck before it is shot. Tretiak insists that good goaltending is the result of using all of one’s senses. To that end, the Red Army developed drills that train goalies to fight through screens, move with the puck and concentrate on eliminating scoring chances before they happen. Here are a few:

Set up two or three shooters in the zone around the tops of the circles. Use one goalie to screen the other. There is little risk of injury (as both goalies are prepared to block shots) and there is a fierce element of competition between goalies and between shooters. The only rules are no screens in the crease, and no contact.

Line up two shooters three feet to the side of each goal post and level with the top of the crease. Starting slowly, the shooters pass back and forth across the crease, and the goaltender slides to keep pace. After three passes, the puck is live and the shooters try to score. To keep the shooters from getting too aggressive, make push-ups or quick skates the punishment when no shot is taken because of bad passing or the shot misses the net.

This drill trains goaltenders to move with the puck and seal the post. It has the added benefit of teaching forwards to be patient with the puck and to score from in close.

Set pucks at three or four points in the defensive zone. From the crease, the goalie must rush toward the puck, pokecheck (not stickhandle or pass) it across the blueline and skate return to the crease—all while keeping his/her eyes up ice (direct eye contact with the coach works well). This drill is to teach goalies to explode toward the puck, maintain their balance, effectively negate a potential scoring threat, and then return to the net without breaking concentration.

Variations on this drill include:

• Adding a shot from the point as the goalie returns to the net.

• Starting a forward from outside the blueline in a race to the puck. If the goalie fails to get the puck first, he/she must get back to the net and seal off the post while always facing the shooter. The shooter gets one shot.

This first appeared in the 11/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Inside the Trap

Inside the trap
By Bob Cunngingham
Nov 5, 2001, 19:24

Lemaire’s goal: Frustrate them. ©BBS

Some have called it the best coaching job in two decades. Others simply say that good strategy plus execution equals success. Regardless of how or why, the New Jersey Devils were quite a story after capturing the first Stanley Cup in franchise history last June.

Actually, though, it’s the how and why that most fascinate those close to the game. The biggest single strategic key to the resounding Devils triumph over the favored Detroit Red Wings in the Cup finals, as well as their victories in the Eastern Conference playoffs over Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, was their ability to neutralize the big offensive guns for the opposing teams before they could become threats inside the blueline and near the crease.

We’re talking some big names here—Cam Neely, Jaromir Jagr, Luc Robitaille, Eric Lindros, Sergei Federov—all ranked among the game’s premier scorers.

And all rendered totally frustrated by Devils coach Jacques Le-maire’s defensive tactics, which have become widely known as a form of a neutral-zone trap.

“But don’t call it a ‘trap’ when you talk to (Lemaire) about it,” warned a member of New Jersey’s public relations department.

Although utilizing the word ‘trap’ when discussing Lemaire’s philosophy isn’t truly accurate, those involved really don’t mind the characterization, simply for lack of a better term.

“I call it a trap when I talk about it, because that’s how everyone else seems to be referring to it,” says Los Angeles Kings head coach Larry Robinson, the one-time great defenseman who worked as an assistant coach under Lemaire in New Jersey for the past three seasons. “No matter what you call it, we did real well with it last year.”

It’s nothing new

Contrary to popular belief, says Robinson, this so-called neutral-zone trap is not new to the NHL. On the contrary, Robinson coins it as “good ol’ fashioned hockey. It’s been in effect since the ‘70s.”

The basic philosophy behind this form of early defense is to concentrate on an area rather than a specific player, at least initially. The more commonly acknowledged defense in the neutral zone is one in which the puck-handler is converged upon, forcing a pass that may be misdirected. Other players are accounted for, but the man with the puck is the primary concern.

But with the system the Devils utilize under Lemaire, the prime directive says to force the attack, as a whole, into a part of the ice that is most easily defended. Take away passing lanes and knock the wings off their paths toward the lane. The puck-handler may end up with more open ice in front of him, but it’s frozen real estate that he likely doesn’t desire to take.

“It’s an approach that takes away the options of the player with the puck,” explains Lemaire. “With nowhere to go and no one to pass to, it can be frustrating. We try to utilize these circumstances to force turnovers.”

The Devils also mastered the technique of effectively neutralizing players who didn’t have possession of the puck. It was a first priority, rather than a luxury.

“Any player that is rushed is not as effective as a player with free ice.” Lemaire said during the Pittsburgh series. “Players get frustrated. And any team is hurt if it gets frustrated. It becomes more difficult to keep your poise.”

In their championship run last year, the Devils utilized different forms of this same basic approach. At times, they’d break off from their territories and converge on the puck hoping for a quick turnover and a breakaway. Also, the Devils would often install specific players as shadows for an opposing team’s top scoring threat, making it a point to prevent that player from having any room to operate from the neutral zone on in.

“Our main goal was to get possession of the puck. It’s a way of disrupting the opposing offense, which is the best way to get turnovers,” Robinson says.

Claude Lemieux was most often the designated shadow, although they also possessed a designated Driver—first name Bruce. Although he has since been traded to the New York Rangers, Driver literally drove opposing attackers crazy with non-stop brushing, elbows, and consistent checking away from the puck.

Get ‘em up, ride ‘em up

Robinson likens the philosophy to cowboys successfully ushering livestock on the open range.

“It’s like herding a bunch of cattle into an open gate,” Robinson explains. “You do what you need to do to get people in an area you’re covering. It effectively shrinks the ice. You’re cutting off areas of the rink by forcing players over. It’s a lot easier to defend half the rink between the blue lines than it is a full rink that’s 90 x 200 (feet).

“Once you’ve got it cut off, you can attack the guy with the puck. Force him in with the rest. Make him go where he doesn’t want to.”

According to Robinson, Randy McKay, Mike Peluso and Bobby Holik were also key defenders for the Devils last season. Their common trait? All are veterans, all are disciplined, all know when to maintain their checks and when to break off, and all firmly believe in the system.

But like most concepts, it’s crucial that the ability to rotate people through without a fall-off in effectiveness be maintained.

“Truthfully, everybody on that team had a part in making it work,” Robinson says. “The main reason it was successful is because everyone bought into the system.”

Said forward Stephane Richer during the playoffs, “when I’m on the bench, I look down at (Lemaire and Robinson) and think ‘am I lucky or what?’”

What made the system work so well for the Devils was Lemaire’s mastery at shuffling line combinations to get desirable facets of the game working as one. If he felt the Devils needed to be quick to be effective in the neutral zone, he’d combine better skaters. If the situation called for physical over finesse, he would go for more strength.

Most often, however, Lemaire opted for familiar combinations. Reuniting players who had previously skated together. For instance, matching Richer and Lemieux, who had skated on the same line as teammates with Montreal in the mid ‘80s was a key in both the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia series. Lemaire knew this because he coached the Canadiens for two seasons when the linemates were there. In ‘86, both were instrumental in the Montreal’s Stanley Cup triumph over the Calgary Flames.

Familiarity breeds success

Familiarity appears to be a beneficial ingredient, as it is in most aspects of the game.

“You have to have players that work best together, because they must work together to make the system work,” Lemaire says. “If one guy isn’t doing his job, it won’t work.”

Lemaire drew praise—and Coach of the Year honors—for his juggling prowess. But another interesting aspect is that the trapping style doesn’t require all-star caliber players at every interval.

The Devils do have all-stars—Scott Stevens comes to mind—but it is not a team loaded with individual standouts.

Lemaire acknowledged the challenge in keeping the right combinations on the ice, stating, “the ability to keep the Devils prepared, ready to sacrifice for a common goal, and on an even emotional plain was of primary importance.

“You have to know your personnel,” he says.

Adds Robinson: “It’s a lot different than the type of defense (St. Louis head coach) Mike Keenan likes to play, where you’re pressuring the puck all over the place. To do that consistently and effectively for extended periods, you’ve got to have the personnel.”

OK, so if this strategy is less demanding from a player-personnel standpoint, why isn’t it more prevalent?

“The players have to buy into the system, but like anything else, it can break down,” notes the Kings coach. “If it does, your goaltender is facing a lot of situations in which he’s at a disadvantage.”

Robinson noted that Devils netminder Martin Brodeur was as important to the Devils shutting down opposing offenses as were the guys actually executing the traffic jams between the bluelines.

“Nothing works all the time, and Brodeur was excellent. You have to have outstanding goaltender play, too, because teams are still going to get off a certain amount of shots.”

Robinson explains that there are variations to the trapping system the Devils used, and the one he will most likely implement into the LA arsenal. For instance, ex-Florida Panthers coach Roger Neilson utilized a similar approach that was perhaps less aggressive.

“Theirs was a little more passive,” Robinson says of the Florida style under Neilson. “They wouldn’t forecheck as much. They tended to do more sitting back and waiting, (whereas) we would just try to get possession of the puck. That was the whole idea.”

One pressing question remains unanswered with all of this. How did the label “trap” get pinned on this philosophy, anyway? In reality, it’s not a trap at all. In basketball, a trapping defense is one that emphasizes constantly double-teaming and even triple-teaming the man with the ball, attempting to force him into a turnover. That explanation equates more to Keenan’s approach than to Lemaire’s.

No wonder Lemaire doesn’t acknowledge the name.

In fact, the accurate part of neutral-zone trap is ‘zone.’ And while a zone defense is illegal in the NBA, it’s a championship strategy in the NHL.

This first appeared in the 11/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Flashback: Quebec Becomes Colorado

Flashback: Quebec becomes Colorado
By Sam Laskaris
Nov 5, 2001, 19:19

Following a 13-year absence, the National Hockey League has returned to Denver. But the franchise, dubbed the Colorado Avalanche, is not expected to have many growing pains. That’s because the Avalanche is not an expansion entry but the Quebec Nordiques organization, which relocated to the Mile High City this past May.

The Nordiques compiled the second most points (65)—the Detroit Red Wings had 70—in last year’s shortened NHL season. Despite an impressive 30-13-5 regular season mark, the Nordiques were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs by the 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers. The New Yorkers won the best-of-seven set in six games.

Shortly thereafter, rumors which had been circulating for almost a year became reality. Unable to secure some adequate government funding for a proposed new rink, Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut sold his franchise, which he claimed would be unable to survive in small-market Quebec City in today’s big-business NHL.

A Maryland-based communications firm, COMSAT Video Enterprises, purchased the franchise for $75 million and moved it to Denver. COMSAT also owns the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.

The Nuggets, who sell out most of their home games, and the Avalanche, who are hoping to sell out all their matches, will share McNichols Sports Arena until a new hockey rink is completed. There’s no doubt the Avalanche will be well received. The club cut off season ticket sales at 12,000. The arena’s seating capacity for hockey is 16,500 and team officials wanted to make the remaining tickets available to the public on a per-game basis.

An exciting team…this time

Despite last season’s early playoff exit, the Nordiques-turned-Avalanche are viewed as one of the NHL’s most exciting teams. And since many of the squad’s top players are still relatively young, in their early to mid-20s, the Avalanche should be a force to be reckoned with for several years.

Colorado’s roster in-cludes captain Joe Sakic and Owen Nolan, two of the NHL’s top offensive players; Peter Forsberg, who was selected as the league’s top newcomer last season; rugged and popular winger Wendel Clark; and a pair of promising young netminders, Stephane Fiset and Jocelyn Thibault.

“People are really excited here,” says Avalanche coach Marc Crawford, who was presented with the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top bench boss last season. “They’ve got a contender right away.”

Denver’s first taste of the NHL lasted from the 1976/77 through to the 1981/82 seasons. The franchise, known as the Colorado Rockies, never had a winning year. In fact, the most games the club won in the then 80-game season was 22, accomplished during the 1980/81 campaign.

After plenty of struggles on the ice and at the gate, the franchise was sold and transferred by its third owner, John Gilbert. The club, purchased by John McMullen, moved east and became known as the New Jersey Devils.

Seven other professional hockey teams have also called Denver home. Most of them had short existences.

The Denver Falcons were members of the United States Hockey League for only one season, 1950/51, before the circuit folded. The Denver Mavericks, who started the 1959/60 season in the International Hockey League, had an even shorter life. After only one month of play, this franchise moved to Minneapolis. Next in line were the Denver Invaders, a Western Hockey League farm team of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. After their inaugural season, 1963/64, the Invaders relocated to Victoria, British Columbia.

Though they survived a little longer than their predecessors, the Denver Spurs, founded in 1968, also went through their fair share of moves. The Spurs were members of the Western Hockey League until the end of the 1973/74 season. The following year they joined the Central Hockey League, and a year later they became members of the World Hockey Association. Following a half-season in the WHA, the Spurs folded.

Then the NHL Rockies came into town. The same year they left, the Colorado Flames hooked up with the Central Hockey League. After only one year of play—does this ring a bell?—the Flames were split up as the league folded.

Five years later, the Colorado/Denver Rangers rolled into town as part of the IHL. After two years, the franchise declared bankruptcy in June of 1989.

A sports boom town

The IHL returned to Denver last season. Despite being successful off and on the ice—the Denver Grizzlies captured the IHL championship—the franchise moved to Utah during the off-season. Of course, this was largely due to the announcement that the Ava-lanche was thundering into town.

“This town is just booming,” says Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix. “The enthusiasm is just unbelievable. It’s way different than Quebec, which was a one-sports town.”

Denver now has four major-league teams. Baseball’s Colorado Rockies and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League also vie for the consumer’s sports dollars. Sellouts are the norm for these franchises, as well.

Most of the those involved with the Nordiques, however, admit leaving Quebec City was tough.

“Everyone has a lot of friends there,” says Avalanche center Mike Ricci. “We met a lot of nice people—people like restaurant owners who treated us really well.”

Ricci, who began his career with the Philadelphia Flyers and joined Quebec as part of the blockbuster deal involving the rights to Eric Lindros, says the franchise move to Denver made him feel sort of like he’s been traded again.

“Trades happen so often now,” he says. “It’s just part of the game and everybody is well aware of it. This move sort of feels like a trade, but the good thing about it is you get to take all of your buddies with you.”

Another plus, added Ricci, is that the players won’t have to shoulder any unnecessary blame for the team’s financial shortcomings.

“It’s tough if the owners are having to go to the government asking for money,” he says. “We don’t want to put people in more of a burden than they’re in. People might start thinking it’s the players’ fault. What they might not realize (is that) if taxes get raised in that situation, our taxes get raised, too.”

Ricci doesn’t mind the fact the Avalanche will have to share the attention of Denver’s sports-mad fans.

“I’m not Mr. Spotlight,” Ricci admits. “It’s tough being the only show in town. So I’m looking forward to being in Denver. It will also be nice to meet other professional athletes and set each other up with tickets to our games. Being able to go to a Broncos or a Nuggets game is something I’m looking forward to.”

Team captain Sakic also likes the thought of not being so much of a public figure as he was in hockey-crazy Quebec.

“In Quebec, everywhere you went people would always recognize you and be pointing at you,” he recalled. “I’m the kind of guy who wants to leave the hockey part of my life at the rink.”

Breathing easy?

It’s expected the Avalanche will leave most of their rivals gasping for breath at their new home. Breathing conditions in the Mile High City will be tough for those clubs coming in from altitudes closer to sea level.

“Everybody is saying this to us,” notes Lacroix. “(Nuggets) strength and conditioning coaches are saying it’s an advantage. Our coaches will do everything they can to try and make it work in our favor. But we still have to play the games. It’s not as if the score is going to be 1-0 in our favor before we begin every game.”

Being a pre-season favorite for the league crown means diddly, Lacroix adds, citing some experiences from last year.

“People were expecting a lot from the (New York) Rangers,” he pointed out, “and the Devils came out on top.”

Moving from a predominantly French-speaking Canadian city to a thriving American one will have another plus for the Avalanche. Quebec was notorious for being one of the least desirable locales for NHL players, partly because of the language situation and also because of the city’s high taxes.

“There’s no longer that consideration,” Crawford agrees. “But I don’t think it was a problem. Players really wanted to come and play in Quebec City the past few years.”

Though he would have preferred to stay in Quebec, Crawford is relieved the transfer issue is now complete.

“At least we won’t have a cloud over our head, like Winnipeg.”

It was widely believed the Winnipeg Jets would also be moving this past offseason. But the club will stick it out in the Manitoba capital for at least this season, with a zillion rumors no doubt circulating as to its future.

A fan farewell

It seemed most of Winnipeg’s citizens got behind the team when a move appeared imminent. Meanwhile, a protest in Quebec City only drew an estimated 300 fans unhappy that the Nordiques were on the move.

“We had great fans in Quebec,” Crawford reflected. “They were tremendous. I don’t think the fans in Winnipeg cared any more or any less for their team than those in Quebec. Maybe the ones in Quebec were more realistic. They knew no matter what they did it would happen anyway.”

Following a sensational regular season, what Nordiques supporters weren’t expecting was a quick playoff ouster. Sakic said the club’s uncertain future had no effect on this result.

“The players weren’t too concerned with what was going on,” he remembered. “At that time, no one knew what would happen.”

The Nordiques did have a 2-0 lead in the series, however. Increased media attention on the series—after all, the top regular-season finisher was playing the defending league champs—may have led to some Quebec players second-guessing themselves and their future.

“I wouldn’t say we choked,” Sakic says. “I think we just got beat by a more experienced team. We had a lot of youth on our team and we learned a lot by watching (the Rangers). They showed us things, like how you have to sacrifice the body in order to win. Hopefully that experience will help us down the line.”

Way up in those Rocky Mountains.

This first appeared in the 11/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Keith Gretzky: He Knows He Has What It Takes

Keith Gretzky: He knows he has what it takes
By David Terentieff
Nov 5, 2000, 19:04

Item: Keith Gretzky has been drafted in the first round by the Calgary Rad’z of Roller Hockey International (RHI).

Gretzky is the younger brother of Wayne Gretzky, AKA “The Great One,” who won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and is currently a member of the Los Angeles Kings.

What makes Keith Gretzky think he can skate in the intense world of Roller Hockey International? Will his ice hockey skills translate over to roller hockey? And does he have what it takes to stay with the crash-’n’-bash RHI, which sanctions full-contact hockey?

Gretzky doesn’t think he has what it takes — he knows he has what it takes. And therein lies the key. That positive affirmation was one of the glaring features that came out of a discussion with Gretzky shortly after he was drafted by the Rad’z.

“I hope to help (the Rad’z) out with scoring a little bit,” he modestly said when asked about his role with the team. Never mind that he is new to the league, because he has the seemingly brash belief that he will be a positive contributor to the Rad’z. “I’m a smart player and I have the ability to be quick,” he added with absolute confidence.

Hard to teach scoring

Gretzky taught hockey at his “Gretzky’s Game” hockey school for several years. Then last season he worked with 16- to 20-year-old junior players as assistant coach with the WHL Tri-Cities Americans in Kennewick, WA. While scoring goals is something Gretzky comes by naturally, in his work with youngsters he has developed his own theory about the art of scoring.

“It’s hard to teach a kid to score goals,” he said. “Not everyone is talented like Brett Hull. He shoots and it goes in — not everyone has that gift.

“Some guys will score 50 goals by working hard. Some will score 80 or more goals on natural talent. They just have a natural goal-scoring shot,” he said. But he agreed that even for those with a natural gift, hard work is the key to scoring goals.

“When you’re 16-years old and trying to improve your game you have to do extra work and shoot lots of pucks each day,” Gretzky said.

Gretzky’s background is similar to that of many other RHI players. Like many skaters in the two-year-old league, Gretzky has an extensive ice hockey background, including two campaigns (1991-93) with the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League.

He noted that his coaching duties with the WHL Americans didn’t leave him much time to work on his own skills during the past season. But that doesn’t bother him. Gretzky has absolute confidence in his skills – whether on blades or on wheels. Besides, he’ll have some time to work on his own game before reporting to the Rad’z for the roller hockey season.

Since the WHL season ended, Gretzky has concentrated on increasing his daily mileage on wheels, developing his wind and stamina. He rides a stationary bike at least 45 minutes a day to get his heart rate up and keep his legs fit. “I’ll ride the stationary bike, get strong, and then go from there to determine how much time I need to spend on blades,” he said.

It’s not at all surprising that Keith feels comfortable on skates. He’s been perfecting his stroke and glide since his parents first laced him up at age four. He says he played hockey since that early age, just like big brother Wayne. And now, at 27, even if he doesn’t share The Great One’s phenomenal athletic gift, he does share his humility.

In-line more than a fad

Keith couldn’t help but notice the explosive popularity of in-line skating in Southern California when he played with the IHL Gulls. He developed his own 11-mile training course around the San Diego neighborhood where he lived.

“It (in-line skating) is more than just a fad. The sport is growing so fast, and it hasn’t gone away,” he said. He noted that he has seen a lot of interest in in-line skating in Canada, too — but nothing like the way the phenomenon has exploded in California.

As a traditional centerman, Gretzky uses a straight blade on ice, and says he’ll use the same blade on the concrete surfaces of RHI. He prefers a wooden blade because of the stiffer, more responsive feel. As for the rest of his roller hockey equipment, Gretzky says he plans to skate with the best state-of-the-art gear available.

“Roller hockey equipment is all lighter than what we use on ice,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to duplicate the experience of a blade on ice, but I hope to find wheels which will give, as close as possible, the same experience as ice skating.”

In January, RHI announced a multi-year television deal with ESPN and ESPN2, with plans for a live prime time game of the week on Monday nights. The TV coverage should give Keith, along with many other IHL players, a showcase opportunity during the heat of the summer.

Back behind the bench

After winding up his first season behind the bench with the Tri-Cities Americans, Gretzky said the experience agreed with him. The Americans climbed out of the basement at the end of their season and qualified for the WHL playoffs.

His coaching experience was certainly a change from his accustomed role on the ice. Asked what he looks for in a player from a coach’s perspective, Gretzky first said he’s looking for two totally different player types.

Defensemen, according to Gretzky, “have got to be able to skate — especially backwards. They have to be strong and to be good shots.” And forwards? “They have to be quick, as well as big and strong.” He added that centermen are always expected to be competent two-way players.

Gretzky acknowledges that working with the junior hockey team has been difficult. “It has been totally different dealing with such young kids here and trying to mold them into something you want…very difficult,” he noted. But since this was a rebuilding year for the Americans, Gretzky found his rewards in working with raw, emerging talent.

“I decided to leave my wife, six-month- old son and three-year-old daughter in the Tri Cities for the summer,” said Gretzky, “and I hope to continue with the Americans next season.”

Whether it’s coaching or playing, Gretzky is counting on his long-time association with the game of hockey to serve him well as he skates with other converted ice-men in Roller Hockey International.

This first appeared in the 06/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Being Seen

Being seen
By Bettina Prochnow
Nov 5, 2001, 16:03

Let’s say “A” equals the road to the NHL, which is paved with NCAA Division I, II and III colleges, universities, and one or two Russian or Canadian connections. If “B” is the avenue dotted with prep schools that short-step you to the NCAA Division schools, where does A-minus-B leave you?

Not necessarily locked out of the groove, even if you’re not living in a hockey beltway. The up and coming talented youth hockey player has a couple of side streets left to turn onto.

The name of the game for the competitive high-school aged player who is trying to move up the hockey ladder is to see and be seen—by the top prep schools, college coaches, and professional scouts. The Chicago Showcase is one such tournament. Held every April, it draws between 20-25 teams from all over the country.

“It’s a good place to go as a scout,” says Ernie Ferrari, Stanford University’s hockey coach. “With all those teams, you get to see a lot of excellent hockey players.”

Typically, an individual state will put together an elite team through invitations to special try-outs set up for this purpose. Sometimes states will blend their team under a broader aegis, like Team Southwest, which one year included players from both Texas and Arizona.

During the week-long tournament, recruiters from Junior teams, colleges and universities, and even some pros, have ample opportunity to check out the talent. Besides on-ice action, they also receive a roster of each players hockey statistics and academic record to boot.

A summer show

Lasting far longer than their name implies, Hockey Night in Boston, offers a summer showcase for the gifted player.

“Our goal is to promote the sport,” says executive director Lance LoFaro, “and help expose the players as they prepare for college.”

HNIB started 23 years ago as a way to showcase hockey talent from Massachusetts only. Then it grew to include New England, the Mari-times/New Brunswick area in Canada, and eventually, the rest of the country, including this year’s rookie entry—a Pacific Coast team.

All told, 18 teams culled from try-out camps held throughout the country in June competed in the 90-game first-round portion this year. The month-long tournament—typically held from late July to late August—concludes with a four-team round robin All-Star tourney. Based on their performance during the tournament, the HNIB coaching staff picks these players to form the ultimate challenge—two teams each from Massachusetts, New England, and Mid-America.

The talent shows up for this showcase of stars. Last year, HNIB could boast of having 73 of their former players in the NHL, including Brian Leetch, Jeremy Roenick, and 1995’s #1 draft pick, Bryan Berard.

“Hockey Night in Boston,” says Fred Devereaux of the Washington Capitals, “gives me the chance to see the best against the best under one roof.”

College coaches sing its praises, too. According to Mike McShane of Providence College, “HNIB is great competitive action for the serious player and is a recruitment necessity for players and coaches.”

As part of their summer league, HNIB also hosts a unique sophomore All-Star tournament each July. Eighteen teams, 400 skaters in all, compete against each other. From these players, 80 are selected to play in the tournament highlight, the All-Star games. Thirty more players are culled from this elite group to compete with the “big boys” during the major tournament.

Welcome, ladies!

This year, a girls’ division was added for the first time. Six teams, one each from the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Massachusetts, New York, New Brunswick and New England went at it on the ice.

“It was real competitive,” says Kylie Ferrari, one of four Californians who made the Midwest team, which included players from participants west of Michigan. “(But) it was tough playing as a team because it was the first time we had ever been together.”

To their advantage, many of the girls from the East Coast knew and had played with each other before.

“The trip was good,” she adds, “I made friends and got to see some colleges, too.”

The glitches were minor. The girls preferred the boys shirt logo to the one designed for them, and they also wondered why admission was not charged to their games, while it was for the boys. But the battle of the sexes was non-existent, since the teams got to know each other.

“We made a pact: we went to all of the boys games,” says Kylie, “and they came to all of ours!”

If you’re an elite player, or are trying to get on that track, keep these two tournaments in mind. They give you what you want—a chance to be seen by the right recruiters while doing what you do best!

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 11/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

I Hate That!

I hate that!
By Bill Ferguson
Nov 5, 2001, 07:58

© Breck Wilson

We recently asked Hockey Player’s raving, roving reporter to run down some of the things about the game that get under his skin. What follows, depending on your point of view, is either an insightful look at the state of hockey today, or simply a report from the lunatic fringe. You decide!

When I talk about things that bug me in hockey, bear in mind that the penalty for these infractions should be dragging the offender around the rink until he is seriously traumatized, has terminal abrasions, or both. Does this, seem a little severe? Not when you consider that these things detract from the joy of the game for those of us who are serious about it.

What I hate the most, and the infraction that should be penalized with the utmost unrestrained enthusiasm, is anything that makes the game less fun. The worst of these offenders is the youth coach so obsessed with winning that he takes a loss or tie as a personal failure. I’m sure we have all played with people who fit into this category.

I’ve even played with someone who would yell at his dad for making a dumb play, and this was in a pick-up roller hockey game on a tennis court! “Dad, why didn’t you hit me; I was open!” And it didn’t end there. Guys like that really need to get a life.

I also hate the guy who doesn’t care—who has no pride in his game. This guy could play hockey forever, and never get any better. He never takes a lesson to improve his skills, and advice given is forgotten within a shift or two. He throws the puck away without looking, and if you give him the puck beside an empty net, he looks like he is trying to stickhandle with goalie gloves on. This guy is also likely to drop his stick if you give him a good hard pass. Eventually you don’t pass to him, so you’re playing shorthanded when he’s on the ice. I hate that!

How about the player who never learned to pass the puck along the ice? His idea of a pass is to shoot it at you. “Try catching this one, bud!” We all know that touch is as important in hockey, if you’re going to make the sweet play, as it is in golf. The old “Hands of Stone” syndrome is as bad on the passing end as it is on the receiving end. Some guys seem to think that if you’re in position to tip a shot, they need to shoot it harder!

Heads up!

Then there’s the defenseman who, as you screen the goalie, blasts one at your chest. Maybe he thinks he shoots so hard he can put it through you and the goalie.

Almost as bad is the know-it-all. He’s often a gifted player, but one the other players on his team don’t even want to talk to—especially during the game. You can always spot this guy on the bench. Every time he starts to talk to his teammates, they bend down to retie their skates, or cheer on the guys on the ice, or take a bench minor; anything rather than talk to this guy.

Have you noticed that players like this only come up with “constructive criticisms” that tend to enhance their own point totals? Don’t we all hate that?

We have an abundance of cherry-pickers here in my league, and you know what? I hate them. It’s hard to feel bad when your own team scores, but if you were in a better position to score than he was, shouldn’t he have given it up? Surely if he doesn’t score you will tell him about it, but does that mean he’ll pass it next time? Noooo!

This guy is always a treat for his defensemen, too, since he never sees the other side of the red line. And this guys parents are usually at every game: they think he’s the greatest, and I’m sure he’d agree. This, I hate!

Speaking of defensemen, don’t you love the guy who thinks he’s always going to keep the puck in? Of course if he’s wrong, their man is in alone. But he’ll keep trying. I guess he’s what’s called a bonehead, because it surely takes no brains to make the same mistake over and over again.

Almost as bad is the dipsy doodler, who has a “patented play” that never works—yet, like the bonehead, he keeps trying it. I played with a fellow for years who had a play where he would skate in on goal, then make his cut at the last instant without the puck, leaving it to continue sliding toward the net, and assuming the goalie would cover the side he cut to. Usually goalies were too slow to react to his last move and made the easy save, or watched the puck trickle wide or hit the post. He never scored on this play, yet he practiced it every warm-up, and would usually try it at least once during the game. It looked great on paper, but not on the ice. I hate that.

Which brings me to goalies. I hate to knock keepers—since they have the toughest job on the ice—and as a defenseman, I have my back to then more often then not. But there are a couple of types that really get me going. I once played with a guy who, every time we got scored on, would turn to the guy on his team closest to him, and start up with “Why didn’t you get that guy?” Or, “Don’t let them shoot!” Or something equally ludicrous. It was hard not to laugh at this guy. I don’t think he ever had a goal scored on him that was his fault. He was a whiner, and they’re the worst!

Unfortunately for him, and for me, this same guy was also the second-worst type of goalie; the fish. Also known as the beached whale, once this guy goes down, it takes a buzzer to bring them back up. You’d think these guys were wearing body armor, since the only sitting up they do is at the dinner table.

Plenty more to hate

I don’t want to give the impression that everything I hate about hockey involves players. There’s plenty to hate about the ref, too. Start with this: if these guys could play, wouldn’t they? No one would intentionally take the zebra’s job if there were another one available. They must hate themselves.

But why do I hate refs, at least the bad ones? Because the worst of them ruin the game for everyone. What’s worse than a game that ends with both teams upset at the ref?

I really hate the ref who’s on a power trip. The guy who whistles you for a penalty; threatens you with a misconduct for asking “what for?”; then gives you 10 if you merely keep re-questing an an-swer. If you then respond with some comment about him or his mother—a natural result, really—you get the game.

Almost as bad is the ref who is clueless. This type usually has a pet call, like “Man in The Crease.” The kind who, if you stop along the boards and the man with the puck runs into you, will whistle you because it made a lot of noise. We once had a ref who disallowed goals every game—at least one or two. Why? He just wanted to keep his hand in, I guess. But I hated it.

So let’s include on the “I hate” list those league administrators who have kept guys like this working rather than replacing them as deserving to be properly cleaned and eaten.

There are things I hate in college hockey, like all those ugly Jerseys. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a college team with a good-looking sweater. They all look like they picked their designs from a 1910-era catalogue! Perhaps they should drop their school logos and colors and start from scratch. Maybe then they would draw some fans!

Think I’m being a bit severe? Maybe, but I always hated school.

Duct tape? Czech pucks?

Let’s talk about tape. Don’t you hate the guy who uses duct tape on his equipment? I do. Whoever started this trend deserves to be used as a faceoff dot.

I hate players who never wash their jerseys. Heck, a lot of them never even take their gear out of the bag to dry! Don’t look over your shoulder, bud; you know who I’m talking about. Your teammates sure do. Sometimes the shoe fits a little closer to the home closet, eh?

One night on the SportCourt, it was late in the game when I dried my head with my sleeve and thought “Uuuggh! Whose jersey is this?” Of course, it was mine. Sometimes, I even hate myself.

I hate breaking a new stick the first time I bring it on the ice. Not only do I lose my prime weapon—the one you with the sure game-winning goal in it—but I’m out 27 bucks!

Speaking of bucks, I hate it that I’ve spent almost as much on roller hockey gear as I have on my ice gear. It was supposed to be a cheaper alternative!

And then there are pucks. I hate that all pucks seem to be made in Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic, or whatever. Didn’t Peter Puck once tell me that all pucks were made, stamped and vulcanized right here in North America? Oh, well. The times they are a changin’.

There are things I hate about NHL hockey. For one thing, they have their own rule book. Most of us see more NHL hockey than any other form of the game, yet if we play by their rules we get called for it. I hate that!

While we’re on the subject of rule books, why does the NHL enact new rules every year that are enforced early on, yet come playoff time, everyone including the refs has forgotten them?

We’re all aware of the third-period rulebook and the overtime rulebook—which reads like a blank sheet of paper. But what about the superstar rulebook, as opposed to the blue-collar rulebook? Anyone who watches hockey knows that it makes a difference, and I hate that.

One thing I really hate is the empty feeling in my stomach when the Stanley Cup is won and the season is over, because I know it will be three or four months before I’ll see any real sporting action.

Finally, you know what I hate the most? People who would rather watch baseball than a fast-paced game of hockey. Why? Because for everything I hate, I still love this game.

This first appeared in the 10/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Face-Off Specialists: Always on the Spot

Face-off specialists: Always on the spot
By Bob Cunningham
Nov 5, 2001, 07:53

Randy Gilhen: Specialist at work. ©**ß

In many cases, an NHL team’s biggest star is also its top faceoff man. In crunch time—late in the third period of a close game, or in overtime—guys like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Doug Gilmour and Bernie Nicholls are called upon to win draws that can often directly determine a game’s outcome.

Of course, that’s not always true. In Winnipeg, Teemu Selanne and Keith Tkachuk are clearly the Jets highest-profile stars. But when it comes to winning faceoffs, the Jets main man is veteran Randy Gilhen.

Gilhen, a much-traveled faceoff specialist, is not only the Jets best at what he does, but is also arguably the quickest draw in the entire Western Conference. That he has been a member of seven different NHL teams in his career is a clear indication that even if you don’t score goals like Teemu Selanne, there is always a roster spot available for a dependable faceoff man.

You see, winning faceoffs consistently is an art form that few have mastered. Or ever will.

“Every player has a specialty that keeps him in the game, whether it’s scoring goals or being a defensive defenseman or whatever,” says Gilhen, a journeyman who’s played for Hartford, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, the New York Rangers, Tampa and Florida before coming back to the Jets (he originally played there from 1986-89) midway through the 1993/94 campaign. “Winning face-offs is a talent that I happen to have that I work on constantly.”

To the casual observer, faceoffs often seem more like hack-offs; they take on the appearance of two guys feverishly flailing away at a little black disk in the hopes that someone with the same-colored jersey will gain control of it.

Strength or finesse

But Gilhen usually has specific strategy he attempts to execute when he’s in the circle. In layman’s terms, there’s either the strength approach or the finesse approach. Each has its purpose, and each has its advantages.

Gilhen has earned the reputation he enjoys because he’s learned to become proficient at both.

When strength is the chosen course, Gilhen —who at 6’, 190 pounds, is not exactly a behemoth by NHL standards—isn’t so much concerned with winning the faceoff as he is with not losing it.

“It’s really a matter of getting down low on your stick, and bulling your way in. You want to tie up the guy and maybe kick the puck,” he explains. “Or you may try to lock your foot inside his foot to get position that way.”

Gilhen adds that he utilizes this more aggressive approach primarily in the defensive end.

“You won’t always get the puck to a teammate, but you can at least scrum for the puck and buy a few seconds,” he says.

When Gilhen opts for a more offensive approach, he relies more on timing and instincts.

“The object is to get a clean win and gain possession quickly,” he explains. “A lot of goals are scored off faceoffs.”

When he decides to rely on timing and quickness, usually a strategy employed in the offensive end, the game becomes more mental: more aspects come into play.

“Determining how you’ll approach a certain faceoff has a lot to do with who you’re going up against, and also the linesman,” says Gilhen. “I compare it to a batter going up against a pitcher in baseball. If a guy throws several (kinds of) pitches, he can throw off a hitter.

“I try to know what a guy’s strengths are, what he likes to do.”

Knowing the traits of a linesman can also be an advantage.

“No question about it, it’s kind of a trade-off,” Gilhen says. “Because you get to know him and his tendencies and what you can get away with, and he knows you. Knowing the linesman can be a huge advantage.”

Gilhen says that the best faceoff men in the league can effectively utilize either strength or finesse at the drop of a puck.

“(New York’s) Mark Messier, he’s a real power guy. Big, strong—but he also has great hands. He can do both because he’s so quick and yet he’s a brute,” Gilhen notes. “(Pittsburgh’s) Ron Francis is so good because he uses so many aspects. The one thing about him is that he’s great with his feet. He always seems to get a skate on the puck. So does (Dallas center) Peter Zezel.”

Use your feet, too

Which brings up the subject of footwork. The stick is only the primary tool for a player. His skates can also be equally important in gaining possession of the puck—both with quickness and as an actual director of a loose puck.

“As long as you maintain your balance, which is real important,” Gilhen explains, “tying up someone inside can certainly be to your benefit, whether you can skate on the puck or just wait for a teammate to get control.”

Another aspect in approaching a faceoff is in timing. The object is to avoid arriving at the circle prematurely; to time your arrival to generate somewhat of a “running start” at the puck. Quickness, rather than strength, is desired and a specific play is often called directly off a faceoff.

Many feel the best in the game at this type of draw, not surprisingly, is Gretzky. Not only is his quickness keen, but his unparalleled instincts for the game aid him; he hardly ever seems to send the puck in an ill-advised direction.

“He’ll tell you where he’s going to send it with a nod or a quick point with his stick, and sure enough, the puck gets there,” says Gretzky’s Los Angeles teammate, Rob Blake. “It’s pretty amazing.”

A question sometimes asked of Gilhen has to do with his left-handed feature, but he maintains that has no preference in terms of which side of the ice he takes a faceoff from.

“Some guys will go left-handed on the left side of the ice and right-handed on the right side,” he notes. “Personally, I have no preference. As a lefty, I draw to my strength, the backhand side.”

Although it’s a specific talent not possessed by all who enter the NHL, the list of those with a reputation for faceoff proficiency is actually quite expansive—virtually every team has at least one acknowledged faceoff “specialist.”

A cog for contenders

And as playoff time draws near, most teams in contention don’t feel comfortable until they’ve added that last cog—the dependable faceoff guy—to their roster. Craig MacTavish was a key to the New York Rangers Cup win in 1994, and was quickly snapped up by the rival Philadelphia Flyers the next season. The Devils had a slew of strong faceoff men—Bobby Holik, Bobby Carpenter, and Neal Broten in particular—on their Cup-winning squad. So who did Philadelphia, perhaps in preparation for a playoff rematch next year, sign in the offseason? Free agent Joel Otto, Calgary’s longtime faceoff specialist.

What do most of these players have in common, despite their sterling reputations as all-around players? They’ve all been at this faceoff business for a good long while.

“It’s something you have work at constantly,” says Gilhen.

And something that, worked on long enough, can look deceptively simple. Watch a practiced faceoff specialist in action, and what he does looks effortless.

Of course, it is not. It’s a talent rooted in fundamentals and developed only after countless hours and years of repetitive practice.

So, having worked his way to near perfection on the dots, Gilhen sees two basics that must always be adhered to in order to win more than one’s share of draws.

“As I said before, you have to be balanced. If you’re off balance, you get knocked off the puck,” he says. “Second, and most importantly, never take your eye off the puck. It’s like just about every other sport.

“When you’re in a faceoff, you have to watch the puck all the way from the linesman’s hands. If you try to watch the circle and anticipate, and the other guy is watching the puck all the way, well…you won’t win too many faceoffs that way.”

This first appeared in the 10/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®