Defending a Summer Love

Defending a summer love
By Janet Del Tufo
Dec 1, 2006, 07:49

Janet Del Tufo

As Roller Hockey Interna-tional’s third season comes to a close, attendance seems to be an on-going problem for the league. Hockey fans throughout North America continue to show resistance toward the roller form of the game.

“They say it’s slow, boring, and not a physical game. They say there’s no hitting or checking,” says 23-year-old Carolyn Argenio, Los Angeles Blades season-ticket holder, of the friends she watches ice hockey with. “But they’re not boring at all,” Argenio says. “I like the game because there is a lot of scoring. There’s a lot of hard hitting and checking.

“I mean, the hitting is almost harder than in ice hockey, and it’s not slow at all. And you can sit close to the glass for only $6.”

Argenio isn’t the only roller hockey fan who has to defend her summer fun to ice fans. She loves the ice version as well (she only missed one of the LA Kings home games last season), but she hasn’t seen many of her fellow Kings fans at Blades games this season.

So let’s look at some of the issues of discontent, and set the record straight on what kind of entertainment one can expect next summer when attending an RHI match-up.

Complaint: The game is too slow, and it’s not exciting!

“RHI is more exciting—shift in and shift out,” ex-NHL penalty leader and Vancouver head coach Dave “Tiger” Williams says of the game he has been involved with since the inception of the league three years ago. “There’s never a boring shift because of the four-on-four situation. One bad hop, one great pass, and you’re in a scoring position. With four-on-four hockey—ice or roller—you’ve got to be able to do it all. You’ve got to be able to skate, handle the puck, and if you make a bad decision, offensively or defensively, there’s going to be a chance to score.

“And if your like action,” Williams says, “there’s more action and checking here than any action you’ll see in the NHL. Because the greatest player that ever played the game, Wayne Gretzky, (doesn’t get) hit solidly once every two years. And here, you can be the best in the league, and your gonna get rocked every quarter.”

Complaint: There’s no physical play, and the game is boring!

“When I played here with the (IHL) Phoenix Roadrunners, I’d talk to people all the time and they’d say, oh, wow, I’ve watched it on TV, and it’s so boring,” Phoenix Cobras forward and spiritual leader, Sean Whyte, says of his early conversations with friends in the Valley of the Sun. “But when you see it live, it’s a totally different situation. And it’s the same thing with roller hockey. When you see it live and you see everything happening at once, when you watch some really fancy plays happening, along with some great goals and bad hits—it’s a good game where the great plays are made through teamwork, which is pretty amazing.”

And the physical play?

“I’m more of a grinding type of player, so I think hitting happens basically in this game because your not as agile as you are on ice skates,” Whyte says in explaining the big hits that hockey fans witness at an RHI game. “When you are going down the boards on wheels you can’t stop as quickly, or turn the other way if you see someone coming at you full speed, so you get hit pretty hard into the boards. With that in mind, these teams have got to realize that there are going to be some pretty big hits, and have the attitude to use that to their advantage.”

Complaint: There’s no fighting.

Yes, fighting results in a league suspension. But there are fisticuffs. Witness the recent fallout from a confrontation involving Anaheim Bullfrogs tough-guy Darrin Banks.

“I’ve played against Marty before, a while back—maybe three or four years ago,” said the former Boston Bruins forward after a near scrum with San Diego Barracudas coach Steve (Marty) Martinson in the fourth quarter of a heated RHI match. “I don’t know who the guy was that I was fighting with there, but Marty had a few choice words for me, and I had a few back for him—just to remind him more or less of the last time we played against each other.”

Complaint: There are no star players.

“I think that they’re all excited that I am playing again this summer,” Rob Granato, Chicago Cheetahs forward and brother of LA Kings Tony Granato said about coming from a well-known and hockey-loving family. “All the home games—since I am from Chicago—my parents come to, and when my brother and sister are in town, they come out to the games, too. When I’m on the road, I get calls from the family; seeing how the games went and that sort of thing. We’re very supportive of each other, and that’s the way it’s been all the way growing up with everybody.”

The RHI is a young league still developing its own stars. But with family connections such as the Granatos, the McSorleys, the Hulls, the Howes, the Ciccarellis—and the likes of hall of famer Yvan Cournoyer holding post in Montreal—the star light should soon be bright enough to illuminate many of RHI’s SportCourt floors.

Complaint: There’s no reason to go to an RHI game.

“My brother and I got to go into the Bullfrogs locker room after the game, and I got my jersey signed by Joe Cook—and he’s really neat,” 11-year-old Steven Black said after he and a number of other youths were chosen to visit and see what it is like inside of a professional hockey team’s dressing area. Black, who attends every game with his mother, Kathy, plays roller hockey himself, and has his Anaheim jersey and cap signed by almost every player on the team. Post game autograph sessions on the concession level are commonplace at the Arrowhead Pond.

“We went to the National Sports Grill for the (“Talk to the Bullfrogs”) radio show where (Coach) Grant (Sonier) is there to talk, but they had some (technical) difficulties. So (Bullfrogs PR representative) Lisa Hickman gave us her card and had us call her. I got to go inside and see the players, and it was really fun!”

You can’t do that at an NHL game now, can you?

“No way,” the proud youngster responded.

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

Taking One for the Team

Taking one for the team
By Fred Pletsch
Oct 31, 2001, 16:46

There are no statistics kept and no trophies awarded for it, but a coach always has a special place reserved in his lineup—and his heart—for the player who unselfishly “takes the hit to make the play.”

George Gwodzecky says the fundamentals of taking and receiving a check should be taught to youngsters at an early age, soon after skating basics are mastered, and be presented in a fun-filled atmosphere.

“The first thing you have to make them realize is that (the hit) is not going to hurt,” says Gwodzecky, who was a hit at Denver University, where he turned around the hockey program in his first year.

“We get (kids) to fall on the ice and make contact with the boards to show that they’re protected by their equipment. We play games where they learn not only to give a check, but to take a hit—and they learn very, very quickly that even though the hit may look spectacular, they get up smiling because it doesn’t hurt them.”

Spread ‘em

A wide base is the first brick laid in the creation of a bodychecking wall.

“Make sure they spread their skates and bend their knees when contact is imminent,” says Gwodzecky, the 1993 Coach of the Year when he was at Miami University. “They have got to develop a wider base so they don’t get knocked off balance or they have a harder time getting knocked off balance.”

The knees serve as the body’s shock absorbers.

“They’ve got to bend their knees at the same time to cushion the blow. And they don’t want to avoid getting hit into the boards; they want to learn to use the boards as their ally, because the boards, for the most part, have a lot of give and take to them. If you are slammed up against the boards, you can use the recoil action of the boards to push off, and hopefully knock your opponent off balance.”

An excellent introductory bodychecking drill, says Gwodzecky, is called “Bull in the Ring.”

Set a group of seven or eight kids in a good-sized circle on the ice. Then put one of them—the “bull”—in the middle. The bull’s job is to try and get out of the “ring” by skating around inside the circle, building up speed, and trying to find a “hole” where he can throw a check and break out.

The kids forming the circle have to protect their turf, and prepare for contact by bracing themselves. They’ve got to lower their center of gravity, spread their skates and bend their knees because they know the bull may be coming their way.

It is estimated that 80% of hockey is played within five-to-10 feet of the boards, so players must develop good puck protection habits.

“If you can maintain puck possession while taking a check, there’s a strong likelihood you’re going to create more scoring chances,” theorizes Gwodzecky. “It sounds very simple but it’s a difficult skill to handle properly, and one has to practice it an awful lot.”

Use the angles

Defensemen retreating to retrieve a puck under forechecking pressure should attempt to skate in at an angle in order to avoid the full force of an opponent’s impact.

“A defenseman should glance over his shoulder to see where the pressure is coming from,” says Gwodzecky, “and pick up the puck at an angle, so if he does get checked he’s not going to go banging head first into the glass. (Defenders) also need to work on their quick turns, which is an ideal way to shake that initial forechecking pressure.”

There are situations when, with all passing lanes closed, you cannot avoid being checked but still want to maintain possession of the puck. In that case, says Gwodzecky, “you have to make sure the puck is at an area where it’s protected by your body—more specifically, your skates. When you’re being checked along the boards the puck should be firmly placed between your skates so that when you do absorb the check, the puck is still there.

“The opposition player may take you out of the play, but he still has not separated you from the puck—the puck is still there. So he really hasn’t done his job, because he hasn’t created a loose puck yet.”

Enjoy the ride

Taking the hit to make the play can make the difference between winning and losing. There are times when you are going to be off-balance, and know you are going to take a big hit, but you need to hold onto the puck a little longer before one of your teammates opens up. In this situation, says Gwodzecky, you have to learn to relax your body and enjoy the ride.

“There’s no use worrying about (the coming contact). Just try and make sure you’re not too tight when you get hit. Keep in mind that you’re protected from head to toe, and the only way you can get hurt is by tensing up and trying to avoid injury. That’s when most injuries occur.”

Finally, remember this: the pain of having let your teammates down by shying away from a hit is always going to be much worse than a couple bumps and bruises that will fade away in a few days.

Fred Pletsch is a veteran OHL and AHL broadcaster who currently covers the Cornwall Aces for CJFS radio.

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

In Stripes: Defining Consistency

In Stripes: Defining consistency
By Ken Brody
Oct 31, 2001, 16:42

Consistency and skating ability are the two most important ingredients a referee can bring to officiating a hockey game. Skating ability can be measured immediately, while consistency must be evaluated over a long period of time.

But if a referee is to be respected—and survive a long period of time—consistency must be demonstrated from period to period, game to game, and year to year.

So what is consistency? How do you get it, and how do you keep it?

Well, the dictionary says that consistency is “conformity with previous practice.” And that’s exactly right, but its application to hockey officiating leaves much room for individual interpretation by the person in the striped shirt.

Consistency in hockey officiating is the ability to apply the rules and spirit of the game to every individual situation that occurs in a game. Beyond that, it gets more complicated.

Are you going to ref a beginners game the same way you referee the national championships? Should you? Of course not.

Are you going to ref a game between two teams known for dirty play the same way you ref a game between two traditionally clean teams? Maybe, maybe not.

And are you going to ref a game between two evenly matched teams the same as a game in which one team will dominate another? You should try to!

Where do you start?

Where do you, as an individual referee, begin to make and act on these decisions?

First, develop your skating ability and knowledge of the rules outside of the game. Game time is no time to learn the job. Experience will help you get better over time, but know your job going in.

During the game, the first thing you must consistently be is in position. Better positioning results in more correct decision making, and less getting hit by the puck—or players. Goal line positioning (for refs) and line positioning (for linesmen) are the most crucial.

The next item in which a referee can develop consistency is in understanding the level of the game that is being played, and the general mentality of the players who play at that level. Let’s look at four levels of play, all non-checking.

Beginner. The player’s knowledge of the rules is minimal, as is their skating ability. A high percentage of collisions is likely to be accidental. If two players accidentally collide with each other, no penalty is warranted. But if one player accidentally collides into another, strongly consider that it might be a penalty (and certainly if the player is injured).

Referees must constantly talk to the players about not body checking, and about staying out of the goal crease. You might want to call stick fouls more strictly than at other levels, because beginning players have a tendency to raise their sticks to ward off body contact. The referee should use his or her authority to eliminate that behavior as early as possible.

Intermediate. The most important aspect of the game the ref must be consistent in at this level is in addressing the player’s aggressive tendencies. This is the first level at which the players realize that they can intentionally hurt someone, and that—for whatever reason—they might want to. So keep a sharp eye out for boarding, charging, and roughing fouls. If you don’t, there surely will be a lot of retaliation fouls. High sticking will also occur at this level, as skating ability has risen, while stick control might not have.

Intermediate-advanced. At this level, the ref must understand a player’s emotional level and ability to harness his or her anger. These players are good, but many think they’re great, so if something doesn’t go their way they will get frustrated. Make sure you call the obvious penalty right away or both teams will jump on you for the entire game.

Talk the players out of restraining-type stick fouls as often as possible, but call them if they persist. And be wary of cheap shot fouls behind the play. They will occur at this level more than any other.

Some of these players are good skaters without much hockey experience, and some have a lot of experience but without enough ability to play at the top level. So again, while this is perhaps the toughest level at which to officiate, remember that your consistency will help keep the players’ volatile emotions in check.

Advanced. Usually these players have a lot of hockey training—professional or collegiate—and don ‘t believe the referees should interfere in the game. So don’t, unless you have to.

Be consistent in calling injury-potential penalties and penalties that create and deprive scoring opportunities—and not much else. Do your best to talk the players out of taking penalties in all those other situations, including making unnecessary contact with the goalie (watch for this during power plays and late in a close game).

Realize there will be a lot of intentional contact and determine whether it is a flat-out body check or a mere rubout. Players at this level accept the rubout, but not the full body check. They’ll also be able to handle some stick-restraining, but not during the scoring chances. If the game becomes a rough one, look for a good opportunity to call a clear-cut penalty and settle the players down.

Quest for calm

Another major consideration in your quest for consistency is the referee’s demeanor during the game. A ref must always maintain calm and poise, no matter what the situation. If you can’t control your own emotions, one might well ask, how can you expect to help the players control theirs? The referee must always strive to diffuse potential problems, but if he can’t, he must calmly and rationally penalize the players without emotion—without anger at any of the players. And certainly if an exciting game is being played, the referee can add to the positive situation; first by hustling, and second, if he wants to make any comments, make positive ones.

Remember these basic principals of consistency, and you will find that hockey players will really enjoy the game, and enjoy the fact that you are their referee. Refereeing can never be an exact science, but by becoming a consistent referee, you can raise it to an art.

Ken Brody has been a referee for ice, floor and roller hockey for 20 years. Currently he is the head referee for the California Cup and NARCH.

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Steve Duchesne’s Skating Secrets

Steve Duchesne’s skating secrets
By Robby Glantz
Oct 31, 2001, 16:39

I have had the honor and pleasure of coaching Power Skating to some great players, including all-star defensemen Steve Duchesne and Rob Blake, and one-time all-world forward Mats Naslund, as well as other top-level professionals. And I discovered that all these great players have a few common traits.

First is their understanding that there is always more to learn. And, second, they know the importance of working on all aspects of their game in order to continue to im-prove.

I also had the opportunity to spend some time with these players off the ice, discussing their theories and thoughts about skating techniques and fundamentals. Following are some excerpts from a conversation with Steve Duchesne. I believe that the ideas and hints he brings up will really benefit you with your approach to, and understanding of, skating fundamentals—and perhaps more importantly, show you that no matter what your level of play—from novice to all-star—there is always room for improvement!

Duchesne on skating

What techniques have helped you the most?

The skating techniques I have learned have been invaluable, and I just wish I had someone teaching me these fundamentals when I was a youth player because I (recently) really learned the importance of skating fundamentals. What I really have to remind myself, and it’s something that we talk about in our training, is that speed does not just come from moving your legs super fast, but rather from moving them properly—like fully extending the leg before you return it, and using your edges to push from so you don’t run on the flats of your skates. 

What have you done to work on your weaker side, and do NHL players even have a weaker side of the body?

Everybody has one side that is stronger than the other. And what I’ve done is simply work harder on that side, like doing more drills on it and concentrating on that side more in practice. What is really important is that you should never be afraid to fall down; don’t let people laugh at you if you fall, because the only way to learn and get better is to exaggerate the movements.

As a defenseman, what do you feel your skating strengths are, and what have you done to work on these skills?

In short distances and one-on-one I feel very confident in my abilities, and I am very tough to beat. The stop-and-go, forward-to-backward movement and quick turns are all important for my position, and I train these skills by working on turning and stopping both directions in practice. Good balance is important for all players. Staying low, using your legs and keeping all your weight over an edge will help the balance, especially when checking.

Too many players try to check with the upper body (only using the shoulders), but a good, solid hit comes from the lower body—the strength in the legs—and also a strong abdomen and lower back.

What other tips do you have for aspiring defenseman?

Try to keep one hand on the stick as much as possible. I like to use my stick a lot in tight situations to take the puck from the forward or intercept a pass. But freeing one hand from the stick, I find, really helps my balance and my speed because I can extend both my legs and arms when I am skating.

Also, like most other defenseman, I like to use the crossover a lot when going backwards. But crossing over too much can get you burned, because a smart forward will watch your feet, and when you crossover one way he goes the other direction and it can be very hard to untangle your feet. So when the forward is near, it is better to go straight backwards and let him make the first move.

What do you do to prepare yourself for the season?

In the off season, I like to ride the bicycle, work on the treadmill and inline skate and, this year, I have concentrated on strengthening my abdominal area. But there is nothing like getting on the ice to get your wind back. The drills that you have put me through, short bursts (12-18 seconds at top speed with 60 seconds in between the drills to recuperate), mixed in with the technique training, has really helped me with my wind, balance and strength over my skates.

Robby Glantz, power skating coach for the Los Angeles Kings, Swedish champions Malmö, and the German National Teams, conducts skating programs throughout North America and Europe.

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

DROP THE PUCK! Getting Started in Hockey

DROP THE PUCK!
Getting started in hockey
By Bettina Young Prochnow
Oct 31, 2001, 16:35

©BBS

Hockey is in everyone’s face—from the rinks to the streets to the TV set. Is it any wonder that the question on everyone’s lips is “Where and how do I join up?”

If ice hockey is your game—or you want it to be—take a ride to your nearest rink. There you will find programs for the novice skater, for new players, and for more experienced ones. Posted somewhere at the icehouse will be the local hockey bulletin board, with practice schedules, pictures, upcoming tournaments and other information about teams that play there.

With a glance at the practice schedule, a future hockey-parent might see Midgets are scheduled for the ice at 10 PM Tuesday nights. Pretty late for a bunch of little kids, you think to yourself! When you check out the upcoming tournaments, you see a trip planned for out of state. That’s probably going to cost quite a bit for the “road” team. One look at the pro shop, and the price of skates, and you’re probably rethinking this whole idea.

But your child is more wide-eyed than ever, and asking when does he or she get to skate?

Suddenly the bottom corner info on the in-house league catches your eye, and you get a chance to come up for air. An in-house league can’t be too expensive, can it?

Welcome to hockey. Midgets are players who are 16 and 17 years old; Mites are under 8, and yes, practices can be very late or very early 4 am even!). As your child’s eager face looks longingly out at the skaters on the ice, you’re thinking “Hey, even soccer and Little League charge a fee.” So where to begin?

“If a kid can skate from one end of the arena to the other without falling down,” says Robert Harkins, program director and coach for the Royals Minor Hockey Association in Willowgrove, PA, “I put them in our Learn to Play Hockey program. If not, they sign up for our Learn to Skate.”

All rinks offer similar kinds of skating programs that include a group lesson along with admission to a public skate session. At Wintersport Ice Skating Arena, where the Royals skate, this basic program consists of a six-week, one hour per week group class, for a cost of $60. No equipment is needed other than hockey skates, which can be rented from the rink.

Costs, of course, will vary depending on which part of the country you live in. In Dallas, for example, skating school consists of an eight-week program, with a once a week half-hour lesson, for $69 without skates or $64 with skates. The key as a new skater is to get in as much ice time as you can by taking classes and attending public sessions.

The next step is learning the game. “Our Learn to Play Hockey program,” continues Harkins, “is nine weeks in length, with one hour of instruction and drills, and also includes admission to the public skate sessions. The cost is $125 and the player is taught the basics of the game: ready position, how to fall down, shooting, stickhandling, and controlled scrimmages.”

Dress me up, too

For all this, the player needs the proper gear: helmet, elbow and shin pads, hockey stick, gloves, pants, and skates. While most pro-shops at the rinks carry all this equipment, there are less expensive ways to get it.

“We’ve got a Donation Bin,” says Harkins. “It includes lost-and-found stuff, outgrown equipment, and even my kids’ old stuff!

“I had a 16-year-old boy who wanted to learn how to play, so I let him use my old equipment,” Harkins recalls. “He’d bring it back a piece at a time as he gradually bought his own gear.”

Many sporting goods stores also have used-equipment sections. Others, like “Play it Again Sports,” specialize in previously-owned gear. And many hockey clubs have organized “swaps” or sales. New equipment is available from sporting good chains, or, if you’re pinching pennies—and in hockey, they can add up!—through mail order catalogues, which typically offer a bit of savings over local Pro Shop prices. Of course, it never hurts to have a good relationship with your local hockey supplier, so factor that in when comparing the value you’re getting for your dollar.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Minneapolis, America’s traditional hockey heartland, some clubs even supply the equipment. That’s because many of them are underwritten by pull-tab charitable gambling, which raises enough money to help pay ice and equipment costs. For example, Edison Youth Hockey’s director, John Meyers, is quick to point out that “we’re a little different from most clubs in the Metro (Minneapolis/St. Paul) area in that we’re able to supply the kids with all of their equipment at each level of hockey.

“I ask parents if they have a pair of skates that fit (their) kid,” says Meyers, “and not (their) big brothers. And (urge parents) to keep those skates sharp while they’re learning.”

Mary Trygestad, in charge of buying all of the club’s equipment, echoes that sentiment. “I tell parents not to buy skates that a child will grow into. The skates have to fit properly as of right now.”

As for the rest of the equipment, she recommends thinking safety, then fit. “You don’t have to buy the most expensive pads for little ones just starting out,” says Mary. “Learn how to measure properly so that (equipment) fits correctly.”

Hockey skates, for example, are sized differently than shoes. Many times you need to go down one or two sizes from your shoe size to get a proper fit.

Parents of young players can use some equipment, too, she adds. “Buy yourself a knee cushion to kneel on, and use the help of a skate tightener key to help lace up your child’s skates!”

All told, brand-spanking new hockey equipment can cost upwards of $500, so cutting costs by borrowing, buying recycled equipment or purchasing through lower-priced mail order definitely makes sense.

A league of their own

Now that your player can skate, has the necessary equipment, and has learned the basics of the game, it’s time for a league. Most youth hockey clubs offer two types; a House league and, for the most advanced player, a travel league. Obviously, costs throughout the country will vary depending on rink access, proximity, and number of players.

The regular hockey season starts in October and goes through February—and even into March with extended tournament play. During the summer season, look for a “Rink Rat” program near you. Many of these are just drop-in and pick-up scrimmages classified by age groups.

“Kids can sometimes learn more by getting out there on the ice without a coach and freelancing,” says Mark Finley, Hockey Director for the McFetridge Center in Chicago. “That’s how I learned when I was little. We would play outside and watch and imitate the older kids.”

His program offers a weekly drop-in on Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 am for that kind of play. “It can rekindle your desire to play,” adds Finley, “when you can do whatever you want and try out new things.”

That desire to try something new can hit at any age. Just ask John Prince, who plays in the Master’s Hockey League out of the McFetridge Center. “I got off the couch myself four years ago at age 40,” he says, “and found myself playing along side Michel Roy (father of goalie Patrick Roy) in Montreal’s Forum against Canadiens alumni like Serge Savard, Jacques Lemaire (coach of the new Stanley Cup Champions), and Yvon Lambert just last year!”

“One of the best parts of the game is the camaraderie,” says Steve Demitro, president of the Master’s Hockey League and a player on the same All-Star team. He uses a computer system to rate and draft the league’s 84 players, resulting in balanced teams where games can be decided in the last five minutes. The cost for a 20-game season is $295, including jerseys.

Young or old, novice or experienced, anyone who wants to skate can find a league to play in for their skill level.

“It’s one big, happy world out on the rink,” adds John Prince. “You get to meet new people, everyone helps one another, and besides, the elbowing will always keep you awake!” l

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Living on the Wing

Living on the wing
By Sam Laskaris
Oct 31, 2001, 16:33

Paul Ranheim believes being versatile is a vital asset. ©BBS

Though it’s also a business in the upper echelons of the sport, hockey at any level continues to be just a game. And like most other games, there’s a wide array of opinions on technique and strategy. Each position has its own do’s and don’ts, of course. Sure, hockey is hockey. But playing center is nothing like playing defense, and playing the wing is a little world unto itself.

This article will focus on that winger’s world, as seen through the eyes of some professional ice and roller hockey players. And following their advice is bound to improve the fortunes of all of those—at any level of the game—who play on the wing.

Positional play

Since the playing surface covers a large area, sticking to some basic guidelines is important. But that can be tough for a winger to do; even the pros need some reminding occasionally.

“Don’t get caught out of position,” warns Winnipeg Jets left winger Darrin Shannon. “Always be sure to stay on your wing, because that’s where your teammates will be looking for you. If you are out of position in the NHL, your opponents are always good enough to make you pay for it.”

Shannon, who is heading into his seventh pro season, believes perpetual motion is another key for wingers.

“At all levels of hockey, make sure to keep your feet moving all the time,” he says. “Don’t stand around and watch. Start and stop quickly, keep your feet moving, and you will be sure to improve your game.”

Though the old expression says “Talk is cheap,” Shannon’s former teammate Russ Romaniuk, also a left winger, gives it much more value than that.

“When playing on the wing, always make sure to communicate with your defensemen,” Romaniuk says. “This will insure that you always know what to expect from your teammates in any situation.”

Romaniuk, the former University of North Dakota star who’s gearing up for his first year as a Philadelphia Flyer after five seasons in the Jets organization, has another tip for wingers when they’re in control of the puck.

Heads up!

“When stickhandling, always make sure to keep your head up,” he says. “By looking to see where your teammates and opponents are, you will be able to make the right decision (pass or shoot) and avoid being hit by defenders.”

Though wingers are frequently instructed to stay on their side, Hartford Whalers left winger Paul Ranheim believes being versatile is a vital asset to have, especially in the big leagues.

“If you want to be creative you have to exchange your lanes,” says Ranheim, a former University of Wisconsin standout whose creativity earned him an IHL-leading 68 goals with Salt Lake City in 1989.

“You have to be able to criss-cross. That’s important in the NHL. Look at me; I play left wing but have a right shot. I prefer it that way.”

As for those who play the sport at lower levels, Ranheim believes they should try to stick to the basics, even though some pros are not good role models in this sense.

“It’s important for wingers (at lower levels) to stay in their lanes,” added Ranheim, an eight-year pro. “But it’s hard to do. Even in the NHL, we find all we want to do is chase the puck.”

Ranheim’s teammate Geoff Sanderson, a gifted scorer who notched 46 and 41 goals in his last two full seasons, says wingers are expected to do their share of digging for the puck.

“There are a lot of fast-skating, shooting wingers in the league,” says Sanderson, a fifth-year pro who fits into that category. “But usually wingers are the bigger or faster players who don’t play center. It’s their job to go to the corners and do the crashing and banging to get the puck.”

It’s about speed

Jason Krywulak, a member of the San Diego Barracudas of Roller Hockey International, offers the following tips to wingers on what to do after they get possession of the puck.

“Putting the puck on the net and driving at the net is important,” he says. “The biggest key, though, is controlling your speed. It’s harder to stop in roller hockey so you have to know when to go hard and when to go slow. You don’t want to go flying by the play if there’s a rebound in front of the net.”

Krywulak, who also plays ice hockey for the University of Calgary, adds the following tip that should help snipers in the roller game.

“Set up for the one-timer on your off-wing because goalies have a hard time moving across in roller hockey,” he says. “If you have a good one-timer, you should be able to score all the time.”

As for the defensive zone, wingers have a role to play there, too. Buffalo Sabres left winger Matthew Barnaby offers the following advice.

“When you come back, pick up the point man (opposing defenseman),” says Barnaby, a feisty 22-year-old. “A lot of times that doesn’t happen in minor hockey. That’s where you see the difference between minor hockey and junior hockey up to the pro game.”

While attacking, however, Barnaby said the following should be kept in mind.

“Always keep your head up and keep in full stride,” he says. “Guys are a lot bigger in the NHL and you have to work hard in the corners to try and give the puck to a teammate in front of the net.”

Own the puck

Though passing the puck around tends to break down the opposition’s defensive system, John Vecchiarelli, who’s added the coaching portfolio to his winger duties with the 1994 RHI champion Buffalo Stampede, believes wingers should try to maintain possession for lengthy periods.

“Hold onto the puck as long as you can because it’s hard to get the puck away from the other team,” says Vecchiare-lli, who also plays ice hockey and split his time last season between the Saginaw Wheels of the Colonial Hockey League and Wedvmark, a pro squad in Germany.

“If you can hold onto the puck as long as you can and get closer to the other team’s net, you’ll obviously have a better chance of scoring.”

As demonstrated above, every winger has his or her own style, and his or her own role to play on a team. Bob Gainey and Guy Lafleur, for example, teammates on the Montreal dynasty of the late 1970s, each approached the game somewhat differently. But by keeping some of these tips in mind, you should be able to add to your game, and improve your play on the wing every time out. 

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Overtime: Hockey’s Final Frontier

Overtime: Hockey’s final frontier
By Dean Chadwin
Oct 31, 2001, 16:30

©BBS

In hockey, the best team wins the big game most of the time. It’s the team that usually has the money goaltender and the superstars, and role players who can score when the game’s on the line. And when the game is on the line, any real hockey fan knows that some goals—big goals—can be flukes.

Deflections off sticks or skates, easy dump-ins that bounce funny or catch a goalie sleeping, and lucky rebounds have brought down even the best of teams. This element of chance sets hockey apart from other sports. There are no fluke home runs in baseball, nor lucky slam-dunks in basketball.

Ugly goals help make sudden-death overtime the most nerve-wracking experience in major professional sports—for fans and players alike. Every shift, every change of possession, every dump-in holds potential game-ending danger. The slightest opening could be all that’s necessary to turn a game’s, or even a franchise’s, fortunes around.

Enter a locker room after an overtime win and you’ll find an air of joy and confidence unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Teammates surround the goal-scorer and the winning goalie, hoping to siphon off some of the luck that put those men in the right place at the right time. During the 1995 playoff run, I found myself amidst such a celebration at Brendan Byrne Arena. The Devils had just defeated the Penguins late in the first overtime of game four of the conference semis on a goal by Neal Broten.

When Broten scored off a great feed by John McLean, teammates mobbed Broten and game-saving goalie Martin Brodeur on the ice. As reporters fired questions at Brodeur and Broten in the locker room, teammates walked by to hug or tease the two centers of attention. The men in that room were floating—so happy that I kept checking the floor to make sure they were still tied to the earth.

The agony of defeat

Down the hall in the Penguins locker room, the mood couldn’t have been more different. This was no ordinary loss. Overtimes seldom are. The Pens had played well, yet came out on the short end of the stick. They felt cursed, believing at least for the moment they were fated to be losers. Answers to even the most innocuous questions were mumbled, eye contact avoided at all costs. To a man, the Penguins wished they could shed their skins so they wouldn’t have to look at themselves in the mirror for a while.

Fans, too, know that feeling. Then a Washington Capitals fan, I endured my most awful night on April 16, 1987. That night the Caps faced the post-dynasty Islanders at the Capital Center in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. The game was even after 60 minutes of play, and then the torture began.

Statistics show that most sudden-death overtime games are decided in the first 10 minutes, but on that Easter weekend the contest felt like it would never end. Every rush caused my heart to flutter. My mind whirled with every change of possession. Was the winger free? Could he stay onsides? Would the pass get through? Was the goalie tiring? Please let the puck bounce true! And the play continued for what seemed like days.

Both goalies, Washing-ton’s Bob Mason and the New York’s Kelly Hrudey, made key saves, but the man in the bandanna seemed impenetrable. Before the night was over, Hrudey would flop all over the ice in turning away 73 shots from every angle—long slappers from the point, quick wristers from the circles, wraparounds and jammers from the slot. After just one overtime, Hrudey’s invincibility convinced me the Caps would never score again.

It was just before midnight on the east coast. For one long night, Scott Stevens had become the best defenseman in the world—taking extra shifts, hitting people, moving the puck, and clearing the crease. As smaller, less well-conditioned players slowed down, Stevens continued to pick up his game. Maybe the Caps could win, after all.

The second overtime ended, and then, late in the third, New York’s Randy Wood got a great chance right on the doorstep but failed to convert. When the third overtime ended, it was one-thirty in the morning. Most of the fans at the Cap Center had long since gone home. It was the first time since World War II that an NHL game would enter a fourth overtime.

Midway through that fourth overtime, just before two on Easter morning, Pat Lafontaine got clear above the circles and wristed home a shot that beat Mason. It wasn’t a brilliant goal, but at least it was an honest one. The Isles had won the Easter Epic and were, naturally, ecstatic. But as Mason dropped to the ice in exhaustion, the Caps just looked at each other and wondered what more they could have done.

As I watched New Jersey move through the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, I couldn’t help rooting for them. It wasn’t just the presence of Scott Stevens, the Capitals hero-in-defeat during that Easter Epic, on their roster. I felt for the Devils. During the 1994 playoffs, the Devils were burned twice in historic overtime games.

They had lost the second-longest game in the last 50 years. Though Stevens and goalie Martin Brodeur, along with the rest of the Devils, allowed the Buffalo Sabres nothing for six periods—essentially, back-to-back shutouts—it wasn’t enough. Dominik Hasek was even better, stopping 70 Devils shots, before Dave Hannan finally won the game for Buffalo early in the fourth overtime.

Despite what could have been a season-shattering loss, the gritty Devils overcame their misfortune and eliminated the Sabres. They then got within a whisper of the finals before being eliminated themselves on a “garbage goal” in double-overtime by the Rangers Stéphane Matteau. That goal in Game 7 of the conference finals was one the Devils remembered all summer—and all through the 1995 playoffs. They knew that they had come within one ugly, double OT goal, of playing for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

A rare feat

For only the fifth time in playoff history, a team had won a deciding Game 7 in overtime to advance to the Cup finals. Another team to accomplish that feat was the truly remarkable 1950 Detroit Red Wings. The Wings lost the great Gordie Howe to a serious injury in their first playoff game, yet they still won the Cup behind the efforts of future Hall-of-Famers Red Kelly, Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, Marcel Pronovost, Jack Ste-wart and netminder Harry Lumley. All the brilliance of those stars would have gone for naught, however, but for goals by a couple of journeymen—out of whom overtime often makes its heroes.

Leo Reise, Jr. broke a scoreless tie when he beat Turk Broda at 8:39 of the first OT in Game 7 of the semis, allowing the Red Wings to get by Toronto and ad-vance to the finals. Then, in the finals, Pete Babando’s shot halfway through the second overtime of the Cup-deciding game got by Chuck Rayner, eliminating the Rangers and initiating a De-troit dynasty that would win four cups in six years. It was the first time a final series had gone into Game 7 overtime.

It’s only happened once since then. Amazingly enough, it was those same Red Wings just four years later—this time facing the Canadiens of Maurice Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, and Jean Beliveau. The Red Wings added a healthy Howe, a potent Alex Delvecchio, and a brilliant Terry Sawchuk. Only Hall of Famers Kelly, Lindsay and Pronovost, along with Johnny Wilson, Marty Pavelich, and Jim Peters, returned from the 1950 Detroit club. All told, 14 Hall-of-Famers skated during Game 7, including the Rocket, who remains the all-time leader with six overtime goals in the playoffs.

But the hero that night was a journeyman, and the only member of the vanquished Rangers of 1950 to appear in the 1954 finals.

Tony Leswick, a 5’6” right winger known as Mighty Mouse, had been traded to Detroit by the Rangers in 1951. He’d be traded away to Chicago in 1955, but at Olympia Stadium on the night of April 16, 1954, he was in the right place at the right time. A little more than four minutes into the overtime, the Red Wings dumped the puck hard around behind the net. Leswick gained control along the right-wing boards about 10 feet inside the blueline. He flipped a bad-angle shot towards the net. The shot wasn’t hard—it looked harmless—but it grazed off Doug Harvey’s glove and changed directions. The deflection fooled Canadiens goalie Gerry McNeil and found its way into the net. Another ugly goal brought Detroit hockey’s ultimate prize.

In 40 years of Stanley Cup action since then, there have been six more Game Sevens, but none required extra time. Pete Babando and Tony Leswick remain the only two men to score Cup-deciding goals in Game 7 overtime, proving that hockey’s superstars are not always hockey’s heroes.

Do or tie?

To this point, I haven’t mentioned regular-season overtime. That’s because it’s simply not the real thing. In real overtime you play against an endless clock, and there are no ties. The five-minute overtime of regular-season play lacks the desperate heat found in the playoffs because it isn’t do or die—it’s simply do or tie.

Have you ever seen a player dive headlong across the crease to celebrate an overtime goal during the regular season? Probably not. That type of drama is reserved for the playoffs, like the most cherished goal in the history of the soon-to-be demolished Boston Garden, which ended with Bobby Orr’s Superman impression. He lit the lamp in overtime to complete a four-game sweep of the Blues in 1970. After he scored, he soared—leaping into the air to celebrate Boston’s first Cup in decades. It looked like a belly flop, but to Orr it must have felt like landing on a feather bed. The image of this ultimate hockey moment lives in the mind’s eye of all Bruins fans, just as a giant photo of it loomed over the press dining room in Boston for two decades.

If there ever was a “year of the overtime” in the playoffs, it was 1993. Twenty-eight of 85 playoff games played that year ended in overtime. Not surprisingly, the 1993 champs, the Canadiens, have to go down as the most successful overtime team in NHL history. They went 10-1 in sudden death that year, including 3-0 in the Stanley Cup finals against Los Angeles. Though the Habs lost their first playoff game to the rival Nordiques in overtime, that was an aberration. After allowing Scott Young’s OT goal, Patrick Roy then gave up no goals over the next 96 minutes of sudden death play. Kirk Muller, Guy Carbonneau, and John LeClair each scored two overtime goals during the unbelievable run to the Cup. Montreal also won its only OT game last year, pushing Roy’s remarkable streak to 11 games and 113-plus minutes.

In terms of pure numbers, the Canadiens are the NHL’s most successful overtime team, with 66 wins. However, the Islanders (with a 29-9 record) have the highest winning percentage in overtime games, at .763. From 1977 to 1984, when Billy Smith was the best money goaltender on the planet, the Isles went 19-3 in overtime. That record led directly to four Cups, one runner-up, and two semifinal appearances in eight years.

The lesson is clear: when you win in OT, you win Cups.

Individually, Maurice Richard leads all players with six overtime goals, with Bob Nystrom, Dale Hunter, Glenn Anderson, Wayne Gretzky, and Stéphane Richer all tied for second, with four apiece. Six players ranging from solid to all-time greats appear on this list, yet many superstars have never registered an overtime goal in the playoffs. Almost unbelievably, the list of non-scorers includes Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, Ray Bourque, and Gordie Howe.

Just as Messier’s Rangers needed Matteau’s two overtime goals to escape the Devils and gain the Cup, Howe’s Red Wings needed key overtime goals from role players to win the 1950 and 1954 titles. That’s the beautiful thing about overtime: Hall-of-Famers have no built-in advantage. Any player can claim a permanent piece of history.

Who will be next to join Babando and Leswick? Your guess is as good as mine.

Dean Chadwin is the author of Rocking the Pond: The First Season of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Stick Lingo Defined

1995: Why the Devils Won the Cup

1995: Why the Devils won the Cup
By Alex Carswell
Oct 31, 2001, 16:27

©BBS

Stanley Cups don’t come easily. And with the exception of a few NHL dynasties, they don’t come often, either. So why did the New Jersey Devils, a team that came within one goal of reaching the finals last year, but finished the 1995 regular season just four games over .500, bring home this year’s Cup? Here are 10 reasons.

1) A System

And a darn good one, at that. The much-ballyhooed and oft-maligned neutral-zone trap was the backbone of New Jersey’s game plan night after playoff night. And on nearly every one of those nights, Devils opponents were frustrated by their inability to make any progress into the offensive zone. In the opening round, Boston managed only five goals in the five game series—and was shut out three times. Pittsburgh’s vaunted offensive powerhouse fared little better in their five games, being held to just one goal in each of the last three outings. The Flyers, the only team New Jersey faced that had the size to bust through the trap, had some scoring success against the system, but fell short in other areas—like discipline and goaltending.

2) Discipline

The New Jersey system of clogging up the passing lanes and collapsing on the puck carrier looked simple enough on paper. But, as we all know, the game isn’t played on paper—or Detroit would be the Stanley Cup champion today. Successfully executing the trap as it was designed required amazing patience and discipline on the part of the Devils, each of whom performed admirably. New Jersey’s many cogs elevated the waiting game to new heights, with a “What, me worry?” philosophy that frustrated, unnerved and angered opponents for 16 out of 20 playoff tilts. In an age where everyone wants to score the big goal and be the hero, it was a truly beautiful thing to see 20 Devils hearts beating—albeit slowly—as one.

3) A Good Hotel

Or a real love of riding the dog, because a Greyhound trip out of town was almost a sure thing for this bunch. In taking 10-of-11 games on the road, the Devils became the first team since the NHL’s 1967 expansion to win the Stanley Cup without having home-ice advantage in any round. Much of the road warriors’ success goes to a system which frustrated the opposition’s home crowd as much as it did their players. Paul Coffey lamented after the Game One loss that he had never heard the home team booed during the Stanley Cup finals. But throughout the playoffs, bewildered fans rained down boos on their hometown heroes—a cacophony that registered as sweet music to visiting devilish ears.

4) A Dominant Defenseman

Actually, two. Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer each ruled the ice during the run to the Cup. Stevens atoned for what many felt was a sub-par regular season by playing as if his hockey life was on the line in the playoffs—and in a sense, perhaps he believed it was. At the conclusion of the Philadelphia series, as he stood in line shaking hands with one vanquished Flyer after another, Stevens had a few extra words for Eric Lindros, whom he had handled and manhandled for six games. “Don’t worry,” Stevens said, “you’ll get there. You’ve got time. I don’t have that much time left.” Lindros, 1995’s most dominant single player, probably will get there someday, but not if he keeps running into the likes of Stevens.

For his part, Niedermayer has now officially blown his cover as the best-kept secret on the NHL blueline. His end-to-end rush past and through Paul Coffey in Game Three of the finals brilliantly demonstrated the offensive gifts that have been lurking in the shadows of Jacques Lemaire’s defensive system. Niedermayer is not overwhelmingly physical, but—much like Brian Leetch—he is tactically smart, and his defensive positioning is superb.

5) Martin Brodeur

No team has ever won the Stanley Cup without a hot goaltender. Some—like Ken Dryden—have been great; others—like Mike Richter—just “on fire.” Brodeur was, and is, unquestionably both. The kid who will eat Lou “Hardball” Lamoriello’s heart—and checkbook—out this summer proved beyond all doubt that last year’s sensational rookie campaign was no fluke. Brodeur posted a 2.45 goals-against average during the regular season, then flirted with immortality—his 1.23 GAA through the first two rounds was on pace for the best in NHL history, ahead of Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden—in the playoffs. His finishing totals of 16-4, 1.67 GAA and a .927 save percentage were nonetheless superb. And while he lost his composure a bit during the Philadelphia series, Brodeur was otherwise cool as a cucumber and always made the big save.

6) Special Teams

Not blessed—like Detroit and Pittsburgh—with an abundance of snipers, New Jersey used their special teams defense as a blanket to shut down the opposition. If traditional wisdom for road teams is that you bide your time and then capitalize on power play chances, then the Devils are New Age philosophers. Their 87.9% home efficiency on the kill was second in the playoffs but, like their overall 86.5% kill rate, was the highest of any final-four team. On the road, however, where the Devils felt right at home, traditional wisdom ruled: New Jersey was an impressive 30.8% efficient on the power play, second only to the Rangers’ brief and extraordinary 47.8%. The Detroit power play that seemed to score every other time out in the early rounds? D.O.A. against the Devils.

7) Confidence

There’s a lot to be said for the confidence the Devils gained with every 1995 playoff win, and with every opponent they saw frustrated by their inspiring team play. But New Jersey’s confidence entering the playoffs was largely a result of their near-miss in 1994. Claude Lemieux spoke of how he “cried like a baby” watching the Rangers skate around with the Cup last year, knowing his team had come up just one, ugly, double-overtime goal short of the big show. And they knew, as a team, that they had the stuff to get there in ‘95. Neal Broten, a late addition from Dallas, recalled how impressed he was by the team’s confidence early on. “These guys,” he said, “believed all along they could win the Stanley Cup.” And guess what? They were right.

8) Experience

Experience on a number of levels played a key role in the Devils championship. The players—as mentioned above—gained valuable insight on what it took to win from their efforts in 1994. But experience paid off in the executive suite, as well. Last year, New Jersey went into the playoffs as much the same team they were during the regular season, then watched as one of the Rangers’ late “playoff additions”—Stéphane Matteau—sent them off to the golf course. This year, Lou Lamoriello addressed his team’s needs with two prescient additions, Neal Broten (from Dallas) and Shawn Chambers (Tampa Bay). In true Lamoriello style, he gave up virtually nothing to get them (as opposed to Neal Smith’s Rangers, who paid mightily—in Tony Amonte and Mike Gartner—for their playoff grinders). But wouldn’t you know it? Broten was an inspired scorer throughout, an overtime hero against Pittsburgh, and actually scored the Cup-winning goal. And besides being steady on the back line, Shawn Chambers—hardly acquired for his scoring prowess—had a two-goal game in the finals.

9) Claude Lemieux

That he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP speaks volumes about Claude Lemieux’s performance. It’s no surprise that Lemieux, who had a horrific regular season, elevated his game in the playoffs—he always does. But that he pumped in 13 goals—including back-breakers against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia—while playing tenacious defense, was more than anyone could have expected. The man who is seventh on the all-time list of playoff game-winning goal scorers (with 14, just one behind Yvan Cournoyer and Jean Beliveau) had a truly blessed postseason. Some of his goals dipped and fluttered on their way in; looked “soft” to those who like to criticize goaltenders. But the self-described “most-hated man in hockey” scored when it counted, and lifted his team—along with himself—to new heights. The list of clutch NHL playoff performers is impressive: Richard, Beli-veau, Gretzky, Leach, Nystrom. Now you can add Claude Lemieux.

10) Coaching

Coaching is more than just creating and installing a system. It’s getting your players to buy into the system, and getting them to sell out for it. Jacques Lemaire proved himself to be two things in this playoff year: a master motivator and a master tactician. As a motivator, he kept all of his players into the game all the time—no easy task. He kept the players into his system until they had no choice but to recognize that they were winning because of it. As a tactician, he substituted his players with aplomb—sometimes for no apparent reason—and got huge games out of part-timers Sergei Brylin and Jim Dowd. He knew when to bench Stéphane Richer, and when to unleash Scott Niedermayer. In short, Lemaire knew what it took to win a Stanley Cup, and led his players there. l

This first appeared in the 09/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Outnumbered, but not outplayed!

Outnumbered, but not outplayed!
By Brian Engblom
Oct 31, 2001, 16:01

The most difficult job a defenseman faces in any game is handling outnumbered attacks. When faced with a 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 situation, the defender must learn to read the play and make the appropriate defensive decision. This ability to read and react can only be learned through experience, but here are some things to remember.

Know your partner and yourself

Verbal communication is very important, but you shouldn’t rely on it too much. There are so many things happening so fast that it’s impossible to tell your partner everything you are thinking. Therefore, your knowledge of his tendencies will often be the deciding factor as to who will initiate the play. Get to know your partner, but just as important, be realistic about your own abilities. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, and developing your game around them, is critical.

It’s also important to be decisive, and not worry about being wrong. When you do make the wrong decision, however, go to your partner and tell him you did—and thank him if he bailed you out on the play. The same goes for your goaltender. This will create the bond between you, your partner, and your goaltender which will make all of you better players. Finally, get to know the opposition as well as possible. Who are their best playmakers? Who are their best shooters? Exchange this “scouting” information with your teammates. Forewarned, as the saying goes, is forearmed.

The first thing to do when facing an outnumbered attack with your partner is try and recognize the abilities of the attacking players. Do you know who they are and what they do best? If so, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. Obviously, this knowledge comes mostly with experience.

Force the play outside

Positionally, you and your partner should stay together as much as possible, unless you are sure that one of you can get the puck cleanly or at least turn it over. And you should always force the play to the outside.

Experience will also help you develop a sense of when the puck carrier is in trouble, and when he is, you should attack him instantly. If he’s vulnerable, your chances of breaking up the rush are increased. If the play comes in deep, however, a defender should never run into the corner after one man—because that leaves his partner alone against two men in front.

Much as you try to force the play to the outside, you also want to try and force any shot to the outside. Take away the shot from the slot if you can, and let the opposition shoot from the wings. It’s the goaltender’s job to stop those angle shots. Once a shot is taken, however, prepare to defend against rebounds.

Because you’re outnumbered and vulnerable, try not to leave your feet to block a shot unless you know you’re not screening your goaltender; you feel 100% sure the puck can’t get through you; and you’re prepared to react to a fake shot.

Watch two men

You always need to be aware of two men—the winger on your side and the slot man—as does your partner. And don’t back in on your goaltender. By the time you’ve reached the top of the faceoff circles, you should have forced the play to the outside.

Finally, don’t be stagnant. Do as much faking and poking around with your stick as possible—without pulling yourself out of position. It makes the attackers nervous!

The principles of defending against a 2-on-1 are basically the same. However, since you’re alone, try and protect the middle of the ice—staying between the two attackers as much as possible. You may have to confront the puck carrier if it appears that he has gained good scoring position. Otherwise, protect the middle and prevent the pass. But don’t over commit and try to do everything yourself. Relax. Remember, since your goaltender is behind you, it’s really a 2-on-2!

Quickness, fast thinking and execution are your greatest assets when facing an outnumbered attack. The ability to relax under pressure is very important. If you get too “uptight” you’ll end up making more mistakes. If you can relax, think clearly and react quickly, you will be right more often than not. But remember: highly skilled players can beat the odds. If the attackers make a few pinpoint passes and a great shot, they might score no matter what you do. Just try not to dwell on it.

This first appeared in the 10/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®