From the Hockey Library

From the hockey library
By Don Laner
Oct 30, 2001, 11:51

Every fall, as a new ice hockey season begins, we look forward to checking out the new hockey books and videos that are offered. This fall promises not to disappoint, especially for those picking up the in-line version of the game. There’s a great selection of material for in–line players and coaches, goaltenders, youth coaches and fans.

Get In-line

In the span of a few short months, three new in–line hockey videos have been produced. First up is Winning In–Line Hockey featuring former Olympic and NHL coach Herb Brooks and RHI player Mike Butters. This 30-minute video covers skating techniques, stickhandling, passing, shooting and choosing the right equipment. This $19.95 video provides an excellent training source of individual skills from novice to expert players.

Also selling at $19.95 is Roller Hockey: The Pro Approach, featuring the leading scorer from the WRHL playoffs, Stephan Desjardins. Stephan has assembled some of his favorite drills and tips that will help even the most advanced player improve. As in Winning In–Line Hockey, fundamentals like skating, shooting and passing are covered. An added feature in The Pro Approach is a section devoted to team concepts for offense and defense.

The third video, Mastering the Game, covers basic in–line techniques presented in a high-energy, hard-rock format that will have special appeal to the younger player. All of the important in–line skills are covered in special segments interspersed with practice game footage. This 40-minute video sells for $12.95.

Still can’t get enough hockey? Then look for Hockey Player Magazine: The In-line Skating Show, our half-hour show airing on ESPN2, coming soon to home video.

Ice Time

Moving to the ice, a series of four 55-minute videos called One On One with the Stars! provides coaches with a unique approach to hockey instruction. Volumes One through Three are set up based on age level, starting with Beginner/ Atom, then moving to Pee-wee/Bantam and Midget/Junior. Volume Four is devoted to goaltending for all ages. These videos were filmed in Canada in the late 1980’s and have finally been made available in the U.S. NHL player/ instructors featured in the first three volumes include Paul Coffey, Larry Robinson, Mario Lemieux, Henri Richard, Steve Yzerman and others. Among those featured in the goaltending volume are Billy Smith, Gump Worsley, Bernie Parent and Patrick Roy.

Volume One covers fundamentals of skating, basic stickhandling and shooting and simple positional drills. Volume Two covers power skating and mohawk turns, shooting for accuracy, body positioning and balance. Volume Three concentrates on the finer aspects of the game, such as positional play and play–making. Also covered are advanced skating, shooting, and fitness training exercises and techniques.

Volume Four features prominent NHL goalies and coaches demonstrating the special skills required for the netminding position. Proper body balance and mobility, playing the angles, stick control, challenging the shooter and other skills are all discussed and demonstrated in a way that takes the mystery out of goaltending. These videos sell individually for $24.95, but the complete set can be purchased for $79.95.

Coach’s Corner

Also new this fall is a much needed coach’s drill book written by Dave Chambers, who has coached Team Canada and the Canadian National Junior Team. The Incredible Hockey Drill Book features over 600 drills in 20 different categories—including skating, passing, shooting, checking, power play, breakout and penalty killing. There are also drills for evaluation, conditioning and just plain fun. All drills are illustrated by clear, easy–to–follow line drawings. This 8 1/2” by 11” soft cover manual is 224 pages and sells for $22.95.

The Ultimate Handbook?

For goalies and their coaches, Lords of the Rink: The Psychology of Goaltending by Ian Young and Terry Walker could be the ultimate handbook. This book includes inside tips of goaltending psychology and a conversation with NHL goalies Kirk McLean and Peter Sidorkiewicz. They discuss many aspects of being a professional goaltender; how they got started, facing the world’s best scorers, superstitions, mental preparation, conditioning and how to customize equipment. Lords of the Rink also contains a detailed analysis of the play and technique of more than 25 modern goalies, including Roy, Fuhr, Potvin and McLean, as well as 15 great goalies from the past. This 6 1/2” x 9 1/2” soft cover book has 192 pages, with 16 black-and-white photos and 6 illustrations, and sells for $14.95.

Fan Fare

For hockey fans, there are many new exciting books available this fall. Two of the best are Rocking the Pond: The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Wayne Gretzky: The Authorized Pictorial Biography. Rocking the Pond, by Dean Chadwin, a Los Angeles–based sportswriter, chronicles the fantastic first season of Mighty Ducks hockey—from the granting of the franchise through training camp and their incredible run for a playoff berth. This book also provides an in–depth look at the Disney corporation’s first foray into professional sports. As the only written record of Anaheim’s first season, sports fans and collectors will want to own this book. This 7” x 9” soft cover book is 224 pages, and features 16 pages of black-and-white photos. It sells for $14.95.

Wayne Gretzky, by Jim Taylor, is the hockey gift book of the season. This stunning book provides a unique and original perspective on Gretzky by chronicling his amazing professional career and off–ice personality through an insightful text and a compilation of great visual material. The text is complemented by dozens of interviews with people whose lives have intertwined with Wayne’s, from his early days in the backyard rink to his modern–day position as hockey’s Great One. Wayne Gretzky showcases a fascinating collection of photographs, important artifacts, mementos and trophies assembled from the Gretzky family archives, personal friends and associates, the Hockey Hall of Fame and internationally acclaimed sports and celebrity photographers. Also included is an up–to–date statistical appendix detailing the over 60 NHL records Gretzky has collected while single–handedly redefining the game of hockey. This beautiful 9” x 12” coffee table book contains 176 pages, with over 200 predominantly color photos, and sells for $29.95. l

—Don Laner

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Using Your Head

Using your head
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 30, 2001, 11:46

Federov: Always have a plan. ©BBS

Sergei Federov of the Detroit Red Wings said it this way during an April interview on ESPN: “I play as I think. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you don’t have a plan for everything you do out there—a kind of goal you could say—then you’re just another player.”

Simple words, yet very telling. Federov has evolved into one of the game’s top scorers, apparently for reasons beyond just his ability to skate circles around opposing defensemen or his uncanny puck-handling. He goes into every situation with a plan, and executes it.

Of course, the game of hockey is rarely that easy to choreograph. More than a game of action, some say, hockey is a game of action and reaction. But even players who are not often associated with the mental aspects of the game will surprise with their desire to think before acting.

Marty McSorley of the Los Angeles Kings and Stu Grimson of the Mighty Ducks are two prime examples. Both are revered for their physical contributions to the game. They are regarded as intimidators, protectors of their more skilled teammates. But each takes an unexpectedly cranial approach to his duties.

Cranial appraoch

McSorley admits his primary task, other than to play sound, aggressive defense, is to mix it up when the case arises. But he tries to be selective in the wars he wages. Contrary to the belief of some, there’s a specific strategy that goes with every bone-crunching check.

“You’re not going to see me throw my body at someone who doesn’t pose a threat to our team,” McSorley said shortly after being reacquired by the Kings from the Pittsburgh Penguins last March. “I go into a game knowing exactly what I should do out there, who I should focus my attention on and when I should be more of a force, as opposed to being more or less a complementary player. Every guy on the team has his role, and that includes me. The key is to know your role beforehand, and prepare for it.”

Grimson, whose nickname is The Grim Reaper, also puts a heavy priority on pre-game preparation.

“Not just with specific opponents, but with the mental side of the game in general,” he says. “Mental toughness is not just a phrase. It means being ready for whatever’s thrown at you.”

Coach Kevin Constantine, whose San Jose Sharks shocked the hockey world by reaching the Western Conference finals in ‘93-’94, believes that superior mental preparation and execution can more often than not overcome inferior physical ability.

Think about the little things

“It goes toward believing that you must do the little things to be successful,” says Constantine. “It’s the realization that the talent level throughout the league is pretty close. Execution is more a mental thing than physical, and the teams that execute the most consistently are the ones that play the longest.”

For every perennial all-star, there’s a player in the National Hockey League that has earned a reputation for excellence in his intellectual contributions to winning. Take Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy for example. In terms of his anticipation skills, his coverage of territory around the net and his reaction time, Roy is comparable with most NHL goalies.

What sets Roy apart, according to head coach Jacques Demers, is raw smarts.

“He’s a student of the game, and that’s a big reason he’s had the success he’s had,” says Demers of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals Most Valuable Player. “He studies diligently—hours of film on different players’ scoring techniques (and) tendencies. If anyone will vouch for the (importance of the) mental aspect, it’s Patrick Roy.”

Roy does. “I honestly feel it’s the difference between the best players, or goaltenders, and the rest,” he says.

Buoyed by a talented roster, the New York Rangers followed up Roy and Montreal’s 1993 championship with their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. So, other than pure talent and a winning attitude, what do Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and the rest of the Rangers have in common?

“They’re a thinking man’s team,” said Coach Pat Quinn, whose Canucks were felled by New York in the finals. “There’s not one aspect of the game that they don’t do well. And it’s not just because they’ve got good players. They have smart players. Mike (Keenan) had that team ready to play, which is not only a credit to him but to their whole team, because they were under a lot of pressure. They were supposed to win, and they did.”

In assessing a team’s mental “health” intangibles such as fan expectations are usually a factor. Despite being heavily favored, the Rangers title is even more impressive considering the pressure put upon them by the rowdiest and most demanding fans south of Montreal.

Mental battles outside the game

Vancouver, by contrast, entered the Finals in a more relaxed setting, even if a few Canucks fans did get out hand following their team’s defeat.

“We felt we could use the pressure that was on (the Rangers) to our advantage, especially in their building,” said Quinn. “It was one of those mental battles that really doesn’t have anything to do with the game itself.”

Individually, players have an assortment of methods for bringing themselves to a mental peak in time for the opening faceoff. Everything from self-hypnosis and meditation to table tennis and Monopoly. But the one thing all these players have in common is that they are creatures of habit. Whatever works once, they’ll superstitiously repeat—indefinitely.

“There are some guys that are not to be bothered, before or during a game, and there are others that crave attention to take their minds off the task at hand,” explains Colin Campbell, who replaced Keenan as Rangers coach. “It’s a good idea to know which ones are which.”

An increasingly common pre-game occurrence in NHL locker rooms is the practice of visualization. Some teams—Los Angeles, Calgary and Chicago to name three—have even gone so far as to invite psychiatrists to give brief lectures on the art of visualizing an event before it happens. Consistent practice of this technique, they say, can have dramatic effects.

Said a member of the Red Wings, who preferred not to be mentioned: “I’ll even do it when I’m out on the ice during a game. We’ll get a break in the action, and I’ll visualize the next faceoff. But I don’t want opponents to know what I’m doing, because I probably look like I’m daydreaming sometimes.”

Plan and execute

In a nutshell, the mentality of successful plays goes to making a plan and then carrying it out physically as it was perceived in the mind. Sounds simple enough, but…

‘You can’t go solely on instinct, and you can’t solely rely on a game plan,” says Shawn McEachern of the Pittsburgh Penguins. “You have to go with the flow, I guess. But if you can anticipate a situation before it comes up, you’re that much better prepared for it.”

The constant improvement in the technological aspects of the game has held hands with improved mental preparation. Miles of film have been reduced to brief edits that can be sped up, slowed down and reversed. And the information network spanning North America in the form of modems and fax machines better allows players and coaches alike to get even the most minute statistics instantly, allowing for more time to dissect and decipher the facts.

All of the above goes into mental preparation. But the most basic form of this necessary commodity is labeled “concentration”—an individual player’s responsibility and necessity to focus his mind on what needs to be done in that instant.

“Sounds simple enough, huh?” says Kings defenseman Rob Blake. “But there are so many things to think about out there that your mind can get tied in knots.

“The key is to remain confident in whatever you’re attempting to do.”

It’s amazing how important self-confidence is. Like a wounded seal fluttering in the Pacific among great white sharks, a player lacking confidence can be sniffed out by even the most mediocre of adversaries. On an individual as well as a team level, as the saying goes, never let ‘em see you sweat.

“Regardless of how things go, I always have it in mind that the next time will be better,” says Mark Messier. “For all the success you may have, one failure can be a real blow. The key is to not harp on it. Harp on the good things, because that’s the best way to make more good things happen.’

Messier, a winner of six Stanley Cups in his career, should know.

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The World’s First Hockey Game?

The worlds first hockey game?
By Matt Busch
Oct 30, 2001, 11:17

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Summer Training Tips

Summer training tips
By Robby Glantz
Oct 30, 2001, 11:16

Summer training is a vital element in improving on-ice performance. I’m a firm believer in the benefits of dry land activities, such as plyometrics, sprints, slideboards, bungee cords and inline skating. When combined, these elements will allow you to immediately strengthen the most important elements for being a better skater, your lower body and legs.

Of these off-ice elements, inline skating is not only the best method for cross-training for ice hockey but it’s now, of course, a sport unto its own. With that in mind, we will concentrate this article on techniques and drills to improve your Forward Stride while on inline skates; drills that, if applied and practiced, will give you a great start towards reaching your potential and becoming the best inline skater and hockey player you can be.

The Forward Stride

Techniques. The great thing about inline skating is that the techniques used to skate properly are virtually the same as they are on the ice. Below is a checklist of techniques that you should embrace when skating on inline or ice skates in order to improve your skating posture, balance and speed:

• First of all, skating is one foot at a time with 100% of your body weight centered directly over the pushing foot (one foot pushes while the other glides).

• To get into the proper posture, lower your body so that your knees bend to a 90° angle, which means that the knee is about two inches out over the toe of the skate.

• Keep your back straight (with the chest “equal” to the front knee) and turn the knees outward (bowlegged) to form the tip of an arrow (like a “V”) with your skates (heels together). Turning the knees outward will immediately get your skates into the right position to push directly against the inside edge.

• Roll the ankle of the pushing foot inward to an inside edge about halfway to the ground/ice (45°) this creates the strong grip from which to push. Thrust against that inside edge to the side, using 100% of your body weight until the leg reaches full extension and then snap the toe part of the skate (the last wheel of the inline skate) down-and-out to get the last burst of speed. Rapidly return the pushing leg to the center (“Arrow Tip” position), keeping the skate very low to the ground/ice and go again.

Drills. One of the best drills for the Forward Stride is called “Scrape the Toe and Slam the Heels,” and is a drill that should be constantly performed both on inline and ice skates. To execute the drill follow the techniques outlined above, being sure to slow the tempo while exaggerating each maneuver.

The drill requires that you drag the inside part of the front two wheels of the inline skate, or toe part of the ice skate, with the foot facing outward (scraping the ice, for example) as it is returning under your body from its full extension point. Then hit the heels together under your body (while on one foot) forming the “Arrow Tip” position, and go again. Remember to keep your hips facing directly in the line you are traveling by making your pushes more to the side and not to the back.

This exercise will allow you to feel your mistakes more clearly. For example, if you are unable to bring your heels together while on one foot then you will know that you are having trouble centering all of your weight over every push. And, if you are turning your knee downward rather than outward when attempting to drag the toe, that tells you you’re having a problem finishing the push in the proper manner—and therefore are losing valuable speed and power on each subsequent stride.

Finally, mastering all of the techniques of the Forward Stride takes much time and practice. Do not get discouraged if it doesn’t become perfect overnight.

The most important tip for you to remember is to keep bending the knees lower than what feels comfortable, and to put all of your energy into every single push. That alone will get you going faster and give you more confidence, no matter what kind of skates you’re on. l

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 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Should Kids Train for Strength?

Should kids train for strength?
By Fred Pletsch
Oct 30, 2001, 11:10

Fred Pletsch

Owen Nolan of the now-Denver Nordiques is a red-light flashing testament to the power and value of strength training for hockey.

The 23-year old right winger, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, rediscovered his scoring touch in the abbreviated 1995 NHL season. After rededicating himself at the gymnasium last summer, Nolan finished tied for third in goal scoring this year, with 30 markers in 46 games.

The erstwhile Quebec sniper was first introduced to the benefits of strength training as a Junior player at a gym in Cornwall, Ontario, soon after the Nordiques made him the #1 overall selection in the 1990 NHL draft.

Bill Kennedy, who owns Maximum Fitness in Cornwall and a kinesiology degree from the University of Windsor, is often asked at what age young hockey players can undertake a strength training regimen.

“There are misconceptions about strength training that some parents need to have cleared up,” says Kennedy, who was shocked by Nolan’s poor fitness and strength levels when the Nordiques appointed him to supervise the program of their then 18-year-old hockey prodigy.

The first misconception is that weight training will stunt a teen athlete’s growth.

“A person is basically overloading muscles when they are strength training, so you’re doing the same thing as when you’re doing wind sprints on the ice or a set of leg presses in the gym,” states Kennedy. “This overload causes the muscles to grow larger in order to handle the stress placed on them.”

The long bones of adolescents—for example, the left femurs—are not fully formed, and contain growth plates which allow the bone to grow longer and increase height. “Studies show that hormones cause that bone to close off prematurely,” explains Kennedy. “Excessive use of anabolic steroids could very realistically cause that bone to mature before its time, and you would actually wind up with a much shorter athlete. I think that’s where the misconception started.

“Hormones are also stimulated from a vigorous strength training program, but in minute amounts, and the effects on stunting the growth of an individual is very minimal and is greatly exaggerated.”

Fear of injury is another concern that parents must overcome before allowing their teenager to start lifting.

“There is a lot of potential there for injuries to soft tissues, ligaments, tendons and bones,” acknowledges Kennedy. “But the individual must be made aware of this potential for harm so they can approach their training program in a mature manner, under qualified instruction and supervision. If a person is doing what they’re supposed to be doing in the weight room, the chances of injuring themselves is relatively low compared to (the risk in) a competitive game.”

Maturity is the key

So when can kids start working out? Well, the determining factor when assessing a hockey player’s readiness for strength training is maturity.

“Fifteen is probably a good general benchmark for when an athlete could start a program and derive benefits from it,” Kennedy believes. “There must be a guided approach, with instruction from a qualified person before any program is started. And it should be monitored closely.”

There have been instances where athletes as young as 12 have benefited immensely from a strength training program.

“What you have to consider is if the teenager is capable of handling that type of training—not only physically, but emotionally as well. Are they mature enough to have the dedication to go into a gym and actually do their strength training, as opposed to horsing around and running the risk of injuring themselves?”

Beginners are going to see improvement in strength by working out once a week, but three times weekly is ideal, according to Kennedy.

“That schedule allows a day off between sessions for muscle tissue to repair itself and grow.”

Many hockey players will bulk up in the summer, but slowly see their strength gains eroded over the course of the following competitive season.

“Teenagers don’t have a lot of time to spend in the gym during a season if they’re practicing three or four times a week and playing a couple of games,” admits Kennedy. “It’s what we call a maintenance program. Getting to the gym once or twice a week for 45 minutes to an hour is more than adequate to maintain your strength, or minimize the rate you’re going to lose it through inactivity.”

Hockey’s explosion in popularity in the 1990s means a multitude of opportunities from the collegiate and Major Junior levels right through to Europe, the minor pro levels and the NHL. Serious players now realize that, more than just playing the sport, they have to get into the gym and actually get stronger in order to be competitive.

Not everyone is blessed with the natural talent of an Owen Nolan. But strength training, introduced at the proper age and monitored correctly, can make you a more complete and powerful player.

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

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

On defense with Alan Leggett

On defense with Alan Leggett
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 30, 2001, 11:08

There are many subtle, and even not-so-subtle, differences between ice hockey and its thawed cousin, roller hockey. And the trick to effectively taking advantage of those variations, says defenseman Alan Leggett, is to know how you’re affected by the differences—rather than just identifying what they are.

For instance, notes Leggett, who skates with the San Diego Barracudas of Roller Hockey International, it is widely accepted that roller hockey is slower than the frozen version. The puck doesn’t move as quickly, and neither do the players. But that comparative lack of mobility in roller hockey is exactly why a defenseman is more likely to get burned if he’s not careful.

“It’s an adjustment to be able to learn to maneuver on roller blades, because you can’t cut and stop and switch directions,” says Leggett, a player-coach for the Barracudas. “I’ve been fortunate in that regard. I’ve been able to make the adjustment pretty easily.”

Not every RHI player, says Leggett, makes the transition so smoothly. Virtually every RHI player has significant ice hockey experience.

“Some guys will go the whole year without really getting comfortable,” Leggett observes. “They get frustrated. They can’t mentally adjust.”

Still, when you come down to the nitty-gritty, a fundamentally sound roller hockey defenseman has a familiar top priority: stop the opposing team from scoring. Then, if the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of your own scoring chances.

“Defense (comes) first,” Leggett confirms. “When the opportunity arises, sure, you go after it. I guess it’s a matter of jumping up in a play rather than leaving a play. Some defensemen, in this league as well as ice hockey, are very offensive defenseman. I’m more conservative.”

Leggett, a native of Wainwright, Alberta, has played professional hockey since 1989. His ice hockey roots go from Virginia to Czechoslovakia to the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League to Raleigh, NC. He joined the Barracudas prior to this season.

Before embarking on his professional career, he was a four-year member of the vaunted Bowling Green University ice hockey program.

Leggett’s best season, statistically speaking, was 1992/93, when he garnered 79 points in 64 games with the ECHL’s Raleigh IceCaps. So, he can play some offense, too.

“I certainly try take advantage of the opportunities,” he says. “I just don’t put scoring ahead of preventing the other team from scoring.”

At 6’2” and 205 pounds, Leggett has the prerequisite size to be physical, but he says he bangs only when necessary, again because in roller hockey it’s so easy to get locked out of a play through lack of recovery time.

“I’m not a Scott Stevens sort of guy, where I try to hit everything that moves,” Leggett says. “But I’m not a Paul Coffey, either. I’m somewhere in between.”

“A thinking man’s game”

Leggett notes that, overall, roller hockey isn’t as physical as ice hockey. The reason?

“I really think a lot has to do with not being able to take chances. It’s a thinking man’s game. Not that you don’t have to think in ice hockey, but I believe it might even be more important in roller hockey.”

Adding pressure to the roller hockey defenseman’s role is the lack of a blueline in the RHI. Offenses can pass the puck into the scoring zone immediately upon crossing the red line.

“Without a blueline, they can make a pass from the red line right to the goal,” Leggett says. “That makes it even easier for a defenseman to wind up out of position—and again, once you’re out of position in roller hockey, it’s tougher to recover.”

Leggett believes that, as in all sports, the mental approach to roller hockey is often more important that what a player is capable of physically. And the right mental balance, he says, is an attitude of confidence tempered by realism.

“That’s one thing that I see that gets to a lot of younger players. They go into a game with a lack of confidence,” Leggett explains. “You certainly don’t want to be overconfident. But you have to know you can play. You have to know that if you’re faced with a situation where you’re the only one that can prevent that goal, that you’re up to it.

“A lot of younger players lack that, because they don’t have the experience.”

Now that’s he an assistant coach as well as a player, Leggett, who will be 30 this month, wants to instill that confidence in younger charges on the Barracudas.

“It’s really important to believe in yourself and what you can do.” l

— Bob Cunningham

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Power Play Tactics

Power play tactics
By Dean Chadwin
Oct 30, 2001, 11:03

At the foot of the master? Keenan listens to Scotty. ©BBS

^While perusing the archives at the Hockey Hall of Fame recently, I found a tape labeled “Mike Keenan/Power Play Tactics.” This was strange. Hadn’t Keenan always emulated his idol, Scotty Bowman, and refused to even teach the power play during the regular season? What could heknow?

My curiosity got the better of me and I pulled out the cassette. It turns out Keenan does know power plays—or at least he did in 1987 when he gave a lecture at a coaching clinic in York, Ontario. What I learned from listening to that lecture can help players and coaches at any level of hockey.

Keenan opened the lecture by emphasizing the importance of power-play efficiency at playoff time. His stats showed that teams win the Cup by scoring power-play goals, and it’s a trend has been particularly evident recently. In fact, the Keenan-led 1987 Flyers—which featured Tim Kerr’s ability to create traffic, deflect the puck, and jam home rebounds—is the last team to lose the finals while scoring more power-play goals than their competition.

Over the last seven years, the Cup-winning teams scored 41 power-play goals in 37 games, while their opponents netted just 18. Sure, great teams have great players, but the skills of a Leetch, Zubov, Coffey, Lemieux, or Gretzky are even more apparent on the power play. If you want to win games or titles, you have to have an excellent power play.

Plan ahead

The first thing you need to do is make your plans at the beginning of the season by asking yourself some questions.

Are you going to use all your players on the power play, or are you going to use special units?

At the NHL level, the game requires power-play specialists. Keenan stated that the most important quality of a good power-play unit is using the best players you can find. You may not have the luxury of coaching a Chelios or a Messier, but what you want are players with certain skills. Keenan prefers players who combine some of five key attributes; one-time passers, one-time shooters (including using the backhand), the ability to read defenses, maintain puck control and work under pressure. (The latter is the one attribute Keenan believes is the most difficult to teach).

The specialists must be players who understand the proper use of space, and puckhogs who are selfish with the biscuit and can control the play. Keenan rewards hard-working, but less-talented, checking lines with power-play shifts only when he’s got a significant lead.

Are you going to practice power-play tactics extensively, or will you work instead on the particular skills involved?

Even if you don’t have talented specialists on your team, you can work to develop the important skills. Keenan’s teams work on the power-play as a whole less than 10% of their practice time during the regular season. However, they run a number of drills that are designed to improve skills that are incorporated within the power-play, such as one-time passing and shooting drills. Keenan quotes his idol Bowman, who once wrote, “Hockey is a transitional game. Grandiose, intricate plays do not work.”

In other words, according to Keenan, instead of working on plays, develop your skills.

Do you have enough resources (ice time, assistant coaches, etc.) to practice the power play?

You may have limited ice time, no assistant coaches, or perhaps no coach at all. No matter. You can still use what you have to improve. In his last year coaching in the AHL, Keenan gave the responsibility for running the power-play practice to his most experienced player, the team’s captain. While Keenan worked with most of the roster, his captain took the team’s power-play unit to the other end of the ice and ran them through a variety of passing drills. Despite the fact that a player supervised the power-play drills, this team won the AHL championship’s Calder Cup.

How can you shape your power play to fit your talent?

Don’t be afraid to move players around to take advantage of their skills. When he coached the Flyers, Keenan often moved Mark Howe up from defense to left wing during the power play to take advantage of his good hands and brilliant hockey sense. This year, the Canucks often used the speedy Pavel Bure on the point during the power-play so their other forwards could set him up to shoot one-timers while moving to the net.

Emphasize your strengths. If you have someone with a big shot at the point, run screens and create traffic in front of the net so you can take full advantage of those blasts.

Scout your opponent

Even if you’ve planned from day one, you’re still going to have to play games one at a time. If possible, before any game, you should scout your opponent, the officials, and the rink itself. Does your opponent lay back or forecheck aggressively? Who will be penalty killing? Do they stay in their box or run any special plays? For example, when Gretzky killed penalties for the Oilers, he would break for the opponent’s blueline as soon as Edmonton gained control of the puck, even if the puck was along the boards or deep in the Oilers zone. To avoid getting burned by the long break-out pass, Keenan had to make sure his players would anticipate Gretz doing this.

Know the tendencies of your referee. How much does he play to the score? Does he look for make-up calls? How much will he allow the penalty-killers to get away with? Does he favor the home team or bend over backwards to be fair?

Ask someone the dimensions of the rink. Is it small? What about the shape of the corners? How much space is there to operate behind the net? On smaller ice surfaces, your power play unit should emphasize tips and screens because you’ve got less time for clean plays.

Make your players aware of the referee’s tendencies and the nature of the playing surface and they’ll be able to adapt accordingly.

Like any other element of the game of hockey, a good power play requires hard work. Hard practice will refine the skills needed to have a high rate of efficiency. Hard work during the power play—aggressive skaters anticipating the flow of play, with their feet in constant motion—will pay off with good results. And because truly hard work is physically draining, use quick changes to keep fresh bodies on the ice.

One lesson players at any level can learn from Keenan is patience during the power play. If you enter the offensive zone with control of the puck, don’t be afraid to turn and stop. This will buy time for your fellow attackers to get into position, and will create open space in the attacking zone.

Keenan stresses using the whole two minutes. Be selfish in maintaining possession of the puck, and don’t just take your first chance to shoot. Mike notes that even the most knowledgeable hockey fans often scream for their teams to shoot far too early on the power play. Even smart fans (many of whom are also players) are used to watching their favorite players attack whenever possible during even-strength situations. What they forget is that a power play is the only time in hockey when you can truly possess the puck.

So if there’s one key lesson to be learned for every player and coach, it’s to not just fire the first open shot. Instead, use your passing skills, screens in front of the net, etc., to get great position. Make the penalty killers work. Take your time, break down the defense, and then, when you have the shot you want, take it.

I bet you’ve learned something already. So although his teams rarely practice them, Mike Keenan understands power plays. The accompanying sidebar summarizes Keenan’s 10 principles of a successful power play. Keep them in mind when working on your own, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful power play.

Mike Keenan’s 10 Power Play Commandments

#1. Always provide support.

The puck carrier should never face a pressured one-on-one situation. There should always be good passing options. Another skater should be open nearby in case the skater with the puck gets into trouble.

#2. Work the seams.

Move players and passes through the areas that divide the box. This will confuse the defense or force them to move out of position. Maybe they’ll get puck-happy and two defenders will close on the puck carrier and one pass will find an open sniper near the net.

#3. Prepare the prime scoring area.

The prime scoring area depends on your talent. If you have a Tim Kerr, you need him to get in front of the net and feed him the puck. If you have an Al MacInnis, you’ll want to screen the goalie and set up a point blast. If you’ve got a highly-mobile Zubov or Bure at the point, create an alley for them to drive to the net and receive a cross-ice pass.

#4. Switch positions.

Confuse the defense by having your players weave around the ice. This will create screens and picks and may force the defensive players to make bad decisions.

#5. Avoid long passes.

The player supporting the puck carrier should always stay close because maintaining possession is all-important, and long passes mean high risk of interception.

#6. Control the faceoff.

To maintain possession, you’ve got to get the puck first. Do whatever it takes. Make sure you always have your best players on the ice for key faceoffs.

#7. Move the puck in deep.

Unless you have Gretzky-like talent, never stop right at the blueline when you first enter the zone. Always carry the puck at least ten feet in. You might move it back out to the high point later, but you want to establish control in the attacking zone first.

#8. Create movement.

The more motion you create with the puck and your players, the more disorganized the defensive box will become. That’s the way you break open the seams and create open shots in prime scoring areas.

#9. Initiate the action.

While it’s important to be patient and not take the first open shot (unless it’s a great one), pressure should be maintained at all times. Don’t allow one-on-one duels along the boards—offer support instead.

#10. Influence the goalie.

Make the netminder move. Force him out of position. All your other efforts will be irrelevant if the goalie is ready, square and unscreened. You need to disrupt the puck-stopper by creating traffic, moving the puck behind the net or from side-to-side, and attacking this weakness.

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

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The Care and Feeding of a Groin Injury

The care and feeding of a groin injury
By Bill Ferguson
Oct 30, 2001, 10:59

A groin injury can stop you cold, as Randy McKay found out. © BBS

Certainly anyone who has played ice or roller hockey has felt a “twinge” in the large muscle area of the thigh at one time or another. Often it’s something that one can “play through” while the muscle recovers. But what differentiates the minor groin pull from the major injury that causes one to miss week after week of games?

Sometimes only the victim’s unwillingness to listen to his or her body. Case in point: me.

I recently went through eight weeks of physical therapy after trying to “play through” an injury that went from bad to worse. The most frustrating thing was that I have played competitive hockey for more than 20 years and had never had a knee or leg injury severe enough to keep me off the ice.

The first sign of things to come happened on the ice, in a play without contact where I merely stepped to my right and felt a “tear.” In mulling over the injury, I recalled a play perhaps a week prior when I was playing roller hockey and extended my leg more than I meant to. While I noticed enough discomfort to think, whoa!, it seemed like no big deal at the time—and I finished the game. Looking back, this may well have been the start of the injury.

A week later, when I felt the tear on the ice, I immediately went to the bench—yet still returned to finish the game.

I took it easy the entire next week, spending most nights lying on the couch. I felt well enough to play that week, but when I took my first shot in warmup I felt a big pop in my groin that scared the heck out of me. Nonetheless, I played the game without any problems, although skating gingerly. Another week’s rest, and a morning skate with the kids I coach, led me to believe the worst was over. But the worst was actually yet to come.

That night the leg felt great. While killing a penalty halfway through my game, I raced to tap the puck past an opposing defenseman. One stride short of the biscuit, while fully extended, I felt a pop that sent me through the roof. I knew I was done for the night. The following morning my thigh was rather blue, as the muscle tear had produced some internal bleeding.

Tricks or treatment?

A doctor friend of mine, who also plays, recommended rest. But in lieu of that—which I had been fighting tooth and nail already—he suggested a rubber thigh wrap made by Body Glove. The wrap helped me to play the next week without any further popping.

But the next morning my thigh was blue from the crotch to the knee, and from halfway through the front to halfway through the back of the leg. It was ugly, aside from being painful, because the internal bleeding causes soreness in whatever areas the blood flows to. So by this time my knee was hurting, too.

I knew it was time for my groin injury to receive some professional treatment. My family physician sent me to the physical therapist who would become my medical advisor and coach for the next eight weeks.

My first session consisted of heat, stretching, ultrasound and ice. Nothing more. The second week we added some light stationary bike work, exercise not intended to work the groin muscle. When I questioned the therapist about this, he explained that most of the treatment for this type of injury consisted of strengthening the supporting muscles, rather than the groin itself. Over the next few weeks we added leg presses, knee extensions and curls—but still nothing for the groin.

We were at least four weeks into therapy before we ever added a groin exercise, and even that was a very light one. While it was nice to know that my leg was getting better, I knew I wasn’t yet ready to return and desperately missed the ice.

By the time we hit week six of therapy, we were adding weight and reps to each exercise, and we added a slide board, which I had never done before. The therapist told me I was one of the worst patients he had ever seen at learning how to use the thing. “I’m not a goalie,” I told him. “We stride forward, not sideways.” A smart aleck, even in rehab! Over the next couple of weeks I had it down to where I felt I pretty much owned that board.

Finally, after eight weeks of therapy, I heard the magic words: “Now just a light skate…no hockey.”

I’ve never been so happy to skate in a public session with 250 kids. Of course my 7-year-old, who will be a mite this year, was very supportive—saying, “Ha-ha daddy, I’m faster than you!”

My therapy continued at home where we have both a stationary bike and a weight bench with the leg machine. By this time I was walking 18 holes of golf twice a week in addition to exercising. The next week I skated a pick-up game, although I followed my therapist’s advice and didn’t wait until my leg started hurting to quit for the night. The idea, he drilled into my head, is to quit before it starts to hurt.

As always, I continued to ice my leg for 20 minutes after each exercise until I was fully recovered.

It could have been avoided

By this time it had been at least 10-11 weeks since I first felt the muscle tear, and what became apparent in my weeks of therapy was that this could all have been avoided simply by keeping my legs in shape. That doesn’t mean playing ice or roller hockey two or three times a week, as I had been doing. It means exercising regularly.

A bike, swimming, and/or weight training are all effective means of conditioning your legs. Especially as we get older—and demand at least the same level of performance we are accustomed to getting from our muscles—the more important it is to increase our conditioning, to offset the natural effects of aging.

I now work out 2-3 times per week, incorporating the stationary bike and “lunges” into my usual routine of weight training. I believe that if the desire is there to improve your game, it can always be accomplished through hard work, regardless of age. It’s also nice to know I am now realizing something from my investment in all the equipment that had been sitting in the garage gathering dust! All that equipment, or your membership in a gym, does no good if it doesn’t get used.

I was of the mindset that I didn’t need that stuff, until this injury showed me otherwise.

The other most critical way to avoid this type of injury is by stretching before the game. For all my hammering the kids to arrive at the rink early to give them time to stretch properly, I wasn’t following my own advice! While I do a lot of skating in warmup before ever touching a puck, it clearly wasn’t enough to avoid a groin pull. Today, I will not play a game or even practice without fully stretching either on or off the ice.

The lesson I learned is one you’d think the pros would have learned long ago. Why so many injuries in the 1995 season? In the past, players had a preseason schedule and 40 games under their belts before the games ever became so important that they “couldn’t afford to lose.” This year, they had such an abbreviated schedule that every game was part of the “playoff run.”

Always be prepared

When players demanded more performance from muscles that weren’t prepared to deliver, something had to give. Many pros missed weeks of important games due to groin pulls this year. And weren’t there a lot of NHLers who, when the lockout was ended, said they had been playing golf for weeks—never expecting to play this year? I guess whatever the situation, the old Boy Scout Motto of “Be Prepared” still applies.

How can you stay in game-shape year round? One word: exercise. And here are some things to consider.

Jogging. It’s been said that if you run three miles per day on the days you don’t skate, you will never lose your conditioning—even over the summer months. Of course, you will lose some puck-handling and other skills, but you lose that anyway—even in mid-season—if you’re off the ice. It’s much better to come back with good legs, ready to work on the hand-eye stuff, than to start from scratch. Even during the season, running on days off won’t hurt you. In fact, conditioning the legs will give you added third period strength. Late in the game you might find you can go around players who you previously couldn’t beat. So what if you can’t beat them early in the game? If you can stay with them early on, then excel in the third period, this can be the edge you need to improve your status in your league.

Stationary bike. For those of you who are concerned about the detrimental effects jogging may have on the ankles, knees and back—or if you simply don’t like to run—the stationary bike is an excellent alternative. This type of exercise is not only helpful for the legs, it also improves the entire cardiovascular system. It will help your stamina and, if done at the start of a workout, is a great warmup. Many pro players, in fact, return to the bike even after games to further increase their stamina.

If biking is all you intend to do, break it up into segments. Start out with 10-to-15 minutes at between 50 and 70 rpm. Then add some resistance. With the heavier drag, try some sprints. Add weight until You’re getting the “good burn.” Then finish with a lighter-weight cooldown.

Weight training. Weight training is not for everyone. There are some who feel it reduces flexibility, resulting in stronger yet slower skaters. However, if done in conjunction with an overall workout, I believe it can do a lot of good. What’s the harm in being stronger? Cardiovascular exercises like running, biking or even aerobics can offset any harm done by building muscle mass.

The chair. This is an exercise that is more designed to strengthen the knees than the groin, yet it is one of my favorites for increasing overall leg strength. With your back straight against a wall, lower your butt until you have a 90° knee bend. Hold this position as long as you can. Remember to keep your head back against the wall, and don’t support yourself at all with your hands. Initially, you may be able to hold this position only for a count of 50. But work on it gradually until you can hold it for a count of 100. Then 200. Then do two sets. Feel good while your knees are burning, knowing you are greatly reducing your risk of knee injury.

Remember, exercising isn’t something you do for a while, then quit. It’s a lifetime commitment. Don’t do so much when you first start out that you are too sore to work out on your next scheduled day. Start out light, then add weight, then reps. It’s much more important that you continue your workouts than that you kill yourself every time out. And, as they say, consult a physician before attempting this (or any) exercise program.

Better conditioning means fewer injuries, and more time playing the game we love!

Bill Ferguson is a hockey player, and an occasional contributor to the magazine.

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

10 Reasons to Get Inline

10 Reasons to get inline
By Quint Randle
Oct 30, 2001, 08:01

(Courtesy: Bauer)

If you’re one of those people who thinks that hockey season ends when the Stanley Cup is awarded, then you obviously haven’t discovered inline skates. You may call yourself a hockey “purist,” or be afraid of injury because concrete is “harder than ice.” But it’s time to face facts: inline skating and roller hockey are becoming a combination of fun and serious training for players of all types—from beginners to NHL all-stars. In addition, inline skating is becoming an important first step towards ice skating for many start-up players.

So whether you’re a puck procrastinator or simply faint-of-heart, here are 10 reasons why you should quit messing around, and get inline with the rest of us!

#1. It’s more than a fad.

Discard the idea that your inline skates will end up on the shelf with your Pet Rock and mood ring collections. Inline skating is here to stay. More importantly, you really will get hooked. Just ask anyone who’s tried it. Not ready to take someone else’s word for it? Go to one of the increasing number of inline skate rental shops around the country and see for yourself. You really can try before you buy!

#2. It’s a great workout.

Inline skating is an excellent way to get in shape or maintain your level of fitness. Inlines offer fantastic aerobic benefits without the heavy pounding on feet, knees and back inflicted by many other types of exercise (not to mention the sore bottom that comes with an aggressive bike ride!). You can increase your heart rate and keep it at a specific pace, with very little wear and tear on the rest of your body. You can slow down, speed up, and if you get tired, just glide. You can’t do that in tennis shoes!

#3. Improve your ice skating.

Just about anything you can do on ice skates, you can do on inline skates—with some wheels you can even do “hockey stops.” On high-end skates, you can “rocker” the wheels to even further simulate an ice skate blade. On the ice, it takes time for the novice to “feel” and use the inside and outside edges of the skate blades. But on inlines, everything is exaggerated. You really learn to feel and use those inside and outside edges. Even without trying, your balance, agility and crossovers will all be better when you step back on the ice.

#4. Dryland training is in.

More and more ice hockey teams require players to have inline skates. In addition to recommending personal workouts, teams are holding dryland practices to focus on specific plays and positional drills. Skills and endurance can be greatly improved off the ice. Just imagine how good the old Soviet teams would have been if they had inlines back when they were pioneering dryland training techniques—and dominating the hockey world.

#5. Ease into the ice game.

Ice hockey can be very intimidating to newcomers. People in the South and West didn’t grow up playing hockey on the frozen pond in the back yard. But now inline skates—and a good street puck or ball—means anyone can take up the game. So you hockey watchers who have been aching to give the sport a try, try roller hockey. Your chance to get into the game is as close as your driveway.

#6. The “rink” is always open.

Forget about ice time and public skating sessions. With inline skates you can workout just about anytime and anywhere you’d like. If you feel like taking a midnight skate, or play parking-lot pick-up at dawn, there’s nothing stopping you. A friend of mine works out (stick, puck and all) during his lunch hour on an empty level of his office building’s parking structure. With inline skates, the game goes where you go.

#7. It’s great family fun.

One woman I know started to feel left out when her husband and two sons got skates, so she bought some herself. Now the whole family skates together on bike trails near their Chicago home. Is there an infant in the family? Why not start the tyke up early by pushing the pram in front of you while you roll around the park?

So if your kids, spouse or significant other is complaining that you don’t spend enough time with them, do something about it! Buy them inline skates. Just be sure everyone has the proper head, knee and elbow protection.

#8. It’s hands-free transportation.

Do you live close to work? Have you ever been stuck at home during a bus or subway strike? Is it hard to strap your briefcase or portfolio to that 10-speed? Why not commute on inlines?

#9. It’s low-cost fun.

For parents on a budget, youth roller hockey is an excellent alternative to ice hockey. Floor time is a lot cheaper than ice time, thus league sign-up fees and dues are a fraction of ice hockey costs. Inline skates cost about the same as ice skates, but the rest of the gear is somewhat cheaper. Besides, roller hockey doesn’t require as much gear.

#10. It’s a great way to meet people.

Why go to a health club or night club when the great outdoors is the best place to meet people who share your interest in—at the very least—skating? The way I figure it, any relationship that starts on wheels is destined to move forward.

Remember, whether you’re a veteran inline skater or a first-timer, it’s extremely important to wear proper head, knee and wrist guards. You’ll be amazed how much more fun skating is when you’re not afraid of falling!

— Q Bryce

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Hockey Camp on a Budget

Hockey camp on a budget
By Bettina Young Prochnow
Oct 30, 2001, 07:49

Do you want to improve your hockey skills but are short of cash for a camp or clinic? Look no further than your basement, garage, or backyard to put together some home-made equipment that will improve your skating, shooting, and stickhandling abilities.

“What you want to develop as a player,” says Bob McCrum, Minnesota’s Twin Cities District Head Coach for USA Hockey, “along with those basic skills, is also explosive power and quickness followed by a short recuperation time.”

Start now and be ready for the Fall by following Bob’s “Top 10 List” of hockey skill development. It’s cheap, readily available, and best of all, it hits each and every one of those all-important hockey skills.

The “Top 10”

#1. Hockey Golf. “If you can stickhandle a golf ball on a cement floor at top speed,” says McCrum, “then you’re great.” Any smooth hard surface that allows that golf ball to really zip will work. A surplus piece of linoleum laid down on the front sidewalk will do and that shouldn’t cost too much!

#2. Shot Doctor. Improve your shooting skills with a 10’ piece of surgical tubing. Tie one end to the heel of your stick-blade and the other to a tree, pole, or post. Practice your wrist and slap shots by pulling against the resistance. Or cut yourself a shorter length, tie it around your own leg and your hockey blade, then pull back and shoot.

#3. Doctor, Two. Do the above exercise with a weighted puck, which you can find in a hockey equipment store. Or use the linoleum from Tip #1 to shoot the puck off of while aiming at a target that you made. The target can be as simple as a piece of plywood with a painted-on bullseye that you can lean up against a closed garage door. You can even shoot the golf balls at this target, too! McCrum’s tip of the day: “Make sure you hit the target—this (exercise) can ruin garage doors. I know, because I’ve had to replace mine!”

Avoid problems, kids: Check with mom or dad first!

#4. Sliding. It’s the basic hockey motion, and no, you don’t need one of those expensive, state-of-the-art slide machines. Get yourself a long narrow piece of plywood and cover it with some Formica. Wax it before you use it the first time, put on some socks, and practice “skating” by sliding side to side.

#5. Quick Feet. If you want them, you’ve got to develop them, and inline skating usually won’t do it. According to McCrum, that’s because most of the time kids are not inlining at top speed. This not only enforces slow foot movement, but also teaches the legs to recover slowly because of the weight of the equipment. The solution? Find yourself a short, steep (approximately 30’ hill), perhaps like those around a water reservoir.

Time how long it takes to run up and down the hill going as fast as you can. Then use a 5/1 recovery ratio—in other words, if it takes 10 seconds to run the hill, then wait 50 seconds to recoup before you attacking it again. Try doing 10 reps a day, gradually working your way up to 30 runs a day by the end of a month. This exercise works on both your speed and your explosiveness!

#6. Hot Peppers. No, not the kind you eat, but the kind you do with a jump rope. This is not only great training for explosive power but also for coordination.

#7. Jump the Bench. Get that picnic-table bench from the backyard (or deep within the garage) and wedge it between something so it doesn’t tip over while you develop your skills at this exercise. Start by jumping up on the top and back down the other side and repeat until you get good enough to jump completely over it. This is hard work, so start by doing it in timed intervals—say 15 seconds to start. Work up to three reps at 30 seconds each.

Be careful! Don’t overextend yourself.

#8. The Wall-Sit. “I wouldn’t want to mess with anyone in a dark alley who can do this well,” says McCrum. Place your back against a wall and inch your feet out until you are in a sitting position. Ready, set—JUMP vertically as high as you can. Try to do this three times in a row (or more). This builds strong thigh muscles that pay off in three ways: with explosiveness, speed, and power!

#9. Shuttle Runs. Keep that garage or basement cleared out. Mark two lines 25-to-30 feet apart and run back and forth with a stop, touch-the-wall, and turn at each end. Come on, you can do that faster! No garage or basement? Pick two trees and zip back and forth between them. Look out for cars!

#10. Strength-en your neck. A tip for all those who are “checking age” and above.

“It is important to remember,” says McCrum, “to keep (all) exercise and a physical fitness program age-appropriate.” Mites and squirts don’t need a program because they’re already running around at top speed at all times. “Any weight training from 10-to-14 years of age should only involve the use of their own body weight,” he adds. “Then, after puberty, with adult-strength bones and ligaments, outside weight-training (can) begin. Neck strengthening exercises (will) help counteract the impact of being checked.”

“You’ve got to warm up before you exercise,” says McCrum, so stretch well—longer than you think you need to—before doing anything else.

Easy, fast, and cheap, Bob McCrum’s Top 10 List can make you a better hockey player.

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 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®