Patrick Kane is in my Room (and could be in your’s too!)

Are you a diehard hockey fan? Perhaps you are a diehard hockey player and want a little inspiration, or to feel closer to the pro’s. If this sounds like you then you may be interested in a very cool product from “FatHead” at HockeyShot.com.

Full Review of the Patrick Kane FatHead Decal

Browse the Selection on HockeyShot: Fathead Decals
$10 Coupon code for purchases over $100 – HOWHCKY001
More players and sizes are available on Amazon


What are FatHeads?

FatHeads are wall-sized decals of NHL hockey players. If  you are not a fan of Patrick Kane there are many other players available, players like Pavel Datsyuk, Sidney Crosby, Chara, Rask, and many many more.

How to Install the FatHead decals

The decals are very easy to install (just make sure it doesn’t stick to itself). I found the instructional video from FatHead to be pretty entertaining so I decided to include it below.

If you want to check out the selection of decals available at HockeyShot you can visit the link below

Browse the Selection on HockeyShot: Fathead Decals
$10 Coupon code for purchases over $100 – HOWHCKY001
More players and sizes are available on Amazon

Picture Time!

Defensive Drill Needed

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Defensive Drill Needed

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Robert Morris Head Coach Derek Schooley Brings Us Another Drill

Last week Coach Schooley gave us the Raider Passing drill and today he offers us Canadians Reverse 1 on 1. Last night at practice I ran this drill along with a few others that are designed to work on 1 on 1 skills. This drill works on communication between the defensemen as well as defending the 1 on 1 rush. It works best with six defensemen but can work just as well with four or five also. Make sure D2 is talking to D1 and calling for the reverse. Don’t allow the D to just make the pass without the communication aspect of the drill. The D need to get used to talking to each other in practice so they can do it properly in a game. With the forwards make sure you make them use different attack options during the rush. I don’t allow my players to try the move where they put the puck between the defenders legs and try to get around them during this drill. I want the forwards to work on a power move down the wall if the D has a tight gap, or if the D has a loose gap use him as a screen and fire a shot through his legs at the goaltender. I think it’s important for a forward to have a few moves they can use so forcing them to practice specific moves during this drill will help to make them a more well rounded player. We all know that come game time they are very likely to just try and put the puck between the legs of the defender but if they practice a few other moves maybe they will attempt it during a game.

I hope you find this drill useful, I know it worked well for my team.

Here are two other drills that work on 1 on 1 situations.

Brownie Quick-Up 1×1

123 Flow

Canadians Reverse 1on1

Click to Download the Drill

Your Guide to buying Hockey Equipment Online

Since Christmas is only a few weeks away I thought it would be fitting to write an article on how to get good deals on hockey equipment. From my own experience and the feedback from many hockey players throughout USA and Canada I have compiled a list of good places to buy hockey equipment online.

Looking for a bargain? Where to Find Cheap Hockey Equipment

Hockey Monkey

One of the first places I look is Hockey Monkey, more specifically the Hockey Monkey clearance section. If I’m just looking for a good deal on something, I will check the clearance section. If you are looking for newer hockey sticks the pro stock section of sticks is a good place to save money on the newer models.

Total hockey

Total hockey is another popular online hockey store and they have a lot of great promotions. If you visit their homepage you will see their most recent promotions (like free shipping, or special sales) and I also recommend you visit their sales page. If you visit that page you will see all their products, sorted by best deals!

List of Online Hockey Equipment Stores

There are a few popular sites that you might want to visit to look for deals, here is a list of the most popular hockey equipment stores

1. Hockey Monkey – Use coupon code HOCKEY7 for 7% off site wide (expires 12/31/2013)
2. Total Hockey – Free shipping on orders over $50
3. Ice Warehouse
4. Hockey Giant
5. Hockey Supremacy (for Canadians)

Warning to Canadians: many of the major retail brands like Easton, Bauer, CCM, and Reebok will NOT ship from the USA to Canada. If you live in Canada you pretty much can not order hockey equipment online unless it is from a Canadian retailer. Your best bet is to shop in stores or use some of the tips below

Buying Used Hockey Equipment Online

Buying used hockey equipment is a great way to save money, especially if you are new to the game and don’t want to spend too much money. Another tip I got from a friend who lives in the city is to buy used hockey sticks. He said he gets brand new sticks for cheaper than retail and doesn’t pay tax. Here are some places to look

In your local area

• Craigslist (for Americans)
• Kijiji (for Canadians)
• Play it Again Sports – They have locations all over Canada and USA, new and used equipment with a good selection
• Ask around your arena – If you need some gear ask other players on your team, or if you are just starting put an ad up at your local arena. Hockey players always have extra equipment laying around that they haven’t bothered to sell.

Online

• Ebay – This is a good spot to look for higher end gear that people bought and then didn’t like. If you are buying expensive skates make sure you’ve tried them on in the store first and know they fit properly

What should you buy new and what should be bought used?

This largely depends on how picky you are, but I think we can all agree that you should buy your jock new 🙂  The important part of buying hockey equipment is finding the right fit. If you can find used hockey equipment that fits right then almost everything can be bought used.

I prefer buying helmets new because they are protecting your head so you should get the best fit and protection you can afford. Old helmets may not perform as well as they did when they were new and with used equipment you might not find the right fit for your noggin.

Tips for Buying Hockey Equipment Online

If you are going to buy online you want to make sure that your equipment will fit properly first. Most stores like Hockey Monkey and Total Hockey have sizing charts, consult those for figuring out what equipment will fit you. It helps if you know your chest size, waist size, arm length, and so on.

Another recommendation is to try equipment on in stores first. This is especially true if you are a newer player. I strongly recommend trying on hockey skates before you buy them as proper fit and comfort is very important. You can always try them on in stores and then shop around online. For equipment like shoulder pads, and pants, sticks, jerseys, jocks, and neck guards you should have no problem figuring out your size online. I’m particular about gloves, skates, and helmet so I would try those on in the store first

(edit – The tip to try on equipment in stores is mostly for the new players who don’t know how things feel and fit. I wouldn’t recommend a new player buy gear online until they have tried some on and know what they like and don’t like in general. Go to a store, pick stuff up, squeeze it, feel it, flex it, try it on, get a feel for what you like. Buy it if you like it, but it gives you buying power and more confidence when shopping either in the store OR online!)

• If you can, get familiar with the equipment in the stores first so you know how the gear feels
• If you know what brands you like you can use sizing charts online to ensure you get the right size
• Shop around for the best price, if you want newer hockey sticks look for pro-stock sticks at good discounts

What if it Doesn’t Fit Right?

Most companies do have a pretty good return policy. If you get a piece of equipment that does not fit right you can send it back right away for a refund, or for the proper size.

The only exception for this is with some of the clearance and sale items. If you are making a big purchase then be sure to check the return policy before you check out so you know the conditions.

Did I miss anything?

If you have any tips please leave them in the comments section.

Half-Ice Practice Plan

I get a lot of requests for half ice drills because so many teams are sharing ice to save money. My team practices once each week on shared ice so I thought I would post one of my practice plans for a half ice practice so you can see the type of drills I run with my team. Keep in mind I coach a Tier I Midget 16 team so my needs may be different from yours. I am a huge fan of small area games and I allocate around fifteen minutes of every practice to running different small area games. I start all my practice sessions with five minutes of  informal skating and stick handling then I go into a drill to warm-up the goaltenders. Take a look at the plan, maybe it will give you a few ideas to help with your half ice sessions.

Half Ice Practice Plan

Update: I will add additional half ice practice plans to the Half-Ice Drill section of the site as the season goes along.

Prepare for Hockey Games with the G24 app (or website)

I commonly get asked about the best way to prepare for hockey games. There is a lot to cover with pre-game preparation and as each player is unique there is no “perfect” method, however there are many best practices and tips that will help everyone.

When it comes to preparing for hockey the biggest areas you should know about are nutrition, physical prep, and mental prep. At a young age preparation is important to prepare hockey players for games and also help them create good habits. For competitive hockey players proper preparation is very important as every little edge can help make a difference in the game. For recreational hockey players preparation will help reduce injuries, improve performance, and also reduce soreness after games. I will break down the points above in more detail below the video.

How the G24 app and website works

What I like about the app

I really like this app because it provides a very good base for pre-game preparation. It provides a lot of information about nutrition, physical prep, and mental prep.

I also really like the insight from the pro’s. Sure they don’t have all the big-name players, but every pro gives good advice and these guys are playing the most competitive hockey in the world.

How to access the content

You can access the content through their app, or through their website. The app is only available on Apple products, however you can create an account on their website and access all the content on any device with an internet connection.

Is the app free?

Yes the app is free, and so is an account on their website, however to get access to the pro advice you will have to pay. The players are $5 each or you can pay for unlimited access for 6 months or 1 year which works out being much cheaper.

Downsides to the app

I love the information and the app so finding a downside was tough. Some might find the price of each player a bit costly, but you can get the yearly subscription.

Something else I noticed is that some advice from the pro’s might not carry over to the rec or minor league player. For example many players suggest eating a full meal 20 minutes after a game with Salmon and vegetables, however I’m lucky to get home by midnight after some games and I’m not about to prepare and eat a full meal at midnight.

I found all of the information very informative, and you can use as much or as little as you would like depending on how seriously you take your games. I think most rec level players will benefit the most from physical preparation and stretching.

Where to get the App / Content

If you have an Apple mobile device you can download the app here. If you want to access the content through your computer you can visit the G24 website and create an account.

More Information about Preparing for Hockey

Be sure to follow this blog as I will be posting a detailed article about hockey preparation very soon.

I recently read a great book about mental preparation for hockey games. The book is called hockey tough and is written by a sports psychologist who has worked with many of the great hockey players in the game. I found a lot of great tips in the book and highly recommend it to any player who wants a very detailed breakdown of mental preparation.

Preparing for hockey Games

• Physical preparation
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Activating the muscles used
  • Stretching and Warmup
  • Cool down
• Mental prepartion
  • Mental rehearsal
  • Self confidence
  • Focus
  • Goal setting
• Nutritional preparation
  • Pre game meals
  • Pre game snacks
  • Hydration
  • Post game meals

If you have full access to the content you can work your way through each section of the app and learn about how the pro’s prepare in each area. You can also star your favourite areas and add them to your own profile. You can use those tips to build your own pre-game routine.

Many of the areas have video content from the pro’s. This is especially helpful in the stretching and dynamic warm-up sections. The nutrition section has recipes and pictures and the mental prep section has video advice from the pro players.

For more details about the app watch my video review above and if you want to create an account you can download the app here. If you want to access the content through your computer you can visit the G24 website and create an account.

The Secret to Balance, Speed, and Power

Do you keep falling over, do you get off balance, are you easily knocked off the puck? You should be more like Sidney Crosby, his personal trainer explains he’s so hard to knock off the puck because he stays low

This is the second article in our how to skate series and it covers a very important aspect of skating. We covered this in our first video, however I wanted to expand on it to really drive the point home. In the first video we talked about the importance of knee bend, and in this video we talk about the importance of staying low throughout your stride.

If  you want more power, better balance, and a smoother stride it is important to stay low and maintain a good knee bend. Many players start low, but then end up coasting. Remember to always be ready, you have to be low, it helps with speed, balance, agility, and power.

Maintain Good Knee Bend for more Power

More Skating Tips for a better stride

• How far should you bend your knees? With equipment on, and knees properly bent, you should not be able to see the toes of your skates. Remember to keep your weight over your skates, like in the video.
• Good knee bend is important for a powerful stride, but be sure to maintain the knee bend in all maneuvers (crossovers, turning, accelerating, stopping)
• Chances are your legs are too straight when you skate. If you get a chance record yourself skating for a shift and watch it later.
• Remember to get a full extension with each stride, and recover quickly
• For more skating tips be sure to subscribe to our website and Youtube Channel

Head Coach Derek Schooley Brings us This Simple but Effective Passing Drill

Yesterday I received this simple but very effective passing drill from Derek Schooley ( @DerekSchooley Twitter handle ) head coach at Robert Morris University. Coach Schooley was the very first D I coach to offer to help with this site when I first started it three years ago so it was really great to get some unsolicited drills from him again yesterday. I took it to practice last night and used it with my team and was very pleased with how it flows. You don’t need goaltenders for this drill so my guys were working with the goalie coach while the team executed the drill. If you don’t have a goalie coach to occupy your goaltenders just have them do some crease movement drills or run it the last few minutes of practice and let the goalies go off the ice early. Make sure the players execute the drill with a high tempo and be sure to make them keep their sticks on the ice so the passes can be quick one-touch type of passes.

Raider Passing Drill

Click to Download the Drill

Horacek 5 Pass 2 on 1 Drive Drill

I am always on the lookout for good team oriented drills and last night I watched former NHL player Tony Horacek run this drill with his Midget 16 team. Timing is very important with this drill and it may take a few rotations to get it right but once you do the drill will flow really nicely and force your players to make good passes and work on timing their approach to the receiving zones. This drill is best performed by the more advanced teams.

If you like you can add an additional regroup in the neutral zone to make the players think and create more confusion.

5 Pass 2 on 1 Drive

Click to Download the Drill