As hockey players, parents and coaches, we are one big family. It doesn’t matter if you play deck, roller or ice hockey, we need to look out and take care of one another. Please see below the information on fellow player, Kevin Kenny who sustained a severe spinal cord injury during a hockey game on Saturday, November 16, 2013.
Kevin is a 20 year old forward for the Junior Hockey Team the Pittsburgh Vengeance (formerly the Junior Penguins). Kenny a veteran of the squad, since 2011, has remained a leader both on and off the ice especially for his teammates this season.
After two surgeries, Kevin remains in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh where he’ll continue to be cared for and monitored until enough time passes to allow for a more thorough diagnosis.
Our goal is to raise funds for Kevin’s ongoing medical expenses.
As hockey players, parents and coaches, we are one big family. It doesn’t matter if you play deck, roller or ice hockey, we need to look out and take care of one another. Please see below the information on fellow player, Kevin Kenny who sustained a severe spinal cord injury during a hockey game on Saturday, November 16, 2013.
Kevin is a 20 year old forward for the Junior Hockey Team the Pittsburgh Vengeance (formerly the Junior Penguins). Kenny a veteran of the squad, since 2011, has remained a leader both on and off the ice especially for his teammates this season.
After two surgeries, Kevin remains in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh where he’ll continue to be cared for and monitored until enough time passes to allow for a more thorough diagnosis.
Our goal is to raise funds for Kevin’s ongoing medical expenses.
As hockey players, parents and coaches, we are one big family. It doesn’t matter if you play deck, roller or ice hockey, we need to look out and take care of one another. Please see below the information on fellow player, Kevin Kenny who sustained a severe spinal cord injury during a hockey game on Saturday, November 16, 2013.
Kevin is a 20 year old forward for the Junior Hockey Team the Pittsburgh Vengeance (formerly the Junior Penguins). Kenny a veteran of the squad, since 2011, has remained a leader both on and off the ice especially for his teammates this season.
After two surgeries, Kevin remains in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh where he’ll continue to be cared for and monitored until enough time passes to allow for a more thorough diagnosis.
Our goal is to raise funds for Kevin’s ongoing medical expenses.
I picked this one up from Ken Pauly who is a very well respected coach in Minnesota high school hockey.
I like to use this drill a few times each year to just get the players to understand working hard along the walls and in the corners. This drill isn’t the typical gauntlet drill where you have each player try to crush the incoming skater. What we want to do with this drill along the wall is have the players create resistance by chipping the skater, not try to put him through the glass.
You can separate the players however you want to but I like having the centers up high and using them to act as support in front of the net. Once you get the timing down this drill flows real nice and works a number of important areas of the ice.
Taping your hockey stick is a regular job for every hockey player. For most players taping the stick is somewhat of a ritual, they do it so many times that they develop different techniques, habits and beliefs of the way they like their tape job. There are many ways to tape a hockey stick, and for quite a few players the process does not stop at taping the stick. After taping a stick you can apply wax to your tape.
Why do Hockey Players Wax their Stick?
There are a few different reasons to wax your stick after taping it. Some of the benefits include
Added tackiness and grip for better control of the puck
Added grip for better spin on the puck and a better shot
Softer feel for receiving passes and puck control
Stop snow from accumulating on the tape
Keep the tape from getting wet
What are some downsides to wax?
From my experience with wax I have not noticed enough of a difference in control or performance for me to bother using it. With regular wax I find snow will still accumulate and after a few periods of hockey the wax seems to freeze up and get hard and then feels the same as snow on the blade. This is just my personal opinion as I have only tried wax a few times
Proformance Wax vs Regular Wax
Proformance wax is different from regular wax in a few ways. Proformance wax is specifically designed for hockey, which means it will remain tacky at cold temperatures. Many waxes will be tacky in warm temperatures, but will get hard and flake off when they get cold.
Proformance wax also involves a two part process. The first process involves applying a special base layer wax that will seal the tape and bond to it. The second step is customizing your feel by applying either ProControl wax (for a bit of extra grip) or MaxControl wax for maximum grip.
Quick Benefits of Proformance Wax
Stays tacky at cold temperatures
Two part process help wax bond to tape better
Base layer seals the tape to keep it from getting wet
Different waxes allows players to customize feel
A grip wax is also available to get some extra grip on the shaft
Where to Buy Proformance Wax
Currently Proformance is only available online, however it will be in stores soon. You can purchase it on this page on HockeyShot or through their website Proformance Wax
This is our first video in a series of skating videos. In the series we will be teaching the fundamentals of skating. Our goal is to help new hockey players understand the basics of skating for hockey, and help experienced players tweak their technique for maximum effectiveness. In this video and article we are covering the importance of proper knee bend
Why Does Everyone Tell me to Bend my Knees?
This is likely the biggest piece of advice given to hockey players when it comes to skating, however many players still have trouble getting enough knee bend. In fact I have spoken with some trainers who skate pro players and they say the first drills they do during the off-season involves getting lower to break bad habits the pro’s have developed over the season. So why is knee bend so important?
Your legs are like shock absorbers, having your knees bent gives you a smoother stride
When you bend your knees you get lower to the ice, a lower stance gives you more balance which means less falling over
In order to get power in each stride you need to bend your knees, the more your knees are bent the more power you can get from each push. A little knee bend means a little power in each push, more knee bend = more power
Bending your glide leg brings you lower to the ice which help you elongate your stride, a longer stride (at higher rates of speed) = more speed
To sum it up, more knee bend = smoother stride, more power, a longer stride, and better balance
There are a few different reasons to wax your stick after taping it. Some of the benefits include
