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Playing D with Phil Housley
By Bob Cunningham Oct 29, 2001, 19:41 ©BBS Perhaps only Paul Coffey is more renowned than Phil Housley for his scoring among defensemen. Housley, now with the Calgary Flames, is in his 13th NHL season, a tour of duty that included stops in Buffalo, Winnipeg and St. Louis. And without a doubt, the smooth-skating blueliner…
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A collection of valuable lessons (Part 1)
By Mitch Korn Oct 29, 2001, 19:39 On my long seven-hour drive from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to join the Buffalo Sabres, I thought back to all the goaltenders I have had the pleasure of working with since I began my coaching career in 1979. My interaction with all the collegiate, professional and youth…
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On Contact: How to hit like the pros
By Bob Cunningham Oct 29, 2001, 19:35 ©Linda Marczak Their names are easily recognizable to even the most casual hockey fan; Cam Neely, Wendel Clark, Chris Chelios, Scott Stevens, and Rick Tocchet. These are among the big-name players of the National Hockey League associated with toughness. And while they may be noted for their scoring,…
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Backing up strong
By Robby Glantz Oct 23, 2001, 18:17 A common myth in hockey, which I hear repeated quite often, is that only defensemen need to be strong backward skaters. While it is true that, overall, a defenseman will skate greater distances backward than the forward, it is still vital that the forward make every attempt…
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Breakout basics
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What you can learn from other sports
By Robby Glantz Oct 23, 2001, 15:00 Robby Glantz At my schools I often show the kids photos of NHL players executing proper techniques in skating. One of the pictures I inevitably display is of that renowned hockey star, Michael Jordan. How’s that? Is he playing hockey now, too? Of course not, but I show…
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Playing angles: Part 1
By Mitch Korn Every coach, parent and goaltender talks about “cutting down the angle,” but I doubt very much that they all understand the intricacies of the process. While moving forward, moving laterally, or backing up is the physical part of playing angles, the most critical aspect of the process is mental. The three steps…
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Tips from Tony Granato
By Bob Cunningham ©BBS Let’s face it: there are quite a few pretty good hockey players in North America. Literally thousands possess the basic skills to be effective scorers and defenders, and a precious few even have the privilege of being recognizable by single-name monikers. Mario. Jaromir. Gordie. Gretz. But for most of us, there’s…
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When the stick is a magic wand
By Bob Cunningham Rick Kehoe. ©BBS Some players, like Brett Hull and Al McInnis, are known for their blistering shots. Others, like Scott Stevens and Marty McSorley, are known for their punishing physical play. Still others, like Mike Gartner and Alex Mogilny, can skate like the wind. But the players who go end-to-end, and make…
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In Goal: Playing the puck
By Mitch Korn Jan 29, 2007, 05:34 It all started with Jacques Plante “roaming” from the crease. Then Ed Giacomin became the New York Rangers so-called “third defenseman.” And now, Ron Hextall, with two goals under his belt, can fire the puck harder than many forwards. Goaltending has evolved to the point where a goalie…