Hockey Development Systems: Part 1

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 little hope that we’ll ever become a one-word household name. So, as sub-superstar players, what can we do to increase our value in the big picture?

The answer is that there is no single answer. And that all the answers might be summed up in a single word—versatility.

That characteristic seems to be especially true at forward. Forwards often have several things demanded of them simultaneously. Over a single 10-second stretch, a winger can be called upon to take control of an attack, get off a shot or a pass, switch gears and forecheck, and then play a defensive role in attempting to regain possession of the puck.

A taste of everything

One NHL player who has become adept at that kind of gear-shifting is Tony Granato of the Los Angeles Kings, who will be into his eighth season at the game’s top level when and if the owners’ lockout ends.

The best way to summarize the 5’ 10”, 185-pounder’s career is to note that he’s had a little taste of just about everything. But what sets him apart from most is his ability to play whenever and wherever he’s required.

“That’s the definition of being a team player. No one’s a hero for it,” he says.

Granato has played almost equal stints as both left wing and right wing for the Kings, and also earlier in his career for the New York Rangers. He’s even dabbled at center.

For the layman, it may sound fairly routine to bounce back and forth between opposite sides of the lineup, but the truth is that hockey is a very one-sided sport.

“I’m not going to say it’s something you can’t do, but it’s more difficult than most people think,” Granato said following a workout at The Iceoplex, in North Hills, CA. “You get used to playing on certain sides with certain guys, and they get used to you being in one spot, and it takes some adjustment (to switch).”

In reality, very few NHLers are asked to bounce back and forth on the wings. Coaches realize the sacrifice required, and usually resort to such maneuvers only when teammates are lost to injury or, occasionally, when a high-profile player is obtained.

“Not every player, even at this level, is capable of playing effectively on both sides, but Tony has proven himself able to do so,” says Kings head coach Barry Melrose.

Granato’s secrets to success are more mental than anything else, and he actually builds flexibility into his attitude.

“I try not to get too comfortable doing any one thing, because then it makes it harder to adjust when you need to,” he says. “In practice, I work out whenever possible on both sides, and with as many of my teammates as possible.”

Learn to get “off”

Although the course of a hockey game requires players to cover the entire ice countless times, Granato recommends becoming as proficient as possible with your “off” hand, regardless of your position.

“It can really help you in a lot of situations if you can get comfortable going either way (right- or left-handed),” says the 30-year-old Illinois native.

Granato maintains that it is not just he who needs to be able to demonstrate flexibility. Teammates accustomed to seeing a certain teammate on the left must make the mental adjustment when that player comes down the ice on the right instead.

“You have to be aware every time out there, or it results in turnovers and missed chances,” Granato says. “When you play with certain guys long enough, it works pretty well.”

Granato has been one of those fortunate ones to spend some time on Wayne Gretzky’s line during his five-plus seasons in L.A., but the player he has skated with most often in his career is no longer a teammate.

Tomas Sandstrom played with Granato in both New York and Los Angeles, before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

“That kind of thing is never easy, but it’s part of the business. You can’t afford to get too caught up in it,” says former-linemate Granato.

Which brings up another aspect of versatility; not just varying sides, but varying teammates as well. And even teams.

“That just means you have to keep things basic and fundamental,” Granato says. “Hockey is still hockey, regardless of where you’re playing or who you’re playing with. It’s better to be in a familiar situation, and I’ve been lucky to find that here in L.A., but it’s not required.”

It doesn’t seem to be for Granato, anyway.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Before he was an NHLer: Radek Bonk

By Kevin Iole

Bonk “a la” Las Vegas Thunder. ©BBS

Visitors to the Las Vegas Thunder’s practice sessions who want to talk to teenage center Radek Bonk are often forced to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The 6’4”, 215-pound native of the Czech Republic, who was taken by the Ottawa Senators as the third overall pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, is nearly always the final Thunder player to leave the ice.

There’s no one thing he works on for all that extra time, either. He’ll work on his skating one day, his shooting the next and his stick-handling a third.

It probably should be noted, though, that to Bonk this is not work at all. He is clearly a man who loves his job and looks forward to going to the rink every day.

“He loves the game,” says Thunder coach and general manager Bob Strumm, the man who engineered the deal to bring Bonk to Las Vegas as a 17-year-old in 1993.

Bonk surprised just about everyone but himself and his family with the way he performed for the Thunder last season. As the youngest player in the International Hockey League, and the first underage player to play professionally in North America since Mark Messier (in 1978), Bonk began last season as somewhat of a mystery.

But Bonk proved early on that he would be able to handle the pro-level competition despite his tender age. Just a month into the season, he racked up four goals and an assist in a game against Peoria, and scored the winning goal with less than a second remaining on the clock.

That game against the Rivermen stamped Bonk as the top prospect available in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, and he was rated No. 1 by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau for nearly the entire season.

He exceeded all expectations

“You read the reports on him and you knew he was a talented kid,” says Butch Goring, Bonk’s coach with the Thunder last season and now the head coach/general manager of the IHL’s Denver Grizzlies. “But who knew how he’d be able to stand up to the competition, and all the other things that make it so difficult in professional hockey?”

To be certain, Goring confided to those close to him that he would have been satisfied if Bonk had been able to get 10 or 15 goals.

Instead, Bonk had a mere 42 goals and 45 assists in 76 games, centered what was arguably the IHL’s top line and was an easy choice as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

The Thunder rolled to the IHL’s best regular season record, and Bonk was no small part of the team’s success.

“There were games he’d just dominate,” says Strumm. “He’d just decide it was time to put the piano on his back and (we’d) let him carry it.”

Bonk had hoped to carry the piano for the Ottawa Senators this season. The whole reason he came to play in North America in the first place, he says, was to better prepare himself to play in the NHL.

He also desperately wanted to be the first overall pick. But when the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks both opted for highly-touted defensemen (Ed Jovanovski and Oleg Tverdovsky, respectively), Bonk fell into Ottawa’s lap.

And to say that Senators GM Randy Sexton was thrilled would be an understatement.

“We feel we got the best player in the draft,” says Sexton. “Never did we think we’d have a shot at him.”

Ottawa fine with Bonk

Many in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas— “The people here love this kid,” says Strumm—never believed Bonk would don a Senators uniform. Bonk, though, insists he would be happy to play in Ottawa.

“He wasn’t trying to pull (an Eric) Lindros,” and force a trade, Strumm says.

But negotiations between the Senators and Bonk’s representative, Michael Barnett, bogged down and Bonk somewhat unexpectedly found himself back in Las Vegas.

“I love Las Vegas, and it’s my home now,” says Bonk, who remains immensely popular in Las Vegas and still attracts long lines of autograph seekers whenever he appears at a card show or a store opening. But he plans to move on.

“I want to play in the NHL,” he says. “It’s the best league in the world and it’s been a goal (of mine) for a long, long time. But the Thunder has been very good to me and I have a lot of friends in Las Vegas. I’ll be happy to play in Las Vegas and try to help the Thunder win a Turner Cup.”

Bonk’s first goal against NHL competition thus came in a Las Vegas uniform—on a 55-foot slap shot that beat Chicago Blackhawks goalie Eddie Belfour in a September 1994 exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas—and put Bonk in the uncomfortable position of playing minor league hockey when he, and most scouts, felt he was ready for the NHL.

No contract, but no trade

Prior to the NHL lockout, Bonk turned down a three-year contract from the Senators that would have netted him a little more than $1 million a season.

There were reports early in the season that it was Bonk’s father, Jaroslav, who forced him to say no to the Senators, opting to gamble that another big season in the IHL would mean an even bigger bonanza at the NHL level.

And while all involved vehemently deny that to be the case, Sexton once alluded to it during an interview with an Ottawa radio station.

For the record, Bonk says he was convinced he wasn’t being treated fairly, and refused to sign for what he felt was less than he was worth.

“I’ll play in Ottawa and I never said I wouldn’t,” says Bonk. “But I also have to get a fair contract. When they give me a fair contract, then I’ll sign.”

It appeared early in the year Bonk had made a poor gamble, since he got off to a slow start with the Thunder. For his part, Strumm is convinced the pressures of turning down untold millions has taken its toll on the youngster.

“It has to,” Strumm says. “There was so much going on there, and he’s just a young kid. It’s had to have had an impact.”

Barnett isn’t discouraged by Bonk’s slow start, and says it hasn’t decreased his value on the open market either. He says Bonk’s unique combination of size and skills continue to make him an attractive commodity to NHL scouts, and Barnett believes Bonk will emerge unscathed from his contract wars.

“I think you’d realize what people think of Radek if you saw the type of players they were willing to trade (to Ottawa) to get him,” says Barnett. “That would show you that there is plenty of respect for him around the (NHL).”

Sexton says the Senators aren’t of a mind to trade Bonk, anyway. In fact, Bonk may become a Senator not long after the NHL lockout ends.

“We want to win a championship and to do that, you need championship-type players, which this kid is,” Sexton says. “It wouldn’t make sense for us to (trade him).”

Senators would jump at talks

NHL teams are prohibited from negotiating new contracts during the lockout, but Sexton admitted he would look into reopening negotiations with Bonk at the conclusion of the lockout. He says if Bonk was interested in talking again, the Senators would jump at the chance. And Ottawa owner Rod Bryden was reportedly in Las Vegas recently, and took his potential star out for breakfast and a heart-to-heart discussion.

The thought of playing in the NHL clearly motivates Bonk, who played his two best games of the season in the Thunder’s exhibition games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.

Then, when Philadelphia Flyers captain Kevin Dineen signed with the visiting Houston Aeros, Bonk perked up noticeably. He was given the assignment of checking Dineen that night, and took to the job with glee.

He locked Dineen up, and barely gave the NHL veteran a sniff at the net—providing a hint of what Radek Bonk can do when he’s motivated.

“He loves a challenge, and he’s the type of guy who will rise to meet the occasion,” Strumm says. “When you put a big challenge in front of him, he’s going to be right there to prove himself.”

That’s part of the reason Bonk is wearing an “A” on his jersey this season. Strumm says he felt Bonk, as a would-be superstar, would become looked upon to handle a leadership role in the future. Thus, he gave him the “A” with the Thunder in order for Bonk to get a taste of what being a captain is all about.

Bonk has struggled this season, though, and there has been public speculation that the weight of the alternate captaincy, as well as the pressures of the contract negotiations, have negatively affected him.

Bonk, however, dismisses such talk. He is determined to get back to where he was last season, when it seemed everything he touched turned to gold. His recipe to turn it around won’t come as a surprise to those who know him, either. It’s work, work and then work a little more.

“We have some good games, but we haven’t played the way we can consistently,” Bonk says. “We just have to make sure we work hard enough every night. If we do that, and I do that, we’ll be all right.”

Kevin Iole covers hockey for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

At forward with Mark Messier

By Bob Cunningham

©BBS

Being an NHL superstar as long as he has, Mark Messier would certainly have the right to harp on personal achievements when asked about the secrets of his success.

But Messier, who has been a member of six Stanley Cup championship teams during his career, most recently with the 1994 New York Rangers, does not. Instead, he focuses on the importance of working well with teammates at both ends of the ice, making whatever sacrifices are necessary for the good of the team, and achieving the only goal that matters: winning.

“The formula for winning is really pretty simple, but most teams don’t get it,” Messier said near the end of last year’s regular season.

“It” is in many ways one of those oft-cited intangibles, which makes it unusual fodder for this column. But Messier had a game plan in mind prior to last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and through actions rather than words he imparted that plan to each and every other member of the Rangers. So what exactly was it that let Messier silently express such a powerful message of unity to his teammates?

“Five Cups,” replied all-star defenseman Brian Leetch.

Considering others

Leetch was a key figure in Messier’s scheme. Regarded as one of the NHL’s finest defensemen at both ends of the ice, Leetch’s individual success would go a long way toward determining the fate of the Rangers, and Messier knew it.

So in this case, Messier—at forward—considered the success of his team’s key defenseman in forming his own approach to the game.

“I’m one that tries to help my teammates through my own hard work,” said Messier. “If I’m focused on doing my job, whether that be scoring goals or setting up the attack, I’m taking pressure off everyone else. That’s the way I’ve always viewed it.

“Brian Leetch is a tremendous competitor, and probably the most important guy on our team,” he added. “I really believe that. He was our defensive leader, so I’ve taken upon myself to go out of my way to complement his game.”

And Leetch has taken Messier’s example to heart, as well. “He’s a star,” said Messier, “because he has the same attitude (as I have) toward the forwards on our team.”

Don’t play for the moment

Messier explains that everything he tries to accomplish on the ice has an ulterior motive. Perhaps one of the main reasons for his long-term success, both on individual and team levels, is bred from his ability to see into the future—to anticipate.

“I try to anticipate what’s going to happen, help see what my teammates might need in certain situations,” he says. “But I think all good hockey players do that. You can’t just play for the moment.”

While anticipation is usually a sign of sound instincts, Messier doesn’t think it’s a case of the “have’s” and the “have-nots.” He insists that a player can literally “teach himself” to predict the future.

“You make it a practice (if you’re a young player) to observe the result of certain situations, so that you can recognize it when the time comes again,” he says. “That can be certain plays a team makes, or trends by a specific player, or whatever.”

Getting to kiss the Cup isn’t quite so simple, however. Messier chuckles at the thought of giving tips on how to win championships.

“It’s not that (winning Stanley Cups) just happen, because I’ve worked very hard for the success I’ve had,” he says. “But I’ve been fortunate, playing with guys like Brian and Mike Richter and, oh yeah—Wayne Gretzky has had something to do with it, too.”

“It’s a team game”

Dedication to a common goal is everyone’s job, Messier says, but forwards—specifically, centers—tend to be viewed for their individual contributions to a game, much like a quarterback in football.

“A lot of people, including a few guys I know in the NHL right now, believe that if you’re the center it should fall on your shoulders,” Messier explains. “But obviously, it’s a team game. The best advice I can give, I think, is for a player to always remember that, regardless of what level he plays on.”

Messier points to several NHL forwards—he wouldn’t name names—that simply refuse to do anything that goes beyond the classic job description for their position.

“There are certain times over the course of a season, or of a game, where you’re called upon to do things you’re not accustomed to, or expected to do,” Messier says. “Every time I throw a check, my coach cringes because he wants me to stay away from the rough stuff. But if I have to risk getting hit in order to protect the puck or to create a turnover that gives us a scoring opportunity, that’s what I’m going to do.

“The day I stop thinking that way is the day I hang up my skates.”

Bob Cunningham is a Southern California-based freelance writer who contributes to several sports publications throughout the U.S. and Canada.

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Brendan Shanahan: One of the NHL’s power elite

By Stan Fischler
Oct 22, 2001, 17:14

That may explain why he was the New Jersey Devils first draft pick, second overall (behind Pierre Turgeon), in 1987. Not that Brendan was an instant star. The maturing process was slow, and often painful, at the Meadow-lands. And there were times when it appeared that the tall, witty left winger would never fulfill his early press notices.There are few players in all pro hockey who combine Brendan Shanahan’s joie-de-vivre, dedication to his team, goal-scoring ability and zest for physical combat. In plain English, Shanahan is a winner.

In time, though, Shanahan emerged as a dependable power forward in New Jersey and appeared destined for a long and successful run at Brendan Byrne Arena. But a contract dispute in 1991 changed all that. Shanahan was signed by the St. Louis Blues, and in a controversial free-agent compensation ruling, the Devils were awarded crack defenseman Scott Stevens in return. At first Blues followers were dismayed at the loss of the popular Stevens, but Shanahan soon began to flower as a leader of the St. Louis attack. In 1992-93, Brendan reached a new level of offensive prowess, scoring 51 goals and adding 43 assists in 71 games. Last season he improved on those career-high numbers even more, posting 52 goals and 102 points.

In the eyes of many observers, Shanahan—now the heart and soul of the St. Louis Blues—has matured into the ideal power forward, blending skill with toughness and savvy. The following interview with Shanahan is an edited excerpt from contributing editor Stan Fischler’s book, Bad Boys II.

Tell us about your upbringing.

I’ve got three older brothers who are quite a bit older and bigger than me; six years older, eight years older and eleven years older. They were my playmates—or at least I tried to keep up with them, and run with them or play road hockey or street hockey with them, or whatever we were doing around the house—whether it was having boxing matches or playing handball upstairs in the hallway. Those were the guys that I learned from. I spent much of my youth watching them play sports, and they were always guys that I looked up to. They were never the stars of their teams, but they were hard workers. They played a lot tougher than I’ve ever played any sport. They were real team guys. I’ve never been quite as good as them in those areas, yet I’ve always tried to copy them.

If your brothers were the tough ones, how did you end up being one of the NHL’s elite power forwards?

When I played with my brothers I was too small and just got in the way, so they told me to go stand in front of the net and create a screen. I remember once being pretty young, and my brothers wanted to use a puck instead of a tennis ball in street hockey. We had a bit of ice and snow packed on the driveway and I was standing in front of the net when one of them took a shot and hit me in the face. I started screaming and crying. I was probably about seven or eight at the time. Right away they were putting their mittens in front of my mouth and muffling the noise. I was screaming, and they didn’t want my mom to hear because if she heard, she would have freaked out on them using a puck.

Anyway, they said “Brendan, you scored! What a deflection! What a deflection! You scored a goal!” All of a sudden I stopped crying and I started smiling, and it was like, “Really? Really?” Just like a little kid when he’s not really that hurt, but he’s more shocked.

Also, when I was younger, if I’d get hurt I’d lay down, because I knew the coaches would come out and pick me up and everyone would clap when I’d get up. They used to give me (grief) about that.

Interestingly, when I was with the Devils, I specifically remember getting hit in the face when I broke my jaw and my cheekbone (in 1991). The first thing that came into my head for a split second was my brothers watching the game, saying “Get up!” So I jumped to my feet and skated off the ice and walked around the corner of Byrne Arena’s hallway. Then I pretty much passed out.

Were you always characterized as a tough player?

I was first considered as a player who played to win and whose intention the ice was to score or just play the game, doing whatever it took to win, whether it was breaking up a play defensively or whatever. I never had the luxury of being a real star in hockey, but rather one of the better players on the team. When I got to the Junior level where you could take the cages off and fighting was allowed, I got to use that a bit more. I was always considered a guy who, if you did something dirty to me, then I’d fight you. Or if you did something to my teammates, I’d fight you.

Seldom did I go out and play a dirty style. I don’t run around trying to kill guys. I definitely have a code that I stand up to on the ice.

Speaking of fights, what were some of your most memorable battles?

In Junior, Rob Murray and I got two-minute minors, and when we came out of the penalty box we squared off and had a great fight. It was toe-to-toe. We ran into each other about three years later in the NHL and the same thing happened. We got penalties, came out of the box and said, “Let’s go again.” It was funny because I had grown more than he had over those three years. I was only 185 pounds when we fought the first time; the second time I was about 215. I handled that one a bit better than the first one. In pro, most of my fighting was in the first few years.

I had a memorable fight with Willi Plett—a guy I had feared when I was growing up. I had a good fight with Rick Tocchet. He was another guy I had watched growing up, and emulated. The feeling when you’re and 18-year-old squaring off is really something. There’s a second or two seconds where you’re excited and scared and happy all at the same time that you’re going to be fighting these guys.

Is it a thrill for you to be mentioned in the same breath as Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet, now that you’ve reached that elite level?

It really is. I have a lot of respect for all of these guys who force me to compete every night. I might not like them on the ice, but I respect them because sometimes they make me step up my level of play and my level of intensity. When it’s all over and done with, I’ll probably look back and appreciate those players that I hated a lot more than the players who were nameless and faceless.

What are your views on fighting in hockey?

To get in a fight there has to be mutual consent, otherwise you’re going to get kicked out of the game. There have been guys who have wanted to fight me but I didn’t feel that it would be valuable to fight them. I just laugh at them—unless someone wants to come up, drop the gloves and start swinging at me and take the game misconduct. There have been times when I’ve wanted to fight guys, and I’ve dropped my gloves and I’ve asked guys to go and squared off with them, and they’ve kind of turned and laughed at me.

If two guys want to fight, maybe we should let them fight.

For most of your time in St. Louis your linemates were Nelson Emerson and Craig Janney, guys who really aren’t known for their physical style of play. In a situation like that, do you have the dual responsibilities of not only being a goal scorer but also protecting your linemates?

It’s true. There’s a fine line with these new rules about instigating. I mean if I play against Rick Tocchet, he’s so disciplined and tough enough to take a good hit himself. But if I finish off one of the smaller guys on his line Rick will feel a greater responsibility to step in and do something. I can take a lot more punishment and cheap shots for the team then I’m normally willing to accept if someone wants to get Craig or Nelson. I have to pick the right time. It might not be that particular game. It might be the next game.

Hockey is a physical game, and still a game of intimidation. Whether you’re going to get the intimidator within the rules or get him behind the play, you have to do something. Fighting is still a factor where you can still try and intimidate some guys. You can still use it to draw certain players off the ice. If Kevin Stevens wants to fight, fight him. He scores 50 or 60 goals a year. Get him into the penalty box for five to seven minutes. It’s great.

Commissioner Gary Bettman’s main concern about fighting seems to be the so-called “goon tactics,” where a coach sends out a Link Gaetz or a Gino Odjick just to pick a fight with somebody and try to change a team’s momentum. What about that kind of thing?

If a Gino Odjick or a Link Gaetz comes out and grabs one of your star players, there’s not much you can do. Some people say you can just skate away or put your head down, but you might take a few Barney Rubble lumps on the head if you do something like that, so you have to protect yourself as well. It’s a fine line.

At the same time it’s a tough decision for the Commissioner to make. I’ll let him make it. l

Portions contributed by Randy Hu.

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

On Defense with Stu Grimson

ON DEFENSE
with Stu Grimson

When you watched Stu Grimson play hockey, you don’t usually reflect on “The Grim Reaper’s” mental approach to the game. But the 6-foot-5 former Chicago Blackhawk insists that pre-game preparation and on-ice concentration are the key ingredients to success for a defenseman at any level of the game.
“Preparation is a huge part of my game,” says Grimson, who early in his career earned the aforementioned nickname because of his physically intimidating style of play. “It’s very important to know what the opposing teams like to do and what their style is. You have to know your opponent so you’re not taken back by anything they do on the ice during a game.”
Grimson acknowledges the obvious: that he gets into his share of scuffles. But Grimson is quick to point out that he does not take to the ice looking to pick a fight.

Part of the game
“Those confrontations have evolved and are just part of the game,” Grimson says. “My first priority is always to go out and play solid defense and do whatever I can to help the team win. That’s all part of preparation, getting yourself with the right attitude, the right frame of mind.
“If your success comes through a physical style of play, well, some guys take exception to that.”
Another aspect of Grimson’s game is the ability to do more than just bang people. He has worked hard to improve his puck-handling as well as maintaining proper positioning in his own zone. No matter what you’re specific style is, he notes, you must be able to accomplish these two fundamentals of the game.
“No one wants to be one-dimensional,” he adds. According to Grimson, the most common mistake he sees NHL rookies or other inexperienced players commit is, again, regarding the mental aspect. He sees defenders giving recognized scorers too much respect.
“I see a lot of inexperienced players that play in awe of some guys,” Grimson explained. “A certain amount of respect for their capabilities is okay, but during the game you have to put that aside. Otherwise, it takes away from your aggressiveness.

Play with a purpose
“You always have to play with a purpose, regardless of who you’re facing.” An example of Grimson’s approach was evident during The Mighty Ducks’ 2-1 overtime loss to San Jose on Halloween Night in 1994. Whenever the Sharks moved into the Ducks’ zone with momentum, Grimson led a quick assault (sometimes outside the blue line) to knock the San Jose forwards off the puck before they could set up. While that aggressive approach isn’t uncommon, especially for Anaheim, it was especially important against a team with only one recognized offensive gunner — Pat Falloon.
“We felt it was important to keep him screened away from the puck by trying to take them out of their rhythm before they could ever get set,” Mighty Ducks head coach Ron Wilson said after the game. “We did that pretty well… When you give up only two goals in about, what, 64 minutes? You should have success.
And most of the time, you will. Especially when your defensive game plan begins originating well before the first faceoff.

Bob Cunningham a freelance writer based in Southern California writes for various hockey publications.

It’s Where You Want To Be!

Off the ice they are pretty much the same guy—quiet, family oriented and friendly. On the ice they may seem different as night and day—one is aggressive and charges up the ice while the other prefers to stay home and keep an eye on the net—but in reality, they are still the same guy. They are the guy that clears the front of the net and keeps opponents from getting on the scoreboard.

Keith Carney and Scott Niedermayer are two of the top defenseman playing in the National Hockey League today. With his three Stanley Cup rings and his All-Star game appearances, Niedermayer is on everyone’s radar. Meanwhile, Carney slips under it and is one of the NHL’s most underrated players. Whether or not fans are aware of his defensive prowess, few forwards in the league will doubt Carney’s ability to keep them from putting the biscuit in the basket.

“Keith’s success comes from his mobility and his excellent hockey sense,” says GM Brian Burke. “He plays a simple game and stays home.” Over his 13 year NHL career Carney has never had more than 5 goals in a season (2001-2, Anaheim) nor greater than 24 points (1999-2000, Phoenix) but his worth is not for his ability to score, but rather his ability to prevent the opposition from doing so.

Carney(3) and Neidermayer (27) on defense against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Carney does the things that never make it to the stat sheet but can help turn the tide of a game. He may be holding the puck in the offensive zone one minute and seconds later be skating back and breaking up a 2-on-1 attack.

“Carney has so much poise and confidence,” says Mighty Ducks radio play-by-play man Steve Carroll. “The Ducks don’t make too many mistakes with him on the ice. Carney can definitely get you out of trouble.”

Then you have Niedermayer. He has been tagged as being an offensive defenseman—which he is. But many are so focused on his offensive skills that they forget that he is the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

“Scott came up in the New Jersey system,” says Burke. “So that means that he plays exceptional defense. He seldom gets beat 1-on-1 and he takes away the passing lane from opponents.”

Niedermayer is a proven winner. He is the only player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, World Championship, World Cup, World Junior Championship and Memorial Cup.

Part of what makes Scott so exciting to watch is not the fact that he scores goals. It is that he scores timely goals. Niedermayer has more overtime goals than any defenseman in NHL history with 8—and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Anaheim Head Coach Randy Carlyle knows a thing or two about patrolling the blueline. He won the Norris Trophy is 1981 as the league’s top defenseman. “The thing about these two,” he said. “Is that they both do things right. They keep things simple and they take care of their end.” Any team in the NHL would be happy to have just one of them, but the Ducks have them both in their flock and that’s just fine with Anaheim fans!

So how did these two get to be so great? Both learned the right way when they were young and both apply those same principles they learned as kids to the game they play today.

“The main thing is to have fun,” Carney said after a morning practice at the Pond. “You need to enjoy every chance you have to get out on the ice. You have to stay patient and play your position. Most goals are scored from in front of the net so you have to watch that area and keep it clear.”

“Communication is something that really goes a long way,” Carney continued. “It is simple and it helps not only yourself but your teammates. If you want to stay in front of the net and you want your defensive partner to go to the corner you need to let him know that. Simple communication goes a long way.”

Neidermayer prepares for a faceoff.

Niedermayer is on the same page with his teammate but had a few other things to add. “Skating is obviously an important part of hockey, even for defenseman. And, I know that it sounds simple, but positioning. If you stay between your net and the puck, then you will be in a good spot to make it harder on the opponent to score a goal. If you let them get behind you then obviously they have a free chance at the net.”

“When you have five of your players and five of their players all skating around in the offensive zone it can get a little crazy. If you communicate then there are no questions. You know what your partner is doing and then you can go from there and make a decision on what you are going to do.”

After all their years of experience and the early morning practices, it all really comes down to the same lessons their pee-wee coaches taught them—positioning and communication.

To some observers these two may look like the Felix and Oscar of defense, but be assured that this odd couple can co-exist and one can compliment the other—making for a great team defense.

Jason Reed is a freelance writer based in Long Beach, CA. A native Southern Californian, he started getting into hockey by watching Los Angeles Kings hockey games back in the purple-and-gold days. He has worked for the Western Hockey network since 2003 serving in various capacities and has been a co-host on the Power Play and Hockey Talk radio shows on CRN Digital Talk. He writes a regular column for www.hockeytalk.biz and his work has been seen across Europe in Face Off, where he has been a regular contributor and across the U.S. in newspapers such as Cincinnati Enquirer, Fresno Bee, Anchorage Daily News, Long Beach Press Telegram and OC Register. He is a regular contributor to OC Metro magazine Jason lives with his 8-year-old daughter Cameron and their dog Lucy.

The pro schedule

After spending the past four seasons as the goaltending coach for the Buffalo Sabres organization, I thought I’d share some things that seem to separate the pros from the rest. Here’s what makes them so special.

While being an NHLer appears to be very glamorous (and at times it is), it is an enormous commitment, and a very demanding life. If you are like Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur or Trevor Kidd, among others, you play almost every game—and with just two goalies on most squads, you can’t miss practice.

A demanding schedule

The schedule is unbelievable. The players simply do not stop for eight months. There are no days off, no weekends, and certainly no vacations. The players are either traveling, or on the ice every day. On game days, they skate twice! Those who cannot handle it run out of gas, either physically or mentally.

Heck, the schedule is tough for me—and I do not have to face the rigors of actually playing!

Here’s a typical week:

On Tuesday, players begin arriving at 9 AM for treatment from the trainers (most everyone has some injury that needs attention). From 10:30-Noon there’s practice. At 3 PM, a flight to, say, Hartford (normally a charter). And of course there’s a midnight curfew.

On Wednesday, players begin arriving at the rink at 10 AM to prepare, watch (opposition) Hartford practice and receive treatments. At 11:30, we practice. At 1 PM, the team meal. From 4:30 on, the locker room is open for medical treatment, rubdowns, and equipment (sticks, etc.) preparation.

Puck drop is at 7:30, then a midnight flight back to Buffalo that gets in around 1:15.

Thursday starts with an 11 AM practice. Most players begin arriving at 9:30, however, for medical treatments, physical therapy, etc. Often, players make personal appearances in the early afternoon or evening—from hospitals to card signing, they are very active in the community.

Friday, players begin arriving at the rink early for treatments. Practice runs from 10:30-Noon. At 3 PM, the charter flight departs for Montreal, where the midnight curfew is in effect.

On Saturday, players begin arriving at the Montreal Forum around 10 AM. At 11:30, practice starts. The team meal is at 1:15. At 5 PM, the locker room opens, and at 8 o’clock it’s gametime versus the Canadiens.

Bed down after the game? Not quite.

The midnight flight to Buffalo arrives at 1:30 in the morning, and then the following day a morning media conference is required. Media interviews, often quite a distraction for the players, are also required before games. Is Sunday a day of rest? Well, no. But the 10:30 AM practice is optional. Those needing treatment take it as required. Those who were not in the line-up or who played very little the prior night hit the ice. Options are over at 11:45, when the team meeting is held. At 4 PM the locker room opens in preparation for a 7 o’clock home game against Boston.

Monday and Tuesday, it’s more of the same: 11 AM practice, medical treatments, strength training and rehabilitation that’s done before and after practice. Those who were not in the line-up or who played very little stay on the ice for “extra work,” and do extra off ice—in the weight room, etc.—too.

Wednesday, practice is early, 10 AM. The team meeting is at 11:45, and the game starts at 7:30.

And so it goes.

Between traveling to and from arenas, airports and their homes—along with taking the time to eat very nutritious, excellent meals (fuel in is fuel out!)—along with doing personal appearances, meeting with the media, working out with the strength coach, etc., there is very little time left for much of anything else.

Yet a home life has to fit in somewhere! Most players also have a wife and children.

Other demands

A tolerance for pain is also a player’s prerequisite.

NHL goalies are tough. They have bruises everywhere, even with the best of equipment. They play hurt and with pain. They have to, if they want to keep their job. And yes, it is a job. If you can’t play, someone else will. While they are team oriented, players are always concerned about keeping their job—and about how they might do on their next contract.

Mental toughness is also required. It’s not easy “getting up” for every practice and all 84 games. The best goalies in the NHL do. They are able to keep that demanding schedule and “come to play” almost every night. And when things don’t go right, they are able to bounce back immediately. They have great confidence levels. They believe in themselves and back it up with their performance.

Naturally, a strong work ethic is vital to success.

There is no “floating.” Too many others want your job. While some do float, they often don’t excel over the long run. They come and they go. The best players are on the ice early, and stay on late.

In Buffalo, I can always count on Dominik Hasek to display those work habits. In the past, I have been most impressed with Bill Ranford’s work ethic, seeing him practice as many as four times on off days. Even on game days, he’s the last off the ice!

True big-leaguers take responsibility. It’s easy to blame the defense, or the centerman, etc., when a goal is scored, but the best NHLers take full responsibility for each goal. It’s their job, regardless of any mistakes in front of them, to stop the puck. They have fire—a great desire to make the difference and never be content to give up goals that should go in. They want to be amazing. The best don’t dwell on goals. They don’t let the goals upset them, but rather use them to get fired up and not give up another. They respond to coaching, and never have an excuse.

The amazing thing?

These NHL players may be the best at what they do now—thoroughbreds, with exceptional physical and mental skills and great athleticism. But don’t be scared! They started just like every other youngster, playing house league, travel team, getting up at 5 AM on a Saturday morning.

They started out like you.

The difference? They took advantage of their opportunities, improved their game by mastering all of the above.

Work hard, everyone, and you can too!!

Mitch Korn is the goaltender coach for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. In addition, he is an administrator at Miami University (Ohio) and directs the 8-week Summer Hockey School. Miami has Division I ice hockey in the CCHA.

Executing a Slap Shot: 50 More Hockey Tips

This video, formerly one of the 101 Hockey Tips, is now on 50 More Hockey Tips Featuring Pat Verbeek. Mark Ostebo shows off how to execute a slap shot for the beginning hockey player.

50 Hockey Tips Teaser

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