Forms of Dicipline anyone??

Views: 3628 | Replies: 1

Offensive Tactics with Chris Campanale

Recently my team was having some trouble consistently creating offense. We have a lot of talented players but they were getting lazy and falling back on old bad habits. Sometimes a coach needs to bring in a new voice to speak to the team about some of the concepts he is trying to teach. Chris Campanale is a local professional player who lives in our area and works out at the facility in our rink. I asked Chris if he would be interested in coming out to practice once a week and working with my team on offensive tactics. Chris was very willing to step up and help the younger players develop their offensive skills.

Chris worked with our players once a week for the past three weeks. In the four games before I invited Chris out to skate with us we scored nine goals and went 2-1-1. In the four games since Chris started working with the players we scored 25 goals and went 3-0-1. Now, that is a major turn around and multiple factors played a roll, but Chris’ fundamental tactics were instrumental in the surge in scoring.

Some of the key points.

• Shoot  the puck from good areas of the ice
• Shoot from inside the dots (especially the D)
• Play in the dirty area in front of the net
• Talk, Talk, Talk on the ice

Here are some of the drills Chris ran with the team to work on these fundamentals.

1 on 1 Four Times

3 on 2 Down Low

4 Shot Net Front Battle

Dump In 2 on 1

Three Quarter Ice 3 on 2

In addition to the above drills that Chris worked on here are two others from Coach Cronin former Northeastern University head coach and current assistant in Toronto, that develop similar skills.

Creating Offense

Three Rush Concepts

Also don’t forget about teaching cycling concepts in the offensive zone. Here is something I put together last season for the progression of cycling drills.

Cycle Progression Drills

Teaching offense is always a difficult task for a coach. So many factors play a role in a successful offensive attack, but if you work on fundamental skills and tactics the players can begin to incorporate those ideas into their general knowledge and start making better and smarter plays in the offensive zone. The offensive game isn’t black and white, it’s mostly gray and centered around the fundamental idea of read and react. Try working on drills that teach specific parts of offensive zone play and I think you will begin to see an improvement in your teams ability to create offense.

Unfortunately for us Chris leaves this weekend to start training camp with the Bloomington Thunder and won’t be around to continue helping us out. We all wish him the greatest success and look forward to working with him again in the future.

.

Get More Power on Your Backhand

As part 2 of the backhand challenge (be sure to sign up to our newsletter to join our next challenge!) I wanted to teach you how to get more power on your backhand shots. In this post I have a new video for taking backhands from further away, as well as a number of videos from the pro’s unleashing awesome backhands. There are three steps to having a great backhand shot in hockey, I will explain them all in the article and video.

3 Steps to a Great Backhand

Puck Location – You want to release the puck when it is roughly lined up with your front foot. Using this location as your release point allows you to get your body weight behind the shot, add more power through weight transfer, and build more speed on the puck with the set-up and execution of the shot.

Blade angle – The blade angle when you release the puck is important. I think most people who can not lift their backhand probably do not open their blade enough. If you watch the pro examples below closely you will notice they all open the blade of their stick and then unleash all their power into the shot

Explode – This last tip comes from weight transfer and timing, but also includes the movement of your hands and arms. I notice that most guys with good backhands prep the puck, and then unleash everything they’ve got on it. It doesn’t seem like too many guys do a long sweeping backhand shot, it’s almost more like a backhand snapshot. Watch my example above and the pro examples below to see what I mean

Pro Examples of Great Backhands

Crosby pops the water bottle

Here is a game situation backhand from Crosby. Notice at the 33 second mark he has the puck cupped to control it’s location. He has the puck lined up with his front foot, and then in the next frame he opens the blade and lets it rip. Also notice after the shot his back leg is extended, which is a result of pushing with the back leg to get more power on his shot

Datsyuk Backhand
This is a good example of turning the feet first, and then letting the backhand go. Turning the feet also allows you to get more torque on the shot. With your feet turned more towards the net you can rotate your body more into the shot and get more power, watch the magician himself

Here is a near identical goal, notice how he cuts towards the net while he’s shooting. This helps get more energy moving towards the net for a harder shot.

Zetterberg Backhand
This is an amazing snipe by Zetterberg! Check the 22 second mark of this video to see his position. The puck is forward in his stance and he has the blade opened up. He is also leaning in towards the net, next he does a nice snap motion to put the puck in an almost impossible opening.

How can you improve your backhand?

Take the tips from this article and my video as well as the tips from my roofing the backhand video and article and start shooting!

• Make sure you have what you need to shoot at home. A shooting pad and net are all you need, see my favourite hockey products if you are interested in some good training aids
• Set a schedule to improve your shot. Make a goal to take 50+ shots a day and stick to it. As long as you know the proper form and work each day to improve your technique you will improve your shot very quickly
• You can use my iSnipe app for Apple or Android to help keep track of how many shots you take each day and learn how to take each shot, the app has 16 training videos.

Easton Mako Skate Review

Last year I caught wind of the Easton Mako and heard that it was going to break a lot of new ground when it came to hockey skates. Easton was working with a former speed skater-turned-hockey-skating-coach to design a new “faster” skate. In fact he started his own skate company and Easton bought it to utilize his designs and technology.  I thought the idea sounded interesting and was excited to see the new skate. That new skate is the Easton Mako and it has gotten a lot of attention lately. I requested a pair to review and Easton was kind enough to lend me a pair.

The Details – Easton Mako Specs

• Retail Price – $799 at Hockey Monkey ($499 for JR) (Note Easton has set a minimum price of $799 so for now it will be hard to find a better price)
• Weight – 800 grams for size 9
• Feel – Very comfortable without even baking them for my feet
• Baking – The unique thing about these skates is they are supposed to be baked for a long time making them very pliable, then they are formed to your feet. The entire skate molds to your foot rather than just some gel inside.
• More specs – For all the scientific specs about the skates check out the Hockey Monkey link above. Lets try them out!

Skating in the Easton Mako Skates

The first thing I noticed when I put the skates on was how comfortable they were. I didn’t try them on before I got them or have them baked to my feet. I just let Easton know my size and then got a pair of skates to try. I can’t even imagine how great they would feet if I actually had them baked and fitted properly. I go into more details on the fit and feel of the Easton Mako skates in the video below

Would I Recommend the Mako Skates

Yes, but not to everyone. I love the skates, they feel great, they are light and they give me that natural skating feeling that I love.

I would recommend the skates to anyone who is looking for a high quality skate that will last, knows what they want from a skate, and can afford the steep price tag.

I would not recommend the skates to anyone on a budget or newer hockey players who are not sure what style, fit, and skate features they like.

Easton Mako Skate Specs

I won’t copy and paste all the specs here (you can find them on the Hockey Monkey Mako Page) but I found this video that covers them nicely (who want’s to read all the stuff anyways!)

The Journey to the Mako Skates

I thought that the story of how the skates were created was pretty interesting. Dave Cruikshank was a former Olympic speed skater that was obsessed with tinkering with his skates, and when he retired he was hired by an NHL team to teach their players. The problem was a lot of the drills didn’t feel right in his skates, so he created his own hockey skates.

My Overall Thoughts

For the price you pay you expect great skates, and that’s what you get. The skates are everything you look for, they are light weight, comfortable, and provide the speed and agility a player needs.

The most noticeable features for me were

• The shape of the skates, they seem to follow the shape of a foot more than most skates do ( at least looking at them externally)
• The way they lace up – It seems like the eyelets are more on top of the skates, rather than to the side, which seems to allow a snugger fit
• They felt great when skating and were very comfortable
• I noticed the liner was sort of tacky / rubbery which helped keep my feet in place
• Apparently the heel is higher than normal skates, however I put on one pair of Mako’s and one pair of my other skates and did not really notice a difference there.

If you would like to get a pair check out the link at the top of the article, or if you are in the market for a cheaper skate you can always check out the bargain seection

How To Lift the Backhand – Backhand Challenge

We are on day 2 of the backhand challenge to shoot 1000 backhands in one week (if you want to know about future challenges be sure to sign up to our newsletter and Facebook page). After one day of shooting on your own I wanted to deliver some fresh tips for shelfing the puck when you are in close. In this post and video I explain the simple three step process to going top cheese!

Three Steps to Lifting the Backhand

This method is best used while in close to the net

1. Puck location
   • The puck should be positioned forward in your stance to help you get the proper blade angle to lift the puck. A good puck position is not critical, however it does make the shot easier. Good players will be able to lift the puck from various locations, however it’s easier if you start from an easier position and work your way up.
2. Wrist Movement
   • Starting with the wrists rolled and the puck cupped is important so that you can later quickly uncoil the wrists. This movement will add some momentum to your shot and help you easily lift the puck off the ice
3. Leverage of the Stick
   • The final stage of this shot uses the hands and stick to add power and lift. You will be pushing down with your top hand, and pulling up with your bottom hand (quickly) in order to lift the puck up off the ice. When all three stages are used together (and with a bit of practice) you should have no problem roofing backhands.

Two Tickets to Bardownsville – Video Tutorial

Thanks for watching. If you want more tips you can subscribe to our website below. We also have buttons below to share this page

Take the Backhand Challenge

I thought it would be fun to do a quick challenge to help motivate hockey players (YOU!) to improve their backhands. In my opinion the backhand shot is the most neglected in hockey, almost every player I work with wants help with their slapshot. If you ask me the two most important shots for forwards are the snapshot and the backhand.

How the Challenge Works

The challenge is running from Wednesday October 2nd to Wednesday October 9th (join our Newsletter and Facebook page to be notified of new challenges). In that span of time you are challenged to take 1000 backhand shots.

Do I NEED to take 1000 shots? – No, you don’t have to, you could shoot more or less, but I encourage hitting the 1000 mark. The point is that you TRY to reach 1000 (about 142 shots per day) If you have 25 pucks you will need to shoot all of them 6 times each day.

Are there prizes? – Yes, everyone who enters (whether you get to 1000 or not) will be entered to win a free shooting analysis, my stickhandling guide, or access to my Goalie Buster training videos. I will randomly choose winners and the winners can pick which prize they would like. And of course everyone who enters wins…..a better backhand shot!

How do I enter?

• First you can let some friends know that you are taking this challenge (challenge them to do it as well). Mention it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, real life, etc (use the share buttons below)
• Over the course of the week keep track of how many shots you are taking. This can be as simple as writing your total down each day, or the preferred method (of course ) is to use the iSnipe app For Apple IOS or Google Andriod
• At the end of the contest (Wednessday the 9th) send in proof of your total. With the iSnipe app you can click the i button to generate your log and then email it to me at [email protected]
• I will randomly pick winners after a few days from all of the emails I receive with proof that you participated.

Problems with the Backhand?

Is that goal regulation size or what!? Don’t worry, the backhand is a tough shot, but I am here to help.

I will be posting two videos on my Youtube Channel to help with your backhand, so stay tuned to our Facebook page and Youtube. One video will show a neat trick for popping the puck up quickly, this will make you dangerous when in close. The other trick is to get more power from a distance.

Thanks for reading and sharing, I hope to have a lot of players participate and work on their shots.

Notes not being included on Practice Plan

Views: 4221 | Replies: 1

Win A $2800 Full Backyard Hockey Rink Kit with Boards – Winner chosen Nov 10th 2013

Jim from NiceRink.com contacted me recently and asked if I would like to host a contest on my site for the readers of How To Hockey, with the prize being a full backyard rink kit valued at $2800! Well, I think you know what my answer was. I am very happy to announce that one of the readers of this site could be skating on a 32 x 60 backyard hockey arena this winter for free.

What does the rink include?

• Everything you need (except the water) for a 32 x 60 outdoor hockey rink
• A 40 width foot liner (premium quality, and ultra white)
• 42 Nicerink brackets (to keep your boards standing up with all that water in the rink)
• A 32 inch NiceIce Resurfacer (to get that ice nice and smooth)
• 42 NiceRink 18″ x 4′ plastic boards (much nicer looking than plywood)
• 21 BumperCaps (to hold the liner and provide fall protection)
• 21 KickPlates (to protect the liner and boards)
• 1 NiceRink Patch tape (to fix up any holes in the liner)
• 1 underwater NiceRink repair adhesive (for emergency repairs)
• 5 NiceRink hockey pucks (because you can never have too many pucks)
• 1 LightUp puck
• A very handy and helpful installation DVD

Learn about the entire Backyard Rink Kit in the Video

Enter into the contest

The more times you enter the better chance you have of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you thinking of Building a Backyard Rink?

Last year I published a very popular article on how to build a backyard rink, we also have an article with the top 10 questions when building a rink. If you are not very handy with building and you want a professional looking backyard rink that you can use every winter (with exception to replacing the liner every few years) then a NiceRink package will be perfect for you. If you are a “handy” type person, then NiceRink offers any component individually to help make your rink project easier. A NiceRink gold package includes everything you need to set up the perfect rink, all you need to do is set it up, and then fill it with water. The flatter your yard is the less water you will need.

How NiceRink can help you build a perfect Rink

NiceRink can help you create endless Frozen Memories for your family. You want a nice looking backyard rink that is easy to assemble. NiceRink helps take a lot of the work out of assembling a rink by providing you with the four key components; NiceRink FULLY INTEGRATED side support Brackets, Thermoformed Boards, NiceRink Liners and the NiceIce Resurfacer. Whether you start small with a 20′ x 40′ kit and expand as you go, or jump in with both skates on a 44′ x 88′ Gold Package, NiceRink offers the most unique “personalized” self-leveling rink system, that actually works virtually anywhere. The NiceRink choices are infinite, the possibilities are limitless, and our product reputation is second to none. Start your own story today, let NiceRink help you create Frozen Memories of your own this winter.

Visit/Contact Us at:
www.nicerink.com
www.facebook.com/nicerink
www.pinterest.com/nicerink

Horacek Underneath Drill

I picked this drill up watching former NHL player Tony Horacek running a practice with his team last week. I ran it with my team last night and really liked it. The drill takes a minute for everyone to understand their role but once it gets going it really has the players working to make good passes and understanding the underneath route to making headman passes. I’ve created a quick video to explain the drill just in case the document isn’t clear enough.

Make sure you have the player looping back into the zone make a good hockey stop and quick transition. I told my guys to act like there was a turnover in the neutral zone and they had to quickly get back to defensive positions. Hope you like this drill as much as I do.

Horacek Underneath Passing Drill

Cornell University Goalie Drills

These drills work on some of the fundamental puck handling skills a goaltender needs to be able to master. It is extremely important to have a goaltender that can handle the puck, especially at the older age groups.

These drills can be used while working with the defensemen so that both the goaltender and defensemen can work on these fundamental skills.

Goalie Pressure

Goalie Sets

Goalie Wraps

.