GearGeek is the world’s first online NHL equipment database.See what every active NHL player is using on the ice right now – sticks, gloves, pants, skates and helmets. You can sort by brands, teams, positions, stat leaders and more.GearGeek is free to …
Drill:1. Place O in each corner with a puck2. D starts in front of net and skates toward one of the O3. When he stops and transitions, the O drives the net and they play 1 on 1 until a score, puck freeze or D clears the puck4. D then picks another O an…
I’ve been asked a lot over the years what I look for in a player during evaluations. After watching my son during various AA & AAA Ice try-outs, I’ve been thinking more about this topic and wanted to share a bit of what I look for and some ot…
Skating is by far the most important hockey fundamental. Everything
stems from your ability to move on your feet. You should feel as
comfortable in your skates as you do in your tennis shoes. That means
learning how to use your edges to balance and help you move effectively
on the rink. What are your skating strengths? What can you do to improve
them? There are many things you can do off-rink to help create new
patterns of movement on the rink. Think in terms of strength/balance and
speed/movement.
Special Thanks to IHD Partner Peter Dale at Farm Tough Companies for allowing the use of this content.
Skating is by far the most important hockey fundamental. Everything
stems from your ability to move on your feet. You should feel as
comfortable in your skates as you do in your tennis shoes. That means
learning how to use your edges to balance and help you move effectively
on the rink. What are your skating strengths? What can you do to improve
them? There are many things you can do off-rink to help create new
patterns of movement on the rink. Think in terms of strength/balance and
speed/movement.
Special Thanks to IHD Partner Peter Dale at Farm Tough Companies for allowing the use of this content.
As a hockey player I felt compelled to write a list of the coolest stocking stuffers for hockey players. I have played hockey since I was 4 years old and there are some things I will never get tired of getting in my stockings. The great things about most of these items is they are affordable and take up some space! Lets get right to it
A Green Biscuit
I have been raving about this puck since the first time I used it, and I have only heard good things about it. The first time I used it I was amazed at how well it slid on rough surfaces, I currently own about 10 of these, I keep a few in my hockey bag, a few in my coaching bag, and a few around the house. I let the kids on my hockey team use them to work on their hands before games. If you don’t know what this is or how it works you can check out my Green Biscuit review.
This one is a no-brainer. Pucks usually sell for about $1 each, pick up a few and drop them in the stocking. If you don’t have very many pucks you could always get about 50 pucks and give it as a gift, the more pucks the better!
Where to buy: I wouldn’t recommend buying pucks online because of shipping costs, unless you are already buying something else from a hockey store, then just add some pucks as well. Most sports stores will sell them for about $1 each
Stickhandling Balls
These are also great to use almost anywhere when you want to work on your dangles, on a smooth surface I still prefer the Green Biscuit, but I still bust out these stickhandling balls from time to time. The wooden balls are VERY affordable and are nice and light, they are perfect for working on quick moves. The Smart Hockey balls are heavier a bit more expensive and are meant to feel just like a puck.
I never get tired of getting hockey tape in my stocking. This is something that every kid usually needs, whether it is clear sock tape or tape for the hockey blade. The best part of getting hockey tape in the stocking was using it to tape the new stick I got under the tree!
Where to buy: Pick it up at your local hockey store, lots of cool colors and patterns are available but I find black and white stick the best to the blade.
New Laces
Check out your hockey players skates and see if there are some nicks, rips, or tears in them. The worst feeling when you are pulling those laces tight is having them rip in half just before you should be stepping on the ice.
Where to buy: Pick them up at your local hockey store. There are some cool colours available so get your kids favourite colour or team colours if you see them. Wax laces stay tight but can be annoying to tie and un-tie so make sure you check what type of laces they are before you buy.
The Lit Biscuit
I thought this was kind of a dumb idea when I first saw it online, but when I got one to do a review of I realized it’s actually pretty cool. This puck has a light inside of it with windows on the top, bottom, and sides. It lights up great in the dark and is perfect for those of us who live in cold climates where it gets dark at 5:30pm. I can’t count how many pucks I lost trying to play hockey outside in the dark, this puck would be a lot of fun on those dark winter nights.
I bought one of these about 5 years ago and it has saved me and my friends so many times. I (or someone on my team) use this on a regular basis. It is similar to having a stone for your skates, but it work’s 10 times better, it practically sharpens your skates for you. All you do is run it down your blade about 3 times and it takes off all the burs and puts a bit of an edge on. If you do it more than 3 times your skates will feel too sharp and you will need to slide back and forth a few times take the bite off. Check out the reviews on Amazon, 3 reviews, all 5 stars! One suggestion is to tie it to the inside of your bag with a long string so it doesn’t go missing
I used to collect hockey cards when I was a kid so I always liked getting a few packs in my stockings. It was like a gift you can open twice, once when you get it in the stocking, and then you get to open the pack and see what players you got. If your kid is into hockey cards toss a few packs in their stocking
Where to buy: You can order packs online, and some convenient stores and big box stores in Canada have them.
Mini Sticks
As a kid the best workout I would get was during a good competitive game of mini sticks! I would go hard when playing mini sticks and some passions never die. While coaching an atom team last year I saw every kid on the team play mini sticks for a few hours at the hotel. The parent’s were worried they would use up all their energy before the real hockey game. Mini sticks are cheap and a lot of fun.
Where to buy: Most dollar stores in Canada have mini sticks for $1 each and mini stick balls $1 as well. If you want to go all-out you can get a full mini-sticks set with goalie sticks, mini sticks, balls and two mini hockey nets! It sells for $39.95 on Hockey Shot
Old Spice Body Wash
Everyone know’s that some guys can get pretty funky smelling after hockey, my hands used to stink even after showering. Believe it or not the other night my girlfriend smelled me after hockey and said MMMmmm hockey smell (she meant it in a good way), the reason, I have been using Old Spice body wash after and she loves the smell! The only deodorant I use is Old Spice, I’ve had people tell me they love my cologne and it’s just my Old Spice. If your man (or kids) play hockey drop a bottle of Old Spice body wash in their stocking and they can keep it in their bag so they can always smell girlfriend approved after hockey
Where to buy: Big box stores like Wal-Mart have old spice gift packs on sale around Christmas, if you just want the bottle just head to the body wash section
A Nice Warm Toque
Nothing beats a good game of outdoor hockey, I spent hours on my pond and at the local outdoor rink. I still remember a nice warm Toronto Maple Leafs toque that my dad bought for me when I was a kid, I would wear that hat and only that hat every time I played hockey on the pond. A warm hat is a great gift because the kids need it, and if the hat has their favourite teams logo on it they will wear it all the time!
Where to Buy: Keep an eye out at your local sports stores and big box stores, for a bigger selection you can browse on Amazon.com (just search for your favourite team!)
Ideas from Our Readers
A Mouthguard – This is good for the kids who are using a chewed up, or old and dirty mouthguard. For growing kids these should probably be replaced every year.
A repair kit – Great for coaches or for atleast one kid to have in his hockey bag. It comes with a small screw driver and various items you need to repair hockey equipment (great for helmets)
Stick wax – Blade butter was recommended by a reader so I have linked to it on Amazon. I have used a product like it and it is very sticky, great for better grip on the puck and it keeps snow from building up on the blade tape.
Let me know if I missed anything and I will add it to the list!
Skating is by far the most important hockey fundamental. Everything
stems from your ability to move on your feet. You should feel as
comfortable in your skates as you do in your tennis shoes. That means
learning how to use your edges to balance and help you move effectively
on the rink. What are your skating strengths? What can you do to improve
them? There are many things you can do off-rink to help create new
patterns of movement on the rink. Think in terms of strength/balance and
speed/movement.
Special Thanks to IHD Partner Peter Dale at Farm Tough Companies for allowing the use of this content.
I’ve been coaching and watching a lot of youth hockey lately and it’s
killing me to watch these kids celebrate. It’s a TEAM game. For the
love of all things that are right in this world, please celebrate with
your team and don’t make a spectacle of yourself. It’s not cute, it’s
not cool. Congratulate the guy who sent you the puck and move on. It’s
not about you. This weekend I watched a kid after scoring his umpteenth goal, try to flip his stick over and and shoot it while on one foot and face plant directly into the ice. My first thought was, well, never mind on that. I was stunned at the amount of people watching that thought it was great.
Please don’t teach your kids to be show-offs or promote this stuff. I understand the game is supposed to be fun but to me it’s an attitude thing. I know I’m talking about youth hockey but it drives me nuts. Teach your kids to show respect. Respect for their opponents, their teammates, coaches and the most importantly the game.
Look, I know there is a time and place for a celebrations. Still they should be TEAM celebrations. Be part of the team, not an individual. Below is my visual guide to Good and Bad goal celebrations.
Good…
Bad…
Good…
Bad…
Good…
Bad…
Good…
PLEASE. I Beg you. PLEASE, don’t ever do this on my rink. Ever.
Real Bad…
Good…
Real Bad…
(See note on last Real Bad)
Please comment and let me know your thoughts on this one. I’d love to hear what you think.
Looking for a gift for a hockey player, or want to see what sweet gifts you could ask for this year? Check out this post with the best gifts for hockey players. Every year I compile a list of the best gifts for Hockey Players. I have been playing hockey since I was 4 years old and eat and breathe hockey. Some of the items are timeless and have been the same every year, others are completely new, and others have been updated.
In no particular order, here are the best gifts for Hockey players for 2012
An outdoor hockey rink
This has been at the the top of the list for years because it will create the most memories! Every year I looked forward to skating on our backyard pond and I have so many fond memories of playing hockey outside with friends and family. I wouldn’t be nearly as good at hockey if it weren’t for my backyard rink.
Every hockey player loves to score goals, just imagine if you could give your kids some goals for Christmas! Well technically you can’t, but you can give them my new Goalie Buster training course that will teach them 2o different ways to deke a goalie, as well as how to read a goalie, moves to use on their shooting side, backhand side, and straight on, and much much more. I have put together over 2 hours of on-ice training breaking down how to beat the goalie! The moves are all broken down step by step and explained in detail. This is something that you can buy once, and the child will have (and use) forever!
Where to buy: Check out the Goalie Buster homepage to join the team, just remember to keep the username and password so you can give it to your child on Christmas day!
NHL 13
With the NHL lockout this is the closest we will get to watching a real NHL hockey game. NHL 13 is the newest hockey video game out this year by EA sports and they have delivered another hit! The top video game review sites have all given it a 9+ rating out of 10 and every year they make great games. If your hockey player has an X-box or PS3 you should get them this game
Without a shooting pad and a net my shot would be brutal! I got the net for Christmas and I bought a tiny little shooting pad for $40, I spent hours up in my barn working on my shot. There are a lot of training aids available but below I will link to my favourite ones!
use the code HOWHCKY001 for $10 off any order of $100 or more on HockeyShot.com
EZ-Goal – The frame is very durable, but the mesh is the same as all the other hockey nets, it will rip after you take enough shots. If your netting rips order some fishing net off Amazon and lace it to the back. What is nice about this net is it folds up for easy storage, and you can order a backstop with it as well!
Roll-up Shooting pad – This is MUCH bigger than the little shooting pad I used to use, and much better. The roll-up pad (which is difficult to actually roll up) comes in 4×8 or 5×10 which gives you A LOT of room to line up pucks, practice some new moves, or even work on passing and one timers with friends. Every kid I know who has one of these loves it, heck I’m 27 and I use mine when I get the itch to shoot some pucks, or dangle a little. The surface is smooth so pucks will slide great on it, and it wont damage the bottom of your stick like cement.
Radar Gun – This would be the ultimate gift for a kid. Hockey players are always bragging about how hard they can shoot, and they are always lying! This radar gun displays how fast (in MPH or Kilometers) you can shoot the puck. I have been using it for over a year now and have had great results. it’s a great training tool because it gives instant feedback and allows players to see how much they are improving. For more info you can check out our Hockey radar gun review
Pucks – You know what every hockey player needs?…. MORE PUCKS. It’s not fun shooting 5 pucks, getting them, shooting them again, etc, the more pucks the better. Pucks usually cost about $1 a piece, so drop around $50 and get enough pucks to last a few years
A Goalie– Shooting on an empty net kind of sucks! When I was a kid I made a goalie with a skill saw and a sheet of plywood, it didn’t last long but I had a lot of fun breaking it! Most kids don’t have or know how to use a skill saw… Luckily you can buy some pretty durable targets these days that look like a goalie. It’s more fun to shoot and your hockey player will learn how to pick the corners.
Hockey players like to look good, who doesn’t! Luckily there are some great clothing companies out there who make clothes specifically for hockey players. The two most notable companies are Sauce Hockey and Gongshow Gear. I have a few shirts from both companies and they are top quality. Another great company is Scrappers hockey, I have two of their shirts and wear them all the time, my favorite is the brain bucket shirt to the right.
This is something I look forward to getting every year, I’ve got 1-24 on VHS and now on DVD. In fact the old videos are the only reason I still have a VCR, so what is it? Every year Don Cherry puts out an hour long highlight reel of the past season of hockey. It’s got the best hits, goals, plays, dangles and saves taken from every game. He also does a re-cap of the playoffs and shows the road to the cup (a must have DVD for LA Kings fans who won the cup last year). It’s a great way to re-live the best plays of the season.
I love wearing anything to do with hockey, t-shirts, sweaters, hats, if it’s got a Team Canada logo or Toronto Maple Leafs logo I’ll wear it! The problem is I’m cheap so I usually only buy t-shirts or a toque. Since winter is coming a toque or sweater with your hockey players favorite team logo on it would be a great gift! Maybe I will buy myself a team Canada sweater for Christmas
Where to buy: Local sports stores are a good place to look for a good selection. You can also browse on Amazon (just search for your team) and you might find some good deals. My girlfriend bought me the knit maple leafs toque in the link above and I wear it all the time.
The Gift of Skill
Every hockey player wants to be better, they want to score more goals, pull off sick dangles and deke people out. When I was 14 I saved up $100 and bought a VHS set called stickhandling beyond belief by Sean Skinner. I practiced all kinds of new moves and within a few months I had people telling me how I have improved. To this day I still use a lot of the moves I learned. This inspired me to start How To Hockey to share skills with others and also develop my Complete guide to stickhandling. The guide will prepare players mentally and physically to develop total control of the puck and be better hockey players. I include an 18 page e-book and 30 minute training video, if your hockey player doesn’t improve or learn anything I will give you a full refund.
Where to buy: You can order my stickhandling guide here(note: it is a digital product, all the training material is made available after payment so keep the private link handy to give to your hockey player)
Every hockey player has some dirty old piece of equipment that is falling apart, worn out, or just plain stinks, whether it’s hockey pants, a helmet or a new hockey bag there is something that could use replacing.
Kids and Adults love getting new hockey gear for Christmas, when I was a kid most of my equipment came in the form of a Christmas gifts. The parents have to buy it anyways so you might as well pass it off as a gift right! The easiest thing to buy is a hockey stick, just take your kids to the store and they will tell you which ones they want!
If you are buying for an adult you can look at the stick they currently use, that will give you an idea of what curve, company, and flex they like. Some of the hot sticks this year are the Easton stealth RS, Easton Mako and the Bauer Total One. These are top end sticks though and run about $300 each!
Where to buy: Head to your local hockey store or you can shop online at hockeymonkey.com
Hockey Books
If your player likes to read then a Hockey Book might be a good gift. I’m not much of a reader but I do like to learn and I have found a few great books about improving hockey skill and understanding. A few friends of mine have also recommended some of the autobiographies written by former pro players.
Hockey plays and strategies (USA link) – Great for coaches, hockey parents and good for players as well. A great book for understanding the game and what you should be doing out on the ice. Some stuff is more advanced, but there is a lot of good info in here. It’s the type of stuff you will want to photocopy and hand out to your hockey team!
Complete Conditioning for Hockey (USA link) – I read the first version back in high school and learned a lot about conditioning and nutrition. This is the updated version with new workouts and new information, it’s great for any kid or adult who is serious about being in shape for hockey!
The Game by Ken Dryden, The boys of winter – These are a few of the most wished for hockey books in the US and both have A LOT of 5 start reviews. I’ve heard a few guys say the Ken Dryden book is amazing, and I have seen it recommended online, I have been meaning to pick it up.
Hockey Stocking Stuffers
Since stocking stuffers (hockey tape, pucks, etc) don’t really change that much I have decided to write an entire post about the best stocking stuffers for hockey players. I will update it each year with anything new that I find.
Win a Hockey Christmas Gift from How To Hockey and our Friends!
I wish I could give a gift to every reader of How To Hockey, but Santa Claus is busy as it is! We have teamed up with our friends to provide a number of Christmas gifts for our readers, check out the prizes below. 20 prizes in total
Scrappers Hockey – Two prize packs – These guys make some beauty hockey apparel, they are giving away two prize packs. Each winner will receive 1 shirt and 1 hat from Scrappers Hockey
Goalie Buster – I recently released the Goalie Buster training series. I will be giving away two memberships to this training course
Hockey Shot– 6 prize packs in total
1st prize – Extreme Passing Kit, Flypuck, T-Shirt
2nd prize – Roll-up shooting pad, Green Biscuit, T-Shirt
3rd prize – Pro sized shooting pad, Flypuck, T-shirt
4th prize – Intermediate shooting pad, Green Biscuit, T-shirt
5th prize – Super stickhandling package, T-shirt
Bonus prize – Mini sticks hockey net set
How to win
Just like this page on Facebook (using the link below) and then leave a comment letting us know what hockey related item you want for Christmas! If you see anything you like on this page you can share it on your friends or family’s wall as a hint
The Mohawk Agility Drill can be used with cones, sticks, “Attack Triangles,” SweetHands, or any other hockey obstacle. More creative obstacles produce more creative players in this drill. Here’s the diagram:
Mohawk Agility Drill
1. Players line up as shown.
2. Puck carrier puts a move on the first stick, skates down around the second stick (putting a move on it), skates up around the top stick (putting a move on it), then shoots.
3. ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY!
The Mohawk Agility Drill can be used with cones, sticks, “Attack Triangles,” SweetHands, or any other hockey obstacle. More creative obstacles produce more creative players in this drill. Here’s the diagram:
Mohawk Agility Drill
1. Players line up as shown.
2. Puck carrier puts a move on the first stick, skates down around the second stick (putting a move on it), skates up around the top stick (putting a move on it), then shoots.
3. ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY!
The Mohawk Agility Drill can be used with cones, sticks, “Attack Triangles,” SweetHands, or any other hockey obstacle. More creative obstacles produce more creative players in this drill. Here’s the diagram:
Mohawk Agility Drill
1. Players line up as shown.
2. Puck carrier puts a move on the first stick, skates down around the second stick (putting a move on it), skates up around the top stick (putting a move on it), then shoots.
3. ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY!
An outdoor hockey rink
Without a shooting pad and a net my shot would be brutal! I got the net for Christmas and I bought a tiny little shooting pad for $40, I spent hours up in my barn working on my shot. There are a lot of training aids available but below I will link to my favourite ones!
Pucks – You know what every hockey player needs?…. MORE PUCKS. It’s not fun shooting 5 pucks, getting them, shooting them again, etc, the more pucks the better. Pucks usually cost about $1 a piece, so drop around $50 and get enough pucks to last a few years
Swag
Rockem Sockem 24
Team Apparel
The Gift of Skill
New Gear
Hockey Books
