Interview with Dallas Star’s Defenceman Sheldon Souray

Listen to Dallas Star’s Defenceman Sheldon Souray, as he discusses the upcoming season in Dallas, the benefits of training with Dr. Chad Moreau, the differences between in-season and off-season workouts, and the role proper training and nutrition plays in maximizing your potential as a hockey player.

For more information on dry-land training click the link, HockeyOT.com.

The Breakaway: Things to Remember

The breakaway: Things to remember
By Wayne Anderson
Oct 31, 2001, 15:47

On a breakaway, your shot choices will most often be the wrist shot or the backhand. Here are four things to remember that will make your “in-alone” shot more effective.

1. Always keep your head up and watch the goaltender. If a goalie sees your head down he’s more likely to challenge you or poke-check the puck away.

2. As you break in, try to keep the puck in the middle. This keeps a goalie from cheating to one side—he has to protect the entire net. Remember, if you are even with the middle of the net, the puck is actually to one side. It’s the puck’s position that matters!

3. Keep the puck on your forehand until the goaltender makes his move. This gives you more options: you can take a quick shot if forced, or move to the backhand if you start to run out of room.

4. And always keep skating! Once you stop skating the goaltender knows you are committed. This sounds basic, but it take lots of practice. Tip: Have someone videotape you practicing breakaways. What are your skates doing the second before you shoot? Are they gliding? A second is a long time for an accomplished goalie! l

— Wayne Anderson

This first appeared in the 10/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The Four Basic Shots of Hockey

The four basic shots of hockey
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 31, 2001, 15:44

©BBS

Most National Hockey League players use one or more of the four basic shots in hockey—the slapshot, the backhand, the wrist shot and the snap shot—effectively and consistently. But the big names of the game—Gretzky, Lemieux, Hull, Bure—do all of them equally well, which is one of the primary reasons these guys are the superstars of the game.

The subtle differences in shot execution that set apart 50-plus goal scores like Brett Hull from the rest of the NHL crowd can’t always be learned. Some guys just have a natural gift. But the basics of shot-making can be explained, and for help doing that we turned to Tim Army, assistant coach with The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and an astute student of the game.

The most complete players in the game, says Army, “do everything well, and that includes making all the shots.” That means you shouldn’t just spend time working on your slapper, you should try and master the wrist shot, the snapper and the backhand as well. Which shot to use will always depend on your on-ice situation, but having them all in your bag of tricks will give you more—and better—shot choices.

With that in mind, we break down each of the four shots, discuss who in the NHL executes them best and why, and pass along a tip or two on how a younger player can advance his own shot into elite status.

The Slapshot

The common belief that the pure power of an effective slapshot is generated by a high arc, or take-back, is misleading.

“I don’t know of anyone with a better shot than Brett Hull,” says Army, alluding to Hull’s accuracy as well as power. “And he doesn’t take the stick (back) beyond the knees. It’s just that’s he so quick and so strong, the puck is on top of the goaltenders before they can react.”

As in most other athletic instances, forward motion is a key. Observe different NHL scorers as they set up for their shots and you’ll see they are generally moving forward. During a St. Louis power play, a teammate will dump the puck back to Hull for a one-timer. But more than just Hull’s stick will be moving toward the goal. His entire body will cruise in that direction, helping him develop speed as well as increasing the likelihood that the shot will be on target. “It doesn’t help if you’re moving in a direction other than where you want the puck to go,” Army said.

In terms of raw power, the NHL’s hardest slapshot may belong to Al MacInnis, Hull’s new teammate in St. Louis. “He’s incredibly strong,” says Los Angeles Kings head coach Barry Melrose of MacInnis. “Sometimes it’s a situation where standard defenses just don’t do the trick against him.”

Another with a reputation for an excellent slapper is Ottawa Senators defender Sean Hill, but Army points out that there’s one significant difference between Hill’s shot and that of Hull or MacInnis. “Sometimes (Hill’s) a little slow at getting it off. He’ll give the defender time to block it,” Army said.

Quickness, then, is as much a part of an effective slapshot as power. “I think getting the shot off quickly is more important than anything else,” Army said. “Even if the shot is off line, if it’s sent quickly it can confuse a defense. You can get rebounds or better shot opportunities. But if it’s blocked at the point, not much good comes out of it.”

The mechanics of a slapshot involve keeping your head down, transferring your weight into the shot, and having a good shoulder turn. “A good slap shot doesn’t involve wrists and arms. The whole body has to function cohesively.”

The Backhand

“I don’t think there’s any question,” says Army. “Wayne Gretzky is the most effective player in the league on the backhand.”

That statement alone says a lot about the importance of having a good backhand, and reflects on the advice that Gretzky’s idol—Gordie Howe—gave him early on. “Work on the backhand,” he told The Great One, “and you’ll score a lot of goals.”

Other masterful backhand shooters in the NHL include Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Bure, Jaromir Jagr and Doug Gilmour—all of whom rank with the league’s best scorers. So if these superstars all use their backhand effectively, why don’t more players use the shot?

There are several reasons. First, the equipment has to be right. The trend toward curved sticks made—and continues to make—a controllable, accurate backhand almost impossible to execute. So by curving your stick to enhance the forehand shots, you’re making it tough to use the backhand. Second, the backhand is most effective from in-close, and before you can use it, you’ve got to get there—no easy feat. Finally, and most important for younger players, the backhand is the least practiced of the four basic shots. It rarely overpowers defenders or goaltenders. It doesn’t ring loudly off the post or boards. It’s not showy or dramatic. So most kids don’t bother with it.

But when all is said and done, would you rather be a flashy shooter with 20 goals at season’s end, or quietly put up Doug Gilmour’s numbers?

Technically and philosophically, the backhand is the complete opposite of the forehand. While the forehand is all about speed and brawn, the backhand utilizes deception and finesse. It’s not a shot that will come in at a high rate of speed, but when executed in timely fashion, it can be a potent weapon.

Gretzky’s success on the backhand comes from his laser-quick motion. “It’s on his stick, and then it’s gone, like that,” Army says. “And he can put it wherever he wants to.”

As for Jagr, he likes the element of surprise the backhand affords him. “I do whatever I believe the goalie thinks I won’t do,” said Jagr. “And so, many times that means from the back side.” Few players in the league are as deft at skating through hostile traffic as is Jagr, and the effective backhand only serves to enhance his already impressive arsenal.

Fedorov may generate more speed off his backhand than anyone else, because he treats it like a forehand. He sometimes picks his stick up thigh-high on the backhand, yet manages not to sacrifice his quick release and accuracy. It’s doubtful anyone else, even Gretzky, has that shot in his bag, but it’s a big part of what makes Federov a rising star in the NHL.

“That’s what makes him so tough to defend,” said Melrose.

How can you develop a good backhand? First off, a solid backhand often goes hand-in-hand with excellent puck handling skills. You need to get the puck on your stick in a position to shoot, and working on your stick-handling will help you do that. Then you need to work on getting a quick release. “Because it’s a shot of deception,” says Army, “you have to be able to get the puck at the right position on your stick, and let it go immediately.”

Technically, the essence of the backhand is in good weight transfer through the shot. “It’s a sliding motion,” explains Army. “Kind of like a pass, but you follow through harder and the end result is some speed and power.”

The Wrist shot

The wrist shot is a controlled, accurate shot that is deceptive in its speed at the moment of release.

“You pull the puck behind and sweep it at the target,” says Army, who pointed out that the shot is utilized much more frequently in the youth levels of the sport. “Kids need to learn to drag it. They learn the importance of developing strong hands, wrists and forearms, which are needed to make the shot quicker and more powerful.”

The shot is not used as much in today’s NHL as it was in the old days because the defenders are too quick for its comparatively deliberate set-up and release. But the wrist shot remains an effective, basic shot for younger players to perfect. And if you watch players like Cam Neely and Federov utilizing a quick wrist shot when breaking in on the wing, you can see that it’s often a valuable shot to have even at the pro level. As for accuracy, when the All Stars compete in most accurate shot competition in January, notice it’s the wrist shot they employ.

“The wrists are flexed as much as possible at both ends. You’re using the wrists to bring the stick through with speed,” says Army. The trick, according to Army, is to properly utilize the body when preparing and executing the shot. Start by trying to emphasize almost a full body turn, with your back to the net, before the sweeping motion begins. If you’re in traffic, you can use the body as a screen against rushing defensemen. Then transfer your weight through the shot, rolling your wrists “over the top” as you release the puck. Your accuracy comes from following through “at” your target.

“The quicker you can (get the shot off), the better,” Army points out. “But the object is to generate a strong, accurate shot that appears to gain speed as it gets closer to the goalie.”

The snap shot

The modern, NHL version of the wrist shot is the snap shot. The player most responsible for bringing the snap shot to prominence was probably former Boston Bruins sniper Phil Esposito. Espo would camp out in the high slot, wait for Bobby Orr or Ken Hodge to get the puck in the middle, and then snap the puck home in what was then a revolutionary one-timed wrist shot—the snapper.

The idea is basic: get rid of the puck fast and hard. The wrists are again the main body components. And although the shot can be executed on a skate-in, close-range attempt, the feel of the shot is very much like the traditional one-timer.

Army cites Wendel Clark and Hull as having great snappers, but goes to a pair of hockey’s great hands as the all-time best. “One guy that really knew how to snap it was Mike Bossy. He was probably the best in the game. The puck would be on his stick, then off of it in an instant. And the puck just explodes. Mike has extremely strong wrists.” Bossy’s productivity with the snap shot helped the New York Islanders to four successive Stanley Cups in the late ‘70’s.

“You need to learn this type of shot going into the NHL because you’re facing so much better competition,” says Army. “The defenseman will break up your shot in no time if you try to drag it through.”

The basics of the snap shot are similar to those of the wrister. You use your weight transfer and roll the wrists to generate power, then finish pointing over the top at your target for accuracy. The difference is that with the snap shot you eliminate the wrister’s dragging, sweeping motion. The snap shot should be launched quickly, almost as soon as the puck is on your stick. And much as with the slapshot, a clean follow-through is a vital component of the snapper.

“You have to get rid of it quick, but you also have to have something on it,” says veteran center Bob Corkum. “You’re always trying to fool the goalie but it’s more important to make a good, clean shot attempt. Then if (the goalie) makes the save, you go for a rebound or wait for the next scoring chance.”

As you can see, the common denominator of the four shots is an emphasis on quickness and completion. Get it, get rid of it, go at the target, and complete the shot before moving on.

And the common denominator for developing good shots? Well, it’s just what you’d expect: practice. l

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

This first appeared in the 10/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

2 on 1 – Pass to D (Half rink)

Drill:

1. On the whistle D1 at the Blue line skates backward toward mid rink and looks for a pass from Forward 1
2. Forward 1 skates with a puck above the circle and passes out to D1 and then continues outside the blue line looking for a return pass
3. D2 skates toward the blue line and will transition and play D when F1 gets the return pass
4. F1 gets the puck and tries to beat D2 one on one
5. F1 has the option to drop the pass to D1 (who should be trailing the play)

Focus:
1. Forward should make a good pass to the Defense
2. Defense works to make a good pass to the Forward entering the zone
3. Defense 2 should work on good positioning and pushing the Forward outside and away from the net

Notes:
You could also run this drill from Center but I like the skating and movement of the drill. There will be times when the only option is to move the puck to a D and then re-enter the zone. This will teach them to keep moving and get open for the return pass.

Scout’s Honor: Scouting has become an integral factor in the growth of the sport

Scout’s honor — Scouting has become
an integral factor in the growth of the sport
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 31, 2001, 15:40

Cartoon by David Simpson

He sits alone, clipboard in hand, binoculars at the ready. A chart with diagrams and specific player characteristics is strategically lodged behind the seatback in front of him.

He’s ready to go to work.

The life of a hockey scout can be lonely, hectic, even detrimental to a so-called normal life. But it can also be a most rewarding profession. The love of the game, along with the satisfaction of accurately analyzing an individual player’s attributes, or those of an entire team, is what keeps these soldiers of other people’s fortunes marching to ice rinks year after year.

“It’s hard work a lot of the time, but there’s a tremendous amount of self-gratification in seeing a player advance to the next level, even if the part you played in that transition is relatively small,” explains Dan Delaney, head scout for the Portland Rage of Roller Hockey International and a veteran of junior ice hockey circles.

There are two main types of scouting in most sports, and hockey is no exception. There is the scouting and analysis of an individual player, and there is the scouting of an entire team, usually, an upcoming opponent.

Delaney, a former junior coach, has been scouting hockey since 1989. The Simcoe, Ontario, resident has started his own company, Premiere Hockey Services, which places young hopefuls throughout the country into tryout opportunities. Delaney’s firm placed over a hundred players in the last year.

He points out the need for his service, noting that as a coach in the youth ranks, “you’re almost your own scout as it is.”

Juniors are big business

Major junior hockey, the minor league level for those talented enough to have a future in the sport but not astute enough to earn a college opportunity first, has become big business in developing players into NHL material.

Delaney explains: “Generally, there are two different types of players — the type that fits the bill for major junior hockey, and the type that fits the bill for college hockey. The two don’t necessarily mix.

“Because of the NCAA’s lack of physical play, colleges generally focus on finesse players, those with good hockey fundamentals than can handle the puck well, shoot well, skate well. Those that are highly skilled. Those that go on to major junior hockey (from high school or perhaps even prior to graduation) generally are bigger kids, tougher kids. They don’t necessarily have all their hockey skills polished, but they’re aggressive, easy to coach.”

The bottom line, however, says Delaney, is that scouts ultimately look to fill positions.

“It’s a matter of deciding on a team’s style and approach, then finding players to fit that bill,” he said.

Delaney’s approach to scouting is accomplished by ranking players in a series of key categories. First, he observes a prospect’s skating ability.

“I want to know if he makes fast pivots, if he can stop quickly and get started again, if he can get back into a play quickly after being taken out,” Delaney says. “If he can’t skate, he can’t play the game of hockey.”

Next is the charting of a prospect’s overall hockey fundamentals.

“How does he handle the puck? Does he shoot well? Does he have good vision, and when I say that I mean split vision, peripheral vision? Does he see the whole ice well?”

The “P” word

Delaney doesn’t necessarily expect the players he scouts to have all the skills already in place. What he seeks, instead, is the ‘P’ word: P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L.

“The blue-chippers are the ones that have shown the basic instincts to play the game at all levels,” Delaney said. “Generally, there are no late bloomers in hockey. They might develop skills while they’re playing major junior hockey, but the basics have to be visible, or a kid simply won’t get the chance.”

Next in Delaney’s series is what he calls “other little things,” the intangibles that go toward a player’s mental makeup, a factor more important in hockey than in most other sports.

“I want to know about his temperament. Does he skate away from a fight or does he attempt to get involved? How does he get along with his teammates on the bench? Does he stand up for his teammates? That kind of thing.”

Lastly, Delaney desires to meet the prospect directly to gauge his character.

“Is he clean, well-mannered? Does he present himself well? All these factors play a part. If you’ve got a guy who can play but he appears uncooperative or uncoachable, most coaches and general managers would rather have a guy with a little less natural ability whose willing to be taught the game.”

Delaney notes that the early years of a player’s potential career are vital because they are his “developmental years.”

“Major junior hockey, and college hockey, is the time for players to develop all their skills and get prepared for the next level. Beyond that, there aren’t a lot of second chances because there’s too much competition. Too many good players are waiting to step in.”

Delaney feels major junior hockey is often better for prospective NHL players because of its close association with the league, as well as some other factors.

Prepared for the ride

“Counting playoffs, major junior teams play as many as 80 games a season,” he notes. “College teams barely play more than 30. And they fly to a lot of their away games. Junior hockey players have to endure the grind of long bus trips.

“I just believe they’re better prepared.”

Delaney admitted, however, that some of that kind of stereotyping ends up costing deserving prospects a chance to advance. Some of the true blue-chippers do manage to evade that hurdle, though.

“The first example that comes to mind is Paul Kariya,” Delaney says of the diminutive, highly-touted Mighty Ducks draft pick. “Here’s a kid that had proven he could play at the top levels, playing for the Canadian National team that won the world championship. But many wrote him off because of his lack of size (5-11, 175). He had done everything he could to prove what his attributes were, and there were still doubters who were questioning Anaheim’s decision to pick him (first).”

Scouting of hockey prospects, Delaney attests, has become big business, especially in the major junior hockey ranks, where each team employs as many as 30 scouts.

A typical college program has maybe six scouts, and that includes the three-man coaching staff.

“There seems to be a need for the type of service my company provides. Getting the young talent headed in the right direction is critical to the growth of the sport.”

Team Scouting:

A whole different puck game

It was the last week of the regular season. The Calgary Flames were in Los Angeles to play the Kings at the Great Western Forum. But on this particular night, Flames assistant coach Jamie Hislop would be absent from his customary spot behind the bench. In fact, Hislop wasn’t even at the game.

Why? He went to another game.

As the NHL playoff matchups began to unfold, Calgary head coach Dave King sent Hislop to neighboring Anaheim to watch the Mighty Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks would eventually finish the regular season seventh in the Western Conference, making them the first-round opponent of the second-seeded Flames.

Despite having faced the Canucks six times during the regular season, Calgary wanted to assure itself that Vancouver was playing the same style of hockey that earned them their third straight playoff appearance. It was Hislop’s job to observe and to report.

To scout.

Although the term ‘scouting’ is a common one, the responsibilities of a scout sent to watch a specific player is completely different from one assigned to monitor a whole team.

Confirm what you know

“Going into a game, you have a pretty good idea of what a team does so you’re just looking to confirm it,” said Hislop, who positioned himself in the top row of the press box, isolated from anyone who might contribute an subjective or unsolicited opinion. “In addition to playing them, we’ve also watched a lot of video tape on them, so it’s really just a question of confirming that they have the same general tendencies that they’ve had previously.”

Among the facets Hislop looks for are how the Canucks kill penalties, how they try to convert power play opportunities and if they’re keeping previous line combinations relatively intact.

Some less general aspects are closely watched, too.

“We look, for instance, if they’re forechecking aggressively or if they’re playing tired,” he notes. “Do they send everyone down hard on the defensemen or do they set a forechecking wedge like Anaheim utilizes? How do they forecheck in the neutral zone? How aggressive are their forwards on the defensive end? How do their defensemen react?

“You look for these characteristics and then you can assess what strategy could best counteract their style.”

Scouting an individual rarely consists of monitoring a whole team’s style, but often team scouting can include individual reports on key players. In Hislop’s case, scoring phenom Pavel Bure garnered a lot of attention.

“You look to see if they’re utilizing new ways to get the puck to him for quality scoring chances,” Hislop said. “You also want to keep an eye toward strengths and weaknesses of individual players. You’re looking for something you can exploit.”

The game doesn’t matter

Hislop said he won’t pay much attention to a team’s success, or lack of success, on a given night. Instead, he focuses primarily on systems and strategies.

“If you’re not careful, you can be misled by what happens in that particular game,” he said. “We want to know what they’re most likely to do, all things being equal.”

One thing Hislop will note is the style of play of Vancouver’s opponent, in this case the Mighty Ducks. He knows that the Canucks will handle situations differently against Anaheim than they would against Calgary.

“For example, (the Canucks) have been playing back in a box most of the night in their penalty-killing, not being real aggressive,” Hislop notes. “Against us, we know they’re a lot more likely to come out and attack our shooters. We’ve got guys who can one-time it effectively if not pressured, so they’d want to take that away.”

Hislop took his information back to King and, along with recent videotape and experiences from previous meetings with the Canucks, the coaching staff used it to develop a game plan for the series.

Of course, the scouts don’t play the game.

The Flames were ousted by the Canucks in a seven-game thriller, and Vancouver ended up playing the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals.

So while scouts observe everything, and establish a system to study the trends, habits and routines of the opposition, the game is still decided on the ice.

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

This first appeared in the 10/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Parents: How To Get Involved

Parents: How to get involved
By Bettina Young Prochnow
Oct 31, 2001, 15:33

Steve Malley, left, with Bowie hockey club team.

Ladies and Gentlemen—start your hockey-mobiles! Now that the season’s underway, the No.1 concern shared by parents all across the country is figuring out what’s best for your hockey player. And the best way to do that, says Steve Malley, director of coaches at the Bowie Hockey Club in Bowie, MD, is to get involved.

“The parent who drops their kid off at practice and goes for coffee,” says Malley, “is committing a serious error. Parents must be involved. As a coach, I want the parents to be part of the team. I don’t want to create an us-versus-them situation.”

Malley has played both high school and college hockey, and has been coaching since 1987. The Bowie Hockey club, which has been around for the past 22 years, includes 500 players and fields 12 travel teams. As the parent of a hockey player, Malley also knows what it’s like on the other side of the fence. To find the right mix for all concerned—the skater, the parents and the club—he has several suggestions for both

Parents and coaches

The first step is finding the right hockey club. While in some parts of the country there is a limited choice, the basic premises still apply. The first thing to do is to find out about the coaches. Ask if they are USA Hockey certified and, if so, how recently. Ideally, you want a club that encourages their coaches to continue expanding their skills, something which participating in USA Hockey coaching clinics helps them do very well.

Philosophy is major

Then get to know a couple of the club’s Board members and find out where they and the club stand philosophically. Is competition their main concern, or recreation? Is victory more important than participation? Do you agree? If not, either continue to look elsewhere, or see if there’s an area of compromise.

Once your skater is registered with a youth hockey club, Malley’s third—and most important—suggestion is to be an involved parent. That means helping out with the club’s activities, with your child’s team and, yes, interacting with the coaches.

“The worst thing you can do, is not tell the coach if you’re unhappy with how your skater was played,” he says. “But don’t do so immediately after a devastating loss. You don’t want to hit him when he’s down!” Wait until before the next practice, and then—as in all cases—approach the coach in a considerate, non-threatening way.

For example, Malley says, “I had a mom behind the glass who came and asked me, ‘Coach, is my son sick?’ When I replied in the negative, she asked ‘Then why isn’t he playing?’ That was a very effective message to me and it made me re-think just how I was playing her son.”

Many typical parent-coach problems can be headed off before trouble starts if the coach lays the groundwork. “Anything you can put in writing,” says Malley, “the better. And at the very least, do it verbally.” Coaches need to state ahead of time how they are planning to play the kids, whether at their discretion based on ability, or by giving equal ice time to the “B” players. Players and parents alike also need to know what the consequences are for missing practices, mouthing-off, or getting penalties. The more information the parents have, the better they will understand what the coach is trying to do, and the more they will support his and the team’s efforts.

Coaches must help, too

Because parents may be afraid to confront coaches due to possible retaliation against their child, it is extremely important that the coach make himself accessible to the parents. “Coaches need to reiterate that offer,” says Malley, “by holding once-a-month meetings with the parents.” This gives the coach a double opportunity—first to hear parents’ concerns, and then to dispel any rumors he may have heard through the grapevine or address any problems he sees before they reach a critical stage.

This is also where the team manager can play a crucial role. He or she should be the ultimate “listener” and liaison between parents and coach. For example, if the coach’s son or daughter is getting more ice time than other kids, bring it up first to the team manager. Malley admits that “any coach with a kid on the team needs to work hard at parity, and may need to be reminded on where, how long, and when to play their own child.”

Also, maybe your player would like to try a different position. If the team is winning 10-2, then the players should be allowed to skate anywhere they wish, especially in the Mite through Pee Wee divisions. Encourage the coach to experiment. Position switching can sometimes still work at the Bantam age, but by Midget level the players have usually found their niche.

With coach-parent relations—just as it is on the ice—communication is always the key. The rules need to be understood, concerns need to be heard in a non-confrontational arena, and the team needs to have parents, players, and coaches all pulling together. Most important, Malley encourages everyone to keep it all in perspective. “The main goal,” he reminds us, “is to have fun.”

Bettina Prochnow Young is a hockey player with the PCHA on a coed team and has two sons in hockey. She is a columnist for a newspaper in Livermore, CA.

This first appeared in the 10/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

At Forward with Todd Simon

At forward with Todd Simon
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 30, 2001, 17:47

Whether you’re progressing from Bantam to Midget or moving from the American Hockey League to the NHL, flourishing among increasingly stiff competition can be a stumbling block for even the best young talents.

Todd Simon, a fleet-skating rookie center for the Buffalo Sabres, endured that test last season, when he was called up to the Sabres after leading the AHL in scoring as a member of the Rochester Americans. At Rochester, Simon had amassed an impressive 85 points in 55 games. He was routinely accounting for two or three points per game, while admittedly paying more attention to his offensive production than to rounding out his entire game.

In two previous seasons at Niagara Falls of the Ontario (Junior) Hockey League, Simon scored even more, racking up 271 points in just 131 contests.

Promotion, understandably, had become commonplace. First from Niagara Falls to Rochester, and last March from Rochester to the NHL.

It was the opportunity every minor leaguer awaits. And yet, the realization of a dream can often produce negative effects; it can be greeted with bouts of anxiety.

So even though Simon tallied only a single assist in 15 games with the Sabres, the 22-year-old is comfortable with how he made the adjustment, and realistic in confronting his own expectations, and the expectations of others. As a forward, he had to deal with the additional mental burden that the Sabres might expect him to put up big numbers upon his arrival.

Can’t shun the spotlight

If he were a defenseman, the low scoring totals would be easier to hide. But as a forward with a reputation for lighting the lamp, it’s difficult to shun the spotlight.

“I just tried to do the things you do that get you (to the NHL),” says Simon, a 5’11”, 185-pounder who’s into practicing what he preaches. “I didn’t even think about trying to do a lot of scoring, because I knew it wasn’t the minors. I wasn’t concentrating on one thing. I was trying to concentrate on everything.

“I wanted to do my best in all aspects, starting in my own end.”

Simon notes that it’s hockey-player nature to be cautious upon entering new turf. Instead of looking for his shot, or otherwise attempting to establish himself offensively, he did everything in his power to assure he wouldn’t gain recognition through negative circumstances. His thinking: I may not score a lot, but I’m not going to get burned.

“When you get to a new level, you have to be willing to feel your way around for a while,” he says. “I think the worst thing you can do is to try and do too much. There’s that urge to prove you belong, but you have to be patient.”

A key element for new arrivals, Simon believes, is executing within the coach’s system. “Play the system, and play it well,” he says. And give yourself time to “adjust to playing with the big boys.”

Some rookies make the mistake of going over their heads. They try to make an immediate impact upon their call-ups—and they often do, in the form of crucial on-ice errors that result in their being cast back where they came from.

“It can be tough. You can be taken out of your game easily,” says Simon.

The simplest approach to staying within your game, he says, is not to look ahead—not even to the next period.

“Work on doing well that shift, and don’t think beyond that.”

Fundamentals ignored?

Simon believes it’s conceivable that today’s younger players aren’t as well prepared as in the past to take the next step in their development. “Coaches,” Simon feels, “aren’t teaching the fundamentals as well as they used to.

“I see a lot of kids trying to be the superstar. They’re not into the fact that it’s a team game,” Simon explains. “The game starts with fundamentals. Learning how to play the game correctly before worrying about anything else. I’ve seen kids do that, and I’ve seen others who (only) love the contact. They’re not into playing hockey. They just go around hitting people.”

Simon has plenty of time, at his young age, to adapt to the pro game. He’s proven virtually all he can in the minors, and will likely be rewarded with increased ice time this season.

“That’s when I can get comfortable. And when I get to that stage, I can think more about creating scoring opportunities and doing some of the other things that I’ve had success doing in the minors,” he says. “The NHL is not the minors, though.”

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 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Raw Speed vs. All-Around Skating

Raw speed vs. all-around skating
By Robby Glantz
Oct 30, 2001, 17:45

I mentioned to a few friends the other day how I thought the Kings were going to miss Luc Robitaille, now of the Pittsburgh Penguins. One of the guys responded by praising Luc’s scoring gifts, but tagging him as “a slow skater.” Now, being that Luc is one of the most prized students ever to be taught in our skating system, I took this comment quite personally. It seemed crazy to me that someone would criticize a player who scores 40 goals and 100 points every year and never misses any games—including playing on a broken foot.

The fact is that a player does not need to skate as fast as Eric Heiden to be considered an excellent hockey skater. Ice and roller hockey are not speed-skating contests, and our system puts equal emphasis on improving all the different techniques of hockey skating—not just developing straight-away speed. Robitaille, for example, does many things well on his skates that most fans never even notice.

To highlight the fact that you can still be tremendous hockey skater even without blinding speed, let’s look at the skating skills of three NHL superstars not commonly thought of as speed demons. They’re not the fastest, but they’re still among the best “skaters” in the league.

Luc Robitaille

So his straight-ahead speed is not that of a Paul Coffey. How is it, then, that Robitaille can constantly beat defenseman to the spot, putting himself in position to score? For starters, Luc has great balance and knee bend. And rather than going to the front of the net and standing on the flats of his skates, Luc always attempts to plant himself squarely and powerfully over his edges. He uses his edges masterfully (at the proper 45° angle) to grip the ice, and he is very tough to move.

One of the most underrated aspects of Luc’s game is also his work in the corners and along the boards. The next time you watch a Penguins game, focus on how Luc gets lower than the checker when scrapping for the puck. Try and see how he uses his edges when he is battling along the boards, rolling them deeply into the ice in order to ward off the defender and still make a play. And Luc uses his outside edges as well as anyone in the league; he can turn very quickly and has the ability to stop on a dime.

Jaromir Jagr

The great Czech winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins is what I would describe as deceptively fast. He doesn’t have to move his legs 1000 miles per hour to generate speed. Instead, he uses full extension on every stride and seems never to waste a push. Also, for a big player, Jagr is tremendously sturdy and has super balance. He accomplishes this by using proper techniques that most big players seem unwilling to attempt. That is, he keeps excellent knee bend throughout the game so he can best utilize his strong legs and, in turn, lower his center of gravity.

If you think back to Pittsburgh’s last Stanley Cup run, you undoubtedly remember some of Jagr’s dazzling plays and moves. In analyzing slow-motion videotape of Jagr, it’s amazing to see the strength of his ankles and how effectively he uses edges by putting all his body weight over them—driving around defenders and making them look as if they’re standing still.

Steve Yzerman

Yzerman, like Robitaille a constant subject of trade rumors, is also so consistent and strong over his skates that we tend to take his exceptional skills for granted. Yzerman can turn a defenseman inside out, perhaps better than anyone in the league. Whereas most players feel more comfortable going to their backhand, Yzerman is extremely strong at making his “skating” moves to the forehand. He has the great ability to make a tight turn on an extreme outside edge (halfway to the ice) and come out of it without losing any speed by crossing over and springing forward onto the inside edge of his toes. He gets that extra burst of acceleration, and manages to control the puck as well.

Yzerman also has the ability to shoot hard and accurately while going full speed. He keeps excellent body control, and uses his edges to drive off of, and then to land on during the follow-through—which is perfect shooting technique.

Speed: Not the name of the game

Hopefully, this brief illustration of the skills of some of the NHL’s superstars will help you understand that you don’t have to be the fastest player on your team to be an effective player. Likewise, while having flat-out speed is important, and certainly one of our goals, you don’t have to be the fastest skater to be the best “power skater.”

Work hard on all aspects of your skating, because each one is vital to the game. But don’t be surprised when you hear people calling the local talk shows and saying things like; “sure he scores a lot of points, but he doesn’t skate very fast.”

I’ll tell you this much—I’d sure like to skate as “slow” as these guys! l

Robby Glantz is an internationally certified Laura Stamm instructor. He is a power skating coach for the Los Angeles Kings, European champion Malmö, Sweden and the German National Teams. He conducts Power Skating schools for all levels throughout the U.S.

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Organizing a Practice

Organizing a practice
By Julia Negro
Oct 30, 2001, 17:37

Whether at an Adirondack Red Wings practice or a Huron Hockey School session, Newell Brown is an organizer when it comes to running his drills. Brown believes that planning is critical to maximizing practice time. Here are some tips Brown suggests for organizing a practice.

Set goals. Time management is important for a youth coach, so the coach should know what needs to be accomplished before the practice starts. Planning is necessary for your practice to flow properly. As a coach, you need to identify the skills and problem areas that need to be worked on practice. Think about these things when you plan. You should have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish before the first skate hits the ice.

Have a theme. Every practice should have a theme, especially for young kids. It might be stickhandling, working on agility, or puck movement, but you should have something to focus on. This way your players really master the skill you’ve set out to teach.

Prepare the players. Let the players know in advance the types of drills that they will be doing, and why, so there is no wasted time once they take the ice. “When a youth coach is working with players,” says Brown, “it is important to tell the players how the drill relates to the games. Do as many game-related drills as possible.”

Organize your staff. Make sure everybody knows what and where their responsibilities are, and how the practice is going to flow. Have your assistant coaches ready, so they know what’s coming next. Use your assistant coaches (or parents) to place pucks and cones in proper places, and to make sure there are designated areas on the ice so you can move your group from one drill to the next.

On-ice tips

Divide your team into two or three groups so you can cover specific skills in a shorter time period. Smaller groups are always better because players get to repeat a lot more of the activities. Since repetition is the mother of learning, it is important that the kids get a lot of repetition in their on-ice drills.

Brown also believes that you should be positive with the players. “I think the days that coaches berated players and screamed at them are over,” he says. “Kids today want to know ‘how’ and they want to know ‘why.’ I think you have to be as clear and concise as you possibly can with your players while still being positive. If you are positive with them they are going to enjoy being at the rink and enjoy being with the coach. As a result of that, they are going to learn a lot more.’’

The use of coaching tools is also effective in maximizing ice time. A coaching board is good to diagram drills because it helps your players get a mental and visual image of what you are talking about. This gives them a better understanding of what they’re trying to accomplish in the drill.

If you lack ice time, you can also walk through your drills off-ice, in a gymnasium or parking lot. “Once they get on the ice they’ll know the pattern of what needs to be accomplished and will have a better feel for applying it during practice. I think a lot can be done off ice in preparing for your practice,” says Brown.

Speed, tight spots help

Drills should be executed at top speed as often as possible. It doesn’t matter if players fall or lose the puck. Getting used to doing things at top speed in practice will help develop their skills and practice habits so that when it comes to a game situation they call do things at a greater tempo.

When looked upon positively, mistakes can be valuable learning tools.

Brown thinks a good drill is one that allows the players to play in small areas so they handle the puck a lot. “This kind of drill forces them to read and react with their teammates on ice.” A good example is a three-on-three cross-ice hockey scrimmage which can be played at both ends of the ice surface. Use the blueline and boards as boundaries and put nets across the ice. You can also use this drill in a one-on-one or two-on-two situation.

The cross-ice game also teaches kids how to be quick in tight situations, and ways to get away from pressure—promoting creativity in puck handling. Creativity with the puck needs to be taught at a young age because as you get older and into a higher level of hockey, you have less freedom to be creative and try to beat someone one-on-one. In a smaller space, the pace increases and the players are in a closer proximity, so more passes are completed. “If you can play well in small areas on the ice, you are going to have success in a game situation.”

Let ‘em have fun

Brown also believes practices should have a mix of 90% skills and 10% systems. “Young players need time to utilize their puck skills and improve their skating and thinking skills on the ice. Let the kids have fun. I think young hockey players are all in pretty good shape, and conditioning isn’t such a big factor at their age.”

Julia Negro is a conditioning instructor at Michigan State University and an Administrator for Huron Hockey School in Traverse City, MI.

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

The Center of Attention

The center of attention
By Mitch Korn
Oct 30, 2001, 17:32

My prime concern when I think about the future of sports these days is not high ticket prices, higher salaries, or even the glut of sports on broadcast and cable TV. What most concerns me is the attitude of today’s athlete.

While the changing attitude of today’s player may be partially attributed to that increased exposure or those increased salaries—which in many cases the athletes well deserve—it is also something that comes from within. And players with a bad attitude risk not only hurting themselves, but their teams as well.

When Magic Johnson chose not to return as the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he voiced his concern about the attitude of today’s player. He wondered why all the players had “I” in every sentence, as in; What can you do for me? Where’s my playing time? What about my contract?

“I,” said Magic, has dominated the scene—to the detriment of the team and the game.

Look at me

Many, like Magic, say we are bringing up a generation of very selfish, non-committed, arrogant young athletes. Part of the reason is that youngsters take their lead from their pro-level heroes, and believe from an early age that they—and not their team or their sport—should be the center of attention.

My “other” job allows me to work closely with a large number of students and student-athletes at a major university in Ohio. And in terms of bad attitudes encountered, last year was the worst I can remember. More than ever before, the selfishness was incredible—the arrogance beyond compare. And it’s is a growing and disturbing trend.

All truly successful players, teams and coaches—even those who “play” their game in the business world—know that no one individual can do it all alone. No individual has ever won a Stanley Cup, an NBA Championship or a Super Bowl. To win and be successful in sports, it takes individual commitment to a team.

Without singling out the individuals who provided me with these examples, let’s take a look at a couple of situations we can all learn from—where attitude negatively impacted a team.

The hot hand

I know of an amateur team that was in a national championship tournament last season. The #1 goalie was good down the stretch, but the #2 guy was peaking: he developed a hot hand. The coach, understandably, went with the #2 guy, and he was great. He stopped nearly 50 shots a game, beat the top two teams in the tournament, and carried his team to a semi-final appearance and third-place finish.

The problem? The #1 goalie felt sorry for himself because he did not play, and didn’t enjoy the wins. He didn’t try to hide his unhappiness, became a distraction to the team, and made the #2 guy feel “guilty” for getting the playing time. In the process of letting his selfishness show, he hurt the team and lost personal credibility.

What should he have done?

Well, consider the 1994 Dallas Stars. Darcy Wakaluk, the #2 goalie, was a surprise playoff starter (versus St. Louis) over the more experienced, established #1, Andy Moog. Moog, the quality individual and team player that he is, supported the move—knowing that Wakaluk “came up big” more times than he did down the stretch.

What’s your problem?

Then there’s the other side of the fence. I know a college goalie who is a very dedicated, team-oriented player. However, some of his teammates didn’t always follow team rules or come to the rink committed to play, and therefore played poorly.

Watching this all unfold before him, the goalie got mad at his teammates. While he kept most of it inside, it definitely bothered him—he was mad. As a result of his teammates’ bad attitude, the goalie allowed himself to become distracted, and then he played poorly, too. Why? Because you cannot play mad.

Similarly, I know some defensemen who have personal differences with their goalie. And as much as one says he is giving his all, if a defenseman is mad at his goalie, he is less likely to block shots, sacrifice his body and defend the goalie around the crease.

The moral of these stories is simple: Attitude makes a difference on and off the ice. Hockey is a team game. Life is a team sport. And real success can only be achieved through commitment and a positive attitude. l

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.

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®