Roman Hamrlik

Roman Hamrlik
By Sam Laskaris
Oct 30, 2001, 07:51

©BBS

As is the case with most new franchises, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had their share of growing pains.

Tampa Bay failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of their first three National Hockey League seasons, including 1995. But the future provides some hope, especially if blueliner Roman Hamrlik continues to be a member of the Lightning.

Hamrlik, who was the top pick overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, enjoyed little fanfare during his first two seasons with Tampa Bay. The native of Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia, registered just 21 points during each of these campaigns. But the recently completed third season was different—and not just because of the owner-imposed lockout that shortened the schedule to 48 games.

It was a year in which Hamrlik started to come into his own. In the process he also started being heralded as one of the top young stars in the league. Listen to one of the comparisons he’s drawn.

“If I were to compare him, I’d compare him to Ray Bourque,” says Lightning center Chris Gratton. “He plays 30 minutes a game, he’s offensive, makes great passes and likes to have it going. He likes to throw his weight around. That’s a great asset for him to have.”

Though Gratton sees Bourque-like qualities in his teammate, he noted that such a comparison is a bit premature—especially since Hamrlik is still a relative newcomer to the league, while Bourque has already recorded feats worthy of a Hall of Fame induction.

“It’s not fair to compare right now,” Gratton says. “But I think Roman is going to be an all-star defenseman, too; if not next year, the year after.”

As for Bourque, he’s already played in 13 NHL all-star tilts and is a five-time winner of the Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top defenseman.

He lights the lamp

Though he’s not in Bourque’s class—at least not yet—Hamrlik (12-11-23) was among the league leaders in goals scored by a blueliner in 1995. Only Paul Coffey (14 goals) and Larry Murphy (13 goals) lit the lamp more often than Hamrlik did. And though he potted only nine total goals during his first two NHL seasons, Hamrlik wasn’t surprised with his scoring output this year.

“My goal is for every game to score a goal,” Hamrlik says of the lofty expectations he places upon himself. “I think I’m capable of that.”

And the comparisons to Bourque don’t bother Hamrlik, either. In fact, he seems to enjoy them.

“The best player in the league is (Pittsburgh’s) Jaromir Jagr,” he says. “And as far as defenseman, the best is Ray Bourque. Nobody can be better than him. But maybe I can be like him.”

Barring the unforeseen, the Lightning realize that in Hamrlik they have a player with potential to be a dominating force for years to come.

“Roman is going to be a dandy player,” offers Lightning coach Terry Crisp, who like Hamrlik has been with the franchise since Day One. “He’s only 20 years old (Hamrlik turned 21 on April 12) and already he’s our best defenseman.”

As the Lightning coach, Crisp has had an up-close and personal look at Hamrlik’s development. And he likes what he sees.

“He’s getting better every time out, every game out,” says Crisp, who himself played with four different teams over 11 NHL seasons, and won two Stanley Cups with Philadelphia (1974 and 1975).

“We just like the progress he’s making,” says the man who coached the Calgary Flames to three straight Smythe Division titles (1988-90), and a Stanley Cup championship in 1989. “Obviously he’s what the future of this team is going to be built on.”

Despite being a first-round pick, Crisp says the Lightning—for the time being, anyway—are just letting Hamrlik be himself.

“We don’t put any specifics on what he’s supposed to do or not,” Crisp says. “He’s a defenseman. He’s supposed to learn the game and get better as he goes, and let nature take it course in a natural progression. If he decides he wants to take the puck and go, he’s got the green light to do that. We’re not going to hold him back. We’ll just try to guide him and make sure he doesn’t get too enthusiastic one way or another.”

Veteran Klima has helped

While some overseas players have difficulties upon their arrival in the NHL, Crisp believes Hamrlik’s early adjustments weren’t that trying. “The management was patient; we were patient with him, the players were patient with him and the players were good to him,” Crisp says. “What’s not to like? He’s living in Florida. He’s young. He can go fishing. He’s had a ball for three years. Most youngsters should be so unlucky!”

Hamrlik has been feeling more at home in recent seasons thanks to countryman Petr Klima, a veteran NHL winger who joined the Lightning via a trade with the Edmonton Oilers.

“Petr’s been good to Roman and really helped him out with the language and what not,” Crisp says. “Petr’s been through it all and seen it all, done it all. He can certainly advise Roman of the pitfalls of what’s out there; what to avoid and what to look for.”

Those looking for a weakness in Hamrlik’s game will have to look fairly hard, Crisp adds. “I wouldn’t say he’s missing anything right now. Well, just experience, I guess, and maturity. (But) you get that with age and with working.”

Lightning President/GM Phil Esposito wasn’t surprised with Hamrlik’s performance, especially the offensive abilities he displayed, this season.

“That’s why we drafted him,” says Esposito, who had a brilliant 18-season NHL career with Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers. “We figured he’s going to develop into a true superstar in this league.”

Develop is the key word. “We’ve let him come along slowly,” Esposito says, adding the same treatment has been accorded to Gratton and Jason Wiemer, who were the club’s first-round draft choices in 1993 and 1994, respectively. “We’re not like other teams. We don’t believe (in rushing people). We believe in bringing a kid along slowly.”

Though he’s heard the Bourque-Hamrlik comparison, Esposito, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984, is non-committal on whether he agrees with it.

“I don’t compare people,” he says. “People used to say is Paul Coffey another Bobby Orr. Well, they (do) tie their shoelaces the same. Only time will tell whether (Hamrlik) will be like (Bourque). Nobody was like Orr. And I’ll tell you what, not too many people are like Bourque.”

Still room to improve

While most others in the organization heap only praise upon Hamrlik, Esposito is one who doesn’t mind throwing some negative criticism at his budding blueliner.

“He’s a little lackadaisical,” Esposito opines. “His intensity isn’t as good as it should be. When his intensity is 100 per cent, he’s awesome. But his intensity isn’t there every evening. That’s the difference between him and Bourque and Orr and some of these other guys. There isn’t a big difference between a superstar and a regular player. What’s different is intensity, desire and determination. That’s what Roman has to learn. But he’s only (21). People keep forgetting that.”

Lightning center Brian Bradley isn’t surprised it took until this season for Hamrlik to be more noticeable on the ice.

“He’s playing really well, he’s playing with confidence,” Bradley says. “And that’s the difference. It only comes with experience in the league. The first two years there were high expectations and he had a lot to live up to. It only comes with time. Not many young kids come into the league and play well off the bat. It takes two, three or four years to adjust.”

Gratton, who was selected third overall in his draft year, also knows that being a high draftee can be tough.

“Especially for Roman, coming from (the former) Czechoslovakia,” Gratton says. “It’s an enormous step. It’s a different world coming to America. He’s done tremendous in his English and in his lifestyle. Just being able to translate your life into a totally different situation is difficult. I think he’s done a really good job. He’s worked really hard.”

Gratton is certain Hamrlik can take his game to even higher levels.

“He’s going to be an all-star defenseman, you can mark my words. He’s one of the hardest working guys I know. And he’s a great asset for this team.”

Gratton, who is being projected as a 30-to-40 goal man himself, says the fact that Hamrlik scored with some frequency this season wasn’t a shock to him.

“There’s no surprise that Roman can score goals,” he says. “He’s an offensive defenseman and he loves to lug the puck up the ice. And the coaching staff is letting him do that. When you let a player like that create his own offense, he’s going to score some goals. That’s what Roman has been doing for us, and it’s been great.

“Hopefully he can keep doing that for the next 10-12 years. I’d love to be here with him to watch him develop because he’s going to be a heck of a hockey player.”

Something many believe he is already.

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

We’re No. 2: Life as a Backup Goalie

We’re No. 2! 
Life as a backup goalie
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 30, 2001, 07:54

Tugnutt: “It sort of stinks.” ©BBS

They don’t keep any charts. They never know when they’ll be called upon. There’s nothing special they can do to maintain game condition and instincts. They are the men behind the men behind the mask. They are backup goalies.

The backup goaltender has one of the least talked about and most unwanted jobs in hockey. Unlike forwards and defensemen, who will usually skate at least two or three shifts a night, these stoppers typically won’t see a single minute of ice time on any given night. They can routinely go six or eight, or more, games without getting the opportunity to play—other than during practice and pre-game skates, of course. It is then, while being peppered with shots from his own teammates in a virtually vacant arena, that a backup goalie is doing his number one job.

Nope, there’s not much glory in being a team’s Number Two goalie. And yet, there are those who end up playing a key part in a team’s triumph. It’s for that reason, say some of the NHL’s backup goaltenders, that it is absolutely vital for these unlucky souls to stay focused and uncompromisingly prepared.

Wade Flaherty of the San Jose Sharks is one such goalie. As a backup to all-star Arturs Irbe, Flaherty doesn’t get the call as often as he likes. But in the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, he became an integral part of San Jose’s first-round upset of the Pacific Division champion Calgary Flames.

“I guess you could say I was a little rusty, as far as running things through my mind and being mentally prepared,” says Flaherty, a British Columbia native in his first full season in the NHL. “You have to be mentally prepared, but not to the point where you’re stressed out. You have to be relaxed.”

Whatever Flaherty’s formula, it worked. After Irbe looked shaky (and then was ejected) in a Game 5 loss to the Flames, Flaherty finished up. He then got the call in Game 6 at San Jose. Facing elimination, and having been thoroughly dominated by the Flames in each of the previous three games, the Sharks prevailed, 5-3, forcing the series back to Calgary for Game 7. Flaherty, the 27-year-old backup goaltender, stopped 30 of 33 shots.

“Maybe we won because it’s too early for summer,” Flaherty told reporters after the game.

Opportunity knocks

Most expected Irbe back in the net for Game 7, but Flaherty got the call again, and came up big again, stopping an amazing 56 shots in the Sharks double-overtime triumph.

“Game 6 was the biggest game of my life…until Game 7,” Flaherty says. “That’s just it. You never can tell when you’re going to get the opportunity to play.”

Flaherty believes he was somewhat fortunate that Sharks coach Kevin Constantine chose to use him 18 times in 48 games of the lockout-shortened regular season.

“Last year’s backup, Jimmy Waite,” notes Flaherty, “played only 15 games.”

And surely the bigger workload contributed to his readiness when the opportunity to be a playoff hero unveiled itself.

“I work at staying ready, but the more you play the easier it is,” he says. “I can’t complain about this season.”

Flaherty began getting more work in the season’s second half. At the outset of the campaign, Waite was still No. 2, but he was dealt to Chicago a month later and Flaherty became the primary backup.

Then an odd thing happened. Irbe began to struggle. His goals-against average ballooned to the highest in the league among starters. Flaherty began getting the nod more and more, and finished the regular season with a 3.10 GAA—a fifth of a goal better than Irbe, his buddy and teammate with the International Hockey League’s Kansas City Blades just two years prior.

Back then, says Flaherty, the two split time.

“There isn’t any one or two specific things you can do to stay ready,” Flaherty explains. “I try to stay focused on the game all the time. I watch things like an opposing team’s power play. Who do they like to get the puck to for shots? I watch breakaways, too, to see if I can pick up any tendencies.”

Flaherty admits, however, that when he’s actually called upon to play, he goes more by instinct and feel than on any self-derived scouting reports.

“You don’t always have time to think out there, but I try to pick up what I can; to put the time I spend not playing to use somehow.”

Flaherty agrees that there are many circumstances when a backup goaltender can learn and benefit from non-activity, but that’s not necessarily the case with his particular situation.

“Archie (Irbe) and I are so different in styles that I can’t really learn anything watching him, and he doesn’t learn watching me,” says Flaherty. “I’m more of a butterflier, I guess, and he’s upright.

“Our styles are totally different.”

A career on the bench?

Montreal’s Ron Tugnutt is the stereotypical backup. At Edmonton, he played second fiddle to Bill Ranford, who has pocketed a few Stanley Cup winner’s checks in his day. Still, Tugnutt got enough ice time to impress the then-expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who tabbed him in the 1992 Expansion Draft.

Ah, but Tugnutt’s role with Anaheim would be as a backup to Guy Hebert, the first player selected by the Ducks. And while Tugnutt got an increasing share of the workload with the Ducks, he was still just a backup.

“I never know from one game to the next whether I’ll be playing or not,” he said early in the 93/94 campaign. “In one respect, that’s kind of fun, but in another, it sort of stinks.”

In need of offense later that season, the Ducks dealt Tugnutt to Montreal for center Stephan Lebeau. For Tugnutt, it was another sentence of bench-warming, because the Canadiens boasted perhaps the best netminder in the league—Patrick Roy, who had just come off an MVP performance in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals.

“At least I’ll be in a familiar role,” Tugnutt deadpanned after hearing of the trade.

As expected, Tugnutt has been the reserve’s reserve, starting just seven games this season. Still, he fashioned a respectable 3.12 GAA. The punchless Habs, however, only scored enough for Tugnutt to win once in those seven starts.

At the other end of the spectrum for backups is the New York Rangers Glenn Healy. During the Rangers run to the 1994 Stanley Cup, Healy wasn’t utilized a great deal. Starter Mike Richter enjoyed a phenomenal season in goal and, well, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

This season was different. Richter was alarmingly inconsistent in the early going, and Healy, a 10-year veteran, was relied upon as a stopgap. His 2.36 GAA was third among all NHL goaltenders with at least 15 starts.

In the postseason, Healy came up big again, winning twice as the eighth-seeded Rangers knocked off top seed Quebec in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“It’s not that I like not being the primary guy,” Healy says. “But you have to be willing to fill that role if that’s what your team and your coach want you to do. I work very hard at being ready whenever I’m called on.”

Flaherty concurs. “Every so-called backup wants to start. Sometimes, though, it just isn’t that way. This is my job, for now.”

Of course, Flaherty and Healy have something else in common: both their squads were unceremoniously swept in the conference semifinals, the Sharks by Detroit and the Rangers by Philadelphia.

They still can lead

Flaherty says that he doesn’t dwell on whether he’s playing or not. It’s a streaky sort of thing, so why sweat what you don’t control?

“Some teams play backups more than others. Some coaches go with whoever is hot,” he says. “The most I’ve gone without playing is nine or 10 games when Archie is playing well, but then I’ve (started) six or seven in a row.

“The toughest thing is going to the arena knowing that you’re not going to play, and being prepared just in case you do get the chance.”

Healy tries to fill the void of not playing regularly by getting involved with his team’s mental conditioning. He tries to play a combination motivator/cheerleader role with the goal of maximizing the team’s preparedness.

“He’s a leader for us, whether he’s playing or not,” Mark Messier says. “That’s a good type of player to have on your team. His attitude is great.”

Attitude, say these pros, is key.

“I have confidence in myself and what I can do when I get the chance to play,” says Tugnutt. “As long as I’m in the league, I’ll always strive to be the No. 1 guy. If that’s not my role, then I’ll have to settle for being the best second guy.”

While it’s hard to say who actually is the best Number Two goalie in hockey, Tugnutt and his breed are all among the best in the game when it comes to being mentally focused and ready to play.

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Hockey Camp on a Budget

Hockey camp on a budget
By Bettina Young Prochnow
Oct 30, 2001, 07:49

Do you want to improve your hockey skills but are short of cash for a camp or clinic? Look no further than your basement, garage, or backyard to put together some home-made equipment that will improve your skating, shooting, and stickhandling abilities.

“What you want to develop as a player,” says Bob McCrum, Minnesota’s Twin Cities District Head Coach for USA Hockey, “along with those basic skills, is also explosive power and quickness followed by a short recuperation time.”

Start now and be ready for the Fall by following Bob’s “Top 10 List” of hockey skill development. It’s cheap, readily available, and best of all, it hits each and every one of those all-important hockey skills.

The “Top 10”

#1. Hockey Golf. “If you can stickhandle a golf ball on a cement floor at top speed,” says McCrum, “then you’re great.” Any smooth hard surface that allows that golf ball to really zip will work. A surplus piece of linoleum laid down on the front sidewalk will do and that shouldn’t cost too much!

#2. Shot Doctor. Improve your shooting skills with a 10’ piece of surgical tubing. Tie one end to the heel of your stick-blade and the other to a tree, pole, or post. Practice your wrist and slap shots by pulling against the resistance. Or cut yourself a shorter length, tie it around your own leg and your hockey blade, then pull back and shoot.

#3. Doctor, Two. Do the above exercise with a weighted puck, which you can find in a hockey equipment store. Or use the linoleum from Tip #1 to shoot the puck off of while aiming at a target that you made. The target can be as simple as a piece of plywood with a painted-on bullseye that you can lean up against a closed garage door. You can even shoot the golf balls at this target, too! McCrum’s tip of the day: “Make sure you hit the target—this (exercise) can ruin garage doors. I know, because I’ve had to replace mine!”

Avoid problems, kids: Check with mom or dad first!

#4. Sliding. It’s the basic hockey motion, and no, you don’t need one of those expensive, state-of-the-art slide machines. Get yourself a long narrow piece of plywood and cover it with some Formica. Wax it before you use it the first time, put on some socks, and practice “skating” by sliding side to side.

#5. Quick Feet. If you want them, you’ve got to develop them, and inline skating usually won’t do it. According to McCrum, that’s because most of the time kids are not inlining at top speed. This not only enforces slow foot movement, but also teaches the legs to recover slowly because of the weight of the equipment. The solution? Find yourself a short, steep (approximately 30’ hill), perhaps like those around a water reservoir.

Time how long it takes to run up and down the hill going as fast as you can. Then use a 5/1 recovery ratio—in other words, if it takes 10 seconds to run the hill, then wait 50 seconds to recoup before you attacking it again. Try doing 10 reps a day, gradually working your way up to 30 runs a day by the end of a month. This exercise works on both your speed and your explosiveness!

#6. Hot Peppers. No, not the kind you eat, but the kind you do with a jump rope. This is not only great training for explosive power but also for coordination.

#7. Jump the Bench. Get that picnic-table bench from the backyard (or deep within the garage) and wedge it between something so it doesn’t tip over while you develop your skills at this exercise. Start by jumping up on the top and back down the other side and repeat until you get good enough to jump completely over it. This is hard work, so start by doing it in timed intervals—say 15 seconds to start. Work up to three reps at 30 seconds each.

Be careful! Don’t overextend yourself.

#8. The Wall-Sit. “I wouldn’t want to mess with anyone in a dark alley who can do this well,” says McCrum. Place your back against a wall and inch your feet out until you are in a sitting position. Ready, set—JUMP vertically as high as you can. Try to do this three times in a row (or more). This builds strong thigh muscles that pay off in three ways: with explosiveness, speed, and power!

#9. Shuttle Runs. Keep that garage or basement cleared out. Mark two lines 25-to-30 feet apart and run back and forth with a stop, touch-the-wall, and turn at each end. Come on, you can do that faster! No garage or basement? Pick two trees and zip back and forth between them. Look out for cars!

#10. Strength-en your neck. A tip for all those who are “checking age” and above.

“It is important to remember,” says McCrum, “to keep (all) exercise and a physical fitness program age-appropriate.” Mites and squirts don’t need a program because they’re already running around at top speed at all times. “Any weight training from 10-to-14 years of age should only involve the use of their own body weight,” he adds. “Then, after puberty, with adult-strength bones and ligaments, outside weight-training (can) begin. Neck strengthening exercises (will) help counteract the impact of being checked.”

“You’ve got to warm up before you exercise,” says McCrum, so stretch well—longer than you think you need to—before doing anything else.

Easy, fast, and cheap, Bob McCrum’s Top 10 List can make you a better hockey player.

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

This first appeared in the 08/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Take Five

Take five
By Fred Pletsch
Oct 30, 2001, 07:26

Kariya: The best story.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs should be watched and savored, says Shawn Walsh. The Coach of the University of Maine Black Bears does precisely that each spring, and encourages youth hockey parents to do the same. Not just for the great hockey, but because it’s in the best interest of their hockey-playing children.

“There’s no doubt kids need breaks so they can get recharged, and I think the months of April, May and early June should be targeted as times off,” suggests Walsh, whose Black Bears are coming off their second appearance in three years in the NCAA championship game. “Hopefully by the time July rolls around the kids are excited about the sport again and ready for hockey school.”

And he practices what he preaches. Returning in late March from Providence, RI—scene of their 6-2 NCAA title-game loss to Hockey East rival Boston University—Maine players found the doors to their weight room locked.

“A break is so important to us that I don’t even let my players near the weight room for one month after our season is over,” adds Walsh. “I want them away from all physical activity for that long, and I like to see them away from the ice for two to two-and-a-half months.”

Walsh, rumored annually to be headed to the NHL as a head coach or associate coach, won’t come right out and say it, but he intimated that spring and summer hockey leagues for youngsters are of questionable value in the development of players.

“I don’t think you’re going to find a kid that’s going to benefit that much from playing continuously. I think the benefits are going to be far outweighed by the negatives,” argues Walsh. He cites Paul Kariya, his 1993 Hobey Baker Award winner at Maine and current Anaheim Mighty Ducks Calder Trophy hopeful, as a prime example.

“There’s no question Paul would have been burned out as a player by now if he had played every April, May and June as a youngster,” says Walsh of Kariya, who in a span of 15 months captured an NCAA championship, an Olympic silver medal and World Hockey Championship gold medal. “Paul is a guy who is just in love with the game of hockey, but even he has to monitor his time during the year.

Summer school?

Summer hockey school has a number of developmental advantages over competitive summer leagues, according to Walsh.

“It gives you a chance to do two things. Hockey school lets kids play without the restrictions of the coach and the game situations that they get during the regular season. They really get to freelance, and it’s the closest thing to pond hockey that they’re going to get in this day and age. Secondly, you can usually put yourself against people in your own skill category. The one stifling thing about youth hockey today is that the best players all too often dominate—and Paul Kariya is the best story.”

Walsh asked Kariya early in 1993 why he had enjoyed such an outstanding collegiate season, becoming the first rookie in history to lead the NCAA in scoring and be named Most Outstanding player.

“He told me it was because he was always playing against older players, and (his freshman year) really did a lot for his development because he has never been the best player,” relates Walsh.

The best hockey schools evaluate a player’s skill level beforehand (or on the first day) and, regardless of age, group him with players if similar caliber. That way, every kid will have an opportunity to shine, providing youngsters with renewed confidence and a joy they might not get to experience in their winter youth league.

So enjoy what’s left of the NHL playoffs, and remember these summer hockey thoughts from Shawn Walsh—an extraordinary coach whose teams rarely take a game off during the season.

Fred Pletsch is a veteran OHL and AHL broadcaster who currently covers the Cornwall Aces for CJFS radio.

This first appeared in the 07/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

At forward with Joe Nieuwendyk

At forward with Joe Nieuwendyk
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 30, 2001, 07:23

©BBS

It would not be revealing a big secret to say that any player who reaches, and stays at, the National Hockey League level knows how to play the game. In this column, we routinely share the tangible strategies and techniques of those professionals in order to assist aspiring centers and wings across North America in taking their own game to the next level.

But this month our focus is on an aspect that can only be described as an intangible—the mental aspect of the game.

A valuable player can be described as one who gets widespread respect not only for his productivity, but also for his unselfishness. A guy who’s not always mentioned in the same breath with the game’s greatest players and, yet, you kick yourself when you forget about him.

Enter Calgary Flames center Joe Nieuwendyk. Drafted in the second round of the 1985 draft, the 6’1”, 195-pounder has averaged more than 40 goals per season over his career. Typical upper echelon, multiple all-star qualifications.

But there’s one factor that distinguishes Nieuwendyk even more than his having become just the second rookie in NHL history to surpass 50 goals, a feat he accomplished in 1986/87 fresh off a three-year college career at Cornell. And that’s his ability to focus when all the marbles are on the table—at playoff time.

A master mind

Nieuwendyk is one of those few players who can, subconsciously or otherwise, increase his effectiveness under the do-or-die format of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is a master at mind control; at intensity tempered by discipline. It’s an absolute must, he says, in order to be at your best when the team needs it most.

“You have to remember the things you can do, and not be unrealistic about things maybe you don’t do so well,” Nieuwendyk says. “That’s what (players) should be focusing on as the playoffs approach.”

With Calgary having clinched the Pacific Division title relatively early on, the Flames knew that they were playoff bound. And so begins the mental preparation, which will eventually be followed by the physical execution. For all his physical skills, Nieuwendyk’s mental stability is one major reason why the Flames are regarded as a cerebral squad.

But how does that translate to on-ice effectiveness? Any NHL player or coach will tell you that the game is “different” in the playoffs. There’s more caution, perhaps a bit more mutual respect, and a lot more desire.

Nieuwendyk doesn’t consciously alter his style of play based on a game’s importance, but with the better players things have a way of evolving.

“I think it’s important that you keep it simple,” he says. “That’s what we’ll try to do (in the postseason). You get to this point playing well, so there’s no reason to try and change anything just because it’s the playoffs.

“But at the same time, you have to realize what the situation is. It’s time to get focused on the playoffs.”

Vets show the way

Nieuwendyk believes it’s important for veterans like himself to show the way and keep things under control. Even for forwards, he says, aggressiveness must be maintained on the defensive end, too.

Especially, as is the case with the Flames, when a young goaltender is being asked to excel in the playoff pressure-cooker.

“We have a good situation with Trevor Kidd. He’s been doing the job for us all year; that’s no problem for us,” Nieuwendyk says. “The big thing for us is to keep the puck away from the crease.”

Unlike a hot shot goal scorer who seems absent when it comes to full-length hockey, Nieuwendyk has earned the kudos of his peers for his total presence. The secret to his success, he maintains, is his willingness to follow the play regardless of where it takes him.

“We’ve got a lot of quality players on this team, and we play well together. Everyone is willing to help out everyone else,” he says.

For all his unselfishness, however, Nieuwendyk also knows how to determine when its time for him to step up and assume a larger role. His first major task for the Flames is scoring goals—he’s scored at least 30 in all but one year of his NHL career—and he knows that the team will always look to him for offense. After all, he’s one of the league’s highest-scoring centers.

“Whether it’s the playoffs, or a preseason game. You want to do whatever you can to help your team win,” he says. “For me, its offense.”

Most players want to be regarded as leaders, but for Nieuwendyk the key is to be willing to take on that role without forcing it. When veteran defenseman Al MacInnis, now with the St. Louis Blues, left the Flames during the offseason, it became clear that Nieuwendyk (and teammate Theo Fleury) would be even more heavily relied on.

He hasn’t disappointed.

“He’s a vital part of our hockey team, not just for the scoring he does but for the intangibles,” Calgary coach Dave King says. And first among those intangibles come playoff time is focus.

“I’m just one player on this team,” says Nieuwendyk. “You can only do so much. The big thing is to focus on your own job and make sure you do the best you can at that aspect.”

— Bob Cunningham

This first appeared in the 07/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Skate 8 and Deflect

Drill:

1. Line 3 Defenseman up at the points (D location is based on skill level of players and how far they can shoot.
2. Forward passes puck to point man and skates around first circle and then stops in front of net looking for a deflection from the D shooting from the top of the circle he just skated around.
3. Forward now skates toward the corner, picks up a puck and passes it to the point man. He continues around the circle to the front of the net again looking for a deflection
4. Last he moves toward the middle of the net looking for a deflection from the last Defenseman.

Focus:
1. Puck movement to the Point man.
2. Getting to the front of the net and looking for deflections/rebounds.

Notes:
I found a variation of this drill on another site and will give credit if I can locate it again.

Related Drills:
Drop and go
Skate and tip

Teaching the FUNdamentals

Teaching the FUNdamentals
By Robby Glantz
Oct 30, 2001, 07:20

No matter where I am, coaching power skating—whether it is in North America or Europe—I am asked one question by the coaches more often than any other: “How do we incorporate skating training into our practices when we barely have enough ice time to teach shooting, passing, positional play and strategy?”

They ask it not in a cynical manner, but rather because they are honestly perplexed. These coaches seem to know how important skating is to the game, and truly want to incorporate it into their training regimen. They just do not know the best way to go about it.

I can certainly understand this difficult problem faced by the coaches. As most of us involved with hockey are well aware, there is a real scarcity of ice time. Therefore, the tendency is to emphasize only the “fun” aspects of hockey—i.e. shooting, passing, scrimmages, etc.—during team practices. However, learning to skate better makes the whole game easier—as well as more enjoyable—to play. And the learning aspect itself can also be fun and imaginative.

Stress the fundamentals

As mentioned in the introduction, lack of ice time is the biggest problem that leads to the minimal time spent on skating training in practice. However, another problem is that teaching skating fundamentals can sometimes be a very subtle art, and most coaches are not trained as power skating instructors. But there are certain aspects of skating fundamentals that we can all see, and these are the fundamentals that coaches should stress.

They include; having the players bend the knees more than where they feel comfortable; pushing the legs to full extension in the forward and backward stride; teaching them not to run on the skates—instead, use the edges and not the flats of the blades; and to make sure that the players do not hunch over, but rather that they bend at the knees while keeping their back straight. These are just a few examples of fundamentals that all coaches can repetitively talk about with their players.

Make it fun!

Certainly, players need time to work on their other skills—such as passing, shooting and stickhandling—which are the so-called “fun” part of hockey. And while these vital aspects of the game should be practiced, let’s not forget that skating better only helps to make these skills stronger. And learning to skate better can be fun, too.

One of the major problems I have with coaches is the way in which skating is used as a negative, or a punishment. This automatically sets the wrong tone for the players. Coaches, try to be creative when disciplining your team.

Simply threatening your team, or an individual player, with laps or other skating drills (minus the puck), for example, sends the signal to them that skating is only punishment, and no one likes to be punished.

Further, it sends the message that if skating is to be practiced, it’s practiced as a last resort.

There are, of course, times to emphasize stamina and endurance drills, and times to emphasize technique as well. Each individual situation being different, it is the coach’s job to weigh all the factors surrounding their team’s needs and decide the best times for each. I find that the beginning of the season is an excellent time for technique training, and it is also very important to stick with it as the season progresses.

As many of us know, a good time to practice skating technique drills is during the warm-ups, before the pucks come on the ice. But—surprise!—hockey skating techniques can be practiced while using pucks, too. One of the greatest problems I encounter in my travels is with the creativity on the part of some coaches, and the lack of imaginative and well-rounded drills.

For example, simply because the pucks are on the ice does not mean that the players have to carry them with them everywhere they go. Be creative! Maybe place the pucks in a certain location and have the players do some fun and explosive skating maneuvers before they pick one up. That way they have no distractions, and are free to concentrate solely on their technique.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, encourage players at all levels to try so hard that they make mistakes. Instead of frowning when a player falls down, give them a pat on the rear and let them know that even Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux fall down. Then try to explain from a technique standpoint why it happened.

All players must make mistakes and take chances if they are to improve their skating. And coaches have to be there to support them.

Robby Glantz, power skating coach for the Los Angeles Kings, Swedish champions Malmö, and the German National Teams, conducts skating programs throughout North America and Europe.

This first appeared in the 07/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Stopping the Low One

Stopping the low one
By Mitch Korn
Oct 30, 2001, 07:18

There is always a lot of debate about the best way to stop the puck down low. Should it be a skate save or a half-butterfly? In my view, there is no single right answer. A lot depends on the circumstances and the individual strengths of the goalie. And while the goal stick should always be involved no matter which choice you make, both approaches are valid.

The basics

The skate save (also known as the 1/2-Split) requires precision. Turning a 12-inch blade must be timed perfectly in order to stop a 3.5-inch puck. Skate saves open up “holes,” but when they are done properly they can reduce or eliminate rebounds.

The half-butterfly covers much more space than the skate save, and thus requires less precision. The math is simple: a 30-inch goal pad that is 12 inches wide covers 360 square inches of net! On the down side, however, this save can give bad rebounds and often opens up the top portion of the net.

Do not confuse the half-butterfly with a full-butterfly. Most goalies simply cannot do a full-butterfly, a maneuver that requires a tremendous, almost inhuman, amount of flexibility. Those who try probably can get a 50% leg extension to each side. But a half-butterfly gets a 100% extension to one side—the puck side.

When to use each save

Generally, the higher the level of hockey that you play in, the fewer skate saves you will make. The pure speed of the game—and increased goal-mouth congestion—makes it less likely that you can physically complete the maneuver in time for it to be effective. The skate save is most effective when you use it “situationally”—in other words, when the odds are in your favor.

For example, the skate save is a good choice on clear shots from the high slot, or around the tops of the circles, without a screen or risk of a deflection. In these cases, the goalie has time to be precise with the skate, and can risk opening holes.

Conversely, here are some situations in which you should not use skate saves:

• on breakaways, or around-the-net dekes;

• on quick shots around the net;

• on backdoor passes;

• on screens, or when there is a risk of deflection;

• on rebounds.

The half-butterfly is often the most versatile choice in situations, like those above, in which you do not want to use a skate save. It allows you to fill the space and close holes. Again, it can be done moving laterally into deflections; moving forward while cutting down an angle; moving backward while playing a breakaway, or moving diagonally on a backdoor play.

How to make…

Skate saves:

• drop to knee. All weight should be on the knee, with the leg directly under the body;

• sit up, and keep gloves up;

• explode your save foot on outside edge, angled to the corner;

• keep the stick down, and lead with it;

• keep the skate blade on the ice—do not “sink” your heel;

• your gloves should never touch the ice;

• recover with the leg that makes the save.

There are some common problems resulting from trying to use the skate save. Sometimes the goalie spins, and ends up no longer facing the shot. Sometimes the knee/leg which bears the goalie’s weight is not directly under the body, and the goalie falls on his butt. Still other times the goalie does not sit up, but rather sits back—sitting on the skate blade—or falls forward, and the goalie gloves touch the ice. Finally, the goalie often does not “lean into” the save, or—if the puck is on the stick side—the goalie rolls the shoulder and stick out of the play.

Most important, however, is the first decision the goalie makes—the save selection. Remember, on a quick slot shot or on a deflection or screen, a pad save is more appropriate.

Half-butterfly saves:

• drop to knee. Extend other leg by “getting off the skate blade” on the inside edge, and explode;

• keep gloves up in from of the body. Sit up. Gloves should never touch the ice;

• limit the size of the 5-hole;

• keep the stick down between your legs. Lead with it when possible to deflect rebound to corner;

• keep knee tight to the ice on the save leg;

• recover with the leg that made the save. Turn and attack the rebound.

Common problems resulting from the half-butterfly include; the goalie recovering with the wrong leg; the goalie not getting the knee flush to the ice; not getting enough leg extension, and not keeping the pad facing the shot.

Also, a “flat” half-butterfly—with no push into the shot—often lets the puck go “around” you into the net. A “soft” half-butterfly lets the puck go between the pad and the ice into the net. And an “early” half-butterfly gives the shooter time to adjust and shoot upstairs. These three problems can be offset if you are aggressive, strong and patient.

While the situation dictates the save selection, in the upper levels of hockey there are more screens, more deflections, more snipers and less chance to be precise. That means one day—if you’re lucky enough to move up in the game—your skate save will largely become obsolete.

So, goalies, master that half-butterfly!

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 07/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Defense on the Roll

Defense on the roll
By Wayne Anderson
Oct 30, 2001, 07:16

A defensive player’s skills often go unnoticed throughout a game, and sometimes even throughout an entire season. In roller hockey, with the emphasis on offense, most players abandon the defensive concepts and adapt to the glorious offensive style. But the truth is that in roller hockey the two-way player is the player most teams really want.

This article will address some of the simple, basic concepts we need to grasp in order to be a good defensive player. So let’s brush off the cobwebs, and put our playing brains in a defensive mode.

 The basics of good “D”

Some of the basic traits found in a successful defensive player are; good backward skating techniques; the ability to protect the middle of the surface; good use of their stick; good containment skills; dependable front-of-the-net coverage, and good passing techniques.

Obviously, to play good defense a player should have good backward skating techniques. The “C” cut should be the stride of choice for all players who skate backwards. Just as in basketball, you are taught not to cross your feet while defending the player with the ball—you do not want to use crossover strides while skating backwards.

The main reason is because when you cross over your feet, you are committed to at least one more step in the direction you are crossing over to. Therefore, a good offensive player—when they see that you are committed one way or the other—will immediately change direction and go around you. Enough said.

Another stride that will help players pivot to cover the corners is the “Mohawk Turn.” This is a pivot rather than a turn. You execute the pivot from a backward gliding stance. You then lift the leg in whichever direction you wish to go, and point the foot toward that direction. You then place that foot down, while at the same time doing a “T” push with your gliding foot. This maneuver is used mainly to propel yourself into the corners of the rink.

The way we protect the middle of the rink is by forcing our opponents (especially the puck/ball carrier) to the outside (toward the boards). Once the puck carrier gains the middle of the offensive zone, he/she has too many options available. So you want to force the puck/ball carrier to the outside and take away their skating surface and, unless they’re wearing anti-gravity boots, they will need to stop skating or lose the puck.

Camouflage it

Once you take away their skating space, the next thing is the effective use of your stick. This means using a stickcheck to knock the puck/ball away from the offensive player. The first big mistake that a defensive player can make is to show the puck/ball carrier the full length of your poke, or stickcheck. After all, a known quantity is always easier to defeat than an unknown one.

Hold your stick at your side, near your hip. Then, at an opportune moment, release the full length of your stick, hopefully surprising your opponent.

To practice good containment skills you need to do one-on-one drills inside of the faceoff circles. Learn how to go around a player’s body when they are trying to protect the puck/ball, and be tenacious. Never let up, and above all never get “caught up” with the game around you and forget about the coverage in front of the net.

Always keep your body in between the opposition and the net. That way, if you’ve “fallen asleep,” at least you will have a chance to block the shot.

One more skating skill that needs to be mentioned is the change of direction. It does no good to pokecheck the puck away from the opposition, then not be able to change direction and go get it.

Defensive players also need to keep in mind that they must have an attitude—a philosophy. And that is that when we have the puck, we must think defense before offense.

Accept the role, and do the best job you can. And you just might find yourself the most valuable player on your team—and the one who’s sent out in critical situations.

Next month we will talk about responsibilities and techniques during one-on-ones, two-on-ones, and coverage during four-on-four and five-on-five play.

Wayne Anderson is Managing Director of Huron Hockey’s roller hockey schools.

This first appeared in the 07/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Skate, Stop and Pass

Drill:

1. Put players in groups of 2 starting at the goal line
2. Player 1 skates 4 strides, stops and looks for a pass from Player 2
3. Player 2 passes back to Player 2, then skates stops and looks for a pass
4. Continue this to the Blue line
5. Repeat all the way back to the goal line
6. Player 1 & 2 Switch positions and repeat drill

Focus:
1. Good quick starts
2. Good Stops and head up looking for a pass
3. Good passes back to their teammate

Notes:
A lot of variations on this drill by changing up the number of strides or placing markers where they need to stop.

Related Drills:
Passing Forward/backward Tandems
Give and Go