Eric Lindros: Purveyor of Doom

Eric Lindros: Purveyor of doom
By Stan Fischler
Oct 30, 2001, 07:13

©BBS

Like many journalists, I had heard Eric Lindros horror stories. From Junior days, there were tales of his overprotective mother. And, of course, there was Eric’s Francophobia—resulting in his decision to renounce Les Nordiques as his team of choice. Others said he was an introvert, a difficult interview and, not surprisingly, a spoiled brat.

All of these were impressions delivered before I had ever met Eric Lindros in person.

Our first meeting was about a year-and-a-half ago at New Jersey’s Brendan Byrne Arena. Eric had agreed to a live, impromptu interview between the first and second period of a Devils-Flyers game. It had been an especially mean match, with Lindros and New Jersey’s captain Scott Stevens hurtling smashing bodychecks at one another. Philly was losing the game and Eric was—for the moment, at least—losing the checking battle.

“The way things are going on the ice,” my SportsChannel producer whispered over my headphones, “don’t be surprised if he stiffs you.”

It is not uncommon for athletes to forget about a live interview if they are experiencing difficulty on the field, or in this case, the rink. Certainly, Lindros owed me nothing. So I braced for a no-show.

But the period ended, and sure enough Eric was there; on time, cooperative and eloquent, at that. He showed me a lot of class with his insights.

Nor was it the only time he would impress me. Twice this season I asked him aboard for interviews at the Spectrum. Again I was warned by Philadelphia TV people that he might not show, and not to be surprised. I didn’t have to hold my breath. On each occasion he arrived more punctual than most, eager to chat and as perfectly amiable as anyone could imagine.

To say that I had become a Lindros fan would be a slight exaggeration, but I was certainly impressed with the Flyers captain as both an athlete and as an individual. Despite his relative youth, he has assumed his club’s mantle of leadership and led them to first place in the Atlantic Division, and a rare Flyers playoff berth.

Because of his total value to the team, Eric is a serious candidate for the Hart (MVP) Trophy and has emerged as the NHL’s youngest marquee talent. If Bettman, Inc. has been searching for an heir to Wayne Gretzky, it may well have found one on Broad Street, at the center of Philadelphia’s “Legion of Doom” line.

Just prior to the season’s end, Lindros fielded questions from journalists in all parts of the continent during an NHL-sponsored, league-wide conference call. Here is some of that interview.

During the last three years you have probably gotten tired of watching the playoffs from afar. Do you think the trade with Montreal is what will put you over the top?

I think our depth has improved dramatically with Eric Desjardins back on the point. He is on (ice) every other shift. He is playing close to the top of his game. That had really been a big factor, having another real quality defenseman back there. With Gilbert Dionne, he is a real character. He is a lot of fun in the dressing room. He is great off the ice (and) he is playing well on the ice. He may not be scoring right now, but he certainly is being very effective in the role he is playing. And John LeClair, I don’t even need to touch base on that at all. It is incredible how well he has performed and how things have been going. Yeah, I do think this trade has us into a position where we can compete with the best teams knowing every night we have a chance to win.

As far as the line, I really enjoy it. I have two big wingers to play with who have the speed to go to the net. I don’t have to be as physical—you know, forechecking and taking the body as much. I think I haven’t been running around with my head cut off quite as much as I had in the previous two years. That has been great. It really helped me improve in other aspects of my game.

Our skills are improving. We are just taking every day as a new day and just going out and having some fun with it.

With the Canadiens, John LeClair wasn’t producing as much offensively, and he’s mentioned the pressure of playing in Montreal. Is he more relaxed, and could that be a main reason for his success?

Well, the climate here is a little different as far as the media pressure goes. Anytime that you are playing in Montreal or Toronto or the big Canadian cities, there is a different element that has to come into play. Down in Philly, we have a pretty relaxed environment in comparison to those cities, and I have to agree that maybe could be a factor. 

But are you surprised by him?

He can’t miss. He can’t miss right now. He is playing so great, it is just incredible. I have the best job in hockey right now. I can find two guys on the ice. I have got two to look for, and I only have to find one. Generally, with the quick pass, I have got a real good scoring chance.

In your first couple of years with the Flyers, you didn’t seem ready to step into a leadership role. You seemed more content with being part of the team. Now you are the youngest captain in the NHL. Do you think that your role has changed?

I am not the Flyers. I am not changing at all. I am improving. Our team is improving. We are all getting better together. When we step on the ice, it is not (just) me. I am playing with two great players right now on the line. We’ve got great goaltending in the pipes. We have great defenseman. I don’t think I really changed that much. I think I have improved as a player, but I am really happy with how strong our team is in other aspects.

But are you comfortable with your leadership role?

Again, I really haven’t changed that much. I think that with every game you learn something. You might learn more and more about how the game is played—little things—just running with a guy like Craig MacTavish. I don’t see everything. I don’t know everything. And he has certainly been through it all, and having guys like him around keep (us on) an even keel. I think that has helped quite a bit in terms of everybody’s development as leaders, not just someone who might wear the captain’s C.

You’ve stayed healthier this year. Is that simply because you have bigger linemates and maybe you have toned down your aggressive game a little bit?

I think so. If the hit is there, it is there. Gordie Howe told me not too long ago that it is great to go out and play physical—do your job that way—but pick your spots. When the (chance to) hit is 50/50, maybe you just take your check. (But) when it is 95 percent, go right at it—do your thing and you will accomplish more from it.

So I think that with the other two big guys that I am fortunate to play with, we spread (the physical game) out. It is not one guy or two guys. It is all three of us that really get a chance to bump and grind and to control the puck along the boards. And I think our skills are improving because we are not concentrating on being the forechecker. We spread it out.

You’ve been on a monstrous hot streak. Is that due strictly to your “Legion of Doom” linemates?

It is a combination of everything. Certainly we have been on streaks before. Playing with Brent Fedyk and Mark Recchi a couple of years ago, we really had gotten on a hot streak, but we didn’t have the team that we have now. I really look at the (overall team) depth, and really compliment the moves that have happened here. (As for) points, there are a 100 plays that happen before a goal goes into the net. A lot of times it is a great transition play by our defenseman stepping up. (Or) throwing the puck off the glass on a line change and catching the other team. There are a lot of things that happen prior to a goal being scored. It is not just a couple of guys, it is everybody.

There has been a fairly remarkable amount of turnover in personnel as this season has progressed. Do you have any observations about the job that Terry Murray has done in blending it together?

Well, he has done a great job. I think with the changeover in personnel, everyone is starting to have a really good grasp on the system that we’re trying to play every night. We are learning every day in practice. We are learning on the videotape. And that is to his credit.

Can you be a little more specific about the little things that are improving in your game, and what impact, if any, Coach Murray has had on the way you play?

The little things. Picking up our checks coming through the neutral zone was something that we (work on). We are learning faceoffs. We always have a game plan for every faceoff that sets what we want to accomplish from a won draw—or a draw that we lose, what we want to do to defend against the rush. “Holdups”—you know, trying to give our defense time so that they can get back there and make the good play to get out of the zone, which in turn helps us have some scoring chances. Those are the little things.

As far as Terry and my game personally, well, at the start of the year, I was playing all right. I wasn’t playing all that great, but he has always had his lines of communications open to me. He has always been real honest with me. He knows—I know—in my heart when I haven’t performed as well as I can, and he has always been there to back it up. You can’t hide anything. When things aren’t going well, he always wants to know what is going on; to see if everything is all right. He really looks after all the guys.

Are the Rangers as good or as formidable an opponent as the team that won the Stanley Cup last year?

I don’t see why not. I mean, they still have all the key elements that they had last year. They are a real strong hockey club.

With the next round of expansion in the near future, what are your thoughts about hockey in Arizona?

First of all it’s awfully warm out there. We found that out on a road trip. I think hockey is really (taking off) around the States. It has been great. Even with The Lockout, as much as it was a real disturbance to our league, I think it helped the other leagues—the other pro leagues—really get some attention; attention that (they) deserved because it is really good hockey that’s being played. As far as expanding out into Phoenix—I don’t know what to say. That would be terrific. I would really enjoy playing there.

Do you think expansion will be good or bad for the League?

I think that with expansion, more and more players that might not have a chance (otherwise) will get a chance to play. And they are improving things with the goals being down this year. I think it is a real credit to the talent of the defensive players. I think it is a whole lot tougher these days to get a good forecheck with the way that trap is set up, the way the goaltending has been. I just wouldn’t point out, say, that the goals are down and (say) the talent pool is low. I think quite the opposite.

I think the game is improving, and there aren’t the weak teams where you can go in and grab seven or eight points as an individual. I think it has really improved in that respect.

You came into the league with so many expectations. Has there ever been a point where those expectations have gotten to you, and changed you in any way?

Well, I just turned 22. I plan on being in the game a long time. Certainly coming in because of the way I was treated, things started to heat up a little bit, but I don’t think I have changed all that much. I still love the game. I will always love the game. Some days are better than others. But just having the chance to go out and play is what I enjoy the most. And now that we have such a strong team everybody shares it.

Everybody has that same feeling—that fun feeling where everyday in practice it is a challenge. It is something that everyone is enjoying. We are having competition with the goaltenders. We are playing. We are supposed to be grown men, mature guys, but in our hearts we are kids having fun, playing a game that we love.

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

Iron Cross

1. Players start at the bottom of the circle and skate to the top
2. Then they skate backward to the side of the circle
3. Next they do side-steps to the other side of the circle
4. Then backwards to the bottom of the other circle
5. Skate to other circle and repeat

1. Skating footwork and speed
2. Focuses on movement in all directions which will only help them in their game

Rod Langway: Back to the Grind

Rod Langway: Back to the grind
By Tom Worgo
Oct 30, 2001, 07:10

©BBS

Rod Langway rested comfortably against a wooden bench in the Richmond Renegades locker room, clutching a huge ice bag to his swollen right knee. Langway had just finished back-to-back playoff games. But his quest wasn’t to capture Lord Stanley’s Cup for the Montreal Canadiens or Washington Capitals. It was to win the Riley Cup for a minor league hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League.

The hard truth is that the ECHL is pretty much the lowest level of the minors. And Langway’s playing in a league that isn’t quite at Slapshot level, but isn’t so far removed from it, either.

But wherever you play, an injury is an injury—and some of the pain showed on his face.

It wasn’t the first time Langway played hurt this season. He had a groin injury back in March, about the time his knee first began acting up. Were the injuries a surprise? Well, some struggles are to be expected when you haven’t played competitive hockey for more than two years.

“It’s pretty tough for someone to play in back-to-back games when you are 37 years old,” says Langway, who last played in the NHL on February 21, 1993.

This season, he was in and out of the Richmond lineup before playing in nine of the Renegades 17 playoff games. On this night, he played about 6 1/2 minutes, which covered nine shifts.

So how did the grand old man of the ECHL look? Well, first off, he looked different. Langway—earning $310 a week—wore a helmet. In his 15 NHL seasons—plus the time he spent in the old World Hockey Association—Langway never wore headgear.

A defensive Gretzky

Favoring his aching knee, he played the most in the final period. He killed some penalties, gave the first-line defense some rest and attempted to block two shots. On one dive, he stopped a slapshot. Even at 37, Langway still showed some of the superb defensive abilities that made him a two-time Norris Trophy winner in 1983 and 1984.

“Langway was the same as Wayne Gretzky, but in a defensive mode,” says Craig Laughlin, Langway’s former Washington teammate. “In the ECHL, he knew what the guys were going to do before they did it. Everybody in the league was in awe of him. He killed the penalties with the best of them. The way he pinned a guy to the boards…it’s an art. He doesn’t let the guy back into the play.”

Langway wasn’t expected to play in the Riley Cup finals, but when Richmond defenseman Jay Murphy broke his arm, Langway suited up.

“He was really playing hurt, and he shouldn’t have been out there,” says Richmond coach Roy Sommer, also 37, but a month older than Langway.

Langway is the Renegades only future NHL Hall of Framer. But that didn’t make things any easier this night.

“Probably at about 11:30 PM, or midnight, I might not be able to walk,” he explained. “It’s tough because of the swelling in my knee. When you are on the bench, it swells up. You get sharp pains in there. It’s all part of the game.”

These are the words of a warrior whose best playing days, admittedly, are behind him.

“My doctor told me not to skate anymore. It takes a lot out of you. You don’t have that one step to make a quality play and you get scrambling around. My skating is OK, but I have a tough time skating backwards to forwards.”

This particular game was all part of his entry back into the hockey world, and it was Laughlin who talked his good friend into lacing up the skates once again. Laughlin is a part owner and GM of the Renegades.

Why did Langway heed Laughlin’s words? He wanted to get a little exposure as a player and then join the corporate side, running hockey schools and setting up new ice rinks. Besides, retirement bored him.

“It got me off the couch,” says Langway of the comeback. “You can only play so much golf and relax. I started watching hockey again and had the itch to get back. I feel like I’m 25 again.”

A PR thing?

“I had to shake my head a couple of times when I saw him out there,” said Sommer. “I didn’t think it was for real. A guy who was a Norris Trophy winner and seven-time all star playing at this level. If I was a bystander, I would think it was a PR thing. But when he hopped on the bus to Charlotte, I saw how sincere he was.

“We were on a Northern swing through Wheeling and Hershey and all these towns he’d never seen before. I watching the warm-ups (in Hershey) and these guys king of stopped and were looking at him (wondering) ‘Is this for real?’”

But Langway hopes his real future is in the coaching ranks. “It’s something I always thought about,” Langway says. “I won a Stanley Cup and was fortunate to have played with Montreal. It’s still the highlight of my playing career. I was 20 years old. Some of these guys (in Richmond) are 21 to 25 years old and just out of college. The big thing with them is just to see the ice, move the puck and don’t try to do too much. A lot of the kids get nervous.

“You just try to make them relax and make the quality plays; have them make the easy passes instead of the ones that don’t work. I think I have helped.”

For now, Langway will focus on youth hockey and ice rinks. Starting in July, Langway and Laughlin begin running six hockey schools in the mid-Atlantic area. The two will travel from one camp to another, teaching the youngsters.

Later this year, several new rinks will open. One in Richmond, one in Dale City, VA and another in Rockville, MD. Langway will be part of the venture’s management group. They expect to open rinks next year in Manassas, VA and Baltimore, MD.

Creating a hockey hotbed

“I want Rod to be involved in all the rinks and schools. I don’t think (the mid-Atlantic) area ever had this opportunity before,” Laughlin says. “I think we can develop hockey to the highest level it’s ever been. My goal is to get the area to be a hockey hotbed, like the places everybody talks about—Canada and Boston.”

“Myself and Craig,” adds Langway, “we are pretty well known in those areas, and in the hockey world. We are in a great situation. Hockey is booming from Florida to Pennsyl-vania. There’s good opportunity to make a business of it. Hopefully, I will get really deeply involved in it and make a good living by doing it. We are going to run the rinks and get involved in owning them.

“It’s an investment type of deal with our names on it. The business end of it, I don’t know too much about right now. I will be involved in some capacity. I think in five to 10 years you will have some quality players coming out of that area.”

The business end of hockey is something new to Langway. In the mid-1980’s, Langway set up a hockey school in his home town of Randolph, MA. “It was only a two-week program,” Langway says. “I did it to return the favor. That area allowed me to develop into a decent hockey player.”

One other time, Langway appeared at a Washington Capitals hockey camp in the 1980’s. “I didn’t even get paid.”

But which dream is stronger, giving back at hockey school or moving ahead in the coaching ranks?

“If a hockey organization wants to get me involved, I’d probably just do it for a year and see if I enjoy doing it,” says Langway.

He’s definitely made an impact on the Richmond team, especially with the defenseman. “He gives the younger players a little more motivation,” says Sommer. And even with his aching knees, Langway’s comeback has to be considered a raving success—the Renegades having captured the Riley Cup title.

Since he’s come back to hockey, the Hockey Hall of Fame will just have to wait a few more years for Langway.

Tom Worgo is a free-lance writer in Maryland.

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

Ouch! Injuries and the Game

Ouch! Injuries and the game
By Andre Palai
Oct 30, 2001, 07:06

©BBS

A coach’s worst nightmare is seeing a barrage of bodies being tended to in the trainer’s room. From superstars to role players, the area athletes least like to visit—but the one that always seems most crowded—is the medic ward. Injuries are part of the game. It’s a partial price an athlete pays for competing to be the best.

A team’s successful forecast can crumple like brittle bones if it becomes decimated by injuries. How many times have we seen teams get off to a good start and then, halfway through the season, become cellar-dwellers due to a rash of injuries? It happens year after year.

A pulled groin or hamstring can put a player on the shelf just as long as a broken bone. While the latter appears worse, both are significant because no matter the sport, a pulled muscle severely limits an athlete by taking away critical flexibility and mobility. If not given proper care, pulled muscles and ligaments can become chronic, often causing a player to be injured more frequently. That, in turn, translates into less playing time and often forces an organization to fill the void with a less experienced player.

Broken bones on the other hand, while they take longer to heal and can sideline a player for several weeks, usually happen less frequently.

“Accidents,” says Anaheim Mighty Ducks trainer Blynn DeNiro, are the primary cause of injuries. “There’s no preventing accidents. When you have big bodies flying around and people running into each other, something’s got to give. It’s usually the weakest link. That’s the nature of the beast,” explains DeNiro.

With hockey being a fast-paced collision sport, the physical demand on a player’s body is more significant than those in other sports. The normally lengthy schedule, and the ability to perform two tasks at once are major factors in testing a player’s overall physical fitness.

A two-sport sport

“Hockey to me has always been two sports. First it’s skating. You have to be a tremendous skater. Then it’s the game. The hockey. So there’s two things involved, so that makes it more taxing mentally and physically,” says DeNiro.

“I think you have to look at the travel and back-to-back games,” DeNiro continues. “A lot of times these guys will play three games in four nights. The body has no time to recover.”

Players are paid to be in top shape and perform consistently night in and night out. But as the years go on, a player’s body changes, and becomes less durable. Even the most physically fit athletes are not immune from injury. Rick Tocchet, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, and former NHL great Bobby Orr have all been felled by injury during their careers. Many players, like Orr, former Buffalo Sabres star Rick Martin, and Philadelphia Flyers great Bernie Parent, have all had their careers cut short by disabilities. With competition increasing to new heights, the body eventually breaks down and cannot take the pounding it once did when it was young.

Body parts age just like humans do. Joints begin to stiffen. Ligaments are not as flexible, and muscles require more effort to keep strong.

“At 25, everybody starts to notice that they’re sore a little longer. Things don’t heal quite as fast. It takes longer to stretch, longer to condition. By the time you get to 30 your healing processes begin to slow. That’s the nature of the beast and you have to accept that,” says DeNiro.

With fat cat contracts and outside pressure, professional athletes cannot call in sick or decide to take a day off at leisure. There are no sick days in pro sports. Even if there were, most athletes—certainly most hockey players—would rather play hurt than sit out. Call it macho, call it resilient; the fact is, in order to survive in pro sports you have to play hurt. It is a way of life and is part of what sets them apart from the common man.

Sometimes, however, we hear of an athlete reaggravating an injury, or possibly coming back to soon. Who is to blame? Who makes the decisions on when the player should return to action?

“You can point the finger at a coach or point the finger at a trainer or doctor, and a lot of times you point the finger at the athlete. There isn’t one person. Usually it’s a total decision. If everybody knows what’s going on, you’re gonna nine times out of ten make the right decision,” explains DeNiro.

“Sometimes it is trial and error, and you do go too soon. Sometimes you also wait too long. It’s a fine line. There’s no set date of return because everybody’s healing rate is different and everybody’s injuries are different. A lot of times it’s a guess.”

A cold cure

DeNiro has seen his fair share of battered and bruised players over the years, having spent four years with NFL’s Rams prior to joining the Mighty Ducks. He responded adamantly with one word when talking about the most often used remedy in treating injuries. “Ice, Ice, Ice.” The exact same thing the players skate on.

“That’s an initial treatment, because it stops the swelling and tissue damage and decreases the pain. You can make less mistakes with ice than anything else. It’s the treatment du jour, as we say.

“We have a lot more technical muscle stimulating units that deal with pain and swelling, but ice is still number one. It always has been and always will be, because it works.”

Once a complete diagnosis takes place regarding the extent of an injury, a player is then subjected to minor or intense rehabilitation, depending on the severity of the injury.

Surgery is often a last resort. Most players, given their druthers, would prefer to wait until the off-season to have surgery rather than spend a significant amount of time on injured reserve. Sometimes they have no choice, like Buffalo Sabres center Pat LaFontaine, who missed all but 22 games this year, and most of the prior season, due to a knee injury.

There is no such thing as injury prevention. Accidents happen everyday. Just listen to a Los Angeles traffic report and you will agree. But there are ways to help reduce the likelihood of being hurt.

Take the time to stretch before engaging in play. Many people overlook stretching because it’s boring. They think their muscles will loosen up during the game. Instead, they are actually increasing their chances of pulling something during the course of play. Take, for example, DeNiro’s analogy. “Look at a cat. Cats are always stretching. They don’t have a lot of muscles injuries and they’re very flexible.

“Stretching is essential. It’s not easy to do, but you have to push yourself. The older you get the more important it becomes,” says DeNiro.

“For the amateur athlete it becomes very important for working day to day, because you don’t want a strained back or pulled muscle to cause you to hobble around in pain all week.”

Coaches at the amateur level need to develop a routine that makes stretching out fun. “Don’t make it work. Make each kid involved. Change up the routine by coming up with something new everyday. Then it becomes a challenge for the kids and they keep interested.”

A thorough routine of stretching makes for a more flexible body and can enhance a player’s longevity.

Having the proper equipment is a must for ensuring a player’s personal safety. Make sure each piece of equipment fits properly and provides proper protection for the designated area. Do not buy from the bottom of the barrel. Spending a little more on equipment could keep you playing rather than waiting to see the doc.

You cannot be at the top of your game if you are not healthy. And athletic health starts by exercising the body in the form of stretching to ensure maximum performance from each muscle, ligament, and joint.

Players who have poor work habits off the ice tend to be at a disadvantage on the ice.

DeNiro offers this advice to those that want to excel in sports.

“A good quality athlete, at any level, is the one who can make the adjustment to the changes in his body and accept them and deal with them.”

Andre Palai has been playing hockey for more than 20 years.

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

Coach Chris McSorley Builds Winners

Coach Chris McSorley builds winners
By Janet Del Tufo
Oct 30, 2001, 07:03

(Photo courtesy Anaheim Bullfrogs.)

Coaching a team to a championship is an adventure that most men who stand behind the bench will only dream about. It’s a dream highlighted with handshakes and pats on the back, and dazzling photogenic smiles next to a prized piece of hardware called the trophy. Some may catch a glimpse of this dream by way of coaching a son’s or daughter’s team, or through neighborhood youth centers and public schools. They will celebrate their winnings with hot dogs and root beer, and for a fleeting moment perhaps understand what an individual who coaches for a living might one day experience.

But few professionals realize the championship dream. They rarely hold the hardware and taste the champagne. But from the shadows of minor league hockey, comes a man—an intense man with an intense presence—who, over a two-year period, has seen, felt and lived the dream not once, but four times. Four times. His name is Chris McSorley, and he has impressed the hockey world with his ability to win championships.

At 33 years old, McSorley has surprised people with his coaching abilities, especially those who remember him from his short-lived professional playing career. A gritty and tough player—reminiscent of his younger brother, Marty, of the Los Angeles Kings—the older McSorley has no regrets about his career as a player, years spent traveling the American and International hockey leagues. At age 22, then a steel company employee, McSorley had a pro tryout, and has been thankful to have stayed around as long as he did.

“To have played five years of professional hockey, to me, I’ve considered myself the luckiest man alive. And to be able to move on and contribute in a non-playing capacity is truly the greatest privilege that anyone in sports can ever ask for,” McSorley says. “(Going from) not contributing as a player to contributing as a non-player is truly the greatest movement any athlete can make.”

His transition from player to coach was not planned, yet it has been an outstanding move for the sport of hockey. After upsetting various neighborhoods throughout the hard-fought “lunch box” leagues, his presence was beginning to tire the rank and file. McSorley then secured a position as coach with Winston-Salem (NC) of the East Coast Hockey League.

“The real story is that, Rick Dudley—whom I had the opportunity to play for in Flint, Michigan—was coaching New Haven, which we were going to see 14 or 15 times over the course of the season. Rick didn’t want me to be playing anymore against his teams, so what he did was to get me an opportunity to coach at a lower level. His motivations were purely—well, maybe a little selfish—but at the same time they were truly beneficial for me,” McSorley says. “So, it was Rick that obtained the opportunity for me to coach at Winston-Salem in 88/89.”

Those who can’t do…

Still, his success continued to puzzle some, as he was not a skilled player and did not appear to possess the makings of a coach—let alone a championship coach.

“They say sometimes that the worst players make the best coaches, which means that I should be one hell of a coach some day,” laughs the light-hearted McSorley.

Throughout his transition, he has crossed paths with individuals whom he once played against. Some were on opposing teams, others he has coached directly. He recruits players based on merit and personal nature, and has never let past playing experiences get in the way of assembling the most competitive individuals he can find to get the job done.

Terror was often be the main ingredient in McSorley’s on-ice responsibilities, and he has found a way to maintain that aspect of his style in the coaching ranks. But his self-confident and in-control aura has enabled him to develop players he once squared off with at center ice.

“As a coach, not many people have really taken an attitude with me. Fear is still a great motivator to keeping people silent, and it’s worked well within my career.”

After his stay in Winston-Salem, coach McSorley moved on to Richmond, VA, and then to Toledo, OH, where in 1993 he and the Storm took the ECAC’s championship title. While all this was happening, an observant Ralph Backstrom—who himself has more than 50 years of hockey experience under his belt, along with six Stanley Cup Rings—was waiting in the wings.

He and Dennis Murphy, founder of the old World Hockey Association, were on the lookout for talent to supply a new professional sports league called Roller Hockey International. RHI sought to develop the sport of hockey in a whole new way, and needed individuals with the ability to develop talent. Enter Chris McSorley, who was brought on board to spice things up and be part of something new.

“I was approached by commissioner Ralph Backstrom, and Ralph recommended me to Maury Silver of Anaheim,” McSorley says of his introduction to roller hockey. “Anaheim, being a flagship franchise for Roller Hockey International, Ralph felt that Maury might need someone of some experience with him. I had just won my first title when I took the opportunity with Maury. Coming off a championship, I took quite a gamble by taking on 16 individuals who had never participated in inline hockey before.”

Backstrom could see the things in McSorley that had been hidden deep in the South-Easterly corners of the US—a far cry’s from the hockey Mecca Ontario, Canada, where you will find McSorley’s roots. And if Backstrom’s hockey smarts weren’t demonstrated well enough from having taken home the sport’s biggest and grandest prize—the Stanley Cup—then they are now, for having recruited one of the most productive individuals the sport of roller hockey has known.

He didn’t disappoint

“I felt that Chris was the type of coach that we would like to attract to our league—guys that had good foresight, that could see the potential of the sport,” Backstrom says of his early observations of McSorley. “Chris is very knowledgeable of the sport of hockey and I felt that his qualities as a roller hockey coach would be just as good, and Chris did not disappoint us. He is certainly one of the most outstanding coaches in our (league’s) short, short career.”

McSorley won the first ever RHI championship while coaching the Anaheim Bullfrogs, and then scurried back off to Toledo so that he could resume his coaching duties with the ECHL Storm. After another winning season, McSorley once again tasted champagne. After a back-to-back championship efforts (and a combined third in a row), people started thinking and wondering just where Chris McSorley had come from.

“When I think of Chris McSorley,” Backstrom says, “I think of an outstanding coach, both in ice hockey and in roller hockey. He’s an inundator; a very aggressive type of coach, one who truly has done an outstanding job in both sports.”

As soon as the champagne in Toledo dried from his lips, McSorley said yes to an offer in Buffalo, NY, where he would start from scratch—with an entirely new lineup—and guide the Stampede to RHI’s second championship. McSorley proved that a winner can win, wherever he or she may go, and the uninterrupted string of four championship celebrations left everybody in the hockey world wondering about the secret of McSorley’s success.

His greatest gift is his ability to assemble teams. To start with, he recruits his own players, and his last two summers began in both Anaheim and Buffalo with 16 individuals per team who had never inline skated before. Who makes the grade? Well, certain criteria must be met before one can gain membership on one of McSorley’s clubs.

“I look for individuals who are, number one, hugely competitive; skill level—average to about above average; and committed to physical play—100%,” McSorley says. He compares the roller game to that of a driving experience. “Roller hockey,” he says, “is a game that puts players on wheels with no brakes—on a collision course—and it’s the biggest vehicle that is going to win the collision. That’s been my formula to success for roller hockey.”

A secret formula?

After winning back-to-back RHI titles, with different players, it would appear that McSorley has a great playbook, or a gift for complex strategy. But that’s not the case. The strategy has been a simple one.

“I say: drop the puck and let’s play some hockey. Because until each hockey player is comfortable on his inline skates, which takes about a month, (set) plays are non-beneficial,” McSorley says of the training camp period. “Once they obtain a comfort level on their wheels, strong man-on-man coverage and passing skills take precedence.”

If a player wants to join one of McSorley’s championship teams, he better have something significant in his background that will attract the attention of a man with strong coaching instincts.

“I don’t take players on tryouts. I research my players thoroughly enough that I bring in my team; I don’t bring in camps,” McSorley says of his recruiting techniques. “It’s unfortunate for individuals hoping to have the chance to play for my roller hockey team, but I only bring in 16 individuals who are going to stay. The conversion period is about a month from ice skates to inline skates, and training camp is not a fair assessment of individuals attempting to tryout.”

It has been asked what happens to ice hockey players after they have spent the summer months on wheels. Ice skates and inline skates resemble each other in appearance and style, but the new “boys of summer” are often shocked to find their skating legs in far different condition after a season on Sportcourt, than before it.

“The first week back on the ice, the players wonder if they have ever skated before and amazingly, it’s very tough for them to re-convert back,” McSorley says, having watched players re-enter the winter work force. “They act as though they have never before skated on the ice; it’s that crazy.”

Obviously the coaching transition is a little easier, at least for McSorley. After winning his fourth championship, McSorley is getting the type of attention and respect that goes with being a proven winner.

“Respect is given to individuals as players, or individuals as coaches, if they compliment your position, and if you’re consistent with your authority,” McSorley says. “I mean, there is no such thing as two roosters in a hen house, and the boss is always boss. If there is a problem, you kill the rooster and get new hens.”

Spoken like a man who spent his childhood tending farm animals, and his adult life making players do it his way.

While McSorley’s career forges ever present, so should the championships. He is continuing his hectic pace, and when be concludes his current duties in Las Vegas, where he is associate coach of the IHL’s Thunder, he will be back to work with the Bullfrogs—this time as Head of Player Personnel.

The new position represents a much-needed rest for McSorley, who will watch from the sidelines while Grant Sonier—a coach that McSorley describes as “excellent”—runs the Bullfrogs stage show. His desire to remain part of the growing sensation of roller hockey is evident in the fact that it was he who approached the Anaheim group with the idea for his new position.

With McSorley as part of the organization, the Bullfrogs should have a leap-frogs chance of reaching the championship plateau once again. He brings with him a winning attitude and a burning desire to taste champagne.

“My greatest memory in regards to roller hockey was my first championship in Anaheim, with Maury Silver and Grant Sonier,” McSorley says, his voice peaceful and calm. “We had great ownership, a good staff and a close knit team.”

It’s the thoughts of Anaheim that bring a smile to Chris McSorley’s face—the people, the place, and that prized piece of hardware called the trophy.

Janet Del Tufo is a freelance writer based in Southern California.

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

Valuable Lessons: Part 2

Valuable lessons: Part 2
By Mitch Korn
Oct 29, 2001, 21:03

Last month, I talked about some of the “Lessons Learned” during my coaching career, and whom I have to thank for them. Now comes part two; more lessons I’d like to share.

Don’t rest on your laurels

No matter how successful you’ve been, you can’t simply rest on your previous accomplishments. You must always be willing to adjust.

Grant Fuhr is a case in point.

Grant Fuhr, the man Wayne Gretzky more than once hailed as “the greatest goaltender in the world,” has won five Stanley Cups. He played his entire career relying on reflexes and a great glove hand.

And while you’d think five Cups might be enough, you’d be wrong. Fuhr wants a sixth.

After a tough time with injuries a year ago, Grant re-invented his game in Buffalo (before being traded to Los Angeles). He made some very necessary adjustments—adjustments thathad to be made because of his age, his loss of some speed and flexibility and, to some extent, because of changes in the game itself.

Just because something worked yesterday does not mean it will work tomorrow. You should always be a student, and be willing to adjust.

Be open to learning

The truth is, you can learn from anyone if you give them a chance. I remember after the Sabres hired me, I met Clint Malarchuk, who is now with Las Vegas of the IHL. I had no professional playing or coaching experience at the time, and Malarchuk was a 10-year NHL veteran.

When Malarchuk asked me about my credentials, I replied that I had been at a major Division I university for the past 12 years. His response?

“Twelve years in college? You must not be too bright!”

From that point forward, we hit it off great. He gave me a chance, helped me adjust to the pro game, and did everything I asked of him. Until some health problems came up that year, Clint was in the top five in NHL save percentage—while playing on a struggling team.

And what about Grant Fuhr? He hadn’t had a goalie coach in the 10 years he played pro hockey (and won those five Cups—along with a Vezina Trophy and two Canada Cups). Yet he, too, did everything asked of him while he was in Buffalo.

Even the great ones should never be afraid to learn.

Focus is foremost

I never realized how important focus was until my first year in the Buffalo organization, while working with David Littman. When he was “on,” he was great (playing at the AHL level). But there were times when pucks went in the 5-hole, or past his glove, or under his arm in situations where he would—should—normally make the stop.

When I asked him, “Did you see the puck go in?,” he was never sure—a dead giveaway that he wasn’t focused on the puck.

With great concentration, the puck can look like a beach ball. Without it, it will always look like a pea.

Pressure and anger don’t help

When I got to Buffalo, the city’s love affair with Daren Puppa was over. The former All Star and Vezina Trophy runner-up had contract problems, and had become a playoff scapegoat for the fans and media. He was mad and under great pressure—a deadly combination, and a no-win situation.

Every mistake he made was magnified, and further compounded his problem. He got madder, and the pressure increased.

The change of scenery (to Toronto and then Tampa Bay) was just what the doctor ordered for Puppa. Along with a new contract, the Tampa fans and organization gave him the feeling that he was appreciated—and his play has reflected that.

Coaches and parents must be positive and supportive of the goaltender at every age—from youth leagues to the NHL.

Hockey is not the most important thing

Everyone learns this eventually, often painfully. During his time with the Sabres organization, John Bradley (now playing in the ECHL) lost his father. Earlier, while at Boston University, he lost his mother. John was all alone, yet he shouldered all the family responsibility. In times like those, hockey just doesn’t seem so important.

I know that hockey is not the be-all and end-all of existence, and was recently reminded of that again when my wife lost her father.

Let’s get our priorities straight: family is Number One, school is Number Two. Then, and only then, comes hockey.

My thanks to all those who have helped me make sense of the lessons that were there for me to learn.

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 06/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Roller Hockey Reffing

Roller hockey reffing
By Ken Brody
Oct 29, 2001, 21:00

In the past—say four or five years ago—ice hockey and roller hockey were very different games. Most players played one or the other, but few played both.

With or without body checking, ice hockey was—and remains—a fast, forceful game. Roller hockey, on the quad skates of old, was a slow, deliberate, puck-control game.

The strategy in roller hockey was to wait for the opponent to make a mistake rather than to “take the play” to them, the ice hockey approach. How patient were roller players? I once saw a delayed penalty call last over eight minutes!

Hooking and slashing, however seemingly insignificant, were completely discouraged and immediately called in roller hockey. In ice hockey, on the other hand, hooking, slashing and cross-checking is often (too often) ignored by referees. This, in turn, encourages players to increase both their attempts at, and tolerance of, this kind of stick work. And that’s too bad.

A whole new ballgame

Today, ice hockey hasn’t changed much. It’s still a game of physical prowess, aggressiveness and speed. But roller hockey—wow! It’s barely recognizable as a descendant of the old quad game.

In-line skates have revolutionized the game. They have sped up the game so much that the old slow, deliberate style of the past is virtually non-existent today.

Roller hockey, in essence, has become much more like ice hockey than different from it, and now there is a high percentage of player crossover—people who play both brands of hockey. In fact, the top roller hockey teams often recruit players from ice hockey backgrounds.

Of course, this new breed of player also brings with them the ice hockey mentality of what is acceptable—in terms of hooking, slashing, and all rules-related behavior—to the world of roller hockey. And that’s not always a good thing.

So where does this leave the roller hockey referee?

Running refs?

In the past, referees often ran the rink in shoes. And sometimes a player involved in the game would double as a referee. No more.

Today, the increased speed of the in-line game makes it impossible to ref on foot. And with the increased competition for sponsorship, league prizes, etc., it is imperative that the referee is completely impartial; that means no more player-refs.

Where are the new breed of roller refs coming from? Ice hockey, of course.

This is a very positive development, because USA Hockey takes great care to train their ice hockey referees—a situation not often found in traditional roller hockey circles. But there is a danger here, as well, and one that runs the risk of ruining roller hockey. I’m talking about the “ice hockeyization” of the roller game; the tolerance of what should be intolerable stickwork in the sport.

I feel that tolerance of illegal stickwork is already way too widespread in ice hockey, and it must be kept to a minimum in roller hockey.

Hooking and holding have a much more debilitating effect in roller hockey than they do on the ice. And with the roller game being much more wide open by design—4-on-4 versus 5-on-5 in ice hockey—the style and feel of the game would be severely hampered by increased tolerance of stick and restraining fouls.

Both can learn

Ice hockey referees would be wise to take a cue from roller refs and lower their tolerance of this type of foul. Skill development and recreational enjoyment are the main objectives in amateur hockey, and clutching, grabbing and stickwork only detract from those objectives.

Roller hockey referees, on the other hand, would be wise to take a cue from ice refs and develop a more professional and thorough attitude toward officiating. They should train harder to develop their skating skills, their knowledge of the rulebook, and especially their skills in managing game situations.

With all these factors in mind, the sports of ice and roller hockey are now so similar that they can be called the same way—in a style acceptable to the principals that make both sports so great.

Ken Brody has been a referee for ice, floor and roller hockey for 20 years in New York, Illinois, and California.

This first appeared in the 06/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Fun at Practice

Fun at practice
By Fred Pletsch
Oct 29, 2001, 20:58

Sometimes a coach has to loosen the reins and inject a little pure, unadulterated fun into the team’s workout. Knowing when to do it comes through experience and familiarity with your team. Sometimes it’s when you least think you should—like when the team is struggling. Other times it will be clear; the team is rolling, playing well and deserves a break. But whenever the time is right, let the team relax a bit with a practice that is both fun and a good workout.

Here is a fun fivesome of drills that involve competition between individuals or groups of players. It’s up to the coach to decide on a reward system for players who are the most successful. The rewards don’t have to be big, but everyone likes to have an eye on the prize.

Baseball

Divide your squad into teams of four or five players each, and have one game going at each end of the ice. The team that’s “at bat” has two players in each corner behind the goal line. Batter #1 puts the puck in play with a dump anywhere between the goal line and center red line. (Ground rules call for an automatic “out” if the puck crosses center ice!). After putting the puck in play, Batter #1 skates up the ice between the boards and the outside of the faceoff circle, then cuts across the ice—staying outside of the faceoff dots in the neutral zone (like running bases)—and races back to the goal line in the opposite corner from where he or she started (once again staying in the “base path” between the boards and the circle).

Meanwhile, the players on the defensive side are spread out, like fielders on a diamond. Their task is to retrieve the puck, make two passes and score on the goalie before the batter reaches “home.” If the batter reaches the corner before a goal is scored, the team gets a run. If the defenders score first, it’s an out.

Three-on-Three Puck

This is a great conditioning drill that starts with three players from each team lined up at center ice, like forwards on a regular faceoff. Three pucks are placed between the centers, and play begins—one puck at a time—when the coach blows the whistle. The game is played full-ice, and the same players stay on until all three pucks are scored. To encourage intensity throughout the drill, make the first puck worth one point, the second worth two points and the third, three points.

Pass-the-Stick Relay

The team is divided into two groups, lined up in a straight line on opposite sides of the center faceoff circle. Player #1 from each team starts on the red line and, carrying his team’s stick, skates one lap at full speed (with both players skating in the same direction, toward opposite nets). After circling the nets, the stick “baton” is passed to the next teammate, much as in a traditional relay race. The receiving player may be in motion, but the hand-off must take place between the bluelines. Goalies race, too! The winner is the team that completes its rotation—which should take six to eight minutes with a full squad—first.

Skate Hard and Shoot

Divide the team into two groups, placed at opposite sides of the ice outside the far blueline. Players on oppsite squads are paired up and, at the coach’s whistle, one twosome skates hard to the far boards and back. When they cross the blueline upon their return, each player gets a puck, turns back and, from the blueline, fires a long shot at the empty net. (If the drill is done right, the shot should travel three-quarters of the length of the ice). A player is retired from his group, and moves out of play, if he scores. If the player doesn’t score, he goes back into the rotation. The first team to have all of its players score wins.

Half-Ice, Two-Pass

Divide your skaters into four teams and play separate four-on-four games inside the bluelines at both ends of the ice. The team with possession must make two passes before they can score. When possession changes, a fresh two-pass minimum is required before a scoring chance can be tried. The goaltender’s job, other than to stop the puck, is to call out the passes. The first team with five goals wins.

Fair teams a must

Knowing the skill level of the players on his team, a coach should try to subdivide his team into roughly comparable groups, talent-wise. At the youth level, where one player can often dominate all others, you might want to make that player’s side play three-on-four in the Half-Ice, Two-Pass drill.

Keep the same teams matched up against each other in all the competitive drills, and have a parent, assistant of injured player tally up the scores.

The reward for winning, as mentioned, can be as simple as a free hot chocolate. Or, conversely, maybe the losing side has to perform some less-than-desirable task, like cleaning up the locker room after practice.

Whatever you decide on, have fun! It should help your team in the long run.

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

This first appeared in the 06/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

At Forward with Rick Tocchet

At forward with Rick Tocchet
By Bob Cunningham
Oct 29, 2001, 20:55

©BBS

There are forwards who are content to simply outscore the opposition, without much regard for preventing goals.

“Ah,” they say, “let the defensemen worry about that.”

Then there are others who take the term ‘forward’ to mean that they are the first line of defense. These are the type of players who seek out goals only when real opportunities present themselves.

And then there is Rick Tocchet of the Los Angeles Kings.

A veteran approaching the conclusion of his 12th NHL season, Tocchet represents the multifaceted, less specialized but equally effective winger of eras gone by. During his illustrious career, Tocchet has scored power play goals, killed penalties and even garnered his share of five-minute majors. Throughout his career—whether in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Los Angeles—he has been the epitome of the player who will literally do whatever is necessary to help the team win.

“I try to keep things simple. I don’t want to be thinking about too many things at one time,” he says. “You want your focus to be only on your job at that moment. You can’t be thinking about that dumb penalty you took in the last game or about the game-winning goal you scored. That’s history. All that matters is now.”

Tocchet’s career makes a point for substance over style. He’s enjoyed success everywhere he’s gone, but the game’s most prolific minds are hard-pressed to assess his skills technically. He does everything adequately because he works hard at it, but he’s not better at any one thing than anyone else… except perhaps when it comes to leadership.

“You lead by example, I guess,” Tocchet says matter-of-factly. “You have to be willing to work hard all the time and work at your game. Yeah, I think it’s more important to be able to do whatever is needed rather than be the best shooter or the best skater or whatever.”

Tocchet’s a big believer in the “mood” of a game. Momentum can switch dramatically on a single play, he warns, and the object of a good player—forward or otherwise—is to make plays that either swing the momentum in his team’s favor or prevent it from getting away.

“It might be a key goal or something else that’s obvious,” he says, “or it might be a key hit that gets the guys on your team fired up.”

Despite the fact that Tocchet has scored more than 300 career goals—including an LA team-leading 18 at press time—he is more often regarded as a hard-hitting, enforcer-type. Sure, he’s got the decent scoring totals. But the man has more than 2,200 career penalty minutes.

To that, Tocchet replies, “we’re a tough team to play against this year.”

Tough and touch

At 6’0” and 205 pounds, Tocchet’s frame seems right for an appropriate mixture of tough and touch. But, he says, there are numerous players who play tough and well despite being either too small to be regarded as a physical threat or too slow to be tricky with the puck.

“It’s really about being aggressive, within the flow of the game,” Tocchet says. “Tough and smart. I say that all the time.”

While Tocchet has shouldered more than his share of the offensive load this season, he admits he prefers to see more balance. And the main reason has to do with better play on the defensive end.

“I think it’s a lot more important to have 10 or 12 guys with 20 goals than to have one or two guys with 50,” he says. “If you don’t have to rely on the same two or three guys, you can stay fresher and cover the ice better when you are out there.”

Actually, Tocchet talks and acts more like a rugged, last-line defenseman than as a right wing leading a team—one that includes future Hall of Famers like Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri—in scoring.

“When I came in here, the first thing I realized about this team was that it was allowing too many shots,” Tocchet says. “You can’t expect to win when you’re allowing 30, 40 shots every night.

“And a forward can have a big part in changing that. Good forechecking. Not giving the puck away. Good passing. It’s all important. Last year, this team didn’t do any of that very well, or they wouldn’t have struggled like they did.”

After reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993, the Kings plunged to fifth in the six-team Pacific Division last year, and missed the playoffs entirely.

But with Tocchet in the fold and accustomed to his new teammates, the Kings are currently making a run up the standings that had them occupying the seventh spot in the Western Conference at the end of March.

It’s ironic to some extent that Luc Robitaille was the key player given up by the Kings in the trade to get Tocchet. While he’s certainly a standout NHL performer, with seven All-Star game appearances and four 50-goal seasons to prove it, Robitaille is a completely different type of forward than is Tocchet. Robitaille achieved his excellence and statistics through finesse.

And while Tocchet has never possessed Robitaille’s pure scoring skills, his approach to playing at forward arguably makes him a more complete player.

And, heck, the two were dead even in goals scored at last look.

— Bob Cunningham

This first appeared in the 06/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Getting the Transition Game Rolling

Getting the transition game rolling
By Wayne Anderson
Oct 29, 2001, 20:48

Fast counter (5 on 5)

The quickness with which your team transfers its thoughts and actions from offense to defense, and visa versa, will determine the amount of games that your team wins and loses. That’s how important this aspect of the game—the transition game—is. In ice hockey, the area between the bluelines is known as the neutral zone. This, ideally, is where we want the transition from defense to offense to happen. In roller hockey, the situation is a bit different. 

It’s different on wheels

On wheels, you want the transition game to happen between the tops of the faceoff circles. If you can counter and regroup faster than your opponent, you will find your team having a lot of odd-man rushes. An odd-man rush, of course, is when your offense outnumbers your opponent’s defense. And no disrespect to the women, either, it’s just an expression!

Odd man rushes will win lots of games. The best way I can describe the process and the quickness needed to make this transition happen is that there should be a switch in your players’ heads. One side of the switch should say “offense,” and the other side should say “defense.” When the switch is set in the middle—balanced, if you will—it can be said to be in the “transition” mode.

Think of flicking a light switch, and you have just imagined the minute amount of time it should take you to adjust your approach to the game. This adjustment is both mental and physical, and will consist of individual players either attacking the puck/ball carrier and scrambling into the prescribed defensive positions, or trying to get the puck/ball moving toward the offensive end and scrambling to get into the attack triangle.

Some of the key points that determine just how quickly your team will make these adjustments are the skill level of your team, the aggressiveness of your opponent, and the size of the rink.

Here are three very useful drills that a team can use, and which if practiced often can help add up to a winning game plan.

Fast Counterattack

Fast counter (4 on 4)

D1 makes an immediate pass to W1 (on a tight curl or stationary pattern), who then relays the puck/ball ahead, or makes a good dump-in play.

This should be used in a tough, close-checking game or when your defense is not considered to be particularly strong (especially in stickhandling and skating skills). This counter is also very effective in the roller hockey world because the rink surfaces are usually smaller than those of our colder counterpart. This counter is terrific against a heavy two man forecheck from your opponents, or as a “safety” first move by an unsure defense.

Key Points: The defense must make a safe play (get it out for sure). The forwards must get into position fast, give a realistic target and must relay the puck/ball ahead quickly, or dump it in.

Teaching Sequence and Drills

• Multipurpose Drill: 2-on-0.

• 5-on-0 from faceoff at center.

• 5-on-2 from the faceoff.

• 5-on-2 + 1 forechecker or backchecker.

• 5-on-5 from center faceoff.

Make this last drill a controlled scrimmage designed to practice fast counters, plus a neutral zone defense strategy.

Over And Up

D1 makes a sharp stick-to-stick pass to his/her partner, D2. D2 moves up on a rush or passes to a fast breaking forward.

This should be used when one D is a skilled player with good skating and stickhandling skills. This counter is extremely effective when the opposition is not aggressively forechecking you, leaving time and space available for you to headman.

Key Points: The defensive partnerships need to work well together. The one point that makes the Over-and-Up work is that once the D gets the puck/ball, he must skate it up and not stand still. The forwards must get into position quickly, read the situation, then react without forcing the D into an unsafe play. Forwards must burst into the openings—especially the off-wing (away from the puck/ball).

Teaching Sequence and Drills

• 1-on-0: a D (passing) to a F (shooting).

• D-to-D-to-C passing drill (C does a tight curl).

• 5-on-0 from center surface.

• 5-on-2 breakout: turn back at opposition’s defensive zone, go Over and Up, Attack 4-on-2.

• 5-on-2 Breakout—Attack—Repeat, with Over and Up play.

Over and up (5 on 5)

Over and up (4 on 4)

Regroup

This concept is used to gain time and space, and build an attack involving 4 (in 5-on-5) or 3 (in 4-on-4) players moving at top speed through the neutral zone.

This concept is best demonstrated by watching tapes of the NHL Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, and the Soviet and other European teams. It can also be seen by watching the LA Blades and the Buffalo Stampede of the RHI.

This concept requires good skating and puck/ball-control defense. It should only be introduced after the first two concepts mentioned previously are mastered.

Key Points: The D-to-D pass must be safe and accurate. D1 moves to the middle only when there is no pressure. The Regroup will not work if the D has to deke or evade an opponent. If this happens, the rest of the team must read and react with a different concept. The timing of the forwards is vital and they must burst when they move up the surface. See figure 3 a, b.

Teaching Sequence and Drills

• D to the middle, pass to curling forward or stretching forward or center deep. Make sure it is practiced from both sides as a 1-on-0 shooting drill.

• 3-on-0 drill using one wing and two D.

• 4-on-0 drill using two forwards and two D.

• 5- or 4- on 2, 3, 4 or 5: Breakout—Attack—Regroup and attack again. l

Regroup (5 on 5)

Regroup (4 on 4)

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

This first appeared in the 06/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2001 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®