Getting your gear in game shape

By Bill Ferguson

Yuck! Falling foam liner.

Picture this. The Madison Square Garden crowd goes crazy as the singer belts out the last line of the Star Spangled Banner. Wayne Gretzky skates to center ice for the opening faceoff of the 94/95 Stanley Cup finals against his old buddy, Mark Messier. Just before the ref drops the puck, Gretzky notices his right skate lace is broken and getting looser with each heartbeat. What does he do?

A. Call time out.

B. Get another center to take the draw.

C. Tell the ref to hold that thought.

D. None of the above.

The correct answer, of course, is “none of the above.” Why? Because odds are this would never happen. This is a pro player we’re talking about, and as part of his pre-game routine he already checked his laces.

I know what you’re thinking. It happened to Tonya Harding, didn’t it?

Well, that’s different. That’s figure skating, and this is hockey!

If your game in the local league is as important to you as the Cup finals are to Gretzky, or the Olympics were to Tonya, then you need to get serious about your equipment. Everyone talks about being mentally and physically ready once you’re on the ice, but what about the hardware? How can you make sure your equipment is also game-ready, head to toe?

Just read on, my friends.

Heads first

We’ll start at the top. Regardless of what you young studs think, the helmet is your most important piece of protective gear. It should be thoroughly inspected regularly, as well as any time it sustains any significant impact. Look for any cracks; no matter how minor they may appear they can allow serious injury to occur, and will certainly invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty. Replace a damaged helmet at once. Also check all screws; replace any that may be corroded, and tighten the others.

Something else to look for is the gradual hardening of the protective foam liner, which is caused by sweat and heat. One thing that will lengthen the life of your foam equipment is keeping it away from heat. In other words, avoid leaving gear in your car during the heat of summer, Einstein, and don’t dry it on the radiator in winter. And remember, this applies to all your equipment, not just helmets: hockey gear doesn’t dry in a bag—it rots.

But back to the hat: once the liner becomes hard, the protective capabilities of the helmet are diminished, so from time to time take the plunge and get a new lid! If the foam is still pliable yet separated from the plastic, the only glues that will work are hot glue, or weather strip adhesive. These may also invalidate your warranty, so check with the manufacturer.

It will also be necessary to replace the plastic and metal snaps on your chin straps. Likewise, the hardware for cages and visors.

Larry Bruyere, co-owner of LA’s All Star Hockey & Sport, says maintenance is a high priority with his patrons. “On a Saturday we will have one guy doing nothing but helmet maintenance all day long. Also, I discourage some parents from buying a top of the line visor/cage combo unless the kid is responsible enough to keep the helmet in a bag or shirt every time he puts it (away). Everything in your bag,” says Bruyere, “whether it’s metal or plastic, will scratch your visor, so a little prevention will go a long way.”

Whatever you do, don’t belittle the importance of your most important piece of protective gear: either do your maintenance or replace your toque.

Below the neck

Shoulder pads shouldn’t require maintenance, as such, yet should be checked occasionally for damage. The experts at All Star Hockey stress a proper fit as being most important for shoulder pads. It is often better to buy a less expensive model which fits properly (no excess space between the shoulder and the pad), as opposed to buying a more expensive model which restricts movement be-cause it’s too large or too small.

The same holds true for elbow pads. No matter how good your elbow pads feel, they won’t protect you if they end up in your glove. Buy only pads which feel good and are snug enough to stay put. Many manufacturers are going to the old Jofa-type design that features a big elbow cap which protects well and stays in place. If you find yourself constantly sliding your elbow pads back into place, get some new ones that fit, or get some new elastic and Velcro sewn on.

And now, the mitts. The most common maintenance problem with gloves comes from wear and tear. If you buy the best gloves you can afford, they will last longer and protect better. (Players with cheap gloves get their hands broken, by falling and from slashes). But when the time comes for maintenance, the better gloves can usually be repalmed for around $60. If they need the gussets between the fingers, too, figure $75. This will double the life of your gloves. If you have cheap gloves with no palms left, the best maintenance I can suggest is to give them to the dog and get yourself some new ones. Day-to-day, protective “leather dressing” is not recommended for hockey glove palms. Instead, just make sure you dry the gloves well between games.

Parents, never buy over-sized gloves for kids. Your child won’t have as good a grip as he should on his stick, and he will blow out the side of his palm—so the money you save by “buying for growth” is wasted by premature equipment failure.

No, not Stanley

Le cup. And, no, I don’t mean Stanley. It should be comfortable. If you have trouble with chaffing, try the new “banana style” cups, which are more slender. Above all, your cup, long johns, and any other piece of clothing which touches your skin should be washed regularly. This may come as a shock to even experienced players but yes, you can wash most of your hockey gear. Gather up everything but your skates, helmet and gloves and put them into a tub of warm water and Woolite once a year. This will not only keep them from smelling, it also helps disinfect. There is a bacteria which can form in wet hockey gear which causes a condition called “The Gunk.”

Don’t laugh—it has ended the career of pro players and can be rather painful, causing red blotches all over the body. The best way to avoid this is to take your gear out of your bag and let it air dry after every game. That’s right, your bag is not for storing your gear unless it is thoroughly dry. Get in the habit of doing this and your gear will not only smell better, it will also last longer. Your teammates and family will love you for it.

Maintenance for your hockey pants is pretty simple; an occasional washing, and quick repair of any small tears. I say “quick” because a small tear, without some attention, will soon become a big hole. Here’s where that old hockey saying—”A stitch in time saves thine… pants”—comes from. All right, so maybe it’s a new saying, but it still applies.

The only other thing to remember about pants has to do with buying them. While padding is critical, and something to be looked for, it is possible to overdo it. Pants with too much padding can sometimes restrict your movement, so it might be better to go for pants that offer a tad less protection with a little more freedom of movement.

If the helmet is the most important piece of protective gear, the shin guards are the second most important. According to the experts, many people buy shin guards that are simply too big—and that’s easy to do if you try them on without wearing the rest of your gear. They may feel great in the shop, but if they don’t work well in conjunction with your skates and pants they will hurt your game. Also, look for shin guards that have what’s called a “sling,” the piece of material that suspends the pad away from your leg, and offers the best impact protection.

The only other care required for shin guards is to check them regularly for cracks. Many players have sustained serious injuries, some career threatening, by trying to “milk” one more game or Practice out of their old cracked pads. Don’t risk it. You’ll play more confidently and aggressively with new pads. One thing I must mention about shin guards is that they should only be taped below the knee—never from the knee up. Taping above the knee can easily restrict the flow of blood to the feet. If you tape high-up, and get “lead feet” halfway through the game, try taping your pads to no more than a couple of inches below the knee.

Who said that?

When it comes to skates, we will start off by dispelling a myth. Pro’s don’t change their laces every game. But, according to Dave Taylor, veteran of 17 NHL seasons with the LA Kings, they do check them before every skate. “And if there’s any fraying at all,” says Taylor, “they will change them.” And always lace your skates the so-called Canadian way—which means lacing over the top, from the outside in. This allows the lace to bind down on itself at each set of eyelets, which not only makes it easier to get your skates tight, but keeps the laces in place.

There is no other piece of equipment you wear that affects your game more than your skates, so they deserve regular attention. First, check the blade and make sure it is tight in the blade holder. With the advent of the new lightweight blade holders came some new problems. If you have an older skate that has a loose blade, you must pull all the rivets, tighten the screws inside the holder and re-rivet it back on. Some of the new Bauers have caps inside the boot that allow easy access to the screws inside the holder. Pro trainers love this feature because it allows them to tighten, and even change, a blade during a game. While you’re at it, check for the obvious nicks and dings that slow you down.

I always “stone” my skates prior to each game to remove small nicks, but if they’re very noticeable, get a sharpening. Generally speaking, the more experienced the skater, the less of a hollow you want on your blade, Defensemen usually want their rocker more to the back of the blade and, of course, forwards normally want their skates rockered more toward the toes—to shift their center of gravity further up on the blade.

Inspect your boots regularly for damage. The first thing that will go on a skate is the inner liner. If your liners are cracked badly enough to cause irritation, cut loose with your check book and get some new ones. Also, check for loss of stability at the ankle. If your skates have lost their support there you won’t skate well, so they need replacing.

These maintenance steps are designed to maximize both your investment in hockey gear, and your enjoyment of the game itself through improved performance. Few things in life are more fun than doing better—better than your last time out, and better than the next guy. Remember, “He who dies with the most goals wins!”

Bill Ferguson has been playing and coaching hockey for over 20 years.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Easton EQ50 Hockey Stick: The Final Review

Here is our conclusion of the Easton EQ50 Hockey Stick. We highly recommend this stick to all considering purchasing it. … Continue Reading

Easton EQ50 Hockey Stick: The Final Review

Here is our conclusion of the Easton EQ50 Hockey Stick. We highly recommend this stick to all considering purchasing it. It’s been a great stick over the past few months and it’s deserved a better look than the usual time we give to a piece of equipment because of the price tag.

Before he was an NHLer: Radek Bonk

By Kevin Iole

Bonk “a la” Las Vegas Thunder. ©BBS

Visitors to the Las Vegas Thunder’s practice sessions who want to talk to teenage center Radek Bonk are often forced to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The 6’4”, 215-pound native of the Czech Republic, who was taken by the Ottawa Senators as the third overall pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, is nearly always the final Thunder player to leave the ice.

There’s no one thing he works on for all that extra time, either. He’ll work on his skating one day, his shooting the next and his stick-handling a third.

It probably should be noted, though, that to Bonk this is not work at all. He is clearly a man who loves his job and looks forward to going to the rink every day.

“He loves the game,” says Thunder coach and general manager Bob Strumm, the man who engineered the deal to bring Bonk to Las Vegas as a 17-year-old in 1993.

Bonk surprised just about everyone but himself and his family with the way he performed for the Thunder last season. As the youngest player in the International Hockey League, and the first underage player to play professionally in North America since Mark Messier (in 1978), Bonk began last season as somewhat of a mystery.

But Bonk proved early on that he would be able to handle the pro-level competition despite his tender age. Just a month into the season, he racked up four goals and an assist in a game against Peoria, and scored the winning goal with less than a second remaining on the clock.

That game against the Rivermen stamped Bonk as the top prospect available in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, and he was rated No. 1 by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau for nearly the entire season.

He exceeded all expectations

“You read the reports on him and you knew he was a talented kid,” says Butch Goring, Bonk’s coach with the Thunder last season and now the head coach/general manager of the IHL’s Denver Grizzlies. “But who knew how he’d be able to stand up to the competition, and all the other things that make it so difficult in professional hockey?”

To be certain, Goring confided to those close to him that he would have been satisfied if Bonk had been able to get 10 or 15 goals.

Instead, Bonk had a mere 42 goals and 45 assists in 76 games, centered what was arguably the IHL’s top line and was an easy choice as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

The Thunder rolled to the IHL’s best regular season record, and Bonk was no small part of the team’s success.

“There were games he’d just dominate,” says Strumm. “He’d just decide it was time to put the piano on his back and (we’d) let him carry it.”

Bonk had hoped to carry the piano for the Ottawa Senators this season. The whole reason he came to play in North America in the first place, he says, was to better prepare himself to play in the NHL.

He also desperately wanted to be the first overall pick. But when the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks both opted for highly-touted defensemen (Ed Jovanovski and Oleg Tverdovsky, respectively), Bonk fell into Ottawa’s lap.

And to say that Senators GM Randy Sexton was thrilled would be an understatement.

“We feel we got the best player in the draft,” says Sexton. “Never did we think we’d have a shot at him.”

Ottawa fine with Bonk

Many in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas— “The people here love this kid,” says Strumm—never believed Bonk would don a Senators uniform. Bonk, though, insists he would be happy to play in Ottawa.

“He wasn’t trying to pull (an Eric) Lindros,” and force a trade, Strumm says.

But negotiations between the Senators and Bonk’s representative, Michael Barnett, bogged down and Bonk somewhat unexpectedly found himself back in Las Vegas.

“I love Las Vegas, and it’s my home now,” says Bonk, who remains immensely popular in Las Vegas and still attracts long lines of autograph seekers whenever he appears at a card show or a store opening. But he plans to move on.

“I want to play in the NHL,” he says. “It’s the best league in the world and it’s been a goal (of mine) for a long, long time. But the Thunder has been very good to me and I have a lot of friends in Las Vegas. I’ll be happy to play in Las Vegas and try to help the Thunder win a Turner Cup.”

Bonk’s first goal against NHL competition thus came in a Las Vegas uniform—on a 55-foot slap shot that beat Chicago Blackhawks goalie Eddie Belfour in a September 1994 exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas—and put Bonk in the uncomfortable position of playing minor league hockey when he, and most scouts, felt he was ready for the NHL.

No contract, but no trade

Prior to the NHL lockout, Bonk turned down a three-year contract from the Senators that would have netted him a little more than $1 million a season.

There were reports early in the season that it was Bonk’s father, Jaroslav, who forced him to say no to the Senators, opting to gamble that another big season in the IHL would mean an even bigger bonanza at the NHL level.

And while all involved vehemently deny that to be the case, Sexton once alluded to it during an interview with an Ottawa radio station.

For the record, Bonk says he was convinced he wasn’t being treated fairly, and refused to sign for what he felt was less than he was worth.

“I’ll play in Ottawa and I never said I wouldn’t,” says Bonk. “But I also have to get a fair contract. When they give me a fair contract, then I’ll sign.”

It appeared early in the year Bonk had made a poor gamble, since he got off to a slow start with the Thunder. For his part, Strumm is convinced the pressures of turning down untold millions has taken its toll on the youngster.

“It has to,” Strumm says. “There was so much going on there, and he’s just a young kid. It’s had to have had an impact.”

Barnett isn’t discouraged by Bonk’s slow start, and says it hasn’t decreased his value on the open market either. He says Bonk’s unique combination of size and skills continue to make him an attractive commodity to NHL scouts, and Barnett believes Bonk will emerge unscathed from his contract wars.

“I think you’d realize what people think of Radek if you saw the type of players they were willing to trade (to Ottawa) to get him,” says Barnett. “That would show you that there is plenty of respect for him around the (NHL).”

Sexton says the Senators aren’t of a mind to trade Bonk, anyway. In fact, Bonk may become a Senator not long after the NHL lockout ends.

“We want to win a championship and to do that, you need championship-type players, which this kid is,” Sexton says. “It wouldn’t make sense for us to (trade him).”

Senators would jump at talks

NHL teams are prohibited from negotiating new contracts during the lockout, but Sexton admitted he would look into reopening negotiations with Bonk at the conclusion of the lockout. He says if Bonk was interested in talking again, the Senators would jump at the chance. And Ottawa owner Rod Bryden was reportedly in Las Vegas recently, and took his potential star out for breakfast and a heart-to-heart discussion.

The thought of playing in the NHL clearly motivates Bonk, who played his two best games of the season in the Thunder’s exhibition games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.

Then, when Philadelphia Flyers captain Kevin Dineen signed with the visiting Houston Aeros, Bonk perked up noticeably. He was given the assignment of checking Dineen that night, and took to the job with glee.

He locked Dineen up, and barely gave the NHL veteran a sniff at the net—providing a hint of what Radek Bonk can do when he’s motivated.

“He loves a challenge, and he’s the type of guy who will rise to meet the occasion,” Strumm says. “When you put a big challenge in front of him, he’s going to be right there to prove himself.”

That’s part of the reason Bonk is wearing an “A” on his jersey this season. Strumm says he felt Bonk, as a would-be superstar, would become looked upon to handle a leadership role in the future. Thus, he gave him the “A” with the Thunder in order for Bonk to get a taste of what being a captain is all about.

Bonk has struggled this season, though, and there has been public speculation that the weight of the alternate captaincy, as well as the pressures of the contract negotiations, have negatively affected him.

Bonk, however, dismisses such talk. He is determined to get back to where he was last season, when it seemed everything he touched turned to gold. His recipe to turn it around won’t come as a surprise to those who know him, either. It’s work, work and then work a little more.

“We have some good games, but we haven’t played the way we can consistently,” Bonk says. “We just have to make sure we work hard enough every night. If we do that, and I do that, we’ll be all right.”

Kevin Iole covers hockey for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

When the stick is a magic wand

By Bob Cunningham

Rick Kehoe. ©BBS

Some players, like Brett Hull and Al McInnis, are known for their blistering shots. Others, like Scott Stevens and Marty McSorley, are known for their punishing physical play. Still others, like Mike Gartner and Alex Mogilny, can skate like the wind. But the players who go end-to-end, and make the big play around the net, are most often those who can stick-handle like magicians.

Mario. Pavel. Federov. Jagr. Oates. And, of course, The Great One.

These guys weave through traffic, pushing and pulling the puck, offering up fakes that leave jocks and disoriented players in their wake, all the while maintaining control of the puck and heading for the net. Whether they finish the play themselves, or dish the biscuit to a Hull, a Gartner or a Neely, their magic wands are what makes the play.

Wayne Gretzky is who he is because of, more than any other single factor, his talent with a hockey stick. Is he the biggest and strongest to ever play the game? No. Is he the fastest or the quickest? Nah, he’s a little faster than the average NHL forward, especially at this stage of his career.

But he is, without question, the best at manipulating his stick and the puck at the end of it.

“It’s all about quick feet and keeping control,” says Rick Bowness, the head coach of the Ottawa Senators. “Being able to go any direction at any time with the puck without having to stare at it. Look at Gretzky. He does it by feel. That’s why he never gets hit, because he can avert anything he needs to while keeping control.”

Bowness also singled out Vancouver’s star forward Pavel Bure as someone who can “move sideways as quick and easily as he can move straight ahead. And he never leaves the puck behind.”

For younger hockey players just beginning to get comfortable handling the puck, there’s no sense in dreaming of being a Gretzky or a Bure. Unless, that is, you’re willing to put in the time and effort, in the form of practice, that it takes to become “automatic” with the puck.

Heads up

The most common but critical fundamental lacking among younger players is the ability to skate and carry the puck without looking at it. Keeping the head up and facing straight ahead is crucial. Plays simply cannot be executed if the puck-handler can’t see what’s developing around him.

“A lot of kids who are really pretty good young players still skate with their heads down,” says Bowness. “If they don’t get to the point where they can feel the puck on the end of their stick, and be able to move the puck to different planes on the blade, they won’t have real offensive potential.”

Plus, with his head down, a player is more likely than not to take a big hit.

“The most basic drill for practicing control,” points out Rob Laird, the head coach of the International Hockey League’s Phoenix Roadrunners, “is to set up an obstacle course, and vary the pylons or whatever you use. You don’t even have to have ice to practice this. A stick and a ball in the backyard works. We did it in a back alley near my home when I was growing up.”

Rick Kehoe, an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has a variation of that practice drill, with one added element.

“I like to have chairs set up, and have players attempt to move the puck through the legs of the chairs,” he says.

My, what soft hands!

Walt Kyle, coach of the IHL’s San Diego Gulls, emphasizes “soft hands.” In a game as physically demanding as hockey, finesse still comes first.

“The biggest thing is to have the ability to handle the puck with soft hands, yet maintain strength on your stick,” Kyle says.

While recognizing that soft hands are often a natural gift, Kyle nonetheless has a favorite activity for developing that feathery feel—and for keeping the head up. And it doesn’t even involve a rink.

“Let them play street hockey with tennis balls,” suggests Kyle. “It’s the best thing for developing so many of the stick-handling skills. It’s actually harder than handling a puck because the balls bounce. That requires you to have a good touch.”

Most coaches agree that a deft touch is developed only through loads of practice. But a player needs to have strength in his hands and wrists in order to maintain fluidity. And for that, Kehoe suggests wrist curls.

“They make you stronger, and that helps improve your ability to gain that feel,” Kehoe notes. “And that can be the difference. Some players can make plays, and some can’t.”

Laird agrees that stick-handling can often make up for other deficiencies. “Those who can stick-handle can survive in this game,” he says, “even if they are lacking in other skills or physical gifts.”

Of course, before a player can expect to properly harness a slippery puck with only a slightly curved stick, he must know how to hold the stick, as well as when and how to manipulate it for different purposes.

“I would say that a good rule of thumb is to have your hands about 8-to-12 inches apart,” says Laird. “Of course, they’re going to be a little further apart when you’re shooting.”

Kyle notes that the strength of the grip, “allows you to rotate the stick as you need to without losing control, either of it, or of the puck.”

And don’t forget having a stick that is the proper length.

“Generally, it should (measure) somewhere from the ice to your chin or your nose (when on skates),” Laird says, depending on an individual’s preference.

Another aspect of successful stick-handling has to do with positioning the stick while handling the puck.

“It’s a good idea to position it slightly toward the side of your ‘good’ hand as you move,” says Kehoe. “Some passes get there in a hurry, and some have you questioning why there was nothing on it. A little difference (in positioning) can make a lot of difference (in result). And (with the puck on your strong side) you can always adjust to make a backhand pass.”

Three’s a crowd

A commonly used drill that requires all the fundamentals of stick-handling, especially with regards to ice vision, is to allow several players to skate about the ice with a puck simultaneously.

“You can put three lines facing each other at opposite ends of the rink,” explains Kyle. “The first man in each line skates off with a puck and is to remain within the neutral zone for a designated amount of time. They are forced to keep their head up while maintaining control of the puck because otherwise they would run into each other. When they get better, you can increase it to five lines at each end.”

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a designed drill, points out Laird, who likens it to when “skinnies”—pick-up games with little strategy—are formed.

“It’s kind of every man for himself.”

Not only does a player have to deal with his own ability to keep the puck under control, he must also be able to maintain it as defenders try to poke it away or knock him off the puck. Under those circumstances, which are routine under game conditions, a player is forced to do all he can to keep his body between the puck and the defender.

“It’s the best and most simple way to keep possession and keep the ability to make a play,” Kyle says. “Simple is almost always better. Keeping your body in proper position as you go down the ice or make a pass is always better than trying to thread a pass between a defender’s legs.”

A drill Kyle likes for puck protection comes down to one-on-one.

“Put two players in each (faceoff) circle, and give one guy a puck to protect,” he explains. “The guy has to protect the puck from the other guy within the circle for 15 or 20 seconds. So he wants to get his body in the right position, not (be) chest-to-chest.

“After about 20 seconds, switch off.”

Kyle also talks about the myth of body fakes as a player makes a rush with the puck. “The one thing that is really neglected—kids think (about) upper-body faking—but it’s more important to utilize the lower body. You have to be able to move the upper body over the legs. That way, you’re setting your weight so that you can move the other way quickly.

“Defenses focus on the upper body,” he says, and you stand a better chance of beating them if you don’t let them read from it.

Faster, faster, faster

Once a player is comfortable controlling the puck under “safe” circumstances, he needs to take the same practice to a new level.

“Lateral movement. Quick feet, up on the edges of the skates,” says Bowness. “Set that obstacle course up and blow through it faster and faster each time while keeping control and vision.”

Bowness says a good drill is to “put all the players at one end, and have them take off with a puck.” Keeping control while not colliding or mixing pucks with a teammate equates to success.

“At this level,” said Bowness, referring to the NHL, “the players’ puck-handling skills should be developed. But we continue to work on it because we conduct high-tempo practices most of the time.”

Kehoe agrees. “You can always improve stick-handling. Just because a player reaches the NHL doesn’t mean he’s got it down pat. Up here,” he says, “it’s more demanding—a lot faster than anything they’ve encountered at any other level.”

“Always try to go at it at top speed,” adds Laird. “Place your obstacles, stagger them, then go at it full throttle while keeping control.”

The practice formula in all this is clear: speed plus control equals success.

You have to go at it fast in order to play a fast game.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Easton S3 Mini Review

Patrick Perrett loves his new Easton S3 hockey stick. It’s great for the price and deserves to be at the … Continue Reading

Easton S3 Review

Patrick got his hands on an Easton S3 stick and is already a big fan.

Staying in peak condition all year long

By Sam Laskaris

Savage: You have to keep a mental focus. ©BBS

January and February are not the best times to be a hockey player. In most years, the excitement of a new season has long worn off—this year being an exception for NHLers. And the possible thrill of competing in the playoffs is still far in the future. Professional hockey players, however, have to battle through these blasé times. In order to maintain their jobs, they have to keep producing on the ice. And there’s also plenty of off-ice work to be done to remain in top shape.

In this article, four seasoned pros—Dale DeGray, Rick Knickle, Mike Hurlbut and Reggie Savage—offer some insight on keeping in shape during the mid-season. Though they’re currently staying in shape with minor league clubs, all four have spent some time in the National Hockey League.

DeGray, a defenseman, plays for the International Hockey League’s Cleveland Lumberjacks. Knickle, a goaltender, also plays in the IHL, with the Detroit Vipers. Hurlbut, a defenseman, and Savage, a right winger, are toiling with the Cornwall Aces of the American Hockey League.

DeGray says off-ice training has become considerably more important in the years since he started earning a pro paycheck back in 1983. “It’s become an all-year thing now,” he says. “Before you would do a little bit here and a little bit there. (Now) everybody wants to have that edge in the game. And staying in good shape and top shape is the key.”

DeGray, who began the current campaign with the Detroit Vipers and was traded to Cleveland in mid-November, said despite having an 80-game regular season schedule, there’s plenty of time during the year for off-ice workouts aimed at keeping in shape.

“In the NHL, you play throughout the week,” says De-Gray. “But (the IHL) is more like a weekend league. You’re usually playing most of your games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights.”

As a result, depending on their travel schedules, most IHL clubs will do the majority of their off-ice training early on in the week. DeGray says these workouts remain constant during the year, and players for the most part do their own thing in the club’s exercise room—working out on tread mills, lifting weights and riding stationary bikes.

Shape up or ship out

“At this level and in the NHL, if you don’t stay in shape, you’ll be replaced by the next guy who’s just waiting to take your spot,” says DeGray, who from 1986-90 had stints with the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres. He appeared in 168 NHL games.

According to DeGray, players don’t usually compare themselves against teammates during off-ice workouts. “On the bike ride sometimes it’s competitive. (The bike) is set at zero, so the faster you go, the further you ride. We usually ride the bike 30-36 minutes. You’ll get some guys who go hard and then say, ‘I did 6.2 miles. What did you do?’ You say, ‘Oh. 5.4’ And then you get a bit upset. You have the competitive drive to do better than the guy next to you.”

During his pro career, DeGray, 31, has also played for squads in Colorado, Moncton, Newmarket, New Haven, Rochester and San Diego. He also spent the 1991-92 season with Alleghe, a First Division team in Italy.

Though clubs overseas traditionally have 30-to-40 game regular season schedules, DeGray says he worked just as hard to keep in shape while in Italy. “If anything, it got me more into the off-ice training,” he says of his one-year European sojourn.

DeGray believes the lockout affecting the current NHL season will dramatically hinder the players, and not just financially. “It will hurt them a lot,” he says. “You can do anything you want, but no matter what you do off the ice, there’s a difference between being in shape and being in game shape. Anybody who plays the game knows what I’m talking about.”

DeGray adds the commitment level to training during the season varies from player to player.

“You’re always going to have guys that don’t do much during the season because they’re excessively gifted. But if I miss a day of skating, I have to make it up the next day.”

One of DeGray’s teammates earlier this season, Knickle, is one of those players who admits he has a lackadaisical attitude to off-ice preparation.

“I really try to conserve my energy,” Knickle says. “I do what’s best for me. I don’t try to fix anything that’s not broken.”

But that’s not to say Knickle chastises others who work hard off the ice to keep in shape.

Goalies are different

“I never say to anybody ‘Do what I do.’ What works for me might not work for somebody else. Goalies, however,” notes Knickle, “don’t have to be big and strong like the other players. We do some drills for our skating but we don’t need that explosiveness.”

Knickle, who turns 34 on February 26, has experimented with lifting weights in the past. He still does some exercises for his lower legs, but chances are you won’t catch him pumping iron to improve his upper body strength. “I did that one day and then I couldn’t move for the next couple days,” he laughs. “I don’t need that.”

During his pro career, which began during the 1979-80 season, Knickle has had minor league stints in Erie, Rochester, Flint, Sherbrooke, Saginaw, Peoria, Fort Wayne, Albany, Springfield, San Diego, Phoenix and now Detroit. During the past two seasons, he also appeared in 14 NHL games with Los Angeles.

Since a goalie’s main job is stopping the puck, Knickle believes off-ice preparation isn’t really going to help him much. “Being able to see the puck is the key,” says the stopper. “I teach at some hockey schools and I always tell everybody; being able to see the puck is an ability you have or don’t have. It’s not something that can be taught.”

Since hand-eye coordination is vital to netminders, Knickle adds there is one exercise which he occasionally performs. That’s the old bouncing-a-tennis-ball-and-catching-it-off-the-wall routine.

Hurlbut, who is Cornwall’s captain this season, says the mid-season months are traditionally are among the hardest for hockey players.

“Eighty games is a long season,” he says. “By the time January and February roll around, it gets mentally as well as physically hard. Those months seem to drag on. And it’s good once in a while to get away from the rink.”

Most coaches realize this, and in order not to wear down their troops prior to the playoffs they will ease up on the length of practices. “They start to get shorter,” says Hurlbut. “But you’re just working harder for less time.”

And in many cases, after these shortened on-ice sessions, it’s off for another workout in the weight room. “You do the weight circuit and ride the bikes to maintain and improve your cardiovascular system,” says Hurlbut, a 28-year-old alumnus of St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.

Hurlbut, who has appeared in 24 NHL games (23 with the New York Rangers and one with the Quebec Nordiques) said he prefers not to do any off-ice training away from the arena.

“I try to get my work done at the rink,” says Hurlbut, whose minor pro league stops have also taken him to Denver, Flint, San Diego and Binghampton. “When I’m at home, I try to get away from it all. I don’t get any exercise, unless you count walking the dogs.”

Hurlbut’s family, which includes wife Julie and 2-year-old son Jacob, has a pair of golden retrievers.

Watch what you eat, drink

Though he hardly performs any strenuous work at home, Hurlbut, like most other pro athletes, has to keep a close on what he eats during the season.

“Guys at this level are well aware of their nutritional needs. They tend to eat a lot of pasta and a lot of chicken.”

Replenishing one’s fluid loss is also important. “The average guy loses about four pounds of water weight each game,” notes Hurlbut. “You’ll put that right back on again through meals. But if you don’t have a good meal afterwards, you’ll lose about two pounds of muscle or, in some cases, fat.”

Hurlbut’s teammate Savage agrees that the months of January and February can provide some difficult times. “After Christmas everybody starts getting more focused on the playoffs,” says Savage. “And there’s a letdown if you don’t keep the same diet or sleeping patterns. You have to keep a mental focus. You don’t want to fall into any bad habits.”

Savage, 24, says some teams test the fitness levels of their players in mid-season, much as they do at the beginning of training camp. “It’s more to find out about yourself,” says Savage, a fifth-year pro who has had NHL stints with the Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques. “You have to try and keep higher on things like the bench press or squats.”

Chances are those with less than satisfactory results won’t have them go unnoticed. “Sometimes a coach will give you a hint by saying, Did you sleep okay? or Did you eat right?,” Savage says. “Or sometimes a coach will come right out and say you’re not keeping in shape. I’ve seen lots of guys lose their shape.”

Most minor league clubs have limited contacts with dietitians throughout the season. But a lot of NHL teams have them around.

“I used to call quite a few times when I was in Washington,” reveals Savage. “I’d have questions like, Why do I feel sometimes feel lousy after playing two games in two nights but I’m okay after three games in three nights? It’s nice to know you have somebody there to answer those questions.”

Even after the final buzzer has sounded, Savage says pro players still have work to do to keep in shape. “I lose 3-to-5 pounds a game,” he says. “I try to eat a lot of pasta, like lasagna and spaghetti. And the main thing is to drink a lot of water to avoid cramps.”

And before calling it a night, Savage says there’s one final thing he does to maintain his shape. “I always try to do a good stretch before getting into bed.”

So do what you can to avoid hitting your own mid-season wall. Take some tips from these pros, and stay in shape from the season opener right through to the playoff drive.

Sam Laskaris is a freelance sportswriter in Toronto.

This first appeared in the 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

Examining your future hockey options

By Bettina Young Prochnow

Is hockey in your future? If you’re a Bantam- or Midget-aged player, that is the question you should be asking yourself right now. And if you’re a PeeWee, great—you’re that much ahead of the game. If playing hockey after high school is your goal, then you need to look at what the options are, what is possible, and where you fit in. The sooner a player begins this process, the quicker he or she can target in on what suits them best.

The two post-high school hockey options are, of course, either college or Junior levels of play. The bottom line to achieving either one? “Strengthen your grades and strengthen your game,” says Coach Steve Malley, a Maryland high school hockey coach, and Bowie Hockey Club’s Director of Coaching. Malley, who also interviews prospective college entrants for Harvard, suggests that between those two areas, you will help create your very own “Player Profile.” This is essentially a sales brochure about you—the kind of player you are, the kind of person you are, and what you have accomplished. This is what you will then send out to the schools you have targeted.

Scout your schools

But first you have to find out about those schools and their teams. A good reference is the College Hockey Guide published by Athletic Guide Publications. They also have a Junior Guide, both of which list rosters, coaches, and locations. They are not an academic source, but minimum requirements for GPA and SAT scores are listed. Be prepared to maintain at least a 3.20 GPA in high school, and post an SAT score of 1000.

The competition is tough, and a strong GPA will at least open the door. As an example, Malley cites Penn State’s coach, Joe Battista. He looked at 60 aspiring freshman who wanted to play hockey for the school this season. He only took 14.

“Travel, practice, and academics are tough to balance,” says Malley. “Ask yourself which is going to help you achieve your goal; taking your CD player or your books on the bus?”

The other half of the equation is strengthening your game—otherwise known as exposure, exposure, exposure. The best way to pick up your game is to play against serious players and to learn from, and be observed by, coaches whose opinions count. Find out where those coaches work in the summer and go to their camps. For example, Battista runs a summer camp at Penn State. Use the College Guide, contact the schools that you are interested in, and ask. They’ll tell you if they run a camp and/or where the school’s coach does.

Show yourself off

Pursue the showcases—like Chicago or Hockey Night in Boston, to name a couple. Go to their tryout camps. By the time camp is over, you’ve played for coaches who network with even bigger-name coaches. Many times, a college coach will pick a player based on the recommendation and opinion of another coach that he knows.

This is why Prep schools have an edge in placing students in Division I colleges and universities. For example, Phillips Exeter not only prepares their students academically (they’ll have 50 kids get into Harvard each year) but having their own rink also allows them to put kids on the ice every day. In the summer, they play host to a hockey camp run by the 20-year coach at Wesleyan. So you don’t have to go to Prep school all year—just for a few weeks in the summer if you so chose.

Malley further encourages players to narrow their college choices down to six schools.

Meet and greet coaches

“Try to visit the teams and schools you are interested in and try to meet the coaches,” he adds. “Then send each of them a serious letter, telling them that you saw them play, why you’re impressed with their team, and your profile—grades, SATs, hockey strengths.”

Most importantly, he says, if the coach returns the interest, then the player needs to respond promptly. Return the phone call or complete and mail the résumé the next day. Because of NCAA rules, colleges can not pursue players. If you don’t follow up, the interest will stop. “Parents need to help with each step of this process,” Malley says. “And the sooner a family begins, the better. Most kids who get to college had a hockey parent pushing them with a gentle, firm, but never-ending push!”

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 02/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®

At forward with Mark Messier

By Bob Cunningham

©BBS

Being an NHL superstar as long as he has, Mark Messier would certainly have the right to harp on personal achievements when asked about the secrets of his success.

But Messier, who has been a member of six Stanley Cup championship teams during his career, most recently with the 1994 New York Rangers, does not. Instead, he focuses on the importance of working well with teammates at both ends of the ice, making whatever sacrifices are necessary for the good of the team, and achieving the only goal that matters: winning.

“The formula for winning is really pretty simple, but most teams don’t get it,” Messier said near the end of last year’s regular season.

“It” is in many ways one of those oft-cited intangibles, which makes it unusual fodder for this column. But Messier had a game plan in mind prior to last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and through actions rather than words he imparted that plan to each and every other member of the Rangers. So what exactly was it that let Messier silently express such a powerful message of unity to his teammates?

“Five Cups,” replied all-star defenseman Brian Leetch.

Considering others

Leetch was a key figure in Messier’s scheme. Regarded as one of the NHL’s finest defensemen at both ends of the ice, Leetch’s individual success would go a long way toward determining the fate of the Rangers, and Messier knew it.

So in this case, Messier—at forward—considered the success of his team’s key defenseman in forming his own approach to the game.

“I’m one that tries to help my teammates through my own hard work,” said Messier. “If I’m focused on doing my job, whether that be scoring goals or setting up the attack, I’m taking pressure off everyone else. That’s the way I’ve always viewed it.

“Brian Leetch is a tremendous competitor, and probably the most important guy on our team,” he added. “I really believe that. He was our defensive leader, so I’ve taken upon myself to go out of my way to complement his game.”

And Leetch has taken Messier’s example to heart, as well. “He’s a star,” said Messier, “because he has the same attitude (as I have) toward the forwards on our team.”

Don’t play for the moment

Messier explains that everything he tries to accomplish on the ice has an ulterior motive. Perhaps one of the main reasons for his long-term success, both on individual and team levels, is bred from his ability to see into the future—to anticipate.

“I try to anticipate what’s going to happen, help see what my teammates might need in certain situations,” he says. “But I think all good hockey players do that. You can’t just play for the moment.”

While anticipation is usually a sign of sound instincts, Messier doesn’t think it’s a case of the “have’s” and the “have-nots.” He insists that a player can literally “teach himself” to predict the future.

“You make it a practice (if you’re a young player) to observe the result of certain situations, so that you can recognize it when the time comes again,” he says. “That can be certain plays a team makes, or trends by a specific player, or whatever.”

Getting to kiss the Cup isn’t quite so simple, however. Messier chuckles at the thought of giving tips on how to win championships.

“It’s not that (winning Stanley Cups) just happen, because I’ve worked very hard for the success I’ve had,” he says. “But I’ve been fortunate, playing with guys like Brian and Mike Richter and, oh yeah—Wayne Gretzky has had something to do with it, too.”

“It’s a team game”

Dedication to a common goal is everyone’s job, Messier says, but forwards—specifically, centers—tend to be viewed for their individual contributions to a game, much like a quarterback in football.

“A lot of people, including a few guys I know in the NHL right now, believe that if you’re the center it should fall on your shoulders,” Messier explains. “But obviously, it’s a team game. The best advice I can give, I think, is for a player to always remember that, regardless of what level he plays on.”

Messier points to several NHL forwards—he wouldn’t name names—that simply refuse to do anything that goes beyond the classic job description for their position.

“There are certain times over the course of a season, or of a game, where you’re called upon to do things you’re not accustomed to, or expected to do,” Messier says. “Every time I throw a check, my coach cringes because he wants me to stay away from the rough stuff. But if I have to risk getting hit in order to protect the puck or to create a turnover that gives us a scoring opportunity, that’s what I’m going to do.

“The day I stop thinking that way is the day I hang up my skates.”

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

This first appeared in the 01/1995 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2011 Hockey Player® and Hockey Player Magazine®