Dmen, this is something that I put together for the forwards but it is something that all dmen need to be aware of. This is how good effective forwards think and what their mindset is or should be concerning 'crashing the net' and scoring goals. During a coaches clinic in the summer, John Riley a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, presented on this topic and just how important and vital it is in today's game. This mindset and a willingness to play in the 'nasty' areas is something all scouts look for. Some of these concepts were taken directly from John's presentation. (Assist to Scout Riley) I hope these 9 examples help the forwards get a visual of what it takes. Example 1-Classic Example of the amount of traffic it takes sometimes to score....   Example 2-Watch the forward drive to the front of the net.....not the side.             Example 3-Division 1 Hockey-Listen to the announcer and watch Minnesota and their ...

Had fun putting this together!!! Enjoy. If you don't know who some of the guys are, let me know!!! :)

This time of year a lot of teams are identifying who is going to be their captains, assistants and leadership group. Our team is no exception. I thought I would put together some examples of some of the great leaders of the past and some clips that might help you in the quest. These are great examples to share with all young players that highlight the skills that all coaches are looking for. These skills come easy to some, not so easy to most, but can be developed by all. Remember, everyone's a leader. The last two are more for the coaches. Sometimes it is up to them to uncover the 'captain'. (and of course you always finish with Lombardi!!!!) You have to love this!!!

Hockey Practice. One hour of magic. A time when real time doesn't matter. When problems temporarily disappear. When a new identity becomes reality. Heart rates increase. Lungs expand. Legs burn. Strength appears. One hour of magic. Coaches yell. Coaches coach. Coaches teach. Coaches get lost in the moment. Coaches become kids again.  Players work. Players sweat. Players bond. Players get lost in the moment. Players are allowed to be kids, even when they are no longer kids. An hour that is the same to a pee wee as it is to an NHL player. Some psychiatrists charge $250 an hour. Some hours of ice cost $250 an hour.......divided by twenty. An hour that hurts. An hour that feels great. One hour of magic. New things are tried. New skills learned. Old habits removed. New habits instilled. Confidence nurtured. Laziness deterred. An hour that moves faster than any hour of math class. When friendships are forged. Leadership abilities appear. One hour of magic. ...

Guys, Yesterday at practice we focused on some beginning coverage in the defensive zone. A very positive start but it is an area that we can never be too good at. One of the basic things I wanted to reiterate to the dmen is how important it is to be strong on your stick and how you have to play the game a certain way today. With the emphasis on speed and skating, the days of grabbing, clutching and playing with a hand off your stick are gone. You will simply take too many penalties playing with a 'loose' hand off your stick. I want you to take a look at a few videos of probably the best dman of all times in terms of dzone coverage. The amazing thing about Nick Lidstrom is that he wasn't an overly physical guy and hardly EVER took penalties. Really incredible how good he was. He seemed to always be in control in the Dzone. He is our example of how we want to play. When you watch these videos look at the amount of time he plays with two hands on his stick and really on...

Guys, This week's topic has nothing to do with technique, positioning or skill.  It is just about will...... Hope it helps when summer training starts to get tough. Enjoy!