Guys, Thought we would take a break this week from Dman specific stuff. I am travelling to Nationals this week so instead I thought I would just share with you a story I came across that I really like for a few  reasons. Just a little Positive Mental Attitude stuff to keep you sharp. The Bayonne Bleeder You have to believe in yourself so strongly that you are willing to bank on it. Chuck Wepner never learned this lesson. As a boxer he earned the name “the Bayonne Bleeder”, due to the punishment he took even while winning. In the boxing world he was what was called a “catcher” a fighter that uses his head to block the other guy’s punches…..Wepner continually pressured his opponent until he either won or got knocked out. He never cared how many shots he had to absorb until he could deliver a knockout blow to his opponent. His trainer Al Braverman called him, “The gutsiest fighter I ever met. He was in a league of his own. He didn’t care about pain or embarrassment. I...

Guys, This week we are going to briefly touch on blocking shots and how important it is now for dmen to be able to effectively do it. Not that long ago dmen were only encouraged to block shots as a last resort when something defensively broke down. A huge mistake was probably made and the only thing left was to block the shot. Dmen were taught to move players out of the front of the net and clear the lane so goalies could see the shot. As the game changed and evolved and the new obstruction rules were enforced, defensive systems adjusted and now dmen are coached to get in the lane at all costs and get your body in front of any shot. You can no longer 'tie up' a player and try to move him out of the way. You will be called for interference. So now a lot of the time your only way to defend is to try and block the shot. ' Shot blocks' has now become one of the biggest stats when evaluating dmen. Here is the good and the bad. The good, equipment has improved dramaticall...

This week we are going to touch on the different types or styles of dmen. As you get older players start to develop into specialized roles that suit their specific strengths, and as you get to the higher levels, Dmen start to get categorized and put into certain roles. Typically, Dmen get categorized as a Number 1 or 2, and then a group known as 3-6.   Number 1 or 2s. These are guys that play in all situations. 5 on 5, 4 on 4, Power Play, Penalty Kill and log big minutes on the ice. These players are usually very physically gifted and play hard and close to the edge. In my opinion two to the best Number 1’s of all time were Chris Pronger and Nick Lidstrom. Chris was a very nasty and snarly player and was effective that way and Nick was not as physical but both were excellent at every part of playing the position. Usually every great team has one or two Number 1’s. If you look at every Stanley cup winning team they usually have at least two of these types of p...

Hey Guys, Hope you are well. Have a little Audio/Video session for you to check out this week. The second video is one of my all time favorite coaches! Plus it features one of the best dmen of all time Chris Chelios. Whenever you have a problem with a coach, think of this guy!!!! Enjoy   J Feedback to give me when you can. What is the worst experience with a coach you had? What did you learn from it? Who was the best coach you have had and why? Thanks! Kerry

Welcome to the Dman Summit Club. Why Summit? I look at playing the position of Defense as an expedition. Players have to climb the mountain and work hard in certain areas to reach the summit of Dman play. Every day you work a little harder, learn a little more and step by step you work your way to the top. My goal is to just be one of your guides along the way. I have or will be sending you info on how to join the group thru google groups. It is a very secure way to communicate and it is by invite only. Each week on Mon. or Tues. there will be a new post. We are going to be covering a lot of stuff. Some of it might be boring or you may think it might not apply to you at this time but trust me, over a long period of time, a lot of the topics will relate to you at some point in your playing career.  I like to think of it like you are part of an online class. Don’t worry, there are no tests or exams but occasionally I might give you a little research to do. Just reme...