2011 Western Elite Hockey Camp Dates

We are pleased to announce that our 2011 camp dates have been finalized.
July 13th to Saturday July 16th in Edmonton Alberta.
The previous 2 years our camp has been held on the final weekend of July, which has caused some conflicts for our attendees going to WHL camps the days following. This date adjustment for 2011 should take care of those concerns.
We have once again been flooded with applications for the 2011 camp. We will be out to the rinks to view as many players as possible.
Currently, only 6 roster positions are available.

Complete Video Series

Here is the complete video series of the player and parent seminar at our camp this year.
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=CA#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=QJzMoSDQpbM
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=CA#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=4v0WIXVgiiE
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=CA#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=DfVQ57y1o1Y

Coach Player Parent Seminar

During the 2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp , Coach Darrel presented a seminar to the players and parents on "Translatable Skill". This video is the first of that seminar series. Enjoy and comment.

Coach Belfry

  

Coach Darryl Belfry had another busy summer in 2010 working with numerous NHL superstars including: Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff, Jason Spezza, Steve Montador and many more.
Visit Darryls website at:
Playmakers Hockey


Check out Darryls Blog

2010 Prospects Game Video Hi-lite video

The Game Stats:


Team White 7 - Team Black 6

Team White

96 Ben VERRALL # 5 – Saskatoon Bandits GSHL – 1 assist
96 Keenan SHAW # 71 – KC Squires AMBHL – 1 assist
96 Tyler Thorburn # 55 – KC Squires AMBHL - 1 assist
95 Macklin PICHONSKY # 95 – Leduc AMBHL – 1 assist
96 Jake VIRTANEN # 19 – Abbotsford Bantam AAA – 2 goals
96 Ryley WOZNIAK # 9 – Fort Sask AMBHL – 1 assist
96 Riley SIMPSON # 18 – SSAC AMBHL – 2 goals
95 Jaedon DESCHENEAU # 14 – Leduc AMBHL – 2 goals 1 assist
95 Romano MORRISON # 83 – CAC Bantam AA – 1 assist
95 Tyson PREDINCHUK # 4 – Regina AA Hurricanes SSMHL – 1 goal
96 Jake SCHUTZ # 94 – Wetaskiwin Bantam – 1 assist

Team Black

96 Michael BRUNI # 4 – St. Albert AMBHL – 1 assist
96 Brett VAN OS # 90 – St. Albert Bantam AA - 1 goal
96 Tyler BUSCH # 7 – Lloydminster AMBHL – 2 goals
95 Trevor WHYNOT # 91 – Whitehorse Mustangs – 1 assist
95 Chance THOMAS # 9 – Spruce Grove Bantam AA – 1 assist
96 Dexter HANAS # 15 – Whitecourt Bantam AA – 1 assist
96 Bryar ORTYNSKI # 19 – SSAC AMBHL – 3 goals

2011 Camp in the works

Plans for the 2011 Western Elite Hockey Camp have begun.

With only 7 roster positions remaining for 2011, we will be at the rinks this coming season to scout the best 1996 and 1997 born talent that Western North America has to offer. Any organisations/parents wishing to have your elite players scouted please contact us.
The dates and schedule will be finalized over the next 4 weeks.
The 2010 camp had an incredibly talented roster, we expect 2011 to follow the same standard.

Game Photos

Jaedon Descheneau (Kootenay Ice, WHL) faces off against 2011WHL Draft eligible Jared Steinbach.

St. Albert's big Michael Bruni keeps a close eye on the lightening quick Jake Virtanen from Abbotsford.

Video

Short video clips of some hits from the 2010 Prospects Game

Another Successful Camp

Aother great camp this year !!!

Ready To Roll

We are just hours away from the start of the 2010 Wetsern Elite Hockey Camp. We are excited to meet our old friends and make new ones. See you all Thursday at noon.

Seminar

On Saturday July 31st before the prospects game, we will be holding the coaches / parents / players seminar  with coach Darryl at 5:15 to 6:30.
The meeting will be held at the Blair Oko Golf Academy Lounge which overlooks the rink (Kinsmen Arena). As the seminar will be held at supper time, Blair Oko has offered to set up a “pizza buffet” for our seminar. Cost will be $8 per person to have pizza and drinks/refreshments (to be collected at registration).

Please let me know if you wish to attend the seminar so I can let Blair know how much pizza to prepare. I strongly recommend that all parents attend the seminar as Coach Darryl will be touching on many important topics in regard to your son’s future.

Non camp attendees are welcome to join in and learn from Coach Darryl, please let us know if you wish to attend.

2010 Roster Is Complete

Our roster for the 2010 Western Elite Hockey camp is now complete. The 30 man roster has elite players from: The Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Czech Republic.

Goalies:
Adin Hill - Calgary
Garrett Storms - Edmonton
Walker Shenher  - Edmonton
Billy Gorn - Edmonton

Defense:
Ben Verrall - Saskatoon

Greydon Robinson - Kelowna
Keenan Shaw - Edmonton
Michael Bruni - St. Albert
Matej Kolar - Czech Republic
Mark Matsuba - St. Albert
Macklin Pichonski - Leduc
Holden Daley - Sherwood Park

Forwards:
Ryley Wozniak - Fort Saskatchewan
Brett Van Os - St. Albert
Evan Tordiff - NWT
Jake Virtanen - Abbotsford
Riley Simpson - Edmonton
Tyler Busch - Lloydminster
Tyler Mrkonjic - St. Albert
Bryar Ortynski - Edmonton
Trevor Whynot - Whitehorse
Jaedon Descheneau - Leduc
Morgan Klimchuk - Calgary
Romano Morrison - Edmonton
Tyson Predinchuk - Regina
Chance Thomas - Spruce Grove
Dexter Hanas - Whitecourt
Jake Schutz - Wetaskiwin
Jared Steinbach - Whitehorse
Matthew Bruyer - Edmonton

See you all in just over 2 weeks !!

The Awards Keep Coming

2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp forward Jake Virtanin, who attends the William A. Fraser Hockey Academy, was awarded  grade 8 Most Valuable Player for the 09/10 school year. All students are required to maintain a B average to participate in the hockey academy.

Way to go Jake!! See you in a few weeks.

More Awards !!

2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp attendee Tyler Mrkonjic, a student of Richard Fowler Junior High School, was recently awarded with Grade 8 Male Student Athlete of the Year. Not only is Tyler a great  athlete but also maintained a standard of excellence in his studies receiving Honor Status.
Our camp this year is set to put a great group of young players on the ice. We are proud of all our player's accomplishments on and off the ice.

Camp Attendees are Honoured

The Vimy Ridge Academy had their awards night on Thursday June 3, 2010. Three members of the 2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp were presented with special awards.
Riley Simpson was recognised as an "Honour Student" by maintaining an 80% or better average during the school year. He was also awarded "Student Athlete of the Year" for grade 8. 
Ryan Matsuba was recognised as an "Honour Student" and was also awarded "Student Athlete of the Year" for grade 9.
Keenan Shaw was awarded "Honours with Distinction" by maintaining a 90% or better average.

Congrats to the boys for setting and maintaining a standard of excellence in your schoolastic endeavours.

Fragle named head coach

This week Tim Fragle, who will be coaching one of the teams this year at the Western Elite Hockey Prospects Game on July 31st, was announced to be the new Head Coach of the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders. Congrats Tim and all the best this season

2010 Bantam Draft

Western Elite Hockey wants to congratulate our current and past members that were drafted into the WHL in the 2010 Bantam draft on April 29th.

#5 Morgan Klimchuk
#45 Brett Zarowny
#62 Jaedon Descheneau
#127 Tyson Predinchuk
#132 Ryan Rehill
#240 Macklin Pichonsky

Way to go guys.

Special Announcement - Tim Fragle to Coach

Western Elite Hockey is proud to announce that Tim Fragle will be the head coach of one of the teams at the 2010 Western Elite Prospects Game.
Tim is a Nait graduate in Business Management (specializing in Human Resources). During his time at Nait he played for the Nait Ooks hockey team, where he was the captain for 2 seasons. Tim played junior hockey with the Trail Smokeeaters from 1997-1999 and the Sherwood Park Crusaders 1999-2000. Tim also captained both of these teams.


Tim has 12 years coaching experience; he has coached the Canadian Athletic Club Bantam AAA, Fort Saskatchewan Midget AAA, five seasons as head coach of the Canadian Athletic Club Midget AAA hockey team and is currently the Assistant Coach of the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Tim is a qualified NCCP high performance Advanced 1 coach and has been the Head Instructor for the Nait hockey school for the last 5 years. Tim coached the Edmonton South Bruins for the Alberta Cup and has help with Hockey Alberta under seventeen programs as well. He is also currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the Northern Alberta Selects Hockey Club. Tim is also an Associate Director at the Vimy Ridge Hockey Academy

Player of the Game Award

Western Elite Hockey would like to thank United Cycle Sports for thier partnership in our 2009 and 2010 Elite Bantam Camps.

United Cycle has once again stepped up to the plate and donated a Bauer One95 stick valued at $260.00
The One95 stick will be awarded to the player of the game from Team Black in the Western Elite Prospects game on Saturday July 31st, 2010.

United Cycle Sports is Edmonton's premier supplier of hockey equipment with over 100 000 square feet of sport related shopping.
Special thanks to the staff for their continued support.

Special Announcement - Craig Simpson to Coach

Western Elite Hockey is proud to announce that Craig Simpson is to be the head coach of one of the teams at the 2010 Western Elite Prospects Game.

Craig was drafted in the 1st Round, 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. Midway through his third NHL season, he was traded as part of a package to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Paul Coffey. Simpson blossomed in Edmonton, playing on a line with future Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson. He scored a career high 56 regular season goals during the 1987–88 season, and won two Stanley Cups with the Oilers, in 1988 and 1990. He would be dealt to the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 1993-94 season.

Simpson suffered a serious back injury in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 1, 1993. Though he continued to play, the injury would eventually end his playing career at age 28. He retired as a player in 1996, finishing with 497 career NHL points. He holds the record for best career shooting percentage with a 23.66% mark.

Simpson joined his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, in 2005 and served as an assistant coach of the team. He helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2005–06 season.


Currently Craig is the color commentator along with Jim Hughson who does play by play on CBC Hockey Night in Canada’s marquee games.


The 2010 Western Elite Prospects Game will be held on July 31st at the Kinsmen Arena in Edmonton.

Star on the rise

Another 2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp attendee has had a great finish to his season. Defenceman Matej Kolar and his team, HC Sparta Prague, just won silver in the 1996 Born Czech Republic National Hockey Championships.
At 5'9" and 140Lbs, this smooth skating defenceman shows great poise when skating the puck out of his zone. Good hands and vision of the ice will have a number of North American major junior teams watching him closely in the coming years.


Way to go Matej, see you this July.

Coach Darryl Belfry in the Class Room

This is a great video with Coach Darryl discussing the mind set of a hockey player as he tries to climb up the depth chart of his team.

Post Season Transition

By Peter Twist, BPE MPE CSCS, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Vancouver Canucks

To prepare a master plan for the summer, coaches need to consider how to make a successful transition from a long season, intense playoff, and the summer developmental phase. Your goal is to recover from minor injuries and fatigue while preparing the mind and body for off-season training.

If your team enjoyed post-season play, your players went through a grueling regular season and then were in a peak output condition throughout playoffs. They have drawn upon every available reserve—including physical, physiological, mental, emotional, and hormonal components. Some players immediately cease all activity and are sedentary until their summer conditioning program begins. This can be problematic. Since playoff teams have a shorter summer phase, it is important to maintain a base of fitness to work off of, as opposed to allowing yourself to become completely deconditioned. A general base will allow you to make a quicker improvement you can accomplish within the summer period before camp begins.

Additionally, while you need time to rest and repair, you also need a transitional unloading phase. The body, mind and spirit need time to adjust from a peak output environment to one of rest and recovery. Your body’s mechanisms for recovery and repair do a better job with light activity. Active regeneration will help facilitate the process of unloading, allowing your muscles, organs, hormones, mind (etc.) time to unwind, gear down and recover. Activities that are low impact and low stress can be prescribed with a moderate intensity three times per week. If players are together, activities should be characterized by play, cooperation, and fun. If players are on their own, they should use a variety of activities that they personally enjoy. Swimming, cycling, 2-on-2 volleyball, hiking, tag football, Frisbee throwing, and pick up games from various sports are suitable. The purpose is to achieve mainly aerobic exercise within an activity that also has lateral movement and anaerobic components.

I also prescribe a low volume full body strength training workout twice per week, followed by static stretching. Three sets per muscle group is sufficient. I encourage players to complete this outside the weight room, using body weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, step-ups, squats, and lunges. Smaller muscle groups are accommodated with surgical tubing or using a partner to apply manual resistance.

Being active and having fun in an unstructured environment is a key factor in the body’s, mind’s and spirit’s response to tapering down from the playoffs to active rest and recovery and on to the generality and intensity of initial off-season training. Stay off the ice and out of the weight room, but utilize an active transition with pick up games and activities you particularly enjoy. Top this off with plenty of social, leisure, rest, and relaxation opportunities. I encourage my players to fulfill a four-week phase of unloading, rest & recovery, and fitness maintenance before they begin their structured hockey-conditioning program.

About the Author: Peter Twist is the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Vancouver Canucks, the B.C. Provincial Director for the NSSCA, and the President of the Professional & Collegiate Hockey Conditioning Coaches Association. Twist, an Exercise Physiologist and Sport Scientist, has written two books on hockey conditioning, published dozens of articles on player development, and peer reviews submitted articles for academic journals.

Executing the One-Timer

By Greg Siller

The one-timer, or one-time shot, is one of the most exciting and difficult offensive plays in hockey. It is
actually a play because it combines two players executing a pass and a shot. The one-timer combines three main elements: quickness, accuracy, and, of course, timing. The quickness and accuracy come from the passer; as this player must setup the shooter with a crisp and accurate pass, moving the puck toward the shooter’s front skate. Generally, a pass across the slot or from deep in the offensive zone to the point works best because as the goaltender attempts to follow the puck, it is moved from the initial location toward the net before the goaltender has a chance to prepare himself for the shot. As the goaltender quickly moves to get into position, the shot has already been taken.

Timing for the one-timer must be accurately gauged by the shooter, because there is only a fraction of a
second opportunity for the shooter’s stick to contact the puck and put it into the net. Practice is the only way
for your timing to improve. The shot of choice for the one-timer is usually the slap shot, however players
should begin practicing this play using the snapshot. The snap shot will allow the shooter a little more
margin for error due to the shortened backswing (as compared to the slap shot).

Practice makes perfect

To work on this play during practice, divide your team into two lines and place them near the
boards at each end of the center red line. Start the drill by having the first players in
each line skate toward the net, passing the puck as they go. As they get within 20 feet of the net, the puck
carrier passes the puck to the shooter, who executes the one-timer. It is best if right-handed shooters skate
down the left side of the rink and left-handed shooters skate down the right side so that the shooter will
always have the puck in front of him as he prepares. The shooter prepares by drawing his stick back and
times the travel of the pass so that his follow-through with the blade of the stick coincides exactly with the
arrival of the puck. Alternate this drill so that both sides have a chance to perform the one-timer.

The second drill has all players except the passer and the goaltender lined up near the center red line. The passer should be positioned about five feet from the net and behind the goal line. Start this drill by having the first player from skate toward the net. As the skater enters the slot area, he is given a pass for the one-time shot. The passer needs to be aware whether the shooter is a right-handed or left-handed shooter so that the pass will be toward the correct side of the shooters body.

Practicing and perfecting these one-time drills will add an elite talent to your offensive arsenal and you will see the results from the surprised goaltenders who rarely have time to move across the crease to stop your quick shot.

5 Goaltending Myths

Throughout hockey there are misconceptions and myths that coaches, parents and goaltenders have heard about the position of goalie. Here are five of the top 10 most common myths and my thoughts about them:

1. Goaltenders do not have to be able to be great skaters

Not true! Goalies must be wonderful skaters. In fact on a lot of occasions, goalies are some of the best skaters or at least one of the most agile skaters on the team. Skating is more than just speed forward, it is balance, agility and body control on the ice. Goaltenders must be quality skaters.

2. Goalies should have dull skates

Nothing could be further from the truth. Most goalies like a sharp skate. The frequency at which a goaltender skate is sharpened is certainly based on the amount of ice time. But not only is frequency important, but the way the skate is sharpened is critical. Most goalies at the professional, college, or junior level put a hollow into their skate rather than the old myth of using a "flat ground" sharpening. Whether it be a very deep hollow at 1/4" or a shallow hollow at 3/4', goalies are now sharpening their skates more often and putting more and more hollow grinds into their skates.

3. A goalie's stick-side leg is weaker than his glove-side leg

That would seem logical as more goals are scored low to the stick side than to the glove side, but it is not true. On most occasions the goalies' stick leg is significantly better in terms of skate saves or half-butterflies than the goalies glove-side leg. Why is this the case? The answer is simple, on the stick side the goaltender does not have the luxury of getting the stick involved in many of the saves, it's the leg and leg alone. On the glove side, the goalie has the ability of using the stick as a crutch as an additional saving vehicle which prevents the goalie from utilizing the glove-side leg as often as the goalie utilizes the stick-side leg. Should the goalie lose his goal stick during the game, you'll find the goaltender is far better to the stick side than the glove side.

4. Goalies make kick saves

You hear announcers in pro hockey using this term all the time. "Kick saves and a beauty," but there really is no such thing. A goaltender either makes a skate save, or now in most cases, a pad save which includes a half-butterfly or two-pad slide... but rarely does the goalie actually make a "kick" save. We'll leave kicks to the soccer players.

5. The best goalies are the goalies that always stand up

While we want our goaltenders to remain on their feet for as long as possible, the game today has changed. No longer can a goaltender expect to make a lot of saves standing. Now, it's not if the goaltender leaves his feet, but rather when and how. The key is timing. When the goaltender leaves his feet too early — the shooter will adjust and go over or around the goaltender; too late — and a lot of pucks end up going under or through the goalie. How the goaltender goes down is important because the goaltender, when leaving his feet, must fill space — not open holes — by staying off his butt and using his pads and his arms to close holes and take away large portions of the net. Yes, a goaltender must stand up more in moving, but now goaltenders must end up leaving their feet in saving. Remember - it's not if — it's when and how... that's the key.

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.

Evaluation Camp

This Easter long weekend the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League will be holding their spring evaluation camp at the Sherwood Park Arena. Best of luck to present and past Western Elite Hockey Camp members who will be in attendance:


• Ryan Rehill
• Masen Presisniuk
• Keenan Shaw
• Luc Topolnyski
• Garrett Storms
• Aaron Irving
• Macklin Pichonsky

GSHL City Champions

Last week the Saskatoon Bandits, won the Greater Saskatoon Hockey League (GSHL) Bantam AA City Championships. They beat the 1st and 2nd place teams as well as the Provincial Finalists (the Saskatoon Frostbite) to win the title. Congratulations to Western Elite Hockey's Ben Verrall and the Saskatoon Bandits on a great finish to the season.

Bisons, AMBHL Champions !!

We would like to congratulate Brayden Point and Morgan Klimchuk of the Calgary Bisons (attendees of the 2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp) who won the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League championships last night by defeating the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers in a best of five series. The Bisons will move on to the Western Canadian Bantam Championships.

Honourable mention to another 2010 camp attendee, Ryley Wozniak of the Fort Sask Rangers, who had a strong season as a first year player.

Best wishes to the Bisons in their battle to the Western champs!!

2010 Alberta Cup

Five players attending the 2010 Western Elite Hockey Camp have been selected to play for their respective areas at this year’s Alberta Cup.


• Edmonton South Bruins – Macklin Pichonsky & Tristan Reimer
• Edmonton North Oilers – Ryan Rehill
• North East Flyers – Jaedon Descheneau
• Calgary South Flames – Morgan Klimchuk

We wish you all the best at the Alberta Cup !!

Click here for the complete Alberta Cup schedule

Top 10 Defensemen for the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft

From Dean Mallard and Guy Flaming at The Team 1260's Pipeline Show.

The Pipeline Show will present our 2010 WHL Bantam Draft Preview series. We've picked the brains of  WHL scouts and will come out with a list of players once a week leading up to the draft, as well as a ranking of players just before the teams gather for the WHL Awards ceremony/Bantam draft during the last week of April.


Here now is our first installment, where we are dealing with blueliners for the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.


Top 10 Defenceman


10. Colton Waltz, Lloydminster Universal Heat

The Goods: 5.10, 160, 30 GP, 18-24-42

Scouts say...Good skating Dman, runs Lloydminster’s powerplay, hard shot from the point, can play physical, fades late in games, needs to defend better against top forwards.

9. Kyle Burroughs, Langley Eagles

The Goods: 5.10, 154, 1st all star team at Burnaby Christmas Tournament

Scouts Say...Physical and skilled, strong skater, good vision, can deliver big

open ice hits, missed first quarter of the season due to injury.

8.Joseph Carvalho, Burnaby Winter Club

The Goods: 5.08, 160, John Reid Memorial tournament all star

Scouts say...Undersized powerplay specialist, excellent vision, very composed, runs the best PP in BC. Might be the smartest player in this year’s draft.

7.Paul Stoykewych, Winnipeg Monarchs

The Goods: 5.10, 160, 30 GP, 10-25-35

Scouts say...Decent size, strong skater, excellent vision, best PP Dman in Manitoba, his 2 brothers recently committed to NCAA schools.

6. Jared Hauf, Calgary Bronks

The Goods: 6.04, 170, 33 GP, 4-13-17

Scouts say...Bigger is better, improves every time he hits the ice, could be the next Tyler Myers?

5. Scott Savage LA Selects

The Goods: 5.11, 150, Led his team to 22-1 tournament record.

Scouts say...Best American Dman in this year’s draft, might be the best skater in this group, can play any kind of game, mature beyond his age and peers.

4. Madison Bowey, Winnipeg Monarchs

The Goods: 5.10, 160, 29 GP, 15-42-57

Scouts say...Big strong kid, solid on his skates, defends well, might end up as the best of the group by 18 years of age, vision and hockey sense has to improve.

3.Jesse Lees, Calgary Northstars

The Goods: 6.0, 165, 30 GP, 18-20-38

Scouts say...A player you notice every shift, aggressive, loves to rush the puck, can play physical, great work ethic, prone to turn overs and can be often guilty of doing too much.

2.Carter Hansen, Lumsden-Bethune Lions

The Goods: 5.11, 160, 26 GP, 19-15-34

Scouts say...Plays forward and defence, carried Lumsden on his back all the way to the Sask provincial final, hard shot from the point, needs to play more physical, plays too much and tires easily.

1.Josh Morrisey, Calgary Royals

The Goods: 5.11, 170, 32 GP, 21-28-49

Scouts say...Best dman in this year’s draft, dominates every shift, solid in the dzone, likes the big hits in the neutral zone, rocket of a shot, good offensive instincts, all the Royal’s offence comes off of his stick.

“Knocking at the door”Joel Topping_Red Deer, Spenser Jensen-Airdrie, Taylor Green- Port Coquitlam, Tyler King-Notre Dame, Kayle Doetzel-West Central

Special Thanks to The Pipeline Show Blog

Six Steps to Better Passing

Are you tired of the puck hitting your blade and bouncing off? Are you tired of your coach calling you cement hands? Have people stopped passing you the puck for fear of never seeing it again? Well, let’s fix that. Here are six easy steps to better passing.


1. When making a pass it is important to sweep the puck, not flick it. Step one is to draw the puck back slightly. Think of it like cocking a gun. There has to be room for you to put some speed on the puck.

2. As you push the puck forward, also press down toward the ice. This will put a bit of flex on your stick. As the stick moves forward it will eventually release and spring your shot forward. This also gives your pass stability.

3. As you are pushing the puck forward and pressing down on your stick, roll your wrists and point the toe of your blade at what you want to hit. The puck rolls off the blade and is aimed by how you point the toe.

Now, we are going to focus on the hard part, catching the pass:

4. The first thing to remember is shock absorber. We don’t want those previously mentioned “stone hands” to show up. Put your stick a little bit out from your body. When the puck hits your blade, absorb it by moving the blade back. This works just like the suspension in your car. If your stick is to far back, the puck will knock it in the air and go under.

5. Cradle. The puck is your friend, treat it nice. As you absorb the speed of the pass, you will need to cradle and protect it.

6. Never take your eye off the puck until it is safely on your stick. You always hear about receivers dropping the football because they thought they were going to score a touchdown. Don’t do that. Catch the pass, and then make your move. Until you are ready to start thinking two plays ahead, just focus on the task at hand.

Good passing will make you a valuable contributor to your team. Don’t neglect this aspect of the game.

Special thanks toDerek Stell.
Derek has been a hockey instructor for the Peaks Ice Arena for the last five years. During that time he has coached all levels, from four year olds learning to skate to 40 year olds learning to skate to high school summer leagues. He has also played for ACHA D2 Brigham oung University.

Face Offs

Face-offs are a critical part of any hockey game, as any coach will testify. They make a difference in many ways. It's not just the winning draw, back to the point for the winning goal, with less than a minute to play,....... it's very much about time of possesion.

Every time your team wins the draw, your team has puck possession. The best defense in the game, is owning the puck. The opposition is forced to spend time and energy, trying to retrieve it. When you look at shots on goal, at the end of any game, you can take a look at face-offs as well, and you will usually see a correlation between the two.

Centermen should take great pride in being sent out to win the draw in their own zone, in the last minute of a close game. They should also realize that they can't always win it on their own. Everyone at the face-off circle has a responsibility to fight for loose pucks. Many times, after the initial drop of the puck, the puck will lie just a foot or two from the two centermen......... in otherwords, it was basically a tie. The next player into the circle to get that loose puck makes all the difference.

Wingers and D-men should be active and alert to these situations, especially in their own zone. It could easily make the difference between winning and losing. Remember, the deciding goal might be scored 8 minutes into the FIRST period, because of a decisive face-off win. Don't go to sleep early in the game, thinking that you will bear down as the game progresses. It may already be too late.

NHL centermen practice 40-50 faceoffs every day, escpecially on game days ... (more, when they are having problems). Don't leave this very important part of the game to chance. PRACTICE !

Coaches can set-up a regular, friendly competition, at the end of every practice. Talk about a game situation and put pressure on each man to win the draw. The loser skates a lap ...... the winner gets to watch! Incentives are a wonderful motivator.

Your win/ loss column will improve greatly, the more time you spend on face-offs as a team.

Special thanks to Brian Engblom

Tips to Improve Your Game

Whether you’ve been playing hockey since you were a tot or you’re a newcomer to the game, you’re always looking for ways to improve. You don’t learn everything in practice (especially at today’s ice prices). In fact, you probably pick up more in the locker room before and after practice than you do on the ice!

Following are 30 tips that we’ve collected from a variety of sources. Some of them are tried and true tips from hockey folklore. Others are garnered from coaches and trainers who are on the leading edge of the game. Either way, we’re sure you’ll find something that will fit in with your game plan.

Wax Your Stick Blade. Waxing the stick blade is now a popular method used to preserve tape. A player simply applies the wax to both sides of the stick blade on the outside of the tape. This process seals the tape, keeping the water out and allowing the tape to last longer. Another benefit to waxing your blade is the “softness” it provides when handling the puck. It may not seem like much, but a player with good hands can feel the subtle cushioning the wax provides. Some call it a gimmick, but don’t knock it until you’ve given it a try..........
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Foot Speed For Defensemen

So many defensemen are expected to step-up or take the body on opposing forwards, but very rarely are these defensemen taught what exactly is involved in accomplishing these tasks. For a defenseman, the first and foremost skill that should be taught is foot speed and quickness. This terminology is applied to every position in hockey, but for a defenseman there are certain areas that are position specific, and need to be taught and mastered if you are planning to elevate your game to new levels.

Can I suggest that the next time you watch a professional game that you pay particular attention to the defense, especially their feet. This may seem like an odd assignment, but upon further review you will notice that a defensemen’s feet never stop moving. They are constantly positioning themselves to prevent a scoring opportunity, or to create one for their teammates. I have decided to break down the areas needed to improve overall foot speed and quickness, which will allow any defenseman to implement these techniques and hopefully improve in his or her position...........
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Exercises For Power

Hockey is a physically demanding sport. The players of today must train on and off the ice year round to keep up or stay ahead of the competition. In this article I will discuss 2 exercises that will help build core and leg strength. In today’s game a powerful core and legs will give you faster reaction time for lateral movement and make it much more difficult for the opposition to knock you off the puck.

1. Hockey Squat Jump:

• Start by getting into hockey stance - feet shoulder width apart, legs bent, chest and head up.
• While keeping your head and chest up, squat down so that your upper legs are parallel to the floor.
• Launch/jump up as high as possible, getting full leg extension.
• Land in hockey stance, absorb the landing.
• Immediately lower yourself down to parallel and repeat.
• Perform the exercise in 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
o Increase the level of difficulty by wearing a weighted vest

2. Lateral Stride Jumps: (mimics the hockey skating stride)

• Start by getting into hockey stance - feet shoulder width apart, legs bent, chest and head up.
• Transfer your weight over to your right foot, the left foot off the ground and behind you as if being in the middle of a stride. Sit into it by trying to get your right upper leg parallel to the floor.
• Jump to the left as high and as far as possible.
• Land on your left foot, and absorb the landing.
• Without letting your right foot touch the floor, launch yourself back to the right side using the same mechanics.
• Perform the exercise in 3 sets of 15 jumps each way (3 sets of 30 total jumps)
• This is a difficult exercise that takes a lot of core and leg strength to maintain balance. Practice will perfect this exercise, and results will quickly show up on the ice as your stride will become faster and more powerful.
o Increase the level of difficulty by wearing a weight belt

These two exercises should be performed twice (spaced 3 days apart) per week on a regular basis.

Al Shaw, SCC

Trying to Gain Weight

Naturally Enhancing Your Appetite

Many guys seem to have a problem of eating enough calories to help them grow. Training/lifting doesn’t seem to be a problem, neither does taking supplements. Knowledge of supplements is so prevalent on the message boards that anyone can easily get the info they need with a simple click of the mouse. Nutrition on the other hand, is the most difficult aspect of building our body. It takes up hours of your day, every day. It is also the most neglected aspect of our sport because it is: time consuming, expensive and let’s face it, boring.
The guys that take this sport seriously all realize that consuming enough good calories is what separates the men from the boys. There is no humanly possible way that a man can add 30 or more pounds of lean body weight to his frame without eating high calorie multiple meals thru-out the day.

Most guys will admit that it is a daunting task. “How can I continue to eat when I feel full or not hungry at all?” Well, that is what this article is all about. I will let you in on a time proven method of increasing your appetite that is 100% natural, no supplements or pharmaceuticals are necessary.
The trick is in knowing how to make you hungry. If you have to force yourself to eat when you don’t feel hungry, it becomes a burden and you will certainly fail.
Don’t be fooled by Gimmicks

Many companies offer expensive supplements or pharmaceuticals to enhance your appetite, but my method is offered here for free. It is GUARANTEED to work. My method has been used by collegiate and professional football players, strength athletes, body builders, numerous world champions of various sports.
You MUST be prepared for being hungry all the time. Many people fail to have food ready, good food. If you are hungry, but did not have meals prepared ahead of time, you will be wasting your time. Be ready to spend an hour every day, preparing your meals for the following day. Many people use Tupperware or Rubbermaid dishes to contain their 5 to 7 meals. Having food ready means you can be prepared for most things that would normally have interrupted or delayed prepping a meal thru-out your busy day.

Step 1

Forget about the traditional way of eating. Three meals per day just won’t cut it (unless you are one of the genetically gifted few). A minimum of 6 meals will soon become your habit.

For the first 4 days, I want you to eat every hour. YES EVERY HOUR!!! It’s not as bad as you think. Not full meals every hour, but small portions of anything.

Example:

1 apple, ½ peanut butter sandwich, ½ protein shake, chocolate bar, banana.

Quality of the foods you eat in these 4 days is not as important as the fact of actually eating something. It must be small enough to not fill you, even if you are still hungry, don’t eat. Let your stomach get used to the small hourly snack/feeding. By the 3rd or 4th day you find yourself starving, craving for that snack. Your metabolism will also start to adjust to your new eating habit. Rather than storing calories to hold you over till you’re next feeding in 5 to 8 hours (like you used to do), it will come to expect another feeding in a short period. Thus, send more calories to be burned for energy, or for muscle recuperation from your work outs. This also creates the right environment for body fat reduction.

Step 2

Now that you have your body used to the hourly feedings you are going to find yourself hungry just about all the time. The logical step for the next 4 day period is to start eating more at each snack time. But rather than eating every hour, spread the time out to every 90mins (1 ½ hour) or 105mins (1 hour 45mins).

Continue with this process of 4 day periods until you are eating a full meal every 2 ½ or 3 hours minimum.

Eating a lot is not easy. Food preparation of your 6 or more daily meals takes up a lot of time. Granted, 1 or 2 of those meals will probably be a protein shake but the amount of calories we are forced to eat would turn the average lazy Joe into a 300 pound tub of lard in less than a year.

Workout hard, sleep as much as you can, drink the well dry of water, take your supplements and EAT.

Now that you have a solution to your appetite problem, I expect to see you walking around with 20 new pounds of mass within the next 4 months.

Al Shaw, SCC

In-Season Training

The off season is typically the time to do your heavy mass and strength gain training. Doing so during the hockey season is not wise as it may lead to: fatigue, injuries and illness. Over training will surely lead to a drop in on ice performance. So what can you do during the season to maintain strength and conditioning? That’s what this article is all about.
Four simple exercises with 5 solid meals per day and minimum 8 hours of sleep can be the recipe for success in your strength and conditioning goals.

Exercise 1. The Stationary Bike.

Perform this exercise 3 to 4 times per week with moderate tension on the bike.
• 1 minute at a moderate pace (approximately 85RPM)
• 10 seconds at maximum speed
• 50 seconds at slow speed (approximately 50RPM)
• Repeat 20 times

This exercise mimics the cardio requirements of an extreme game situation. We are training the heart to recover to resting rate sooner. This will result in you being recovered and ready to go out for your next shift and perform at 100% when your opposition will be on their bench still tired from the last shift.

Exercise 2. Push Ups.

Perform up to 200 push ups, spread out thru-out the day. Do 75% of the push ups will normal hand placement (about shoulder width apart) and the other 25% with your hands about 12 inches apart. Variations in hand placement insure that the triceps, shoulders and chest get adequate stimulation.
Do this exercise 2 times per week.

Exercise 3. Sit Ups / Crunches

Perform up to 200 sit ups, spread out thru-out the day. This exercise is great for developing core strength which results in more stability and increased mobility in game action.
Do this exercise 2 times per week.

Exercise 4. Squats.

Perform up to 200 squats, spread out thru-out the day. This exercise is great for developing leg and core strength which results in raw power, speed and agility on the ice.
Start the exercise by getting into hockey stance. While keeping your head and chest up, slowly lower your body by bending the knees until your upper legs are parallel to the floor then push back up to the hockey stance. You can increase the difficulty by wearing a weighted vest or holding a weight in front of your body. Do this exercise 2 times per week.

I advise to not do any of these exercises on a game day as you will be fatigued and lower your ability to perform at 100%.
Many elite hockey players use this style of in season training and get great results.

Train hard, eat lots of healthy food and get lots of rest.

Welcome to our Blog !!

Here we will be posting trianing articles, news and up coming events and general hockey talk.
If you have anything you would like discussed, let us know.

Al Shaw.