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..........
Click here to read the rest of the article

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...........
Click here to read the rest of the article

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.