The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
Hockey Sense: What's the best tip a coach or player has given you?
1) Even though it was said before, KEEP MOVING YOUR FEET, always. I see so many players who are not good/beginners, etc., reaching to try and either get a loose puck near them or stop an opposing player and instead of moving their feet and crossing over/stepping towards the puck - they stop moving their feet and reach as far as they can, like they're holding a pool cleaner and are afraid to fall in and get wet..
This is great advice - I do this all the time and see lots of others do it as well.
For Defencemen: Make a little knob on the lower part of the shaft to lift sticks/keep sticks down easier. Not sure of the legality of this, but refs probably won't think anything of it.
How far down? Near where your bottom hand is for gripping purposes, or down near where the blade ends to the knob actually touches the opponents' stick? Either way, that's an interesting idea.
1) Practice Practice Practice - And though as a kid i basically ignored it outside of team practices, I know respect it a whole deal. I actually love it. To create schedules of training, to treat everything like a practice of some sort and to always work on your entire game even when no one is looking.
2) Always have two hands on a stick- I didnt always but somewhere along my development I made it into a habit. Now whether I have the puck or not, whether Im alone crashing the net or trying to get open space. I always have two hands on my stick ready for a pass or rebound cuz its the best thing to do in most situations. NOT FOR SPRINTS even though I would reccomend in training purpsoes to hold the stck w both hands always to just adapt to the challenge and make it a habit
Sometime in the last year or two I stopped trying to deke guys and started trying to go around them. It works really well if you're actually faster than them.
For me now the deking is much more in the neutral and defensive zone when you are just touching the puck or skating for a loose puck. A lot of times there will be a loose puck and the other team is skating to get it, I'm thinking about where I will go with it. When we get there, I'll try and poke it or grab it and then deke and around and I've got speed.
This past game I felt like I did a solid job of reading the defense and goaltending. I noticed that they kept swatting rebounds into the boards straight across the goal line, so I would hover over there and wait. Got a goal and a few more great looks.
Otherwise the only decent thing I do is get into passing lanes. I'm teaching our new player who's very physically talented but still learning to watch those passing lanes and we are getting lots of turnovers and spending less time in our end.
Good stuff.
Also, practice and play as much as you can. You want to react to situations, not think about them while you're on the ice. You can work on your hands, your shot, and your skating all on your own, then get into shinny or drop-in to learn more of the game itself.
Prior to a penalty shot for the pee wee championship game, with the game tied, I had a coach tell me, "If you miss this shot, you're not just letting me down, you're letting your whole team down, too."
Never pass the puck through the middle of your own zone. Behind the net, sure. Always up the boards and away from the middle. Otherwise you're begging to have your pass turned into a turnover and free shot against your goalie. They hate that. Alot.
Prior to a penalty shot for the pee wee championship game, with the game tied, I had a coach tell me, "If you miss this shot, you're not just letting me down, you're letting your whole team down, too."
I hit the post.
The best advice he could have given you: "don't listen to me kid. I'm just a horses ass."
Prior to a penalty shot for the pee wee championship game, with the game tied, I had a coach tell me, "If you miss this shot, you're not just letting me down, you're letting your whole team down, too."
This is great advice - I do this all the time and see lots of others do it as well.
Yeah I have this issue as well. I think when you started playing hockey as an adult and never practiced contact hockey as a kid, and are generally a nicer player that isn't out there to hurt anyone, you don't really know how to legally/safely step into a player's space. And it's not like you run practices in beer league hockey to get the hang of it.
Lower level hockey, but always have a guy on the near side boards, especially on a breakout or in the D zone. It seems trivial to me, but so many times I see my teammates standing on the opposite side of the rink or in the center asking for me to thread a pass through 2 players. I'm not ****ing Gretzky. KISS (keep it simple stupid)
The most memorable thing a coach ever said to me was "If you cheat in the drill, you're going to cheat at life! .
Seriously though, I also had a coach tell me to never stop moving if I could. Change direction but don't stop. When I was starting out and had terrible edges that didn't seem possible but it makes so much sense now. I can keep up with the game plus I don't tire myself out as much.
for total beginners, if you want to work on your skating, work on those pivots. being able to face the play at all times makes a world of difference. Especially if you ever play center, you need to do that well.
In my first game playing defense the other team's center came over to our bench and said "the only reason I'm getting around you is because you're not sweeping your stick." I felt like an idiot doing it but after watching some more hockey I realised every D in the world does this. I guess it means that you're prepared for whatever move they make
Seriously though, I also had a coach tell me to never stop moving if I could. Change direction but don't stop.
This. When I'm playing at my absolute worst, it's because I'm standing around watching the play like a spectator. Things get better as soon as my feet start moving (not gliding...).
Take the icing and regroup.
. 
