Adult League: Suck Less

Playing better hockey made easy

Welcome to Part 2 of a three-part mini-series focusing on playing better in your local adult league. If you missed it, check out Part 1 (Score more goals) and check out Part 3 (play better defense).

Suck less

(1) Limit turnovers - I have yet to come across a player who would rather play without the puck than with the puck. Thus puck protection is a key skill. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to pick up. Simply place your body between the puck and the opponent trying to steal the puck. All you have to use is your greatest (ass)et.

Greg Revak, CFP® @CoachRevak

Clip of the day - Puck protection, Using your (ass)et Great job in puck protection using their back side. Placing themselves between the opposition & puck Often the D will push the O into space to give separation, creating space O always have their head up, scanning the ice

(2) Don’t panic - Making better decisions is a clear path to sucking less at hockey. A simple fix here is what I call the ‘two-step' rule. Any time a player receives a puck, particularly off of a scramble, they must take two-steps into open space. That can be forwards, backward, diagonal, or into another dimension. This allows a player time to identify options.

Greg Revak, CFP® @CoachRevak

Clip of the day - D, 2 steps When getting the puck off a scramble many players throw the puck to “get it away from danger” We teach our players to first take 2 steps to open space then they can make a decision (off glass, ice, punt, pass, skate, etc)

(3) Stopping at the puck. Skating by a puck and taking a halfhearted whack at the puck is what coaches call a flyby. Do a few of them and a coach would bench you ASAP. Now there is no coach to teach you a hard lesson… for the sake of your teammates, have some discipline to stop at uncontrolled pucks and puck battles.

Greg Revak, CFP® @CoachRevak

Stopping on the battle James Neal stops where the puck is and battles instead of flying by to reload above the play This creates a scrum and a “bad bounce” or “glitch” goal for Alex Chaisson Clearly this play that was neither. NHL quality goal. Goal in any league

(4) Create more turnovers - Hockey coaches like to say it’s important to ‘have a good stick.’ Your hockey stick is a tool. Human beings have progressed using tools. Use your tool. Two simple ways are (1) Mirror your stick to the puck on an opponent’s stick. It’s an effective way to take away time and space from an opponent (Coach slang calls this stick-on-puck) + (2) keep your stick in passing lanes to discourage passes or tip them away.

Hockey’s Arsenal @HockeysArsenal

Daily 🏒 Detail Esa Lindell with awesome habits First, he uses stick-on-puck to create the turnover Next, he moves his feet through the battle and establishes inside positioning Lastly, Lindell stops hard at the net to clean up the rebound for his goal

(5) Practice your skills - Shoot some pucks, stretch into skating poses before bed, and stickhandle at home. Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs even uses his dog. Personally, I used to watch hockey on TV while handling a golf ball. It’s a great way to get your head up and slow down the perception of speed when you head to the rink.

Mitchell Marner @Marner93

Hockey players are a different breed these days

There you go, 5 helpful ways to suck less on the ice.

If you’re in adult league… why not share + subscribe? This newsletter isn’t just for coaches and higher-level players. Heck, share with your kids. These are great lessons for all ages.

If you missed it, check out Part 1 (Score more goals) and check out Part 3 (play better defense).

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