It’s the holiday season, which means it’s the season of giving. It could be for others or yourself.
Here are some ideas of things I’ve actually used, enjoyed, and would recommend.
Transparency disclosure - many of these are affiliate links. E.g. we get $ if you purchase through our link. For you, the prices are the same as normal or we’ve been able to get a discount for you. Either way, you get to feel pride in supporting our newsletter!
Reading
Jack Han (Gumroad). Jack is an amazing storyteller who happens to be a really smart hockey person. His work will get you thinking.
If you’re new to Jack’s books, I suggest starting here. Hockey Tactics 2020
Hockey Tactics 2021 is the most up-to-date and tackles many situations you’ve asked yourself. Like, “how does a fighter pilot’s process feed into the Chicago Blackhawks game play?”
In this one, Jack is going to look at tactics for every NHL team for the 2022 season. Hockey Tactics 2020: The Playbook
If you’re a history nerd, Hockey Retrospective (1975-1986) is the book for you. Jack brings past tactics to life.
Perfect for the video game player that wants to up there game. Chel Guide (NHL21) VIdeo Game Guide) brings together Jack with David Roebuck, the 2018 Gaming World Championships silver medalist.
Greg Revak (Gumroad). I’ve started a store and am putting together a collection of items I’ve had success with.
Run 10 new drills with confidence and knowledge. This Drill Book is 10 drills (with a graphic), things to be aware of, and questions to ask your players for each activity. Drill book: Drill, Awareness, Questions
If looking to grow your players off the ice, Self-defeating behaviors is a document that I’ve used with my teams. It’s a piece that can be used really with anyone looking to improve themselves and the people surrounding them. Topics covered:
Example of Self-Defeating Behaviors (SDB)
Common causes of SDBs
Positive examples of good behaviors
Helpful techniques
Participation portion
Importance of habits
How to be a high-achiever
When it comes to measuring a game performance, there is more than meets the scoresheet. Puck touches are a great way to understand if a performance was good. Puck Touch Sheet is my personal excel spreadsheet that I use for tracking.
Book Recommendations
We’ve asked many of the Hockey IQ guests for their book recommendations. You can find the list on our website: HockeysArsenal.com
Performance
SuperDeker
Gamify your stickhandling skills. I’ve kept a leaderboard for my teams and it’s been a great incentive for players to work on their hands. Improvement is clear and measurable
They have inventory, but recommend purchasing now due to shipping constraints. Going through this link, you’ll get $25 off your purchase. FYI - it’s applied at checkout.
NOOMA (Stands for “No More Acid”)
Brandon + Jarred Smith (Nooma Bros) became small business owners after hanging up their skates. They couldn’t stand the sugar-packed, artificial sports drinks and created their own.
They provide 3 drinks - Energy/Pre-Workout + Recovery + Hydration
And a just add water Hydration Mix
New Whiteboard
Subscriptions
HockeyProspecting
HockeyProspecting is run by NHL draft consultant Byron Bader. Byron’s site is only $25 CAD a year! If you’re into prospects and their chances of making it to the NHL for your favorite team, there are a bunch of cool tools to check out. You can see an example of one tool from our CBJ mock draft piece.
The Coaches Site
The Coaches Site is hockey’s most popular coaching community. With a library of over 300 hours of videos, 500+ drills and 1,000+ articles, The Coaches Site shares the most progressive topics and tactics for coaches at all levels of the game. There are more of my writings over there as well!
Go through our link and use the code THANKSCOACH to save 30% on an annual membership.