Retired NHL Referee Mike Hasenfratz Dies At Age 58

Retired NHL Referee Mike Hasenfratz Dies At Age 58

The NHL is mourning the loss of retired referee Mike Hasenfratz.  Though he retired a decade ago, Hasenfratz made his mark as an NHL official from 2000 to 2014.  He officiated over 700 regular season games.  Mike Hasenfratz stopped playing hockey to learn how to become an official.  He called his job as an NHL…

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Beginner Knee Touches

Beginner Knee Touches

I recently promised that I’d provide a follow-up to the “Beginner Boards Bumps“ as soon as I could. So, here goes… – Dennis Chighisola Now, I’d like to share with you something I’ve noticed over a lot of years, in that some players topple over easily in games, while others seem to find a way…

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The Hockey Book Lab

The Hockey Book Lab

Your Ideas, Our Next Book! We’re excited to announce a brand-new feature here at CoachChic — the Hockey Book Lab! This is your chance to shape the future of hockey literature. Whether you’re a coach, parent, or player, we know you have unique insights into what’s needed in the world of hockey training, strategy, or…

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Help Your Kids With Mental Toughness

Of course, mental toughness is super-important in hockey, and that’s why we’re always thrilled to have Shawnee Harle present her insights in this area, this time suggesting members should “Help Your Kids With Mental Toughness”. If you like Shawnee’s presentation — or if you have any questions for her, please comment below.

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“Read” and “React” Skills

“Read” and “React” Skills

I usually hate the crazing terms that arise in hockey coaching circles, because most of them hardly describe the technique or principle they’ve been applied to.  That, however, isn’t the case with the expressions “read” and “react”. To me, “reading” a play is a mental skill, and it also requires a high degree of alertness. …

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Beginner Boards Bumps

Beginner Boards Bumps

A lot of this piece is really about troubleshooting, because it’s such a huge part of what we coaches and parents have to do for the sake of our young players. Actually, I’ve always been constantly on the lookout for problems in my kids’ games (no matter their age).  And, I’ve mentioned often to you…

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Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

As many of you might know by now, I once ran 2-teams under the New England Hockey Institute banner.  The high school guys were with me from late-May until Thanksgiving (when the local school teams began), and my junior high school aged kids were with me for almost 11-months. For sure, I did a lot…

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