THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

THE Most Important Hockey Season Is Coming Up?

I’m hoping my hockey friends noticed the “THE” in my title, because I truly meant to type it that way.  Yes, I feel that in the overall picture of being a hockey coach or hockey dad — or even if I was an adult rec player, the coming days, weeks and months are as important…

Read More

Old Soviet (Russian) Hockey Reflections

Old Soviet (Russian) Hockey Reflections

Members will gradually get to know my long time Russian friend, Elena Segal, who has inspired a number of my articles.  We can also thank Elena for the current Russian hockey reflections, though.  She’s super-proud of her work in the use of ballet with other athletes, and she suggests to me that ballet was an…

Read More

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player

Okay, I have to start with a huge smile here,  because I’ve just finished browsing through some old notes reflecting back on what I’d call — for the lack of a better name — a “tryout” I ran a few years back for a new 5- and 6-year old team coming from my winter Learn-to-skate/Learn-to-play…

Read More

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player to Shoot

Teaching the Beginner Hockey Player to Shoot

Number one, just because this piece centers around young hockey players doesn’t mean those dealing with older players aren’t going to gain from it. With that, I recently received a great question via social media.  And, since it seemed something worthy of most parents and coaches of very young kids, I asked the writer if…

Read More

What’s the Worst Hockey Advice You’ve Ever Received?

What’s the Worst Hockey Advice You’ve Ever Received?

We’ve all been stung by some awful hockey advice during our years in the game, and more often than not it came from someone who swore up and down he (or she) knew exactly what was wrong and exactly what to do. Am I striking a chord with anyone? I mean, whether in your capacity…

Read More

Making Long Jump Ropes

Making Long Jump Ropes

While I studied long ago in the old USSR, I found it interesting that their coaches used a lot of activities for training that we’d have defined as schoolyard or playground games her in the states.  Perhaps what I found most interesting was the fact that we North Americans had abandoned many of those physical…

Read More

Hockey Folks Duped By Faulty Logic

Hockey Folks Duped By Faulty Logic

I’m not sure where to begin with this one, but maybe it’s best to first explain what set me on fire… You see, I like to follow goings on in various hockey and other sport forums.  And it was one such group having mainly to do with skate sharpening and pro shop operations that recently…

Read More

Transitioning from In-line Hockey to Ice Hockey

Transitioning from In-line Hockey to Ice Hockey

I say it often enough, that I love my work in hockey, especially because of the great people it allows me to meet.  Then, since the day I set foot (or fingers) onto Twitter, I’ve said pretty much the same thing:  that I’ve met some remarkable people through social media. Carole Lockwood Taylor, of Tyler,…

Read More

What Part Of Hockey Is Forechecking?

What Part Of Hockey Is Forechecking?

I remember years ago there being a trick question some Smart Alecs would spring on any unsuspecting hockey fan who believed he (or she) knew a lot about the game. What they’d do is pose something close to the above title, as in “Is forechecking a defensive or offensive part of hockey, or a team…

Read More