Thinking the Game – Offensively

When Will New Hockey Skills Kick-in?

By CoachC | December 24, 2024
When Will New Hockey Skills Kick-in?

I don’t doubt that many hockey parents and coaches get frustrated, waiting for certain new skills to kick-in with their players.  (And I don’t doubt some adults wonder the same thing when it comes to their game.) So, since I recall trying to infuse a bunch of new plays into the games of both my…

A Hockey Defensive Zone No-no!

By CoachC | December 10, 2024
A Hockey Defensive Zone No-no!

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Coach Chic’s Hockey Podcast 57

By CoachC | December 1, 2024

Within “AI” circles “Michael” is viewed as a good one, and don’t forget to view this post as an introduction to September’s content…

Seeing the Ice in Wayne Gretzky Fashion

By CoachC | November 30, 2024
Seeing the Ice in Wayne Gretzky Fashion

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Playing With Balance

By CoachC | November 29, 2024
Playing With Balance

As you’ll likely discover from my comments in numerous other areas, I’m really big into allowing very young skaters to play as free as birds.  Said another way, I’d love for little guys and gals to play wide-open, offensive hockey, at least at first.  It’s just great for their skill development (and it probably helps…

The Hockey Book Lab

By CoachC | November 22, 2024
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…

“Read” and “React” Skills

By CoachC | November 18, 2024
“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. …

Breaking Down Hockey Strategies

By CoachC | November 11, 2024
Breaking Down Hockey Strategies

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Hockey Smarts = Ice Time!

By CoachC | November 9, 2024
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…

Reversed Grip on a Draw

By CoachC | November 4, 2024
Reversed Grip on a Draw

One night I happened to notice one of my centermen reversing his lower hand on his stick just before moving in to take a face-off.  I’m sure you know what I mean…  He switched his lower hand in the opposite direction, supposedly to gain more strength for pulling the puck rearward. The good part of…