Because your game can be better!
This lens is for you, the hockey player who wants to skate faster and smarter, shoot and pass with more accuracy, dazzle others with his or her stickhandling, better anticipate the play, stop more pucks, and so much more.
If you're anything like me, then you have a passion for the game. You just don't want to go out and play, you want to improve your play and be more competitive. You want to elevate your performance. You just want to play better.
Well, then... you may have just hit on the lens you want and need.
Here, you will get: tips and hints, links to content that may help your game, analysis of actual plays, and so much more.
Be sure to stay connected to my Play Better Hockey lens. You may just improve your game!
Think Hockey
If you are unfamiliar with this site, go there now. CBC's Hockey Night in Canada runs a segment entitled Think Hockey.
This segment features the show's host, Ron MacLean, with well known hockey experts who present skills, tips, ideas or advice... all to help make you a more complete hockey player. Spend time viewing the videos and replay them a few times. You are bound to pick up some great tips from this segment, appropriately named Think Hockey because excelling at the coolest game on earth requires that you use your head!
Tip #1
Look Up!
He said looking up will improve your game immediately, even if you aren't the best skater. Don't panic when you get the puck. Instead, look up and take a quick look around you. You won't always have the time you want, but more often than not that quick look will help you advance the puck or stay out of trouble.
That said, don't make the mistake of thinking you always have to keep your head up. You don't. You do need to look down, then up, then down, then up. Peripheral vision is important too, and I'll share some tips on improving there in the future. In the meantime, the next time you're on the ice -- don't panic. Look up. Make smart decisions.
Tip #2
Win the Races
Think about it. So true, eh? Getting to the puck or to a spot on the ice first is so important. Usually, it's the team who wins the most races who wins the game.
Hockey, more than ever, is a game of speed. That means you need to be really quick on transitions and covering a lot of ice quickly in small spaces. You need to get to that puck first, or you need to be in the right position as quickly as possible.
How do you win the races? It all comes down to the basics... and the most important one is body position. Specifically, you need to bend your knees so your body is ready to react. Even good players forget to keep a good knee bend when they're skating. So, remember to bend your knees.
Of course, there's much more to speed than a good knee bend. You need power and stability in your legs, and developing both requires a lot of work. I will share some strength training tips at a later time. In the meantime, you can find some excellent books on hockey skating and conditioning... I suggest you take a look at a few. See some of my recommendations below in this lens.
Great Hockey Training Stuff on Amazon
Get the Edge!
Backyard Ice Rink Kits
Gretzky spent hours and hours in a backyard rink... and so did most professionals. Ice time is important.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/04/2008) 
Goal Target Set
Do you know why a goal scorer is called a goal scorer? Do you know why they always seem to be right on target? It's because they have spent hours and hours practicing. Remember Mark Messier's shots coming in on the off wing? It's no fluke that he could always find the net. He probably practiced that shot at that angle for years.
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 12/04/2008)
Smart Hockey Training Ball - Assorted
I really like these Smart Hockey training balls. You can use these on dry land. They have the same weight as a puck. Practice stickhandling at least 15 minutes per day. That's all you need to begin developing better hands. It's not the amount of time in a session that counts, it's practicing consistently.
Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 12/04/2008)
High-Performance Skating for Hockey
Think skating. I know reading about skating is not as fun as the real thing, but you can pick up some great tips and instruction in books like this one. My advice -- don't try to absorb all of the skating tips all at once. Work on one aspect, drill or skill at a time. During your next practice, skating session or game, work on one aspect of your skating. It's a lot easier to stay focused when you're only focused on one element. One stride at a time!
Amazon Price: (as of 12/04/2008)
The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Field Hockey (The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Sports, 11) (The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for ... Guide to Weight Training for Sports, 11)
If you are really serious about advancing your game, you will need to gain strength and power. I recommend you take a look at this strength training book specifically for hockey.
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 12/04/2008)
Tip #3
Close the Gap
Inexperienced players, when they see a rush coming on, begin to back up immediately to their own blueline and beyond! They give the rushing players plenty of room and space to advance. That's a big mistake.
Instead, you need to pressure the rushing players. That doesn't mean you shouldn't move back, but you should keep the gap -- the space between you and the opposing player -- within a stick length. You don't want to be so close that the player will speed by you. That's where speed on defense is important.
At the same time, you don't want to be so far away that the rushing player has lots of options. Put the pressure on by keeping the gap small.
This is really about control. By keeping the gap small, you take control in that you decide where and when to attack the rushing player. You can also be more effective in containing a player to the outside.
Oh, and you don't need to wait until the blueline to attack. Take the rushing player out and create a turnover as soon as you have the opportunity.
So, keep the gap small... that way, you can close it when and where you want.
Tip #4
Think Forechecking
Too often, I see forecheckers rushing directly at the puck carrier. Wrong. Instead, play an angle. Come at the player from the center of the ice at an angle and force the puck up the boards, where hopefully one of your teammates is waiting or covering his opponent.
Another important must-do is to keep your stick on the ice where you don't want the puck to go. This should help force the puck up the boards where your players are waiting.
Of course, the opposing player may try to pass by you. If your stick isn't on the ice in that instance, then it's not likely going to hit or stop the puck. So, you must keep your stick on the ice.
Finally, don't skate in casually and give players opportunity to make decisions. Pressure them. Race toward them at the right angle and give them little time to make a decision.
So, next time you're on the forecheck, think angling, stick placement and speed.
Tip #5
Shoot! Shoot!
I've actually scored a lot of goals or created opportunities just by shooting the puck on net. I didn't wait for the perfect opportunity. I didn't try to deke the last man back. I just shot the puck.
With an odd man rush, you have the chance to be a bit more patient and create a better shot. But if that odd man rush is breaking down or you're outnumbered, just shoot the puck... get it on net. Good things can happen when you get it on net.
This is not to say that you shouldn't always try to be as well positioned as possible to get a quality shot... but don't let the quest for the perfect shot paralyze you or cause you to miss opportunities.
Tip #6
Get it Right from the Point
Instead, be patient. You don't want the goalie to see the puck so easily. Wait for a screen to get set up. Wait for some traffic. Then shoot. Chances are much better for a deflection and a goal.
Also, you don't need a full wind-up with your stick. Often, you just don't have the time. A short wind-up will do.
And you don't need to take a slap shot every time; a snapshot can be even more effective because it doesn't take very long to release. It's not how hard the shot is... it's the speed that counts.
One final point (no pun intended), keep the shot low. You still want to get it off the ice a few inches, but if it's too low, then the puck will likely get steered off into a corner, blocked or intercepted. Too high and the puck will probably go by everyone or easily get knocked to one of the corners by the goalie's blocker.
The point is... be smart with your point shot. Don't just fire away.
Tip #7
Shoot, Quickly!
You're not going to get many shots on net during the game, so you need to make the most of them.
With shooting, three elements are important: accuracy, quickness and speed.
Don't let the goalie set up. Shoot quickly. Do that, and you stand a much better chance of scoring.
Too often, a player will take the pass and hold the puck on their stick for an eternity before shooting. Even a few seconds is too long. That's all the goalie needs to get set.
You need to shoot, quickly!
