Cranbarry Tags

WORK ETHIC AND FITNESS You need to be the hardest worker and most fit player on your team. New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter won the fitness award every year. Hall of Famer Ed Belfour used to run triathlons. St. Louis′ Brian Elliott is the hardest-working goalie I′ve ever coached....

Repetitions without being repetitive. We are all guilty of relying on our favorite tried-and-true drills to work on specific skills. A coach should not lose sight of the importance of continuing to promote skill development but mixing in different drills and small area games with new objectives can go a...

There are three major types of body checks: shoulder check hip check and checking along the boards. The shoulder check is the most common. It is normally used by a defenseman when taking out an onrushing forward : Concentrate on the chest of the attacker since it is the most...

This is the time of year when the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. The hockey season is in full swing and it sometimes feels like there's no end in sight. It can be hard to keep the energy levels up and the enthusiasm high among players parents and...

BOUNCE-BACK MENTALITY The best goalies know they′re going to have bad goals and more bad games. In an 82-game season it′s impossible not to. They can shrug it off and not let it get to them. Positive self-talk and a positive attitude are the keys to this. Goalies get scored...

A lot of times a forward will deke himself out. He′ll have the goalie beat but he already has his mind made up that he′s going to do something else. He′ll actually fumble it before he can shoot it. Remember make the goalie make the save. Don′t make it easy...

When it comes to receiving a pass you want to turn the blade slightly toward the ice to form a pocket. Keep the angle of the blade so it takes the puck squarely. Don′t hold the stick too tightly when you are receiving a hard pass or the puck will...

Change it up. Over the course of a long season it's not unusual for players to begin to tune out a coach. Try turning a practice over to one of your assistant coaches or perhaps bring in a guest coach to run a practice....

Catch Glove. In today's game many believe that bigger is always better when it comes to a goaltender's glove. This is not true. Having a glove that is too big will limit a goaltender's ability to catch and control the puck. Here are two tips to follow when fitting a...

This shot uses the same technique as a wrist shot only done on the backhand. Start with the puck on the heel of the blade and as you transfer your weight forward from your back foot to the front roll your wrists over and release the puck while pointing at...