Cranbarry Tags

It′s important to keep your head up when passing the puck. Most bad passes are caused by not looking up to spot your intended target. You should also be aware of where you are on the ice. Blind cross-ice passes are the leading cause of grey hairs among hockey coaches....

Common perceptions specially among Twitter's most vocal fans are that the NHL's Department of Player Safety struggles with inconsistency that stars get preferential treatment that there is no rhyme or reason to the league's decision making. That couldn't be further from the truth however. During the 2014-15 season I visited...

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...

Remember This... The backhand shot shouldn′t be a dying skill. It′s just as important as a good wrist shot. Most players don′t have a strong backhand shot because they don′t practice it enough. Coaches need to develop drills that will help you practice this very important but under-used shot....

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....

A flip or saucer pass is the most effective pass when you have a man between you and your intended target. A good saucer pass floats eight to 10 inches off the ice and lands flat close to the blade of a teammate′s stick. Practice is the key. You don′t...

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...

Blocker. Proper blocker sizing will allow a goaltender to control the face of the blocker. This will lead to better rebound control and protection. Similar to fitting for a glove from the end of the finger channels to the tips of a goaltender's fingers there should be no more than...

One of the reasons the backhand shot is not used as much anymore is because of the invention of the curved stick. So many players today have such a big hook in their blade that it′s really tough to take an effective and accurate backhand shot....

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...