player tips

Development is a marathon, not a sprint. When the season begins there is an appetite for immediate satisfaction in the way of goals, wins and championships.

It’s true everyone wants to win each and every game, but winning the last game is more important that winning the first game. Great coaches enter the season focused on development. Developing individual skills for each player, as well as developing team play and the chemistry that it takes to win championships. This development is what leads to goals, wins and championships.

If the players and team are performing at the same level and the end of the season as they did at the start, the results are not going to be favorable.

This season don’t be in a hurry for mediocrity. There are decisions being made by coaches that have the long term success of the team in mind, versus short term satisfaction. Yes, coaches want to win every game, but with the development of the players and team at the forefront.

We had a team with an amazing first power play. It would be easy to always put that first unit on each and every power play, regardless of time of year or score of game. However in order to develop more players, the second power play unit was used throughout the season.

When playoff time came, the top scorer and leader of the top power play got injured. It was fortunate that other players with a season worth of experience were able to step up. The coaches were never rushing development and sacrificing long term development for short term gain!

We hope your season is off to a great start, and for those just finishing a season, we hope it ended with a win!

Be sure to check out our website for 2023 Summer Hockey School dates and locations, registration is now open! Thanks for reading!

We hope your season is off to a great start! New beginnings – and new seasons – are special and important. Great players rely on their past experiences and build on them for future successes. They also realize that the past is just that, the past.

An NHL coach recently commented about a slow start to the season, and the sluggish play of some on the team, by commenting that nobody cares how good you were last year. The message was clear: it’s a new season, and new opportunity…to prove you deserve to play, or for others to prove they deserve to play, regardless of your past points or production.

Whether you scored 50 goals last season, assisted on dozens more or made more saves than Mr. Zero himself, this youth hockey season is another opportunity to do it again!

When our pro staff talks about youth hockey development in our Player Tips section of our website, we often remind players and parents that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Great players keep developing over a period of time, they keep setting goals and reaching higher. They don’t quit and rest on their laurels.

Regardless of past success or failures, learn from them, build on them and work harder than ever to make this your best season ever!

Thanks for reading and check back soon for the announcement of our summer hockey school dates and locations. Until then, we look forward to seeing you at the rink!