Historic Day in the Homeland

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Winnipeg Jets

WELCOME BACK BOYS!

 

Wish I had me a ticket on an airplane and another for a seat in the MTS Centre for today’s triumphant return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL.  Regardless the outcome of the game itself against the fabled Montreal Canadiens, this will be a game few who attend or watch from afar like me will ever forget.  I will be plopped square in front of the TV at 5pm ET to watch as much of the game as I can before going to go watch the Boy in his own game.  Yup, Boy still trumps Jets.

#GoJetsGo
#imahockeydad

Can a rink be a good rink without fries?

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Love this story about a revolt in Quebec to bring back hotdogs and poutine.  Many of the lasting memories of rinks we have visited over the years are based on the quality of their fries, hotdogs or popcorn.  If you’ve gotta kill an hour before a game, what better way to do it than with a large fries smothered in ketchup and vinegar.  Some of the newer “sports complexes” have full on bars and restaurants overlooking the ice pads which are admittedly awesome, but give me an old-fashioned arena with a one of those mysterious brown hot chocolate makers, a perpetual hot dog roller/heater and a deep fryer with oil that’s probably as old as the person tending the concession stand any day.  This to me is as much a part of the Canadian hockey experience as the game itself.  Take away my right to choose junk food and I’ll likely revolt too.

#imahockeydad

One of Everything

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The last week of the Sharks’ exhibition season provided three quite different games along with a wealth of learning and teaching opportunities.

Game one this week, a rematch of our first game together as a team which ended in a 1-1 tie, was also the first time we would ice our entire team since having lost a few players to suspensions and injuries.  It seems the older the players get, the more likely they are to fall prey to such mishaps; that coupled with renewed vigorous attention to body, and particularly, head contact rules by the officials.  I applaud the new focus, but also understand there will be some growing pains.  If the first couple of weeks is any indication, penalties will likely be a core theme this season.  For our part, the coaching staff will prescribe aggressive, smart play.  In the rematch, we stressed the importance of setting a tone for the game early. That message seemed to ring true as we would watch the girls storm out to a 5-0 lead…in the first period.  Up to that point our previous high score for an entire game was four goals.  The other team was obviously reeling.  I actually advised one of our players to not cheer too emphatically to open the second period to which my assistant coach prophetically objected. And then it happened.  Our team suddenly and quite unfortunately came to realize we had a five-goal lead; a dangerous realization to be sure. Knowledge led to complacency. As we entered the dressing room between the second and third periods we realized the momentum had changed in a now 5-1 contest.  I exhorted the girls to pick up the pace in the third. I asked them if they were familiar with the term “put the pedal to the floor” to which their was a resounding “No!”  So much for that anecdote.  I gotta keep reminding myself to consider my audience.  Two minutes into the third our opponents netted their second marker and their confidence grew.  In another flash of the clock the lead was cut to 5-3.  We all had an uh-oh moment. Thankfully that was as close as the competition would come.  Our side woke up just in time to finish the game.  Lesson One – Don’t get complacent.

In the next two games we were back to being shorthanded as we were informed by the league’s governing body that our suspended players (whom we assumed had duly served their suspensions through our recent exhibition games) were still under suspension as they are not allowed to serve their penalties during exhibition games. The unfortunate and somewhat unjust part of the story is that they are also not allowed to play in exhibition games while they are suspended.  In my way of thinking a league sanctioned game is a league sanctioned game and a one-game suspension should not become a three or four gamer because of exhibition games, but that is a matter for another time.

Our game two opponent would be our closest rival – a team I think we all suspected we should be able to beat.  However, from the first drop of the puck the game didn’t feel right.  Our players seemed a little off – a step behind.  Of particular concern, was an inability or, more correctly, a lack of interest in passing the puck. After each shift, instructions were doled out to keep their heads up and look for the open player – basic tactics which had made them successful in other games to this point. Yet, despite our reinforcement of the facts, the passes would not come. We watched several players try to carry the black disc through or around multiple defenders, which generally doesn’t work.  Even Mr. Gretzky couldn’t win a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles all by himself.  He needed someone to pass it to.  We swallowed a bitter 3-1 loss and conveyed a stern message to the troops after the game.  Selfish play would not be tolerated and would certainly not lead us to many victories.  Lesson Two – Hockey is a team game.

Later that day we would enter game three with the hope that lesson two was still fresh in the players’ minds.  We did note a renewed vigor in their pre-game warm up – a seeming re-dedication to acting like a team on a mission. The pre-game skate was likewise brisk as was the energy off the first face-off. Right away we saw a different team from what we witnessed only a few hours earlier. Heads were up and passes were plentiful.  Everyone was looking to move the puck; a positive trend indeed.  Our first of two goals was marked by a tic-tac-toe progression from defence to forward to forward and in. Lesson Three – Learn from your previous short-comings. It’s heartening to watch lessons being learned by this team early on.

The only blemish on an otherwise solid win (and 2-0 shutout to boot) was the loss of yet one more teammate to a questionable hit-from-behind penalty, which again carries with it a one-game suspension.  We all agreed that I’m going to develop something of a reputation for producing “dirty” players. Yet, I can honestly argue that only one of the suspensions levied thus far was a clear-cut suspendable offense.  Then again, there will, without, be more of these and we will deal with them as they come.

The Sharks have a few practices in line now to prepare for the regular season, set to begin in a couple of weeks.  We’ll take what we’ve learned about our strengths and weaknesses thus far to build our team for the future; one that we hope holds on-ice success, off-ice camaraderie and fun. That’s the primary underlying lesson in all of this – enjoy playing the game for better or worse.

#imahockeydad

 

Trying Tryouts

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I’ve held off writing this one so as not to jinx the Boy who spent the past couple of weeks (minus a few days) in Midget rep tryouts.  While some kids his age have given up hockey in favour of jobs, girls, etc. and not necessarily in that order; the Boy’s still got the competitive itch.  Though he didn’t say it I believe he was still hopeful of moving up a level to AA this year. He’s been an A player on the cusp of playing AA for the last six years.  Or maybe that’s just a hockey dad talking. Perhaps all he really wants to do is have fun playing with his buddies, which is really just as, if not more important, in the grand scheme of things.

Putting bias as far off to the side as I can, I believe he looked good relative to all the others trying out starting with the preliminary tryouts/mini-camp back in the Fall.   But the AA tryouts presented two challenges – lots of players/competition and players from two different age groups; 16 and 17 year olds with the Boy in the former, younger group. The first set of evaluations were broken down into two scrimmages of about 30 players per skate including a whopping 13 goalies competing for five goalie spots on three rep teams.  The Boy could at least count himself lucky for not being a keeper. The first skate went well with only a few standouts from my perspective.  The Boy held his own as he generally does.  In a scrimmage situation, there are few who will question his determination.

For the next evaluation, the younger hopefuls were off to an exhibition game against a nearby town running tryouts of their own.  It seemed the coach was trying to see which of the younger players might step to the fore in a game situation.  Because it was a game, mom decided to accompany me for her first glimpse at the process.  Of course, only a few minutes into this game, on the Boy’s fourth or fifth shift, he was pushed from behind in open ice and fell awkwardly on his left shoulder.  He was able to get up and skate to the bench, but you could tell some damage had been done – the left arm hung low.  The old adage, the bigger they are the harder they fell rang true.  At the end of the period he was ushered off the ice with mom, the certified trainer, in close pursuit. He laboured to take off his gear while we wondered if his collar bone or some other part of that general area was broken.  He was definitely in some discomfort.   4 1/2 hours and an x-ray later an ER doc was able to report that in fact nothing was broken.  However a sprain of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint would put a damper on tryouts for the next 5-7 days. The Boy’s chances of making the AA team were certainly compromised and the A evaluations were slotted to start in only four days leaving little time for a full recovery.  A quick conversation with the AA coach revealed that he would be hard pressed to crack the AA lineup, which would likely be dominated by older players, in any case.

Now hopeful to make the A team, we took the Boy to a sports medicine clinic for an evaluation and opinion on when he may be ok to go back on the ice.  His first skate was to be only six days after the night of the injury. The physio exam revealed a loss of strength and some lingering tenderness, however some treatment and mandated exercises showed promise. It was decided after a conversation with the A coach that he would miss his first skate, but make every effort to make an appearance for the last two tryouts. While the A coach would take his past performance into account, optics still required him to compete for a position.

As luck would have it, the third skate would not include any contact with more of a focus being placed on skills and goalies. And yet the Boy found a way, during a three on one drill, to fall and land on his wonky left shoulder.  I may have chuckled out loud at the irony of the situation, which raised the ire of some hockey moms sitting in front of me. The Boy took a quick rest at the direction of the coach. I was happy to see him return to the ice shortly thereafter.  The moms still let me have it for my momentary indiscretion.

The fourth and final session for those competing for spots on the A squad was to be a full-contact scrimmage. I told the Boy to play smart; keep your head up. As the Boy and his scrimmage side hit the ice, it appeared he was with the stronger and perhaps already chosen group; meaning the other was comprised of players battling for a couple of final spots. This situation was not lost on the players who’ve been trying out like this for several years. The Boy said after the tryout that one player who inadvertently walked into the wrong dressing room with the “chosen players” quickly looked around and quipped “Uh oh, we’re f%$#ed!”  The Boy, for his part, played smart and was decidedly cautious with good reason. On one particular occasion he had an opportunity to deliver a hit – he thought better of it; later claiming he would have “crushed that kid.”

And so, in the end, the lad returns for a seventh consecutive season of A hockey. He’s pleased that a few of his teammates from last year and other friends he hasn’t played on a team with for a while will be teammates this season. In all he figures they have a pretty strong squad with a mix of younger and a few older players.  The first practice is tomorrow night…the first game a few days later.  We hope the shoulder will be close to 100 percent for that opening tilt.  The already completed schedule shows several familiar late night games both at home and away.  With me on the Devil’s bench, mom is fretting some of the games she will no doubt have drive to after the snow falls.  We’ll split the duties whenever we can.  I will want to get to as many games as possible, knowing his minor hockey days are fleeting.

That being said, I can tell you that none of us will miss the stress of tryouts any time soon.

#imahockeydad

Tests and Turmoil

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The Sharks competed in a tournament over the last three days, which provided a pretty wide range of experience, learning and positive signs for the future; although it certainly didn’t start that way.

In game one, the girls faced a formidable foe from the Far North – Sault Ste. Marie.  I told our team before the game that a strong effort would keep them in it as it had in our first game.  However, from the start, we could tell this team had been together for a while.  They were a skilled, familiar group.  Their ability to pass the puck and generate scoring chances was admittedly at another level.  We were able to keep the game close at 1-0 after the first period, but we were all searching for ways to slow them down while also creating some offence of our own. Answers unfortunately wouldn’t come and Sault Ste. Marie wouldn’t not be abated.   After the sixth goal our unrelenting opponent would score I looked to our goaltender with thoughts of relieving her, but she gave me a knowing nod signalling that she would stick it out for better or worse.  One more puck would find its way behind her.  Definitely not the start we had hoped for.  Yet, we took some solace in the fact that our charges did not give up. While discouraged, they were not beaten.

Before game two I asked my charges to wipe the first contest from their memories. Wipe they did as the second game would mark a reversal of fortune. This time our players were unrelenting in skating to a 4-0 victory. A victory which left many of us wondering which game was more representative of the level of competition.  How would our game two opponent fare against the northern squad who had their way with us?

At the end of day one, I would come to learn that one of our next opponents lost their game against Sault Ste. Marie 8-1.  It wasn’t a stretch to say one team appeared to have entered the wrong level tournament.  Every other team in our tournament was within a couple of goals in their weekend games.  It quite often happens that northern teams are strong in pulling the cream of the crop players from a large geographic area and having to play primarily against male competition.  A team like this may get re-qualified at a higher level before the season begins if they continue to dominate by a wide margin.

Game three for the Sharks would bring a whole different set of challenges. The first came in the form of a dearth of players.  We were missing one due to injury, another due to illness, a third to a semi-final league soccer game and the last to a last minute commitment.  All had legitimate reasons for missing the game, but it put the team in a bit of a bind in terms of reserves. Quick shifts were rule #1 in an effort to preserve energy.  The second, compounding challenge was an arguably over-zealous referee.  I am not one to blame referees for unfavourable game results, but in this case he was certainly a factor.  From the beginning of the game, our squad dominated the play. We had several scoring chances, one of which was converted. Then a one-sided penalty parade of epic proportions began. Our team was assessed seven consecutive penalties, we spent much of the contest playing three vs. five and would end up with 27 minutes in penalties vs. 6 minutes for the other team.  Even shorthanded the team was able to generate scoring chances with their determined, if not exhausted effort.  However, our opponents would even the score on a five on three opportunity.

The game would remain tied until a couple of minutes left in the third when our now favourite referee would assess a body contact penalty coupled with a game suuspension to one of our defenders.  While a penalty had admittedly occured, the infraction was not worthy of a game suspension.  In arguing the call, our team was assessed a further two minute bench minor penalty and our depleted squad would be forced to finish down five players to three again.  As chance would have it, a shot launched from the point by the other team struck the Devil’s skate in front of the net and scooted by our goalie.  Post game, the Devil tried to take full responsibility for the loss, but she was hardly to blame as her teammates were quick to point out.  Our point of victory in such a loss was the level of effort our limited squad put forth in the face of adversity.

In the fourth and final game this morning, we would again be down three players, but perhaps more troubling for some was the appearance of the aforementioned official.  We hoped game three was an anomaly, but really knew better.  Without getting into brutal detail, our penalty count from the game before was eclipsed by 9 minutes with two players being tagged with game misconducts for again questionable hits from behind.  Only this time the other team joined in the fun, with their own deluxe passes to the sin bin. We again dominated play for the most part, only to skate away with a 1-1 tie. Any game flow was quashed by the unending whistle blowing.

At the end of the weekend, the tournament from my perspective served it purpose. The players played hard, spirited hockey throughout, dealt with some adversity and I believe grew a little closer together as a team as a result.  Our coaching staff was also able to identify areas where we need some work.  That’s what these early season tournaments are for.  To measure your side against a variety of competition and to prepare for the season to come.  I remain quite pleased as I was following our first exhibition game.   We’ve a good group of players who are showing a desire to compete.  That’s at least half the battle.

#imahockeydad

One down and many to go

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A little over a week has passed for the Sharks and I.  We now have three practices and a game under our combined belt. Things have progressed well following our first questionable on-ice experience.  There’s lots of work to do as there always is, but early indications are quite positive.  In fact, game one was a very pleasant surprise.

You never really know what level your team is at until you face some competition against which to compare yourself. This is why we have exhibition games; as live measuring sticks if you will.  Our first game on the weekend was on the road against a town that perennially ices strong sides.  There was a little trepidation on my part with it being the “first” game,  not knowing exactly what to expect from my collection of players from different backgrounds or the likewise relatively unknown opposition.  I did wishfully note that players entering the home team’s dressing were comparably small in relation to our competitors. The opposite would have been duly and more severely noted as a harbinger of a tougher challenge.  My pre-game speech to my charges was pretty straightforward.  This is our first game. Our first opportunity to play together and familiarize ourselves with one another.  My primary request in this game as a pre-cursor to the season in general was a full and honest effort.  Mistakes would undoubtedly be made, which were expected…which were actually welcomed as a learning/teaching opportunity.  I told them everyone makes mistakes. The best teams are the one who learn from them.  So again, the key message was effort.  Set a tone for the season against a team we are likely to face several times during the regular season and beyond.  Let them know a game against the Sharks will always be a hard fought one.

I’m happy to report that my message seemed to resonate from the very first puck drop.  Our first line of forwards pushed ahead into the offensive zone and stayed there for nearly a full minute. The next line picked up where they left off, pinning our backpedalling opponents in their own end.  Much of the first period was spent there as line after line fore-checked with vigour as they’d been instructed.  Perhaps more surprising was how well the girls played together…looking for each other and making some passes. A fine tic-tac-toe passing play from defence to forward to forward at the beginning of the second period resulted in our first goal. Many more scoring opportunities would present themselves, which would in turn reveal one of the only negatives from our side of the contest as none would be converted.  There would also be a defensive zone lapse in the middle of the second period, which would be addressed at the end.   As we entered the third of three 15 minute periods we all noticed some decidedly sluggish skating; no doubt a product the Summer break.  The tenacity did not leave, just the breath behind it. As unluck would have it, the home team would pick up an equalizer with about 4 1/2 minutes left on a scramble in front of our net.  The game would end 1-1, but was a decided victory in my mind.

I told the team post-game that they set their bar pretty high in their first contest.  Now the coaching staff knows how hard they can play and will expect the same from here on in.  I also told them similar efforts would ensure the opportunity to win each and every game. Time will, of course and as always, tell the full story in that regard.

#imahockeydad

The Maiden Voyage Is Not Without Waves

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Tonight the rookie coach (yup that’s me) took to the ice with my young group of players and a couple of assistant coaches for our first official practice. They say you are your own worst critic.  I can confidently say some criticism was deserved. Or perhaps I am particularly sensitive to the critical eye; including my own.  Being under the spotlight with expectant parents looking on and having been a parent on the other side making my own judgments on occasion didn’t help. With any misstep, I could imagine rolled eyeballs…mutterings of “what was that?”  Perhaps I entered with higher expectations than I should have.  Maybe I should cut myself a little more slack.  I certainly forgot how quickly the clock ticks when things aren’t going exactly to plan. I do understand that I have to remember and keep in perspective that we’re working with 13 and 14 year old girls with limited attention spans at best.

I believe, to my initial credit, that I spent a few minutes before practice proactively talking about expectations – those of both the players and the coaching staff.  Chief among these expectations being commitment, respect, effort and fun.  Mere moments later, I would find that I should have emphasized focus as well.

To my surprise, I felt the venture going sideways right off the hop. The seemingly basic instruction I gave my players for the warm-up skate before we all took that first fresh step onto the ice was “When you hear one whistle – accelerate, when you hear two whistles – change direction and when you hear three whistles – pivot and skate backwards”  Whether it was a lack of focus or a poorly delivered message, the first whistle had the players accelerating, but the double and triple whistle combinations caused all manner of confusion. Some players skated backwards, some went in the opposite direction and some simply looked around to see if they could figure out what everyone else was doing. One assistant coach glided by me and quipped “You didn’t think this was going to be easy did you?” To which I replied, “Ummm no, but I thought we could get through this first one.”  So I gathered the players together quickly to reiterate the signals, only to note another general state of confusion.  After the next triple whistle I watched one player back into and fall headlong over another traveling in the opposite direction – a move The Three Stooges themselves would have tipped a hat to.  In an effort to set a good cop/bad cop tone early, one of my assistants corralled the team and told them a lack of focus this early was not acceptable.  A little line skating was in order.  We will hopefully not have to employ the suicide skate tactics on too many occasions, but I’m sure there will be a few as there are with every team.

My next minor error I can attribute to a now obvious lack of on-ice help, which I will most certainly address before the next session.  As we three coaches directed forwards and defence through a basic passing drill, I was approached by one of our two goalies who rightly questioned “What should we be doing coach?”  Oh yeah, we need to make sure we don’t forget about the goalies who are not participating in a passing drill.  Kudos to them for asking the question. And again, I’m sure at least two sets of parents were looking on and asking themselves the same.  I owned up to my mistake to one of the keeper’s fathers after the practice. I was pleased when he bailed me out by saying his daughter has plenty of skating drills she can work on if she’s not been given specific instructions.  Granted, though my and our job is to provide the expected guidance.

The third and final shaky moment came in the form of an assistant coach miscue, which I will shoulder some of the burden for.  I assume I did not provide clear enough direction to my helpers who were active participants in a drill.  In what should have again been a fairly straightforward passing/skating/shooting exercise, the assistant coaches, who were responsible for delivering a pass to a skater moving by them on the opposite side of where they received a previous pass, fired pucks to other players heading in other directions.  At least a couple of players were contending with two passed pucks at once.  We successfully made a simple exercise look quite difficult. However, on this occasion a quick reset, coupled with some instruction to the pass recipients, saw the drill smooth itself out.  A practice component we will revisit in a future practice and no doubt master with all involved parties on the same page.

Fifty minutes for a practice is not a long time – time management is key. Though you can quickly lose track of said time, when plans go askew. Before I knew it the zamboni driver was frantically ushering us off the pad, while the next team waited for their fresh sheet of ice.  In thinking back to my time as an assistant coach, I am certain this happens to all coaches on a fairly frequent basis.  And yet, this flew in the face of my desired plan.

Post-practice I chatted again with the players who commented that the practice seemed to go “very quickly”, which I suppose I can take as a sign of engagement and maybe even enjoyment.  I confessed to some rookie mistakes as I’ve detailed here. I hope, nay anticipate, those will be fewer and far between as we move through this season together and become more comfortable with each other. I further hope, yet anticipate less, that the muttering from above will be abated.  I suppose I shouldn’t be concerned with the opinions of others, yet I’ve already admitted I’m my own worst critic. Still my chief concern should and will be the enjoyment of the game and the experience by my players. With an honest effort, which is likewise what I’ve asked of them, I am confident I can steer this ship in a positive direction

#imahockeydad