Novice A Side Winners

Congratulations Cargill Terriers - A side Champions - Langenburg Tournament

Atom Tier 2 Tournament

December 8-10 - Click Here for the draw.

PeeWee Tier 1 Tournament Draw

November 24-26, 2006. Click to view.

Bantam Tier 1 Draw

Click to view.

Congratulations Novice Cargill Terriers

The Cargill Terriers were at a Melville Tournament last weekend, and won the A side. November 4, 2006

Youth Hockey Tips for Young Defensemen and Forwards

"Hockey Made Easy" has helped over 250,000 players and coaches from around the world play
better hockey since 1996, and we can also help you.

Young players, 5 to 15 years of age, must learn how to play specific defensive situations without
the puck and the tips listed below will help both Defencemen and Forwards meet this challenge.

The new emphasis this 2006/07 season is on speed, skill and eliminating obstruction. The Referee will be calling more hooking, holding and interference penalties. It is now imperative for all young players to learn the following defensive skills to legally help them prevent goals against.

And, sooner or later, Forwards will have to cover up for a rushing or pinching defenceman and they to must learn how to play 1 on 1’s and 2 on 1’s correctly to help their team prevent goals.

A Good Defenseman is worth his/her weight in gold, especially with the new 06/07 rules!

Playing defense, (even temporarily as a Forward) is a highly responsible task, as defensemen must be very intelligent individuals. Their number one job is to prevent goals, not score them, and any defensive error they make could result in a goal against. To avoid these costly errors here are a number of basic defensive tips to help you prevent goals against and show both defencemen and forwards how to play the following game situations correctly.

The very first thing a young defenseman must do is to analyze the on coming rush. S/he must
make a quick and correct decision. Is it a 1 on 1, a 2 on 1, or even a 3 on 1 situation, are the wings covered or open? Depending on how you read the oncoming rush, you will react differently.

If it’s a 1 on 1, (the puck carrier against you) you play the man; don’t even look at the puck.
Just play the man by staying in front of him, preventing him from getting around you or getting
to the net for a shot. If allowed in your division of youth hockey, bodycheck the puckcarrier, if not, move into the puckcarrier and physically steer him out of the slot area and towards the boards.

Try to create a loose puck for your backcheckers or yourself so you can regain possession of the
puck and start an offensive rush. Do not grab or hold the player with your free hand or you will get a penalty, just try to angle/steer him from the center ice area towards the boards. If he puts the puck between your legs let it go, but still play the man and prevent him from regaining it.

If it’s a 2 on 2 situation, play it as a 1 on 1 situation with your defence partner. Each of you take
a man and stay with them. Do not try to help your partner by going for the big hit and leaving your man unattended as you could give up a breakaway. Each of you stay with and cover your man. If they criss-cross take the man crossing over into your lane.

If it’s a 2 on 1, or a 3 on 1 situation, (2 or 3 opposing players against you) you play the puck.
Don’t even think of bodychecking as you will only take yourself out of the play and allow them to get to the net for a quality shot. Stay in the middle between the 2 or 3 players and use your active stick to deflect or intercept any across ice passes. Your goalie should always play the puckcarrier.

Your job is to try to force the puckcarrier to a bad-shooting angle, outside the slot area, while still retaining your position between the opposing players protecting the slot area for any passes back to them. If you bodycheck the puck carrier you will get caught out of position and he could get the puck over to the open player(s) and they have a breakaway and could score a goal.

Net coverage- with the new rules this season covering opposing players in front of your net is
going to be a challenge. They must be covered at all times but you cannot tie them up or knock
them down until the puck arrives. Timing will be very important. Try to control his stick and don’t let him get to any rebounds. Take a good body position by being close to the potential receiver staying between him and the puck if the puck is in the corner and stay behind him if the puck is on the point. You should be close enough so you can put your stick between his legs to know where he is, but do not cork screw him with your stick and trip him or a penalty will be called.

By staying close to him you can intercept or deflect any pass made to the receiver or lift his stick. S/he is the one most likely to score a goal not the player in the corner with the puck. Lifting his stick or bodychecking when the puck arrives is considered legal and you should not get a penalty. However, cross-checking someone in the back, knocking them down before the puck arrives or holding them or their stick with your free hand will draw a penalty. Try to keep your eye on the Referee as you might be able to get away with some early bodychecking if the Referee is looking the other direction.

Your defense partner should go into the corner to check the puckcarrier. If he is late arriving,
you must play it as a 2 on 1 situation and when he arrives it’s played as a 1on1 situation for each
of you. He in the corner fighting for the puck and you covering the open man in front of the net.

Do not go rushing into the corner and leave an opposing player uncovered in front of the net
unless there is a loose puck and you are 100% sure you can retrieve it.

Corner work- if the player is covered in front of the net, 1 defenseman must go into the corner
and try to check the puck carrier. If allowed, bodycheck, approach him on an angle or he could
stickhandle around you. Be aggressive and finish the check. If not allowed to bodycheck,
stick check the puck off his stick to create a loose puck. Your closest backchecker should then
pick up any loose puck then lead an offensive rush out of your end zone.

Communication - between defense partners is critical. Let your partner know what you are doing. “ I’ve got the man out front, you take the man in the corner.” This verbal communication will help you play your position correctly and not have 2 defensemen going to the same player, as this will always leave someone uncovered for a potential pass and a possible goal against.

If you retrieve a loose puck in the corner, or anywhere else on the ice, try to pass the puck quickly up to your open forward with an accurate outlet pass. This could trap the opposition forwards deep in your end zone and lead to an odd man rush and possibly a quality scoring opportunity for your team.

These are but a few defensive tips to help young male and female defensemen play their position correctly and will help them prevent goals against their team if executed properly. Whether you’re 5 or 55, these same defensive skills are required to be an effective defenseman for preventing goals. We have 100’s of other offensive and defensive tips in our “Hockey Made Easy” Instruction Manual.

Should you find these tips helpful, please consider forwarding them to other Youth Hockey players or their parents. Minor/Youth Hockey Associations have our permission to post them on their website.

And check out our website at http://www.hockeymadeeasy.com/ for our 200 page, 2000 tip and 200 diagram Minor/Youth Hockey Instruction Manual in either Print, e-Book and CD format. You will also receive at no cost, the very helpful 30 page “Parents and Coaches Teaching Guide “ with every manual ordered.

We also have 2 skills and drills Videos available in VHS or DVD format to help coaches or parents teach young defensemen in the 5 to 12 year old age categories how to play this critical position.

If you are no longer involved in Minor or Youth Hockey programs, or wish not to receive these
periodic youth hockey tips, simply forward the e-mail address this was sent to, and return it to
jshorey@hockeymadeeasy.com and it will be dealt with immediately.

Have a great hockey season.

Yours in hockey,
John Shorey
Author "Hockey Made Easy" – Canada’s Best Instruction Manual
http://www.hockeymadeeasy.com/