Johnston Mike - Hockey Plays and Strategies, 2E

ockeylays andtrategies

Second Edition

Mike Johnston

Ryan Walter

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Johnston, Mike, 1957- author. | Walter, Ryan, 1958- author.

Title: Hockey plays and strategies / Mike Johnston, Ryan Walter.

Description: Second Edition. | Champaign, Illinois : Human Kinetics, [2019] | Ryan Walter is the principal author printed on published title page of previous 2010 edition. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018009002 (print) | LCCN 2018009527 (ebook) | ISBN 9781492562542 (ebook) | ISBN 9781492562535 (print)

Subjects: LCSH: Hockey--Offense. | Hockey--Coaching.

Classification: LCC GV848.7 (ebook) | LCC GV848.7 .W35 2018 (print) | DDC 796.962--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018009002

ISBN: 978-1-4925-6253-5 (print)

Copyright 2019 by Mike Johnston and Ryan Walter

Copyright 2010 by Ryan Walter and Mike Johnston

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased Hockey Plays and Strategies, Second Edition : . The reproduction of other parts of this book is expressly forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Hockey Plays and Strategies, Second Edition may not reproduce any material.

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E7251

I would like to dedicate this book to the many youth coaches who spend countless hours helping our youngsters enjoy the best game in the world. As parents, we really appreciate when our kids can be part of a team that plays together on one page and learns life lessons while competing.

Mike Johnston

I dedicate this book to Viona and Bill Walter, my Mom and Dad, the perfect hockey parents. They were always involved (with Dad coaching me throughout Minor Hockey), but never pushed. They always praised the teams effort, but never put down other players. Mom and Dad, you fanned the flame of my Hungry Hockey Spirit as a player, president, and coach. I thank you and I love you.

Ryan Walter

Contents

Foreword

T he spray paint was black, which likely added to the point. It was also in stark contrast to the ice at Rutherford Arena, where it was used by our coach to draw a massive happy face. In the slot. During the second intermission of a CIAU league game. In front of a crowd of supportive, but likely befuddled, University of Saskatchewan fans. It was shocking, hilarious, and, without question, completely effective. After all, Dave King does nothing without a plan.

Let me backtrack a bit. Dave had been coaching the University of Saskatchewan hockey program for a couple of years. We had a history with the University of Alberta, and not much of it was all that great. But for the past week, hed had our team working on a new system that had one of us stay in the slot. To demonstrate, hed drawn a happy face on our practice ice the day before the game and demanded one of us stay inside it while we were in the offensive zone. Fast forward to the actual game, where we found ourselves losing 3-2. Clearly, Dave decided we needed a little visual reminder. Thus the ice art. It worked, and we quickly scored three goals. We also won the game, which, at the end of the day, justifies a good old-fashioned happy face. Probably.

A strategy is kind of like a good recipe: Its only deemed worthy if somebody else is willing to repeat it. Im not sure how many coaches are packing paint in their hockey bags these days, but that story proves that if you have a solid idea and players willing to carry it out, good things happen.

I firmly believe that the key to having a successful team and a successful season is getting everyone on the same page. Hockey Plays and Strategies really does a masterful job of breaking down a complex game into a simple and easy-to-execute system. So what makes strategies so important? First and foremost, they allow a group of individuals to play as a complete team. A team with good structure and great habits can often overachieve and defeat superior talent. But you cant develop proper habits without structure. That is often the difference between an average coach and a winning one. Good structure can cover up weaknesses on the individual level. For example, it can allow slow skaters to get to their positions a step quicker, simply because they know where to go. And if a skater can get to his position, his chances of succeeding rise dramatically. Structure can give an average player a great career. At the very least, it provides confidence, and confidence is critical for success.

However, there has to be a buy-in on both ends, meaning that coaches and players have to be on the same page. I once ran a video session in which I pointed out the errors one particular player was making.

Me: So, thats not where youre supposed to be.

Number 14: Thats not me.

Me: Thats not you? But youre number 14, right?

Number 14: Definitely.

Me: Rewind. But you can clearly see on the video number 14 making the mistake?

Number 14: Uh huh.

Me: But thats not you?

Number 14: Nope.

Me: Then who is it?

Number 14: Good question.

This is where this book comes in handy. It breaks each system down, including what roles individual players are responsible for. And more importantly for number 14, it demonstrates the proper feedback for these players. That will lead to a much better understanding of the overall goal and, ultimately, the game.

I talked a little bit about what I think makes a good coach, but one of the biggest skills is the ability to make adjustments. Years ago when I was just starting out, I coached against the great Clare Drake. His University of Alberta teams were almost unbeatablealmostand that included his power play. He ran a power-play breakout I had never seen, and, for the life of me, I couldnt figure out a way to stop it. So the next time our teams met, I ran the exact same power play against him. If I couldnt stop it, maybe he could. He did, of course, and, in so doing, taught me how. This book is a much less confrontational way of achieving the same ends, but in a more sophisticated way. In fact, many of the strategies (and their counters) used by Team Canada and our opposition during the Olympics are carefully explained here.