Backwards Skating Tips

In order to play defense in hockey, you've got to be able to confidently skate backwards. Switching from forward skating to backwards and back again is crucial.

Stance:
Knees and ankles REALLY bent
Skates shoulder-width apart
Back straight and eyes looking forward
Pretend you're sitting on a chair
Keep your butt low to the ice
Keep only your top hand on the stick
Start each push from directly

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Skating Tips: Speed Kills

Skating Fast is Crucial to Your Game.
There's nothing worse than getting beaten in a race for the puck, or having a back-checker catch you from behind on a break-away. I'm always looking for every ounce of speed I can get.

There's no better way to improve your skating than by taking a power skating course. The feedback from a professional skate instructor in invaluable. The hockey skills class I

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Wayne Gretzky Passing Tips

Gretzky make 1963 assists in has career,
more than anyone else by far. I think he
knows a little something about passing.

Tips on Passing From the Great One in Hockey for Dummies:
If the player you are passing to is standing still:
Make a firm, solid pass.If he's moving fast:
Make a light, feather pass.
Make sure you get it out ahead of him so he can skate into it.Practice your backhand

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DefenceTip: Covering in Front of the Net

Hockey Defence Tip

Protecting the area if front of the net is crucial when you’re playing defense.

Most goals are Scored from the Slot.
When the opposing forwards decides to camp out in front of the net, your job is to make it as difficult as possible for him to get his stick cleanly on the puck.

Position Yourself Between the Player and the Net.
If you let the forward get in behind you, he’s

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Get Full Power From Your Wrist Shot!

Are You Getting All of the...
Power out of Your Wrist Shot?Written by Jeremy Rupke from howtohockey.com

The wrist shot is the most commonly used shot in hockey, but you would be surprised how many players, young and old, are not harnessing all of their power and putting it into their wrist shot.

I know this for a fact because the topic came up in the dressing room at beer leagues. One of the

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New Foot Protection

Manitoba based Parrott Ventures has just announced a new product to protect you feet called Spats.  

Spats are a high density polyethylene shield that protects the top, and the inside of your foot. It won't protect your ankle, so you can't really call them ankle guards.

They attach through your laces, then once you've tied up your skate, you flip over it top of your skate, and attach it

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Bauer Vapor X60 Hockey Stick Review

Bauer Vapor X60 Hockey Stick Review

Availible in Clear grip or Stick'um Coating

What separates the top-of-the-line X60 from the rest of the Vapor line is the Lightweight TeXtreme® construction which makes the stick super-light, and super-strong.

Like all Vapors sticks, the X60 comes with the Micro Feel shaft gives you a nice feel using double concave walls with rounded corners. The Stick'um

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NHL Pros Still Not Wearing Ankle Guards

Don Cherry seems to have a thing about ankle guards. If an NHL player wears them, Cherry will be the first to notice. 'The Don' seems to think they’re a good thing, and is surprised more players don’t wear them.

(Don Cherry is hockey commentator for CBC Sports in Canada)

This from the guy who’s famous quote on Visors:
“Most of the guys that wear them are Europeans and French Guys.” caused an

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Plastic Ankle Guards

Montreal Canadiens players have recently been extolling the virtues of skate-boot guards and their ability to stop pucks

“I took a shot off the foot in the Washington game [Nov. 20] and it hurt pretty bad,” Travis Moen said in a recent interview. “That's when I decided to try them.”

“Them” refers to the moulded plastic skate guards he and a half-dozen other members of the Canadiens have taken

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Kevlar Hockey Socks

In the past two NHL seasons, Andrei Markov, Cam Ward , Teemu Salanne, Robert Lang and Joe Corvo, and most recently Kevin Bieksa (again) have all sustained serious cuts from skate blades.

In response, a Montreal company called Intelligent Apparel has designed 2 new protective sport socks: Tactics Armoured Skate Socks and Armoured Hockey Socks
“Our goal was to develop a skate sock that would

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Stick Handling Tips and Drills

Stick Handling Tips and Drills
One of the most important stickhandlings basics is to always keep your head up. You've got to be able to be aware of what's happening around you on the ice without looking at the puck. If you're staring at the puck while stickhandling, you're likely to be checked by somebody you didn't even know was near you.

A second tip in stickhandling is to use 'soft hands'.

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