Topher Scott
@HockeyThinkTank
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Every day trying to add a little something positive to the hockey world.
Chicago, IL
Joined July 2013
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This is phenomenal. Must watch for all kids that want to play at a high level.
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Bill Belichick on the value of being excited for your teammates when they make a play. So many awesome reasons why. Great stuff.
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This may be the best explanation I’ve ever heard on what it takes great. Unreal.
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I wonder what would happen if the names of all these people got retweeted endlessly and their messages to Kadri got to their employers.
Logan Marshall
Carter Wiegard
Drew Bauman
Jacob Catlett
Britt Bernosky
Ricky Sparks
Nick Edgar
Libby Hornbuckle
Maybe we should find out.
Nazem Kadri’s wife shares what their family has endured for the past 48 hours through the Jazzy Kadri Instagram account.
These racist attacks are sickening.
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This should be required reading for every kid. What an unbelievable message from Rick Nash!!
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There’s a reason Crosby is a 3x Stanley Cup Champion captain. What a leader. Great find
@MacLennan28
.
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KIDS: I'm not sure what's more impressive:
One of the top players in the league in Marner laying out to block this shot...or the reaction of his teammates afterwards. Gives me chills and makes me miss playing hockey.
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KIDS: Tyler Johnson is 5'8". Noah Hanafin is 6'3".
Don't let anybody ever tell you that you are too small.
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COACHES: If you are looking for a 5v3 setup for your team, check this one out from Minnesota.
I love using players behind the net. If you talk to any goalie, that back and forth movement from east-west passing is difficult to sustain. But even more difficult for the goalie - and
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This could not be a better video for any young kid to hear.
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Last night our team had practice. Before practice I asked to have a conversation with the players about their perspective on what’s going on right now. I was genuinely interested in a 17 year olds point of view of it all. Thread/1
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THE COST OF AAA HOCKEY.
What are families paying?
Why is it so expensive?
What can we do about it?
My goal is that this leads to positive conversation. Any and all thoughts are welcome!
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COACHES: Here’s a clip to show your best players that don’t want to backcheck. Wow.
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EVERYONE IN HOCKEY:
If you haven't been paying attention to women's hockey...it's time. These women are so passionate, talented, and entertaining to watch. Get on the train and start supporting an awesome product. Here are a few of my favorite plays from the All-Star weekend.
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We asked
@CanadiensMTL
defenseman Chris Wideman what it was like to play for Martin St. Louis last year. I'm ready to run through a brick wall.
🎙️:
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Rod Brind’Amour setting the standard for future Canes. Wow.
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KIDS: Sidney Crosby will go down as the best player of my generation. I've gotten to see him a few times in person and he is hands down the best player in person I've ever seen.
His gift?
I think he does the little things better than anybody else. Puck battles, being in the
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A youth hockey director sent me this email he received from a parent. This is not a parody, it's an actual email.
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COACHES:
4 passes.
3 seconds.
All 5 players touch the puck.
What a power play goal for the Oilers! Awesome clip to show your players on the power of quick puck movement.
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PARENTS:
I had a conversation with an NHL agent yesterday and asked him how many kids he’s seen legitimately make it that had really high maintenance parents.
His answer:
“If I had 200 kids, I’d probably say 2.”
Let that sink in.
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KIDS: The Vancouver Canucks are first place in the NHL. This clip is why.
The clip is of their first line. JT Miller is Top 5 in the league in points and Brock Boeser is Top 10 in goals.
Check out how hard they backcheck on this play. It's unreal. Their relentless effort
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Just had this sent to me. Hockey parents need to figure it out.
This is embarrassing.
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KIDS: Not everyone can be the Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar on their team. But you sure as hell can be an Andrew Cogliano.
Players like Cogliano may not get the fanfare of the big time stars, but they are ESSENTIAL to winning cultures and the success of their teams.
Just check
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This should be a required watch for any kid that has a dream to play at a high level.
“To be successful at anything, you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t. Consistent. Determined. And willing to work for it.
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Blake Lizotte is 5'8". Blake Lizotte is in the NHL because he plays with PASSION.
The energy on this goal is infectious. The relentless forecheck. Gets right back up after getting knocked down. The celebration. It's unreal.
Kids...if you want to make it...play with passion.
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This 10 second clip is why the Tampa Bay Lightning is a championship team.
When your best players are bought into the little things, and the sacrifice things, everyone else has no choice but to follow their lead.
Watch Stamkos on this little sequence. That's a leader. UNREAL.
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This should be required viewing for every kid playing sports.
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KIDS: Every level you go up, the less likely you are to see a player try to beat a defender 1v1.
Why?
The higher the level you play, the less likely you are to beat a defender 1v1.
Defensemen are too good. They are faster, smarter, close quicker, and there’s less time and
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A hockey mom sent this email to a hockey director that I work with. Pretty amazing perspective and worth the read.
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What an amazing message and perspective from Paul Maurice.
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Jacob Bernard Docker blocking 3 one time bombs on one shift. God I love hockey.
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So we're scouting kids and writing negative things about them on social media in a summer charity tournament. God forbid kids get the chance to have fun playing the game anymore.
Scouting BU Commit from NTDP Conrad Fondrk. Didn’t like what I saw from him at the Freedom Cup at Breck Ice Arena. Pretty lazy and lackadaisical as you can see. In a CDH uniform for this tourney. Hearing rumors he was one of the cuts from NTDP and will join CDH this winter.
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If you are a hockey parent and your son or your daughter has a hope or a dream of playing high level hockey, I'm going to give you one piece of advice:
Do not be overly critical, loud, and negative in the stands because we as recruiters and scouts are watching.
One of the worst
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EVERYONE IN HOCKEY:
If you haven't been paying attention to women's hockey...it's time. These women are passionate, talented, and entertaining to watch. Get on the train & start supporting an awesome product. Here are a few of my favorite plays from All-Star weekend last year.
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This is why Jim Montgomery is one of the best coaches in the world.
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I just got off the phone with one of the best hockey directors in the North America. Just does things the right way and really cares about the kids and families in his and other organizations.
Their teams are always ranked at the top of the country on
@MYHockeyRanking
at the
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COACHES: Please show this clip to your Defensemen.
Look at Sbisa's feet when he takes this shot. They are OUTSIDE the blueline. Being this high gives him TIME & SPACE from defending Wing to find a shot lane. So many youth D stand too low & are easy to defend. Great footwork too!
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COACHES: This is a perfect clip for a preseason meeting to show your players what it means to be relentless.
What a play by Palat using his stick and determination to win the puck and then what a pass setting up the goal. It's an "Effort Before Offense" sequence, great job!!
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KIDS: This is going to end up being the play of the playoffs. The second effort by Landeskog is UNREAL. Stop on pucks. Compete. Never give up on a play.
When your captain sells out like this...that is a POWERFUL thing.
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My mom got her car totaled by a drunk driver last night. Thankfully (and miraculously) she walked away with no injuries.
What the f*ck is wrong with people who drive drunk? There’s literally an app on your phone that can take you where you need to go. It’s that easy.
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Good lord look at this backcheck from Brayden Point. On championship teams the best players are typically the hardest workers. Makes sense for Tampa!
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EXCITING NEWS: Next year I will be taking over as Hockey Director of the Syracuse Nationals AAA organization...and we are rebranding the program as The Hockey Think Tank! Big things ahead for the families of Central NY as we get to bring the Hockey Think philosophy to action!!!
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This is great on so many levels.
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COACHES: This goal is an absolute thing of beauty. Please share this with all of your players and let them know that passing and supporting the puck are essential skills to make it to the next level. Incredible sequence here by the Wild.
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KIDS: SOUND ON & listen to the WSH bench go nuts after Jay Beagle blocks these shots.
I've always thought there was a psychological advantage for a team that gets loud for sacrifice plays. Shows they're engaged in the game & in it for each other. HUGE display of a great culture!
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KIDS: The Blues do not win this cup without sweet, resilient Laila. She was their true inspiration.
No better way to end this year’s “Little Things” than to be reminded that hockey is a game that teaches us to be better people. Their beautiful relationship is Exhibit A.
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KIDS: Watch how BUF defenders are standing next to their guy in the Dzone - straight-legged & puck watching...Instead of playing low & physically into their guy, getting under his stick, & being tough to play against.
Soft, last place habits...for a soft, last place team.
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Rod Brind’Amour unloading luggage for the team. Leadership is service. Can’t help but root for the Canes, I love this stuff.
How many Coaches in the
@nhl
unload the bags for his Team? 🧂 of the 🌎 RB⚒
@digintripp
@HockeyHallFame
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COACHES: If you're looking for ways to get your players to buy in to backchecking...show them this clip of Ovechkin over the weekend. If the best goal scorer on the planet can make this effort, they can too.
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KIDS: How hard do you PRACTICE?
The best are the best because of the work they put in when nobody is watching. The habits you create in practice will determine how well you play in games. Just check these clips out from Sidney Crosby...
Video courtesy of
@rinkrant
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TRUE STORY: The first family I brought in for a visit as an Asst coach at Cornell...
Our Head Coach got up half way through and said he had something he had to tend to. Got up and left...
Later he told me there was no way we were taking that kid because of how his dad acted.
Pat Fitzgerald on Northwestern’s recruiting process 🔊
“An increasingly larger part of the evaluation of the prospect, for us, is evaluating the parents. It’s a big part of the evaluation. If the parents don’t fit, then we may punt on the player & not offer them a scholarship.”
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Been watching a lot of PK video gearing up for the season. Wanted to see why
@ArizonaCoyotes
were
#1
in the league last year. Two words:
Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Making plays with the puck...and making reads without it...this guy is an absolute STUD. This play was my favorite. Wow.
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KIDS: This is hockey. This is what it takes to win. I love this game.
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KIDS: If you want to score goals, a great habit is STOPPING AT THE NET.
Check out this goal from Soderblom on Detroit. I can see so many kids in practice banana peeling to the corner after the initial shot on the 2v1 - but he STOPS at the net and gets rewarded. Great job!!
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Ok. I’ve seen 3 articles on Twitter in the last 24 hrs ranking players born in 2003. 2003!
Remember when you were 14 yrs old & allowed to love the game?
I’d love for any of those sites to contact me & educate me on why these articles are a good thing... topher.scott26
@gmail
.com
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COACHES: Speed is not only about strides and straight lines. Check out this unreal goal by Ivan Provorov...he literally doesn’t take one stride.
Crossovers, changing angles, edges...all produce speed and deception down the ice. Great for kids to skate this way in drills too!
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Further proof that Pete DeBoer is one of the best coaches on the planet. Relationships are everything, this is awesome.
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COACHES: A lot of development coaches are teaching players the "two-touch" shot off a pass. Upon receiving the pass, Virtanen stops the puck...and then rips it off his stick fast. The quick "two-touches" allows for a quick release and power on the shot! Great example here!!
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KIDS: Check out the Bergeron line, arguably the top line in the game right now, while they were on the bench last night. This is a beautiful thing...
Communication is so good for chemistry and engagement in the game. It keeps you mentally involved and ready to go. Great job!!
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KIDS: I coached Jacob MacDonald at Cornell.
-He only played 8 games his freshman year.
-He didn’t score his first college goal until his junior year.
-He started his career in the ECHL.
-It took 4 years to get his first NHL call up.
Now he’s a Stanley Cup champion.
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We were 4 weeks early...But welcome to the world baby Lucy! Feeling so much love and gratitude right now. Mom is a rockstar, baby is healthy, and Paige is PUMPED to have a little sister.
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COACHES: This is one of my favorite faceoff plays that I've seen the Bruins score on multiple times. We call it "Around the Pile"
The inside W comes up and over the circle. The outside W goes below the circle and to the net. Marchand, Pastrnak and Bergeron work it to perfection!
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This is a must read article.
Data doesn’t lie. Professionalizing youth hockey at young ages does not lead to more elite players. There are great people in Mass but many will tell you it’s a mess. Minnesota continues to show the country how it’s done but nobody wants to listen.
Why Minnesota's youth hockey model keeps numbers rising and growing the gap with other states
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Anybody who wants to play college hockey needs to watch this.
Takeaways:
1. You never know who is watching.
2. Kids that separate themselves from their peers based on work ethic will ALWAYS get a look. Those are the kids that we want to coach because we know they will improve.
“He was on the furthest court that you could be on. I went over there and was trying to drink my coffee and wake up, and this guy is pressing at 8 a.m. No one else on his team is pressing, just him.”
🎙 Coach Huggins on recruiting Jevon Carter ⬇️
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The more I skate w/ players this summer, the more I believe below:
It doesn’t necessarily matter as much what drills we do...it matters how we do them. Some players ATTACK & INVEST in the rep...Many just do it bc that’s what was asked. BIG difference.
#mentality
#buildgoodhabits
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YOUTH COACHES: It's not about dump, chase, & limiting mistakes.
Please let your kids make plays to the middle on entries. Yes, they will turn pucks over. It's OK. Because they'll develop the confidence to make plays like these from last night's games. Great feeds...and snipes!
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Holy shit Hockey Dad Jeff Daniels (aka Harry Dunne) with some truth that EVERY SINGLE HOCKEY PARENT needs to hear.
I may not be a father yet but this is great advice for when that time comes and for those who are. Looking back at my childhood, grateful that this rings true.
#Message
#MoreThanTheGame
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There’s been a lot of Saban videos out the last few days. This is one that needs to be seen by all kids and parents.
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STICK TAPS to Pens Assistant Coach Todd Reirden for this faceoff play goal!! A phenomenal play using the space behind the net. And what a reaction by the boys after the goal on the bench. Shows the buy in and the fun they're having in Pittsburgh. Awesome stuff.
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KIDS: The higher the level you go, the less players try to beat defenders 1v1. Team structures are too tight, defending players are too smart, and it rarely ever works. This clip is an example of why.
Even at the younger levels, working on puck movement and support are key!
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KIDS: How RELENTLESS are you as F1 on the forecheck? Here are two goals from the NYR/TBL game last night where F1 hounds the puck, creates the turnover, and gets rewarded with the goal. Great job!
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KIDS: Noel Acciari was a prep star and the captain of a National Championship team at Providence. But to play in the NHL, he had to ACCEPT a bottom line role...and here he plays it to perfection. Hard F1, create the turnover, get to the net with stick on the ice. Great job!!
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COACHES: If there was ever a clip to show your players about shooting the puck with your feet moving in stride...this is it. This skill should be an emphasis for all shooting drills in practice as it makes it MUCH harder for the goalie to get ready/set for the shot. Great goal!!
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KIDS: Here is a great clip showing the value of under-handling the puck. Unreal goal by Robertson - watch how he goes backhand right to forehand and shoots it. No dusting it off or stickhandling allowing the goalie to get set or Dman that extra second to poke the puck. Great job!
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Equipment managers are the lifeblood of any team. So cool to see the players and staff recognize their guy after helping Stone get his assist.
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MUST WATCH.
Great leaders bring different people all together, all working towards one goal.
Toxic leaders separate those people & make sure they know they aren’t a part of the group.
MUST WATCH. Especially for you seniors who want to make freshman “pay their dues.”
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KIDS: Almost 90% of the players in the
@NHL
this year got cut at some point in their pro career. Were told to go ride a bus. Get better before you come back to the big club.
Resiliency is an essential attribute to earn your dreams.
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Having a good Power Play is critical for winning games today.
So
@BrandonNaurato
and I took a DEEP dive into what makes PP's successful at the highest level. We analyzed all 1,561 goals from a season ago and found some UNREAL data on how & why teams score on the PP.Check it out!
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KIDS: Pay close attention to Josh Bailey during this Ozone sequence. Watch how he scans the ice for open pockets and passing lanes...a great habit to build hockey sense. He ends up getting rewarded with a goal in the end. Great job!!!!
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KIDS: As a coach, this is my BIGGEST PET PEEVE.
When players have an odd man rush situation...and they try to beat a defenseman 1v1. This clip shows exactly that. PLEASE scan the ice, listen to your teammates, and take the horse blinders off as you skate up the ice!
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KIDS: This is my biggest pet peeve in hockey.
Skating the puck to your teammate and then giving it to to them.
You want to make the ice easier for your teammates, not harder. By skating the puck directly to them, you are bringing the defenders there too. It takes away any time
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KIDS: Auston Matthews is on another level. Check out this stick lift in the middle of the ice which allows the puck to get across to Nylander for the goal. Very few people in the world have the awareness to make this play.
Hockey sense at its best.
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Last year I wrote on the cost of AAA Hockey.
What are families paying?
Why is it so expensive?
What can we do about it?
This all still rings true today. My goal is that it continues to lead to positive conversation. Any and all thoughts welcome!
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KIDS: Jake played in 8 games as a freshman at Cornell. Didn’t get his first goal until his junior year. But he was one of the most positive kids I’ve coached and worked his @$$ off.
He just signed his second NHL contract. Can do attitude & incredible work ethic gets you places.
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This is one hell of a way to set the tone for a season.
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EDM was a team picked by many to compete for the Stanley Cup this year. They now sit at the bottom of NHL. Why?
Watch their effort on the backcheck. Standing still, sticks up, lazy effort. Talented teams that don't buy in to playing two-way hockey never win.
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Equipment managers are the lifeblood of every hockey team. This is unreal.
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“Today was the day I realized my kid wasn’t good enough to play in the NHL”
This is awesome.
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COACHES: The next time one of your top players doesn't want to buy in to playing the right way or pay attention to the details of the game...show them this clip of Sidney Crosby winning the race to beat this icing at the end of the game. Special.
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This should be required watching for everybody involved in youth hockey.
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COACHES: Middle lane drive is a great strategy on line rushes...but check out this little habit by the Rangers players as they drive the net. Watch how they skate right into the defender, pushing them back to create a cross-ice passing lane. Great plays that lead to 3 goals!
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KIDS: You want to be noticed by scouts?
One of the best ways is by showing effort to win puck races. Check out Taylor Hall on this play and his determination to get to this puck first. Great job by a hungry player and the play ends up as the GWG. Welcome to Arizona!!
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COACHES: This is an amazing clip to show your players about puck protection and body positioning!
Watch Panarin as he shields off the TOR defender...using his whole body, while skating, to protect the puck on the rush. it doesn't get any better than this!
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For all the kids out there…
I just had my second player on my U16 team commit to a D1 school yesterday. NEITHER PLAYER got drafted in any junior draft last year.
They both worked their asses off this year to prove people wrong. Fighting through tough times and resiliency win.
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