Between the Benches

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take part in the annual THI Coaching Clinic in Edmonton and despite having to par take in all the presentations inside with it being 30 degrees outside there was no other place I’d rather be. It’s been a long winding discussion that I’ve wanted to get into coaching for some time since I haven’t been playing goal but attending this weekend clinic only sealed the deal that I will in some capacity be behind a bench come fall.

First off I have to urge any current or future coaches to take part in this clinic as I can promise you that as it continues to grow things will only get better and the opportunity to network and learn from some highly qualified individuals will help you become a better coach.

There isn’t one of us former players who haven’t sat there thinking we could do a better job then another coach or figured we knew everything and anything that was wrong with our favorite hockey club. If I had a dime for all the wrongs everyone I knew was saying about MacT this past winter I would already be retired in Phoenix. Hell, I was even one of those people who thought they knew what was wrong with the Edmonton Oilers this past winter.

Needless to say sitting in front of NHL, WHL, and CIS coaches turned out to be a real eye opener in what it takes to become a successful coach, not just for the strategic side of the game but even more so into what it takes to develop successful teams and players. I walked in thinking all of this would be X’s and O’s and I walked out of there with a new found respect for the coaching job.

The highlight of the weekend came surprisingly to me Sunday morning when Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak took the podium.

Dave Hunchak

Hunchak’s presentation was dubbed “Growing The Player” and he focused more so on the aspects of what it takes to make a player better on the ice but even more so becoming a better person off the ice. Being good teammates, wanting to play the game, being active in the community, verbally communicating etc were just a few of the things he made mention of and I think the one thing that really stood out to me was listening to him tell the story of a team building experience he did at the Army barracks.

Like a lot of coaches they always plan these to help you become familiar with the guys on your team which is great, I remember partaking in a multitude of these. Hunchak split his team into groups and for the most part made everything involved in camping a competition, for example putting up the tent. Another was the hamburger competition in which he found some players having some trouble putting together a meal for there group…odd? Maybe, but I still know people my age that don’t know how to cook.

The lesson that really stood out though was when he was talking about the baseball game. It came as quite a surprise to me hearing that a lot of players are so one dimensional athletes that a lot of them can’t or dont know how to play other sports. There were players who couldn’t throw a ball properly, hold a bat the right way, or had never stepped foot on a ball diamond because they were so caught up in becoming a professional hockey player they spent all there time off on the ice.

Now a days its so blown out of proportion that if you want to be successful and make it to the pro level you need to eat, sleep, and breath hockey which, according to everyone presenting, couldn’t be any further from the truth. The skills, tools, and athleticism you develop playing multiple sports is of far greater importance then staying on ice all summer.

Lips and I both agreed that Hunchak speech was top notch and it really helped drive home a message with what’s happening with today’s youthful hockey players.

Clare Drake

It was almost intimidating seeing legendary coach Clare Drake in attendance. Over half (if not all) of the presenters at the clinic had been in some way or form influenced by the man himself. The resume speaks for itself: Bachelor of Phys Ed, Bachelor of Education, Masters in Science, Doctorate in Phys Ed, 35 years coaching experience (NHL, CHA, WHA, CIAU), 6 time national CIAU champion, 1989 Canadian Hall of Fame, 997 wins as U of A coach, and above all that 1 time Football Championship (CIAU).

The list could go on and on. His age doesn’t even slow him down and anyone with half of a brain can see just how much knowledge and innovation he’s brought to the game of hockey. Drake’s speech was on the power play and I could write another 1000 words on what I picked up from that hour alone but I’ll spare everyone the technical details.

The Rest

Every present was top notch but the two above stood out to me most.

Rocky Thompson who is an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings kicked the weekend off going over some basic fundamentals, most of which I wasn’t even aware of.

Ken Babey is head coach of the SAIT Trojans and introduced us to how to plan for short term competitions. Ken did a miraculous job overseas with Denmark’s World Junior team and still helps to this day.

Another former student of Clare Drake named Perry Pearn introduced us to concepts for the Penalty Kill. This past year before he got fired he helped the New York Rangers to the league best PK% and I took away some welcome words of wisdom on how to make a successful penalty kill.

Rob Daum, the head coach for the Oilers farm team the Springfield Falcons, proved to be the comedian of the group but also extremely intelligent showing us some offensive zone plays one could draw up.

Rick Carriere went over the finer points of defense, Dave Rathjen and Jaime McCraig showed us some of the finer points of goaltending from there goalie school “Above the Crease“. Even though Im quite wise on the position I urge any parent with a young one in between the pipes or any aspiring goalie to give these guys a shout.

Closing out we were treated to a hot stove with former NHL’r and current Oilers play by play analyst Rob Brown. Brown shared some stories of life in junior, in the pros, and coaching in and around Edmonton. Similar to most other presenters Rob was dead set on letting kids step away from the rink and enjoy other sports like soccer, baseball, lacrosse etc. He was quick to point out a lot of former NHL greats were multi sport athletes.

A lot to take in, after Saturday I found myself in bed at 11 o’clock because my brain hurt so much from thinking hockey all day. I can’t imagine what it’s like for a head coach over a grueling NHL season and playoff.

Needless to say I’m quite happy with the money spent and will almost certainly be back next season for another go at it unless I’m unfortunate enough to not be coaching this season…something which should pan out this week, stay posted for that.