NHL Retired Numbers List is Growing
Posted by Don MacAdam
This week saw the addition of two players who will have their numbers retired this season by their former NHL teams. The Washington Capitals will retire Mike Gartner’s number and the Vancouver Canucks will do the same for Trevor Linden. The Montreal Canadiens announced earlier in the summer that they would be retiring Patrick Roy’s number.
There typically isn’t a criterion for retiring a player’s number but if you look down the list of the 95 NHL players who have had their number retired, you will see some of the best who have ever played the game.
There is also another possible motive behind a team retiring a number-marketing. A smart marketing move would be to pick a night when a sellout is not likely and use the ceremony that typically goes with the number retirement to help sell tickets.
Click on the Wikipedia link below and have fun going down the list of players.
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This is a complete list of National Hockey League (NHL) retired numbers. A retired number is a jersey number that is taken out of circulation by a team as a means of honouring a former member of that team who wore that number.
The first team to retire a number were the Toronto Maple Leafs, who retired Ace Bailey’s #6 on February 14, 1934, prior to an All-Star game in his honour.
There are currently 95 retired numbers in the NHL. There are also 13 honoured numbers, all issued by the Toronto Maple Leafs. A further 7 numbers were retired, by the Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques, but upon the relocation of the two teams the numbers were put back into circulation.
Only one number has been retired league-wide. Upon the retirement of Wayne Gretzky, it was announced that no other player would again wear his number, 99. The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings have also separately retired Gretzky’s number.
Upon joining the league in 2000, the Minnesota Wild had a ceremony retiring #1 from circulation as a tribute to the fans.
Only five players have had their number retired by two different teams:
- Bobby Hull - Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets
- Gordie Howe - Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers
- Wayne Gretzky - Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings (also retired league-wide)
- Ray Bourque - Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche
- Mark Messier - New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers
A Radical Book To Help Your Career
Posted by Don MacAdam
The last time I was in Dayton, Ohio, one of my goals was to get our first ebook finished and on line. I had been working with David Esrati, the creative hockey nut who owns The Next Wave (www.thenextwave.biz) ad agency in Dayton. David had his staff members Allison, Seth and Tim working on the finishing touches for the ebook The Hockey Conditioning Handbook. Check it out by hitting the Store tab above. The Next Wave do great work.
When I first walked into David’s office, he handed me a copy of Radical Careering, an eye catching book by Sally Hogshead. The sub title is ‘100 truths to jumpstart your job, your career, and your life.’ David had Sally sign the book “Here’s to Radical Hockey!” That was a nice touch.
When I got home I started reading Radical Careering and couldn’t put it down. The book has information I had seen before along with new material, and all is presented in an informative, entertaining, humorous, and unique way. This is a fun book.
I have used it as a quick pick-me-up to get me going again when I needed a little mental kick in the butt.
Click below to buy your copy. I know you will enjoy…
Radical Careering: 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life by Sally Hogshead (Paperback - Sep 8, 2005)
62 Used & new from $1.89
Other Editions: Paperback
Excerpt - Back Matter: “… Ready to fire up your shiny new radical careering skills? Let’s go. Online yodtl find all kinds of crazycool …”Surprise me! See a random page in this book.
Here’s to Radical Hockey!
Burnout and Other Concerns for Young Hockey Players
Posted by Don MacAdam
Here is an excerpt from an August 26, 2008 Globe and Mail article by Tralee Pearce where she discusses the burnout factor in sports.
Until last week, Oakville, Ont. hockey player Stefan Legein was a poster boy for youth hockey. After star turns with the Canadian junior team and a stint with the Ontario Hockey League, he was drafted in the second round by the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets last year.
But last week, when the 19-year-old decided to call it quits on the eve of training camp, many observers wondered if youth hockey’s gruelling expectations might be to blame.
“Not getting a break from that high-pressure environment can lead to burnout,” says Scott Oakman, the executive director of the Greater Toronto Hockey League.
Coaches and sports administrators admit that the relentless pace exacts a price. “There’s been a big shift in philosophy. There’s much more year-round hockey taking place,” Mr. Oakman says. “That certainly lends itself to kids dropping out of the game earlier than historically they would have. They might be getting a lifetime’s worth of hockey in a shorter period of time.”
There’s no research to suggest that young kids who love their sport will risk burnout, says Joe Baker, an associate professor of kinesiology and sports health at York University. But with so much at stake, it’s no wonder some kids don’t speak up about not enjoying it…
Beyond the mental strain, there are also growing reports of injuries due to intense training in single sports in the past five years, according to Tony Reynolds of the U.S. International Youth Conditioning Association, which provides youth-specific training programs to coaches.
In sports such as hockey in which players are dominant on their left or right side, lower back and shoulder injuries are cropping up at younger ages. “It’s going to get worse,” he says. (Mr. Legein suffered a separated shoulder in a Christmas World Junior game last year.)…
In his 20-year experience, youth hockey coach Ron Sticklee says he has observed that it’s more often the parents with NHL stars in their eyes.
But even if a child is mentally and physically prepared for a hectic sports schedule, new research suggests throwing a kid’s sports eggs in one basket can make him a worse, not better, player. York’s Prof. Baker has been collecting data on athletes considered the “best of the best.”
“Some of the data we have shows they spent a lot more time playing at their sport in an unorganized way,” he says. Fewer rules and drills appears to promote a flexibility in the way kids think about problems on the court or rink.
From my experience more players that make it to the pro level truly have fun playing and competing. And, their parents understanding the importance of fun for the athlete. Rarely did the parent or athlete have an NHL-or-bust attitude.
Click on Article below to get the full story from The Globe and Mail.
Gearing Up for the Pre-Season
Posted by Don MacAdam
You are either already in your pre-season or it is just around the corner. Season plans should have been in place by now, along with the regular season schedule and practice sessions. Are we excited or are we panicking?
What did you learn from previous pre-seasons that you will use to make this year the best ever? Are you going to have a catchy slogan to rally the player around?
Here is an excerpt from The Hockey Conditioning Handbook that will give an overview of your conditioning objectives and areas of emphasis. The book also contains information for on-ice and off-ice training and programs for you to use. Go to the Store tab at the top of the page to buy the book.
Pre-Season means on-ice workouts have started but league games have not. It’s your last chance to get all your conditioning ready for the ultimate test - game time.
Pre-Season Conditioning Objectives: 1) Top Up Off-Season Levels 2) On-Ice Transfer of Conditioning
The first part of the pre-season usually has 2-3 weeks of dry land training for ‘topping up’ your off-season training. The off-season foundations must then be adapted to the ice. Your running legs get switched to skating legs. This is also the time to incorporate specific high energy and explosive energy training. Dry land work can be done to help develop these energy systems initially. But it will be essential to ultimately train these two systems on ice as well.
During the pre-season a player should be able to gradually reduce his aerobic workouts from 5-6 per week to 2-3 per week, with at least 1 of these being done on the ice. Players should put their strength training gains to use while practicing skills and reduce regular strength workouts to 1-2 per week. Flexibility work should still be done as a ‘loosen up’ in warm ups and as a ‘tension relaxer’ at the end of all workouts. Otherwise, players will start to lose the flexibility gained from off-season training. Less time can be spent on flexibility now. One or 2 repeats of an exercise for each major muscle group should suffice at this stage.
High energy training is difficult to do on ice psychologically because of the combination of intensity and time (very hard for 40-90 seconds) needed. Skills drills are not easily adapted to these training requirements. For this reason, optimum high energy work (60-90 seconds) is easiest done off-ice. Specific high energy work (30-60 seconds/a typical shift length) should be done on ice.
Explosive energy work should be done daily, primarily on ice. This system will be a key to quick skill execution during games.
Pre-Season Training Emphasis:
1) Foundations On-Ice 2) High Energy Training
3) Explosive Energy Training
Use the pre-season to finish getting completely physically prepared to play games. All physical aspects of conditioning must be transferred effectively to the ice. Here are samples of pre-season training sessions for both on-ice and off-ice work.
Do you have your overall goals and objectives set for your pre-season? Are you rebuilding or just fine tuning around a core of returning players?
What is your player selection criteria? Do your staff and the players trying out for the team know the criteria? They darn well should. Is fitness testing included?
Use the pre-season wisely. It is an ideal time to set the standards, discipline, culture and environment for your team for the season.
Checking out The Hockey Conditioning Handbook Competition
Posted by Don MacAdam
Now that our book is on line, I have been taking time to see what else is out there in the hockey conditioning internet world. Checking out the competition has been interesting. Yes, I liked the fact that one of our other books, 52-Week Training for Hockey, is a prominent player.
In my opinion here is a concern when you look at the different programs you have to choose from. It bothers me to see sites showing exercises with little or no background information provided.
If a program or exercise is presented and there isn’t information on proper technique, safety instructions, and a why you should do this, then I would suggest caution.
Conditioning work needs to be specific, if you hope to reach your training goals. Safety issues are important. Any quality site should offer this information to you.
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These are some of the strengths of The Hockey Conditioning Handbook. All the additional information you need is there for you. The exercises and programs are clearly explained and the why is always answered.
There are training fads out there all the time. But, the trend in training now is back to basics. Be sure to take a close look at any program that interests you. Stay true to your training goals and make sure that any program you choose will get you there.
Here is one last concern for you to consider. Some programs are excellent, but they should be implemented with the help of a qualified trainer. An example is plyometrics. Excellent results can be gained, but if exercises aren’t done correctly, there is a high risk of injury.
Now it is time for you to check out the link to The Hockey Conditioning Handbook.
Just click on the Store tab above.
Our First EBook is Available Now!
Posted by Don MacAdam
Ice Hockey Conditioning—Made Easy!
Discover how to have fast, strong, totally fit hockey players all year long.
If you are a coach or a player who has loads of questions and little time to study how to train smart and effectively, The Hockey Conditioning Handbook is for you.
When you apply The Hockey Conditioning Handbook training principles you will develop quicker foot speed, faster skating, harder shots, and more powerful checking.
The book shows you how to apply the principles of training in the off-season, pre-season, in-season, and post-season. The Hockey Conditioning Handbook also provides specific examples you can use when putting together your practice sessions. What could be easier?
Click on Store above and get the rest of the promotional information on The Hockey Conditioning Handbook
Team Slogan Help From the Olympic Home Team
Posted by Don MacAdam
For some of you, one of the things on your list this time of year is select a slogan to rally the team around for the coming season. You are likely looking for something to inspire and motivate your players and fans.
Since the Olympics are in full swing in Beijing, why not get some slogan inspiration from the home team. The Chinese are kicking butt, so these slogans must work!
Here is an article from Geoffrey York of the Globe and mail.
BEIJING - If you’re wondering how China’s athletes have managed to win so many gold medals so fast, you might consider how much pressure they face from their coaches and state officials.
It’s just one of the many reasons for their success, but it must be a factor. Everyone in China is pushing them to be the best in the world, to bring glory to the country in its Olympic year.
Consider, for example, the official slogans at their training sessions. Here are some of the slogans printed on the walls of the Chinese training camps, as collected on the China Digital Times website:
From the training camp of the Chinese weightlifting team: “The motherland is above everything; strike for gold in the Olympics; lift up the world; hold up hope; stay away from steroids.”
From the training camp of the Chinese shooting team: “Die in the fight for the gold, instead of surviving just for the sake of participation.”
From the training camp of the Chinese gymnastics team: “Leaders put pressure, subordinates put pressure. Pressure each other. Pressure oneself. There will be no breakthrough if one does not take the hardest hardship; there will be no champion if one does not go through the ultimate pressure.”
Who said fun had to be part of sport….
The Off-Season is Upon Us–Time to Get Training
Posted by Don MacAdam
Now that the excitement of the NHL free agency spending spree seems to have run its course, it is time for hockey players to switch focus. For you Canadian players out there, July 1, Canada Day, celebrations are long over. The same goes for any Americans with July 4th hangovers long since cleared up.
The off-season is when the serious conditioning work has to be done. Ideally, you have a great summer program that your team has tailored to your particular training needs. Or, you are working with a personal trainer to meet these same objectives.
Time is running out.
Major junior camps start in late August, only 8 week away.
NHL rookie camps have about 9 to 10 weeks before they start.
University and college programs will be hitting the ice in roughly 12 weeks.
Minor hockey and senior programs are also about 12 weeks away from starting.
Ideally, a hockey player needs about 12 weeks of quality training to be able to go into the pre-season with conditioning components like the energy systems, strength, and flexibility at the levels where they need to be.
It is never too late to start.
Need help?
The Hockey Conditioning Handbook comes to this site this week as a downloadable ebook. The handbook contains all the information you need to put together a great off-season training program.
The ebook also has the training information you need to get you through the rest of your hockey year: In-Season, Post-Season and Pre-Season training in a nutshell. The material is easy to use and includes illustrations and sample drills. It is adaptable to all ages and can be used by both male and female hockey players.
Look for The Hockey Conditioning Handbook on this site and get training!
A Great Day for Hockey on Canada Day
Posted by Don MacAdam
July 1 is the day Canadians celebrate the birth of their country, proudly wave the Canadian flag, and parade about in their favorite red and white apparel. Canada Day eh!
There is a special hockey touch to celebrations this year. It has become a custom that members of the Stanley Cup winning team get individual possession of the Cup for 48 hours to create their own personal celebration.
Daniel Cleary, a member of the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings got his 48 hours with the Cup on June 30 and July 1, Canada Day, 2008. He took the Cup back to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, on the east coast of Canada. Cleary is the first Newfoundlander to have his name engraved on the Cup.
“To win the Stanley Cup is a life-long dream that has now been fulfilled thanks in part to the overwhelming support I have received from my family, friends and the people of this province,” Cleary said in a news release.
“I am so proud of this accomplishment and grateful to all those who taught me along the way.”
Following the final game in the Stanley Cup finals, it seemed that every member of the Red Wings organization was interviewed. The most common question asked- was there someone special the person was sharing the Cup win with? Cleary was one of the very few who went beyond the standard “…my team mates, my family”. He also thanked his first hockey coach back in Harbour Grace, 72 year old Dick Power. Now that is special.
This was certainly a celebration of pride: the pride Cleary’s community has in his accomplishments, pride people show for Canada, and pride for Canada’s most loved game-hockey.
July 1, 2008 was a great day for Canada and hockey in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland.
It’s Hockey Coach Firing and Hiring Season
Posted by Don MacAdam
With four new NHL head coaches being announced recently, and two on Friday the 13th, I guess we can’t call hockey coaches and management superstitious.
Most coach hirings come with the usual quotes from owners and GM’s; “…he is he right fit for our team”, “…he brings discipline”, “…brings intensity”. They are all touted as the best man for the job. Typically, at the pro level at least, the ‘best man’ has about a three year shelf life.
At most levels of the game a hockey coach has a similar job description. Knowledge of tactics and strategies, the ability to develop players, run quality practices, handle the stress of game situations, and the ability to motivate players are common traits that we look for in a coach.
There are a couple of traits that will set a few coaches apart from others-communication skills and integrity.
Communication skills are important at any level of coaching. Most coaches are good talkers. The great ones are also good listeners. Mastering the different forms of verbal and nonverbal communication will be a tremendous asset for anyone.
Integrity speaks to the core of the person. The elite coach will base all his coaching on his integrity. There won’t be any attempts to fool players, staff or media. Players will be the first to see through a coach. Others will soon follow.
Strong organizations make great hires almost all the time. Coaching is rarely easy, but a coach in a quality environment has a far better chance to be successful. During the hiring process, the first place an organization, or the individual doing the hiring, should look is at the structure and culture of their organization. This is a key factor in deciding who should be hired and how successful the new coach will be.
“Coaches are hired to be fired”. Bet you heard that one before. There are all kinds of reasons why coaches eventually hear that the organization is ‘…going in a different direction’. Lack of regular season or playoff success is a common reason. One that grates me is ‘the players didn’t like the coach’. When the inmates are running the asylum, nothing much good gets accomplished. Sometimes, the coach just needs to be replaced. Maybe the reason a coach gets fired is the most common reason for a firing-the boss just doesn’t like you.
The coaching profession is no place for a superstitious person. Neither is it a place for management who don’t start the firing and hiring process with an honest look inward.
