“They Look Lost Out There”

Some players are taking the long way home to pucks. Seriously, they’re players that just look lost out there.

Everyone in the rink can see how scared or timid they are. It’s really unfortunate that so many players are taking poor routes to pucks, it’s almost cringe worthy to watch, because players are putting themselves in very vulnerable positions and it’s the Energizer Bunny, it keeps going and going and seemingly no one is providing them feedback.

Tons of players this year are struggling with the concept of angling and puck retrieval especially young defenders. Everyone talks about transitional D, but so many skate into trouble and turn pucks over. If you want to get noticed as a defender, take care of your own zone, defend, have a great stick, make good decisions, but most importantly take good routes to pucks because that enables them to move the puck efficiently and effectively.

Clearly, it’s all about the little things, but as young players start climbing the ladder, it’s the little things that get harder and harder.

Puck retrieval is everything, no wonder kids look scared, hell everyone would be scared if they took routes to pucks like players do in the game today.

 “That D shoulder checks a lot.”

That’s great and all, but what about their route, after the shoulder check are they still putting themselves in a vulnerable position?

 When they collect the puck up on a retrieval, are they in a position to make a play?

A lot of players today are taking more linear routes to pucks and are trying to avoid hits rather than taking a hit or absorbing a hit to make a play. Players are bailing out all of time because they are putting themselves in vulnerable positions, and they only realize that when it’s too late.

People can argue about how fast the game is these days and try to justify how difficult it is to retrieve pucks in any sequence of the game, but it all starts with routes.

What route are you taking?

Let’s hope every young up and coming player is being taught the value and importance of taking solid routes and subtleties of puck retrieval before it’s too late.

Here’s some food for thought, With so many U-18 aged players struggling taking good routes to pucks, maybe if we still had contact at the U-13 level kids would learn the skill quicker, and they wouldn’t be putting themselves in vulnerable positions.

That particular debate ranges on. Nonetheless, what about the coach’s role in teaching these concepts? If coaches don’t address routes or ignore providing small refinement areas or feedback to all of their players, they are essentially doing a disservice to them, because the “next level” won’t be kind. They’re going to get hurt.

Could you imagine having a very high profile, highly touted defender or any player for that matter and not giving them feedback when it comes to puck retrieval? Could you imagine that same player taking the same bad routes to pucks from September to March or April?

“They will figure it out on their own” or the They’re strong enough to handle the contact and pressure,” mentality and mindset is total bull shit.

How do young defenders handle pressure? How do they retrieve pucks and distribute the puck? Great questions, but those questions can only be answered with a solid retrieval arsenal in place.

How do they build that into their game?

Reps, feedback and more reps, I’m not talking easy reps, I’m talking reps with resistance and a shit ton of it coming from every conceivable direction and it has to be layered and at game speed. Every coaches focus should be on preparing their players for next year, not fixating on W’s. You want to make a difference in your players trajectory provide them the feedback or on the “job training” that will help them at the next level, not just a “pat on the back or a good job.” Real feedback! Hell, every U18 AAA team has video now, why the hell not show them their retrievals and show them what a good retrieval is versus a bad one. Show them how that won’t cut it at the next level.

The game is fast, players are getting faster and faster, the feedback players are receiving is at a snails pace when it comes to taking good routes to pucks.

Now, let’s get one thing straight, if the player has been told a thousand times and are still taking bad routes to pucks well that’s their fault, one would think they would smarten the hell up before they get hurt, either way they still look lost out there.