The game of hockey, and sports in general, have come a long way in a very short amount of time when it comes to technology and how it improves the chances of success for players. Almost every sport has teams that have positions in their front office for things such as data scientists or analytics. Another way technology has been utilized for players is the video room, where players and coaches often log hours of off-ice time studying previous games as well as their opponents. But did you know that there is a Video Coach in the video room, that helps prepare and breakdown footage for players and coaches? Not every team has one, but the teams that do rely on them for research and instant access to specific parts of game film. But that is not all. There is so much more to a position that does not get much publicity in the NHL, but certainly has a role moving forward as the second-chance eyes and ears of the coaching staff.
What is a Video Coach?
It is exactly as it sounds, a member of the coaching staff that is there to use technology and video footage to help the players and the team succeed. With the improvement in technology and the digitization of footage, players and coaches can quite literally ask for any play from any game in the NHL. The Video Coach has full access to the NHL games database and is able to pull footage to cut and edit each game for specific plays and series that may need to be reviewed.
You generally will not see the Video Coach on the bench with the other members of the coaching staff though. They are usually holed up in an office or different part of the arena where they have access to multiple computers and monitors to constantly review and prepare footage for intermissions and post-game reviews. Before, it was mostly after or between games when coaches and players would want to re-watch game film, but now, it can be at any time, even streaming footage for coaches to review on the bench in real-time. Talk about utilizing technology during the game!
How Do Coaches Use a Video Coach?
The coaching staff is always in communication with the Video Coach, in case there is something that they need to review or re-watch on the fly. Video Coaches need to be agile and anticipate what a coach may want to see before they even request it. Whether it is at intermission or even during a TV timeout, the coach can ask for some video clips at any time as current day coaches all have tablets and laptops right on the bench that they can use.
Another crucial role that the Video Coach has in today’s NHL is in advising when a head coach should challenge a play or call. If a goal is scored after a missed offside, or if a goal was ruled to be scored with a high stick and was called back, the Video Coach will be called upon immediately to provide some digital evidence to the coaches. So every faceoff, every shot, every time a team enters the zone, all of these need to be watched with an eagle eye in case a play can be challenged.
How Do Players Use a Video Coach?
Some players are extremely keen on watching game film to either improve their game or hone in on areas where they may need improvement. Coaches on the bench are often seen holding a tablet for players to watch between shifts, all of which is available in an instant by the Video Coach. Players also like to watch film of games on the bus, in the plane, or during their individual training sessions, as a way of reviewing their own tendencies as well as scouting upcoming opponents. Is this advantageous to players? Absolutely. Think about how helpful it is for us to see instant replays on the television when we are watching games at home. Players are often shown watching replays on the giant video boards that hang in the arena, but now they can just as easily re-watch these on the tablet on the bench.
More Than Just Re-Watching Games
During any given game a Video Coach can be monitoring hundreds of different plays to cut, edit, and save for the coaches after the game. The Video Coach needs to have a feel for what the coaching staff needs, as well as being able to recognize and identify key plays or sequences in a game that the coaches may have missed. And it is not just the game being played right now either. A lot of coaches will request footage of other teams around the league especially if they are an upcoming opponent.
Technology in sports has come a long way and teams are continuing to find more ways of utilizing it to their advantage. Who would have thought coaches and players on the bench would be reviewing plays between shifts? The NHL is such a high speed game it is almost impossible to keep track of plays throughout a game but that is where the Video Coach comes in. To have another knowledgeable coach behind the scenes providing instant advice is invaluable to a team’s success. This is exactly why a Video Coach is a coach and considered an essential part of a team’s coaching staff in today’s NHL.
We all have our favorite players that we look up to and admire, whether they play for your hometown team or maybe share the same position as you on the ice, much of our childhoods are spent being inspired by our on-ice heroes. It can be as simple as wearing their jersey or playing as them in a street hockey game with your friends. The legends, or sometimes just great players, that capture our attention and our hearts, will always be a reason we love the game of hockey so much. So what is it about these special players that catches our attention? Let’s take a look at some of the things we do to learn and improve on from our favorite players both on and off the ice.
Watching Our Favorite Players On the Ice
Probably the simplest way we can appreciate our favorite players is to just watch them play. We all remember the feeling of tuning in to watch our favorite players or teams take the ice, and always looking for their numbers when their team has the puck. Heck, I bet you could spot your favorite players just by seeing them skate even if they did not have the puck on their stick.
Those who play hockey themselves will no doubt try to emulate their heroes and pay close attention to how they play the game. This is especially true for positions like goaltenders who are always interested in learning new styles and strategies they can use on the ice themselves. Students of the game will be able to focus on the nuances of hockey as well like how a particular player behaves when they do not have the puck, and how much effort they put into things like back-checking and battles along the boards.
Whether you enjoy the way a player skates, stick handles the puck, or throws a body check, simply watching our favorite players perform on the ice is a sure-fire way to develop our own hockey skills.
Emulating Our Favorite Players
Remember every kid pretending to be their favorite players in a street hockey game growing up? We do it too as adults, we are just more subtle about it. As children, we took pride in announcing our favorite players, wearing their jerseys, buying their equipment, or collecting their hockey cards. I am always reminded of the famous Canadian children’s book The Hockey Sweater, where a young Maurice Richard fan is mistakenly given a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey by accident. The ensuing chaos is comical but also illustrates just how important our heroes are to us at that impressionable age.
As adults we often lack the imagination of children who can freely pretend to be whoever player they wish to be. Some of us choose to take the number of our favorite player and wear it on our beer hockey teams, or we may buy and use their stick or other equipment when we play the game ourselves. Whatever we may choose to do, we know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and even if our imaginations are not quite as keen as they once were, deep down we all want to be our favorite NHL players when we have the puck on our stick.
Analyzing the Game
This sounds a lot like watching them on the ice but it goes a little bit more in depth and uses an analytical approach to our favorite players. What do they do when they do not have the puck? What is their reaction if they make a mistake? Do they play or act differently when they are winning or losing? Do they get frustrated with their teammates, refs, or even their own coaches? A large part of understanding a player’s game is to actually watch what they do aside from scoring flashy goals or making big hits. Coaches or scouts call these the fundamentals or intangibles, and it goes to show just how much is involved in being a well-rounded hockey player.
Following Them Off The Ice
Hey, it’s the twenty-first century and our access to our favorite players has never been easier. Before, we would have to read stories in the newspaper or collect their hockey cards to feel connected to them, but now all we have to do is login to any social media site to see what our favorite players are doing off the ice. Sure, some people may treat this as purely entertainment, but others can definitely learn about how their favorite players are away from the rink. For example, what does the player post about? Are they constantly posting things about working out and training or just generally thinking about hockey? Or are they putting up pictures of themselves at parties or night clubs after their game is over? Of course this is extreme, and not at all a black and white representation of a player’s behaviour, but at some level, it does provide us with insight into how much the player is working on their skills outside of scheduled games and practices.
Our favorite players will always have a special place in our minds and whether it is the way they play or who they play for, or even where they are from, we know that they will always have a significant impact on how we view the game. These days, it is easier than ever to have access to players through the internet and social media, and while we should always respect their privacy, seeing them off the ice gives them a distinct personality that we may never have known when just watching them play. So buy their jersey and cheer for them, and do not be ashamed to have a favorite player even if you are an adult because we all know, life was just easier when as kids, we would all call out which player we wanted to be when playing road hockey after school.
While in most sports the head coach gets all of the acclaim as well as all of the criticism if things are not going well, it is his or her coaching staff that provides the support for the day to day operations of the team. In football, a coach has offensive and defensive coordinators, a quarterbacks coach, an offensive line coach, basically a coach for each specific group of positions. In baseball, a manager has a first base and third base coach, as well as a hitting coach and a pitching coach, to help with each group of players. The same holds true in hockey: a head coach stands behind his players on the bench with two or three assistant coaches, one usually in charge of the forwards and one for the defenseman. But have you ever heard of an associate coach? Read on to learn the difference between an associate coach and an assistant coach, and what the hierarchy of a coaching staff is.
Assistant coaches
You might have thought that the assistant coaches were the second in command on a hockey team’s coaching staff, and while that isn’t wrong, it isn’t entirely accurate either. Assistant coaches help the head coach to run practices and are usually in charge of one group of players, either the forwards or the defenseman. Depending on which group they are in charge of usually dictates where on the bench they stand. Now assistant coaches are often in charge of drawing up plays during timeouts and making in-game tweaks with players if they can see something that is working or perhaps something that is not going the team’s way.
Assistant coaches help the head coach draw up strategies and gameplans and also provide status reports and scouting reports during coaching meetings. In terms of the hierarchy, assistant coaches operate much in the same way as offensive or defensive coordinators in football, in that they oversee a group of players one either side of the ball or puck. It is also common for both coordinators and assistant coaches to be hired as head coaches in the next logical step in their careers. Because of this, assistant coaches in the NHL often find themselves shuffling between different organizations every few seasons until they are able to secure a job as a head coach.
Associate coaches
It is a fine line that separates assistant and associate coaches in the NHL, and a little bit of semantics as well. All associate coaches are assistant coaches but not all assistant coaches are associate coaches, if that makes sense. The reason for the discrepancy is that not all NHL teams designate associate coaches, in fact, currently only six teams in the league (the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Winnipeg Jets) do so.
In terms of the coaching hierarchy, associate coaches are one step above a normal assistant coach and one step below a head coach. This gives them quite a bit of power and if the team designates an associate coach, it does make them the true second in command in the locker room. If a head coach is not around for any reason, the associate coach would step in and assume the role. If a head coach is fired mid-season and the organization is not interested in filling the vacancy with an outsider, the associate coach is generally the one that fills in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
So as you can see the main difference in the NHL between an assistant and associate coach is rank and most likely the respect and reliance of the head coach himself. The title of associate coach is an earned one for sure, given the fact that only six teams feel like they need to anoint one. Job description wise the two positions are similar and in fact they overlap quite a bit. In this way we can sort of think of the associate coach as a head or lead assistant coach, one that is understood to step in and lead the team at a moment’s notice if required to. Often associate coaches will have prior head coaching experience, which allows them to make a higher salary than a junior assistant coach that is still learning the ropes. At the end of the day is there a huge difference between the two? Definitely not. But now you know why some assistant coaches are just assistants and why some have the title of associate coach.
Depth charts are utilized in all major sports, and they are extremely useful tools for coaches and players alike. In hockey, they help to set the lines and keep the coach on top of who’s performing and who isn’t. It is important to have a depth chart at all levels of hockey, from pee-wee leagues to the NHL. The depth chart is one of the most basic parts of setting up a team and every coach should be aware of its uses.
What is a Depth Chart?
A depth chart in hockey is based around the line system. The most common set up is to have four lines of forwards (right wing, left wing, center) who play alongside three lines of defenseman, called partners. Most hockey teams follow a pretty simple plan for setting up their linemates.
The first line will consist of the team’s most skilled offensive players. They will get the most ice time and are usually responsible for the majority of any team’s scoring.
The second line is often comprised of slightly lower-level offensive players who may play a better two-way game, making it a line that can both score and prevent scores against at a high level. Sometimes a player who may be skilled enough to be a first liner will be put on the second line in order to open up more offensive opportunities, especially if there is another elite player on the team with whom he shares a position.
The third line is a defensive-based line, often with larger forwards who are more focused on checking and wearing down the opponent. This line often gets matched against another teams scoring lines in order to minimize their goals and tire them out, as big hits and gritty play can be exhausting. Although they don’t generally score as much as the first two lines, they still have players who can contribute to some big goals.
The fourth line is the most physical line and is often made up of less skilled but durable players who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. They play the fewest number of minutes but continue to beat up on their opponents and provide a short break for the first lines who can come out with more energy after this line does their job.
The power play line, or power play unit, is made up high-scoring lines who take the ice when the other team commits a penalty and thus ends up short-handed. Although a coach will want to take advantage of offensive firepower and scoring opportunities, this line should have strong two-way players so as not to give up a short-handed goal.
A penalty kill line is put on the ice when the team commits a penalty and most go up against the other team’s power play unit. This is a defensive-minded line and often a physical one as players may have to sacrafice their bodies in order to block shots and make big hits.
Why a Coach needs a Depth Chart
Without a depth chart, a coach would simply be throwing players out onto the ice with no strategy or cohesion. This would make for a haphazard approach and would likely render his team unprepared to go up against a more organized team with specific roles. This doesn’t mean, however, that a coach has to stick to his original depth chart if it isn’t working.
In general, the first line should consist of the team’s best offensive players, but the coach may make a decision to split up the offensive firepower between the first two lines, especially if going up against a team with weaker third and fourth lines. This can help maximize scoring opportunities and tire out the opponent.
Coaches may also change lines around if certain players aren’t performing on an individual basis or if it seems like the forwards or defenseman don’t have any chemistry together. Two superstars, for instance, may have a similar style of play, or be best at the same position, so they may be split up even if they are both performing at an elite level. For players who aren’t performing up to expectations, they may be dropped to a lower line in order to motivate them to play better or to benefit from a change of pace.
Line changes can happen on the depth chart before game time, or they can happen in the middle of the game. There is no limit to the number of substitutions you can make, so if one line is getting really beat up on by the other team, the coach may make a live change the next time they go out in order to try to get something else going. It isn’t extremely common, but it has helped to light a fire under a team on many occasions. Sometimes you find out that certain matchups aren’t working out, so you have to change your game plan if you want to give your team a chance to win.
Depth Charts in Youth Leagues
Although pee-wee and other level youth leagues aren’t quite as organized as the NHL, it’s still important to have depth charts before a game is played. However, there is more room to juggle lines around and let players try out different positions and linemates. Confidence can be a major problem for young players, so giving everyone time on the top lines can be a major boost in helping them feel like part of the team and even bolstering their performance.
Young players, especially the apparent stars, need more rest than professional players, so it’s not a bad idea to move even the best players off the first line sometimes so that they aren’t logging so many minutes that they experience burnout. While everyone wants to win their games, the bigger point of youth hockey is to develop players skills and help them to learn about the importance of teamwork and friendship.
A major barrier for many hockey players is access to a proper facility for training.
For some, especially those in warmer areas, synthetic ice has been a life saver. Synthetic ice can be used in regions with warm climates where maintaining a real ice rink would be very expensive and sometimes nearly impossible. Many places in North America however actually opt to use synthetic ice for training as an alternative option as well. It is generally made of high-density polyethylene, and it does a decent job of emulating the feel of real ice. If you’ve never tried it before, or are thinking about training on it one day, here are a few things you should know.
Resistance
There is a significantly larger amount of friction when skating on synthetic ice, meaning that even the strongest skaters will experience more resistance than they would on natural ice. This is largely due to the physical properties of the materials used but can also be attributed to the fact that synthetic ice does not melt with the skate blade like natural ice does. When the blade grazes real ice, it heats the top layer enough to produce a small amount of water. This makes for a more slippery surface and reduces resistance as a player skates around. There are liquids that can be used with synthetic ice, but they don’t reduce drag as much as this effect does on real ice.
This higher resistance on synthetic ice can actually be a positive thing for new skaters allowing them to get a better feel and can act as a stepping-stone to playing on real ice.
For more experienced skaters, it offers resistance training and the extra effort required to skate can build muscle and strength that should translate to higher speed and durability on real ice.
Shooting
Because of the higher resistance that comes with synthetic ice, shooting will also feel different. A slapshot with the same force will not travel as far or as fast on synthetic ice. Competitive players may see this as a negative quality of the artificial surface. But in a similar fashion to resistance training, it can help players to develop a stronger, more accurate shot as they go up against an obstacle that they don’t normally experience on real ice. And for those who don’t have easy access to an ice rink, shooting on synthetic ice is a good alternative option.
Feeling
Synthetic ice certainly provides a more realistic feel than, say, inline skates, but that doesn’t mean it does a perfect job of mimicking real ice. As we’ve touched on, the resistance alone is enough to let one know that he or she is not skating on a natural rink. Although a skater can build up speed and get a strong glide going, the response of the synthetic ice just isn’t quite the same as that of real ice, but when used for training, can be very useful & economical.
Effect on Skates
Although advances have been made with material technology, synthetic ice still wears down skate blades significantly faster than real ice. This, again, is due to the additional friction as well as the properties of the materials that are simply more abrasive to any type of skate. This means that you may need to get your skates sharpened and even replace the blades more often, if you are skating on synthetic ice regularly. Fortunately, newer materials continue to reduce the damage done to skate blades, and the hope is that in the future it will be almost as good as real ice when it comes to minimizing this damage. Self-lubricating materials are also becoming more widely available and this goes a long way in helping with this.
Conclusion
Hockey was clearly designed to be played on real ice, and it doesn’t seem that synthetic ice will be replacing natural ice at any point in the near future. It simply doesn’t provide the response, speed, or feeling that one can get from a real ice rink. However, for practice and training it has some positive advantages.
Novice players may benefit from the slower movement of synthetic ice as they become more familiar with their center of balance and shooting abilities, while experienced players can use the extra resistance to help build more muscle and speed.
Players in warm weather regions can use synthetic ice year-round without having to pay large amounts or travel long distances just to work on their hockey skills.
So, while real ice will always be king, when it comes to training, there is certainly a time and a place for a quality synthetic ice!
