After class, it started off as a great day today as I met up with an old hockey friend who now lives in Houston - haven't seen the Big Dog for about 10 years or so! We went down to watch the Flames and Coyotes skate, visit with one of the A/C's we know and then Tom found us conferring in the lower bowl with Rob (the A/C) while the Coyotes skated. Tom said he had help from the reality TV star "Mantracker" Terry Grant, who presumably was in Calgary to visit with Shane Doan of the Coyotes (Doan was in one of the shows this season - Terry Grant's last, due to a contract dispute.) Kind of neat to see "Mantracker" in person. Then I bumped into former Flame and Stanley Cup winner Joel Otto, who coached with me at U of C in the late 1990's. I run into Joel every once in a while. (I believe both Tom and Joel played at Bemidji State.) Now Joel is an A/C with the Hitmen. Dropped the Big Dog off so he could head out of town to visit his dad, and went for lunch / BEER with Tom... then as I got home, I hear on the radio that long-time Calgary Minor Hockey guru, Murray Copot (whose namesake rink I taught at this morning) had passed away. Murray was an unbelievable person and I will miss him. Godspeed Murray.
Calgary hockey pioneer Murray Copot mourned
By KATIE SCHNEIDER, CALGARY SUN
Last Updated: March 15, 2011
Calgary’s hockey community is mourning the loss of leader, mentor and friend Murray Copot who passed away Monday at age 87.
Starting out as a regular minor hockey dad and then director of Calgary’s Tiny Mites program, Copot later went on to serve as president of Calgary Minor Hockey and of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, now Hockey Alberta.
Current Hockey Calgary president Perry Cavanagh said he will miss Copot’s pep talks, noting they will stay with him in his heart.
“Murray was an absolute stellar leader of minor hockey and provincially with Hockey Alberta,” he said.
“For me, Murray was a confidant and mentor and I could always count on Murray.
“He would always have the right words to say.”
Copot is said to have become involved in Hockey Calgary after making a late night phone call to convince his alderman that the city should find staff to clear the ice during the second and third periods of minor games.
And through his involvement with the organization, Copot set the bar and laid the foundation for where it is today, Cavanagh said.
The former Thorncliffe (THORNHILL dummies - het your facts straight) Arena was renamed the Murray Copot Arena, which speaks volumes to the kind of leader he was in the hockey community, Cavanagh added.
Cavanagh said there are two people he would call “Mr. Hockey.”
“One is No. 9 (Gordie Howe) and the other was Murray Copot,” he said.
“Murray was always there supporting the kids, not only his own.
“What a man — Murray will be sorely missed.”
Copot is survived by his wife Mary, his children; Terry, Carol, Debbie, Ruth and Joanne, and several grandchildren.
Tom - you might find this article interesting. Pretty sure they wouldn't cut the men's team! Girls budget = $60k (+ coach I assume.) At U of C, it was $12k for team with $6-8k for all coaches = $20k / year. Up to us to fundraise the rest!
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Saint Mary’s axes women’s hockey team
DONNA SPENCER
The Canadian Press
Published Friday, Mar. 18, 2011
Women's hockey has fallen victim to a funding crunch at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.
Head coach Lisa Jordan, who founded and coached the team for 14 years, was shocked when she was informed Friday morning by athletic director Steve Sarty that the women's varsity program would be discontinued.
She was told when her contract expires March 31, it would not be renewed.
“It's very disappointing for women's sport in general to see a sport go by the wayside,” Jordan said. “As well as another professional coaching opportunity for a woman to be gone.
“This certainly chips away at the armour of our sport.”
The decision affects not only the 18 players eligible to return to the Huskies next season, but players Jordan has recruited. The players were informed of the decision in a meeting after Jordan met with Sarty.
“This morning I think our team was completely blindsided,” said third-year player Sarah Maynard of Cole Harbour, N.S. “Now I'm just a little angered by the whole situation.
“This is not a good day for women's hockey, taking one team out of the AUS conference. Now there's only going to be six teams and one less team for girls to try out for.”
The Huskies won the Atlantic Conference last year for the fourth time in their history. Saint Mary's lost in the bronze-medal game of the women's national championship. The fourth-place finish was the Huskies' best result in a Canadian Interuniversity Sport season.
The hockey team had the highest annual operational budget of all women's varsity teams at $60,000, and according to Sarty, brought in negligible revenue.
“The university came to us and said, ‘You need to cut five to 10 per cent of your operating budget,“’ Sarty said. “The reason for that was we've received four per cent less (provincial) funding to the university than in previous years.
“It's awful. It's terrible. It's not something we want to do. I hope people will understand it was a very difficult decision and it's not something that I hope to ever have to do again, nor did I want to do it this time, but it's a necessary decision.”
Sarty said athletics staff considered reducing the budgets of every sports team on campus. However, he says money is already tight and such a move would have put all teams at a competitive disadvantage.
“At this point, the finance department is satisfied with what we've brought to them as a solution to the current challenge,” Sarty said.
Sarty said athletics staff and student services at Saint Mary's will work with any players who want to transfer to another university.
“I've been asked a few times now, ‘What am I going to do now if this does stick and we do not have a program next year?“’ Maynard said. “But I can't even think about that right now. I don't think we'll go down without a fight. I don't know what we can do.”
Halifax city councillor Sue Uteck, the wife of the late Larry Uteck who was the football coach and athletic director at SMU for many years, was livid at the news the women's hockey team was falling under the axe.
“That women's hockey program was his pride and joy to get off the ground and put it to where it was today,” she said. “To me, this is a fundamentally wrong decision.”
Uteck said the decision had not yet been ratified by the university's board of governors and that she was going to exert pressure to get the program reinstated.
“My husband has a golf tournament in his honour, the Larry Uteck Golf Classic, and that raises money for student athletes as Saint Mary's,” she said. “I'm not just alumnus. I give a huge amount of time and dollars to Saint Mary's in the form of fundraising.
“I will be removing his name from that tournament. That hockey team was his pride and joy.”
Jordan will be an assistant coach of the Canadian women's hockey team at the world championship next month in Switzerland. Of the five full-time sports coaches at SMU, Jordan was the only female.
“It's a little bit frustrating,” Jordan said. “Now there are four positions and they're filled by males.”
The ratio of male athletes to female at SMU is now about 180 to 110, Sarty said. Basketball, volleyball, rugby, cross-country running and track and field remain as women's sports at SMU.
The end of March usually brings the end of the official hockey season. My women's team was finished two weeks ago. This morning I had my 12-14 year old skills class. It was the last one before spring break and only 10 skaters and both goalies were there. Most of the older players were missing because they have left with their families to warmer places for a week. I did some video with my iphone of a few games and the shootout.
Thinking back on the last 12 months it was pretty busy. I have about 60 ice times with this class from Sept. to mid June. The women's team had about 45 practices. I did two hockey schools in July and the odd practice with various teams. So about 120 on ice practices which is the least I have done in a long time.
I played 4 times a week during the day between Oct. and the end of March plus a little outdoor shinny. So that is about 100 times in the last 6 months. I have worked out with light weights or biked every non hockey day the last six months as well. From April to the end of Sept. I average playing about twice a week and doing 3 other work outs.
If we didn't have a few beer after every ice time I would be in remarkable condition.
I haven't heard from the Jihlava, Dukla Club in the Czech Republic if they have a sponsor to bring me to do a month long coaching seminar for their club coaches or if I am back for the hockey school. They were very happy about how things went last July. The pro team was just eliminated and I see on their website that they are having a big alumni game with the 91 team coming back. That was the last time they won the elite league title. I imagine they will take the ice out and think about spring and summer programs when that is over. (they are planning to build a new arena and if it got approved maybe the facilities will be closed for construction.
I was planning on going to the youth conference during the world championships in Slovakia but Juhani wants me to come to Finland so instead of going to Brataslava when I get to Vienna April 28 I will go to Turku, Finland that weekend. I will get back to Vienna May 2 and must decide what I am going to do for a few days. I fly home from Salzburg on May 5.
I am supposed to be helping with the Maximum Goal Scoring camp the next few months and will see how that goes.
I have the camp in Jasper that I do with Gaston starting July 18 and they are planning a female recruitment camp that they want me to run after. Not many details on that.
As far as next season goes I need to coach a team that wants to get better, has enough players. If it is the same as now then I have no interest in staying. It was like running the black aces practices for the players not dressing for games the last two seasons. I think I did a good job of running small group practices but how can you prepare for games when half the players are missing????
So there isn't much ahead that is for certain but I am sure that something will come up.
Tom,
I am on the ice 5-7 x's per week with my skill academies; plus running clinics for Hockey Alberta / Hockey Canada; private mentoring; private skill camps from kids to pro, conditioning camps, coach and player evaluations, etc... so no shortage of ice times for me! I estimate I am on the ice coaching (no time to play) more than 250 times per year. Funny but I only get my skates sharpened 2-3 x's per year. When I played, it was once a week to every 10 days. Maybe I am used to having dull skates now...?
I don't think I am going overseas to Slovakia or to Europe - the timing just doesn't work for me. We (my family) are going to continue our 'run' at Bloomsday in Spokane for May 1. This gives us time to visit family and friends there too. I will look into the Hockey Canada conference in Halifax, but it depends on my work commitments as I believe this might interfere with a Hockey Alberta camp. The neat part about Halifax is that I could visit a friend who is a prof at Acadia - he specializes in sport psych and motor learning with a background in hockey and teaching games for understanding... it might be a chance to spend a few days talking shop with him. (And he researchs BEER!!! Don't laugh; it is for real! He has published studies on the effects of beer...! I think I need to do some 'research' with him!)
Not sure what I will be doing next year - most likely continue on-ice with some of the skill academies (using the game to teach the game rather than boring drills - if a couple of the academies don't evolve, I don't think I will go back), but with all the government cutbacks to education, who knows... Ultimately, I am looking to engage more minor hockey associations and school boards with more training, teaching and mentoring options.
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Dean, since I wrote the post I was contacted by NSD and will do a couple of spring teams for them. I have also been contacted by a European club to be in charge of development for the club teams but I can't be away for a long time again so had to decline.
Canadian Tire donation saves women’s hockey at Saint Mary’s U
RACHEL BRADY
Globe and Mail Update
Published Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2011
Women’s hockey at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax was resuscitated on Wednesday with a corporate donation, leaving the question of whether corporate sponsorship is being allowed to determine the strength, weakness or ultimately the existence of sports programs in universities across the country.
Canadian Tire announced a $60,000 donation on Wednesday to salvage the program. It had been slated for elimination due to athletic department budget cuts.
“This is a good news story when we see a Canadian company with a real conscience stepping in to help - a company that knows how much women’s hockey means in this country,” said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of Canadian Interuniversity Sports. “It also signals that companies do feel that sponsoring sports does offer a good return on their investment.”
Funding cuts from the Nova Scotia government resulted in SMU needing to trim its athletics department budget, and cutting women’s hockey would have saved the school $120,000.
“We got e-mails from nine- and 10-year-old girls telling us they had a dream to play university hockey; we got e-mails from Hayley Wickenheiser and from Sidney Crosby,” said Steve Proctor, SMU’s communications director. “This was an individual story that grabbed people, including Canadian Tire. I’m not sure ADs will go running to corporations with their hand out after this.”
Canadian Tire says the donation to Saint Mary’s is for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second season.
“We were really inspired by reading news reports of these women losing their team, women who not only play for their university, but who are also active with coaching and working with kids in their community,” said Liz Hamilton, the company’s vice president of communications.
SMU’s coach of 14 years, Lisa Jordan, whose contract expires on Thursday, was in talks about an extension.
“Everyone is so happy that women’s hockey is back at the school,” said Jordan. “We do have some players who are disheartened that the school was so quick to try and cut us, some have resentment and may not stay, but overall, everyone is thrilled that the team is back and touched that a company of that magnitude would help us.”
I was just looking at a video of a game we played vs. Vienna. The players are U17 so they are all 15-16 year olds.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20081221091805941
My goal was to get them to move the puck better and to make easy plays. I am satisfied with the work ethic, the back pressure and both the offensive and defensive individual skills. A little less swooping and closer support were needed but we played well.
In Feb. we started scrimmaging with the rule that there must be at least one pass in each zone and it really improved our offensive team play. (more than anything else I have ever done - the effect was dramatic. We played an ex game vs a Canadian high school team who had 15-18 year olds playing and won 12-3)
I was brought in a month into the season and the team was in last place and in danger of being relegated to the lower division after Christmas. There was a lot of talent there so they shouldn't have been in that position. We ended up finishing second in the league and handed the eventual champs Klagenfurt their only two losses of the season winning 2 of 3 against them.
The team practiced 4 times a week as a team and T-Th morning they had a skills practice with the U20. All the coaches rotated at practice being assistants on the ice with the U17-U20-Div. 1 pro and Elite league pro. So I was head coach of this team and skills coach for the combined group and also rotated on the ice with the pro teams and was eye in the sky for the elite team during home games and reported to their coaches between periods.
The players averaged about 45 practices a month combining team practice, skills practice, off ice training and skate treadmill. A few of my players played games for the first league pro team and about half played U20 games as well.
It was a good hockey coaching experience in an incredibly beautiful place.
Today we had 13 skater and 2 goalies and the theme was puck handling and shooting to score.
10 min.
-they get ten minutes to skate around and work on whatever skills they want. At the start I encouraged them to work on shooting quickly while skating but keep the puck closer to their body. Most kid's reach way out to produce torque but this exposed the stick and puck to an easy poke check or stick lift.
-I brought them in for a minute and showed the idea "the puck has eyes" They got behind me to see what my eyes saw and then behind the puck at my side to see what it saw. The goaile stood lined as if stopping the puck. I did a few on the ice to the corners to demo. I had the goalie go into the butterfly and showed the players how the shooter tutor 5 holes no longer are where to shoot but now.
7 places to shoot and score
1-over each shoulder x 2
2-under the arms x 2
4-between the legs "five hole"
3-over the pad and under the blocker and glove x 2
I also gave them the mantra "shoot where the goalie is coming from and not where he is going."
-10 min. B6 high low shooting and I encourage various moves while they skated.
-Russian puck handling sequence and I added through the legs, head and shoulder fakes, pivots, and escape moves.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/filemgmt/index.php?id=6
-10 min. D4 game of 2 pass with the puck handling rule that "only 2 passes allowed and if you get the second pass you must try to score."
-10 min. D4 game - Rules a. all goals must originate from plays below the goal line. b. to go onto offense the puck has to go into the nzone and everyone must get onside.
-10 min. D100 - the teacher coach played to make 2 shifts for a 3-3 and 4-4 game. Rules one minute shift and pass back to the goalie on the whistle. There must be at least one pass in each zone.
-5 min. shootout - 2 shots with a lap skating backwards for every time you don't score, Those that don't score line up and must keep doing this until they score 2 goals.
-everyone pick up 3 pucks and put them in the puck bag (they use them, they put them away and it takes 30 seconds). I have players and not coaches move pucks when a drill is finished and put them where they are needed.
Asst. coaches need to hear the next activity so they can know what input is needed to stress the theme of the drill or game. They need to COACH on the ice and "NOT BE PUCK MOVERS."
The Salzburg Red Bulls are in the finals vs Klagenfurt in the Austrian league. Red Bulls just went up 2-1 in the series. There is a video player on the Austrian IHF site http://www.eishockey.at/ the Laola1 player. Also says Servus TV on it. Highlights of the games are shown. Thought coaches NA may be interested in seeing some European hockey.
Quote by: TomMToday we had 13 skater and 2 goalies and the theme was puck handling and shooting to score.
10 min.
-they get ten minutes to skate around and work on whatever skills they want. At the start I encouraged them to work on shooting quickly while skating but keep the puck closer to their body. Most kid's reach way out to produce torque but this exposed the stick and puck to an easy poke check or stick lift.
-I brought them in for a minute and showed the idea "the puck has eyes" They got behind me to see what my eyes saw and then behind the puck at my side to see what it saw. The goaile stood lined as if stopping the puck. I did a few on the ice to the corners to demo. I had the goalie go into the butterfly and showed the players how the shooter tutor 5 holes no longer are where to shoot but now.
7 places to shoot and score
1-over each shoulder x 2
2-under the arms x 2
4-between the legs "five hole"
3-over the pad and under the blocker and glove x 2
I also gave them the mantra "shoot where the goalie is coming from and not where he is going."
-10 min. B6 high low shooting and I encourage various moves while they skated.
-Russian puck handling sequence and I added through the legs, head and shoulder fakes, pivots, and escape moves.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/filemgmt/index.php?id=6
-10 min. D4 game of 2 pass with the puck handling rule that "only 2 passes allowed and if you get the second pass you must try to score."
-10 min. D4 game - Rules a. all goals must originate from plays below the goal line. b. to go onto offense the puck has to go into the nzone and everyone must get onside.
-10 min. D100 - the teacher coach played to make 2 shifts for a 3-3 and 4-4 game. Rules one minute shift and pass back to the goalie on the whistle. There must be at least one pass in each zone.
-5 min. shootout - 2 shots with a lap skating backwards for every time you don't score, Those that don't score line up and must keep doing this until they score 2 goals.
-everyone pick up 3 pucks and put them in the puck bag (they use them, they put them away and it takes 30 seconds). I have players and not coaches move pucks when a drill is finished and put them where they are needed.
Asst. coaches need to hear the next activity so they can know what input is needed to stress the theme of the drill or game. They need to COACH on the ice and "NOT BE PUCK MOVERS."
Tom, I really liked the highlighted areas above. I plan on using some of these things myself - or refining some of these things I am already doing. Thank you for sharing. I think most coaches can improve their teaching skills and efficiencies. I plan on watching the Red Bull link you provided too... let me know when your oldtimers are done and then we will see about having you out as a guest instructor to my high school group - we are done on the ice in about two weeks...
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Dean my morning Sunday, Monday, Wednesday hockey ended when March ended; so my days are open. I now play Tues evening and Friday noon. I am doing a little sub teaching and still have my T-Th skills sessions. Doing two spring teams, a 00 and a 02 group in the evenings and on the weekends as well as helping the maximum scoring group a little.
I would really like to come and work with your group.
These are 8 ABC practices that I have done with my school skills group. We don't play games but move through hockey skills using drills and games.
The idea is to teach both good technique and how to "Play the Game."
Whoops, I just got an email to keep this on the qt until it is announced. I will post it later.
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Now I can post it.
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http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/75137/la_id/1/season_id/146715/profile_id/146868/team_id/81679/ss_id/75000/
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Just got this text 2 minutes ago from Bobbi-Jo Slusar, one of my defense.
Hi Tom - Bobbi-Jo here. I just wanted to let you know that I made the team. Thanks for everything!
I replied:
That is great news Bobbi-Jo. Congratulations!!!
Bobbi-Jo
Thank you.
This is great for Bobbi-Jo. She was an All American in the NCAA and made Canada's National Womens Team but had two shoulder operations last year and couldn't play in the 2010 Olympics. She injured her kneelast November in the 4 Nations Cup vs Finland so she spent most of the season in rehab. So it has been a frustrating couple of seasons for her.
She was a pleasure to coach.
She will be playing in the upcoming World Championships.
HMMMMM????? Do tell...
- 10 min. individual practice. Some where stickhandling with pucks lined up, some playing keepaway and most working on their
shot.
- 5 min. Game of 2 pass in the zone at each end.
- 15 min. We worked on D to D hinge options with half the kid's at each end while the goalie coach worked with the 2 tenders.
http://hockeycoach.com/group/hockeydrills/forum/topics/t-b6-d-to-d-hinge-and-switch I posted it in the drills section today.
-10 min. Did a Regroup - Hinge-Pass and Shoot full ice drill.
-15 min. Played a full ice game of 4-4 (there were 12 skaters but a coach played with each group of 3 and made it 4-4) Played 60" and pass back to the goalie on the whistle.
Rule: at least one pass in each zone and before entering the offensive zone they had to regroup with the D who had to do one of the hinging or switching options. This put the lesson on D to D into a game context.
-5 min. Same game but everyone played with the same rules.
-15 min. Rebound (VP was on the ice and let the kid's stay longer)
It looked like the players were starting to catch on to supporting each other when they are back. Everyone plays both F and D in these sessions.
I showed them on the board how the higher levels now fill the third lane with one F and one F stretches to the far Blue and one supports from the nzone. Tony pointed out how Detroit has the late player follow then passes back to trap the defenders standing up at the blue line.
Examples from NHL practices:
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=1236&topic=1236#1236
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=1232&topic=1232#1232
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=1214&topic=1214#1214
I was just sent this notice on the two women's leagues in North America merging and having one team in Western Canada that will be based in Calgary. I am sure they will be using the new Winsport arenas that have just been completed at Canada Olympic Park.
This looks like a much better concept and I think it could work.
Leafs to study, promote women's hockey
April 25, 2011 THE CANADIAN PRESS
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke says the club is committed to promoting women's hockey and has struck a task force to study it.
Burke was in Zurich on Monday for the gold-medal game of the women's world hockey championship.
"There's no sport on the planet that has improved as much as women's hockey," Burke said. "To use an analogy, if track and field improved at the same rate, Usain Bolt would run a seven-second 100 metres.
"They really have done a remarkable job. We've got to get more people watching. They're playing to empty buildings. They can thank the crowd by name a lot of nights and we've got to change that."
The Leafs' task force is headed by Dave Poulin, vice-president of hockey operations.
The NHL hired former WNBA executive Val Ackerman as a consultant to come up with ideas on how it can help women's hockey. Ackerman was the first president of the 12-team women's pro basketball league in its formative years. She also attended the world championship in Switzerland.
"She brings a lot of energy and experience," Burke said. "I've done a couple of seminars with her and she's very bright."
But Burke threw cold water on the idea that the NHL might operate a women's pro league like the NBA-WNBA relationship.
"I think the WNBA has been an unqualified disaster financially," he said. "I don't think anyone at our level has any appetite for that."
"If we're going to lose that kind of money, I'm going to raise my hand and say, 'Let's put it into development and rather than supporting 80 or 100 pro players, let's develop 1,000."'
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment doesn't see money to be made in the women's game, said Burke, but they have a compelling reason to take an interest.
"Half our fanbase is female," the Leafs GM said. "We owe them that. I don't see any financial payoff in it for us, but it doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do."
Just got back from my skills class. Got a nice email from one of the players who came here from Toronto for the season.
Hey Coach,
How is everything? How is your wife doing, I hope and wish her the best. I am sorry you missed our last game, wasnt the same without you. However, I am going back home april 1, so if I see you or not, I just want to say thank you for everything. I wish you the best. If you have any feedback for me as a player I would love to hear it. Once again thanks.
I replied with a few thoughts on her game.
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Someone was posting ads for women's wear last night and I overwrote them. If it continues then only those who have registered will be able to post.
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Practice today.
Theme of practice. Puck Handling and winning offensive 1 on 1's.
-10 min. individual shooting. I gathered them together and encouraged them to shoot quickly and practice with a partner to receive a pass, quick fake and quick release.
-8 min.-goalie and coach at one end. I reviewed 5 moves and then had them skate around for ten min. making the moves at the dots. One time around for each move and repeat the other direction. Lots of time with the puck on the stick.
-5 minutes partner work across ice. attacker pass to defender who passes back whlle passively defending the various moves we worked on.
7 min.-B6 Rapid one touch and shoot. One group shot on the empty net.
-10 min.-we had 13 skaters and one goalie. so a 3 on 3 game of quick transition. Waiting players wait outside of the blue line. One team has 4 players (extra was a weaker player)
-10 min. - we moved behind the red line and did the Perry Pearn rotation which added breakouts and onsides to the game.
-10 min. - played a 7 vs 6 half ice game both shooting on one net. Everyone had to get onside when they clear the puck and the puck carrier had to take it over the red line before turning back. Rule was "after you score everyone else on the team must score before you can score again.
They handled the puck a lot, got lots of shots and passes and had to perform the skills under the pressure of a game situation.
'Enjoy the Game'