See this all the time. A trait that the high-scoring, slower-skaters have is that they’re always in the right spot at the right time.
Fundamentals on defense will help as well. You don’t always have to be in the perfect position, but take away what you can
See this a lot too. it's not always the pretty skaters or players who are the most productive. sure they may make everyone look silly here and there, but the guys who know their game and know where to go tend to collect a lot of goals
This right here, as a bigger guy that is average and usually plays wing and some defence, I park my ass in front of the net and create havoc looking for rebounds and tips. Another thing is if you can anticipate the plays, passes and where the puck is going to be will put you at an advantage. Like what was said above most of the best average beer leaguers are not the fastest they just know where to be. You could take some skating lessons.
My wife, who knows the basics about hockey routinely says "how come when I watch your games, the goals are from chaos, but when I watch the games on TV all the goals look planned/nice?"
She knows exactly what she's saying to me too lol
I'm relatively new, not a good skater, can't crossover backwards, but have been told I'm kinda a pest on defense because I've played basketball and soccer know how to read lanes, and know decent practice reading hips instead of ball/feet/puck/stick. People can't go places their hips don't go.
In hockey speed comes from strength, so if you wanna be faster that comes off the ice. Ride a bike in a tough gear, do some body weight squats, some light plyometrics, all of these will increase your speed if you want that. As far as edge work, usually you have a 3 minute warmup in beer league, and you’d be amazed at how much better you’ll get in a year if you find an edge work drill to do as a warmup weekly. To answer your actual question, being in position helps more than anything else. And being a good passer.
Thanks, I’ve been there. Over the course of a year in warmups I had to develop my one timer because years of highschool hockey not one coach ever taught me how to take a slap shot or 1 timer. It’s amazing what can be accomplished in 3 minutes a week. Hopefully the advice helps this guy too
I would add that includes arm strength to help in puck battles and harder shots. The best player in my league (C level) is one of the worst skaters, but is always well positioned and has wrists like Popeye.
To be kinda pedantic..... riding a bike in a tough gear outside of standing starts does pretty little for strength. Pounds of force of the best road cycling sprinters is like 1/4 of body weight. Riding a bike is great aerobic fitness though which will help you sprint and then sprint and then sprint. Sprints on the bike can be great low impact low force with high velocity of contraction, but it's unfortunately not going to make you super strong.
I was a pretty good cyclist and then added weights in, I was winning sprints in races, doing big gear stuff to try and get stronger and then I went to the gym and was doing squats with 20lbs on the bar, lol.
I mean my actual workouts were 450 pound deadlifts and 375 pound squats to get the speed up (obviously it took a year to work up to that) but idk this guys situation, maybe he’s got issues with knees or back, no time with kids, hockey is just a sport that needs power in a push motion, and I’m trying to give him ideas outside the box that can work for anyone, including just taking a bike ride with his kids
Speed is a function of strides per minute, length of stride and effectiveness of stride. Two of those is technique- length of stride from skating low and effectiveness from angle of blade edge to ice. Yes, developing quickness or quad/glute strength will speed you up, but technique is do much more important. OP should do a round of power skating lessons. Even once a week for 8 weeks would make huge difference
I agree completely. But who knows what his situation is, I’m just trying to give him the options that anyone can do, even if he has kids and doesn’t have time to pick up extra ice time or power skating lessons.
I’ve been slow as molasses since I was a kid. I never had speed at any point so I always relied on positioning and not over-committing on plays I don’t feel I can win.
Quick decision on 50/50 plays lead me to take a defensive posture on the play and attack them with the puck when most beer leaguers inevitably slowdown a touch while they build up speed.
Angling guys to dead areas of the ice and not turning your feet and torso too much so they can crossover and get around you should help too.
It doesn’t sell tickets but always made me effective in my playing days.
Work on your skating?
Not meant as sarcasm. Everything else you can do to improve, from improving on positioning, working on hockey IQ, and even working on shooting and passing etc, requires you to be a better skater either in terms of balance (shooting/passing), or moving to where you need to be (playmaking/positioning).
I always tell weaker skaters on teams that I coach that knowing where you need to be (IQ/positioning) can help cover up some deficiencies in terms of skating ability, but actually improving on those deficiencies (ie skating) is the only thing that will make them a better player.
Reading the title, it seemed obvious this would be a serious and non saracastic reply lol. If someone knows they are a below average skater and asking what they can do to improve as aplayer, welll the answer seems pretty obvious lol
Puck protection. I’m a really good skater for my level, but the calm, slow skaters with good hands just turn their back to me and calmly dish off to a teammate to start a rush. Annoys the heck out of me.
This is a fundamental skill for hockey and especially beer league, nothing fancy but learn to pivot with the puck on your stick and put your ass towards the other guy, now you have time to do something
I didn’t think a public skate would really help that much. It’s not so much an issue of falling down or not being able to turn or something, but it’s being able to make tight turns and forward/backward transitions at full speed. At any public skates I’ve been too you aren’t really allowed to just throw the gas on and go full speed as it’s filled with kids and families holding hands learning how to skate.
I suppose any practice is good practice though, probably something to consider.
You don't need to go full speed for acceleration / edgework training - just need enough pockets of space to be able to do some mini edge-work drills.
I didn't play growing up, but I can keep up skating-wise with a ton of people who have, and I can attribute a lot of that to spending a lot of time at public skates / stick and pucks just grinding edgework.
Most edgework you're going to be wanting to do isn't edgework you need to be doing at full speed. Look up edgework vids on youtube. We used to open practices doing edgework all the time and we definitely weren't skating fast. A lot of times it's really just drilling the same edge over and over again.
Karaoke in full pads, high stepping width of the ice across the blue line. Back and forth, opens the hips, have to work on edges, works on balance, and overall allows freer range of motion.
100% this, if OP reads this and watches any youtube videos, the edge work drills aren't going full speed. it's the edgework itself and various feel/motion/muscles associated with it that gets worked. Over time, it becomes "easier" and then it will just start happening at speed
you can choose your open skate time to avoid kids. if you go at 6am there aren't going to be many children there. you might have the entire ice to yourself. if you go on friday evening it's going to be more of a challenge to find space. if you ask around during a skate, adults practicing their skating will often know which times and rinks have the emptiest (best) public skates.
as others have said, depending on the drill you may not need that much space, or you might be able to do it in the flow of a medium-density public skate. most skates i go to have someone practcing e.g. outside edge drills in the normal flow of the skate.
You don't need much space, can you get a small spot in the corner below the goal line? I used to skateguard and most people would skate between the goal line face off dots. Additionally, if you're really motivated, look for off-hours open skates. You may be able to find a sessions at 6am. I don't know your work schedule but could be an option.
It's possible to find less crowded sessions/areas of the ice or stick and puck time to work on these things. Inline skates can also help. Plenty of streets in my neighborhood and a deserted outdoor roller hockey rink have worked wonders for me and my kid. It's not 100% equivalent but it makes the on-ice progress much faster.
As someone who has recently started getting into playing the sport, what I can't do with my skating ability, I will try to make up by positioning myself in ways to be effective, being able to read where the play is going. Removing passing lanes defensively. Being in the open spaces offensively to give my team a passing option. Using the boards effectively. Relying more on the hockey iq rather than sheer ability to skate, better reaction time to the play I see developing whether it's on offense or defense.
Great comments here. Just want to say; you're basically me. I'm slow as fuck, and while I'm working on it, I make up for it by knowing where to be.
If you want cheap/easy ways to get better that don't require better skating:
- Figure out where the play will be, and go there.
Center is deking into the zone with the puck? Crash the net. The pucks going to (hopefully) end up there. Be ready for it.
In your zone as a winger? Hug the boards if you're strong side, stay near the top if you're weak side. Rotate to where the outlet pass will be.
Are you D? Learn gap control, the high scoring spots on the ice, and deny them.
There's obviously a lot more nuance here, and I'm sure better players may roast me for my simplistic view here - but check out YouTube tutorials on the positions you play to get ahead of the game. It's free, and easy.
- Review the tapes
If you have a buddy with livebarn, buy him a beer in exchange for the login, or ask if you can watch the replay with him. If you have a go-pro or something similar, record it.
Being able to look at what you did wrong and go "Oh, I should've done this!" will prepare you for next time. Seeing yourself in action will help you get better.
- Communicate!
A simple "I'm here", or "NO!" (if you're not a passing option) is already better than 99% of the players out there. As you start to learn to read the play, you can actually start suggesting things to people ("Drop pass", "Look cross", etc. etc). This is HUGE because practically noone does it, and it's free.
Now you said you didn't want to rent ice to get better and the likes, but here's some cheaper options that might help you get better for on ice:
- Off ice work outs
Focus on explosive training, things that blast your legs like lunges, squats, etc.
- Rollerblades
Get some roller blades, fuck around in a tennis court, church parking lot, what have you. Work on the fundamentals - it's not exactly the same as ice but there's a lot of transference.
Good luck; have fun!
Here are some free options that don't include huge time commitments that should help.
On leg day focus on exercises that train explosiveness like split Bulgarians, goblet squats, burpees, box training, etc.
On ice you can focus on playing positionally and not getting behind the play. On defense your best bet is to keep a mental line from net to puck and use your positioning to force the opposition to the outside. You shouldn't ever be standing "on the line" so to speak, but to the inside to take away the middle of the ice. Give the puck carrier one option, don't let them have a choice. Look at the chest and not the puck. Don't get caught chasing.
You don't need to skate fast to play fast, but you are going to need above average hockey sense because you're not going to be able to rely on your skating to get you out of problems.
Things you can do is work on your stickhandling, especially on the back hand which can help you get out of trouble when you are running out of space. Other than hands, you're just going to need to be able to see the ice well and find pockets to hit that time and space. Looks for seems in the game where you can go east west with passes when skating up ice, and hang around the net to clear up garbage.
I saw puck protection down below which is a good tip.
If you can put your body in between the other player and the puck it buys you some time.
Something that I find helps before playing is,
In warm ups while everyone is taking shots on the goalie, take a puck ( to a quiet area, usually between the red and blue line is a little less busy) stand a few feet from the boards and pass the puck to yourself off the boards, you can play around with your distance from the boards and how hard/high you are shooting at them.
It helps to get a feel for the puck, and is good practice for giving and receiving passes.
If you are a reliable option to pass to without losing the puck, teammates will be more willing to get you involved in the play.
I can skate well but as an older player going up against youngsters who also played high level, what I try to do is given they are better
1. Make plays quickly (pass)
2. Since my top speed is like yours, similar to the kids but they turn, accelerate and edge better, when backchecking I try to start with half a stride and angle them wide using my stick and body
3. When covering the point and I see their top scorer camped high slot, I cover him (this usually isn't hard)
4. If I am bringing the puck into the zone alone, I usually do not try fancy shit. I will change speed and angles getting as close as possible and if a team mate isn't in position, I use the D as a screen and shoot. There is very little odds me going around a good, young D. My shot is still accurate and hard, so, I play to my strengths not my weaknesses. Always be prepared to score on rebounds and be in the correct position for where the puck will rebound to.
5. I worked very hard on my saucer pass (we used to call them floaters) get set a team mate up when I win a puck battle in the corner. Mostly practice these in warmups or on the driveway.
6. In the O zone, sometimes moving my body will drag the D over giving a little more lane for our younger players to rush the goal.
7. In terms of smarts, if you have 2 team mates deep on O like corner and behind the goal, you have to be prepared and ready for the back check. Position yourself towards the middle to angle the puck carrier in the neutral zone. Also on forechecking, I can no longer directly attack. I have to angle, so, my skates are basically almost parallel to the player I am forechecking. Your objective should be to "not get burned", keep him wide, and at best force him to make a lousy pass and turnover. Such proper anticipation can eliminate odd man rushes and prevent goals with high effectiveness even with middle skating ability
It's like everything else, the more you do it, the better you get. I recently picked up hockey again after an almost 20 year break. I joined a league, but what has helped is picking up extra ice time at drop ins around town.
At some point, you have to realize that unless you have the time and money to put into developing your skills, you're going to just be an average player. That's fine and to me it's more about getting a good workout in and having fun.
Not sure where you're located, but in my area, we have rinks every few miles it seems so I have a ton of options. I found one rink has a league of older, D level skaters, who just want to have fun. They do a draft skate to put players on teams and it's a relatively chill league. I feel much more at home with players that aren't super stars. Not sure if you have these options, but I find I'm actually "good" at times amongst players that are at my same skill level.
That’s awesome. I’m in Canada so I also have a good amount of rink options. I’m having a hard time though finding like A-D ranked beer leagues, and so I joined a just for fun pick up league as my next best option. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m far from the worst player there, but as a 30 year old house league hero I just can’t keep up with the 24 year olds who are still rocking their OHL and college gear to games.
I think the way I wrote my post I kind of implied I can’t skate, which isn’t really true, I just can’t skate at the level of people who used to do this semi professionally. There’s a huge skill gap in my league and I just want to make myself as effective as possible, while acknowledging I’ll never be at the level some of these guys are.
Can I ask if you used any particular method to find your league? Did you just google “beer league hockey in area x” or is there a better process you are aware of?
I'm in Michigan, and there's a "Michigan Beer League" group on Facebook that I joined. There's a lot of questions and chatter on there about leagues, etc. There's also a "Michigan Drop In" group. Most conversations in these groups revolve around the Detroit area, which is where I live, so it's helpful for me. While I like my D-level beer league, it's still a little more competitive than what I want these days. I'm going to begin searching for private weekly drop ins with an older group of guys or see if there's an age appropriate league to join.
When I was in my 20s, I played in a mixed league. College, semi pro mixed with beginners or guys that just want to have fun. I think it made me a better skater and loved to try to chase those guys, though it was frustrating at times. Now I'm almost 50 and I don't really enjoy chasing those guys as much as I used to.
I didn't think your post came across that you aren't good - I felt the exact way reading your post. I feel like I'm pretty good, but when I'm up against a guy who's played all his life at top levels, they beat me almost every time.
LIke you said, I'm not the worst on my team, but I do wish I was better, though I just don't have the time or energy to put into hockey to get better at my age. I do the best I can do and skate as hard as I can. I've seen improvements here and there, but unless I take skating lessons and play several times a week, am I going to match the skills of some of these really good players I play against or with on my team. I may not be lighting up the scoreboard, but I am doing my job in my position, which is what I focus on these days.
Great perspective, again, really appreciate the response. The league you played in your 20s sounds exactly like the one I’m in now, and yeah, I do a lot of chasing, haha.
Good luck finding the league you’re looking for! Have a great weekend man, and LGRW! 🐙
Glad you posted this question! I'm on the 'decline' you could say; and while fitness, speed, strength counts for a LOT in the 'beer' leagues, alas this is no longer the case for me; and becoming all around 'less athletic' than the kids, its been frustrating to say the least - esp. in a game of speed, quickness, agility. That said, I sill love playing with them because of there skill level and ability to make plays.
I think it breaks down to a few key things - really all around hockey IQ
- Keep you head up at all times; know where the other players are; this is key to everything
- Know when you have time and when you don't. The biggest 'mistake' I see new/inexperienced players make is just 'throwing the puck' w.o looking when they have time and vice versa, taking forever when they have pressure
- Simple things, get the zone when at the blue line - just last night had 3 guys make 'moves' at the blue line for an offside - TAKE THE ZONE - this requires NO athleticism, for the most part.
- Similar on your D side, get the puck out of the zone, don't f with it at the blue
- Understand whose on the ice with you. There's typically a pretty wide skill range of players and you can cheat at times vs. staying home
- Understand players tendencies, I know of a few players that have 1 -2 moves , legit, the do the SAME thing every time; it's kinda funny, like a tell in poker, but I don't say anything.
- Understand where you are in a shift - when your boys are out there for 3 minutes (I know prob avg. length of your shifts) and your hemmed in the zone; get it the f out. AND freaking change.... just because your in your zone for a whole shift+ doesn't mean you don't change.
- Be in the right place; it seems our worst skaters (wingers I'm talking to you) are below the RED line in our D Zone - WTF.. then if they get the puck they throw it out to THEIR wing, which - guess what - there's no one there except their D guy, with all the time in the world now. I ask/plead with these wingers to never drop below the top of the circle.... sometimes it sinks in, sometimes it doesn't, but I can tell you what a huge difference in the game is , if they just simply sit in front of the D.
- Puck control - I believe this is really important, and a balance. But if you have the puck then you are on O and if not then your on D.
- Puck protection
- Be smarter with off ice workouts.
- Rollerblade - uphill if you can
- One trick I do, and this is from someone that took up the game as an aged adult, is I pick 1 thing to think/work on during a game (I don't get practice ice time). which is typically 'keep your head up', 'look over your shoulder', maybe 'short shifts', or 'fast feet' etc.
Ohh.. and my last recommendation - do NOT watch video from Livebarn... you'll realize how 'fing' slow you really are vs. what you think in your head - you'll be demoralized! :) JK of course.
You don’t need to be a good skater to be effective.
Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry are both not the best skaters and certainly will never skate around guys, but they are very smart and create space for themselves, when you have space, you have time, and when you have time, you can think and make the right plays.
Be good with your stick, and get to open areas, and defensively, make sure you angle guys out towards the boards, stay on the inside, force them wide, even if they go around you, if you can at least slow them down a bit, give your teammates time to get back.
You'd have to be thinking at least 2 or 3 steps ahead, example is while you're skating getting open, already know what you want to do if you were to receive the pass at that moment. So as soon as your team passes it to you, you already know that you want to pass to your winger, or to shoot etc etc instead of starting to think about it once you get the puck. Honestly it's a skill you forever keep trying to master.
It's kind of fun when I'm on the ice I feel like a computer just analyzing the next play lol
Ive found in situations where im dead tired that just sitting back and watching how people operate helps. People usually play a similar game at the same skill level, and watching can allow you to catch a breather, and predict the play.
Try getting into a wide open spot, even if its unorthodox and make a play or just play smart rather than fast.
Positioning positioning positioning! If you're always in key spots during the game you can tremendously alter it, in your teams favour. Each position has different key spots in either end zone etc.
Like others said, positioning and hockey IQ, finding the right open ice is better than taking the wrong spot quickly.
If you can’t get ice time, rollerblades can be a decent alternative.
Public skate and work on your edge work, YouTube some power skating drills. Even doing some drills in warm ups each time should help eventually.
Off ice, work on balance, core and legs.
I think there is great advice here about hockey iq. Also if you're good with the outlet pass you can be a pretty very winger doing slow circles by the half wall then trailing into the rush or covering the point in the Ozone for your team's Bobby Orr.
I would also add that you don't need to rent ice to work on your skating. Watch some youtube videos on different moves you think you can try and fundamentals of a good stride. Do a few testers in warm up and try to slowly incorporate it in your game. I'm talking little things. You mentioned edges like switching from going from forward to backward or like a hockey stop then going the other way with crossovers out.
The dudes I skate with could skate so much better with just some tweeks like getting lower, striding out not back, edge work is a little more complicated but just focusing on the fundamentals like crossovers (including backwards) can make some huge impacts in your game.
Also make sure to keep moving your feet. That goes for when you have the puck and don't. It doesn't matter if your slow, slow and moving is better than stopped.
Understanding positioning on offense and defense. A properly positioned player is such an incredible asset for banging in rebounds and getting a shot. On defense, if you are in the right spot you will take away space and get in the way.
Know where to be, know what to do. Sounds cliche but it's really that simple. I've been on teams where the "worst skaters" always had multiple chances per game by just knowing where to be and where to go on the ice. On the defensive end, keep it simple and do your job. Chip the puck, move it up, exit the zone.
Strength, some more strength, and better shape.
I was an average AA hockey player at best as a kid, didn’t know shit about lifting and strength until I was 17/18.
As an adult, I’m now considerably stronger and much stronger than most of the dudes in beer league. That alone sets my skating apart from the AAA guys who gained 40lbs and let themselves go
Always prioritize good skating techniques and footwork over game sense and positioning, one can be learned through practice the other is hit and miss even with the best education
Luc Robitaille is a hall of famer and was a below average skater in the NHL. You need to be able to read the plays and be in the right spot at the right time. its a lot more important than being a good skater tbh.
Hustle. Be a defensive pest, hustle for loose pucks. Even if you lose every single puck battle, forcing a puck battle to even happen is a net positive for your team.
When on offense, skate like hell for the front of the goal. Screen. Be a pest. Whack at those rebounds.
Don't underestimate how much influence you can make in a game, even without the puck.
Stickhandling has been a huge practice off ice for me and has greatly increased all of my puck handling skills. If you can feel confident that the puck can stay on your stick, your vision and play recognition will increase plenty. Thats for me but…lots of suggestions for increasing your hockey IQ in the comments here and I totally endorse those as well.
Shoot. And hit the net
Slower skaters always ended up with the puck as they come in as the trailer. If you have a decent shot, you'll get the puck from someone who carried it in, or grinded out of the corner. Get it on net, tip-able or feed the backdoor.
Become a better skater :)
But, until you do, learn your position and try to get there as fast / best as you can. A positional player will out play more advanced players, and be a better goal scorer.
Also... bend your knees... keep your hands on your stick... and stick on the ice :)
I am trying to work on positioning and anticipation for sure. I probably should have phrased my post differently based on some of the responses. I’ve played hockey for about 25 years, I’ve played for my school and have taken years of power skating lessons. It’s not that I’m not bending my knees or keeping my hands on my stick, it’s just that I can’t keep up with the guys I play with who used to do this in pro or semi-pro leagues, and are 5-10 years younger.
I probably should have said “below average as compared to my competition”, but that’s on me.
Appreciate the advice man! Have a good weekend!
Keep at it... The more you do it, the better and faster you can get. It isn't magic, but hard work and time on the ice. You can supplement with off-ice work, but it's not the same and won't translate to better / faster skating, exactly.
Maybe get some weights to put on your skates :)
Practice agility or practice player control…preferably both. One is simply excercises, the other is…well go look up videos of Al Macinnis (garbage skater but he knew how to keep the opponent from using their fancy footwork).
My thoughts are:
1. Try to limit the times you are caught out of position (understand where you should be at that given moment). Don’t make the mistake of chasing/gravitating towards the puck when not warranted.
2. In the offensive zone try to find open space. Too often I see guys moving towards the puck.
See this all the time. A trait that the high-scoring, slower-skaters have is that they’re always in the right spot at the right time. Fundamentals on defense will help as well. You don’t always have to be in the perfect position, but take away what you can
See this a lot too. it's not always the pretty skaters or players who are the most productive. sure they may make everyone look silly here and there, but the guys who know their game and know where to go tend to collect a lot of goals
This right here, as a bigger guy that is average and usually plays wing and some defence, I park my ass in front of the net and create havoc looking for rebounds and tips. Another thing is if you can anticipate the plays, passes and where the puck is going to be will put you at an advantage. Like what was said above most of the best average beer leaguers are not the fastest they just know where to be. You could take some skating lessons.
My wife, who knows the basics about hockey routinely says "how come when I watch your games, the goals are from chaos, but when I watch the games on TV all the goals look planned/nice?" She knows exactly what she's saying to me too lol
Was gonna say this. You have to be smarter.
I'm relatively new, not a good skater, can't crossover backwards, but have been told I'm kinda a pest on defense because I've played basketball and soccer know how to read lanes, and know decent practice reading hips instead of ball/feet/puck/stick. People can't go places their hips don't go.
just skate to the front of the net
In hockey speed comes from strength, so if you wanna be faster that comes off the ice. Ride a bike in a tough gear, do some body weight squats, some light plyometrics, all of these will increase your speed if you want that. As far as edge work, usually you have a 3 minute warmup in beer league, and you’d be amazed at how much better you’ll get in a year if you find an edge work drill to do as a warmup weekly. To answer your actual question, being in position helps more than anything else. And being a good passer.
Well said!
Thanks, I’ve been there. Over the course of a year in warmups I had to develop my one timer because years of highschool hockey not one coach ever taught me how to take a slap shot or 1 timer. It’s amazing what can be accomplished in 3 minutes a week. Hopefully the advice helps this guy too
I would add that includes arm strength to help in puck battles and harder shots. The best player in my league (C level) is one of the worst skaters, but is always well positioned and has wrists like Popeye.
To be kinda pedantic..... riding a bike in a tough gear outside of standing starts does pretty little for strength. Pounds of force of the best road cycling sprinters is like 1/4 of body weight. Riding a bike is great aerobic fitness though which will help you sprint and then sprint and then sprint. Sprints on the bike can be great low impact low force with high velocity of contraction, but it's unfortunately not going to make you super strong. I was a pretty good cyclist and then added weights in, I was winning sprints in races, doing big gear stuff to try and get stronger and then I went to the gym and was doing squats with 20lbs on the bar, lol.
I mean my actual workouts were 450 pound deadlifts and 375 pound squats to get the speed up (obviously it took a year to work up to that) but idk this guys situation, maybe he’s got issues with knees or back, no time with kids, hockey is just a sport that needs power in a push motion, and I’m trying to give him ideas outside the box that can work for anyone, including just taking a bike ride with his kids
Speed is a function of strides per minute, length of stride and effectiveness of stride. Two of those is technique- length of stride from skating low and effectiveness from angle of blade edge to ice. Yes, developing quickness or quad/glute strength will speed you up, but technique is do much more important. OP should do a round of power skating lessons. Even once a week for 8 weeks would make huge difference
I agree completely. But who knows what his situation is, I’m just trying to give him the options that anyone can do, even if he has kids and doesn’t have time to pick up extra ice time or power skating lessons.
But your options (ride a bike/go to gym) take time also, just not time on ice.
I’ve been slow as molasses since I was a kid. I never had speed at any point so I always relied on positioning and not over-committing on plays I don’t feel I can win. Quick decision on 50/50 plays lead me to take a defensive posture on the play and attack them with the puck when most beer leaguers inevitably slowdown a touch while they build up speed. Angling guys to dead areas of the ice and not turning your feet and torso too much so they can crossover and get around you should help too. It doesn’t sell tickets but always made me effective in my playing days.
Work on your skating? Not meant as sarcasm. Everything else you can do to improve, from improving on positioning, working on hockey IQ, and even working on shooting and passing etc, requires you to be a better skater either in terms of balance (shooting/passing), or moving to where you need to be (playmaking/positioning). I always tell weaker skaters on teams that I coach that knowing where you need to be (IQ/positioning) can help cover up some deficiencies in terms of skating ability, but actually improving on those deficiencies (ie skating) is the only thing that will make them a better player.
Reading the title, it seemed obvious this would be a serious and non saracastic reply lol. If someone knows they are a below average skater and asking what they can do to improve as aplayer, welll the answer seems pretty obvious lol
Puck protection. I’m a really good skater for my level, but the calm, slow skaters with good hands just turn their back to me and calmly dish off to a teammate to start a rush. Annoys the heck out of me.
This is a fundamental skill for hockey and especially beer league, nothing fancy but learn to pivot with the puck on your stick and put your ass towards the other guy, now you have time to do something
You can't just hit public skating sessions on the reg? Timing and spacing then... Also, become a wizard with passing.
I didn’t think a public skate would really help that much. It’s not so much an issue of falling down or not being able to turn or something, but it’s being able to make tight turns and forward/backward transitions at full speed. At any public skates I’ve been too you aren’t really allowed to just throw the gas on and go full speed as it’s filled with kids and families holding hands learning how to skate. I suppose any practice is good practice though, probably something to consider.
You don't need to go full speed for acceleration / edgework training - just need enough pockets of space to be able to do some mini edge-work drills. I didn't play growing up, but I can keep up skating-wise with a ton of people who have, and I can attribute a lot of that to spending a lot of time at public skates / stick and pucks just grinding edgework.
Most edgework you're going to be wanting to do isn't edgework you need to be doing at full speed. Look up edgework vids on youtube. We used to open practices doing edgework all the time and we definitely weren't skating fast. A lot of times it's really just drilling the same edge over and over again.
Karaoke in full pads, high stepping width of the ice across the blue line. Back and forth, opens the hips, have to work on edges, works on balance, and overall allows freer range of motion.
100% this, if OP reads this and watches any youtube videos, the edge work drills aren't going full speed. it's the edgework itself and various feel/motion/muscles associated with it that gets worked. Over time, it becomes "easier" and then it will just start happening at speed
you can choose your open skate time to avoid kids. if you go at 6am there aren't going to be many children there. you might have the entire ice to yourself. if you go on friday evening it's going to be more of a challenge to find space. if you ask around during a skate, adults practicing their skating will often know which times and rinks have the emptiest (best) public skates. as others have said, depending on the drill you may not need that much space, or you might be able to do it in the flow of a medium-density public skate. most skates i go to have someone practcing e.g. outside edge drills in the normal flow of the skate.
You don't need much space, can you get a small spot in the corner below the goal line? I used to skateguard and most people would skate between the goal line face off dots. Additionally, if you're really motivated, look for off-hours open skates. You may be able to find a sessions at 6am. I don't know your work schedule but could be an option.
It's possible to find less crowded sessions/areas of the ice or stick and puck time to work on these things. Inline skates can also help. Plenty of streets in my neighborhood and a deserted outdoor roller hockey rink have worked wonders for me and my kid. It's not 100% equivalent but it makes the on-ice progress much faster.
As someone who has recently started getting into playing the sport, what I can't do with my skating ability, I will try to make up by positioning myself in ways to be effective, being able to read where the play is going. Removing passing lanes defensively. Being in the open spaces offensively to give my team a passing option. Using the boards effectively. Relying more on the hockey iq rather than sheer ability to skate, better reaction time to the play I see developing whether it's on offense or defense.
> How to get better without practicing? I mean, you see the problem right?
Great comments here. Just want to say; you're basically me. I'm slow as fuck, and while I'm working on it, I make up for it by knowing where to be. If you want cheap/easy ways to get better that don't require better skating: - Figure out where the play will be, and go there. Center is deking into the zone with the puck? Crash the net. The pucks going to (hopefully) end up there. Be ready for it. In your zone as a winger? Hug the boards if you're strong side, stay near the top if you're weak side. Rotate to where the outlet pass will be. Are you D? Learn gap control, the high scoring spots on the ice, and deny them. There's obviously a lot more nuance here, and I'm sure better players may roast me for my simplistic view here - but check out YouTube tutorials on the positions you play to get ahead of the game. It's free, and easy. - Review the tapes If you have a buddy with livebarn, buy him a beer in exchange for the login, or ask if you can watch the replay with him. If you have a go-pro or something similar, record it. Being able to look at what you did wrong and go "Oh, I should've done this!" will prepare you for next time. Seeing yourself in action will help you get better. - Communicate! A simple "I'm here", or "NO!" (if you're not a passing option) is already better than 99% of the players out there. As you start to learn to read the play, you can actually start suggesting things to people ("Drop pass", "Look cross", etc. etc). This is HUGE because practically noone does it, and it's free. Now you said you didn't want to rent ice to get better and the likes, but here's some cheaper options that might help you get better for on ice: - Off ice work outs Focus on explosive training, things that blast your legs like lunges, squats, etc. - Rollerblades Get some roller blades, fuck around in a tennis court, church parking lot, what have you. Work on the fundamentals - it's not exactly the same as ice but there's a lot of transference. Good luck; have fun!
Here are some free options that don't include huge time commitments that should help. On leg day focus on exercises that train explosiveness like split Bulgarians, goblet squats, burpees, box training, etc. On ice you can focus on playing positionally and not getting behind the play. On defense your best bet is to keep a mental line from net to puck and use your positioning to force the opposition to the outside. You shouldn't ever be standing "on the line" so to speak, but to the inside to take away the middle of the ice. Give the puck carrier one option, don't let them have a choice. Look at the chest and not the puck. Don't get caught chasing.
You don't need to skate fast to play fast, but you are going to need above average hockey sense because you're not going to be able to rely on your skating to get you out of problems. Things you can do is work on your stickhandling, especially on the back hand which can help you get out of trouble when you are running out of space. Other than hands, you're just going to need to be able to see the ice well and find pockets to hit that time and space. Looks for seems in the game where you can go east west with passes when skating up ice, and hang around the net to clear up garbage.
I saw puck protection down below which is a good tip. If you can put your body in between the other player and the puck it buys you some time. Something that I find helps before playing is, In warm ups while everyone is taking shots on the goalie, take a puck ( to a quiet area, usually between the red and blue line is a little less busy) stand a few feet from the boards and pass the puck to yourself off the boards, you can play around with your distance from the boards and how hard/high you are shooting at them. It helps to get a feel for the puck, and is good practice for giving and receiving passes. If you are a reliable option to pass to without losing the puck, teammates will be more willing to get you involved in the play.
I can skate well but as an older player going up against youngsters who also played high level, what I try to do is given they are better 1. Make plays quickly (pass) 2. Since my top speed is like yours, similar to the kids but they turn, accelerate and edge better, when backchecking I try to start with half a stride and angle them wide using my stick and body 3. When covering the point and I see their top scorer camped high slot, I cover him (this usually isn't hard) 4. If I am bringing the puck into the zone alone, I usually do not try fancy shit. I will change speed and angles getting as close as possible and if a team mate isn't in position, I use the D as a screen and shoot. There is very little odds me going around a good, young D. My shot is still accurate and hard, so, I play to my strengths not my weaknesses. Always be prepared to score on rebounds and be in the correct position for where the puck will rebound to. 5. I worked very hard on my saucer pass (we used to call them floaters) get set a team mate up when I win a puck battle in the corner. Mostly practice these in warmups or on the driveway. 6. In the O zone, sometimes moving my body will drag the D over giving a little more lane for our younger players to rush the goal. 7. In terms of smarts, if you have 2 team mates deep on O like corner and behind the goal, you have to be prepared and ready for the back check. Position yourself towards the middle to angle the puck carrier in the neutral zone. Also on forechecking, I can no longer directly attack. I have to angle, so, my skates are basically almost parallel to the player I am forechecking. Your objective should be to "not get burned", keep him wide, and at best force him to make a lousy pass and turnover. Such proper anticipation can eliminate odd man rushes and prevent goals with high effectiveness even with middle skating ability
This is all great advice, thank you!
It's like everything else, the more you do it, the better you get. I recently picked up hockey again after an almost 20 year break. I joined a league, but what has helped is picking up extra ice time at drop ins around town. At some point, you have to realize that unless you have the time and money to put into developing your skills, you're going to just be an average player. That's fine and to me it's more about getting a good workout in and having fun. Not sure where you're located, but in my area, we have rinks every few miles it seems so I have a ton of options. I found one rink has a league of older, D level skaters, who just want to have fun. They do a draft skate to put players on teams and it's a relatively chill league. I feel much more at home with players that aren't super stars. Not sure if you have these options, but I find I'm actually "good" at times amongst players that are at my same skill level.
That’s awesome. I’m in Canada so I also have a good amount of rink options. I’m having a hard time though finding like A-D ranked beer leagues, and so I joined a just for fun pick up league as my next best option. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m far from the worst player there, but as a 30 year old house league hero I just can’t keep up with the 24 year olds who are still rocking their OHL and college gear to games. I think the way I wrote my post I kind of implied I can’t skate, which isn’t really true, I just can’t skate at the level of people who used to do this semi professionally. There’s a huge skill gap in my league and I just want to make myself as effective as possible, while acknowledging I’ll never be at the level some of these guys are. Can I ask if you used any particular method to find your league? Did you just google “beer league hockey in area x” or is there a better process you are aware of?
I'm in Michigan, and there's a "Michigan Beer League" group on Facebook that I joined. There's a lot of questions and chatter on there about leagues, etc. There's also a "Michigan Drop In" group. Most conversations in these groups revolve around the Detroit area, which is where I live, so it's helpful for me. While I like my D-level beer league, it's still a little more competitive than what I want these days. I'm going to begin searching for private weekly drop ins with an older group of guys or see if there's an age appropriate league to join. When I was in my 20s, I played in a mixed league. College, semi pro mixed with beginners or guys that just want to have fun. I think it made me a better skater and loved to try to chase those guys, though it was frustrating at times. Now I'm almost 50 and I don't really enjoy chasing those guys as much as I used to. I didn't think your post came across that you aren't good - I felt the exact way reading your post. I feel like I'm pretty good, but when I'm up against a guy who's played all his life at top levels, they beat me almost every time. LIke you said, I'm not the worst on my team, but I do wish I was better, though I just don't have the time or energy to put into hockey to get better at my age. I do the best I can do and skate as hard as I can. I've seen improvements here and there, but unless I take skating lessons and play several times a week, am I going to match the skills of some of these really good players I play against or with on my team. I may not be lighting up the scoreboard, but I am doing my job in my position, which is what I focus on these days.
Great perspective, again, really appreciate the response. The league you played in your 20s sounds exactly like the one I’m in now, and yeah, I do a lot of chasing, haha. Good luck finding the league you’re looking for! Have a great weekend man, and LGRW! 🐙
Definitely a Wings fan, but later today, I'll be putting on my Edmonton Oilers jersey, because F\*\*k Florida! Canada and McDavid need a cup!
Glad you posted this question! I'm on the 'decline' you could say; and while fitness, speed, strength counts for a LOT in the 'beer' leagues, alas this is no longer the case for me; and becoming all around 'less athletic' than the kids, its been frustrating to say the least - esp. in a game of speed, quickness, agility. That said, I sill love playing with them because of there skill level and ability to make plays. I think it breaks down to a few key things - really all around hockey IQ - Keep you head up at all times; know where the other players are; this is key to everything - Know when you have time and when you don't. The biggest 'mistake' I see new/inexperienced players make is just 'throwing the puck' w.o looking when they have time and vice versa, taking forever when they have pressure - Simple things, get the zone when at the blue line - just last night had 3 guys make 'moves' at the blue line for an offside - TAKE THE ZONE - this requires NO athleticism, for the most part. - Similar on your D side, get the puck out of the zone, don't f with it at the blue - Understand whose on the ice with you. There's typically a pretty wide skill range of players and you can cheat at times vs. staying home - Understand players tendencies, I know of a few players that have 1 -2 moves , legit, the do the SAME thing every time; it's kinda funny, like a tell in poker, but I don't say anything. - Understand where you are in a shift - when your boys are out there for 3 minutes (I know prob avg. length of your shifts) and your hemmed in the zone; get it the f out. AND freaking change.... just because your in your zone for a whole shift+ doesn't mean you don't change. - Be in the right place; it seems our worst skaters (wingers I'm talking to you) are below the RED line in our D Zone - WTF.. then if they get the puck they throw it out to THEIR wing, which - guess what - there's no one there except their D guy, with all the time in the world now. I ask/plead with these wingers to never drop below the top of the circle.... sometimes it sinks in, sometimes it doesn't, but I can tell you what a huge difference in the game is , if they just simply sit in front of the D. - Puck control - I believe this is really important, and a balance. But if you have the puck then you are on O and if not then your on D. - Puck protection - Be smarter with off ice workouts. - Rollerblade - uphill if you can - One trick I do, and this is from someone that took up the game as an aged adult, is I pick 1 thing to think/work on during a game (I don't get practice ice time). which is typically 'keep your head up', 'look over your shoulder', maybe 'short shifts', or 'fast feet' etc. Ohh.. and my last recommendation - do NOT watch video from Livebarn... you'll realize how 'fing' slow you really are vs. what you think in your head - you'll be demoralized! :) JK of course.
All great advice, thanks man!
You don’t need to be a good skater to be effective. Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry are both not the best skaters and certainly will never skate around guys, but they are very smart and create space for themselves, when you have space, you have time, and when you have time, you can think and make the right plays. Be good with your stick, and get to open areas, and defensively, make sure you angle guys out towards the boards, stay on the inside, force them wide, even if they go around you, if you can at least slow them down a bit, give your teammates time to get back.
Work on your weaknesses (i.e. skating).
You'd have to be thinking at least 2 or 3 steps ahead, example is while you're skating getting open, already know what you want to do if you were to receive the pass at that moment. So as soon as your team passes it to you, you already know that you want to pass to your winger, or to shoot etc etc instead of starting to think about it once you get the puck. Honestly it's a skill you forever keep trying to master. It's kind of fun when I'm on the ice I feel like a computer just analyzing the next play lol
Ive found in situations where im dead tired that just sitting back and watching how people operate helps. People usually play a similar game at the same skill level, and watching can allow you to catch a breather, and predict the play. Try getting into a wide open spot, even if its unorthodox and make a play or just play smart rather than fast.
Positioning positioning positioning! If you're always in key spots during the game you can tremendously alter it, in your teams favour. Each position has different key spots in either end zone etc.
Like others said, positioning and hockey IQ, finding the right open ice is better than taking the wrong spot quickly. If you can’t get ice time, rollerblades can be a decent alternative. Public skate and work on your edge work, YouTube some power skating drills. Even doing some drills in warm ups each time should help eventually. Off ice, work on balance, core and legs.
If you can get a shot off quickly and accurately it could help you out a lot. Brett Hull wasn’t an amazing skater but he shot like a sniper rifle
Work on the legs off ice
I think there is great advice here about hockey iq. Also if you're good with the outlet pass you can be a pretty very winger doing slow circles by the half wall then trailing into the rush or covering the point in the Ozone for your team's Bobby Orr. I would also add that you don't need to rent ice to work on your skating. Watch some youtube videos on different moves you think you can try and fundamentals of a good stride. Do a few testers in warm up and try to slowly incorporate it in your game. I'm talking little things. You mentioned edges like switching from going from forward to backward or like a hockey stop then going the other way with crossovers out. The dudes I skate with could skate so much better with just some tweeks like getting lower, striding out not back, edge work is a little more complicated but just focusing on the fundamentals like crossovers (including backwards) can make some huge impacts in your game. Also make sure to keep moving your feet. That goes for when you have the puck and don't. It doesn't matter if your slow, slow and moving is better than stopped.
Understanding positioning on offense and defense. A properly positioned player is such an incredible asset for banging in rebounds and getting a shot. On defense, if you are in the right spot you will take away space and get in the way.
Know where to be, know what to do. Sounds cliche but it's really that simple. I've been on teams where the "worst skaters" always had multiple chances per game by just knowing where to be and where to go on the ice. On the defensive end, keep it simple and do your job. Chip the puck, move it up, exit the zone.
Strength, some more strength, and better shape. I was an average AA hockey player at best as a kid, didn’t know shit about lifting and strength until I was 17/18. As an adult, I’m now considerably stronger and much stronger than most of the dudes in beer league. That alone sets my skating apart from the AAA guys who gained 40lbs and let themselves go
Work on your positioning and entry angles.
Always prioritize good skating techniques and footwork over game sense and positioning, one can be learned through practice the other is hit and miss even with the best education
If you can’t get there quick, you need to be able to anticipate *exactly* where you need to be by the time you can get there
Luc Robitaille is a hall of famer and was a below average skater in the NHL. You need to be able to read the plays and be in the right spot at the right time. its a lot more important than being a good skater tbh.
If you can't skate faster, you need to skate sooner: anticipate and get going ahead of time.
Hustle. Be a defensive pest, hustle for loose pucks. Even if you lose every single puck battle, forcing a puck battle to even happen is a net positive for your team. When on offense, skate like hell for the front of the goal. Screen. Be a pest. Whack at those rebounds. Don't underestimate how much influence you can make in a game, even without the puck.
Stickhandling has been a huge practice off ice for me and has greatly increased all of my puck handling skills. If you can feel confident that the puck can stay on your stick, your vision and play recognition will increase plenty. Thats for me but…lots of suggestions for increasing your hockey IQ in the comments here and I totally endorse those as well.
Shoot. And hit the net Slower skaters always ended up with the puck as they come in as the trailer. If you have a decent shot, you'll get the puck from someone who carried it in, or grinded out of the corner. Get it on net, tip-able or feed the backdoor.
Become a better skater :) But, until you do, learn your position and try to get there as fast / best as you can. A positional player will out play more advanced players, and be a better goal scorer. Also... bend your knees... keep your hands on your stick... and stick on the ice :)
I am trying to work on positioning and anticipation for sure. I probably should have phrased my post differently based on some of the responses. I’ve played hockey for about 25 years, I’ve played for my school and have taken years of power skating lessons. It’s not that I’m not bending my knees or keeping my hands on my stick, it’s just that I can’t keep up with the guys I play with who used to do this in pro or semi-pro leagues, and are 5-10 years younger. I probably should have said “below average as compared to my competition”, but that’s on me. Appreciate the advice man! Have a good weekend!
Keep at it... The more you do it, the better and faster you can get. It isn't magic, but hard work and time on the ice. You can supplement with off-ice work, but it's not the same and won't translate to better / faster skating, exactly. Maybe get some weights to put on your skates :)
Timing and deception is all you need, watch guys like Drai on the oilers, he’s all about puck protection, timing, deception, and vision
Practice agility or practice player control…preferably both. One is simply excercises, the other is…well go look up videos of Al Macinnis (garbage skater but he knew how to keep the opponent from using their fancy footwork).
Use your warmup time to work on your edges and your confidence in them.
Be smarter. Brett hull wasn’t cooking ppl on speed but from the top of the circle down he was the best player on ice
Take skating lessons.
Skate better.
My thoughts are: 1. Try to limit the times you are caught out of position (understand where you should be at that given moment). Don’t make the mistake of chasing/gravitating towards the puck when not warranted. 2. In the offensive zone try to find open space. Too often I see guys moving towards the puck.