Behind The Bench

Behind the Bench is devoted to furthering the skills of coaching and playing the game of hockey. The Chargers are an Elite level hockey team coached by a skilled staff with many years of experience at all levels of hockey. Their knowledge and experience is invaluable to the local minor hockey scene.

The coaches and players are willing to make themselves available to attend practises and give talks on coaching and playing the game when time permits.

Each month we will spotlight a particular coaching or playing tip for the benefit of our local fans, volunteer coaches and players in the area.

Is your Stick Right For You?

Your stick is your only connection to the puck. Therefore your stick should be just right for you.

The hockey stick industry switched over to composite materials several years ago which made the wood stick obsolete. The new composite sticks have a lot more action in them but they are much more expensive then their old wooden cousins.

There are few tips to keep in mind for your stick in order to get the most fun out of it.

• The overall length is important. While standing in bare feet and your with the stick standing up straight it should not go past your mouth. This will produce the right length while you are stickhanding and shooting. Some pro players like Phil Kessel of the Leafs keep their stick even shorter. It is personal preference but as beginner a long stick will hinder your development.
• The Flex of the stick is also important. Composite sticks are now flex rated from about 40 to 120+. The lower the number the softer the flex. The right flex is determined by weight, height, strength and skill level. A beginner player weighing under 100 lbs and standing under 5 feet tall should have a soft  flex for maximum control and shooting speed. Also don't buy a longer stick and cut it down. This will increase the flex and make it more difficult to shoot.
• Shaft and Blade Size. Beginners should buy a junior shaft and blade size. This is smaller then the adult size and will help the smaller player handle the puck better.
• Taping the stick. The top of the stick should be taped for improvement of grip but should be relevant to the size of the players hand. Start with with a small amount of tape and slowly add more until it feels comfortable with your gloves on. The blade should be taped tip to toe. This adds protection to the blade and a little softer feel to the puck. Stick Wax is also a good investment. It can improve your stick handling.

Now that you have got yourself the right stick and prepared it to your liking make sure you practise alot to perfect your skills.

Remember, the best players are ussually the ones that work the hardest.

Have fun and enjoy the game.

Playing safe is important at all ages but particular important to beginners who are just starting to play the game.

When you are first starting the game your skills, strength and understanding of the game are at low level and just beginning to develop. This is vulnerable time when injury can occur. Typically an injury to a beginner comes as a complete surprise. 

We encourage players and their parents to become students of the game. Learn all there is to know about the game. This will result in a faster pace of progression and will help reduce injuries. An excellent source of education for players of all levels is the Hockey Canada web site. This a terrific resource for everyone connected to the game and is there for your convenience. Click on www.hockeycanada.ca for lots of great safety tips.