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Ice Hockey
CCM vs. Bauer Youth Skates: Which Brand Is Better?
All ice hockey players know that when it comes to buying skates, the most challenging decision is between two of the most popular brands in the field - CCM and Bauer. Although both these brands have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s essential to know which one of them will suit you best in the rink.
Between CCM and Bauer youth skates, CCM offers a 360° fit, increased acceleration, and also has three types of sizing. Bauer skates are made to be ultra-lightweight and contain titanium, which improves energy transfer. They are also designed to fit different body types while being extremely durable.
How To Develop The Ideal Youth Hockey Coaching Philosophy
Developing a youth hockey coaching philosophy can be overwhelming. As a coach, you are a mentor, a motivator, and an authoritative figure. Creating the ideal youth hockey coaching philosophy plays a significant part in how successful you are in those roles.
Coaching comes from a place in your gut. Intuition and experience play a vital role in developing your coaching philosophy. Throughout history, there have been philosophies that have consistently worked in hockey. We have put those core philosophies into a list for you.
How Should Ice Hockey Shoulder Pads Fit? This Is How!
Ice Hockey has a well-earned reputation for being incredibly physical. When you get out on the ice, you need to know your pads will protect you—if your shoulder pads don’t fit right, it could spell serious trouble. How should ice hockey shoulder pads fit, though?
Ice hockey shoulder pads fit well if the shoulder caps sit flat and don’t slide off easily, there is little to no gap between the bicep pads and elbow pads, and the bottom of the torso pad covers the ribcage, but doesn’t overlap excessively.
Is USPHL Pay to Play? Here’s the Truth
Are you looking to advance to being a professional hockey player? You’ve probably heard of The United States Premier Hockey League, with the Premier Division being the top tier of the USPHL League structure. If you’re hoping to join the USPHL, you may be wondering how much it costs to join or if it’s a free-to-play league.
The USPHL Premier and all Tier 3 junior leagues are pay to play with the tuition fee ranging from $7,000 to over $11,000 a year. With the USPHL Premier being one of the top Tier 3 leagues in the country, the fee includes some meals, all travel, team gear, and equipment.
Best Junior Hockey Stick for Defensemen: The Best of the Best
Finding the perfect hockey stick for your defensemen will set him up for success. If players have a good hockey stick while they are young, it will allow them to have better form and control so that they can advance their skills into the future.
The best junior hockey sticks for defensemen are the Warrior Alpha DX Grip, Warrior Covert QRE4, Bauer Nexus 2N Pro Griptac, CCM Jetspeed Composite 40, and the CCM RibCor Trigger 4 Pro Grip.
Do Junior Hockey Players Get Paid? The Truth Revealed
How much do clubs pay junior hockey players? Is the pay uniform across the team, or is it varied based on the player’s performance? You’re probably curious about this given that the clubs they play for earn huge revenues from corporate sponsorships, the sale of tickets, and merchandise.
Junior hockey players don’t get paid a salary. They’re given a weekly stipend that ranges from $50 to $100. They benefit from scholarships, playing equipment, and exposure to talent scouts for opportunities to join professional leagues. Some believe the law should be amended to pay them salaries.
Youth Hockey Strength and Conditioning Programs to Follow!
Hockey is an excellent game that allows players to play on ice while balancing on sharp blades, and it can unite people from different cultures. But you may be wondering which strength and conditioning programs help make a pro hockey player.
To develop an effective strength and conditioning program, you should include warm-ups, stretches, plyometrics, balance and coordination, core conditioning, agility and quickness, off-ice stickhandling, and cool-downs. These programs play a huge role in the performance of any hockey player.
Do Ice Skates Come Sharpened?
Ice hockey is a great past time you can play all year round. You just need some good friends, an ice rink, hockey sticks, and a nice pair of sharp ice skates. Adequately sharpened ice skates are mandatory equipment when playing on any ice surface.
Unfortunately, only some new ice skates come sharpened from the factory. Most skates arrive dull and require sharpening before you try them. Even if you do buy them already sharpened, you still want to re-sharpen them as shipping can ding the blades.
How to Introduce Body Checking to Youth Hockey Players?
Hockey is a physical sport, and sooner than later, young players need to be introduced to the more physically demanding aspects of the game. Body checking is one of these aspects. Considered to be the fourth line of defence in hockey, most parents and coaches worry a lot about how to introduce body checking to young players properly.
Before body checking can be introduced, players must be well trained in the game’s fundamental aspects like skating, game awareness, and body positioning. After teaching the first three lines of defence (angling, stick checks, and body blocks), coaches can start drilling the players on body checking.
WSHL vs. NAHL: Which League Is Better?
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) are the two most popular Tier II Junior hockey leagues in the US. The NAHL is older and more prominent than the WSHL but is it really the better Junior Hockey league between the two?
NAHL is by far the larger (with 26 teams competing, compared to the WSHL’s nine teams) and the more experienced Junior hockey league. But WSHL has made some impressive advances in recent years, bringing it on par with the NAHL. Given that, both the NAHL and the WSHL have their own strong points.