Role Player

Role Player

Everyone plays a different character in hockey. The whole team can’t be the 50–goal scorer. You need muckers and grinders, bangers and passers. Everyone has a role. I have identified six archetypal players in hockey. Six roles which, as a player, you will be cast in, whether you like it or not. Of course, each player should possess the characteristics of each archetype, but it’s important for you to understand your role with the team and the role needed by your teammates. If you have one or two quality types of each on your squad, you will all be sipping from that silver chalice at the end of the season.

Stay–at–Home Defenseman

ýveryone loves you, especially your goalie. Being a stayÐat–home defenseman doesn’t mean that you just linger around center ice while your team is in the offensive zone, it just means you think defense first. You don’t have to be a great player to be a stay–at–homer, you just have to use your brain and be in the right position at all the right times. Covering the man in front, battling for the puck in the corner and getting it out of your zone as quick as possible are your three main tasks. Your job is also to frustrate, so work on annoying the opposition. As a stay–at–homer, you will garner the affection of the whole team. You will get no glory, but you will get respect.

Players to watch: Craig Ludwig, Dallas Stars. Watch the efficiency of his shot blocking. Rather than dropping to the ice and compromising his position, Ludwig stands tall and takes the pucks off the shins. Ulf Samuelsson, New York Rangers. Watch his work in front. His tenacity and “never say die attitude” keeps the slot clear while drawing power plays in the process.

Skill: Tying up the man in front. When you have one of those tough power forwards in front of your goalie, try putting your stick between his legs and wheel him out of the slot. Always stay between the player and your goalie. If you lose sight of the puck, tie–up your man. Remember: The goalie’s job is grabbing the puck, your job is covering the man.

Set yourself apart: Get a good slapshot. Work on perfecting a hard, low shot from the point. You don’t necessarily need to score, you just need to get the puck on the net for deflections, screens and rebounds. A hard, accurate point shot may give you some power play time.

Puck–Rushing Defenseman

Everyone might hate you, especially your goalie, if you take too many chances. But in ’90s hockey, defensemen are counted on more and more to be part of the offense. All of your fundamental skills must be sound. You will be bringing the puck out of the zone and either dishing it off to a forward or outmaneuvering forecheckers. You have to be aware of the entire ice surface and all the players around you, being able to make quick decisions and not hesitate. You will also be the quarterback on the power play.

Pros to watch: Brian Leetch, New York Rangers. Watch how he enters the offensive zone with the puck; his head is always on a swivel and the defense doesn’t quite know what he’s going to do. Larry Murphy, Detroit Red Wings. Watch how tough it is to clear the puck past Murphy when he is manning the point.

Skill: Keeping the puck in the zone. When the penalty killers try to clear the zone, it’s your job to keep the puck in and keep the offensive pressure cooking. When the puck is coming up the boards, hug the boards close with your body and pivot your skate perpendicular with the kick plate. Or you could drop to one knee and use your gloves to catch the puck like a shortstop. If it’s being cleared on the floor through center ice, lay the shaft of the stick on the ice parallel with the blueline. Always be wary of onrushing forwards: When you are on your knees, you are prone to giving up breakaways.

Set yourself apart: Take care of your zone. If you just think offense, your nothing more than a glorified forward. When former #1 draft pick Bryan Berard came to the Islanders, coach Mike Milbury made a deal with him: If you take care of your own zone, you can start joining the offensive rush. Berard took care and won himself the Calder.

Play–making Center

As a playmaker, you should be the most fundamentally sound player on the ice. You need to be a great skater and passer. But the biggest part of your game should be your hockey instinct. All great centers have a 6th sense, which detects scoring opportunities. They can sniff out defensive breakdowns and the eye in the back of their helmets can spot open teammates. The puck should be like a magnet on your stick and your head should always be on a swivel.

Pros to watch: Gretzky. Watch how he never goes where the puck is, he always goes where he thinks the puck will be next. Next time you’re watching him, try to predict where he is going to skate in the offensive zone. This will give you a better idea of places to go when you’re on the ice.

Set yourself apart: Throw your body around. Watch Peter Forsberg, he’s the future of the play-making center. He is not afraid of running into the corners and banging and never shies away from taking a shot.

Checking Forward

Tenacity is your middle name, “white on rice” your motto. As a checking forward, you will often be called upon to neutralize the opposing team’s best players. A high–intensity forecheck will go a long way. Go after the puck like Grant Fuhr in a donut shop. Bang the defensemen in the corners to tire them out for your scorers to beat a few shifts later.

If they somehow get the puck into the neutral zone, find a man and stick to him. If they enter your defensive zone, the assignments have to be handed out. The center will be the swing man in the defensive zone, reading the other team’s defenseman while guarding the high slot. The wingers will cover the points. Always keep your stick on the ice to block passes and shots. The only place your stick should be if it isn’t on the ice is around an opposing player’s waist. Face–offs will also be important skill to master.

Pros to watch: Mike Peca, Buffalo Sabres. Watch his relentless pursuit on the forecheck. Although his hunger for the puck is insatiable, he never overreacts to put himself out of position, and his balance remains solid throughout. Esa Tikkanen, New York Rangers. Watch how as he neutralizes the opposition creating offense.

Skill to practice: When you’re playing a team with a ringer who is scoring all their goals, ask your captain or coach if you can shadow him. It might screw up the lines, but if you can keep up, you will contain him. Remember, white on rice.

Set yourself apart: Think a little offense. If you are neutralizing players that are used to scoring at will, they will get frustrated and stop playing a two way game. Their let downs will give you opportunities to strike.

Power Forward

You want to hit and you want to score. As a power forward, you want to be a presence: planting yourself in front of the net, screening the goalie, deflecting point shots, corner work, garbage detail. Power forwards are the most popular with the fans, because they don’t disappoint. The playmaker or the sniper become invisible when they go into the slumps. But when the power forward isn’t scoring, he’s banging.

Work on deflections. Keep the stick on the ice all the time and keep your eyes wide open. Skate into the corner when the puck comes to your side of the ice, then either whip it behind the net or dish it to the point man.

Your job is to agitate, and your office is the slot. In the slot, you will get lumber in your back... don’t retaliate. You will get leather in your face... don’t retaliate. Just be like Fonzi — keep it cool, draw some penalties, tick off the goalie. The stay at home defenseman is trained to protect his goalie at the slightest infraction. Give the netminder a love tap when he’s grabbing the puck and brace yourself for a hit. You have a 50/50 chance of getting a power play.

Pros to watch: Dino Ciccarelli, Tampa Bay Lightning. Watch the ultimate garbage man’s patience around the net. He doesn’t go nuts with his stick hacking at the loose puck, he waits for it to come to him. Just make sure your stick is free and ready to put the puck in.

Skill to practice: The Deflect and Turn. Stand with your back to the goalie in the slot, facing the point man. With your stick on the ice, try to deflect his shot between your legs and onto the goalie. Keep your eyes on the puck! Don’t look to see where it goes until you are sure it’s behind you. If you miss the deflection, don’t worry, you have still set up an effective screen. Turn and face the goalie to find the rebound.

Set yourself apart: Work on your skating. Power forwards are getting to be much better skaters these days. To add a little flare to your rough and tumble repertoire, practice some moves to the net. But always remember, your paycheck is signed in the slot.

The Sniper

You either got it or you don’t, right? Well, maybe. There are pure goal scorers, but practice will help you. Practice shooting (always with a real puck) in the backyard on a piece of plywood or Formica. Take at least 200 shots a day from various angles. Stand on a block of wood or put on inline skates to simulate the height of your ice skates.

Accuracy and a quick release are more important than power for the sniper. Mike Bossy, one of the greatest snipers of all time, had an incredibly quick release. His secret? When he got the puck, he never looked up at the net, he just shot it. He knew exactly where he was in relation to the net at all times. This comes from a lot of time on the ice.

Pros to watch: Rick Tocchet, Washington Capitals. Tocchet is a sniper even though he is as tough as nails. He scores a lot of his goals 15 feet from the net with well placed shots. Jari Kurri, The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Watch how gets himself open in traffic, keeping his stick free and his eyes on the puck.

Skill to practice: Shooting in stride. Don’t slow down to take your shot. Get the puck, skate hard and rifle a snap–shot at the goalie. Surprise is the sniper’s biggest weapon. The goalie doesn’t know if you’re going to skate, pass, or shoot, so don’t tip him off until the puck is in the back of the net.

Set yourself apart: Get your nose dirty. Don’t skate on the perimeter taking weak–angled shots. You have to get into traffic and move between the face–off dots in the offensive zone to be a big game sniper. Your angle is much better in this position, but you will have less time to get off the shot, so work on getting the puck to the net quickly.

Ultimately, its up to you as to which role you will play on the ice. Coaches may say you’re a stay at home defenseman, but if you improve your skating and stickhandling, you could be rushing up the puck after a while. For most players, it takes a lot of time and practice to jump from one role to another. But the more you play, the more roles you will learn. You could play on Broadway as a sniper, be on the touring company as a playmaker, and play Sheboygan as a rushing defenseman. Just remember, when the game is on the line, stay in your character and don’t step on your teammates toes.