As the Sport Hits a Reset, Comes a Defining Moment for True Player Development

”It Takes a Village to Create an Elite Level Player”

 

We have possibly seen the lowest point that our sport has encountered with the Hockey Canada scandals and the loss of public trust throughout the game of hockey. Major sponsorships have been lost and player enrollment is down significantly this year. It has been a blemish on the sport of hockey and an erosion of trust that will be hard to regain. We are at a crucial crossroads for the game of hockey and its respective governing bodies to do much better. There is a unique opportunity that will hopefully rise above the current turmoil, and this is a defining time to reset and rebuild our approach to the athletes, families, and the governing bodies and associations in order to provide trust and the proper culture and values for the sport to thrive. The window is small to get the game back on track or countries that used to follow us in development and performance will soon be surpassing our players in the game of hockey. I would like to outline my rationale for this statement and have tried to capture the key salient points below.

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Team Coaching Staff and Development Coaching Staff and Their Respective Roles:

 

It has been through my experience and involvement in the game of hockey and working with many top end amateur level prospects and elite level professional players that I have seen the current practices in player development falling short of the mark for what the player needs. Organizations are missing out on opportunities to truly maximize their players’ development and potential. Working with NHL players and how they approach the skills development part of the game, you will notice that to perform at elite levels there is a clear distinction between the Coaching staff of the team and the individuals’ players development and skills coaching. TP 1 is re-defining this concept at the amateur, collegiate, Junior, and professional levels of the game. Total Player 1 focuses on highly specialized player development and mentoring so that when the individual player is back playing with their team they are returning as a valuable, highly skilled, high hockey IQ, trusted, and contributing player to their team. The NHL model illustrates that even at the highest level of the game, player development happens at the individual level and that the focus of an NHL coaching staff is to provide the direction, team systems, and game planning to be incorporated in their practices and games. At the highest level of the game, each elite player has his own skills development professionals to further and maintain the performance of their game, particularly in the off-season.

 

The TP 1 program that I have created follows this very detailed approach to maximize the individual’s hockey IQ as well as recognition of the “game within the game”. We have concentrated many of the details that do not exist in team level practices. Focus on player body mechanics, dynamic skating methods with and away from the puck and learning to shoot and pass from adjusting to new and unorthodox body positions will help to enable player success at their team and club level. High volume individual puck touches and repetition to make these skills more natural are key factors to the development process. TP 1 focuses on extremely high level hockey IQ and elements such as recognizing in-game scenarios with critical urgency and instinctively assessing multiple tactical scenarios and options for the various zones and the compartmentalization required to play the game at the highest levels of the sport. To achieve “on ice” and continued “in-game” results, we will use the development training to push players outside of their comfort zone to create the poise and intelligence required for today’s fast paced tight space game at which it is played  This model encourages players to individually enhance their on-ice performance as well as their physical, nutritional, and mental preparation with highly qualified development programs such as TP 1. We have best in class practices and specialists to deliver elite level player development from the grass roots level all the way up to NHL professional level player development.

 

Current Contradictions and Flaws in Achieving Elite Player Development:​

 

The fundamental flaw with many associations and programs is based on two conflicting issues that hamper the individual player’s development and ongoing success. The first issue I refer to as “double dipping” and creates an ethical coaching issue that is becoming more prevalent. More organizations are allowing their “in-season” paid coaches to run their own development programs outside of the regular practices and games and “off-season” training as well. It is marketed as not mandatory but is “encouraged” for players wishing to return or to make a spot on the team. The hopes are that with Spring tryouts returning, this practice of “double dipping” may not be as prevalent but only time will tell. It creates an uncomfortable scenario for the player and the parents as it is often presented as being in the team’s best interest and thus this supplemental development becomes almost mandatory given the team coach is now running a parallel development program. This cost is in addition to team fees and league fees and many coaches use this to supplement their team organizations coaching fees. Time and time again, I have heard this issue from many of my clients that have come over from these quasi-team development programs. I do want to emphasize that there are many great “Bench Coaches” that are very successful in guiding team performance but these individuals may not have the credentials or experience in elite level player development that TP 1 provides. This is perhaps the most important distinction that players and their families need to understand and why at the professional level and the elite level that this distinction is clearly made and recognized. The TP 1 program provides specialized development professionals for all the key facets of the game. Our focus in dealing with best in class professionals is to offer true elite level player development. It is the primary reason why I no longer coach teams but have solely focused my expertise to individual development training. Many of these coaches have not developed elite level and professional players and given these added training costs, are you really getting the top-level development expertise and value for your money. TP 1 offers specialized coaches with elite level experience and qualifications in all key facets of the game such as “on ice” development, strength training and conditioning, nutrition and sports psychology just to name a few.

 

The second issue that I have received a great deal of feedback on is when a team or organization has at its younger levels a culture based solely on “winning” as the only objective. These younger levels are the key years for player development that will only enhance and extend a player’s success in the game. Teams with this sole focus will not have the patience or foresight to truly develop players to reach their maximum potential. In the current scenario, players are only assessed on their current skills and often get pigeonholed too early in their careers without properly recognizing their development potential. The narrow focus of the old adage “you’re only as good as your last shift” doesn’t account for the view of a player’s performance over the season and in the playoffs but rather a short-sighted “shift by shift” or “period by period” focus. Other top hockey nations progressing in elite level development such as Sweden to use as an example, do not even focus on games at the younger ages but rather strictly on player development. I have heard the argument that uses our performance at the World Junior Championships, as the measurement as to where the state of our game is currently at. This can be a misleading standard to use. On average, as a nation, we send older players than any of the other top emerging countries such as Sweden, Finland, and even the USA. They are constantly bringing in younger players on average to give them multiple years of learning and development at this international showcase. We tend to send a predominance of older players that are already drafted and about to “age out” and an deep emphasis on winning is the sole and only focus.

 

These two conflicting approaches will not optimize the individual player’s development and therefore their effectiveness as a productive and skilled teammate will not be maximized. These are the key flaws that exist in our current hockey culture but are ones in which TP 1 can provide solutions for elite level performance to maximize your playing potential and hockey IQ  to produce top results  at the highest competitive levels. It is because of the results that I have been able to achieve through my program, that I have been sought after to provide services to top NHL clubs and management as well as the sports top player Agencies. I also provide ongoing player development and evaluation services to NCAA, AHL, USHL, NAHL, OHL and Junior hockey organizations and world class schools on an ongoing basis. Through these relationships, TP 1 provides a very unique network of trusted player opportunities to help meet their own individual goals and objectives within this dynamic sport. There are many pathways to success in this game, but it is essential to have a trusted and knowledgeable pipeline and understanding of the system and players options to succeed. TP 1 is best in class in this vision and area of understanding and providing our vast network to match player goals and success.  

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TP 1 Vision for Performance:

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The pauses in play due to Covid 19 over the last two seasons and our current un-interrupted 2022 -2023 season has given me the time to reflect and really re-define what I think are the most unique and effective approaches to the player development process. It is the culmination of my years of specialized development training and experience in working with elite level athletes that can bring the TP 1 program to all competitive levels of the game. The result is a detailed approach which I call Total Player 1 (or TP 1) hockey development. My experience and on-going development has shown the evolving speed at which the game is being played and that the expectations on the knowledge and fine details of the game are even greater on the player than ever before. Our professional clientele are constantly working in skills development and knowledge of the details of the game to enhance their individual and team success as well and maximizing their effective career longevity. We are successfully able to bring this focus to nearly all levels of the game from younger players to elite prospects and professional athletes. TP1 will help the player accelerate their maximum skills quickly and effectively after this long break from the game. TP 1 can maximize on-ice training and can also include individualized nutritional guidance, strength training, and sports psychology development as well. Knowing that each player develops with different strengths and skillsets, each player may need all or just a few of the development training specialists that TP 1 provides. This equates to a highly tailored development plan that will help each athlete perform to their maximum potential. That is why at the games highest level, my NHL clientele seek these specialized services that are not provided at the club level. These players also seek out development that is not a “one size fits all” approach but are rather seeking out highly individualized skills and development training so that they can perform at their peak levels when they are playing on their NHL clubs. This is a clear distinction and separation of coaching provided at the team level and the highly specialized and detailed aspects that are only achieved though true development skills coaching and mentoring. These are the services sought out by my NHL clients to perform at top levels and to continue to fine tune their skills to further contribute and execute at this elite level.

 

At all levels of the sport, I try to have players return to their teams as highly skilled intelligent players that can be trusted to execute in each aspect and area of the game. We train our players to be situationally aware in all three zones of play and able to create and react to multiple options presented in their training. Responsibility and respect are values we instill for both on-ice and off -ice development. Our players at the higher levels will be well prepared and groomed for Junior, Collegiate or professional careers and will endeavour to be role models within their larger communities. This is why TP 1 is trusted by NHL teams and player agencies for our detailed and specialized player development. The game is ever evolving and we are being entrusted to stay ahead of the curve with new and innovative training techniques and development practices. I want to thank you for entrusting me with your development needs and I look forward to seeing the ongoing development, growth, potential, and success within your playing career.