On the evening of June 5, our 8 coaching staff gathered for an outstanding evening of hockey conversation. NCP Director of Player and Coach Development Rick Schaly organized the evening with the goal of having our head coaches, along with their assistants, come together to discuss player development and to foster a culture of sharing best practices within our NCP organization.
Headlining the evening was a presentation by Paul Matheson, Professional Skating Development Coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Paul's presentation focussed on skating development for AAA minor hockey players. His message was clear - skating instruction should be a priority in each team practice over a long period of time (years). Important techniques associated with changing speed and spiking acceleration were emphasized. Paul stayed for the entire evening and offered his thoughts on the many topics our head coaches presented. It was professional dialogue with one of Canada's elite skating development minds.
Our head coaches presented on a wide range of topics to the group:
Jeff Hopkins - "Small Area Games"
Daryl Bat - "Offensive Concepts"
Sean Ostrom - "Incorporating Goalies in Practice"
Dan Schaly - "Neutral Zone Concepts"
Mark McGrath - "Tech Use - Hudl Overview"
Stan Kondrotas - "Team Success Philosophies"
Tobias Whelan - "Final Thoughts"
The evening was rich in conversation and many ideas were shared. At the conclusion of the evening, Schaly commented, "we have a hungry and motivated group of coaches....a great group of people wanting to learn. We will continue this conversation throughout the off season and into the fall. We are super excited to get the season started!"