Hey Coach Kerry.........

Nothing serious about this blog this week.
This week I thought I would share some pretty funny lines from my mite team. We had a rough start to our year and lost more than our share of games but it turned out to be a great time and as the year went on I kept a log and saved the best 20 things I heard them say throughout the season.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

20. “Coach Kerry, why does Coach John’s breath smell funny???”

19. “I better get playing better or my mom is going to kill me……”

18. “If they score another goal, that will be two touchdowns…….”

17. “Dad, how did the guy who built the first clock know what time it was???”

16. “Coach Kerry, instead of practicing more why don’t we tell the other teams to stop practicing?”

15. “Coach Kerry, have you seen my jock?” ??????

14. “There is no way I was offside, I didn’t have the puck……”

13. “It is so cold I saw a Penguin walking out of the rink…….”

12. “Coach Kerry, if I score a goal will you take me to McDonalds?”

11. “Coach Kerry, did you have grey hair when you played for the Flyers???”

10. “My line-mates suck…….” (that one got addressed….:) )

9. “ Are we the home team or the road team??”

8. “this Helmut is ruining my hair.” (that’s right we had a little girl on the team…..)

7. “Liam is getting killed out there……” (Liam is our goalie….)

6. “Dad, I don’t get it…we play pretty good in practice…..”

5.  “Coach Kerry, we googled you last night……”

4. “if you get a penalty, that just means you are trying hard right???”

3. “we’re pretty good but these guys are really good!!!!!”

2. “next year when I am older I am going to stomp those guys…….”

1. “Coach Kerry, I think I pulled my Hand String………”

You gotta love hockey!!!!!

He is MY First Rounder

“I had a friend who was a big baseball player, back in high school……He could throw that speed ball by you, make you look like a fool……”Glory Days
Bruce Springsteen

The other day I was sitting in my office looking at a picture of myself on NHL Draft day a very  long time ago….(1986). I was a First Round Pick in the NHL. It is true that all ex-professional players every once in a while get caught up dreaming of days gone past. On this particular day though, that wasn’t the case. I was looking at the picture and shocked at how much my 18 year old son now looks like me in that picture…and how fast the time has passed. A lot of you know that the majority of the blog this season has related to my seven year old son and our escapades with the Mite team he has been a part of.  As I think about my two sons this blog is not really so different.   Things are all tied together.

Recently my 18 year son was accepted to the University of South Florida in Tampa for the fall term.   It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that he was the same size as my current little mite player. I am every bit as proud of him as I am sure my parents were of me when I got drafted. I am very lucky that the company I created has the pleasure of working with families and players to facilitate their journey to getting into a great college.   I find it very rewarding when all their hard work pays off and a player gets into the school they want partially because of what they have accomplished in hockey. My older son didn’t play hockey and really isn’t that interested in it. After seeing him accomplish his goal of getting accepted to a good school there wasn’t a thing he could have achieved in hockey that would have made me any more proud of him than I am right now. When it comes to kids getting a great education in this world today I believe it outweighs any accomplishment they could achieve in hockey.  It has to. I played with a lot of great guys that came from college and over the years I have become very envious of them. In fact I am very envious of my 18 year old and what he has accomplished. Something I never did. The game of hockey ends for everyone at some point. A quality education lasts a lifetime. (Much like golf!)

I guess I am thinking about all these things because of the time of the year it is in the hockey season.   Right now there are a lot of parents of young players caught up in Playdowns or Play-offs or whatever you call them. Soon the same parents will be caught up in Try-Outs (I mean Evaluations……whatever….).  Just a reminder, it is fine to emphasize being competitive and making a team, but let’s push the kids to understand what is really important long term.

That and remember to enjoy it……..it goes by very, very fast. 

“I hope when I get older I don’t sit around thinkin about it……..but I probably will…….” J
Glory Days
Bruce Springsteen

Have a great week everyone!!!!

What will my child learn from Hockey?

So many times I am asked that question. It seems like parents are consumed with trying to help their children get to the highest levels of hockey and they sometimes forget what is really being learned that is important.
The brutal reality is that so very few ever to play professionally at any level. If you want to see some sobering statistics visit NHL Alumni Member Phil Myre's recent blog. It is excellent.
www.philmyretalkshockey.com .
 Here is one paragraph that kind of hits you between the eyes.
"The “bench mark” to be considered a legitimate NHL player is 250 games, or about 3 seasons. In the ten years going from the 1998 draft to the 2007 draft, 2640 players were selected by NHL teams. From that total, only 256 players played 250 games in the NHL or 9.7%. If we round up, 10% of the best prospects in the world become NHL players."
Kind of scary for some parents when they really break down the numbers.
But here is what can't be lost. Besides playing at the absolute highest levels, what does hockey teach people that lasts them their entire lives?
I decided to ask some good friends from the world of Hockey their opinions on this topic. I asked eight former players to tell me in just a few sentences what did they learn from the game and what is lasting with them today. Some of these players played a lot in the NHL, some won Stanley Cups, some played just a while and others never played in the NHL but did play hockey for a lot of years. All of them are pretty successful business people post hockey playing days. Their answers are very interesting and should be noted by all hockey parents.

Player 1

"During a hockey season you have up and downs but I’ve learned if you keep an even head about yourself you won't  get too high or too low.  This brings me to my next point…..Hard work and dedication. It’s tougher than people think to play an 80 game season with the travel, ups and downs and taking your body through hell each night and waking up the next day and doing it again. With over 1200 games I only missed 1 due to sickness and a handful to injury.

How to be a team player……hockey players have the ability to think team first (unless your in a contract year..just kidding)  with Europeans, Canadians and Americans all thrown in together to make up a team you realize that you better get along and care for one another or it will be an early summer.  This concept I have kept with me after hockey and it’s helped my ability in business."

Player 2

"I have learned a lot from my hockey experience that has helped me in life after hockey. I have learned that practice, routine, dedication, team-play, drive, believe in yourself and mental preparation are all things you need to have to become a successful business executive. I have also used my communication, constant follow up and extensive alumni friends to open doors in different markets. I’m thankful for my hockey training to prepare me for success in anything that I set my mind to."

Player 3
"If there is one thing I use today in business that I have learned from professional sports...it is TEAMWORK...without it, you don't stand a chance
In hockey each member of the team thinks differently and performs differently. One must understand the individuality of players, and the dynamic of the groups interaction, to asses their strengths and weaknesses and use them to their fullest potential within the context of the team or in business. It will encompasses confidence,assertiveness, and mutual respect."

Player 4

"The main thing I continue to be reminded of is that for fans of the sport of hockey, memories of individual achievements on the ice are seldom as vivid and long-lasting as those created by group accomplishments. My best years statistically (by a mile) were accomplished after I left the Flyers. I was only 24 when traded away and had my prime years still ahead of me so it stood to reason that good things lay ahead. I also became a bigger fish in a smaller pond, once no longer surrounded by championship depth. But regardless of all things individual, I am still most remembered for being a member of 2 Stanley Cup winning teams in Philadelphia.

I imagine the lesson is this - legacies are deeper and last longer if we are willing to sacrifice our individual agendas for the success of the group."

Player 5

"First get an education, I mean a real education....I mean reading, writing, math, and answer to deadlines. You don't have to go to school to get educated. READ BOOKS!
Get realistic,  the hockey world covers up a lot, I mean a lot if you're a good player!
Respect money....and don't be in a rush to act like you know it all...Cherish being a member of a team and a good team person. That is the most important thing I learned from the game that is so valuable in the real world.
Hockey is a great stepping stone for a lot of different things but that is all it is. There is so much more to life than just the game."

Player 6

"Playing pro hockey taught me how to deal with adversity in my life. There are many ups and downs in a professional season and things don’t always go as planned so you need to learn to forget your mistakes and move on. You can't dwell on the past.  Very much similar to life outside of hockey.  Hockey teaches you how to be a team player no matter what level you play until. Always remember that."

Player 7"Hockey taught me mental toughness. It is a game that at a lot of times never goes the way you expect it to. So does life. It taught me to deal with things, remain positive and get ready for the next game. (challenge)
It taught me to interact with and work with teammates whether they were your friends or not. Learn to get the job done. That is what life and business demand. Thanks Mom and Dad for signing me up when you did!!!!"

Player 8

“After graduating from a major Division I college I had the fortune of playing 5 years of professional hockey. As most of my friends went on to start traditional careers in the work force I took a slightly different path that ultimately served me very well when it came time for me to enter the work force. Hockey at the professional level is a tremendous training ground for life in the “real world”. To play at a professional hockey you need to be extremely competitive, tough and work hard on and off the ice. It is these same skills that are required to be successful in this ever changing, fast paced world we live in today. In addition to the life skills learned, professional hockey afforded me the opportunity to forge lasting relationships with people from every background imaginable. It is these “life lessons” that can’t be learned in a classroom and stay with you for life.”

Guys, Thanks so much for letting me lean on you for this weeks content. The great thing is that I am sure if I had asked EIGHTY players, most of the answers would be pretty close to what these gentlemen said. Well done.

Parents, don't get too worked up about where your little player is going to end up playing. Look at these answers and focus on what they are learning that will be with them the rest of their lives!

More Good Stuff

Make sure you check out my friend Brian Riggs article on Leadership featuring former NHL Player Rod Brind'amour as well as information on the great charity that he is involved with, Fantasy Sports 4 Kids!

www.fs4k.org

 

Only the Lord saves more than Bernie!

That was a popular bumper sticker during the 70's when Bernie Parent dominated the nets for the Philadelphia Flyers. Only the Lord did save more than Bernie but I assure you, he never signed more autographs than Bernie did this past weekend!
This past weekend was the 34th Annual Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival and I was honored to sit in the Alumni Booth with some of the Flyer greats of the past. It is funny when you get older how your perspective changes and you notice things you maybe did not when you were younger. I remember my first Carnival in 1987, being in the dunk tank as most rookies do. I was amazed at the attendance and commitment by  the fans to come and see their favorite players and support a great cause. I paid little attention to what the Alumni guys were doing and what was going on. Times do change.....This past weekend I sat two seats down from Bernie and watched him graciously sign autographs from 12:30 in the afternoon til nearly 6pm. Not only did he sign but he chatted with people, let them take pictures, smiled at each and every one of them and also made sure everyone got to hear his legendary laugh. (which by the way is probably the greatest laugh in all of sports...) Not just Bernie, the other greats like Bob Clarke, Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, Joe Watson, Bob Kelly (who was right beside me and cracked me up all day.thanks Bob!) Gary Dornhoefer, Orest Kinderchuck and Don Saleski. All members of the Stanley Cup teams. Not to mention, Ed Hospodar, Brian Propp, Ray Allison, Andre Faust and others. But make no mistake, the people waited in line for almost 2 HOURS to interact with those guys who won the cup. It is an amazing thing in sports to see the connection those fans still have for those guys some 35 year later!
After seeing it up close I can kind of understand why though.  Not just Bernie but those other guys were there for over 5 hours, not breaking, interacting with and making all the people that came through that line feel pretty special. It was beyond amusing to see people bring up a picture they have had for over 30years of Dave Schultz in a beautiful 70's leisure suit with his arm around them as he is leaving a game and hearing Dave tell them,  "hang on to that picture because that suit is coming back in style!!!"
That is what is great about the Hockey guys. They get it. It was all done for charity and giving a little bit back.
Not sure if the other sports are like that, I kind of doubt it, but I am glad I got to see it. I am also very glad they don't make the Alumni guys go in the dunk tank. Not sure how they would look in swimsuits now!!!......:)

So to the current Flyers team, go get it done and you can look forward to the same treatment 35 years from now......we're pulling for you.

And to the real heroes

Up until this weekend, the Flyers Wives Carnival has raised over 23 million dollars for Philadelphia charities. An incredible accomplishment! I have heard that this years event was a record breaker so that number will increase a great amount. Congratulations to all who work very hard all year to make it the success that it is. There are many people involved and all should be very proud of the commitment they have and the difference they are making!!!!

What's in a Name?

Been kind of a tough week so I thought I'd try to have some fun with this weeks blog.
If the following upsets some of you in anyway, either toughen up or relax. It is a hockey blog not Time Magazine......:)

"Hey coach, keep it clean!!!!!"
That's what a ref yelled at me when a few weeks ago while I was coaching my mite team. Couldn't figure out what I did wrong until I heard myself yell out the next line combination again, "Knipple, Buts, Godown....you're up, Godown, Knipple, Buts....you're up!!!!!" That's right, I have three little players with the last names, Knipple, Godown and Butler.....Ooops. Not a good idea to have them on the same line.
So it got me thinking about great hockey names and some strange names that I played against over the years. I played against a Tom Sawyer, Paul Macartney, Phillip Collins, Jesse James, Jack Nickelson and Walt Kronkite.....no joke.
We decided to get together a list of some of the all time great hockey names. I have commented on some, but for some, nothing really needs to be said.
Here goes.
The All Spice Team
Herb Brooks
Basil McRae
Ryan Pepperall
Bob Dill
Bill Root
Brian Lavender
John Sorrel
Floyd Curry
Moose Sage

The All Exclamation Team
Brian Bellows
Kevin Haller
Harry Howell
Douf Mohns
Stephane Yelle

Some other dandies.
Jeff BeukeBOOM!!!!! (god he could hit!)
Miroslav Satan (Devilish)
Zdeno Ciger (smoking shot!)
Jim Carey (funny guy)
John Madden (loves football)
Jim Playfair (rarely did...)
Valerie Zelepukin ......say no more.
Darren Puppa......
Ron Tugnut (groin injury)
Steve Passmore (uh he was a goalie...)
Steve Lyon (had a huge red afro...)
Rich Parent (never paid for anything...)
Steve Heinz (wore #57)
Zarley Zalapski (just like that name)
Al Iafrate ( I was Iafrate of his slap shot!!!)
Adam Deadmarsh
Larry 'Izzie' Goodenough (obviously one of my favourites)
Martin St. Louis (of course plays in Tampa....)
Bruce Shoebottom (I would have felt like a heel if I forgot that one....)
Hakan Loob  (yuck!)
Frank Pieterangelo (the Apostle....I actually scored on him....)
Paul Tittman?
Jim Tittmore??
and finally...
Artem Chubarov
Johnny SanViagra
Paul Dyck
Harry Dyck
Dick Cockburn
Dick Duff
Cory Pecker ( a female commentator in Toronto actually used the line, "Pecker pokes it thru the five hole!!!" when doing highlights)

My two favorites, Bob Beers and former Canuck draft pick John Labatt.:)
If you have any other ones let me know!

The good news concerning my mite team is that next season we have two new players signing up. They are brothers, 5 yrs old and 6 years old, last name Johnson. That's right, our team will now have a big Johnson and a little Johnson.....Let's see how they fit in....:)

If you want more wacky hockey name fun, click on this link. (Grown ups only!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJE6_EG1vw

Does Size Matter?

One of the funniest stories that happened to me as a player was on draft day. After being selected to the Flyers, everyone was invited up to a suite in the hotel that the Flyers staff had rented. After quite a bit of celebrating, my Mom was in a conversation with one of the Flyers scouts. She asked the scout, "When it really gets down to it, what is it you look for in a player?" The scout looked at her for a while and then said straight faced....."We look at the height of the father and the weight of the mother......"Needless to say my mom was a bit taken aback. (you have to appreciate scouts' senses of humor) That was 1986.

But that story came back to me after an interesting conversation at the rink the other day with a parent. The parent was concerned her son was a good player but a bit small and that they could never really accomplish anything in hockey because of his size. We talked for a while about how the game is now and once we started looking closely at things, I think her opinion changed. Mine certainly has over the last few years.
It wasn't that long ago that the NHL and pro hockey was dominated by big players. It seemed for a span there 15 years or so ago that you pretty much had to be 6'2" to even be considered a prospect. No longer!
The rule changes have allowed smaller, but great skating players be a large part of today's game.
Once again the research team at Platinum Hockey went to work to see how many players in the NHL are 6'0" or under.

Team	Total Players	Below 6''		Above 6"
Anaheim Ducks	33	9		24
Atlanta Thrashers	31	13		18
Boston Bruins	32	15		17
Buffalo Sabres	32	10		22
Calgary Flames	31	6		25
Carolina Hurricanes	31	15		16
Chicago Blackhawks	35	11		24
Colorado Avalanche	35	15		20
Columbus Blue Jackets	35	10		25
Dallas Stars	35	14		21
Detroit Red Wings	32	19		13
Edmonton Oilers	36	10		26
Florida Panthers	33	14		19
Los Angeles Kings	33	13		20
Minnesota Wild	38	14		23
Montreal Canadiens	32	17		15
Nashville Predators	34	12		22
New Jersey Devils	38	11		27
New York Islanders	39	19		20
New York Rangers	36	11		25
Ottawa Senators	32	9		23
Philadelphia Flyers	32	10		22
Phoenix Coyotes	33	10		23
Pittsburgh Penguins	36	16		20
San Jose Sharks	34	9		25
St Louis Blues	35	15		22
Tampa Bay Lightning	37	12		25
Toronto Maple Leafs	35	10		25
Vancouver Canucks	36	11		25
Washington Capitals	31	6		25
	1022	366		657

I was amazed to see that almost 36% of players on rosters were 6'0'' tall or under.
The other thing you look at when you watch the game today is that everyone is a good skater. The days of the past when your 3rd and 4rth lines were dominated by big guys that weren't always great skaters are gone. And forget about being slow and playing defence today. There is no way with these rules.

Again that is why I think the USA Hockey's ADM is going to be a great program once fully implemented. Our kids have to be spending a lot more time each week working specifically on skills like skating that doesn't happen in games. Today's coaches have to be aware the time that must be spent on skating not just as very young players but for all levels.

The great news is that scouts are no longer looking at the height of the father and weight of the mother. I am pretty sure they would love to see how they skate though!!!!!!

Congratulations to Rod Brind'Amour!!

If you didn't get a chance to see the ceremony for the retirement of Flyer Alumni Rod Brind'Amour's number in Carolina you have to click on this link. It is probably the best retirement speech I have ever heard.
Rod was a great teammate and one of the nicest guys I ever had the privilege to play with.
Awesome job Rod!!!

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/hurricanes/video/9139874/#/vid9139874

Do you lean to the right or left?

I had a pretty interesting conversation the other day concerning left handed shooting hockey players versus right handed shooting hockey players. (well I guess it is interesting if you like hockey.)  A dad from my Learn to Play Hockey Class asked me which way should his son shoot......
So it got me thinking about why players shoot the way they do and if had anything to do with where they are from. I looked at our clinic and a learn to play class of a group of young american players that I have been working with and realized about 80% of them shot right. I know from my past experience teaching schools in Canada that about 70% seemed to shoot left. It got me wondering why and have since asked a lot of people their opinion. The only somewhat logical response I got had to do with a lot of the American kids learning baseball first and the majority of them swinging right handed. Sounds good to me.....I guess. The other theory my coaching buddies came up with is that there were a lot of pure right handed goal scorers in NHL history. The reason could be that a right handed shot would normally be shooting to the far side of the net, which happens most times to be the goalies stick side, usually the weaker side for the goalie. Left shots normally shoot far side as well which turns out to be the goalies glove hand. (probably why I didn't score more, I am a lefty.....)
But a lot still remained a mystery so I put the cracker jack research team from Platinum Hockey on the case to come up with some more information to try to figure things out. Here is what they came up with.
We decided to look at the top 10 players of all time. (this can be argued in another blog as well so dont get mad....)
1. Wayne Gretzky L
2. Bobby Orr  L
3. Mario Lemieux R
4. Gordie Howe R (but he could shoot pretty damn good Left as well)
5. Bobby Hull  L
6. Maurice Richard L
7. Jean Belliveau L
8. Mark Messier L
9. Steve Yzerman R
10. Ray Bourque L

So that is 7-3 lefties to righties unless you count Mr. Howe as a lefty as I do. 8-2.

Then we looked at the top Goal Scorers of all time

Top Goal  Scorers
1. Wayne Gretzky L
2. Gordie Howe R
3. Brett Hull R
4. Marcel Dionne R
5. Phil Esposito L
6. Mike Gartner R
7.Mark Messier L
8. Steve Yzerman R
9. Mario Lemieux R
10. Luc Robitaille L

Righties win that one 6-4......

So then we looked at the current breakdown of the NHL Players from the most represented countries as a percentage of which way they shoot.

Country	Total Players	Left Shots	Right Shots	% left shots (app.)	% right shots(app.)
CAN	599	392	207	65.44%	34.55%
USA	250	136	114	54.40%	45.60%
CZE	50	31	19	62%	38%
DEU	13	11	1	84.61%	7.69%
FIN	39	32	7	82.05%	17.94%
RUS	37	27	10	72.97%	27.02%
SVK	19	16	3	84.21%	15.78%
SWE	68	57	11	83.82%	16.17%

So what did we learn?

1. It looks like there is not that much baseball in Europe........that is about all I can figure out.

2. Crosby, left. Ovechkin right. Malkin left. Stamkos right..... the confusion continues.

3. I am pretty confident that Barack Obama shoots left and there is no doubt that Sarah Palin shoots Right......:)


 To Be Continued.......