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Hi, my name is Brian Mullen. I spent my whole life around the game of hockey.
Beginning with my roller hockey days in New York through my 11 seasons in the
National Hockey League. During this time I found that learning the fundamentals
of the game is essential to succeeding in this sport. And I would like to pass
along my knowledge to you. So lace up your skates,
grab your stick and learn the game of hockey online with me.
STICK CHECKS
Last week we went over the first three techniques in the
stick check section with a discussion of the poke, hook, and
sweep checks. The common element between these three skills is that all three focus on using your stick to make contact
with the puck.
In the second part of stick checks, we are still interested in separating the offensive
player from the puck, only this time we are going to achieve this by attacking the stick
of your opponent instead of the puck.
Lift the Stick
Lifting the stick of your opponent is a very effective technique when you are coming
from behind or slightly to the side of your opponent. You will find that you will be much more
successful if your opponent is unaware of your presence.
- Slide your lower hand down the shaft of the stick to gain leverage on your opponent.
- Skate slightly in front of your opponent.
- Slide your stick under that of your opponent's - where the blade meets the shaft
(see Fig. 1).
- Making a quick, hard thrust upward, lift the stick of your check (see Fig. 2).
- Once the stick of your opponent is off the ice, bring your stick down to take the puck away.
- As soon as the puck is recovered, skate away from your opponent.
It is very important to continue to skate through the check. It will be very difficult to maintain
your position in front of your opponent if you stop skating and your opponent continues striding.
Stick Press
Just like the lifting the stick technique, the stick press is a good maneuver for a
defensive player to use when in a tight one-on-one battle with a forward,
especially in front of your net. Your goal with this technique is to prevent your check
from receiving or executing a pass, shooting or picking up a loose puck.
- Once again, slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick to gain leverage on your opponent.
- Using the lower half of your stick, press down hard on the shaft of your opponent's stick. This will
prevent him/her from moving their stick (see Fig. 3).
- Your ability to execute this skill depends on the positioning of your stick on your opponent's
and how much pressure you can apply on the stick of your check.
You will see many NHL defensemen using this technique when offensive players
are parked in front of the net. One of the only ways to legally score goals is by a player
using his/her stick to shoot or deflect the puck into the net. If you have their stick
tied up, you are limiting their chances of success.
Hit the Stick
Hitting the stick is a good technique for offensive players to use when skating parallel
with their check. Your objective is to hit the heel or the back half of your opponent's
stick blade, forcing
him/her to lose control of the puck.
Next Class
I hope you enjoyed this session of "The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen."
The next time
we get together we will discuss body contact.
Images and information provided by
USA Hockey.
"The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen" Archive
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