2023-24 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[petey23]

1 hour ago, 90siouxfan said:

So we used to have an on staff skating guru, and now we don't?   Someone needs to fix this, or. Or orrr oar

No. She ran skating camps. UND and other schools would bring her in to improve skating skills. Several NHL players also worked with her over the summer.

[90siouxfan]

1 hour ago, petey23 said:

No. She ran skating camps. UND and other schools would bring her in to improve skating skills. Several NHL players also worked with her over the summer.

So we no longer bring in skating gurus?   Hmmm

[petey23]

1 hour ago, 90siouxfan said:

So we no longer bring in skating gurus?   Hmmm

No idea. 

[Blackheart]

3 hours ago, 90siouxfan said:

So we no longer bring in skating gurus?   Hmmm

This ain’t the icecapades!  Use your big boy words…#Goon…theMovie

[The Sicatoka]

5 hours ago, Blackheart said:

This ain’t the icecapades!  

"C'mon Spiewak! ... " 

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/a862d317-a946-4580-af01-9565deeb097b 

https://fightinghawks.com/news/2009/2/9/3666657.aspx 

Can we get any comment from @Speez ? 

[The Sicatoka]

8 hours ago, 90siouxfan said:

So we no longer bring in skating gurus?   Hmmm

I don't know. 

I believe power skating needs to return to focus. The Ironman seems to be the focus of late. If that's the case, some power skating skills need to be added to the competition to make guys realize skating is as important as strength and endurance. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't get to the puck. 

The only recent guy I recall with above average edge work was Ethan Frisch. He'd do an edge drill at the start of each period. He grew up with aunts who were professional figure skating coaches. Edge work. Power skills. 

[Walsh Hall]

3 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

I believe power skating needs to return to focus.

Get this guy on the staff right now!  The coaches are apparently unaware that skating is a vital component in the game of hockey.  Even mites bring in power skating instructors, it's utterly shocking that a college program doesn't care about skating. 

To add my 2 cents for the benefit of the coaching staff, we should also look into getting some skate sharpeners so our player's skates can be nice and sharp.  That might help us as well.  

[The Sicatoka]

I'm not claiming that we're not doing it.

It needs to return to being a focus, a point of emphasis because I don't see the power skating skills across the team like I did on past squads. 

[The Sicatoka]

Four seconds into this video UND15 is on edges and gets hit by UAH11. UAH11 is literally shrugged off.

How many guys on the roster on their edges can absorb that hit much less deliver back enough to knock the other guy down. 

That's why I'm calling for power skating to become a point of emphasis. 

[SpudsSioux]

3 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

I don't know. 

I believe power skating needs to return to focus. The Ironman seems to be the focus of late. If that's the case, some power skating skills need to be added to the competition to make guys realize skating is as important as strength and endurance. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't get to the puck. 

The only recent guy I recall with above average edge work was Ethan Frisch. He'd do an edge drill at the start of each period. He grew up with aunts who were professional figure skating coaches. Edge work. Power skills. 

You don't think Sanderson, Jandric, O-Mac or Blake have above average edge work?! Just because they're not showing off their edgework to start the period doesn't mean they're not working on that in practice. You don't see someone turn on a dime to elude pressure like Blake does unless his edge work is exceptional.

Also, I think if you listen to Dylan James interview about how they had been working with him on staying lower thru his stride to create more power (and seeing a difference at the end of the season when he was blowing by people), it sure seems like this is still something being worked on quite intentionally.

[tnt]

3 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

I don't know. 

I believe power skating needs to return to focus. The Ironman seems to be the focus of late. If that's the case, some power skating skills need to be added to the competition to make guys realize skating is as important as strength and endurance. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't get to the puck. 

The only recent guy I recall with above average edge work was Ethan Frisch. He'd do an edge drill at the start of each period. He grew up with aunts who were professional figure skating coaches. Edge work. Power skills. 

Not saying this doesn't need to happen, but if you look at our year, I would say a bigger focus needs to be on mental focus, being hard to play against, going to the areas where you score goals, and blocking shots.  You can be the best skater in the world, but if you are all in the corner and leave the opposing player alone out front, you aren't getting back in the play.  

[90siouxfan]

46 minutes ago, Walsh Hall said:

Get this guy on the staff right now!  The coaches are apparently unaware that skating is a vital component in the game of hockey.  Even mites bring in power skating instructors, it's utterly shocking that a college program doesn't care about skating. 

To add my 2 cents for the benefit of the coaching staff, we should also look into getting some skate sharpeners so our player's skates can be nice and sharp.  That might help us as well.  

I assume you are being sarcastic, but more than once this past season after watching players fall I had that very line of thought...

[Irish]

27 minutes ago, tnt said:

Not saying this doesn't need to happen, but if you look at our year, I would say a bigger focus needs to be on mental focus, being hard to play against, going to the areas where you score goals, and blocking shots.  You can be the best skater in the world, but if you are all in the corner and leave the opposing player alone out front, you aren't getting back in the play.  

This is one of the most frustrating parts of the last season.  So many "what the hell are you doing" moments.  If we are going to emphasize culture then being hard to play against and being in the game mentally needs to be front and center.  I think that's why "culture" is getting dragged so much on this board because a big part of it is being ready to play.  We had a defense last year that so many times "just didn't get it".  Perhaps a good thing they cleaned house and are starting over on that end.  To me if you are going to emphasize culture then our team should have their heads in the game.  

[The Sicatoka]

26 minutes ago, SpudsSioux said:

You don't think Sanderson, Jandric, O-Mac or Blake have above average edge work?! Just because they're not showing off their edgework to start the period doesn't mean they're not working on that in practice. You don't see someone turn on a dime to elude pressure like Blake does unless his edge work is exceptional.

Were they strong on their skates at the same time? Sandy, sure, but a 21-NHL-season dad had that in him when he arrived. Jandric, so so. OMac and Blake can make some jaw-dropping moves, but a stiff breeze knocks each over. 

The flip side is I really haven't seen skating improvement in Kunz or Albrecht or Ness or Jamernik.
Schmaltz did get a little better year two; he got hard to move or knock down. 
I'll be watching Strinden in year two for skating improvements. 

[The Sicatoka]

2 minutes ago, Irish said:

So many "what the hell are you doing" moments. 

Someone in my section was calling it "mite hockey". Just like mites they'd all get hypnotized by, and chase, the puck. Nothing good ever comes of that. 

[SpudsSioux]

3 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Were they strong on their skates at the same time? Sandy, sure, but a 21-NHL-season dad had that in him when he arrived. Jandric, so so. OMac and Blake can make some jaw-dropping moves, but a stiff breeze knocks each over. 

The flip side is I really haven't seen skating improvement in Kunz or Albrecht or Ness or Jamernik.
Schmaltz did get a little better year two; he got hard to move or knock down. 
I'll be watching Strinden in year two for skating improvements. 

Omac and Blake getting knocked over is not because of edgework. O-Mac for sure needs to get stronger and Blake can too. Tough to use Frisch as the example because of his aunts, but then discount Sanderson because of his dad.

I can get on board with saying they need to be a better skating team across the board and maybe not seeing improvement in guys like Kunz, Albrecht, Ness, Jamernik, etc.

What I took issue with was that you said Frisch is the only above average skater we've had recently which was downright laughable.

[The Sicatoka]

1 minute ago, SpudsSioux said:

Omac and Blake getting knocked over is not because of edgework. O-Mac for sure needs to get stronger and Blake can too. Tough to use Frisch as the example because of his aunts, but then discount Sanderson because of his dad.

I can get on board with saying they need to be a better skating team across the board and maybe not seeing improvement in guys like Kunz, Albrecht, Ness, Jamernik, etc.

What I took issue with was that you said Frisch is the only above average skater we've had recently which was downright laughable.

I agreed with Sandy ("sure"). His dad was "Ethan's aunts" for him. Both came as strong power skaters. 

But my brain wasn't thinking Sanderson because I've been watching this season's replays on Midco and Sandy is a Senator now. 

[Irish]

9 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Someone in my section was calling it "mite hockey". Just like mites they'd all get hypnotized by, and chase, the puck. Nothing good ever comes of that. 

Throw in the often predictable but very untimely penalties and you can see that the mental component of our game was a major weakness last year.

[The Sicatoka]

1 minute ago, Irish said:

Throw in the often predictable but very untimely penalties and you can see that the mental component of our game was a major weakness last year.

Bad mental game -> mite hockey -> untimely penalties

Like The Fixx says ...

[SpudsSioux]

7 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

I agreed with Sandy ("sure"). His dad was "Ethan's aunts" for him. Both came as strong power skaters. 

But my brain wasn't thinking Sanderson because I've been watching this season's replays on Midco and Sandy is a Senator now. 

Haha I get that. Last year is sticking out like a sore thumb right now. I do think with a little added weight and strength we'll be pleasantly surprised with how much more Blake and O-Mac can fight thru contact this year. We'll also be seeing some better skaters replacing those leaving (Perron's edgework is night and day better than any of the departing forwards), Livanavage is a Boris disciple...he's skating/edgework will be noticeable from day one.

[Kevin G]

I recently heard some scouting guru talking about skating. He said that skating ability used to be one of the traits they'd assess in prospects, along with things like shooting ability, instincts, etc etc. Now it's more like skating ability is the supreme ability because almost everyone is faster than previous generations of hockey players. If you can't keep up skating-wise, your other strengths are neutralized/minimized. 

Great-skating teams just swarm you (imo Michigan is the prime example); it's like they have an extra skater on the ice.

[brianvf]

Updates from the annual coaches meetings in FL:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/daily-skate-nchc-discusses-the-possibility-of-adding-arizona-state?fbclid=IwAR1_OgnHrboZaFwgDhZdtfS3vFcGvSlbTYpgoBF-oUzUh1_pbXbAHPewfhQ

Talks about NCHC adding ASU, Summit League, and rule changes. 

[The Sicatoka]

Seems one of our pipeline has found a new skating guru (scroll, you'll find it).
Some guy in TOR named Matthews subscribes also. 

 

[SpudsSioux]

6 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Seems one of our pipeline has found a new skating guru (scroll, you'll find it). 

 

As I said, a Boris disciple. Every kid I've seen that works with Boris has very, very good edgework. 

[The Sicatoka]

11 minutes ago, SpudsSioux said:

As I said, a Boris disciple. Every kid I've seen that works with Boris has very, very good edgework. 

Full disclosure: @SpudsSioux clued me in on what to look for.  

Boris seems like he could and would wear your blades to the tuuk in one practice.