Dishing the Dirt

[Hawkey Town 18]

Thanks @Theokritos
It sounded too good to be true. The only way it might be right is if he was double shifted a lot in 66-67 and was a combined -18 when he wasn’t playing on “his line” or was on the PP. Do we know if the Hawks had a lot of SHGA that year?

 

[Ben Grimm]

Mikita's first season he played more than 3 games was 59-60. Since that season I don't believe any line only gave up 7 ES goals.

 

[Theokritos]

Some movement over at the well-known site passionhockey.com hockeyarchives.com: They're working on an alphabetic register featuring profiles of every player who has ever taken part in the Olympics, World Championships, Canada Cup/World Cup and older European tournaments. So far only the first two letters (A and B) are online), but that alone covers hundreds of players. The profiles are in both English and French.

Letters G and H are online.

Examples:

Ivan Hlinka:
"Big center who was strong inside the slot, often scoring goals from close in. Strong wrist shot and excellent physique combined with great stickhandling. Creative and fine playmaker who created a lot of opportunities for his linemates. Good leadership qualities. "

Jiří Holeček:
"Equally good and fast with his blocker as he was with his glove hand. Incredible foot speed. Tried to emulate the style of his childhood idol, Canadian Seth Martin. Another strength was that he used to be cool under pressure."

Josef Horešovský:
"Hardshooting defenseman and a good point man on powerplays where he was used often to quarterback the plays. Hard slapshot and wristshot. Very robust player and always in good shape. Strong along the boards."

 

[Johnny Engine]

Al MacInnis has an interview with Eric Duhatschek in The Athletic today where he talks about his dislike of one-timers and playing his off side in the power play. He preferred to be able to load up his unique back-foot swing on his own time, and it’s amazing that he could beat goaltenders that way - his shot was so good that he didn’t need the element of surprise or much east west puck movement to do it.

I’ll post some quotes a little later.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Al MacInnis has an interview with Eric Duhatschek in The Athletic today where he talks about his dislike of one-timers and playing his off side in the power play. He preferred to be able to load up his unique back-foot swing on his own time, and it’s amazing that he could beat goaltenders that way - his shot was so good that he didn’t need the element of surprise or much east west puck movement to do it.

I’ll post some quotes a little later.

This doesn't surprise me, because MacInnis had a lot of control on his slapshot. A one-timer is never as controlled.

He had a very unique back swing indeed. That kind of weight transfer you cannot teach; it's just a matter of how your skeleton is put together; the lenght and angles of the bones, the shape of your feet and so on.

To this day I'm furious at nature for giving me a better weight transfer on my wrong side—meaning if I take a slapshot right-handed, I have more power. Only problem is I'm a left-handed hockey player. And it's not because my right arm/hand is stronger, even if it is. It's all about the naturalness of the weight transfer in the feet.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Duhatschek:

Still, for any visitors to St. Louis this weekend, they can see a statue of MacInnis outside the Enterprise Center, and the pose would be familiar to anyone that ever watched him in his playing days – stick raised high above the head, winding up, ready to launch a bullet on goal. MacInnis did a lot of damage with that shot, which was sometimes wildly high – like a Nolan Ryan fastball – just to keep opponents honest.

MacInnis says he believes one of the advantages he had over bigger, stronger competitors was that he spent a lot of time practicing his shot from a standing start.

MacInnis:

Almost everyone that looked at (his stick blade curve) and said, ‘Boy, how do you use that?’ But I always answered the same way: Everything has to come off your back foot. You have to pass it off your back foot and you have to shoot it off your back foot. Because a lot of guys would try it out in practice or morning skates, and the first couple of shots, they’d miss the net by 25 feet to the left. So, you needed to shoot everything off the back foot. And obviously, I never played the puck on my backhand, so I wasn’t ever worried about that.

My motto was stop, look and shoot, and I felt that I could shoot harder than most from a standstill. It’d be interesting to me today to see what the difference in the velocity would be, one if the players were standing still, and two, if they had to use a wooden stick.

It’s true, I didn’t like the one-timer - very, very rarely did I ever one time the puck. It’s why I never liked playing the offside on the power play either – just for that reason. I just felt I never had enough control to one-time it, and I also felt that it’d kind of limited your options. I felt if I stopped the puck, one, I could shoot it hard enough to maybe beat the goalie. But two, I could change my mind for a shot-pass, whether it was down the strong side or to get it (Joe) Nieuwendyk at the off post. I just felt I had better options on my strong side. And to be honest with you, the other reason is I just didn’t want to hurt a teammate – just because I didn’t have that control over it.

Craig Conroy:

There was one week, we played Chicago, and he broke (Jocelyn) Thibault’s hand and Steve Dubinsky’s foot in the same game. Then he broke another foot in the next game and then another one in the game after that. So, there were three games in a row, when he broke someone’s foot or hand in a game.

Keith Tkachuk:

Al was the best with the shot-pass, but did you ever notice that he never one-timed the puck? Go back and watch videos of Al. He didn’t like the one-timer. He always wanted to stop the puck and steady it and then shoot it.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Duhatschek:


MacInnis:



Craig Conroy:

Keith Tkachuk:

Great interview.

What does he mean exactly by "shoot it off your back foot"? Does he mean your weight still has to be on your back foot as you trigger it?

 

[Johnny Engine]

Great interview.

What does he mean exactly by "shoot it off your back foot"? Does he mean your weight still has to be on your back foot as you trigger it?

That's how I interpret it. Just taking a look at a few video clips of people taking slap shots, it's not like anyone transfers their weight backwards, but it does seem like MacInnis' forward swing gets a bit ahead of his weight transfer. I'm not sure if @Dreakmur's coaching experience gets into the finer details of shot mechanics, but if he or anyone else can shed light on this, great!

 

[Dreakmur]

That's how I interpret it. Just taking a look at a few video clips of people taking slap shots, it's not like anyone transfers their weight backwards, but it does seem like MacInnis' forward swing gets a bit ahead of his weight transfer. I'm not sure if @Dreakmur's coaching experience gets into the finer details of shot mechanics, but if he or anyone else can shed light on this, great!

Most guys teach players to transfer their weight - by stepping from the back foot to the front foot - as part of their shot mechanic. That's certainly the most effective way to generate the most power, but in game situations, you don't always have time to do that. That is what I would call shooting off the back foot, but that would be pretty universal for NHL players. It's not something that would be unique to MacInnis.

Perhaps he means that he has the puck lined up further in his stance than most - which would be at his back foot. That would be a lot less common.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Most guys teach players to transfer their weight - by stepping from the back foot to the front foot - as part of their shot mechanic. That's certainly the most effective way to generate the most power, but in game situations, you don't always have time to do that. That is what I would call shooting off the back foot, but that would be pretty universal for NHL players. It's not something that would be unique to MacInnis.

Perhaps he means that he has the puck lined up further in his stance than most - which would be at his back foot. That would be a lot less common.

The reason I asked is because I noticed my own shot was stronger if when my stick makes contact with the ice, my weight is still primarily on my back foot. This is counter-intuitive, and the transfer occurs around when my stick leaves the ice during the whip effect.

But then again, I don't have a strong shot, which is why I'm very interested in the gritty details of the mechanics

Intuitively, I would shoot by transfering my weight a bit before the stick hits the ice, and this resulted in a weaker shot.

 

[Dreakmur]

The reason I asked is because I noticed my own shot was stronger if when my stick makes contact with the ice, my weight is still primarily on my back foot. This is counter-intuitive, and the transfer occurs around when my stick leaves the ice during the whip effect.

But then again, I don't have a strong shot, which is why I'm very interested in the gritty details of the mechanics

Intuitively, I would shoot by transfering my weight a bit before the stick hits the ice, and this resulted in a weaker shot.

Oh, perfect lol... I focus a lot more in how to properly use a stick and less on foot work. There’s a reason these new sticks are worth it.

The reason you shoot harder when your stick hits the ice is because it flexes.

Basically, you load energy into he stick just before you shoot and release it as you shoot. Flexing is loading. A higher number for flex means it is stiffer - higher flex is harder to fully load, but will hold a lot more energy. The key is to get the flex that is right for you.

Honestly, with these new sticks, you get like half the power just from the stick.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Just watched this and took some notes. For someone like me, I'm not sure if my mind is creating distinctions where none exist, but this is what I noticed:

MacInnis: Has his weight on both feet on windup, the back foot pushes toward the centre on impact.

Jones: Similar to MacInnis, but the back foot push is shorter and quicker.

Giordano: Seems to transfer his weight forward a little more overtly, planting on his front foot on the follow through.

Hedman: Looks like his weight is more evenly distributed when he's shooting, and is gaining power by rotating both feet.

Pettersson: Seems to lift his back foot rather than push with it, and concentrates his weight on his front foot.

Carlson: Similar to Hedman, but has a wider stance and seems to push outward rather than rotating.

Weber: A hard push with his back foot that ends with his weight on his front foot.

I feel like I understand this less after putting it in words. Do any of these shots, or the descriptions I attempted to give them, qualify as shooting off one's back foot?

 

[The Macho King]

I was shocked Hedman hit over 100. Not known for having a bomb.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Oh, perfect lol... I focus a lot more in how to properly use a stick and less on foot work. There’s a reason these new sticks are worth it.

The reason you shoot harder when your stick hits the ice is because it flexes.

Basically, you load energy into he stick just before you shoot and release it as you shoot. Flexing is loading. A higher number for flex means it is stiffer - higher flex is harder to fully load, but will hold a lot more energy. The key is to get the flex that is right for you.

Honestly, with these new sticks, you get like half the power just from the stick.

Oh I knew the flex generated power, though the way you described it is helpful to crystalize it in my mind. I like the image of "loading up" like you're loading a gun.

I'd be curious to see what kind of advice you give to the youngsters on how to use that flex power.

Personally I suspect my problem is that I have a longer leg, which gives me a much better weight transfer on one side, which is unfortunately not the good one. I see it when I go hit some golf balls (ambidext at golf). So my problem is not about using the flex per say, but about how should I go about loading it?

In any case this is all very interesting.

 

[BenchBrawl]

I was shocked Hedman hit over 100. Not known for having a bomb.

Some people have huge bombs but not everyone can trigger it in game situations. It requires mobility, instincts, etc.

 

[The Macho King]

Some people have huge bombs but not everyone can trigger it in game situations. It requires mobility, instincts, etc.

I think he normally just defers to Stankos/Kucherov or is shooting for a stick. For a guy that scores a good bit from the blue line, he just doesn't shoot much.

 

[Dreakmur]

Oh I knew the flex generated power, though the way you described it is helpful to crystalize it in my mind. I like the image of "loading up" like you're loading a gun.

I'd be curious to see what kind of advice you give to the youngsters on how to use that flex power.

Personally I suspect my problem is that I have a longer leg, which gives me a much better weight transfer on one side, which is unfortunately not the good one. I see it when I go hit some golf balls (ambidext at golf). So my problem is not about using the flex per say, but about how should I go about loading it?

In any case this is all very interesting.

Always get them the right flex to start. About half the body's weight and make adjustments for body type and strength after. A few years ago, I had one player show up with and adult's 85 flex stick that had been cut down. I placed it on the bench, had him stand on the thing, and it didn't budge! You shouldn't really have to lean hard on it to flex.

I can flex my 104 with only wrist power.

I focus on hands mostly, so here goes....

Bottom hand below the shoulder. Top hand out in front of the body - you want the blade and puck behind your bottom hand. Just as you start to shoot, dip your should a few inches to start loading up. Once the blade gets past your bottom hand, it will unload. Your top hand should still be away from your body, so as the stick kicks, pull the top hand back like the top of a lever. That gives you the kick of the stick, plus the whip of you pivoting the stick in your bottom hand.

That's the base for me. Once they get that, we go into turning the torso, weight transfer and all that.

Tough to do this via written word... usually video the players and walk them through it looking at themselves lol.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Always get them the right flex to start. About half the body's weight and make adjustments for body type and strength after. A few years ago, I had one player show up with and adult's 85 flex stick that had been cut down. I placed it on the bench, had him stand on the thing, and it didn't budge! You shouldn't really have to lean hard on it to flex.

I can flex my 104 with only wrist power.

I focus on hands mostly, so here goes....

Bottom hand below the shoulder. Top hand out in front of the body - you want the blade and puck behind your bottom hand. Just as you start to shoot, dip your should a few inches to start loading up. Once the blade gets past your bottom hand, it will unload. Your top hand should still be away from your body, so as the stick kicks, pull the top hand back like the top of a lever. That gives you the kick of the stick, plus the whip of you pivoting the stick in your bottom hand.

That's the base for me. Once they get that, we go into turning the torso, weight transfer and all that.

Tough to do this via written word... usually video the players and walk them through it looking at themselves lol.

The puck behind your bottom hand? When you start your back swing, where is the puck located with respect to your feet, just to be sure I understand you?

 

[BenchBrawl]

As for the rest, I agree it's hard to explain in word, but I get most of what you mean.

In a sense I feel like the flex sticks are a bit like cheating compared to the wooden sticks of my youth. But yeah they are incredible to generate power.

I still use a wooden stick right now but I don't play that often. If I had a league I'd buy a flex, and I'm looking now and for next year.

Since you flex 104 with your wrist, does that mean you have a very strong shot in general? How heavyset are you?

 

[BenchBrawl]

I'm gonna go shoot some pucks this week and try to think of all this.

 

[Dreakmur]

The puck behind your bottom hand? When you start your back swing, where is the puck located with respect to your feet, just to be sure I understand you?

Oh, you wanted a slapshot, specifically? I was talking about a snapshot lol.

Yes, hands in front of the puck.

I really like this Kessel slow-mo to show all the aspects.


The slapshot would be similar - your hands have to be ahead of the blade in order to get the stick to flex, which is why so many like to hit the ice before they hit the puck. I don't usually work on that, so I'd have to work through it lol

 

[BenchBrawl]

Oh, you wanted a slapshot, specifically? I was talking about a snapshot lol.

Yes, hands in front of the puck.

I really like this Kessel slow-mo to show all the aspects.


The slapshot would be similar - your hands have to be ahead of the blade in order to get the stick to flex, which is why so many like to hit the ice before they hit the puck. I don't usually work on that, so I'd have to work through it lol

Have you seen the Alex Kovalev DVD? He showed how to make the stick work for you for snap/wrist shot. I thought his DVD was pretty cool back in the days.

Yeah, I meant slapshot. Thanks.

I might film myself if I go skate outside in the next few weeks, maybe I'll post it.

 

[tinyzombies]

I have the stickwork of a 70s pornstar.

 

[overpass]

Here's an article from the Oregon Daily Journal with their selection for PCHA all-stars in 1915, including a detailed writeup for each player.

1915 pcha all stars - Newspapers.com

And here's a list of articles I clipped from newspapers.com when I had an account, on several different topics.

Clippings - Newspapers.com

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

Hello everyone- who's willing to help out by addressing this issue?:

Rate these potential out-of-position plays (presented alphabetically), from most to least credible...

Patrice Bergeron (rw when Primary Position is Center)
Rod Brind'Amour (lw when Primary Position is Center)
Pavel Bure (lw when Primary Position is Right Wing)
Dale Hawerchuk (rw when Primary Position is Center)
Mickey MacKay (rw when Primary Position is Center)
Joe Malone (lw when Primary Position is Center)
Jan Suchý (ld when Primary Position is Right D)

[I'm going to guess that the cases for Abel @ LW, Delvecchio considered similarly, and Maltsev @ RW are something in the realm of "settled law" around here- but if anyone thinks we should re-think stare decicis at this time, feel free to chime in.]