Hockey Anyone? (Angelos Midterm)

Well, being from Vancouver, and since NHL playoffs are almost among us, and being that I have a pretty one-track mind (obviously) I think it’s only fitting that I write a “how to” article pertaining to hockey. So here’s my how to build a championship calibre hockey team. (Go Canucks!!!!!)

Okay, first and foremost championships are won in goal. All around hockey, you’ll hear the saying “championship teams are built from the goal out.” So we’ll start there and work our way out.

Yes, each and every position is important, but goaltending is where championships are won and lost. A superstar isn’t necessary, but they need to be able to keep their cool in every situation, they need to be solid, flexible, and all the while they need to be durable and technically sound, it takes a special kind of athlete to combine all of those traits.

Moving out from goaltender, defence is secondary to a championship callibre team. Why? Because it’s the defence that is directly responsible for how hard a goaltender will have to work on any given night. One or two good defenders won’t do the job though, although it’s very beneficial to have a star defensive pairing capable of eating upwards of 25 of the 60 minutes of playing time. If you take an in-depth look at almost any recent Stanley Cup Champion, you’ll see a solid defence core that runs 8 or 9 men deep, not just the 6 that play every night. This enables the team to always have fresh legs available, and be completely prepared in the event of an injury.

Offencively is where the most delicate balance of players comes in. On offence, you have to balance grit, finesse, ability, speed, and all around hockey smarts. Most successful teams have a balance of scoring on the top two, and often times three lines, the fourth line typically stockpiled with defensive minded forwards, and “tough guys” not at all afraid to throw their weight around, and often times to drop their gloves in defence of teammates, or sometimes to simply create a change of momentum for their team.

Perhaps the most underappreciated part of any team is the man who finds all these pieces to the puzzle, and puts them all together. No team is complete, or able to compete at the level necessary to win a championship without that one guy who makes it all work. The guy who deals with each individual personality and type of player, does what’s necessary to not only make them happy, but produce an intense, hardworking group of athletes, with the chemistry and determination to make the championship dream a reality.

Oh man, I love hockey :)