Combined Training

At 9:30pm on Thursday Night we had what might have been our last Knight's training session.  Unfortunately only three of us turned up, so it was good that there were probably twenty five or so assorted Bombers, Blackhawks and other hockey junkies from the Academy and other C Grade outfits.  It was still pretty warm at that hour (29'C) but not excessively so.

Earlier in the evening there had been two Div II games, the last one (between the Flyers and Redwings) finishing just before our training session.  I had the interesting experience of being in what turned out to be the Flyer's changeroom as I put on my own armour (I had got there verging on 'late') and therefore got to share some of their post game ritual.  I won't betray their friendship in having allowed me to witness it, but it was interesting to note the differences in the room compared to when we have won a game.  Let's just say they certainly enjoyed themselves!

The training session was divided into three distinct periods.  Initially we had a few minutes of 'free' time during which most took the chance to form a horseshoe in front of both goals and practice their shooting.  We had three goalies, so two rotated at one end.  A handful of us remained in mid ice and did our own thing.  In my case, passing back and forth with Mike, my fellow D from the Knights.

The second phase of the session involved two variations of a simple horseshoe 'pass n shoot' exercise, with skaters leaving opposing corners after passing to a skater who'd was about to skate up ice after completing a long u turn across the ice (originating from the opposite corner with a pass of their own).  One then had to spring up the ice (basically following behind the player with the puck which you'd just passed), loop around past the blue line to accept the pass from a player in the opposite corner, and then spring back down the ice to have a shot on goal.  We did this from both left and right corners.  The variation that followed was to put a bunch of defenders into the centre, their job being to rotate through and take on the puck carriers one on one behind the centre line.  Again, do it from both left and right corners.  We would have spent maybe ten minutes on the first and a bit longer on the second variations of this otherwise simple exercise (though you had to keep your head up when the defenders were on the ice as there could be as many as six players active on the ice at the same time, plus a couple 'returning' defenders heading back to centre ice).  I played offence for all parts of this exercise.

The third phase of the session was a half hour shinny, divided into roughly equal teams by colour of sweater.  I was wearing my royal blue SKA St Petersburg sweater and so was with the black, blue and greens.  Generally again I played as a forward when it was appropriate, was complemented on my 'hussling' in front of the net and finding the free ice to take the pass (not that I did anything ultra productive with it when I got it!).  In the last ten minutes, however, I reverted to playing D and found myself taking on an attacking Michael a couple of times (once on the rush when I close checked him to the point of neutralising him) and along the corner boards (when I trapped him long enough for him to lose the puck).  I blocked a couple of shots and didn't feel as useless as last time I played D in a B grade shinny.

My feet were aching quite a bit through the horseshoe exercise, but had cleared up as the shinny progressed.  Felt no pain afterwards.  Hopefully I've finally reached equilibrium with my now not so new Bauer 160s.

A good evening.  Thanks, Nancy, for not letting me get away with a weak excuse for not turning up!

Ice: 15