Game Management - Win the Moments
How to maximize individual development and team performance
Hi there,
You don’t have to choose between development and winning - you can have both.
Winning is on the other side of eliminating losing.
Game Management
Not all moments are equal and you want to perform your best in the biggest moments.
There are predictable situations in every game that you can prepare for. A team that can collectively focus in the biggest moments will feel a sense of control and certainty.
Here is a sampling of moments that happen every game that deserve more attention in practice. Consider clear objectives you can provide your team in each situation.
Playing with the lead; both late in periods and in the 3rd period. Do you have guidelines or rules that help govern group decision-making?
Playing from behind; Topher Scott describes a great strategy in this video:
Defensive zone faceoff after an icing with an exhausted line on the ice; how can you “buy time”? Is there a standard faceoff play? What are you trying to accomplish on a won or lost draw?
Shift after a goal is scored; is there a plan to keep or regain momentum? What is the next line’s job in this moment?
Successful penalty kill; where does the player go when they leave the penalty box? What circumstances do they return to the play and when do they return to the bench? If returning to the play, what position do they play?
Power play line change; who takes who on the change? If you have 4 or 5 forwards on the power play, how do you get your lines back to normal when you return to even strength?
Goalie pull; who takes the goalie when she gets to the bench on a delayed penalty?
Incomplete line change; 1 forward changes and then they get stuck in the defensive zone. You may consider having the fresh forward who came off the bench play as the low forward/center and let the tired forwards play wing.
Panic Rules
Les Snead, General Manager of the Los Angeles Rams was on The Daily Stoic podcast and discussed Panic Rules to help leaders stay calm under pressure and make hard decisions.
We can apply panic rules philosophy to help guide our team toward effective decisions in times of pressure.
Here is an example of how you can respond well to a challenging situation:
Situation: The opponent is dominating the play and you can’t break the pressure in your own zone. You are running around and in jeopardy of giving up a goal or taking a penalty.
Panic rule: “Return to the House”: Come back to the net front area, stop, put your stick on the ice, protect the middle and re-set from there.
Eliminate Losing
Managing the game is a lot about eliminating mistakes and being focused on the relevant details. Sometimes when you lose it’s not because you didn’t do enough to win, its because you did some things that you should not. Be prepared and don’t beat yourself.
Brock Badgers High Performance Hockey Seminar
Purchase the video of all presentations from the 2023, 2024, and/or 2025 seminar for just $74 (CDN). Email me directly at tmanastersky@brocku.ca for details.
Click here for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 agenda including speakers and topics.
About the seminar…
Learn, share, and connect with coaches, scouts, managers and industry professionals from all ages, genders, and levels on the campus of Brock University in the beautiful Niagara region.
Click here for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 agenda including speakers and topics.
Purchase the video of all presentations from the 2023, 2024, and/or 2025 seminar for just $74 (CDN). Email me directly at tmanastersky@brocku.ca for details.
Cheers,
TJ Manastersky
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