Hockey IQ

TOPIC
Hockey IQ

Today’s newsletter will be discussing the topic of Hockey IQ and how to develop it. I will touch on this topic again in future newsletters and will most likely ask buddies who have played or continue to play to chime in their two cents on the topic as well to gain more insight.

For now, I will briefly talk about this topic and give you a trick of the trade I learned at a very young age as it pertains to how you can learn to develop hockey IQ.

The trick is this; go to a National Hockey League, sit up in the nosebleeds, pick a player on either team that plays your position, and watch them from that viewpoint.

Why do we do this? The reason for doing this is because this bird’s eye view allows you to get a third-person perspective on player positioning and where to be on the ice. It allows us to develop a different viewpoint, sense, and perspective of the game of hockey that you cannot replicate unless you watch from this angle.

Also, you are watching a player in the National Hockey League who has basically perfected their craft and their position so you are learning from the best of the best.

When you sit up in the nosebleeds, you can see the entire ice sheet and every player on the ice which allows you to see where the player you are watching is in relation to where the puck is and other players on the ice.

When you sit lower or are on the glass, it can be harder and almost nearly impossible to do this simply based on the viewpoint.

So, next time you go to an NHL game, get one of the roster cards, circle all of the players that play your position, and every time they are on the ice, watch that specific player and where they go throughout the ice.

Don’t forget to watch where the puck and other players are as well but make sure you really focus on the one player in your position and how they move around the ice and the plays they make.

This will most definitely help you develop that hockey IQ.

Short and sweet today but I hope you enjoyed it.

See you next time!

— Danny.

DISCLAIMER
The views, information, or opinions expressed in the Perez Hockey Development newsletter are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of my employers. The primary purpose of this newsletter is to educate and inform.