Setback or Opportunity?

Happy New Year from England !!!

I hope this finds everyone having enjoyed the holiday season and the occasional youth hockey Christmas tournament. As we all know by now, hockey doesn't stop for the holidays...

Here I am about to enjoy some Christmas turkey in the UK. Need that fuel to stop pucks! 

I have been staying busy tending the crease in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League, where teams have just passed the halfway mark for games played and are currently in the "meat" of the season. Players around the league are logging many hours on the bus and playing loads of matches in a short amount of time.

My goalie partner, Steve Wilcock, catching some Z's on the bus.

As a result of the increased work load, teams are experiencing injuries to several of the players whom the clubs normally rely on to eat up ice time. This is without a doubt a part of the game in any league, and especially at this time of year, there are many teams that will be challenged with the absence of many of their premier players. But with great loss comes great opportunity.

The 2015-16 National Hockey League season has also seen some virtually unknown individuals cast into more important roles because of injury. Rookies become the new stars themselves in just a short period of time... it's one reason why hockey is such an exciting game!

One team in particular that has felt the harsh effects of the injury bug is one of the most storied franchises in "The Show", the Montreal Canadiens. Among other injuries, one of the biggest blows to the Habs' lineup was the loss of reigning league MVP and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price.

Mr. Price with some hardware at the 2015 NHL Awards (photo from huffingtonpost.ca)

Cue rookie goaltender Mike Condon. The start to his NHL career has been absolutely remarkable. In his first stint in the majors, the ginger-haired American began with a 9-2-3 record, stopping 91.8% of the rubber he has faced. Most recently, he was the winning goaltender in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day where he made one of the saves of the season on Ryan Spooner.

Rookie goalie Mike Condon at the 2016 NHL Winter Classic (photo from Yahoo!Sports)

Just last year, this blog featured a 'Q&A' with my former Princeton teammate Mike Condon who, at the time, was working his way up through the minor leagues with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. In my interview with Mike, he emphasized training camp and how it is key to one's career, "Off-season training is critical for being prepared for camp and the season. In the old days, camp was used to get in shape. Now you have to be your strongest and most prepared for the first day of camp. Every day you are being evaluated and one bad day can decide what league you're going to end up in." 

Condon proved he wasn't just talk. The Massachusetts native surprised many by making the NHL roster straight out of training camp at the start of this season. And apparently he was not satisfied with just making the team as demonstrated by this year's stat lines. "CondiBear" leads all rookie goalies with 11 wins, and Montreal currently sits behind only the red-hot Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. 

For many of you young aspiring goaltenders now playing youth hockey, Mike Condon's recent rise to prominence (and the events that led to it featured in the NY Times) is a great example of a silver lining: the loss of a team's superstar is viewed initially as a setback, when it is actually a great opportunity for a newcomer to prove himself. The 25-year-old backstop has risen to the occasion and converted Price's and the Canadiens' seeming misfortune into a breakout year of showcasing his own skill, and he has helped lead his team in winning some huge games in the process!

So remember, a blessing may be disguised as a disadvantage in many different ways in the game of hockey, not just through injury. It may take the form of a penalty kill, a long and challenging road trip, or another way. Be on the lookout for these opportunities and always be prepared so that when the chance comes, you can make the most of it.

Here I am facing a penalty shot in overtime in recent action. Love the challenge, goalies! 

Hope all is well across the pond! And stay tuned. My next blog post will feature another Princeton Tiger target who, like this blogger, is also a New Jersey native.

Cheers from Manchester!
40

Life in the UK: The First 50 Days

Hello goalies, goalie fans, and parents!

I hope this first update of the year finds everyone enjoying the start of yet another hockey season. I am shocked that it has already been fifty days since I last stood on American soil...

Since my Thomas Cook Airlines outbound flight - direct from JFK to Manchester - touched down that sunny day in mid August, it has been a series of highs and lows, as is the perpetual cycle of hockey life.

In late August, the pre-season saw my new team, the Manchester Storm, short of a few players who were still awaiting official approval to enter the United Kingdom. However, our abbreviated squad mustered up the energy for several dramatic games which included a home shootout victory against Nottingham, and a road win in a very cold, archaic arena straight out of the 1980's (I don't think it has been updated since) in Peterborough, England.

The boys in our team polos and tracksuits (a.k.a. "trax-edo") at a meet-and-greet event with the fans

The Storm then travelled to Cardiff, Wales, the second country visited in as many weeks. In our first Challenge Cup game of the year, we suffered a tough 5-1 loss in front of a spirited packed house. Although we didn't come out with any points, a rowdy and energetic atmosphere was provided by the Welsh spectators in my first official game in the Elite Ice Hockey League. After a long bus trip back to Manchester and a quick sleep, the Storm captured its first home win against the Edinburgh Capitals in an impressive 8-1 win the next afternoon. It was definitely a well-deserved win for all those involved and an honor to be a part of a very important milestone for the team. It had been 13 years since the Manchester Storm had played a competitive game after the team ceased operations in 2002.

Barely making a save in Wales against the Cardiff Devils -- I swear that one didn't go in 

The following weekend, the team made its first real "roadie" to Northern Ireland where we would battle the Belfast Giants. We caught our flight from Manchester in the morning, grabbed a quick bite and nap at the hotel in the afternoon, and played in front of another great crowd that very same evening. As a result of this trip, I have a newfound respect for players in the NHL who play on the same day of a flight. Travel can be extremely draining no matter how long or short the duration. We ended up losing 6-2. However on a positive note (all press is good press), we made The Hockey News, playing the part of the victim on a couple of amazing individual plays by Giants' player and former Boston University forward Chris Higgins.

You can see the video clips on The Hockey News website below. I am obviously the guy in net doing an impression of a deer in headlights on both goals:  http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/watch-eihl-player-dish-two-of-the-most-jaw-dropping-assists-youll-see-all-season/

Remember goalies, it's good to be humbled once in a while.

Game Day: our plane to Belfast -- not the biggest plane ever

The following week was one of the more memorable weeks of my time spent in the UK so far. After a few tough losses on the ice, it was great to get some down time to take my mind off hockey for a while and experience the city of Manchester. A few teammates and I took the train downtown, where we did some sightseeing and snapped a few photos of the picturesque buildings.

Manchester Town Hall in Albert Square

Later in the week, a couple of my teammates and I were lucky enough to get great seats to a Manchester City football (soccer) match. Up against the top team from the Italian league, Juventus FC, the blue and white 'Man City' put in a valiant effort but fell short 2-1 in Champions League action. The sheer beauty of the stadium and energy of the crowd was enough entertainment in itself, let alone witnessing up close the talent of some of the best in the world.

Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City FC. Attendance for this game was 50,000+ fans! 

The fellas and I (wearing my new 'Man City' blue and white scarf)

After a few days of fun, it was back to work for the Storm where we eventually got back on the winning track and defeated the Coventry Blaze to snap a four-game losing streak. Over the next couple weeks after a few tough games in Scotland, our team showed its character and came up with another home win against Edinburgh in exciting shootout fashion --see video highlights of the match https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6BpGZONQEc

As I said earlier, hockey can be a roller coaster of ups and downs, so it is especially important for you younger 'tendies to keep a positive attitude and not get discouraged when things don't go as planned. We all get beat once in a while, but it's how you respond that counts. It's this part of the game -- the emotional aspect -- that will become very, very important in years to come as many goalies that move up the hockey pyramid already have the physical skill (e.g. skating) and mental skill (e.g. reading the play).

So remember...keep your head up, put the work in, trust in your abilities, and the saves and wins will come !!!

Until next time, keep the biscuit out of the basket...

Cheers,

Zane

Season's End

Well, another hockey year is in the books.

The 2014-15 season for Rungsted Ishockey officially came to an end in Game 7 of the quarterfinals against the Dansk Metal Ligaen's top-ranked Herning Blue Fox. The 2-1 result in the Danish "hockey capital city" was played just as the rest of the series: in a hard-fought and tightly defensive and strategic manner, where goal scoring was sparse and a small error always lead to a big opportunity. All series long, players and fans experienced what was expected. It was stereotypical, yet exciting playoff hockey in front of several sell-out crowds.

We pay respect to our fans who traveled all the way to Herning for Game 7 action.

The most exciting game for me was our Game 4 victory in front of the Rungsted faithful. I will always remember the feeling when Saxo Bank Arena erupted after local hero Christoffer Lindhoj scored the eventual game-winner in front of his hometown fans. Chills shot through my entire body. Truly amazing, as was the feeling when the final buzzer sounded!

My teammates join me in celebration of the Game 4 victory in front of our home crowd in Rungsted.

As a competitive individual, I wish the end result to the series would have been different, but nothing could take away the vast respect and gratitude I have for my teammates as a result of this season's efforts. If there is anything I learned throughout my time as an athlete, it's that earning your teammates' respect through competition is paramount. Your teammates, many of them who become your closest friends, share with you all the good and bad experiences, the ups and downs, all season long. These are the guys that sit next to you in the locker room and spend long hours training on and off the ice, riding countless nights on the bus, running stairs, sharing team meals, all while working towards become better hockey players.

Our loyal fan club's display of their passion and support before the puck drop at Saxo Bank Arena.

I am so glad to have been part of a great group of people that was able to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and I am so proud of my teammates, especially the young players who stepped up and performed beyond expectations when they were needed to replace some key players. It was a great experience for me and I will take home some great memories that I will not soon forget. Thank you to everyone who supported us and helped us out along the way and a special thanks to our fans for a very special season!

To see more of the action, here's a link for your enjoyment to the Game 7 Video Highlights!

Q & A with NHL prospect Mike Condon

Hello goalies and goalie fans! I hope the New Year finds you happy and healthy and enjoying the weather that we all associate with hockey season. I mentioned in my previous blog post that this one would include a 'Q & A' with a former Princeton teammate of mine. Did you guess correctly who was pictured?

Correct Answer: Mike Condon, Princeton Class of 2013.

Massachusetts native Mike Condon was recently tabbed in an article as one of the top goalie prospects in the American Hockey League (featured on the Shnarped website). Now playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs -- the "farm team" for the Montreal Canadiens -- the six-foot-two-inch target is currently among the Top 10 in save percentage in the league.

During the Canadiens' 2014 playoff run, Condon was chosen to be a 'Black Ace' for the team. The 'Black Aces' or 'Taxi Squad' are the handful of alternate players that travel and practice alongside the team throughout the playoffs. These are the guys who are put in the lineup if someone gets injured so Mike was essentially one small step from the Stanley Cup Playoff action!

Also a former prep school goaltender (Belmont Hill School), Mike was kind enough to let us pick his brain in this blog's first ever 'Q & A' session.

Mike, sporting his Subway sponsored 'Habs' jersey...Gotta eat fresh!

Where did you grow up playing youth hockey?
I grew up playing local hockey in some small towns in Massachusetts, specifically the Holliston Demons and Natick Comets. From there I was luckily enough to make a AAA team called the Boston Junior Eagles.

Why did you start playing as a goalie?
I started playing street hockey in my driveway because my older brother needed a goalie. I didn't really have a choice in the matter, but I'm thankful he made me get in between the pipes.

Who were some of your role models growing up?
I've had a lot of role models in hockey. I grew up watching John Vanbiesbrouck and Byron Dafoe. During my teenage years, I got to see Henrik Lundqvist make his debut with the Rangers in pre-season against the Bruins. Since then I've been a huge fan of the way he plays and the way he carries himself off the ice.

What achievement are you most proud of up to this point in your hockey career?
My most proud achievement in hockey other than being offered an opportunity to play at Princeton University has been signing a contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Condon in action for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

How did you prepare in the off-season for NHL training camp with the Montreal Canadiens?
Off-season training is ciritical for being prepared for camp and the season. In the old days, camp was used to get in shape. Now you have to be your strongest and most prepared for the first day of camp. Every day you are being evaluated and one bad day can decide what league you're going to end up in. I try not to skate too much during the summer, once a week with a goalie coach and once a week in a high-skilled summer league. In order to avoid wear and tear on your body, I spent a lot of time working out in pools. It's a full body workout with great cardio. It stretches and strengthens your whole body without putting stress on your joints.

Can you share any rituals/superstitions that you have as a goalie?
I don't have many rituals or superstitions. One of my biggest is that I never use a fresh tape job for a game. Each tape job needs a little action in practice the day before.

What was it like being a 'Black Ace' in the 2014 Canadiens' playoff run?
Being a black ace during playoffs was an eye opening and unbelievable experience. I got exposed to NHL life and NHL expectations. Being so close to the action has made me the hungriest I've ever been to take my game to the next level.

Do you have a favorite pre-game meal?
Favorite pre-game meal is pretty standard. Some chicken, pasta, and salad is what I usually have before games.

What’s on your iPod?
I got pretty much everything on my iPod. Electronic Dance music for workouts, alternative music when I want to relax, and a good amount of country for long drives.

Who is your favorite NHL goalie?
Favorite NHL goalie would have to be Henrik Lundqvist.

What’s it like to be from Boston and play for arch-enemy Montreal?
Being from Boston and playing in Montreal's organization has been pretty ironic. I grew up watching the Bruins like every kid from Massachusetts, but at this point in my career it's all business, and I'm proud to be a part of such a storied franchise.

Thanks, Mike! We wish you the best of luck in your bright future of puckstopping! 

MOVEMBER in Rungsted

I hope this post finds you enjoying the start of your hockey season wherever you may be competing around the world.

Here in Denmark, the first stretch of the season is completed and we players have already had our first "national team" break. During this break from league play, a few players are invited to represent their respective home countries in several international tournaments scattered around Europe. A couple of these invitationals include teams in the Under-18, Under-20, and Men's National divisions.

I am proud to say that one of the players selected from my squad is also my roommate Lauris Bajaruns who hails from Ventspils, Latvia. He was chosen to represent the Latvian men's National team in a November tournament that took place in nearby Norway.

Lauris, sporting his Rungsted colors in Danish Metal Ligaen action.

The Euro Ice Hockey Challenge in Stavanger, Norway consisted of the national teams from Latvia, Norway, Denmark and France. In three games at the tournament, Lauris finished with two goals, including the game-winner against Denmark (their team consisted of many players from our league - the Danish Metal Ligaen)!

A great player and an even better guy, Lauris is also participating in our team's MOVEMBER challenge, a yearly event which has many hockey players growing moustaches and other ridiculous facial hair patterns in order to raise money and awareness for men's health issues such as prostate cancer.

My roommate showing his attempt at a moustache.

It's for a great cause so please join us and DONATE! When you click the link, it will open a new page, where you'll find the orange 'DONATE' tab at the top of the page (click 'English' to translate the page if it somehow shows up in Danish). Our team appreciates your support!

I chose to go with the handle-bar moustache. 

Along with grooming my moustache, I have been trying to completely relish the opportunities in Europe, both on and off the ice. I'm glad to say that this month, I was lucky enough to check off two other very special things that were on my "to-do" list this season...

Attempting to have a playoff mentality early in the season... 

The first thing I got to check off my list was to touch part of the Berlin Wall. Rungsted is just a short 6-hour car (and ferry) ride from one of the most breathtaking cities in the world, so some of my teammates and I decided to take a road trip during our break. All goalies who aspire to become "brick walls" should visit this historic site if they ever get the chance to travel to Germany...

Here I am with the Wall. I finally decided to shave for this picture.

The second item that I was fortunate enough to complete was starting in my 100th career professional game in Europe. It took me the better part of three seasons, but it was definitely worth it. Believe me when I tell you, there's no better job out there (that I know about) than stopping pucks. I make it a habit to remind myself how privileged I am to still play the sport I love. I especially try to remember this after the games that don't go as planned. The "roller coaster" of winning and losing throughout the season can be unnerving at times, but the experiences hockey affords me and the friends that it has introduced to me makes it all worthwhile.

Stay tuned, goalies! I will post again soon with a 'Q & A' session with one of my former college goalie partners who recently attended NHL training camp this past September. Can you guess who?

??? - Be on the lookout for my next blog post for the answer

Potential vs Experience

So here's a question to consider...if you were the GM of a hockey team, who would you want in the pipes as your starting goaltender?

More generally, what type of goaltender would you want as your #1 guy? A young, energetic goaltender with tons of potential... or the proven, experienced veteran who has a track record of winning?

A couple of recent happenings prompted some thought on this topic, one of which was the New Jersey Devils' recent contract extension of Cory Schneider; and the team's decision to not re-sign NHL legend Martin Brodeur. Another newsworthy event is something a little bit more local to me in Europe...

This past week, I watched a few highlights from the newly formed Champions Hockey League. The league is essentially a season-long tournament consisting of teams from various top-tier leagues scattered around Europe. The teams play interleague games throughout the year when there are openings in their regular season schedules. The tourney is currently in its preliminary round-robin stage (eleven groups of four teams). After the initial pool-play stage, the top 16 teams will advance to compete in a single-elimination "bracket" to decide who gets to raise the European Trophy in early February. There are three different ways that a team can qualify for the Champions League explained in detail on the league's wikipedia page.

The European "Champions Hockey League" tournament consists of 44 teams from 11 different leagues. There are 8 teams each from Sweden's and Finland's top leagues; 6 teams each from Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Germany; 4 teams from Austria's top league (including one team from Italy); 2 teams from Norway's Ligaen; and 1 team each from the top leagues in Denmark (Metal Ligaen), Slovakia (Extraliga), United Kingdom (EIHL), and France (Ligue Magnus).

After browsing the league's webpage and looking at some of their rosters, I noticed a few familiar names. Some of you may recognize a few of the former NHL goaltenders as well... guys like Martin Gerber, Jussi Markkanen, Sebastien Caron, and Mikael Tellqvist to name a few.

#OldGoalies trending ???

I did some number crunching. I found the average age of the starting goaltenders in the Champions League was well above 30 years old. The average age of forwards and defensemen was about 25...

That's five full years younger than the average starting netminder!

Jussi Markkanen during the playoff run in 2006. Markkanen was one of three Oilers' goalies to play in the Stanley Cup Final series that year. The 39-year old currently plays for Saimaan Pallo (SaiPa) in Finland's Liiga.

Martin Gerber sporting his all black "Darth Vader" mask for the Ottawa Senators during the 2007-08 season. The 40-year old netminder played 229 games in the NHL and is now backstopping the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss NLA.

Markkanen and "Darth" Gerber are both in their fourth decade on earth (ages courtesy of eliteprospects.com), so they definitely were not the youngest guys on the goalie market this summer. So why did top European teams offer very generous salaries to these over-the-hill athletes?

It could be for the same reason that Martin Brodeur brought his sixth-seeded team to the Stanely Cup Final nearing the ripe age of 40 just three years ago. And why the then 37-year young Tim Thomas, in 2011, won the Conn Smythe trophy as his team secured the Stanley Cup in a seven game series against the Vancouver Canucks... These goalies have experience. They've been there before, and they know how to win in high pressure situations.

On the other hand, it's very possible that a young goalie can do the same. Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, and Cam Ward each won the Stanley Cup during his rookie season. But these types of goalies are a rarity. General managers in the European circuit are now banking on the guys with "big game" experience more times than not.

So remember, goalies: think of the art/science of goaltending as a marathon, not a sprint. Don't be discouraged if you have a rough few games or even a challenging year. It is all part of the learning process that will make you a better goaltender in the long run. Goaltenders can find out a lot about themselves and their weaknesses when they lose, so sometimes losing is a necessary evil in order to learn what needs improvement. But that's only half the battle. Your persistence and effort in refining your craft of stopping pucks must come next, and as you develop you'll turn losing into winning.

Letter from Denmark

Hello, goalies! (In Danish... "Hilsner, målmænd!")

We have just started week three of European training camp. I am now playing for Rungsted in Denmark's top division, the Metal Ligaen. There are ten teams in the league, all located in the beautiful Scandinavian country. Our team's rink is located just 26 km (about 16 miles) from the capital city of Copenhagen.

Above: View of Copenhagen from the top of the Rundetårn. You can barely make out the Øresund Bridge to Sweden in the far left background.

Here I am sitting beside my game jersey, wearing a very comfortable Great Saves Goaltending sweatshirt. This is a "transformation" picture of sorts...making the change again from goalie coach to goaltender!  It's just a shame that we will wear Rangers' colors (Go Devils)! 

As much as I enjoy coming home for the off-season to work with all you young goaltenders, it's nice to get back to Europe for the hockey season and start training with teammates in the march toward the Danish Cup. The other North American players and I are patiently awaiting our immigration and work permits so that we can legally compete in games, but the good news is that my new goalie equipment has arrived!

Welcome the new Reebok Premier XLT's. I switched from Bauer this season because our team has a sponsorship deal with Reebok/CCM. I hope they have a few more saves in them!

After wearing the pads a few times, I have to say that I love the new model so far. I now get a bigger "kick" to my rebounds and can better control where I place pucks off the pad. The size I use is 34" + 2". Because the pad size restrictions in Denmark aren't as strict as the NHL's, I considered choosing leg pads that were an inch or two larger.

A big reason for my consideration was watching former teammate Dustin Tokarski have success in recent NHL playoff action with the Montreal Canadiens. He couldn't eliminate the Rangers, but he had some huge saves and gave his team a chance to win every game. I remembered that he always preferred to wear bigger gear before the NHL introduced its current restrictions. Tokarski wore XL pants with 35" + 3" leg pads when we both played for the Tampa Bay Lightning's "farm" team. Since we are roughly the same height (I'm listed as 5'11" -- on a good day), it got me thinking that I could change to larger equipment.

Here's an oldie...Tampa Bay Lightning prospect camp, July 2010. 

Tokarski's (40) blue gear is a bit more attractive than my (37) Princeton orange.

Ultimately, I chose to keep the same pad size that I used last season. The main reason is that I would lose some mobility if I made the change to "go bigger". I like to be mobile, and the style that I play forces me to have to make some acrobatic saves from time to time. Sadly, if it happens too much, it probably means I'm being too aggressive and am getting caught out of position. But needless to say, no goalie is perfect and it does happen... so I chose the freedom that the "smaller" pads afford me. This way I can rely more on my skating agility and reflexes, rather than just my size.

Goaltenders should use their talents to their advantage... Play to your strengths! If you're a smaller, mobile goaltender and are a good skater, then you can be more aggressive. If you're a bigger, blocking style goaltender, you can take that extra step back in your crease and play a more positional game. It's not always black and white though. By playing in many different leagues (and different countries), I've learned that it's not always possible that I get away with a particular save selection that I can somewhere else. Goalies have to make adjustments as the tempo of the play changes.

Playing in Europe the past two seasons on the bigger ice surface, I've found that I have to stay on my feet a little bit longer, rather than just automatically butterflying and assuming there's going to be a shot. There's more skating and deliberation to the game here across the Atlantic. The minor pro leagues in North America were on smaller ice surfaces and players relied more on their shot than their skating/deking. On the big ice surfaces, there is a bit more time for players to make moves, so goalies must stay patient!

Rungsted's Saxo Bank Arena. Most European rinks like this one are 200' x 100'.  North American style rinks are only 85' wide.

As a wise man once told me, goaltenders need technique before they can develop style. To this end, we goaltenders need to constantly work on the foundation: SKATING. If you are not a good skater these days, it is very tough to move around that blue paint and make saves. So for you young goalies, build your leg muscles and work on your skating every time you hit the ice. Lateral movement, backwards, forwards, power legs, recovering to your feet...all these skills are what you can work on during practice when you're not seeing shots. Use the ice time that you have wisely... and build your legs!

Until next time...

Med venlig hilsen "Kind regards",

Zane