Reply To: Diary of a Season 2011-12

Gaston, Jim and I did a skills camp in Jasper for 3 days and drove back through the mountain pass to Lake Louiseand then onto the main highway. 230 km or slippery, snowy roads through the pass but beautiful scenery. I will attach a picture of a wolf pack we saw.

I just got back from meeting with Kalle Kaskinen who is an asst. coach for the Finnish world junior team. I was going to go to their practice but the ice plant shut down all night and they had to cancel the on ice session.

Kalle showed me a lot of video clips of their game vs Canada and then the Slovaks with his Steva program. We discussed a lot of team play ideas and I gave him a thumb drive of my material.

The team is going to the Flames – Red Wings game tonight courtesy of "Kipper" who is also from Finland. If he is on the same side of the Saddledome we will get together during the game.

The Finnish association is hiring Kalle to be in charge of one of their youth programs for the next three years. I think it is the U16 program.

I have our last practice before the Mac's tournament this afternoon and then the players have the next three days to be around home for Christmas.

I plan on a lot of battling transition games and review angling, d-side and stick on the puck. One of my goalies is injured so it is a one goalie practice.