Coaches may wonder 'Why focus on a specific nations practice styles.'
The other hockey nations in the top group don't have near the amount of players that Canada and the USA have so they have to do a fantastic job of developing the players they have. Canada and the USA have about 500 000 players each. Sweden and Finland about 50 000, Russia less, the former Czechoslovakia had about 80 000 and Slava Lener who heads Czech hockey told me that combined the Czech and Slovaks have 32 000. The other countries in the top group have less than 10 000.
So they have to do a great job when they practice. As Erkka Westerlund told me years ago, 'we can't cut an 11 year old player because he is a late developer. We have to develop each player to the best of our abilities.'
I started paying attention to how other nations practice and this is an example from the Czech Republic.
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The PDF at the bottom has these same titles and links that can be clicked on and take you to the Forum posting with the drill description, diagram and video link
Czech Repubublic Practice Ideas
Hockey Story Worth Knowing
Gustav Bubník hockey player imprisoned in the Communist era.
Open the pdf. and all of these titles are links that take you to the Forum posting that has diagrams, descriptions a video link and a pdf. with everything that can be saved.
'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'