Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[hockeygod]

The Trap…

I didn't like it from either side as presented by the Sportsnet video – the fans are paying good money to be entertained and this is not entertainment. While it is within the rules and Tampa has been doing this since Guy Boucher took over last year, it makes for boring hockey. The Sportsnet staff refers to a rule that allows for the officials to stop play and force a faceoff (no penalties) and perhaps it's time to get rid of the 'trap'. I don't think it's fair to make a rule change during a season as teams make decisions on their style and personnel ahead of time. I hope they do change things after the season.

That all said, I tend to agree with Doug MacLean: if they don't know, Philly needs to learn how try to solve Tampa's 1-3-1 trap – because they will be facing Tampa more during the regular season and maybe in playoffs. The coach ultimately needs to figure out how to beat this system… not mock the other team (who is within their 'rights' to play this system); if they were indeed mocking them. Maybe Philly / the coaching staff just didn't know how to play it?

It is all about winning at the NHL level (and sadly, at a lot of minor hockey levels; even when hypocritical lip service is paid to 'development'). If Tampa is allowed to use this system, and it gets them wins, the coach gets to keep his job. They might even win the Cup with it! (Thanks to the NJ Devils of the 1990's… BORING… but can be effective… especially if the high foreheads being paid good money behind an NHL bench can't figure out how to beat it… or ask around for help!)

Back 'in the day'…

When I was coaching Team Canada with Tom Renney in the early 1990's, I remember the topic of conversation one day in particular. It was NJ who was trapping big-time in the playoffs, with much success – can't remember the opponent – and Tom was mystified why the coach of the opposition team couldn't figure out how to 'beat the trap' – as it was really played up in the media as a new system. Since we played lots of European teams, we had seen this style of play – we could play it ourselves and we could play against it. Tom wondered why that coach never called him (Tom knew the guy)… or figured out another resource to get the solutions. That team subsequently lost the series.

I was amazed that a head coach involved in a series during the Stanley Cup playoffs (lots on the line!) wouldn't / didn't call someone for help!!! (Maybe it was ego? I don't know… But I do know that if that coach had looked at video from a European hockey game, he would have seen the trap (among other things 'novel' to the NHL – perhaps from the soccer influence) and how to beat it. Now I have come to see this lack of communication between coaches as endemic; it seems to be the norm (more on that in a minute.)

Interesting fact: Eventually, this conversation with Tom turned into an addition to the "40 of the Best" booklet (in hindsight, ironically, a 'drill manual'!) we put out at Hockey Canada. At the end of the booklet is a brief overview of how to beat the trap – spurred by our discussion that day and it's topical nature at the time!

What does this mean to me now?

Thinking about this today really emphasized to me that coaching (hockey) at the highest level was (and still is) a 'closed shop.' Head coaches didn't talk too much between the teams regarding their systems and strategies. They will talk about other things, but not the guts (systems / strategies) of their team. One of my friends, who coached in the NHL for 12 years, said that he got so caught up in the day to day minutiae, that he rarely took time to 'think' about things, get outside the box, or make time to share with other coaches. Sad that the sharing and open-mindedness isn't there. Perhaps it comes down to ego and / or to a fear of losing a competitive edge and subsequently, losing one of 30 jobs to someone else?

I see this in other levels of the game – junior, (a little less in college / university, but it is still there) and of course, in minor hockey too. Heaven forbid the 'volunteer coach' share info and lose their edge to a colleague / competitor… or appear weak if they don't know it all… they might never get another volunteer coaching position again! Not a lot of ongoing coach support / forums / PD opportunities for coaches. That's why this site is so invaluable!

One of the only times 'the veil gets lifted' is when people attend a coaching conference. And even then, I remember listening to Scotty Bowman speak less than a week after the Rangers beat Vancouver (at Roger Neilson's coaching conference in Windsor, 1994); he talked for 1 hour WITHOUT REALLY SAYING ANYTHING! Granted, there were lots of other NHL, AHL, ECHL and college coaches in attendance, (pens poised over paper) but… I was SO disappointed! I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the genius to impart some words of wisdom upon myself and the audience… and it never came. I imagine everyone else was disappointed, too. I couldn't believe it. He might as well have been the Prime Minister of Canada (a politician); in other words, a master of saying nothing of substance about the topic du jour! (The topic was, "The Playoffs" and aside from common-sense stuff… the best thing about the whole thing was Harry Neale's intro: "Makes me sick to go to his house to see six Stanley Cups on his mantle. Most of us have a picture of the Cup somewhere in the house…" Actually, re-reading some of these older presentations and my notes was kind of neat!)

I approached Scotty afterward and had 10 minutes with him on the front steps of the university. He knew my grandfather; so once I introduced myself and made him aware of this connection, we had a great conversation. (He had signed a Montreal Canadians photo of himself, along with autographed, individual photos of all the players for me; then had the team mail them to me – wish I had kept the envelope with the Habs logo and address on it!) He really opened up; perhaps because I wasn't a direct coaching threat, or a relative of a friend, or a much younger person… I don't know the reason why. But I gained much more insight of 'who' Scotty Bowman was (is) in that 10 minutes than anything I heard in 1 hour! Not a bunch about hockey tactics, but what type of a person he is.

Our challenge, as coaches and educators, moving forward:

Game Intelligence doesn't just refer to the players vis-a-vis Hockey Sense: it starts with the coaches educating themselves so they can develop a deeper understanding of the game and transmit this to all the stakeholders: players / coaching staff / parents / administrators. You can't learn everything (anything?!!) from a 'drill manual' or 'the existing culture'. We need to be lifelong learners – take the 'hockey only' blinders off – challenge ourselves! Look to other sports and additional ways and means on how to improve ourselves and the coaching profession. Spreading the word of GI starts with us coaches!

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."