Reply To: What are college coaches looking for?

[TomM]

I have coached at the college level with both men and women. Here is what I look for.

1. How hard do they compete.
2. Skating in all directions while facing the puck. Speed, mobility, agility.
3. How hard do they practice. (as an aside when I was coaching university men Gary Roberts practiced with us a few times coming back from an injury. He was the first in line for every drill. He always followed his pass, always went to the net and stopped, always went full speed. Our team was made up of former major junior players and he outworked, out listened and out good habited all of them. He tried to get better every practice. That is unusual as most players go thru the motions in pracitice.)
4. Game sense to not only be able to perform the How and What but have an understanding of the when, where and why.
5. Basic skills.